How valuable were potions?
Based on their use alone, Michael would say they were extremely valuable.
Whether it was a health potion, a mana potion, a stamina potion, or a special one, their extraordinary effects made them sought after by many.
But here was the issue.
Value was subjective.
What was priceless to one person could be meaningless to another.
Likewise, what was valuable in one place could be common or worthless in another.
And that was where Michael found himself now.
Just how valuable were potions in this land?In Aurora, one could get a health potion for as little as $500.
From a certain point of view, yes. But when compared to its effects, was it really? One could argue it was cheap.
However, comparing Aurora to the Land of Origin was meaningless—no matter how extraordinary the latter might be.
There was one distinct difference between them. Or rather, from what Michael had seen, the greatest difference was their technology level.
Even with his limited knowledge, Michael knew potions were primarily made from herbs.
If there was one area where Aurora's technology had made a clear impact, it was food.
In his world, there were two types of food materials.
The first was naturally grown food—fruits, vegetables, grains, and livestock raised in traditional farms or specialized facilities.
While still common, they were largely overshadowed by the second type.
The second was synthetic food—nutritionally complete, lab-engineered meals that were mass-produced with minimal resources.
These could mimic natural flavors, textures, and nutrients, making them more efficient and widely available.
Aurora's reliance on synthetic food meant large-scale farming was limited.
Land that would have been used for agriculture was instead dedicated to industry, research, and urban development.
This had an unintended effect.
While natural food remained available, ingredients that relied on specific climates, long cultivation times, or delicate care had become rare.
Most healing herbs required time, ideal conditions, and proper care—things Aurora had long since abandoned in favor of efficiency. Even if they were still cultivated in some places, the demand for most potions was far lower in this world.
That was why potions, despite their effectiveness, weren't seen as a necessity in Aurora.
Michael glanced down at the chest filled with health potions.
How valuable were these in a world where people relied on swords and magic?
Michael exhaled slowly, realization settling in.
These potions might be worth a fortune.However, that was as far as Michael's thoughts went.
Whatever the origin of these potions, they were ownerless now.
And that meant one thing—loot.
With a swipe of his hand, Michael stored every chest in his storage space.
Only then did he turn his attention back to his surroundings.
Just like before, it was gory.
But the sight didn't disturb him. Instead, his thoughts drifted to the bodies of the bandits.
What should he do with them?
He could leave the corpses as they were, but the idea made him uncomfortable.
It felt like littering.
In the end, Michael decided to burn them.
At first, he considered using his Acid skill to melt the bodies, but he quickly dismissed the thought.
Aside from the horrific stench that would result, he realized he didn't have the stomach to watch himself dissolve several corpses.
That just felt… a little too disturbing.
Not that burning them was much better, but at least it was easier on the eyes.
With his decision made, Michael immediately got to work.
First, he summoned a fire shaman.
Michael had a total of five female orc shamans, each with a different elemental affinity.
Two wielded fire, while the others specialized in wind, water, and earth.
Among the fire shamans, one was Lily—the strongest and the one he recognised.
She was previously unnamed, not because she didn't deserve a name, but because Michael had been both lazy and out of ideas when she first gained the ability to enter the Netherworld.
Now, with the situation different, he could summon her freely.
But she still remains nameless.
Michael was still lazy.
The fire shaman wasn't the only one Michael summoned.
He also summoned the earth shaman.
This one, like the fire shaman, was also unnamed.
But to Michael, that didn't matter—at least not yet.
Unless something about them stood out or his mood dictated otherwise, as long as he could distinguish between them, he was satisfied.
With both shamans now present, Michael shifted his attention to his two male orcs clad in armor.
They stood a short distance away.
Michael sent them a mental command as he slowly made his way into the cave, the two shamans following behind him.
He gave two different instructions.
"Pile the corpses outside."
"Go and bring the corpses of the first bandits we killed."
Had it been a few days ago, this might have been a difficult and confusing command for the undead.
But things had changed.
Michael estimated that most of his undead now had the thinking capacity of a seven- to ten-year-old.
They still couldn't talk, though.
They could make sounds—grunts, growls, even some unintelligible noises—so why couldn't they form words?
Michael stepped out of the cave, the two shamans trailing behind him.
The midday sun hung high in the sky, casting sharp shadows across the rocky terrain.
The air smelled of blood.
His armored orcs had already begun their tasks.
Soon, a pile of corpses was steadily growing near the clearing outside the cave.The other undead, on the other hand, appeared in flashes, returning with a new corpse each time.
It worked quickly and efficiently, vanishing and reappearing in rapid succession.
In mere moments, the task was complete.
Michael took one last look at the growing pile of corpses.
There were a lot of them.
He ordered the earth shaman to make a big hole for the corpses.
The undead earth shaman acted immediately without hesitation