His actions became smoother as he adjusted and seemed to understand more. Noises continued to come from within the cauldron.
A brilliant light came from within the cauldron as there was a beast-like roar from within.
Hei let out his own yell, jumping up and slapping the side of the cauldron. The lid of the cauldron flew off and a pill shot into the air. Old Hei’s hand snaked out, a pill bottle in hand, expertly catching the pill and sealing it with quick and sure actions.
Erik put the dungeon core away as the Mana in the room started to settle down.
The two of them were covered in sweat and left panting. Erik pressed his fingers against the side of his head as a headache filled his skull from the sheer amount of concentration he had placed on supporting Old Hei and channeling the Mana through the room and the dungeon core into Old Hei.
“Old Hei?” Erik had many questions. Right now they were pushed to the back of his head, seeing Old Hei’s pale face.
Old Hei turned around with a smile. “I must thank you, Erik. I don’t think I would have been able to do so well with any other assistant. Though I do have one thing I need to admit.” Old Hei’s smile widened at Erik’s confused look.
“This wasn’t another practice.” Old Hei held out the pill bottle and Erik looked at it, almost going cross-eyed.
“Wait, that’s real?” Erik looked at the pill inside.
“Yup!” Old Hei couldn’t help but laugh out, releasing all of his anxiousness, his excitement and pride.
Erik was still left looking at the pill. A faint blue mist surrounded it and moved around it.
The pill looked as if it were a sphere of clear liquid. As one watched, they could see lines of color fading in and out of existence, moving inside of the pill.
Erik had seen the simulated pill before, but its colors were not as vibrant nor so clear. Also, faint runes could be seen on the surface of the pill.
Erik’s ability with Alchemy was high but still he wasn’t sure the grade of this pill.
He turned to Old Hei, who answered his unasked question.
“This is an Inscribed pill, its efficacy reaching seventy-seven percent, which means the effect of this pill is ninety-three percent.”
Erik couldn’t help but shiver from these words.
Old Hei pressed it forward and into Erik’s hands.
“Well, it looks like Rugrat’s issues will be quickly remedied.” Old Hei slumped a bit, the fatigue clear on his face.
“Master-level pill—not bad!” Old Hei winked as he moved to the door. “Using the pill mists to increase the efficacy is a stroke of genius. Now I see that Master Alchemists who allow those massive pill mists to form are just showing off! Without that, we might have lost a full fifteen percent in efficacy!”
Erik didn’t really hear everything Hei was saying as he put the pill bottle away, wanting to get it to Rugrat as soon as possible, wondering just what the changes would be!
***
Elder Mo and the others had all stopped in their tracks seeing the mist. Then they had felt the powerful pull of Mana into the testing room. It was unlike anything else they had seen when someone would create a concoction.
The mist disappeared but then why were they still using so much Mana unless something else happened?
There were a number of powerful movements over the next few hours and then finally the power died down.
The guards looked at one another but remained at their posts instead of charging in.
The door opened sometime later as a tired Pill Head Hei appeared in the doorway talking to someone else.
“I’m going to get some sleep and rest in a proper bed. Make sure to get that to Rugrat!” Old Hei noticed that there were other people there. He walked forward and greeted them with cupped fist. “Elders, what brings you here?”
“We came to see Elder Mo creating the Golden Python Poison Curing pill and on our way back, we saw pill mists emerging from the door.”
Elder Mo could only smile awkwardly, feeling as if his achievements had been stolen from him. Instead of a taste of victory, only a sour taste was left behind.
“Elder Mo, that is impressive! A peak-Journeyman-level pill reaching into the Expert realm! You should be proud. This is no small achievement.” Old Hei smiled.
Seeing his kind smile and genuine happiness, Mo stood straighter and cupped his fist to Old Hei in gratitude. “It is merely a small achievement compared to Pill Head Hei’s Master-level pill,” Elder Mo said. He noticed an older man step out of the testing room, looking at everyone.
“This is…?” one of the elders asked.
“This is my friend Erik West. He has only just joined the Alchemist Association,” Old Hei said as Erik cupped his fist and bowed to the elders.
Their eyes all came to rest on the mid-Journeyman emblem on his chest. For a mid-Journeyman fellow to be Old Hei’s friend—just what was their history?
“Erik, could you see to Rugrat, make sure he gets that pill?” Old Hei said.
“Certainly, Pill Head Hei.” Erik bowed to Old Hei and departed.
“I would come to celebrate Elder Mo’s achievements but I will need to get some rest. Elder Mo, please, we will have to dine and toast to your success later!” Pill Head Hei said.
Seeing that they wouldn’t be able to hold him for longer or get any more information from him, the elders said good-bye to Pill Head Hei as he headed off toward his residence and out of the Pill Hall.
Even before he had left the Pill Hall, the rest of the division knew that he had at least attempted creating a Master-level pill but it was unknown whether he had been able to complete it.
“He has been the pill head for just a few months and he has already concocted a Master-level pill—some people are not equal to others!”
“Come, let us go and eat and drink to celebrate Elder Mo’s success. Two new dragons have emerged from our division branch! How will the other Division Headquarters react when we create two pill heads!”
Chapter: Shocking Increase
“What are we going to do with him?” Matt asked Domonos as he sat back in his seat. Rugrat had gone off into his smithy again. After being unable to smith anything, he had started throwing his hammer around before he started drinking, emotionlessly pulling the bottle to his lips and guzzling every time.
“I have seen it before. It will be hard for us to do anything without something to help him,” Domonos said.
Matt let out a frustrated sigh as the door to the residence burst open.
“Where is he?” Erik asked as he came through the door.
“Smithy.” Matt got to his feet and showed Erik.
Erik entered the open area that Rugrat had put his smithy in and his tired expression turned into one of anger.
“Get your ass up!” His voice cracked through the open area. Matt and Domonos felt the hairs on the back of their necks shoot back, afraid to move for fear of drawing his ire.
“What’s the fucking use, man? I’m busted. At least you could get your legs back!” Rugrat pulled himself up and staggered about, anger in his eyes.
“Get your fucking shit together, Marine! Are you a fucking marine or some baby-ass bitch?!” Erik barked, his hand moving too quickly as he threw a healing potion in Rugrat’s face.
Rugrat coughed as the potion went down his throat.
Rugrat rushed forward but Erik easily evaded his attacks. His Strength and Agility were not easy to deal with.
Looking at them, it was like an adult dealing with an angry child. Rugrat’s actions became more focused as he sobered up from the healing potion.
Erik grabbed Rugrat’s fist from the air and turned him around, planting him face first into the ground, pushing his arm up so every movement was painful.
Erik bent down so he was right next to Rugrat’s ear. “Feel that, that anger, that fucking fire. Don’t you fucking forget it, ’cause you need to fight! You want to get stronger, you push forward.” Erik pulled out a pill bottle and stuffed
a pill in Rugrat’s mouth.
Rugrat swallowed it down as he fought back. He paused his actions as a glow started to appear around him. “West?” Rugrat asked in alarm.
“One Master-level Mana Channel Revitalization pill. Get on the Mana Gathering formation.” Erik got up and pulled Rugrat to his feet.
A range of conflicted emotions passed over Rugrat’s face. “Sneaky fucker,” he said, not wanting to admit how deeply Erik’s words had affected him. He followed Erik quickly to his smithy, where the Mana Gathering formation was.
Rugrat sat down on the Mana Gathering formation.
Instead of wasting any more words, Erik pulled out numbing salves and used them with needles, directly targeting the nerve clusters across his body.
“You did it for me once—time I helped you out,” Erik said in a low voice with a complicated look on his face.
“Erik, is that the pill?” Matt had come out after hearing them fighting.
“Yeah, now we just need to support him. Rugrat! Make sure to circulate your Mana system. The Mana Channel Revitalization pill is much more effective if it can move through your Mana channels. Circulate your Mana as if you were trying to compress your Mana core. Don’t let up! It will hurt a lot to start but it will get better!” Erik said.
Rugrat grunted but one could see that faint lines appeared across his body as he was circulating the power contained within him. With each rotation, the lines that didn’t match up grew a little bit and spread out.
***
Seeing that the pill was working, Erik nearly collapsed as a wave of fatigue came over him.
Erik checked on the condition of Rugrat’s body with his Simple Organic Scan.
The progress happened at a visible speed, but it would take time to repair the Mana channels. The power of the pill was rushing through his system. Then they would temper his Mana channels to strengthen them.
Erik found a bench and sat back.
Domonos and Matt, seeing that Erik was tired and close to passing out, stood off to the side, making sure to remain quiet and be ready to help if needed.
Seeing that it would take a long time, Erik opened up his notifications.
==========
Skill: Alchemy
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Level: 70 (Journeyman)
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Able to identify 1 effect of the ingredient.
Ingredients are 5% more potent.
==========
==========
You have reached Level 32
==========
When you sleep next, you will be able to increase your attributes by: 10 points.
==========
==========
1,072,943/1,215,000 EXP till you reach Level 33
==========
“What?” Erik yelled out, stunned, and then checked to see whether his outburst startled Rugrat. But the man was still sitting on the Mana Gathering formation, not moving an inch.
He checked the information in front of him again with shocked eyes.
“Over three million Experience from making one pill?” Erik muttered to himself. He found it hard to sit still and his leg started to bounce.
I have an Alchemy skill nearly reaching Expert, and I gained some three million Experience! Erik needed some time to come back to reality.
His mind turned to the examination he had just undertaken to join the Alchemist Association.
As Old Hei had told him, many people had a high skill level in the Ten Realms as the Ten Realms gave a lot of focus on completing a concoction and the effects that it would create. Though if one could make just one Expert-level concoction, then the Ten Realms would give them the rank of an Expert-level alchemist. But if he was to get to the Alchemist Association, then their evaluation would be different. One needed to not know only how to make one concoction; to be a true alchemist, they needed to know all four of the Alchemy stages to a high degree and they also needed to know the tools, the ingredients, and all of the possible information behind those four stages.
It is understandable why people might assist other alchemist Masters in a craft. The Masters have an easier time creating the concoction and can push themselves harder with the assistant to support them. The assistant has a gain in seeing techniques of the Master and also increase in skill level and Experience. Though if one was to rely on this all the way to the higher levels, then they would be a great assistant but their individual ability would be weak, kind of like a caddy in golf—can advise and help, but they’re not the actual golf player.
With all things, there were two sides to the same problem.
Erik had been quick to make large and definitive choices when he had entered the Ten Realms, but now he saw a more measured response was needed, balancing the good and the bad to advance.
Erik sat there on the bench, watching over Rugrat.
In his Mana channels, one could see a faint thread of yellow energy that seemed to exit through the Mana channels in his chest and circulate his Mana system. As the yellow faded away, a silver thread appeared and flowed through him, then blue and green and red. Erik, seeing the colors, tried to stay awake, his head following the lights. His eyes closed and he would raise his head to force himself awake as sleep came for him but there was nothing that he could do to stave it off.
==========
You have 10 attribute points to use.
==========
“Well shit,” Erik said inside his head as he saw the screen.
“Okay, well, get this done fast and then I can check on Rugrat. I need Strength and Agility to fight. I should increase my Agility a bit more as my Strength is increasing at a much faster rate. If I want to try to condense my Mana drops, then I will need to be able to hold more Mana or my Mana channels won’t be able to hold it and they’ll rupture.”
Erik placed two points into Strength, three into Agility, and five into Mana pool, laying the groundwork to chase after Rugrat.
Rugrat had a massive lead so it might take Erik another ten levels before he was able to catch up to the stage Rugrat was at now with his Mana system. Although it was a lot of time and effort, Erik felt it would be worth it if he was able to increase his magical abilities. Still, his primary goal was to increase his body’s Strength.
==========
Name: Erik West
==========
Level: 32
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Race: Human
==========
Titles:
From the Grave II
Mana King
Dungeon Master II
Reverse Alchemist
Poison Body
==========
Strength: (Base 26) +39
==========
650
==========
Agility: (Base 19) +41
==========
330
==========
Stamina: (Base 29) +9
==========
570
==========
Mana: (Base 6) +35
==========
410
==========
Mana Regeneration (Base 12) +40
32.20/s
==========
Stamina Regeneration: (Base 27) +33
13.00/s
==========
He took a look at his new character sheet. He’d had large stat changes, but the greatest increases to his ability had not come from straight attribute points but rather the hidden percentage increases, from titles and other means.
Chapter: Effects of Mana Channel Revitalization Pill
Rugrat sat in the middle of the smithy. The Mana Gathering formation caused the Mana around him to condense. As he circulated the Mana in his Mana channels, it was as if his Mana gates were breathing in and out. The pain in his body faded away with Erik’s help, allowing him to focus on processing the Mana Channel Revitalization pill.
The pill dissolved in his body and crossed over into his Mana channels. As he circulated his Ma
na, the substance dissipated through his body, expanding, healing, and growing his Mana channels.
He watched as his Mana channels, that had been in tatters, started to show life again, as if seedlings accepting water. They spread out to meet with one another, once again becoming whole. His acupoints, Mana gates, and channels lined up. His strength came back to him; his senses that had been dulled were starting to come back to him. The blockages cleared as the air around him vibrated with power and strength.
Finally, he finished repairing his Mana channels and the energy used strengthened them even greater than before.
A yellow-colored energy, carrying with it the heaviness of the world, passed through his Mana channels. They had been a faint blue before, but now if one looked closely to his Mana channels, one could see that they had a needle-thin yellow line running through them.
Then a cold silver energy appeared in his Mana channels. It was familiar to Rugrat; it had a metallic tang to it as it added its color to his body.
This happened three more times as Water, Wood, and Fire Affinity tempering threads circulated his system, changing his Mana channels.
Rugrat looked through his Mana system, seeing the strength there, the strength that he had been cut off from for so long.
Rugrat took time to look at his system, to check it all over. He opened his eyes and slowly stood. The world seemed to move with him as all of his Mana gates resonated with the Mana of the Third Realm.
I’m close to making a breakthrough and compressing my core. I only need to compress one more drop. If I were to use Mana stones, it might be easier to do so.
Even as he was excited by the thought and could feel the increased power within his body, he was hesitant, anxiety setting in from his last failure.
I’ll wait until Erik agrees and then go through it.
All of the anger and frustration from before had been drained out of him. He felt embarrassed as he looked over the open area. Domonos sat on a bench on watch; he nodded to Rugrat. Rugrat tapped fingers to his forehead in a two-finger salute and looked to his right, finding Erik passed out on a bench.
The Third Realm Page 48
