Free Web NovelChapter 288: Chapter 276: Mithril Supply
This was no longer a simple tasting.
It was as if Roland’s senses had been suddenly elevated to another dimension.
What flooded his consciousness wasn’t the simple tastes of sour, sweet, bitter, or spicy, but a surging, torrential flood composed of pure information.
Countless minute fragments of perception, complex fluctuations of Magic Power, and exquisite material compositions were instantly carved into shape by an invisible chisel, branding themselves clearly upon his spiritual vision.
The secrets of the Protective Potion opened up before his spiritual vision.
Its core was a wisp of Silver Leaf Grass Juice blessed by moonlight, mixed with the rigidity of trace amounts of Refined Cold Iron Powder, the Purity of an essence refined from Holy Water, and the unique Attribute granted by Frost Lizard Marrow Extract that resisted the chill of death.
Its Refining requirements were exceedingly strict.
These base materials had to be combined in a Secret Silver Cauldron at the Deadly Midnight Hour, after which a Caster had to personally infuse it with a faint but crucial sliver of Holy Energy upon a Blessed Altar.
Finally, all of this coalesced into a precise yet fragile Negative Energy Deflection Field. Its core was embedded with a minuscule Protection Against Evil Rune, and its outer layer was coated with a barely perceptible Frost Spirit Qi.
It could effectively deflect the corruption and Negative Energy erosion from the claws of low-level Undead Creatures. However, against the terrifying Withering Aura of a Death Knight or the Instant Death Spell of a Witch Demon, this protection was woefully inadequate.
What’s more, one had to be wary that overdosing on this Potion could lead to a sudden drop in body temperature and temporary mental numbness.
Next, the fine details of the Concentrated Nutrient Potion also became perfectly clear.
Its surging Life Energy came from an essence extracted from the heart of a hundred-year-old oak, mixed with the gentleness of powdered Moonlight Moss, the crispness of pure mountain spring water, a trace amount of Giant Dragon’s Blood as a powerful catalyst, and a precious substance brimming with potent life force, taken from either Tree Spirit Tears or Unicorn Hair Ashes.
Its creation process was like some kind of natural ritual.
The Oak Essence needed to be drawn in a wide, open clearing in the woods at high noon, while the Moonlight Moss had to be gathered and ground on the night of a full moon.
All the ingredients had to be patiently ground and blended in an ancient wooden bowl inlaid with Turquoise, using sacred Mistletoe Branches under the first light of dawn, then left to settle quietly in natural sunlight.
Finally, a highly concentrated, gentle yet incredibly active Life Essence Stream was born, its core governed by a tiny Health Rune.
This power could instantly stimulate the deepest vitality of life, replenish immense physical and mental energy, and gently accelerate the healing process of minor injuries.
With just a single swallow, it was as if Roland had personally experienced the entire painstaking Refining process of two masters.
The demanding, almost sacred material requirements; the ancient, ritualistic crafting steps; the exquisitely complex Energy structure; and even the hidden Secret Techniques within were all branded into his mind as clearly as if he had done it himself, transforming into two "recipe blueprints" he could call upon at any time.
Recreating these recipes had gone from distant imitation to a tangible reality.
After completely digesting the torrent of information in his mind, Roland slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling upon his own palm.
A clear intuition arose within him.
As long as he had the necessary tools and materials for the Protective Negative Energy Potion and the Concentrated Nutrient Potion, he was confident he could successfully replicate these two Potions that were previously completely unknown to him.
Five times?
No...
Perhaps three attempts would be enough.
"[Gustatory Synesthesia]... this Trait is far more powerful than I ever imagined!"
The corners of Roland’s mouth turned up in an irrepressible smile.
"In that case..."
He had a firsthand understanding of how powerful Potions were.
Not to mention the two exceptionally effective Potions from Vanessa, even the Energy Potion, Sharp Eye Potion, and Life Potion he had crafted himself, though weak, had played unexpected roles at critical moments.
His Level Five [Basic Alchemy] Skill was now beyond the novice stage.
The fundamental reason he hadn’t tried crafting more advanced Potions was...
He lacked recipes.
Although Bronson had read widely in the High Tower, Alchemy wasn’t his talent, so he had never studied or memorized various Potion recipes in depth.
The nations of the River Domain were built on trade, and the Royal Capital was prosperous enough, but what circulated were mainly everyday goods. The Potion trade was not well-developed.
This left Roland with no way to obtain recipes for other Potions.
But now, everything was different.
With [Gustatory Synesthesia], he just had to drink any Potion to instantly analyze its recipe, including the complete Refining steps and key points.
Even if there was nowhere to buy Potions in the River Domain, he was heading to the Royal Capital of the Golden Valley Kingdom—a place far more advanced and prosperous than the River Domain nations. There would certainly be places to purchase Potions there.
’At that time, I’ll just need to spend some money to buy and drink the Potions. No matter how advanced they are, as long as I have the materials and tools, I’m confident I can perfectly replicate them!’
Thinking of this, Roland’s heart filled with anticipation for the journey to the Golden Valley Kingdom.
He slowly exhaled, calming his somewhat restless thoughts, then lay down on the soft bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, as the sun began to rise, Roland finished his preparations and set off for the Blacksmith Guild.
He crossed the river by small boat and set foot on solid ground. As he passed the area still heavily guarded by layers of Guards, a faint, familiar feeling within the ambient Magic Elements further confirmed his earlier judgment.
’It seems... the second Demon Well is right under this restricted area.’
He mused to himself, but his pace didn’t falter in the slightest.
After all, with his current status, the matter of the Demon Well was far beyond his ability to interfere or get involved in.
"Mr. Roland!"
Just as he stepped through the guild’s main gate, a voice filled with obvious joy rang in his ears.
Following the voice, he saw the Dwarf, Noel, striding towards him.
"You’re finally back! I was starting to think..."
Thinking of the batch of Mithril that had taken so much trouble to get here, passing through layer after layer of checkpoints, Noel’s face showed an expression of immense relief.
"It’s been a while, Noel."
Roland cut him off in time to prevent the straightforward Dwarf from saying the word "Mithril," which could arouse suspicion.
"Has the shipment I ordered arrived?"
"Of course, Mr. Roland!"
Noel bowed slightly, then extended an arm to gesture.
"This way, please."
Before the words were even out of his mouth, he was already leading the way.
After passing through a long, dark corridor, the two soon arrived at a door in a remote corner.
CLICK!
The brass key made a crisp sound as it was inserted into the lock.
The door swung open, revealing a rather narrow room.
In the center stood a wooden crate covered with thick cowhide.
Noel quickly shut the door, drew a sharp Short Knife from his belt, and carefully cut the cowhide seal.
He lowered his voice as he slowly lifted the crate’s lid.
"Mr. Roland, please take a look... see if the quality of this ’shipment’ is to your satisfaction."
