Free Web NovelChapter 299: Chapter 287: Conflict
"Damn it..."
Watching Uriel’s departing back, Danny cursed under his breath. His gaze fell back to the lone bottle of dark red liquid on the counter, and he muttered to himself in confusion.
’I’m sure I tasted it myself before, and it was completely fine... How could it cause a bloodline abnormality...’
’Forget it. For now, I’d better figure out how to scrape together the guild fees. Five Silver Coins... They’re nothing but a bunch of vampires!’
Just as he was knitting his brow in deep thought, a shadow suddenly fell over the counter.
"KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK..."
After lightly tapping his fingers on the wooden table a few times, Roland slowly began to speak.
"Excuse me..."
"Ah! Hello!"
Startled, Danny jerked his head up, an eager smile immediately spreading across his wrinkled face.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
"I happened to overhear just now..."
Roland gestured in the direction Uriel had left, a gentle smile on his face.
"It seems you’ve done some research on the subject of bloodlines?"
"Of course! Let me tell you, when it comes to bloodlines..."
The word "bloodline" seemed to flip a switch in him. Danny’s previously stooped body instantly straightened, and his hands began to gesticulate unconsciously.
This sudden burst of vitality was a peculiar contrast to his aged appearance.
Seemingly realizing he had gotten too excited, the old Alchemist gave a few dry coughs, a hint of embarrassment on his face.
Roland paid no mind to the man’s awkwardness and simply asked softly,
"In that case... may I see the Potential Potion you refined?"
"Of course, no proble—"
Danny immediately snatched the dark red Potion from the counter, but before handing it over, he suddenly leaned in and whispered,
"Sir... are you looking to buy it? I must tell you beforehand, the materials for the Potential Potion are extremely precious. Each bottle costs eight Silver Coins, and..."
He glanced around warily, looking just like a guilty little thief.
"If you decide to take it, whatever you do, don’t say you bought it from me."
Seeing him act this way, Roland’s expression grew a little strange.
He was indeed interested in this bloodline-related Potion and wanted to investigate its effects, but...
He hadn’t promised he would buy it.
After a slight shake of his head, Roland said calmly,
"Alright, Danny, but before that, could you let me see the Potion first?"
"Of course."
Seeing that Roland hadn’t refused, Danny readily placed the Potion in his hand.
"But since we look to be about the same age, you can just call me Danny."
’About the same age?’
Roland glanced at the man’s aged face, then subconsciously touched his own smooth chin. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond, but he ultimately just gave a slight nod.
The moment he uncorked the bottle, a heavy, metallic scent of blood assaulted his nostrils.
’Kobold...’
Recognizing the familiar scent, Roland raised an eyebrow. He then dipped his finger into the liquid and, with Danny’s silent approval, brought the fingertip to his lips.
The moment the Potion touched his tongue, his Taste Empathy ability activated. A torrent of information, far more turbulent than with any Potion he had tasted before, flooded his Perception.
The analysis of the ingredients was complete in an instant.
The base was Moonlight Grass juice mixed with a small amount of Iron Ore Powder for stability, plus a hodgepodge of other, rather precious, medicinal herbs.
But the most prominent and incongruous ingredient was a trace of crudely refined Kobold blood essence.
Even in such a minuscule dose, the raw, volatile Power within it was enough to easily overwhelm an ordinary person’s body.
Of course, for Roland, who was already an Extraordinary Professional, such a stimulus was nothing.
However, what truly shook him wasn’t these crude ingredients, but the effect they triggered—faint, yet incredibly clear.
The Potion was like a cold spark falling into the depths of his dormant bloodline.
In that instant...
His Giant Dragon Bloodline, normally hidden deep within him, seemed to have been disturbed by this foreign, lowly wisp of Kobold essence. Or perhaps it was touched by the crude, imitative "awakening" effect within the Potion. In any case, it produced an extremely subtle resonance.
It was like a colossal beast, slumbering for eons, twitching a single eyelash in an endless dream.
There was no surge of Power, no physical transformation—only an extremely brief and noble "sense of awakening" that originated from the very source of his life.
The feeling was fleeting, so faint it was almost an illusion.
Roland slowly opened his eyes. Deep within his azure pupils, an elusive glint of gold seemed to flash and vanish.
He calmly handed the Potion bottle back to Danny, who was watching him nervously.
His mind, however, was in turmoil.
’This crudely made, even potentially dangerous Potion... its core principle can actually touch upon the Domain of "bloodline," and... it can react with the Dragon Blood in my body?’
’Even though the effect is minuscule and the method is incredibly crude, its specificity... is frighteningly precise.’
"S-so? How is it?"
Danny, who had been carefully watching Roland’s every move, swallowed nervously and asked in a raspy voice.
"If you’re not satisfied, I have other Potential Potions made with different ingredients. I guarantee they’ll..."
"It’s very good."
Before Danny could finish, Roland gave a slight nod, his gaze returning to the dark red Potion.
"This kind of Potion... how much more do you have in stock?"
Although he had already analyzed the Potion’s ingredients and brewing process through Taste Empathy, most of the required herbs—aside from the Kobold blood—were incredibly difficult to find, even if one had the money.
As a newcomer to Golden Ears City, he had no way of acquiring these rare ingredients for the time being.
Buying the finished product directly from Danny was expensive, but...
Thanks to Colin’s patronage, the one thing Roland didn’t lack right now was money.
"This is the last bottle I have..."
Seeing his refined Potion get some approval, Danny’s face lit up with excitement.
"If you need more, I’m afraid you’ll have to give me some time..."
"THUD!"
Before he could finish, Roland had already untied the money pouch from his waist and placed it firmly on the counter.
"Use the money in here as you see fit."
His tone was calm but left no room for argument.
"I just need you to refine more Potions, as fast as you can. Is that a problem?"
Glimpsing the brilliant shine of gold from the loosened mouth of the pouch, Danny’s eyes instantly lit up, and he began to rub his hands together unconsciously.
"Of course! Absolutely no problem at all!"
After briefly stating his requirements, Roland left the Alchemy Guild with the bottle of Potential Potion.
He cautiously glanced around, and after confirming that no one was watching, he quickly ducked into a secluded alley and downed the dark red Potion in one gulp.
The next moment, a sense of "resurgence"—clearer and more intense than when he had first tasted it—welled up within him.
It was as if the most ancient fragment of his bloodline had truly been struck, and a clear chime that only he could perceive—one that traversed eons of Space-Time—reverberated within his body.
A few breaths later, as the Potion’s effects were fully absorbed, Roland let out a long sigh and eagerly summoned his Professional Panel.
[Current Bloodline Fusion Level: 78%]
’It went up by two full points!’
Seeing the number, which had been stagnant for so long, finally move, Roland couldn’t help but clench his fists.
’As long as I keep taking this Potion, it won’t be long before I can become a Dragon Descendant!’
Remembering the immense Power Graham had displayed when he activated his bloodline, the corners of Roland’s mouth lifted into a faint smile. He then turned and headed for his lodgings.
’By then, setting aside whatever Traits this hidden Profession will grant me, just using the Bloodline Secret Technique Graham taught me will be enough to significantly boost my Power!’
As he was lost in thought, a noisy clamor suddenly erupted up ahead.
Looking toward the sound, he saw two groups of people in a tense standoff on the wide street.
One group was clearly composed of Golden Valley Kingdom soldiers.
But judging by their travel-worn, scarred appearance and their slightly outdated Armor, they weren’t part of the Golden Ears City garrison.
As for the other group...
After getting a clear look at the conspicuous blue-and-white striped emblems on their uniforms, Roland couldn’t help but furrow his brow.
Remembering Graham’s solemn warning before his departure, he let out a soft sigh and strode toward the center of the street, where the conflict was escalating.
