Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 495: Optimism

The White Stag.

In Adamʼs dimly lit room, the air was thick with the scent of herbs, potions, and the faint, acrid smell of alchemical reactions.

The youth had cleared the center of the room and placed a giant wooden table there. It was cluttered with an array of vials, beakers, and flasks, each containing liquids of various colors.

Strange plants, dried and fresh, lay in neat bundles alongside powders, crystals, and other strange apparatuses.

Adam was wearing a simple tunic and pants, bending over a metal cauldron placed before the table, his brow wrinkled in concentration.

”I hope this one works,” he muttered under his breath as he added a pinch of powdered moon roots into the bubbling solution inside the cauldron.

He watched intently as the liquid changed from a dull green to a bright blue. For a moment, hope flickered in his jet-black eyes, but it quickly dashed as the concoction began to sizzle and emit a pungent smoke.

”Another damn failure!” He spat through gritted teeth as he grabbed the cauldron and was about to smash it into the wall.

But midway, he stopped and gently placed it back on the floor, softly muttering, ”No, this is expensive…”

He waved his hand over the cauldron, dispersing the fumes. He then grabbed the quill on the table and started noting down the failure in one of his leather-bound journals.

After writing down all the important points and what he could improve upon during the next concoction, he sat down on the wooden chair behind him with a defeated look on his face.

He drank large mouthfuls of wine from the gourd to drown out his disappointment and agitation.

For the last seven days, he had been working on a new potion, but it had been one failure after another. Although crafting this particular antidote was a new endeavor for him, he couldnʼt remember the last time he had failed so many times.

On several occasions, he had the urge to quit and leave everything behind. But knowing what was at stake here, he continued to persevere.

A large quantity of ingredients had already been wasted by him, but he had written a letter to Elrick earlier and had him send even more herbs and ingredients through the messenger owl.

Of course, he had already made it clear to the man that he wasnʼt going to pay a single coin for any of these ingredients. After all, this was related to the mission and thus, all expenses would be borne by the Brotherhood.

After willing the lotus to clear his foggy mind, he got to his feet and turned to a new set of ingredients on the table.

He carefully selected noon-shade berries and the essence of Glavia feathers. He then ground the berries into a fine paste and mixed it with the glowing essence, at the same time infusing his pure mana into the mix.

The mixture glittered with a golden hue, showing promising results. Yet, as he poured it into a fresh solution inside the cauldron, the potion curdled and turned an ominous black, releasing a foul odor that instantly made him grimace.

He clenched his fists and cursed, ”Mother—fuuu… control, control…”

The youthʼs eyes shone with resolve as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, not giving up in the least.

He then emptied out the gooey substance from the cauldron and then sanitized it. Then, he reached for a stem of silver leaf and a vial of wolf blood, mixed with troll blood.

His hands moved with practiced precision, combining the ingredients in a mysterious sequence. He watched, his heart pounding wildly inside his chest, as the new potion glowed a soft silvery crimson… then faded into a murky brown.

Another failure.

He had the sudden urge to destroy everything in front of him, but knowing how pricey they were, he refrained from doing so.

”This is harder than I thought,” he weakly muttered as he sat back down on the chair.

He leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment of respite. He began visualizing the next set of ingredients and their properties, trying to find inspiration.

In his mindʼs eye, he saw how his fingers danced in a mysterious pattern, infusing mana into a possible combination of magical ingredients. He visualized the delicate balance required to counteract the poisonʼs effects.

Involuntarily, his arms rose and he started moving them around as if he were actually preparing the ingredients and concocting the potion.

His brows furrowed and he kept mumbling incoherent words. This went on for several minutes until suddenly he was inspired.

He rose from the chair, his eyes twinkling with excitement. The earlier failures meant nothing to him at this moment as he truly believed that he would now be successful in the next attempt.

The youth selected a rare crystal flower, known for its healing properties, and combined it with the essence of the Light-Horse horn, a potent purifier.

His movements were almost instinctive, guided by intuition and years of study. Of course, there was also the experience of the two Herbalists whose memories he had absorbed.

Adam carefully added the ingredients to the cauldron, the solution within shifting to a radiant, luminescent green.

He continued to watch with bated breaths as the potion stabilized, its surface calm and gleaming. He held his breath and closed his eyes, his being filled with boundless optimism all of a sudden.

The liquid he had just concocted wasnʼt the final antidote, but it was a step closer to success.

”I can feel it…” He clenched his fists in joy. ”I am on the right path!”

The antidote was within reach and he believed that he would be able to concoct it within the time frame he had.

I still have two weeks left, he thought.

ROAR!!

Suddenly, the primal roar of a beast echoed through every nook and cranny of Stratford. It was so strong that the liquid inside the cauldron started to ripple.

Adamʼs eyes narrowed and he immediately expanded his Sphere of Resonance to the maximum output. It was then that he noticed two beings, a man and a tiger, standing outside the gates of the town.

Sensing the mana waves emanating from them, Adamʼs lips curled up into a cold smile.

”The bait has arrived.”