Chapter 50: Unstable Potion
Su Xiao sat before the workbench, a beaker placed in front of him. He occasionally picked up test tubes, pouring various liquids into the beaker.
Gurgle～
A stream of bubbles rose from the liquid inside the beaker. After adding at least several dozen materials, a flash of light flickered in Su Xiao's hand.
Crack!
Cracks appeared on the beaker, and the dark green liquid inside began to thicken, resembling a cup of asphalt.
"Failed?"
Kaisa, standing nearby, widened his eyes, his cheeks twitching. No wonder he reacted this way—the materials Su Xiao used were far too expensive.
Su Xiao ignored Kaisa, focusing intently on the beaker before him.
He cupped the beaker with both hands, his mana rapidly depleting. The mana converted through alchemy was the best catalyst.
Gurgle, gurgle...
The liquid inside the beaker began to boil. The asphalt-like viscous substance thinned, its color shifting from dark green to a pale red.
The light in Su Xiao's hand faded. Crafting this bottle of unstable potion consumed 900 points of his mana plus numerous precious materials.
Su Xiao carefully picked up the beaker, pouring the pale red liquid into a crystal test tube, sealing it with a cork.
"Success? Can this thing help Carlos cleanse the unknown energy?"
Kaisa's eyes gleamed with greed, ready to snatch the unstable potion from Su Xiao at any moment.
[Unstable Potion]
Origin: Personal Alchemical Product
Quality: Dark Purple ~ Light Gold
Type: Recovery Item (Semi-Finished), Material, Side-Effect Potion.
Usage Requirement: 70 or more points of Stamina. If consumed with Stamina below 70, a debuff effect is triggered, deducting 50 to 120 Health Points per second for 3 hours.
Effect when consumed with 70+ Stamina: Recovers 160 to 230 Health Points per second, loses 90% pain sensation and touch, loses ability to move, effect lasts 60 minutes.
Note: This potion has severe side effects. After consumption, Strength permanently -4, Stamina permanently -3, Health Points permanently -300, Mana Points permanently -160.
Note: After consuming this potion, there is an 8% chance of permanent mental trauma, a 2% chance of paralysis, and a 5% chance of losing one of the senses (taste, smell, touch, etc.).
Rating: 260+
Description: Only a brave man dares to try it. Cheers, brave one!
...
Undoubtedly, the "recovery potion" Su Xiao crafted had a powerful effect, recovering 160 to 230 Health Points per second. If Su Xiao entered a near-death state, his health could be fully restored within 10 seconds. Moreover, after drinking this potion, the recovery effect lasted for an hour.
The effect was indeed strong, but the side effects were equally astonishing: permanent reduction in Strength and Stamina attributes, decreased Health and Mana Points, and the more troublesome permanent abnormal states—mental trauma, paralysis, loss of taste, etc.—each of which was a severe consequence.
This potion had very low value for consumption in battle. At least Su Xiao wouldn't drink it. When he formulated this potion, he didn't consider the side effects at all, only pursuing the recovery effect.
"Take it."
Su Xiao handed the [Unstable Potion] to Kaisa, who quickly took it, pulled out the cork, and sniffed it.
A pungent, sweet, fishy smell rushed into Kaisa's nostrils. Kaisa froze in place, his eyes rolling back.
Clearly, Kaisa's Stamina was below 70 points. It was questionable whether this guy even had 30 points of Stamina.
After more than ten seconds, the dazed Kaisa recovered.
"This thing... is it poison? Are you trying... to poison Carlos!?"
Kaisa swallowed hard, sensing a conspiracy.
"Did the fumes cloud your brain? If Carlos dies, you all might die in Black Earth Fortress. This thing ensures Carlos doesn't die."
Su Xiao had consumed a large amount of mana to formulate this potion because he noticed a line in the mission information: 'The unknown energy within Carlos has formed a low-level symbiosis with Carlos.'
"Contact Lord Carlos. He can decide whether to drink this himself. I'm busy now; I still need to formulate several more potions. Here's the list of required materials."
Su Xiao handed Kaisa a list.
"Water-attributed + life-attributed herbs, seven types of materials with Third Alchemy Array characteristics..."
Kaisa's expression grew increasingly grim. These materials were far too rare and exorbitantly priced.
"Solar Remnants? Fire Gold? Small Soul Crystals?"
Kaisa sensed something was off.
"What do you need these three things for? They seem like materials for making bombs..."
Kaisa wasn't stupid, but his alchemy level was too low. Su Xiao stopped his work and turned to look at Kaisa.
"Solar Remnants are a highly concentrated flame-attributed material. The energy within Carlos leans toward the dark attribute. Fire Gold is for emergencies—if the dark attribute energy inside Carlos erupts, injecting an appropriate amount of Fire Gold solution into him can slow his death. According to the energy pulse laws in the Seventeenth Formula..."
Su Xiao spouted a series of highly professional alchemical terms at Kaisa, who listened in a daze. With his shoddy alchemy skills, he could only understand a small part.
"Understand?"
Su Xiao finished speaking and continued formulating potions. Kaisa first shook his head, then nodded. Although he didn't understand, he felt that what Su Xiao said seemed to make sense.
In truth, Su Xiao was completely making things up. Solar Remnants + Fire Gold + Small Soul Crystals (small soul crystals) + 500 Mana Points = Sun God Apollo.
Kaisa went to contact Carlos and gather materials, while Su Xiao continued formulating alchemical potions. In reality, aside from that bottle of [Unstable Potion], all the other potions were just a smokescreen.
Two hours later, Kaisa returned carrying large bags and bundles, followed by Carlos, who wore an imperial military uniform. Carlos didn't wear armor all the time; during non-combat periods, he usually wore the imperial uniform.
Carlos stood in a crisp military uniform, a small beard on his chin, with a faint blood aura around him. He was undoubtedly a handsome middle-aged man, capable of charming countless imperial maidens. No wonder the Dark Elf princess had fallen for him.
Behind Carlos, a woman in a black long dress, seemingly able to blend into the darkness at any moment, stood outside the door.
This woman, except for the loving gaze she directed at Carlos, looked at others with her first glance aimed at vital points like the throat or heart.
Sensing this woman's aura, Su Xiao could tell she was an assassin often hidden in the shadows.
This woman was the Dark Elf princess, named Anna, Carlos's lover. Although their relationship was not recognized by the Dark Elf clan—because the offspring of a Dark Elf and a human would have mediocre talents, even losing their invisibility ability.
"Kaisa, who is he?"
The Dark Elf princess rushed to Kaisa in a few steps. A black dagger slid from her sleeve, pressing against Kaisa's throat. The sharp edge of the dagger even cut into Kaisa's skin, ready to slit his throat at any moment.
"An-An-An, Princess Miss Anna, he-he-he, he's the ass-ass-assistant I found."
Kaisa was so frightened he stuttered, speaking incoherently. Heaven knows what "Princess Miss Anna" was supposed to be—was it "Miss" or "Princess"? It made Anna sound like she worked at a nightclub.
"Anna."
Carlos placed his hand on Anna's shoulder. Anna gave a light snort and released Kaisa.