"YOU BITCH!" Hart's anger erupted like a volcano, and he raised his hand as if to slap Claire. However, his actions came to an abrupt halt when a bolt of lightning shot between his hand and Claire's face.
"That's enough. Haven't you heard the phrase 'no means no'?" Bolts of lightning crackled around Michael's fingers as he dramatically entered the scene.
"Sect Leader Claire, I can concoct Heart Healing Pills in my sleep. You don't need him," he declared confidently.
The entire group froze, their eyes fixed on Ghost. Even Gaya looked at him with initial disbelief. Alchemy wasn't a skill one could acquire overnight, nor was it as simple as cultivating. It required innate talent to grasp alchemical knowledge, and even with talent and resources, mastering the craft took decades of practice and learning.
So when a 19-year-old proclaimed his alchemical prowess, they were stunned beyond words.
"I thought he stole those magic healing pills. Is he truly an Alchemist?" Gaya, however, didn't perceive it as mere boasting but as genuine confusion.
"Who are you?" Hart sneered. "You, a dim-witted brat, believe you can concoct pills?"
"He's a goner." Gaya had already marked Hart for retribution. Surprisingly, though, he seemed unfazed and composed.
"Yes, I believe I can concoct Heart Healing Pills better than you, any time of the day."
Hart's eyes were filled with disdain, considering it a provocation. He didn't expect to be further humiliated after Claire's rejection.
"If you can't, then what? She'll warm my bed tonight. How about that?" As Gaya had suspected, Hart's true intentions were revealed as he sneered.
"She is not an object to be wagered," Michael retorted coldly. "If I can't concoct the pill, I will take my own life. How does that sound?" He meant it; if he couldn't create the pill despite having all the alchemical knowledge etched into his brain by the system, he believed he didn't deserve to live. However, Michael had no doubts about his abilities.
"Ghost!"
The elders and Claire attempted to intervene, but he stopped them with a dismissive gesture.
"Kill yourself?" Hart smirked. "Alright, if you're willing to go that far, it's a deal! Start immediately. If you fail, then end your life. Trash like you doesn't deserve to live anyway. If you can't do it, I'll take care of you myself."
"But what if you lose?"
"Lose? Lose to you? If you concoct a pill with even one percent higher purity than mine, I'll run around the kingdom naked."
"Gross!" Gaya exclaimed, clearly repulsed, as Michael shook his head.
"Who wants to see you naked? If I beat you, I'll take your life. How about that?" Hart briefly hesitated but, after assessing Ghost from head to toe, he was willing to bet his life on it. In his mind, there was no way someone like Michael could create a purer pill than him.
"No problem," Hart agreed. Michael then retrieved a quill and paper from the nearby desk and began writing down all the required ingredients for the pill.
"Gaya, I'll need everything on this list."
Everyone present was dumbfounded by the unfolding scene, especially the three elders who still found it hard to believe that Michael was truly an Alchemist. Gaya took the list along with a pouch of gold coins, her excitement evident. She hurried outside to gather the ingredients, hoping to confirm whether or not Michael's claim was legitimate. In her mind, if he truly was an Alchemist, she would be one step closer to unraveling the mystery behind the pills that could heal her meridians.
"Jack! Jack, you little shit, where are you?!" Gaya's shouts from outside broke the awkward silence within the room. Michael gestured to Sect Leader Claire to lead the way, and they all followed her to a temporary room that had originally been prepared for Hart to concoct pills in peace.
***************************
After about thirty minutes, Gaya and the guard returned to the room with all the necessary ingredients for concocting the pills. During this time, the Elders and Sect Leader Claire refrained from asking Michael any questions, as he appeared to be meditating. He understood that if he were to stand there waiting for Gaya, they would likely pester him with inquiries, and it would be easier for him to demonstrate his abilities rather than explaining them.
Michael believed in showing, not telling.
"Ghost, I've brought everything you requested," Gaya handed over the herbs and a furnace, "You forgot to ask for a furnace, here."
"I don't need one," Michael replied calmly, leaving Hart and the others in the room dumbfounded.
"You idiot, how do you plan to concoct the pill without a furnace?" Hart sneered, his face contorted with disdain toward Michael.
"A furnace is for amateurs. When it comes to Alchemy, I'm practically a legend."
"So shameless!" Hart shot him a furious glare and proceeded to sit on the floor with his legs crossed, ready to begin the process.
"Human, I bought you an extra bag of herbs, just in case you mess it up," Gaya whispered, making sure no one noticed as Michael discreetly passed a tiny vial into her hand.
"Slip this into the guards' drinks," Michael instructed quietly.
"Is this what I think it is?" Gaya asked with an evil grin, and Michael nodded in affirmation.
"Let's begin, shall we?" Hart responded with a sneer. Under the watchful, curious, and worried eyes of the Elders, Michael conjured flames in one hand and held the herbs in the other.
Meanwhile, Hart flicked his wrist, summoning a furnace roughly the size of a clay pot. The furnace was covered in intricate inscriptions, emitting an aura of profound mystery.
"Sect Leader Claire, we should stay back," Elder Mark cautioned. The other two elders nodded in agreement, taking a few steps away from Michael.
Indeed, pill concocting was a serious and intricate process, primarily due to the challenge of controlling the fire's intensity. This was why most alchemists used specialized furnaces, which allowed them to finely adjust the heat supplied to the pill. However, Michael's mastery of fire control was exceptional, thanks to the system's enhancements. Even at the six-star level, where the system recommended purchasing Primordial Fire and ancient elven fire runes, he still wouldn't require a furnace to concoct legendary pills.
The Elders had stepped back mainly because, in case Michael lost control of the fire, it could result in the entire batch of pills being ruined or, even worse, cause the furnace to explode. Their primary concern was the safety of Claire and themselves in case of an explosion.
"If I were you, I would spare myself the embarrassment and run away, brat!" Hart mocked Michael, conjuring a protective shield around himself.
"If I were you, I would start begging, because I'm going to make you suffer for your words."
"Let's see who ends up killing whom."
"Sect Leader Claire, how many pills do you need? I can create four heart-healing pills with these herbs."
"Oh?! Four... four will be sufficient..." She was taken aback, struggling to find her voice amidst the shock.
He nodded and proceeded to do something that left everyone in the hall astounded. He threw all the herbs directly into the fire, while Hart was still meticulously refining his first herb.
The Elders were left speechless, unable to fathom that the pill-refining process could be conducted so casually. It seemed like he simply tossed the ingredients into the furnace and hoped for the best.
While they were not trained as Alchemists, they did possess some basic knowledge. They understood that each herb had a specific temperature point at which it released its medicinal properties. However, everyone around Michael was utterly perplexed by his approach.
Could there truly be such a method?
"This technique has been lost for a long time and is considered a lost art. Many 5-Star Alchemists have attempted to rediscover this method, but they squandered numerous ingredients in their futile efforts and achieved nothing," Elder Miles somberly declared in a hushed tone.
"If he cannot maintain absolute control over the fire, it could result in an explosion of lethal proportions," Elder Miles whispered again to his fellow Elders.
"Do not worry, Elder Miles. I can brew potions and concoct pills with a 100% success rate," Michael casually responded, startling Elder Miles, who leaped back, fearing an accidental explosion due to his sudden speech.
"I want to see how long you can keep up this charade!" At last, Hart finished refining his first herb and retorted to Michael.
Michael paid him no heed, sensing that the herbs were nearing the end of their refinement.
"Elder Miles, do you believe he can do it?" Reiner, the third Elder, inquired. Elder Miles was the only one among them with teaching experience in Alchemy.
"He is an anomaly. We cannot fathom his true capabilities. Look at his cultivation level. When we first met him, he had just reached Body Refining Stage Level 1. But now, in just two days, he has advanced to Level 5."
"We should not question his abilities now. For the sake of our Sect Leader, he must surpass Hart," declared Elder Mark.
"Stop complaining, oldies. He wouldn't have staked his life on this if he weren't confident in his abilities." The Elders turned to see Gaya striding toward them with an air of pride, as though she had accomplished something extraordinary. The two Elders and Claire were taken aback by her tone, but Elder Mark simply sighed.
"Ignore her manners. This girl is a friend of Ghost."
While the conversation unfolded, Hart managed to finish refining the second herb, leaving him with only six more herbs to process.
"Haha, how much longer will you continue making a fool of yourself? Throwing all the herbs into the fire at once? You truly are foolish! If you're going to pretend, at least try to make it believable!" Hart pointed at Michael's unorthodox approach and burst into laughter.
"Watch this," Michael retorted with a sneer. He extended his hand over the fire and, when he withdrew it, a series of colorful, shimmering beads began to rise from the flames. Eight beads levitated above the fire, and he soon began fusing them into a single fist-sized sphere.
"This... this is impossible... Refining all the herbs simultaneously... it requires absolute mastery over the fire. It's... utterly impossible!" Hart's face drained of color, and he appeared ashen. He had expected Michael to fail, but Michael had already refined all eight herbs before Hart could process three. Moreover, the beads hovering above Michael's fire were shinier and purer than the two beads in front of Hart.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully demonstrating a badass attitude. The reward is 200 badass points.]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully displaying a badass demeanor. The reward is 200 badass points.]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully embodying a badass persona. The reward is 200 badass points.]
...
[Ding! Subordinate Gaya has defeated a Body Strengthening stage, level 3 cultivator. The reward is 15,000 experience points.]
The sweet sound of notifications chimed in his mind, causing a grin to spread across his face.