Rio was determined to create the Pura Corpus Potion. It was necessary for him if he wanted to get stronger faster or awaken early and use those opportunities, which he'll steal from the protagonist soon.
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Pura Corpus- The potion's name basically means a pure body. This was the ultimate support for youngsters/kids as it cleansed the body of all impurities, which later increases their chances of successful awakening.
You could imagine how great of an effect it could have, as an overall rate of successful awakening in the human race is around 60%. It sounds a lot but with the constant increase of dangers it wasn't.
Pura Corpus potion was discovered much later in the novel. 2 years after the plot started to be exact, meaning 10 years from now. But Rio didn't have the luxury to wait that long, for that person to make it. So he decided to do it himself.
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But he had overestimated himself, despite knowing the recipe by heart and having all the necessary ingredients, he had failed 4 times continuously.
Though the first time was only because he couldn't control his hands and it resulted in him not getting the Bezoar grinding process right and the stone wood herb burned itself in a sparkling fire.
Second time he failed due to overheating the potion for a little bit longer and it resulted in Asphodel getting fully burnt and turning gaseous. The smell from that potion had made his whole body numb for an hour and he couldn't feel a thing.
The third time he failed because he couldn't control the Brugmansia herb quantity and it made the potion extra poisonous, resulting in a foggy reaction, and he had to be pulled out by someone to even survive that poisonous fog.
In the fourth time, he made sure to be extra careful with everything. Double checking every step, taking it slow.
'If only I focused more on those chemistry practicals on earth, I wouldn't be making these useless mistakes here.' Rio thought as he wiped his sweat and started working again.
He began the process by grinding the Bezoar (the stone wood herb) into a fine powder. The herb was tough to grind, but he persisted until it was smooth. Next, he took the Asphodel (the soul flower) and carefully removed the petals, placing them in a mortar. He used the pestle to gently crush the petals, releasing their sweet illusory fragrance.
Brugmansia (the Angel's trumpet) was the trickiest to handle. He had to be careful not to touch it directly, as it was highly toxic. Awakeners can just coat their fingers in mana to protect themselves but since Rio couldn't do that, he used one of the gloves type artifacts to pick it up and then placed it in a small jar. He crushed the herb into a fine powder and then carefully mixed it with the other two herbs.
He then added some regular herbs which were known for their calming properties, and others for their healing abilities. He added them all together, mixing them until they formed a smooth paste.
He then added the paste to a pot of dense mana imbued water, stirring it continuously. The potion began to bubble and steam, filling the room with a heady aroma. He kept stirring, careful not to let the potion boil over the light flame. He controlled the temperature with the control panel. (it wasn't as perfect as some awakened can do but it's somewhat accurate)
The potion begins to bubble and glow, and Rio watches it with a keen eye. He knows that this is the critical moment - one misstep and the potion will be ruined. But he's careful, and soon the potion settles into a deep, vibrant blue.
Rio takes a small sip, feeling the warmth spread through his body. He took a deep breath, his hands shaking and then downed the entire vial in one gulp. The liquid was bitter, and he felt a burning sensation in his throat, but he persisted. He closed his eyes and waited for the potion to take effect.
But nothing happened.
Soon a pain hit his brain as he held his head, his eyes were getting heavy and his nostrils started bleeding, one of his hidden guards came and made him drink a healing potion. After some time when Rio felt fine, he wiped the blood stains and looked behind him. He still couldn't see anyone, but he ignored that and looked towards his table, his eyes glaring at his failure.
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Rio throws the glass vials in frustration, shattering it against the wall of his alchemy room. He could feel the anger and frustration welling up inside of him as he glared at the scattered pieces of glass and the ruined mixture on the floor. He had failed again, for the fourth time in a row.
He slammed his hands on the table and let out a scream of frustration. He had followed the recipe exactly as he remembered, but something was still not quite right.
He had been attempting to create that potion for hours but with no success he was getting impatient now , he began to pace around the room, trying to clear his head and remember the details of the potion recipe.
'What did I miss?'
'Is it some kind of fucking plot armor?'
'Or does my luck and fate of this world interfering again?'
He muttered to himself, blaming fate and the gods for his failures, maybe they didn't want him to succeed, or maybe it was just his bad luck.
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Taking a deep breath, Rio calms himself down and begins to go over the recipe once more. He carefully measures out the ingredients, making sure everything is exactly as it should be. He went through each step, double checking the measurements and the timing, getting new equipment ready.
"In the auxiliary chapter, the Author had clearly said that the herbs proportion to everything were based on his favorite date, when he first met his wife, which was 12 February."
"But I've been adding it that way, for 4 times already but why isn't it working? Is something different about it? Does the author's funny logic not work here since it isn't his book, but a real different world now? If that's true then what else has changed? Damn it, if only he was with me I would've _ _ .
"Wait , with me. HE wasn't with me."
"HE wasn't even in the same country as me."
As Rio thought that, he wanted to laugh at himself for his stupidity. He slapped his head as he started chuckling and said -
"It was such a simple thing, why the hell could I not understand it."
'12 February for him shouldn't be 12/2 like me but 2/12.'
"Damn China for writing their dates backward."
"hahaha"
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Rio picks up the pieces of glass and throws them away, sweeping the spilled mixture into a pile. He starts over, his hands moving deftly as he mixes the ingredients together, in the new ratio that he figured out just now.
This time, everything seems to fall into place. The mixture started glowing with a warm light. The ingredients reacted perfectly to each other, and the liquid in the flask turned a bright, shimmering gold.
Rio couldn't contain his joy as he laughed and jumped around his table. Finally, after hours of failed attempts and frustrations, he had created the perfect potion.
His face lit up with excitement as he carefully decanted the potion into a glass vial. He couldn't wait to test it out and see what effects it would have.
As he lifted the vial to his lips, he hesitated for a moment. What if it didn't work? But then he took a deep breath and drank the potion down in one gulp.
At first, he felt nothing, but then he began to feel a warm sensation spreading throughout his body. The warmth felt like a gentle wave, washing over him.
The feeling began in his chest, spreading outwards and upwards, as if his heart was expanding and becoming more open. His mind began to clear, the fog of his thoughts lifting and becoming more focused. The weight of guilt and doubt that had been weighing on his soul for so long had lifted a little, His mind became calm, and he felt a sense of peace he hadn't felt ever since he woke up from the darkness.
Soon the warm sensation spread throughout his whole body. It was as if his insides were being cleansed of all impurities, leaving him feeling lighter and more refreshed than he had been in years.
With each passing moment, Rio felt more and more energized, as if a new source of vitality had been unlocked within him. His muscles felt stronger, his reflexes sharper, and his senses heightened.
He opened his eyes, and the world around him seemed different, more vibrant. Colors seemed brighter, sounds clearer, and smells more vivid. The world around him took on a new, almost magical quality, and he felt more connected to everything around him.
He smiled, feeling a sense of joy he had not felt in a long time. The potion had cleansed his body, mind, and soul, and he felt renewed.
He walked around the room barefoot, feeling the smoothness of the floor, the texture of the books on the shelves. He felt a sense of connection with everything around him, as if he was part of something greater.
'Mana , so this is how it feels.'
'Amazing, if only steroids on earth worked this efficiently, there'll be Superman's walking around.'
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As he calmed down fully, Rio felt a sense of awe wash over him. He realized that this was a transformative experience, one that had changed him on a fundamental level.
Though not like an awakened, his body was perfectly pure now. He might not be able to absorb or store mana in his body like them, but he could feel the mana present in the air and it was just the beginning.
'Soon, I will have all my answers.' He clenched his fists as the face of Ria came to his mind and he determined himself to get stronger as soon as possible.
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A/N - so how did you like this chapter.
I did a ton of edits to describe the potion making process & it's effects. please rate it for me.