"You've already mastered it?" Vera asked in surprise.
Allen nodded. Seeing the confident look on the Witcher apprentice's face, the sorceress didn't say anything more.
Snap!
Vera opened a portal with a snap of her fingers and stepped into the orange vortex first. The Witcher apprentice followed behind. However, just as he was about to step into the portal, he turned and looked back.
All the drowners had been turned into dried leeches and taken away by Vera, leaving the Killer Lake peaceful once again. The slender willows on the shore swayed in the breeze, and the long, narrow lake reflected the sky and the eternally snow-capped peaks of the distant Blue Mountains.
"Does this mean I've passed the first test of the mountain trial?"
Gazing at the serene, deep lake, Allen had this thought flash through his mind. But it was just a fleeting thought.
The Killer Lake wasn't a dead lake. It was connected to the Gwenllech River, which flowed downstream into the Buina River and eventually into the Gulf of Praxeda. So, the drowners in the Killer Lake would not be eradicated entirely.
Of course, it would take time for the drowners to migrate back, and the mountain trial was only twenty days away. It was clear that the difficulty of the trial would be significantly reduced. However, Allen muttered to himself, "Preparation is never too much."
"With Vera still in Kaer Morhen, I must brew the Killer Whale potion in advance. That way, if there's any problem, I can ask the sorceress for help."
When it's a matter of life and death, there's no room for hesitation. Since the sorceress was willing to invest in him while he was still weak, he should make good use of this resource and repay her in the future. Having sorted out his thoughts, Allen took a deep breath and stepped into the portal.
Just before entering the portal:
Ding! Your skill: Alchemy LV1 has been upgraded to Alchemy LV2 (0/500)
...
Thud!
Crossing the portal, Allen felt the pain magnified many times over, thanks to the upgrade in his alchemy skill. As soon as he emerged, he stumbled and fell to the ground.
The sorceress's soft hand helped the Witcher apprentice up and handed him a bottle of green potion.
Gulp, gulp
Allen's Adam's apple bobbed as he drank the potion. Moments later, the dizzying disorientation faded away.
Vera gently patted Allen on the back and advised, "Next time you enter a portal, remember to close off some of your senses."
"I'd rather there be no next time," Allen quipped.
The sorceress was taken aback for a moment, then smiled, seemingly amused by the Witcher apprentice's words.
"You said you've already learned to brew that potion?" Vera returned to the main topic.
Allen nodded.
Vera asked, "What materials do you need? As I said before, I can help you with that."
Allen didn't hold back and listed the ingredients he needed: "I need two bottles of Dwarven spirit, five Balisse fruits, Six Buckthorns, and Five drowner tongues."
Hearing the Witcher apprentice ask for materials so directly, the sorceress's smile became even more elegant.
Snap!
With a snap of her fingers, Mary woke up from her sleep.
"Mary, fetch these materials."
"Yes, Mentor."
Mary rubbed her eyes, still half-asleep, glanced at Allen, then walked toward the depths of the alchemy chamber. As the girl's figure disappeared, Allen's gaze returned, meeting the sorceress's eyes.
"The cauldron is here. I showed you how to use it a few days ago. Do you still remember?" Vera asked, walking to the alchemy table.
Allen nodded and sat down in front of the cauldron. Vera leaned against the wall near the alchemy table and waited with him for Mary to bring the materials.
About five minutes later, Mary returned with a basket.
Allen, a bit excited, took the basket. Each material in the basket was prepared in double the amount needed. Allen looked up and saw Mary giving him a kind smile.
After returning Mary's smile, Allen gratefully glanced at the sorceress, then focused his attention on the cauldron.
Snap!
With a snap of her fingers, the sorceress lit the fire under the cauldron.
"Do you need Mary and me to leave?" Vera asked softly.
The Witcher apprentice shook his head. He hadn't asked the sorceress to help brew the potion earlier because he genuinely didn't know the method, not because he wanted to hide the formula. Moreover, this was the sorceress's domain.
Asking her to leave while he brewed a potion would be impolite. The sorceress nodded, saying nothing more. Mary, seeing this, also leaned in. Initially, she thought Vera was going to brew the potion, but it turned out to be the Witcher apprentice. She was very curious about the potion Allen had been so eager to learn.
Of course, she was also curious to see what the Witcher apprentice, who had only been studying alchemy for ten days, could brew. Following the recipe, Allen first put the buckthorns into the pot and then used a ladle to crush them. The intense stench was fully released by the hot cauldron, quickly filling the entire alchemy chamber.
Gag
That was the sound of Mary dry heaving.
Snap!
Another snap. Allen felt the air around him begin to flow faster. With heightened concentration, not only did he notice every detail of the materials in the cauldron, but the stench in his nostrils also became overwhelmingly rich.
Barely managing to endure the foul smell, Allen added the dwarven spirits just as the buckthorn turned yellow.
Hiss!
A large amount of white steam rose up. The pungent alcohol mixed with a corpse-like stench, creating a complex odor so intense that even Allen nearly gagged.
Gag "Mentor, do all Witchers' potions smell this bad?"
"You overestimate them. Witchers don't brew potions. They only make something called Witcher decoctions, which are more like poisons."
"Poisons? Then what is he brewing?"
"Probably another poison," Vera hesitated for a few seconds before adding, "I've never seen anyone process buckthorn like this before."
Ignoring the loud conversation nearby, Allen looked into the pot. Black grime floated on the surface of the dwarf spirits, hindering the evaporation of the alcohol. Counting his heartbeats, at the thirtieth beat, he added the Balisse fruits and drowner tongues. Then he covered the cauldron with its lid.
Now came the long wait.
Sigh
Allen exhaled deeply, stood up from his seat, and just as he was about to stretch, he saw Mary take a big step back. Vera also subtly shifted a couple of steps away, as if something was going to happened.
....
An awkward silence fell over the room. The only sound in the alchemy chamber was the bubbling of the cauldron. Seeing this, Allen quietly sat back down. It was a socially awkward moment.
Who would have thought that brewing Killer Whale would smell this bad?
Fortunately, after adding the Balisse fruits and drowner tongues, all the smells seemed to be sealed inside the cauldron.
No all that is left was to wait!
All the smells were sealed inside the cauldron!
The Witcher apprentice realized that it has reached the critical point, and his face turned pale instantly.
.....
📢20 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
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48. Does This Potion Have a Name?
49. Verdant Sigh.
50. Ugh~
51. Wolf School's Own Potion.
52. The Smell of Gunpowder.