A year had passed since the battle in the underground chamber of the Royal Magic School. The memory of the cultists, the monsters from the underworld, and Nezg'hall's Hand still haunted Ash, now twelve years old, but the academy had moved on. Life had returned to a semblance of normalcy. Classes resumed, students laughed and trained, and the world seemed at peace.
Ash, however, had become more than just another student. He was now seen as a hero within the academy's walls—a legend in his own right. Whispers followed him through the halls, tales of the boy who had stood against the dark magic and saved the school from destruction. Even the older students, who had once dismissed him as a prodigy but nothing more, now regarded him with a mix of respect and awe. Teachers who had once been his mentors now spoke to him as equals, their eyes lingering on him with recognition of his bravery.
The turning point had come the day he was awarded the Medal of Valor, an honor given only to those who had performed extraordinary acts of courage and service to the empire. The entire school had gathered in the grand hall, students and staff alike filling every inch of the space. Ash stood on the stage, feeling the weight of every gaze on him as the headmaster presented him with the gleaming silver medal. The room had erupted into applause as the medal was pinned to his chest, a symbol of his courage in the face of overwhelming danger. The headmaster's voice had boomed through the hall, recounting Ash's bravery, his unyielding determination to protect the school from the dark forces that had threatened to tear it apart.
"Ash," the headmaster had said, his voice filled with pride, "for your bravery in the face of darkness, for standing against the forces of chaos when others would have faltered, you are hereby awarded the highest honor of the Royal Magic School—the Medal of Valor."
Ash had bowed his head as the applause washed over him, but inside, a strange mix of emotions swirled. He accepted the recognition with humility, knowing that while the school was safe for now, the real danger had not passed. Nezg'hall's Hand was still out there, waiting.
Over the past year, he had poured himself into his studies, mastering magic with an intensity that surprised even his teachers. His [Eyes of the God of Creation] gave him a unique advantage, allowing him to dissect magical theories in a way no other student could. To Ash, magic wasn't just some mystical force—it was like coding from his past life. It had rules, formulas, structures. He could break those down, analyze them, and reshape them to fit his needs.
And so, by approaching magic like a programmer would code, Ash had developed his own spells and enhanced existing ones. His magical power grew exponentially, but still, he felt a gap in his knowledge. There was something he was missing—something that would help him in his quest to find the artifact. That gap, he soon realized, was Alchemy.
Ash sat in his dormitory one evening, his books spread across the wooden desk. Candles flickered in the dim light as he thumbed through a thick, leather-bound tome on potion-making. Alchemy had always intrigued him, but now it felt like a necessity.
If Nezg'hall's Hand was out there, hiding somewhere in the world, dark magic would linger around it. A powerful artifact like that wouldn't disappear without leaving traces. What Ash needed was a way to detect those traces—something that could sense the remnants of dark magic within a certain range.
The answer came to him during one of his late-night study sessions: the [Dark Magic Detection Potion].
"Potions are just as much about formulas as spells are," Ash muttered to himself, flipping a page. "If I can understand the ingredients, how they react, how they blend together, I can create a potion to detect dark magic."
Sword, floating near the desk, pulsed faintly. "You've been fixated on this for weeks now."
Ash glanced at his soul weapon. "I'm close, Sword. If I can learn alchemy, I can craft the Dark Magic Detection Potion myself. No one else knows how to track Nezg'hall's Hand better than I do. But I need to master this first."
Sword hummed thoughtfully. "So, where do you start?"
Ash leaned back in his chair. He had already studied most of the theory behind alchemy—just like with magic, he had spent hours absorbing books on ingredients, potion recipes, and brewing techniques. But theory wasn't enough. He needed hands-on experience. He needed a teacher.
"I'll find someone to teach me," Ash said, determination filling his voice. "A professional alchemist."
The next day, Ash found himself standing outside a small, unassuming workshop in the lower district of Rosaria. The alchemist who ran it was known as Alicia—a reclusive but highly skilled potion-maker who rarely took on students. However, after hearing of Ash's magical prowess and reputation, Alicia had agreed to give him a few lessons.
Inside the shop, shelves were crammed with glass vials, bottles filled with liquids of every color, and herbs hanging from the ceiling, drying in the cool air. The scent of strange concoctions filled the room, a mix of sweetness and sharpness that made Ash's nose tingle.
Alicia, a woman with beautiful purple hair and sharp, perceptive eyes, stood behind the counter, grinding something in a mortar and pestle. She looked up as Ash entered, her expression unreadable.
"So, you're the prodigy from the Royal Magic School," Alicia said, with her alluring voice. "I don't care much for titles or reputations. If you want to learn alchemy, you start at the bottom, just like everyone else."
Ash nodded, stepping forward. "I don't expect special treatment. I just want to learn."
Alicia eyed him for a moment longer before gesturing to the table in the center of the room, where several ingredients were laid out—roots, leaves, powders, and crystals. "We'll see how serious you are. Today, you're going to brew a basic Health Regeneration Potion. The simplest of potions, but it requires patience and precision."
Ash studied the ingredients carefully. He had read about the Health Regeneration Potion—how the combination of Life Root and Healing Moss, when brewed at the right temperature, could accelerate natural healing. But knowing the recipe and creating the potion were two different things.
Alicia handed him a small iron cauldron. "Follow my instructions exactly. Don't improvise."
For the next hour, Ash followed Alicia's guidance, grinding the ingredients into a fine paste, adding them to the bubbling cauldron at precise intervals, stirring the mixture clockwise to ensure the potion activated properly. His [Eyes of the God of Creation] helped him observe the alchemical process in a way others couldn't. He could see how the magic within the ingredients interacted—how the Life Root's natural essence blended with the Healing Moss to create the regenerative properties.
His first potion was far from perfect. The liquid was too thick, its color slightly off. But it worked. When Ash tested a drop on a small cut on his arm, the wound closed within seconds.
Alicia watched with a raised eyebrow. "Not bad for a beginner. But it could be better."
Ash nodded, already running through improvements in his mind. He could see where the mixture had gone wrong, how the timing of adding the Healing Moss had been slightly off. His [Eyes of the God of Creation] allowed him to see every flaw in the process.
"I'll do better next time," Ash said, already eager to try again.
Over the following weeks, Ash returned to Alicia's shop every day. Each lesson pushed him further, from learning how to stabilize volatile ingredients to mastering the art of brewing more complex potions like the Mana Regeneration Potion and the Strength Elixir. Alicia, though gruff, was a patient teacher, showing Ash the practical lessons of alchemy that couldn't be found in books.
But it was Ash's [Eyes of the God of Creation] that truly set him apart. Every time he brewed a potion, his eyes dissected the process, identifying flaws and inefficiencies that others would miss. Each mistake was a learning opportunity, each success a step closer to mastery. Within days, he had mastered what would take others weeks to learn. His growth rate in alchemy was astounding, and Alicia quickly noticed.
One afternoon, after brewing a near-perfect Agility Potion, Alicia leaned against the counter, watching Ash closely. "You learn faster than anyone I've ever trained. Most beginners struggle with basic potions for months, but you're already creating advanced mixtures with precision."
Ash set the cauldron down, wiping his hands on a cloth. "My eyes… they let me see the flaws in the process. I can correct them as I go."
Alicia nodded, his expression thoughtful. "You're gifted, there's no denying that. But alchemy isn't just about following formulas. It's about intuition, understanding how the ingredients speak to each other. You've got the technique down, but now you need to learn the art of alchemy."
"The art?" Ash asked, curious.
Alicia crossed his arms, his sharp eyes gleaming. "Yes, the art. Anyone can learn to mix ingredients and follow a recipe. But a true alchemist knows how to adapt, how to improvise when things don't go according to plan. You have to feel the flow of the potion as it's brewing, not just see it."
Ash pondered Alicia's words, realizing that despite his rapid progress, there was still much to learn. Alchemy wasn't just another set of rules to break down and reconstruct. It was a living, breathing art form that required more than just knowledge.
Months passed, and Ash's skill in alchemy grew at an astonishing rate. He quickly advanced through the ranks, moving from [Beginner Alchemy Level 1] to [Advanced Alchemy Level 9] in a matter of weeks. Every potion he brewed became more refined, every process smoother, faster. His [Eyes of the God of Creation] allowed him to see deeper into the interactions between ingredients, helping him improve with each attempt.
He no longer needed Alicia's constant guidance, though she would still offer her advice from time to time. Now, Ash was creating potions not just for practice, but for real use. [Health Regeneration Potions], [Mana Regeneration Potions], [Herculean Elixir], [Agility Elixir]—he crafted them all with ease. His dormitory was filled with neatly labeled vials, ready to be used whenever needed.
But there was one potion that still eluded him: [the Dark Magic Detection Potion].
Ash had spent weeks researching its ingredients, experimenting with different combinations, but nothing had worked so far. The potion required a delicate balance of rare components—Nightshade Blossom, Shadowroot, and Essence of Moonstone—all infused with a specific magical frequency to detect dark magic. The [Dark Magic Detection Potion] had become Ash's obsession. Every ingredient, every magical frequency needed to be in perfect harmony to craft a potion that could detect even the faintest traces of dark magic within a 25-yard radius. The recipe was challenging, and despite all his progress, Ash hadn't yet managed to get it right.
In his dormitory, various vials lay scattered across his desk—each one a failed attempt, each one missing some crucial element that Ash couldn't quite pinpoint. The key ingredients—Nightshade Blossom, Shadowroot, and Essence of Moonstone—were notoriously unstable when mixed together. They created a volatile reaction that disrupted the potion's intended properties, making it impossible to harness the dark magic detection Ash sought.
Frustration crept into Ash's mind, but he didn't allow it to take root. He had overcome greater challenges before. If he could create and perfect powerful healing potions and strength elixirs, then he could master this.
"This mixture is too volatile," Ash muttered as he adjusted the heat under his cauldron. His eyes flickered, analyzing the ingredients as they reacted. The Nightshade Blossom was dissolving too quickly, causing the Shadowroot to burn instead of blending into the potion. He watched the rippling waves of unstable energy form inside the cauldron, noting how the liquid darkened unnaturally.
Sword hovered nearby, watching the process with quiet interest. "Still no luck?"
Ash sighed, tipping the ruined mixture out and resetting the cauldron. "I'm missing something. There's a specific interaction between these ingredients that I can't seem to control."
"You're pushing hard," Sword remarked. "Maybe it's not just about the ingredients. What did Alicia say? Alchemy is as much about intuition as it is about formulas."
Ash paused, thinking back to Alicia's advice. Alchemy wasn't only about following the precise steps laid out by books; it was about understanding how the ingredients behaved in the context of magic. He had always approached potion-making the same way he had approached magic—like a code that could be broken down and rearranged. But perhaps Alchemy needed more than just a sharp mind. It needed a feel for the elements, an understanding of their core essence beyond their properties.
"You're right," Ash said quietly, closing his eyes for a moment to center himself. "I need to feel how the ingredients interact, not just see it."
Taking a deep breath, Ash began the process anew. This time, he slowed down, focusing not just on the ingredients' magical properties but also on their natural flow, their energies. The Nightshade Blossom needed to steep longer, releasing its dark, shadowy essence in slow waves, while the Shadowroot needed to bind with it more gently, without overpowering its subtle effects.
His [Eyes of the God of Creation] activated, not just analyzing but absorbing the flow of magic between the ingredients. He adjusted the temperature of the cauldron with a delicate hand, watching as the Moonstone Essence slowly dissolved into the mixture, its iridescent shimmer combining with the shadowy liquid.
Ash's focus was absolute. Every swirl of his hand, every drop of ingredient was done with purpose. The potion in the cauldron shifted, glowing faintly as the once-volatile mixture began to stabilize. The scent of night-blooming flowers filled the air, mixing with the faint, metallic tang of the moonstone. He could feel the balance now—the subtle harmony between light and dark, between the shadows and the magical frequencies the potion was meant to detect.
Sword watched silently, feeling the shift in Ash's energy. This was no longer just a mechanical process. Ash was attuning himself to the potion, understanding it on a level beyond theory.
The potion reached its final phase, and the liquid inside the cauldron settled into a deep, shadowy blue, with faint tendrils of light swirling through it like stars in a night sky. Ash carefully ladled the potion into a glass vial, watching the liquid move with an almost ethereal quality.
He had done it.
"This... this is it," Ash whispered, holding the vial up to the light. His heart raced, but this time it wasn't from frustration or anxiety. It was from triumph. The potion glowed faintly, its magical properties stable, and more importantly, tuned to detect dark magic.
Sword pulsed with approval. "I've never seen a potion like this before. You've really done it."
Ash nodded, his mind already spinning with thoughts of what he could achieve with the potion. "This will let us track Nezg'hall's Hand. Any traces of dark magic within a 25-yard radius will be revealed for an hour."
For the first time in months, Ash felt a surge of hope. With this potion, he could finally resume the search for the artifact. The cultists were gone, but their dark magic still lingered in the world—and with it, the key to finding Nezg'hall's Hand.
But there was no time to waste. He had to test the potion immediately.
Ash hurried to the outskirts of the Royal Magic School, where the faint remnants of the dark magic summoning ritual still lingered. It was a quiet clearing, a place few visited, and it was perfect for testing the Dark Magic Detection Potion. He could still sense traces of the chaos from the battle a year ago, but they were so faint that no ordinary magic could detect them.
He stood in the clearing, his heart racing with anticipation. Uncorking the vial, Ash took a sip of the potion, feeling the cold liquid slide down his throat like liquid night. For a moment, nothing happened, but then the world around him began to shift.
His vision blurred for an instant, and then everything snapped into focus. The shadows that danced at the edges of his sight brightened, revealing faint, wispy tendrils of dark magic in the air—remnants of the Nezg'hall ritual. They drifted like smoke, slow and ethereal, almost invisible to the naked eye but now clear as day to Ash.
"It works," he whispered, awe in his voice. His heart pounded in his chest. "I can see the dark magic."
Sword floated nearby, its presence steady but alert. "Then we can track it."
Ash began to move slowly through the clearing, following the faint trails of dark energy that only he could now see. The traces grew slightly more concentrated as he approached the underground chamber's ruins, but even here, where the portal had once opened, the dark magic was thin and scattered. Whatever power had been here was long gone, leaving behind only these faint shadows of its former presence.
After an hour of searching, the potion's effects began to wear off, and Ash was forced to accept the truth—while the potion worked, it wasn't enough. The traces of dark magic were far too weak. Even with the potion, there wasn't enough left to give him a new lead on Nezg'hall's Hand.
His chest tightened with frustration. He had hoped the potion would give him a clear path to the artifact, but instead, it only showed him how far away the dark magic had drifted. Nezg'hall's Hand was out there, but it was hiding too well.
Sword hummed softly beside him. "It's a start, Ash. The potion works, but the artifact may be much farther away than we thought."
"I know," Ash replied quietly. He looked out over the clearing, feeling the weight of his failure settle in. He had spent months crafting this potion, and while it had succeeded technically, it had not brought him any closer to finding the artifact. "But if the dark magic is this weak here, I'll need something even more powerful to track it."
The journey back to the Royal Magic School was a quiet one. Ash's mind was racing as he considered what had gone wrong. The potion worked as designed—it allowed him to detect dark magic. But the problem lay in how faint the traces were. Nezg'hall's Hand had been gone for over a year, and any significant traces had long since dissipated.
Once back in his dormitory, Ash sat at his desk, the vial of the [Dark Magic Detection Potion] in his hand. It was clear now that the potion needed improvement, but how could he make it more potent?
He opened his notebook, filled with theories and alchemical formulas. If he could enhance the range and sensitivity of the potion, it could potentially detect even the faintest particles of dark magic from a much greater distance. But that would require far rarer ingredients and a deeper understanding of alchemical principles.
Sword hovered silently nearby, sensing Ash's frustration. "You'll figure it out," Sword said, its voice soft but encouraging. "You always do."
Ash nodded but remained focused on his notes. "I'll need to change the balance of ingredients," he muttered to himself, flipping through pages of alchemical theory. "Maybe adding a more potent stabilizing agent, or—wait, if I can enhance the magical conductivity of the Moonstone…"
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Ash looked up, surprised. It was late, and he wasn't expecting visitors.
When he opened the door, he found Alicia, the alchemist who had been teaching him for the past year, standing with a knowing smile on her face.
"I heard about your test today," Alicia said, stepping into the room.
Ash smiled wryly, stepping aside to let her in. "It worked, but only partially. The traces of dark magic were too weak for the potion to pick up anything substantial. I need to make it stronger."
Alicia raised an eyebrow, surveying his workspace. "That's not surprising. Dark magic leaves a faint imprint at best, especially after so much time. You've done well to craft the potion at all, but if you want to track something as powerful as Nezg'hall's Hand, you'll need to get more creative."
Ash nodded. "I was thinking of enhancing the potion's magical sensitivity, maybe by adjusting the balance of the ingredients…"
Alicia shook her head, interrupting him. "That might help, but there's something more important you're missing." She placed her hands on the desk, looking directly at Ash. "Dark magic is elusive by nature. It doesn't want to be found, and it will fight against detection. You need to think about how dark magic reacts to other forms of magic."
Ash blinked, thinking about her words. Dark magic wasn't just something to detect—it was actively hiding. If he could craft a potion that didn't just seek out dark magic but forced it to reveal itself…
"That's it," Ash said slowly, realization dawning on him. "Instead of just detecting dark magic, I need to make a potion that interacts with it—something that forces the dark magic to react, to show itself."
Alicia smiled. "Exactly. You're learning, Ash. The key to mastering alchemy isn't just about understanding ingredients. It's about understanding how magic itself flows through the world."
Over the next few weeks, Ash dedicated himself to reworking the Dark Magic Detection Potion. With Alicia's guidance, he started experimenting with ingredients that could force dark magic to reveal itself. These ingredients were rare, volatile, and difficult to work with, but Ash's [Eyes of the God of Creation] allowed him to adjust and refine the potion as he went.
One key addition was the essence of Starlight Bloom, a rare flower that grew only in places of extreme magical concentration. The essence of the bloom had the unique property of amplifying any magic it came into contact with, forcing it to expand and intensify. It was perfect for drawing out hidden traces of dark magic.
Another critical ingredient was Voidstone Dust, a material so finely attuned to dark magic that it could resonate with it, forcing it to react even when faint. However, Voidstone was notoriously unstable, and mixing it with other volatile components required an incredibly delicate touch.
The brewing process was long and difficult. Ash spent days perfecting the temperature, the stirring, the timing of each ingredient's addition. He could see through his [Eyes of the God of Creation] that the ingredients fought against each other in the cauldron, threatening to destabilize the potion at every turn. But slowly, through trial and error, Ash refined the process.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the potion began to stabilize. The mixture in the cauldron glowed with a soft, eerie light—a sign that the Voidstone and Starlight Bloom were working in harmony.
Sword floated nearby, watching intently. "This feels different," it said, its voice tinged with curiosity.
Ash nodded, his heart pounding. He carefully ladled the potion into a vial, watching as the liquid swirled with a faint luminescence. "This is it. If it works, it won't just detect dark magic—it'll force any trace of it to reveal itself."
He corked the vial and looked at Sword, determination in his eyes. "Let's try again."
Ash returned to the clearing where the ritual had taken place, his heart filled with anticipation. This time, the Dark Magic Reaction Potion—the name he had given his new creation—would either succeed or fail. He took a deep breath and uncorked the vial, drinking a small portion of the glowing liquid.
Instantly, the world around him began to shift. His vision darkened, much like with the original detection potion, but this time there was more—his magic was being drawn out, interacting with the potion. He could feel a pull in the air, like the potion was actively searching, reaching for something hidden.
Then, it happened.
The faint wisps of dark magic that had been barely visible before flared to life, their tendrils expanding, becoming thick and visible to the naked eye. The dark energy that had been hiding now glowed like fireflies in the night. Ash could see it all—the remnants of the ritual, the faint scars of the battle a year ago, and more importantly, new trails of dark magic he hadn't seen before.
"It worked," Ash whispered, awe filling his voice. The potion wasn't just detecting the magic—it was forcing it out of hiding, revealing new paths of energy that led away from the clearing.
Sword pulsed with excitement. "There are new trails. They lead somewhere. This could be it."
Ash's heart raced as he gazed at the glowing threads of dark magic that wove their way into the distance, barely visible to the naked eye but clear as day to him under the influence of his new potion. These trails, brighter and more concentrated than anything he'd seen before, were unmistakable signs of dark magic, likely remnants of Nezg'hall's Hand. The faint energy had remained hidden for so long, but now, with the Dark Magic Reaction Potion, Ash had drawn it out, forcing it to reveal its secrets.
For a moment, Ash considered following the trails immediately, the urge to act was nearly overwhelming. But the night was pressing in, and exhaustion weighed heavily on his mind and body after the long days of crafting and experimenting. He was drained, both physically and mentally.
Sword, sensing his hesitation, floated closer. "We've made incredible progress tonight, Ash. But the trails aren't going anywhere. You need to rest."
Ash sighed, the fire of determination still burning in his chest, but he knew Sword was right. They had accomplished something important today, something that had eluded them for over a year.