Chapter 87: Barbarian Potion
Hobert had almost forgotten about the curse on him. According to the information left by his biological father, Rex, the madness would return six months after each promotion, making it easier for the Heller family members to go insane and lose control.
Thus, the optimal choice would be to wait a while longer and take the Sequence 8 potion just before the six-month mark. This would give Hubert more time to search for the formula and main materials for Sequence 7.
However, after becoming a Lawyer, Hobert had trapped the madness in the pool before the Iron Throne, so six months later, it might not affect him at all.
That's why he wanted to advance immediately, to increase his strength. Once he obtained many useful Beyonder abilities at Sequence 7, he could slow down his advancement.
"My strength is too weak right now," Hobert said. "I can't investigate the family curse at all, so I need to improve my strength as quickly as possible."
Christian sighed deeply. "I respect your choice, but after you finish digesting the Sequence 8 potion, don't rush to promote. I'll tell you some secrets about the Heller family, and then you'll face new choices."
Hobert nodded. "I will."
Christian didn't say anything further. He opened a drawer and took out the key to the safe. He first retrieved a scroll of parchment, followed by two Beyonder materials.
He spread the parchment on the counter, then took out beakers, graduated cylinders, scales, and other tools from the cabinet, as well as some auxiliary materials.
Hubert leaned in to glance at the parchment, which contained the formula for the "Barbarian" potion:
Main Materials: One Wild Rage Grass, a solid horn crystal from the Earth Rhino.
Auxiliary Materials: One Deep-Woven Walnut, one Lemon Balm, 10 milliliters of pure dew from soaking aspen bark, and 100 milliliters of strong liquor.
Alcohol again? Hobert thought after seeing the potion formula. Could it be that the auxiliary materials for the "Black Emperor" pathway potion also include alcohol?
Christian began preparing the potion according to the formula, starting with the black-veined walnut and the fragrant lemon balm, followed by the pure dew and strong liquor.
The four auxiliary materials were added to the container, but there was no reaction.
Once a handful of the Wild Rage Grass was added, the container began to emit a sizzling sound. Both the Deep-Woven Walnut and Lemon Balm started to melt to varying degrees.
That handful of Wild Rage Grass was an entire plant; though he didn't know when it had been harvested, it still had vitality and appeared to be writhing before it was placed in the container.
Finally, the Earth Rhino's horn crystal, which looked like a small piece of black crystal, sparkled like a cat's eye gem under the light.
After adding the horn crystal to the container, a small puff of black smoke emerged, instantly melting all the solid materials. Without any heat, it began bubbling.
Seconds later, the bubbles disappeared, and the potion in the container turned into a deep red liquid, occasionally sparkling with red starlight.
He poured the liquid into a prepared cup, and the container was left with no residue.
Hobert took the cup, looking at the liquid with a smile. "I didn't expect it to look so disgusting. If I had known, I wouldn't have eaten dinner first."
After joking about the potion, Hobert tilted his head back and gulped it down. Before he could savor the taste, the warm potion slid down his throat into his stomach.
As soon as Hobert set the cup down, his entire body stiffened. A wave of intense pain surged through him, as if every muscle and bone was being reforged by an invisible hammer.
When he took the Lawyer potion, he hadn't experienced much discomfort. But the Barbarian potion was different; it felt as if it were completely transforming his body.
After the intense pain, a violent heartbeat followed, as if his heart wanted to leap out of his chest.
The unrelenting discomfort made Hobert sink into his chair, bowing his head in silent endurance.
After about a minute or two, the palpitations and discomfort gradually faded, and Hubert let out a long sigh of relief.
Christian, who was standing nearby, asked, "How is it? Feeling the pain of promotion?"
Hobert took a deep breath before asking, "Is the discomfort of Sequence 7 worse than this?"
"The mid-sequence potions primarily impact the mind rather than the body," Christian explained. "So even after fully digesting the Sequence 8 potion, you'll need to wait some time before attempting to promote."
Hobert nodded. "I understand."
Christian poured himself a glass of strong liquor. "Now, feel your new abilities."
Hobert expanded his spiritual awareness and began to understand the abilities of the Barbarian.
First, his mental strength had significantly increased. If he faced ordinary people, he could easily distort their thoughts; even against"low-sequence Beyonders, he could still create noticeable contradictions in their thinking.
Additionally, he could resist most low-sequence mental attacks, with some capacity to withstand mid-sequence attacks as well.
Moreover, his ability to analyze patterns and find weaknesses had significantly improved.
Beyond these changes to the abilities already possessed by a Lawyer, the Barbarian potion also granted Hobert a new ability: Berserk State!
And this Berserk State could be maintained while retaining all his rationality. Currently, Hobert could sustain this state for several minutes, and as the potion was digested, the duration would increase.
In Berserk State, Hobert would unleash astonishing strength, with his physique also receiving a corresponding enhancement. He felt he could lift objects weighing three times his body weight, like an ant.
Such incredible strength in combat would be even more ferocious than that of a Warrior.
Unfortunately, during his battle with Upton, Hobert discovered a shortcoming of the Barbarian: his speed couldn't keep up.
However, the Combat Ring on his hand could effectively compensate for this shortcoming.
After the Berserk State ended, Hobert felt no discomfort or weakening of his strength; he just needed to wait for his mental energy to recover before he could enter the next Berserk State.
The Barbarian potion primarily reinforced his physique, granting Hobert combat abilities far beyond those of an ordinary person.
As for the Beyonder abilities, they mainly manifested in the aspect of "Distorted Language."
After understanding his condition, a new question arose for Hobert: "How should I act as a 'Barbarian'?"
Should he live with the local tribesmen in the rainforests of the Southern Continent for a while?
The leap from a well-dressed lawyer to a wild man was quite significant!
Moreover, what common ground exists between a Lawyer and a Barbarian?