Chapter 122
"You know, I left you alone because you looked excited, like you had some breakthrough, but I didn't think you'd deteriorate this fast," Rachel said. Gray glanced at himself before asking, "I don't smell, do I?" Rachel sighed and telekinetically grabbed him, dragging him away. "Where are you taking me?" he asked, though he didn't resist. "You're taking a bath, and you better not kill the sea life with your stench," she quipped, throwing him into the bath. "Take a bath and join me for dinner," she said before leaving. It took an hour for Gray to emerge from the shower. Strangely, he liked showering with very hot water. While working, he avoided showers to stay focused on his goals, but otherwise, he enjoyed them daily. After showering and brushing his teeth, Gray finally looked like his usual self as he arrived at the house where Rachel was preparing lunch.
"Huh, this is the first time you're cooking. I'm excited," he said, sitting at the table. "Wait, I've never cooked for you?" Rachel asked. Gray smiled, resting his chin on his palm. "Well, you spent most of your time as either a cane, a human/slash cane, an egg, and then a raven before becoming a human. So no, you never cooked for me," he said. Rachel placed a juicy steak in front of him. "Well, prepare to be amazed," she said with a smile. Gray smiled back, taking a bite. "Huh, I'm surprised," he admitted, savoring the steak. "Why are you this surprised that I can cook?" she asked, sitting down to eat. "You just don't seem the type," Gray replied. "Then what type do I seem like to you?" Rachel asked. Gray paused before saying, "At first, I thought you were the brooding type. Then I realized you intentionally keep your emotions in check." He continued after chewing his food, "But in reality, you're just like everyone else. You have joy, anger," he chuckled, "and most importantly, passion."
"Passion?" Rachel coughed. "When was I ever passionate?" she asked. Gray smiled. "Now," he said, gesturing to the food. She glanced down before retorting, "This isn't passion. Do you even know what being passionate means?" Gray placed another piece of steak in his mouth and replied, "I guess I don't, so why don't you teach me all about being passionate?" His voice carried a teasing purr, making Rachel choke on her steak. Gray promptly handed her a glass of water, which she drank. "Sly fox," Rachel muttered under her breath. Gray grinned. "So, what type of person am I?" he asked. Rachel hesitated before answering, "You're determined—someone who isn't afraid of failure, someone who has a goal and wants to achieve it." Gray paused, nodding. "Determined I am," he said, before sighing. "But I'm not without fears. I'm afraid of failure, of being weak, but I can't let it stop me from achieving my goals," he added.
Rachel hesitated but mustered the courage to ask, "What is your goal exactly?" Gray was silent for a moment before replying, "I am the champion of a god." Rachel looked at him, her expression unreadable, as he continued, "There's going to be a war, Rachel—a war beyond this world or any other. And because of that, I need to become a god." Rachel's gaze hardened. "Did that god grant you the ability to make potions that grant power indefinitely?" she asked. Gray smiled and nodded. Placing her fork and knife down, Rachel looked at him seriously. "Are you doing this by force?" If she hadn't been restraining her presence, she might have destabilized Pangea. Gray smiled, using a napkin to wipe food from her mouth. "No, but I need to become a god to protect myself," he said, which put Rachel somewhat at ease. "And you," he added, making her chuckle. Their eyes locked, the tension palpable, until Rachel snapped out of it, saying, "Hurry up." Gray chuckled as they cleaned the dishes together in a quiet yet charged atmosphere.
Inside Pangea, Gray Knight stood wearing his usual black t-shirt and trousers, his long white hair flowing like a river down his side. In his hand, he held a strange vial containing an immensely powerful liquid. Rachel Roth, sitting on a rocking chair with a book in hand, closed it and appeared beside him.
[ Name: Chimera Awakening Elixir ]
[ Grade: Demi-god grade ]
[ Description: Crafted with a Level 12 Potion-Creation skill, this potion was originally designed to awaken an Animagus form but mutated due to the inclusion of rare and volatile ingredients. The potion is made using the following components: the blood of a wizard whose Animagus form was a lion, powdered dragonbone, aether-infused moonstone, essence of phoenix feather, and a drop each of the following potions: Potion of Absolute Ice Dominion, Elixir of Eternal Flame, Starforge Elixir, and Shadowbane Draught.
Upon consumption, this potion forces the user's Animagus form to mutate into a powerful chimera. The resulting form has the blazing body of a burning lion, wings imbued with star energy capable of cosmic flight, limbs crafted from glacial ice granting supreme control over ice, and a tail and horns radiating pure darkness. In this form, the consumer gains complete dominion over fire, ice, star energy, and darkness. They can generate and control these elements effortlessly, manipulate their surroundings on a vast scale, and withstand extreme environmental conditions. This potion permanently enhances the user's magical reserves, physical strength, and elemental mastery, transforming them into a being of near-divine power, permanently ]
[ Deterioration-Rate: 100%, ]
"This is by far the strongest potion I've seen you make," she said, prompting Gray to chuckle. "Yeah, it's a demigod-grade potion, so it makes sense," he replied. Rachel looked at him with surprise. "So it's one step behind your goal?" she asked. Gray smiled, "Yeah, but the distance in that step is like the heavens and the earth."
Rachel sighed before responding, "Nonetheless, you're closer than ever to your goal," and she ruffled his hair affectionately. Gray smiled as he opened the vial and consumed the potion. Instantly, he was surrounded by four colors—cyan, black, silver, and orange—which entered his body, swelling him to a towering height of 100 feet. His form began to transform. He became a white lion, but not an ordinary one. Silver wings sprouted from his back, glowing with the power of stars. His head bore two horns shrouded in darkness, matching the snake-like tail covered in the same shadowy hue. His four limbs radiated ice, while his torso blazed with bright orange flames.
"An elemental chimera?" Rachel's voice echoed beneath him as Gray, now in his mutated Animagus form, looked down. "Yeah, I can finally have my ice and star powers. I missed those babies," he said with a smile. Shrinking his size down to that of a horse, he added, "Not to mention now I can control darkness and fire as well." Rachel chuckled, "Well, now you're the avatar—well, the chimera avatar." Gray shifted back to his human form, stretching as though nothing monumental had just happened. Without pause, he returned to his workbench, much to Rachel's astonishment.
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A/N there you guys can have your star and ice, as well as fire and shadow