previously in chapter 14
"As a matter of fact, I do," he said with a grin. Lora followed his gesture, her eyes lighting up when she saw the boat. "Thank you, I've been looking for that boat for a while," she said, relief evident in her voice. She turned back toward him and added, "I'll see you around?" with a hopeful smile. Gray nodded. "Sure," he replied smoothly, watching as she waved and walked off toward Lu Ren's boat, disappearing into the crowd, "well, that was something" gray though as he didnt think anything of the interaction he just had, he then continued to gain data by asking the locals more questions.
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Deep in the Devil's Sea, a small plastic boat bounced and swayed through the turbulent waters, cutting through waves despite the ongoing storm. The items on the boat were familiar: Gray's wand disguised as a cane and his suitcase, all tightly secured. The boat had no motor or oars, no visible means of propulsion, yet it moved steadily against the powerful current. This mysterious movement was due to a rope tied securely to the boat, the other end disappearing into the churning water.
Below the surface, hidden beneath the boat, was Gray in his disguised form. He wore nothing but boxer shorts as he swam through the stormy waters, muscles straining against the relentless pull of the ocean. The storm was fierce, one that even large ships would struggle to navigate, but Gray powered through effortlessly. This feat was made possible not just by his already enhanced strength but by one of his own creations—a potion.
[ Name: Aquatic Form Potion ]
[ Grade: Medium ]
[ Description: The Aquatic Form Potion allows the consumer to swim effortlessly and faster underwater, breathe in the water, see perfectly in the depths, and be unaffected by sea pressure for 4 hours. This medium-grade potion grants a 200% enhancement to underwater capabilities and is brewed using gillyweed (for breathing), essence of billywig stings (for buoyancy and agility), powdered shark fin (for swimming endurance), and crushed glowworm (for enhanced vision underwater). With the correct level 4 potion-making skill, this potion allows the drinker to explore even the deepest ocean environments with ease. ]
[ Deterioration-Rate: 100% ]
The effects of the potion allowed Gray to swim against the fierce currents, defying nature as he dragged the boat toward Yamatai Island, the legendary resting place of Queen Himiko. After what felt like an eternity in the water, he finally reached the shore. With a tired grunt, Gray pulled himself out of the sea and collapsed onto the wet sand, coughing up seawater that he had accidentally inhaled. "Aghh," he groaned, still trying to catch his breath. As he gathered his strength, Gray quickly dressed himself, putting on his dark clothes and securing his wand-cane back to his side. However, the moment he was ready, his attention snapped to the sound of footsteps.
Gray raised his hands slowly, his voice calm as he said, "I surrender." The men, still aiming their rifles at him, hesitated. No one fired. That was their first mistake. Gray knew they were sizing him up, debating whether or not to take him alive. Slowly, he turned around, careful not to make any sudden movements that might spook them into shooting. As he rotated, his hands moved behind his back, giving the appearance of submission. The soldiers relaxed slightly, thinking they had the upper hand, assuming Gray was waiting to be cuffed.
That assumption was their second mistake.In a blur of motion faster than they could react, Gray's hand dipped to his waist and retrieved a small test tube. The glass vial was filled with a swirling gray substance that seemed alive, almost like the smoke inside was trying to escape. Before the soldiers could register what was happening, he uncorked the tube.
[ Name: Smoke Burst Potion ]
[ Grade: Low ]
[ Description: The Smoke Burst Potion is a simple concoction designed to release a thick puff of smoke when exposed to air. This low-grade potion grants a 50% effect and is brewed using common ingredients such as flobberworm mucus (for viscosity), powdered nettles (for smoke generation), and salamander blood (for ignition). Upon contact with open air, the potion instantly vaporizes into a cloud of harmless but thick smoke. ]
[ Deterioration-Rate: 100%, ]
The moment Gray popped the cork, a thick cloud of smoke erupted from the vial, spreading out like a rolling fog. The air was immediately filled with dense, swirling gray mist, engulfing the entire area and shrouding everything in sight. The men, startled, opened fire instinctively, bullets tearing through the smoke where they last saw Gray standing. But he was already gone.
The thick, suffocating cloud combined with the stormy night, where rain poured down in sheets and thunder cracked overhead, created a scene straight out of a nightmare. The men coughed and cursed, their voices barely audible over the relentless pounding of the rain. Visibility was gone. They were trapped, surrounded by smoke and darkness, their guns raised, frantically searching for any sign of movement.
A flash of lightning illuminated the dense smoke for a split second, but it revealed nothing except the swirling gray mist. One soldier, trembling, heard a faint sound—a shuffle behind him. He swung his rifle around and fired, the loud report of the gun echoing in the storm, but he hit nothing. Another soldier, to his left, yelled out, "Where is he?!" before suddenly being grabbed by something from the shadows. His scream was cut short, and his body disappeared into the smoke.
The remaining men panicked. "Stay together!" one of them shouted, but they were already disoriented. The rain hammered down, the droplets striking the ground with a steady, eerie rhythm that only heightened their fear. They fired in every direction they heard movement, but their bullets hit nothing. The flashes from their guns briefly illuminated the thick smoke, but there was no target—just emptiness.
Suddenly, one of the soldiers was yanked backward into the darkness. The others spun around, hearing his muffled cries, but saw only swirling mist. Another flash of lightning cracked across the sky, and for a brief moment, they could make out a silhouette in the fog—something big, fast, and moving silently. But as soon as it appeared, it vanished again.
"Shit! He's picking us off!" one of the soldiers shouted, fear thick in his voice. They were helpless, blind, and hunted. One by one, Gray took them out, methodically and without mercy. Every time they fired in the direction of a noise, they hit nothing. And every time they thought they were safe, another man was dragged, screaming into the darkness until none of them were left. Just Gray remained, his chest heaving rhythmically as he looked around. "Boy, I am glad I got three permanent speed potions, even if it's just a 100% increase," he muttered.
That's right—Gray, while researching Himiko, succeeded in crafting one of his potions that increased an aspect of his body, and this time, it was speed. Although the potion was medium grade, it wasn't a perfected medium grade since it didn't give him a 200% increase but rather 100%.
[Name: Swiftfoot Draught]
[Grade: Medium]
[Description: Increases the drinker's agility by 100% permanently, enhancing reflexes and speed. Crafted using bat wings, fairy wings, fluxweed, and lacewing flies, this potion is ideal for those who need to move quickly and with precision.]
[Deterioration-Rate: 100%,]
Even with just a 100% increase, Gray had not one, not two, but three of them, tripling his agility, which was why he was able to completely dominate the battlefield. Swiftly, and combined with his strength and the mist, Gray was naturally terrifying in this condition, and it was by design. After he was done, Gray gathered his things, stole a walkie-talkie from them as well as some of their guns, and walked away from the scene. The island was big, so he found a small hole where he placed his suitcase and covered it before going inside. Voila! An entire room filled with everything he had prepared. "God, I love this suitcase. I'm definitely getting the bigger version of it," he smiled to himself as he changed into cleaner clothes and took a long nap which was full of nightmares but his body was tired so he just slept through the nightmare. He woke the next day and got to work on making an invisibility potion.