Chapter 52
The man began speaking, "You have come from afar, why don't you—" but before he could continue, Gray released a pulse of energy, stripping the man of his dark magic powers. "What—what have you done?" the man stammered as his body began to crumble. "Huh, I'm starting to like this ability more and more," Gray remarked, watching the man dissolve into nothingness. "Wait, was he sustaining himself with magic?" Gray asked. "It seems like it," Rachel replied as the woman, similarly affected, decayed into a corpse. "And he was sustaining her with magic too. Interesting," Gray added with a shrug. Together, he and Rachel stepped into the rift.
"Alright, back home we go," Gray said as Rachel tried to locate her mark during the rift transfer. However, the process, which usually took more than a minute, ended abruptly. They emerged in a completely unfamiliar world. "Huh, are we back yet?" Gray asked as Rachel surveyed their surroundings. "No, I didn't even get the chance to locate the marker. There must have been a closer world," she explained. They began to look around and realized they were in an ancient Persian city. "Well, this certainly feels familiar," Gray said as he stepped out of the alleyway and immediately spotted a woman holding a cage containing tiny elephants. "Yeah, definitely feels like your world," Rachel teased.
As they wandered through the bustling market, they were enchanted by the vibrant surroundings. Stalls filled the streets and alleyways, the air alive with strange music, street calls, and the glow of lanterns and fireflies. Colored smoke curled into the sky, adding to the dreamlike atmosphere. Gray marveled at the wares: eyeballs floating in jars, clothes shimmering like the night sky, and tiny crystal animals moving with lifelike energy. "New ingredients everywhere," Gray said aloud. Rachel, in her human form, groaned, "It looks just like the one from your world. Nothing new. Stop acting like a muggle." Gray gasped in mock offense. "You dare describe me as a muggle?" he said dramatically, causing Rachel to laugh. Her laughter surprised Gray, who thought to himself, "Guess her laughter is as beautiful as she is," momentarily forgetting that Rachel could feel his emotions. Smiling even in her wand form, Rachel clearly knew what he thought.
-scene change-
After hours of exploring this new magical world, a large city, a not-so-happy Gray could be seen staring at the few ingredients he had just bought. "Who the fuck is stupid enough to buy a stupid flower with 13 years' worth of memories? Thirteen years?" Gray was beyond angry, but Rachel said, "It's their stall. They can set the price however they want. Plus, you found the essence of a fallen star, remember?" Her words did appease Gray's anger and yes, he got a fallen star dust from a site where a star has fallen literally while he exploring the city which was called the stormhold, ruled by a king who now has 4 sons instead of the original eight., and he eventually entered his suitcase to get some hours of sleep before starting work with the ice dew he had collected. In fact, he wanted to create a potion immediately, but Rachel insisted he rest, reasoning that a well-rested brain might come up with an idea for another revolutionary potion. Reluctantly, Gray agreed, "she is getting too smart" that is right, rachel new what buttons to bush to get to do what she wanted and he didn't mind one bit, after all, she is a goth mommy with thunder thigh, plus, she is a witch.
Early the next morning, Gray woke up feeling fresh and immediately got to work. Activating his mana, he began crafting potions—not aiming to create a permanent potion yet, but to reach Level 8. Reaching this milestone would allow him to craft the next grade of potions and increase his chances of creating permanent ones. He started mass-producing invisibility potions, strength potions, and others until he finally reached Level 8. When he did, a wide smile spread across his face as he viewed his status screen.
[ Name: Gray ]
[ Mana: 800/800 ]
[ Skill:
Potion-Creation: You can create a potion using two or more materials as long as they can harmoniously blend together. Any potion created using the Potion-Creation skill has a 25% chance of granting a permanent effect. There is a 20% chance of failure when this skill is used. Cost: 5 MPM lv.8(0%) ]
"Good, good," Gray muttered as he consumed his one and only Liquid Luck potion, which he had been saving for an occasion like this—when he intended to use several high-grade ingredients. And he did. He used the blood of the White Winter Witch, the blood and flesh of the Hounds of Resurrection, the cold dew from the coldest region in Russia, stardust, phoenix-based ingredients, and more. Not all went into one potion; instead, he created three separate potions.
Each of the three potions turned out to be permanent. Gray deactivated his mana and stared at the three test tubes lying before him. All three potions were designed to grant him abilities, and, as he soon discovered, they delivered exactly as intended.
[ Name: Boundless Renewal Elixir ]
[ Grade: Peak ]
[ Description: This potion, created with level 8 Potion-Creation skill, uses the blood of The Desolate One as its core ingredient. Upon consumption, it grants the user the ability to regenerate from any wound, including the complete loss of limbs or vital organs. The regeneration process is instantaneous and flawless, ensuring the user's survival even under catastrophic damage. With a 1,000% effectiveness, the potion permanently enhances the user's recovery capabilities to an unparalleled level. ]
[ Deterioration-Rate: 100%, the freshness of the potions ]
[ Name: Frostbound Sovereignty ]
[ Grade: peak ]
[ Description: Crafted with level 8 Potion-Creation skill, this potion uses the blood of the White Witch of Narnia and 1,000-year-old ice dew from Mount Everest. Upon consumption, it grants the user permanent dominion over ice and snow, allowing them to create and manipulate frost, blizzards, and glacial formations effortlessly. The user gains immunity to cold and the ability to freeze objects and beings with a touch without the need of magic. The 1,000% effect ensures unparalleled mastery over winter's power. ]
[ Deterioration-Rate: 100%, the freshness of the potions ]
[ Name: Stardust Essence Elixir ]
[ Grade: Peak ]
[ Description: Created with level 8 Potion-Creation skill, this potion incorporates the essence of a fallen star, gathered from the exact location where a star descended to the earth. This celestial ingredient, combined with moonstone dust and phoenix ash, grants the user a permanent luminous aura that enhances their vitality and magical affinity by 1,000%. The user gains the ability to manipulate starlight, channelling its energy for healing, illumination, and destructive cosmic blasts, permenantly ]
[ Deterioration-Rate: 100%, the freshness of the potions ]
yes, gray was now essentially immortal, physical at least, he could control ice and star energy. Without hesitation, Gray consumed all three potions, making sure they were tested properly. Looking at the empty test tubes, he sighed contentedly. "Ah, this feels nice," he said, as Rachel's voice sounded behind him. "What the hell did you make now?" she asked, taking on her human form. Gray turned to face her, saying, "Look what I can do now." Lifting his right hand, he covered it with frost and formed a blade of ice. With his left hand, he generated an intense starlight energy. "You know what, why am I even surprised?" Rachel muttered as she returned to her cane form. Meanwhile, Gray experimented further, cutting himself to test his regenerative abilities. "Well, I could regenerate before, but I wanted to see if I could regenerate a cut-off hand," he mused, though Rachel's glare stopped him from trying.
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A/N: You know what I promised myself when I was writing this fanfic? That I wouldn't give him powers. But then I accidentally made the enemies too powerful, and now I've got to balance this, otherwise Gray might struggle like Subaru (never watched Re:Zero before and not even going to try). Anyway, enjoy this power-up and the one that's coming because after that, you're going to hate me for what I'm about to do.
P.S.: I haven't been writing this fanfic for the past few days because I've been having a blast writing a new fanfic without any assistance. I mean, it's 100000000000% my own. Of course, I still have to proofread, edit, and correct the grammar and stuff, but this one is unique. What I'm thinking of doing is finishing this fanfic, then releasing TVD: Horror, which is the fanfic with the Archmage System in TVD, and then releasing the one I'm currently writing. By then, hopefully, I will have finished the entire fanfic, which will be 500+ chapters.
P.P.S.: Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to check Martlock and Thedford to see if T8 planks are cheaper than the ones in Bridgewatch.