"Wait!" the Crimson Lions yelled in unison, their voices frantic as their hands reached out toward the two women who were just steps away from crossing the barrier of the safe zone.
"We can't leave the safe zone yet?!" Kalum panicked, his dagger trembling slightly in his hand as he gestured at the swirling miasma beyond the barrier.
"Yeah!" Talia added, her voice sharp with frustration as she held up the pouch of glowing herbs they had nearly died retrieving. "Didn't we gather all these herbs and ingredients so you could make better potions for our miasma intake?! You know, so we don't die out there?!"
The rest of the Crimson Lions nodded furiously, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and exasperation.
Visha and Dabria paused mid-step, turning to look at the group with identical blank expressions. For a moment, they said nothing, their pale-green and dark violet eyes scanning the flustered Hunters with a quiet, unreadable intensity.
Then, as if choreographed, they turned their heads toward each other, exchanged a brief glance, and looked back at the group.
"Oh," Visha said flatly, her tone utterly devoid of concern. "We forgot."
Dabria tilted her head, her lips quirking into an amused grin. "Whoops. My bad."
The Crimson Lions collectively gaped at them, their jaws dropping in unison.
"You forgot?" Kalum sputtered, throwing his hands in the air. "How do you just forget something like that?!"
Talia pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering under her breath about reckless geniuses and impending doom. Ox just let out a long, exhausted groan, his massive shoulders slumping as he leaned on his ax for support.
Ryker sighed deeply, dragging a hand down his face. "You two," he said, his voice low and tight, "are going to give me a heart attack before this labyrinth kills me."
Visha shrugged, her expression as calm and detached as ever. "It's not my fault. I got distracted by the spider."
"And I was having so much fun with the puppies," Dabria added with a cheerful grin, gesturing at her newly resurrected acidic wolves, who were now obediently sitting at her feet like oversized, deadly hounds.
Ryker opened his mouth to respond but quickly thought better of it. Instead, he simply pointed at the alchemical setup Visha had left near the edge of the clearing. "The potions. Now."
Visha sighed, as though the entire situation were a minor inconvenience, and walked back to her tools. "Fine," she said, pulling out the pouch of ingredients and inspecting them with a critical eye. "Let's get this over with."
Dabria leaned lazily against a tree, watching her wife work with an amused smirk. "Oh, Wifey, you're such a people pleaser," she teased, earning a faint glare from Visha.
"Quiet, Dabria," Visha muttered, already grinding one of the Miasmic Lilies into a glowing paste. "The sooner I finish this, the sooner we can get back to dealing with the actual threats."
The Crimson Lions watched anxiously as Visha began her work, their shoulders sagging slightly with relief.
Kalum crossed his arms, muttering under his breath. "I swear, we're gonna die of stress before we even leave this safe zone."
Talia nodded in agreement. "At least we'll have better potions first."
Visha knelt by her alchemical setup with a grace that belied the complexity of her craft. Her pale-green eyes gleamed faintly with concentration as she began the meticulous process of creating an elixir. Alchemy was more than a profession in this world—it was an art, a science, and a battle of precision and intuition. The System itself had codified the process, ranking alchemists by their mastery and the quality of their creations.
The craft of alchemy was governed by tiers of mastery, each reflecting the alchemist's skill and experience:
Novice: Basic understanding of ingredients and simple potion crafting.
Apprentice: Introduction to combining components for enhanced effects.
Journeyman: Ability to create intermediate potions and experiment with unique combinations.
Adept: Mastery of rare ingredients and the ability to craft elixirs.
Master: Creation of powerful, high-grade elixirs and potions with unique effects.
Grandmaster: A rare rank, allowing the manipulation of mana within ingredients to create near-mythical concoctions.
Each potion or elixir was further categorized by tiers of potency:
1. Lesser: Basic effects, suitable for novices.
2. Standard: Commonly used by Hunters and guild members.
3. Greater: Enhanced effects, rare and valuable.
4. Superior: Exceptional quality, often sought after by elites.
5. Mythic: Near-legendary, capable of altering reality or conferring incredible power.
Grades of potions were determined by the alchemist's skill, the quality of ingredients, and the process. Grades ranged from Common (basic healing) to Special (unique to the alchemist's abilities).
While potions were relatively straightforward to create—often requiring only a few steps and common ingredients—elixirs were far more complex. Potions addressed immediate needs: healing wounds, boosting stamina, or curing minor ailments. Elixirs, on the other hand, were transformative. They could enhance abilities, confer resistance to certain elements, or manipulate the body and mind in profound ways.
For Visha, crafting a potion was a simple, almost mechanical process:
1. Gather and prepare the ingredients (crushing, boiling, or distilling as needed).
2. Combine them in precise ratios.
3. Infuse them with a measured amount of mana, dictated by the System's guidance.
4. Seal the potion in a vial to preserve its potency.
Creating an elixir, however, required intuition and mastery. The process involved not only combining ingredients but harmonizing their innate properties with her pestilent energy.
Visha's approach to alchemy was as unique as she was. Her [Pestilent Harbinger] class gave her access to abilities that infused her creations with decay and regeneration properties. As she worked, her movements were deliberate, each step reflecting years of refinement.
1. Ingredient Preparation
Visha began by meticulously preparing the Miasmic Lilies and Achlys' Vines. The lilies, glowing faintly with an eerie green light, were delicate and required precision. She used a fine blade to shave their petals into a paste, careful not to release too much of their volatile essence prematurely.
The Achlys' Vines, coiled like serpents, needed to be crushed in a pestle infused with mana to release their acidic sap without neutralizing its potency.
She murmured softly to herself, her voice barely audible: "Miasmic Lilies stabilize the miasma in the lungs. Achlys' Vines neutralize corrosive effects… but only in controlled doses. Too much, and it'll dissolve the potion itself."
2. Mana Infusion
Unlike potions, which required a fixed amount of mana to activate their effects, elixirs demanded layered infusions. Visha placed the prepared ingredients into a mana-forged mortar and began channeling her energy into the mixture. Her [Pestilent Blood] ability enhanced the infusion, imbuing the elixir with regenerative properties that thrived on poisons.
The System prompted her:
> Mana infusion at 40%. Maintain stability.
3. Binding the Components
Binding was the most delicate phase. Visha added powdered Corrupted Quartz, a stabilizing agent, to merge the opposing properties of the ingredients. The mixture hissed and frothed, releasing a faint, toxic mist as she worked.
"Easy," she muttered, her hand steady. "Too much quartz, and the miasma resistance will degrade."
4. System Guidance
The System occasionally interjected, offering suggestions or warnings:
> Elixir stability at 75%. Add a catalyst.
Visha retrieved a vial of Spectral Venom, her own creation, and added a single drop. The mist dissipated, and the liquid in the mortar began to glow a vibrant turquoise, signaling that the elixir was stabilizing.
5. Completion
Once the elixir reached its final form, Visha carefully decanted it into glass vials, each marked with runes to preserve its potency. The elixir was complete—a Superior Miasma Resistance Elixir that would shield the drinker from the labyrinth's oppressive air.
The Crimson Lions watched in awe as Visha worked, her movements a seamless blend of precision and instinct. Even Dabria, who usually teased her relentlessly, stayed quiet, a rare flicker of admiration in her crimson eyes.
"You know," Dabria finally said, breaking the silence, "if you ever get tired of being the Pestilent Sovereign, you could make a fortune as an alchemist."
Visha didn't look up. "Alchemy is survival," she said simply, sealing the final vial. "Money is irrelevant."
Ryker, standing nearby, stepped closer, his expression a mixture of relief and respect. "Is it ready?"
Visha nodded, holding up the glowing turquoise vials. "This will neutralize the miasma's effects for six hours. But I'll need better ingredients to make anything long-lasting."
She handed the vials to Ryker, her tone firm. "Drink it now. We're leaving as soon as you're ready."
The Crimson Lions took the elixirs with shaky hands, their respect for Visha growing with every passing moment. As they downed the glowing liquid, the oppressive weight of the miasma lifted, and their lungs felt clear for the first time since entering the labyrinth.
Visha wiped her hands on a cloth, glancing at Dabria with a faint smirk. "Satisfied?"
Dabria chuckled, spinning one of her chained swords lazily. "Always, darling. Now, shall we go meet our next challenge?"
Visha stood, her gaze turning toward the shadowed paths ahead. "Let's."