"Honestly, it would have been kinder if the system had just said I failed outright," Lucian muttered, shaking his head. Determined to do better, he pulled another set of ingredients from his spatial ring.
"Let's go again!" Lucian refocused, carefully repeating the process with the Blue-Ring Mushroom. This time, he was extra vigilant about the mistake he'd made before, ensuring every aspect of his spirit control was as precise as possible.
Soon enough, the active ingredients in the crucible began to combine, and as they reached a critical mass, a transformation took place. With a loud bubbling, the once-separate layers of liquid blended into a single mixture.
Lucian deftly adjusted the alchemical flame, letting a golden-white tongue of fire lick the crucible.
Bubble, bubble… The mixture came to a boil, steam rising in thin wisps.
Finally, Lucian grabbed a sprig of Healing Herb, tore it into small pieces, and tossed it into the crucible.
"Success," he murmured, watching as the potion cooled and separated. Carefully, he extracted the top layer of emerald-green liquid and poured it into a vial.
"Roughly 1.2 standard doses," he noted, a hint of satisfaction in his smile.
To verify the quality, he used the system's appraisal.
[Item]: Substandard Recovery Potion
[Type]: Healing Potion
[Ingredients]: Coldwater Grass, Blue-Ring Mushroom, Healing Herb
[Description]: A recovery potion brewed by an apprentice alchemist, though marred by several mistakes...
The appraisal screen displayed a long list of minor faults, but Lucian found himself pleased despite it all. The detailed feedback highlighted exactly where he'd gone wrong and how to improve.
"Onward!" Lucian's eyes gleamed with determination. This incremental progress was invigorating.
Days passed in a focused, steady rhythm. Other than giving Carrie her daily lessons, Lucian spent every hour in his lab, refining his craft.
"After a hundred attempts, I've finally created a flawless potion," he muttered, holding up a vial of perfectly translucent, jewel-toned green liquid. His expression held a tinge of pride as he admired the potion.
Even without an appraisal, the colour and clarity indicated it was of exceptional quality. According to the system's information, this "perfect" potion would deliver a purer, more potent effect compared to typical recovery potions.
Carefully, Lucian stored this perfect specimen and turned to his rack of vials, where rows of recovery potions stood neatly.
"Out of 150 sets of ingredients, I managed 51 successful potions, with 13 of them being lower-grade. For an alchemist, this success rate would be considered fairly high," Lucian mused with satisfaction. "Having perfected the process, my chances of success should only improve from here. Now, it's time to exchange these for some lovely magic stones."
Lucian had just finished packing his potions when Carrie burst in, looking flustered and out of breath.
"Lucian, sir!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with worry. "I overheard some third-level apprentices talking... They said you've been given a suicide mission!"
"A... suicide mission?" Lucian frowned, though he quickly recalled Norian's cold, snake-like gaze.
Carrie was about to say more, but her words were interrupted by a sharp caw from outside. A red-eyed raven swooped down, its talons clutching the academy's metal insignia, landing right at the entrance to Lucian's lab.
The raven fixed Lucian with a piercing stare before dropping a scroll emblazoned with Greybone Academy's crest. "Lucian Kevin, you have been assigned a mandatory mission. As per academy regulations, you are required to embark within one month and begin the mission within three."
Carrie's face paled, but Lucian held up a hand to silence her, his expression unruffled.
As the raven prepared to leave, Lucian reached into his pocket and withdrew a magic stone. "A moment, Lord Harrington?"
The raven cocked its head, eyes gleaming with avarice as it eyed the stone. "Harrington does like magic stones," it rasped, hesitating mid-air.
Lucian tossed the stone up, allowing the raven to catch it before it continued on. As it snatched the stone, Lucian produced another small handful, holding them out. "Would you be so kind as to share which council member assigned this mission?"
The raven looked torn for a moment, but the sight of Lucian's outstretched hand convinced it. Swooping down, it snagged the rest of the stones and leaned close, whispering a name only Lucian could hear.
Lucian's eyes narrowed, though he kept his face calm as he watched the raven fly away.
"Lucian, can't you refuse it?" Carrie's voice was tight with worry.
She recalled the other apprentices' tones—tinged with both smugness and relief—that they hadn't been chosen. The mission had reportedly claimed the lives of several apprentices before, including a third-level apprentice.