Merlin appeared exhausted as he lifted his head to meet Samir's gaze. With a calm voice, he said, "Samir, the Edoro Potion failed to complete."
"Failed?" Samir was momentarily taken aback, but soon recovered, his face reflecting a deep disappointment as he muttered, "It failed… again..."
"Failed?" Brunton and the old man in black instantly tensed up, casting wary glances at Samir, their own alchemical creatures bracing for any sudden moves. Even though they knew they were no match for him, they were prepared to defend themselves if necessary.
Noticing their reactions, Samir extended his withered hand and, with a cold sneer, said, "Hmph, as I said, whether Mage Merlin succeeded or not, I would not harm any of you."
With a final icy glance at Brunton and the old man, Samir turned, preparing to leave with his alchemical creature in tow.
But Merlin's voice stopped him. "Samir, though I wasn't successful this time, I believe I'm getting close. Did you truly think a single batch of ingredients would be enough to guarantee success?"
Samir halted mid-step and turned back, his expression unreadable. After a long pause, he asked in a trembling voice, "Mage Merlin, are you saying… you think you can produce the Edoro Potion?"
"I believe so, but I'll need a larger supply of ingredients. The Edoro Potion is extremely difficult to create, with a very low success rate," Merlin replied with firm confidence. A glimmer of hope appeared on Samir's face as he eagerly asked, "How many more batches of ingredients do you need, Merlin, to have a reasonable chance of success?"
After a moment's thought, Merlin replied, "The Edoro Potion is complicated, requiring precise temperature control at various stages. With simpler potions, I have around a thirty percent success rate, but for the Edoro Potion, I have less than a ten percent chance. Provide me with ten batches of ingredients, and I may succeed. If that's not enough, then gather a few more; I'm sure we'll eventually succeed."
"Ten batches..." Samir's face twitched slightly before he managed a strained smile. "Mage Merlin, do you think Edoro Potion ingredients are so easily obtainable? Over the years, I've managed to gather only a few, which I entrusted to various potion masters, but to no avail. I only have eight left now."
Though Samir's reluctance was clear, Merlin's answer left him little choice. With a sigh, he handed over the last eight sets of ingredients and said, "Very well, Merlin. If you succeed, I'll deliver the Hundred-Year Cold Marrow to you without delay. For now, I'll leave you to work."
As soon as Samir departed, Brunton and the old man rushed to Merlin. "Merlin, are you sure you can create this potion?" They feared Merlin had only made empty promises to buy time. If he failed, Samir might turn on them all.
Merlin nodded with a serious expression. "Don't worry, I'm confident I can make it."
Reassured, Brunton and the old man returned to their routines, leaving Merlin to his task, knowing how crucial these coming days would be.
---
Over the next several days, Merlin devoted himself entirely to producing the Edoro Potion. Even with the Matrix's guidance, he pushed himself to his limits with each attempt. As expected, his first few batches failed, and three batches of ingredients were quickly consumed. But each failure gave Merlin more insight, especially in managing the necessary temperatures.
On his seventh attempt, he carefully completed the final steps, watching as thin wisps of smoke rose from his glass vial. If he could maintain precise heating just a bit longer, the potion would complete successfully.
As he gradually stopped the heating process, the thick liquid in the vial cooled and shifted from a dark green to a light, vibrant teal. It began to dry, transforming into the fine blue powder described in the potion's instructions.
"Finally, success!"
Merlin let out a long breath, certain he had created the Edoro Potion. To be sure, he activated the Matrix. "Matrix, analyze this potion. Does it meet the standard for the Edoro Potion?"
After a brief pause, the Matrix responded, "Analysis complete. Ninety-nine percent probability that this is Edoro Potion."
With such a high probability, Merlin was confident in his success. After nearly a month of intense effort, he had finally produced the potion. He set the final batch of ingredients aside, knowing Samir would never ask him to return them.
"Click."
Merlin opened the door to his room, and almost instantly, Brunton and the old man appeared outside.
"Mage Merlin," Brunton asked eagerly, "Did you manage to create the potion?"
Merlin nodded, smiling. "It took a lot of time, but yes, I've succeeded."
"You really did it?" The old man's face lit up with joy, and Brunton and the old man both exhaled in relief. Though Merlin was the one who worked on the potion, its success meant as much to them as to him.
"We should inform Samir right away," the old man suggested, his voice hushed.
But as Merlin and Brunton exchanged glances, Merlin shook his head. "There's no need. Samir's probably already on his way."
Indeed, Merlin was sure Samir had arranged for someone to keep a close watch. The moment Merlin had left his room, someone would have gone to notify Samir.
After a short wait, Samir rushed into the courtyard, barely stopping before calling out, "Mage Merlin, how did it go?"
Without a word, Merlin took out a glass vial containing the fine teal powder. Samir's eyes gleamed with excitement, his hands trembling slightly as he reached for the potion. But Merlin pulled it back at the last moment, his voice steady as he asked, "Samir, do you remember the promise you made?"