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Chapter 248 245: Alchemy of God (2in1)
Chapter 248 245: Alchemy of God (2in1)
Chapter 248 245: Alchemy of God (2in1)
Gruul proceeded to explain the next crucial phase of the alchemy process to Val.
"The second step in alchemy is to refine the alchemy ingredients to the state mentioned in your specific recipe. This usually involves actions like grinding, boiling, or melting, among other things. The key is to follow the recipe to the letter for the potion to manifest its intended effects."
Val squinted upon hearing this.
Before he had left the Ironspire Stronghold, Joshua had allowed him to read the invaluable recipes for level 3 to 5 bloodline-upgrading potions, which were specifically tailored for Whitemores, and he had committed these recipes to memory before returning them to his old man.
He quickly sifted through the details of the level 3 recipe in his mind, recalling that there were specific preparation methods for each ingredient.
First of all, Val needed to melt the scales of the Eldertail Snake into liquid form. He wasn't sure about their melting point. However, he believed he might be able to get a better understanding of its scales if he put to use one of his rarest traits that granted him two different but equally important abilities. Thus, without hesitation, he cast Detect while focusing on the scales.
Immediately, a semi-transparent screen appeared before him, displaying a wealth of information about the scales of the Eldertail Snake.
[The scales are the hardest part of the Eldertail Snake. They are incredibly resistant to blunt damage.
Their composition includes a range of complex proteins and minerals, contributing to their exceptional durability. They are also impervious to low-level elemental attacks.]
After Val went through the notification, a thoughtful look replaced his previous expression.
'Since the scales are impervious to low-level elemental attacks, that implies low-level fire won't be sufficient to melt them. I'll need to use at least intermediate or high-level fire to get the job done. I'll begin by attempting to melt the scales using intermediate-level fire. If that proves ineffective, I'll gradually ramp up the heat until the fire is hot enough to successfully melt the scales. And by then, I'll naturally discern their melting point,' he thought.
Val then opened the lid of the cauldron and carefully tossed a bunch of the Eldertail Snake scales inside.
After securely closing the lid, he channeled a surge of soul power into the rune of fire that he had placed in the cauldron earlier.
The rune glowed with a reddish-yellow light, signifying its activation.
At that moment, a special connection formed between Val and the rune, granting him the ability to conjure and control fire within the confines of the cauldron, merely with his thoughts.
Fully aware of the task at hand, Val focused his mind. A blaze roared to life inside the cauldron, illuminating its inner walls. It looked fierce and could melt the flesh of a level 3 warrior, but it was a low-level fire in the end. It failed to even heat up the scales, much less harm them.
Val, who was able to see what was happening inside the cauldron thanks to his heavenly eye skill, had expected this. He quickly activated the temperature control rune by using a portion of his soul power and gained the power to increase the intensity of the fire. His soul power decreased by a few hundred points as he upgraded the fire inside the cauldron to the intermediate level.
Under the assault of the intermediate-level fire, the scales turned red. However, Val could see that it was not affecting the scales much.
Despite the intermediate-level fire enveloping them, the scales remained intact and didn't melt, making it abundantly clear that the fire's intensity needed to be increased.
"I guess a high-level fire will be more effective for melting these stubborn scales."
With that thought, Val abused the temperature control rune to upgrade the fire enveloping the scales once again.
This time, he lost 400 points of soul power, but the flames inside the cauldron roared higher and hotter, changing from a reddish-yellow to a vivid blue, indicative of its increased intensity.
"Now, let's see if this does the trick."
The scales, which had previously shown an impressive resistance to the heat, could not withstand the power of the high-level fire. They melted rapidly, transforming into a liquid state far quicker than Val had anticipated. Right then, he powered off the runes as it was too exhausting controlling two runes at a time.
Realizing that he'd need a special container to store the liquefied scales, Val turned to Gruul.
"Do you have something that can safely store the hot and bubbling liquified scales?"
"Indeed, I do." Gruul nodded, extending a small, empty crystal vial toward Val that he pulled out of thin air. "You can use this. This vial is made from Deepnorth crystal. It's not only durable but also capable of withstanding high temperatures, which makes it perfect for storing liquid metal.'
"I see. Thank you."
Val took the vial from Gruul's hand and carefully opened the lid of the cauldron.
Using his soul power to control the flow, he channeled the liquified scales from the cauldron into the crystal vial.
As he did so, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. His first-ever alchemy attempt was going well so far, and it filled him with both anticipation and excitement for the subsequent steps.
After successfully transferring the melted scales into the crystal vial, Val focused his attention on refining the Spiritroot of the Verdant Giant.
The Spiritroot, unlike the tough and fire-resistant scales of the Eldertail Snake, was much more susceptible to heat. A low-level fire should be sufficient to process this particular ingredient. Even if it wasn't, Val was planning to start from there. After all, he didn't want to risk damaging the root by using too much heat.
Val placed the root inside the cauldron and covered it with the lid.
His soul power flowed into the fire rune once again, activating it. Almost immediately, a low-level fire materialized inside the cauldron. Guided by his will, the flames swirled around, enveloping the Spiritroot completely.
As his heavenly eye was activated, he was able to see through the exterior of the cauldron and look at its inside. His eyes remained fixed on the transformation happening inside the cauldron.
Embraced by the low-level fire, it only took a few seconds for the tough, external layer of the Spiritroot to start melting. As the exterior melted away, the valuable, nutrient-rich juice that was hidden inside the root began to secrete. The juice that had been secreted from the Spiritroot pooled at the bottom of the cauldron.
Once he saw this, a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment washed over him
The spiritroot refining process was complete. There was no need for the fire which could potentially evaporate the juice to stick around any longer. Val didn't want any mistakes. So, he extinguished the flame in that very instant.
Val looked up from the cauldron and turned to Val. His eyes met Gruul's as he asked, "I need another vial to store the juice from the Spiritroot of the Verdant Giant. Do you have one?"
Gruul immediately nodded, pulled out another empty crystal vial from thin air, and handed it to Val with care.
Val took the vial from Gruul with a nod of gratitude. He then carefully lifted the heavy lid off the cauldron, revealing the pool of Spiritroot juice gathered at the bottom of the cauldron.
Slowly, he tilted the cauldron and poured the freshly extracted juice into the new vial, ensuring not to waste even a single drop. Once the vial was filled, he sealed it tightly and set it aside next to the first vial that contained the liquified snake's scales.
"Now, two of the three essential ingredients are refined. All that remains is the Royal Nectar, and then I can proceed to the actual potion-making stage." Val thought to himself.
Knowing that the Royal Nectar was sensitive to heat and required precise control, Val extinguished the flames within the cauldron to let it cool down. After waiting for several minutes to ensure the temperature inside the cauldron had returned to a normal level, he poured the Royal Nectar into the cauldron. Then, he placed the lid back on it securely.
Activating the fire control rune using 200 units of soul power, Val conjured a low-level flame. He directed the flame to surround the cauldron, gradually heating it up. As minutes passed, he kept a close eye on the process. After about ten minutes, he noticed the Royal Nectar finally started to boil.
"I am done refining all the ingredients," he announced to Gruul.
"The third and final step in alchemy, Val, is to harmoniously fuse your refined ingredients together. You must use your soul power for this, and you have to pay close attention to the ratio of each ingredient. The recipe you're following should provide the correct ratio for a successful elixir," Gruul explained to Val.
"I've already got that down."
Val had been meticulously following the recipe since the beginning of the potion-creation process. The amount of each ingredient he was using was exactly what was called for in the recipe.
"Very well. Proceed to the last step." Gruul said.
Val then proceeded to lift the lid of the cauldron. With precision, he added the liquified scales and Spiritroot juice to the boiling Royal Nectar in the cauldron. Using his soul power, he stirred the mixture in a slow, circular motion, watching the liquids intermingle, combine into one, and take on a radiant, light-green hue.
Right then, a system notification suddenly appeared in Val's vision.
[Congratulations, you have successfully created a Level 3 Bloodline Upgrading Potion effective for Whitemore lineage only.]
Another notification followed immediately after:
[Achievement Unlocked: Successfully Create a Potion on Your Very First Try.]
[Rewards Obtained: +500 Mad Points.]
A barely noticeable smile graced his face. He was feeling elated. After all, not only had he successfully created a potion that would push him to the next level, but he had also unlocked a hidden achievement and gained additional rewards!