The Briefcase Delivery
The room's electronically tinted window panes filtered the daylight, submerging it in darkness.
Tia paced anxiously around a table with two chemical banks on it. Each of them brimmed with bubbling liquids that danced in a spectrum of colors. In the dim atmosphere, the gentle luminescence from the Bunsen burner's blue flames burning beneath them served as the sole beacon of light.
'It should work. I have done everything correctly.'
The air was thick with the heady scent of herbs, their rejuvenating fragrance coaxing Tia into deep, grounding breaths that soothed her anxiety.
Lost in the mesmerizing dance of boiling liquids, she scarcely noticed the passage of time until a surge of magic snapped her back to reality.
'Is it finished?'
Accompanying the leaves floating amidst the red concoction melting and the glowing gem dissolving in the blue potion, a flurry of notifications flooded her consciousness.
Ding!
//
You have concocted the Inferior Potion of Mana
Rating: It is usable and has a nice color! Well done!
Reward: +1 MAG stat
[Apprentice Potionmaking (2%)] -> [Apprentice Potionmaking (7%)]
//
Ding!
//
You have concocted the Inferior Healing Potion
Rating: Meh, at least it tastes good, and it also has some healing effects.
Reward: +1 INT stat
[Apprentice Potionmaking (7%)] -> [Apprentice Potionmaking (12%)]
//
With a burst of excitement, she crouched beside the table, her eyes gleaming as she eagerly studied the contents of the two large bottles. The first was filled with a delicate ruby hue liquid bordering on pink, while the second held a blend of blue tinged with gray.
'Even though the effects of those potions are rather magical. I think I can enchant them a bit more with a little bit of modern science.'
With a flick of Tia's fingers, every burner was snuffed out, and the pinkish potion levitated directly into her eager grasp.
'Let's see how some basic biology and some basic science can improve medicine based upon magic.'
A set of small ampoules were lined up on the table.
Selecting one, she poured its contents into the pink potion, intently watching as it bubbled up. With a gentle swirl, she amalgamated the two substances.
'Liquified super-concentrate of protein, iron, sugar, calcium, and fat.' It was no secret that cells needed building materials to regenerate. Even though she didn't confirm it, she strongly believed that supplying those materials to her body would enchant the effects of the potion.
She then reached for another vial, releasing a few drops into the blend.
'Adrenaline and endorfine.' They were both hormones, of which one would hasten her blood circulation, and the second would dampen or entirely erase her sensation of pain.
To her relief, the mixture remained stable without blowing up.
'Now for some preliminary testing.' She wasn't so suicidal as to consume her mix without a trial run.
She grabbed a syringe from the table and slowly sucked in a bit of the pinkish liquid, bringing it closer to her eyes as she ogled it.
'Potions were always supposed to be drunk. However, can it be injected directly into veins for a better effect?' It was simply too impractical for her to stop mid-fight to chug down some potions. Instead, she planned to use an automatic device to inject her with the potions when needed.
Curiosity piqued, and her face reddened with the sheer excitement of exploring the, until now, unexplored path. Tia's gaze shifted to a small cage nestled in the corner of the room. Inside, a cluster of white rats squeaked nervously, huddling together as if they felt her predatory gaze.
But just as she was engrossed in her little experiment, an abrupt knock at the door jarred her back to reality.
Without waiting for an invitation, the door swung open, and the handler, dressed in a sleek black trenchcoat, stepped in, clutching a metal briefcase in her left hand. Her piercing gaze scanned the room, finally settling on Tia, who was swiftly adjusting her skirt.
"Prepare yourself. Your first real task will start in three hours."
Without giving the scattered vials and bottles a second glance, the handler moved purposefully toward Tia, who remained crouched, taken aback by the sudden intrusion.
'Already? I thought I had months of training ahead.' The prospect of a potentially dangerous mission momentarily overshadowed her concern about the handler seeing the remnants of her experiments.
While Tia's thoughts swirled, the handler calmly placed her black briefcase on the table, her gaze resting briefly on the surprised girl before she turned back to leave.
"Inside, you'll find everything you need to know about your assignment."
"But what exactly am I to do?"
"We operate on a need-to-know basis," she said coolly. "It's not my role to be privy to your mission specifics."
'Why so much secrecy?'
"I was under the impression I still had training left," Tia remarked, trying to push back the inevitable.
'I need more time to fully absorb the gains from the last expedition.'
"Plans have changed. Time is of the essence. We need every available asset."
Tia's mind raced. 'Why the urgency? Are they so desperate that they're deploying someone untrained like me? Is something big going to happen?'
Walking toward the door, the handler cast one last cold look at the table, whose surface was cluttered with both scientific instruments and arcane devices. "Please, ty not to blow yourself up with your... whatever it is."
'Why does she always arrive when I am in such embarrassing situations!?' Tia felt like cursing at the woman who always barged into her personal space without invitation.
"Also, if you need to go to the toilet, just go. You can finish this later."
"Huh?" Tia couldn't understand, the confusion even showing on her face as her eyes went wide.
"You are crouching here with a red face, like a child about to have an accident." With a bang, the doors closed, leaving the embarrassed, confused, and nervous Tia alone in the room.
'Was she serious or it was just a bad attempt at a joke. Three hours... that should be enough to finish the potion testing.' She glanced toward the briefcase and reached toward it.