Chapter 17: Upgrading the Werewolf Potion Plan
After introducing himself to Or, Su Nan took another look around the Secret Realm, discovering that the mist was indeed impassable. Even a simple attempt to place a fingertip into the mist gave him a disorienting sensation, as though he could no longer discern directions.
Should he enter fully, it seemed likely he would become completely lost.
The AI's analysis suggested that at least 20 points of mental strength—the level of a first-tier wizard apprentice—would be required to explore the mist. This threshold was deduced using Or as a benchmark since Or claimed his strength was comparable to that of a first-tier wizard apprentice.
Su Nan cast a longing glance toward the castle complex of the Graysoil Graveyard, hidden within the mist.
From just analyzing Or's existence, he had already deduced a wealth of useful insights. If he could explore the castles shrouded in mist, even without inheriting the full legacy of the Graysoil Graveyard, he could leverage the AI's data-driven deductions to forcibly reverse-engineer much of the graveyard's magic.
Thus, advancing the Mental Strength Enhancement Potion +2 and boosting his mental strength quickly became his top priority.
As for Maple Leaf Town, that could wait until he had amassed enough strength to reclaim it effortlessly.
Power was the foundation of all things.
Following the method taught by Or, Su Nan used his thoughts to leave the Secret Realm, as if pushing open a door within his mind. In an instant, he was back in the attic of his castle.
Robert, the knight attendant, looked at him worriedly. "My lord, where did you go just now? I heard some unusual sounds in your room, but when I entered, you weren't here. Then, when I turned around, you suddenly appeared behind me."
Su Nan was momentarily surprised.
It seemed the Secret Realm couldn't be equated to a purely mental world. His entire physical body entered the Secret Realm, not just his spirit or soul.
"Don't worry. I'm fine," Su Nan reassured him.
As a lord, there was no need to explain everything to his subordinates. Robert nodded, withdrew from the attic, and carefully closed the door behind him.
---
Late Summer, Storm Kingdom, Year 57
After a month of effort, Su Nan successfully completed the formulas for Rage Potion and Wolfpack Control Potion, producing fifteen vials of each. Thanks to his previous plundering of merchant caravans in Maple Leaf Town, he didn't need to spend time gathering resources.
The core herb for the Rage Potion was Eleuthero, a type of shrub.
The Wolfpack Control Potion required a wolf's claw as its key ingredient, with each claw yielding two vials. Su Nan had ordered the old steward Warwick to hunt two wild wolves for this purpose.
He distributed both potions to his Werewolf Messengers, High Werewolves, and himself. Additionally, Su Nan consumed Wolfsbane Potion and Steel Claw Potion.
As a result, all his werewolves gained four new abilities:
Steel Claws
Wolfsbane Poison
Control Wild Wolves
Rage Boost
---
In the attic, Su Nan asked, "AI, what's the progress on the Super Werewolf Potion, Mental Strength Enhancement Potion +2, and Ghost Manipulation Potion?"
[Super Werewolf Potion progress: 8%]
[Mental Strength Enhancement Potion +2 progress: 37%]
[Ghost Manipulation Potion progress: 67%]
[More wizard-related data could accelerate progress.]
Su Nan nodded, noting the current progress.
The Super Werewolf Potion was based on insights gained from Or and new data derived from becoming a second-tier wizard apprentice. It aimed to significantly enhance the werewolves' attributes.
Of course, the potion was still in its infancy, far from completion. Essentially, it sought to provide a major upgrade to the entire Werewolf Curse Transformation Potion series, which explained the slow development.
Creating the original werewolf potion had already taken him several years.
Over the past month, Su Nan's potion-making had fully converted his mental strength into magic power. Both his mental strength and magic power now stood at 10.2. When transformed into the Werewolf Leader state, these attributes increased to 10.7.
The slow progress in boosting mental strength over the past month was due to the diminishing returns of the Mental Strength Enhancement Potion +1 after reaching 10 points. The AI estimated that this potion could push his mental strength to a maximum of 15, but the closer he got to that cap, the slower the growth.
Given his newfound understanding, Su Nan recognized that his current potion formulations were likely in the realm of mortal-level alchemy, while the Werewolf Potion aligned more closely with the abilities of a third-tier wizard apprentice. Thus, the Mental Strength Enhancement Potion +2 was appropriate for a second-tier apprentice.
The Super Werewolf Potion would also align with that standard.
This assessment was based on the difficulty of production, brewing complexity, and material costs. However, these factors didn't necessarily dictate the potion's ultimate effectiveness.
With a well-designed formula and advanced theoretical framework, a third-tier apprentice potion could rival, or even surpass, one crafted by a first-tier apprentice.
Su Nan had faith in the AI's capabilities in this regard.
The core theories and formulas underpinning the Mental Strength Potion, Sleep Bug Potion, and Werewolf Potion series were all solid. However, since he had no other wizards to benchmark against, Su Nan couldn't be sure of his current standing in the wizarding world.
Nevertheless, he felt he had carved out a sufficiently unconventional path.
Through potion-making, he could directly enhance his magic power. Researching and creating more potions would further amplify his magical abilities, enabling him to tackle even more challenging alchemical projects.
The AI would then have greater opportunities to deduce new possibilities.
---
Descending from the attic, Su Nan asked the AI, "What are the current odds of my werewolf army defeating the Storm Knights?"
[Assuming no specific data on the knights' prayer abilities, the odds of victory currently stand at 100%.]
[This is largely due to the addition of the werewolves' Rage and Wolfpack Control abilities.]
[Rage doubles the werewolves' base stats, potentially reaching a twofold increase in attributes. Moreover, the ability to control local wolfpacks offsets the numerical advantage of the knights' forces.]
---
The old steward Warwick approached Su Nan. "Young Master, some guild leaders from Maple Leaf Town have fled with their families to our castle. Shall we take them in?"
"However, doing so might provoke Sir Garth Pasha..."
Su Nan raised an eyebrow. "Why should we care about Garth Pasha's feelings? If he's upset, let him be upset. I'm not concerned."
"If he dares, he can come and attack."
With the werewolf army at his command, Su Nan had little reason to worry about a few formal knights.
If anything, he was eager to test his werewolf army's capabilities against them.
Standing by the castle window, Su Nan observed the guild leaders and wealthy merchants from Maple Leaf Town. They stood on the castle lawn, carrying bundles and looking anxious. Nearby, their servants were busy unloading luggage from carriages.
Steward Warwick had dispatched servants to meet them. Upon hearing that Su Nan had agreed to take them in, the guild leaders and merchants visibly relaxed, expressing their gratitude profusely.
"Thank goodness Lord Su Nan agreed to shelter us!"
"That devil Garth Pasha will destroy Maple Leaf Town. The mayor will regret bringing that madman into the town."
"By Storm God's grace, Sir Pasha swore fealty to Lord Su Nan under the Storm God's witness. Surely he wouldn't dare ignore that sacred oath!"