Stimulant Potion

"What does this have to do with you, Mr. Elite? Mind your own business. Aren't you still competing with us 'bumpkins'?" Jesse retorted, pulling Manny back towards the herb platform.

Seeing that Devin wasn't paying attention to him, the boy harrumphed and walked away in annoyance. Jesse guided Manny back to the platform to pick herbs again. "What are you doing? Haven't we already picked?" Manny questioned.

"I have a feeling we should choose the same herbs as Devin," Jesse replied.

"Is that alright?" Manny asked.

"Think about it. There's a reason we were grouped together. That means copying each other isn't a crime," Jesse reasoned.

"You're right. I also think Devin knows what he's doing, especially with the cutting of the water lily spirit leaf," Manny agreed, as they hurriedly picked the two missing herbs.

When they returned to their workstation, Jesse noticed that the disgruntled man who had spoken earlier was now cutting the water lily using Devin's method. "Look what we have here, Mr. Elite using the 'bumpkin' method," Jesse sarcastically remarked.

"Who said it was his method? This is the technique my teacher taught me," the man replied defensively.

"Let's ignore him. We don't have much time," Manny suggested, and they both began working on their herbs.

After processing the last herb, Devin skillfully controlled the flame underneath his cauldron, aided by Origin weave. The fire manipulation wasn't difficult for Devin. The trickiest part was the timing of ingredient additions. Devin saved the purple flower roots to be added last before increasing the flame intensity and covering the cauldron with a lid. This action garnered a mocking laugh from the man who was also controlling the fire under his cauldron. However, Devin didn't have time to pay attention to him, as his potion was reaching its completion. Devin gradually decreased the flame before allowing it to completely extinguish. He let the potion cool down before pouring it carefully into three bottles.

"Finally done!" Devin exclaimed, looking down at the three Stimulant Potions he had successfully produced. With a satisfied smile, he placed the potion bottles on a table next to his cauldron.

Glancing around the arena, Devin noticed Manny and Jesse were also in the process of making their potions. Their techniques were decent, but Devin had seen better.

As he observed, Devin noticed that one person in his group was struggling to control their cauldron. However, before any accidents occurred, a barrier appeared, shielding each workstation from the others. This thoughtful measure prevented any mishaps from affecting the rest of the participants. The arena was filled with explosions, resembling a dazzling fireworks display.

"Five more minutes!" the announcement echoed throughout the arena. The nervous participants grew even more anxious, and some with weaker resolve faltered under the pressure.

"Time's up, everyone. Step away from your workstations," a voice commanded, bringing an end to everyone's frantic efforts.

Devin glanced over and saw that Jesse and Manny had successfully completed their potions. He nodded in acknowledgment, recognizing their achievements.

"Those who failed to create a potion may leave their workstations. The rest of you will wait for our attendants to come and test your potions," the host announced. He wore a robe adorned with a cauldron emblem, though not in gold.

As the attendant approached Devin's group, she walked directly to Devin's workstation. "Please submit the potions you would like to be tested," she requested, holding a spherical container with slots for the potions.

Devin carefully handed over the three potions from his workstation, placing them into the slots of the spherical container. The attendant activated the device, and runes lit up as the potions rolled inside, providing their results.

"Top-grade potions with 95% purity and the golden ratio. Pass," the attendant announced.

This announcement surprised everyone around. The purity of a potion is typically judged as follows: 90% to 99% is top grade, 80% to 89% is high grade, 70% to 79% is medium grade, 60% to 69% is low grade, while anything below that is considered a substandard product that could potentially harm the body.

The man who had incessantly insulted Devin frowned upon hearing the results. He recognized that achieving a top-grade rating on the first attempt with a new prescription was no easy feat. Even his own master couldn't boast about such an accomplishment.

The testing continued, and the attendant moved on to test the man's potion. "Medium-grade potions with 79% purity of the silver ratio. Pass," the attendant announced. The man clenched his teeth in frustration upon hearing the results.

In their group, only four people had passed, with Jesse and Manny joining Devin in success. "Devin, I knew you were great! Top grade on your first try, that's impressive. Unlike some people who like to pretend and brag," Jesse praised, patting Devin on the shoulder.

"Humph! Just dumb luck," the frustrated man grumbled.

"Stop provoking him. You know his master's faction is powerful," Manny interjected, trying to calm the tense situation.

"I don't care. They always look down on us anyway," Jesse replied bitterly. Devin sensed that there was a deeper story behind their animosity.

"Devin, after the competition, why don't we grab drinks together?" Jesse suggested, extending an invitation. Devin knew they were trying to form a friendship with him. After all, they were seeking to recruit a skilled pharmacist.

Once the attendants had gathered everyone's results, and the eliminated participants had left, the host began announcing the next round of the competition. This time, they were only looking for the top hundred participants after the two previous rounds.

"We are now entering the second stage of the competition. This stage is all about creating the highest-grade potion you know. Only the top hundred participants will proceed to the next stage tomorrow. You have one hour to rest and prepare for the potion you want to make. An assigned attendant will come to collect the list of herbs you need," the host announced.

Devin quickly compiled a list of herbs and handed it to the attendant, who left to gather the necessary ingredients while the participants took their well-deserved break.

Deciding to make the golden sore potion, Devin embarked on this stage of the competition. Once again, he excelled, producing a top-grade potion with high purity. This caught the attention of some people, prompting them to search for more information about him. While achieving top-grade for a low-level potion was not uncommon, consistently achieving this level of excellence in every potion was noteworthy. Devin had purposefully raised his level to attract the attention of other pharmacists and see if he could use his reputation to entice them.

Unbeknownst to Devin, he had indeed captivated the interest of Jasper's group and even the grand Elder.

Having made it into the top hundred alongside Jesse and Manny, Devin decided to celebrate their achievements. He waited for Ethan to join them so they could celebrate together.

"How was your competition?" Devin asked Ethan.

"It was intense, but I made the cut," Ethan replied.

"I believe in your strength, so no worries. Just do your best," Devin assured him, introducing Ethan to Jesse and Manny. "Ethan, meet Jesse and Manny. They are in my category, and they also made it to the top hundred."

"Nice to meet you both, and congratulations," Ethan greeted them warmly.

"Congratulations to you too! The intermediate pharmacists' competition must have been even tougher for you to make it into the top hundred. You're quite impressive yourself," Jesse complimented.

"Let's all go. I'm hungry. We can continue this discussion over food and drinks," Devin suggested, leading them to a nearby restaurant where they could indulge in both nourishment and conversation.

The warm and inviting atmosphere of the restaurant embraced the group as they settled around a sturdy wooden table. Their laughter filled the air, blending harmoniously with the tantalizing scents emanating from the kitchen. As glasses clinked and delectable dishes were savored, they delved into sharing their pharmacist journeys and the hardships they had endured to fulfill their aspirations.

"You know, Jesse and I are from a small town in the Gilly Kingdom known for scroll making. But we wanted something different. We wanted to become pharmacists," Manny shared, setting the stage for an engaging and heartfelt conversation.

"Don't get me wrong, scrolls are powerful. But when a plague struck our village, scrolls alone couldn't help us. All they could do was set up a barrier. We still needed the help of a pharmacist," Manny explained. Jesse continued the story, "The pharmacist who came to our village was just a junior apprentice at the time, but he was treated with so much respect. He carried himself as if he were the Messiah. Later, we discovered that the plague, which claimed many lives including Manny's younger sister, could have been cured with a low-level healing potion. It was then that we made the decision to become pharmacists and prevent unnecessary deaths from curable illnesses," Jesse recounted.

"But the journey hasn't been easy, right?" Ethan inquired.

"Nope. The first teacher we found turned out to be a manipulative opportunist. He wanted to use us as slaves and exploit us for resources. We had to spy on him as he made potions and learn in secret until we found our true teacher. She doesn't like to be referred to as a teacher, by the way. She prefers to wander around. We were fortunate to meet her, and she taught us the systematic approach to potion-making," Jesse replied.

"I believe that our experiences are still better than what some others have gone through. We consider ourselves lucky to have found a good teacher," Manny added.

"Here's to the teachers out there who are willing to impart knowledge," Devin raised his glass, and the group clinked their glasses together.

"My story is not as difficult as yours, guys. My teacher was old, but he had taught me well and laid a solid foundation before he passed away. He was only an intermediate pharmacist all his life, but he possessed more passion and knowledge than most, in my opinion. He had limited resources, though. My only hurdle came when I joined the pharmacist guild in Serene City. All I wanted to do was learn, but it seemed like those people were more focused on lining their own pockets and joining factions. The elder there blacklisted me until I met Devin, who happens to be my boss. I was just a junior apprentice pharmacist, but with his support and the freedom to experiment, I was able to advance to the level of an intermediate pharmacist," Ethan concluded, sharing his own experiences.