The First Attempt, a Potion?

"Deal!" Lucian agreed, nodding after a moment's thought.

Carrie let out a subtle sigh of relief.

"Alright, let's set it as one magic stone per week as a base," Lucian said. "If you work well and avoid mistakes, I might even add a bonus. This way, it'll keep you motivated and working efficiently!"

Carrie: Σ(꒪ȏ꒪)

That... wasn't what she had meant at all...

"Let's not waste time then. Start today as my assistant." Lucian gave her a gentle nudge, feeling rather pleased. He'd just scored 65 Reverence Points in total, and at this point, they were far more valuable to him than magic stones.

Lucian pointed to the wizard robe. "We'll value this at 80 magic stones, and until you've worked off that amount, I'm holding off on paying… er, rewarding you with any more."

Carrie stared at him for a moment before quietly reaching for her notebook, flipping to the last page to keep track of this "special ledger."

"One magic stone owed to Sir Lucian..." she wrote, noting down the other times she'd quietly borrowed resources without immediate repayment. What she once viewed as "borrow now, repay later" was now starting to feel like an unpayable debt.

Seeing her dawdling near the doorway, Lucian shook his head with a smile. "You know the drill—if you stretch this out past three hours, we'll keep adding time."

Carrie snapped back to reality and hurried over.

Lucian nodded. "I'll teach you some basic alchemy skills first. Eventually, you'll take over some repetitive tasks to support my potion work."

Carrie nodded, her mind set. She vowed to become an adept potion maker someday. She didn't want to be someone who only relied on Sir Lucian but someone who could help him achieve his goals.

Watching her diligently cleaning beakers and tools, Lucian began planning his approach to alchemy.

"For now, the best options to increase my spiritual power are the Tranquility Potion and Moonlight Praise," he considered, tapping his fingers on the table. "But they're both difficult to make, and the ingredients are costly. A few failed attempts, and I'd have to sell off resources to keep going."

Starting with something simpler to practice would be smarter. If he succeeded, he could even sell it to earn more stones.

"Recovery Potion it is. The previous Lucian practised it enough that I have a rough reference, and I've got enough ingredients on hand to avoid trips to the exchange hall," he decided. With a wave, he summoned three materials from his spatial ring: Blue-Ring Mushroom, Healing Herb, and Coldwater Grass.

"Funny how something as toxic as Blue-Ring Mushroom is the core ingredient," Lucian muttered as he examined a small mushroom, barely the size of an adult's thumb. Rings of vibrant blue marked its cap, and with a pinch of its stem, he could extract a clear, sticky liquid.

Carefully wielding a dull scraper, Lucian removed the mucus-like substance from the mushroom without tearing its surface. The toxin was potent, affecting nerve cells and even a wizard's spiritual power. This part couldn't be rushed with magic, but required concentration and a steady hand.

With the toxin safely removed, Lucian quickly diced the mushroom, watching as the initially white flesh began to oxidize, turning pale blue before gradually deepening. Working swiftly, he scraped the pieces into a crucible, then pressed out the Coldwater Grass's pale blue juice, adding it to the mushroom pieces.

The mixture began to bubble, the different substances reacting vigorously.

Lucian stirred with a glass rod, extending his magic through the rod to stabilize the reactions between the mushroom and the Coldwater Grass, ensuring a smooth fusion rather than a volatile reaction.

The process seemed simple, but it required high precision and mental control. One small lapse in focus and the entire batch could be ruined.

Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead as he guided the potion.

Suddenly, a muscle in Lucian's temple twitched slightly.

A sharp hiss escaped the crucible, and the potion turned a shade of dark blue, emitting black smoke and a smell like rotting trash.

"Failed." Lucian set down the glass rod with a sigh but didn't clear the failed batch immediately. Instead, he used a point to run an appraisal.

[Item]: Unnamed Poison

[Type]: Potion—Poison

[Ingredients]: Coldwater Grass, Blue-Ring Mushroom

[Description]: A failed attempt by an apprentice potion maker to create a recovery potion. It emits a foul, rotten smell. Due to careless handling, the toxins in the Blue-Ring Mushroom were enhanced, creating a minor poison that can cause mild nausea.

[Additional Notes]:

Lucian's mouth twitched as he read the feedback. It almost felt like the system was mocking him.