Moonlight Praise

In the marketplace.

"Hanks, I've got a batch of recovery potions to sell," Lucian said directly, approaching a third-level apprentice wizard who maintained a regular stall.

"Good thing the original Lucian had a bit of an alchemist's reputation," he thought, grateful that selling a large quantity of potions now wouldn't raise any suspicions.

"Recovery potions? Lucian, it seems I should congratulate you on finally succeeding!" Hanks was a portly, friendly-looking third-level apprentice. His genial demeanour made him look more like a businessman than a cold-blooded wizard.

"Don't remind me. Do you know how much I've poured into practising alchemy?" Lucian rolled his eyes. "Even now, with a decent success rate, it's just a tough way to make a little extra."

Hanks chuckled, ignoring the complaint as he carefully examined the forty potions Lucian had brought.

"Some of these aren't up to par," Hanks commented, holding up one of the less-than-perfect potions, looking a bit troubled.

"Give me a price. If it's too low, I'll find some other apprentices who need them," Lucian shrugged, not bothering to argue.

"Potioneers…" Hanks muttered, shaking his head before quickly tallying the value of the batch in his mind. "Altogether, 125 magic stones," he finally said, looking at Lucian. "You know, flawed potions just don't sell for as much."

"How about 130 magic stones?" Lucian suggested. Seeing Hanks's face about to puff up in refusal, he added, "I'll also be buying fifty portions of ingredients for Moonlight Praise, as well as the formula."

Hanks paused, his small eyes glinting with shrewd interest.

The ingredients for Moonlight Praise were expensive, costing around two magic stones per portion. For him, this was a profitable opportunity, especially since Lucian would likely need a lot of practice before mastering it.

"Alright, consider the extra five stones a gift for becoming a potioneer," Hanks said with a broad grin.

Lucian nodded, satisfied. So far, his trip to the marketplace was going as planned.

Moonlight Praise.

This was the potion Lucian had chosen to aid his meditation. Moonlight Praise relied on moonlight moss as its main ingredient, which would be in abundant supply once he arrived on Cossay Island. This would ensure a steady supply of materials, preventing him from being held hostage to inflated prices back at the academy.

He also had a secondary goal: eventually teaching Carrie how to brew Moonlight Praise. Should he later discover an enhanced version of the potion, it would likely still use moonlight moss as a primary or key ingredient. The island's supply might also offer the materials he'd need for future upgrades, speeding up his path to formal wizardry.

"Do you have any of the potions on hand?" Lucian asked, taking the magic stones and ingredients from Hanks.

"A sample?" Hanks gave a resigned chuckle. "Sorry, no. You know how these potions are—they're always in high demand. But when you have some to sell, bring them to me. I'll pay top price."

Hanks's face was confident, already counting on Lucian as a future supplier.

"Thanks, Hanks." Lucian smiled politely but didn't take the bait. Unlike recovery potions, Moonlight Praise was high-end and in demand—easily a seller's market.

"Oh, by the way, have you seen Norian around?" Lucian asked as he turned to leave, something occurring to him.

Hanks's friendly face turned a bit uneasy. "Oh, Lucian, my friend… I'd love to help, but Norian is also one of my loyal customers…"

Lucian set two magic stones on the counter.

"It's not a matter of stones—it's about trust and principle, you see…"

Three more stones joined the pile.

"Three days ago, he went to the Bone Mound, said he'd be in seclusion there," Hanks replied promptly, scooping up the five stones.

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Back in his lab, Lucian studied the ingredients and the Moonlight Praise formula inscribed on a large leaf. After carefully going over the instructions, he set the leaf aside and took out the ingredients.

Moonlight Praise.

It was said that this potion's recipe originated with the elves, lending the formula an intricate elegance characteristic of their kind.

Moonlight Praise required unique ingredients: seeds from the Qiqo Tree, moonlight moss, and a substance known as Mermaid's Tear. These resources were somewhat renewable, especially if cultivated with care, which could reduce costs long-term. Still, moonlight moss was the most costly and essential ingredient.

With a deep breath, Lucian began the process.

...

"Hear the moon's praise… its symphony, born of nature's design..." Lucian chanted softly in Elvish, focusing on a small, silvery seedling growing from a bed of moonlight moss. Carefully guiding his mental energy, he coaxed the fragile plant to thrive.

The seedling swayed, its silvery glow wavering gently in response to his nurturing touch. But just then, a misstep in his energy flow caused the delicate plant to wither instantly. The moss around it also lost its lustre, leaving behind nothing but a heap of wasted material.

"Attempt number twenty-one, failed," Lucian noted stoically. After taking a moment to restore his energy through meditation, he activated the appraisal module, using two reverence points to analyze the failure.

"Misalignment in energy flow…" Lucian murmured, reading the appraisal results. Nodding thoughtfully, he reset the workspace and prepared for his twenty-second attempt.