Chapter 98 - 93 Magic Potion Formula

Chapter 98: Chapter 93 Magic Potion Formula

Hiliard had tasted numerous delicacies before, and the dishes made by Ian were not top-notch compared to the many great meals he had experienced in his life—they were merely local cuisine.

But setting aside who his original chef was, or how abundant the ingredients and condiments had been, the mere fact that his apprentice had made the meal with his own hands was enough to whet the old knight’s appetite significantly.

"It’s a pity I never learned this craft,"

With a sigh of regret, Hiliard looked at the oyster and meat chop stew before him and couldn’t help but nod slightly.

The tender and flavorful beast flesh, which had been kneaded and processed, bobbed in the brown sauce, and the puree at the bottom had melted from the stewing, thickening and enhancing the deliciousness of the liquid.

The oysters lying atop the meat chop quivered gently, cooked perfectly by Ian’s grasp of the heat, absorbing the sauce completely without getting overcooked.

Selected especially for their richness, the white mist-grade oysters tasted exceptional. The old knight picked up a piece and ate it, barely chewing before swallowing it down. The unique flavor and texture of the seafood, mixed with the animal’s fat, made him exclaim enthusiastically, "If I could eat food like this every day, even the Royal Restaurant in the Imperial Capital would seem tasteless!"

Of course, this was an exaggeration. The Royal Restaurant in the Imperial Capital catered specifically to nobles and officials, the ingredients were exquisite, and the royal chefs’ skills profound, certainly beyond comparison with Ian, an ordinary culinary enthusiast. Not to mention ordinary magical beasts, but even flesh from the various sub-dragons, with effects almost akin to Magic Potion, had appeared there.

However, in Hiliard’s view, given his apprentice’s standards, the ingredients he would be able to obtain in the future would naturally far surpass any restaurant. And as a truly powerful Sublimator, mastering an even higher level of culinary skill was only to be expected.

He always took his meals seriously, yet Ian did not eat.

The boy was intently studying his teacher’s face, as if trying to memorize every single detail.

"What? Not eating?"

Hiliard noticed this as well. Over the past few months, he had never held back with Ian, nor had he followed any sort of convention like letting the teacher eat first. They usually ate together, then prepared some milk, soup, or minced meat for Elan, and proceeded with training or lessons without dawdling.

He looked at Ian with some confusion, trying to understand what his student was focused on.

But after a moment of silence, Ian just said one word softly.

"Wrinkles."

The boy spoke almost solemnly, "Teacher, you have more and more wrinkles on your face."

After returning home, Hiliard naturally dispelled his Ossenna guise and restored his true appearance.

Although the old knight from a few months ago was indeed old, it was mainly due to his grayish-brown hair and his commanding and dignified presence. Just looking at his face, he could only be considered middle-aged at most.

But now, lines had emerged around his eyes and forehead, making him look significantly older.

"Is that so?"

Hiliard heard Ian’s remark without surprise, and he glanced sideways at the soup, discerning his current appearance from the blurry reflection, "Indeed, there are many more. That’s how it is without deliberately suppressing it."

Turning back, the old knight smiled, "Ian, guess how old I am?"

"Fifty or sixty?"

Ian wasn’t sure about Hiliard’s age. His teacher had obviously been through a lot, yet he had a youthful mindset and was full of noble aspirations... Of course, he might also feel vigorous again when faced with his young student, remembering the glory days, but it seemed unlikely that he was very old.

"Seventy-four,"

Hiliard said softly while picking up a meat chop and taking a bite. Chewing the meat with its bones, his eyes lowered, "Sublimators hold power enough to change the world, but in reality, it’s a skill perfected merely a few hundred years ago. Since it specializes in the burst of power, it doesn’t help much with longevity."

"Yes, strong Sublimators can live past a hundred and twenty years. The record for the oldest Sublimator is one hundred and fifty-five years, but who hasn’t fought, who hasn’t been injured? Whose Inheritance is flawless, with every Sublimation Organ inside their body in perfect harmony, with not even the slightest imperfection?"

"All these will incur a loss of lifespan because the path we follow is inherently fraught with difficulties."

With those words, Hiliard turned his head and looked at Ian, speaking earnestly, "Child, remember that neither Bloodline nor True Form is perfect; both have their flaws. They are things we must refine and improve—we must not only elevate our own flesh, soul, spirit, and will but also pave a longer path for the successors."

He recited the Maxims, "Only when wisdom stretches far and wide can order endure for eternity."

"By the way, speaking of this,"

As if recalling something, Hiliard smiled, "Ian, I can now extract the Highest Level of Pure Water, and Magic Potion synthesis can begin right now."

As soon as he had tasted the sea otter meat chop, he knew that Ian had acquired the Crystal Bone. Thus, all the ingredients for the Sand Armor Apprentice’s Magic Potion were assembled.

"Hmm,"

How could Ian fail to hear that his teacher didn’t want to discuss his own difficulties? Distracting from the topic meant avoiding discussion about why ’suddenly a lot more wrinkles had appeared on him, seemingly out of nowhere’—which he had noticed starting two months ago but always had been sidestepped.

Now, since Hiliard brought up the Magic Potion, Ian could only sigh inwardly and reply, "I managed to kill the leader sea otter. Its Crystal Bone was much larger than I expected. Could it be too much?"

"Of course not, the Magic Potion doesn’t care about size; its essence is to extract the quintessence of all things and transform the essence of life itself."

Hiliard nodded, smiling as he said, "I knew you’d have a way to achieve your goal, so I’ve already asked for leave from work for tomorrow. This way, if any accidents occur, I can help take care of things."

Despite his words, Hiliard’s tone clearly conveyed not the slightest doubt about Ian’s success.

As a teacher, his confidence was even greater than Ian’s own.

The True Form Heritage: The Unyielding Fortress has five stages, corresponding to Power Levels one through five, and the stage corresponding to the First Energy Level is known as the ’Sand Armor Apprentice’.

The main ingredients for the Sand Armor Apprentice’s Magic Potion are one portion of a Magical Beast’s Sublimation Organ with the ability to control sand and soil, one portion of a Magical Beast’s Sublimation Organ with body-strengthening abilities, with auxiliary ingredients of one hundred milliliters of Pure Water, ten grams of Pure Silicon, and fifteen grams of Verdant Soil Leaf (commonly known as ’Blood-Restoring Herb’).

The other minor ingredients are not worth mentioning, as they’re all cheap items easily purchasable on the market.

Unlike Bloodline Inheritances, where the main ingredient absolutely cannot be changed and auxiliary ingredients can vary quite a bit, in the True Form Heritage, as long as the main ingredients meet the criteria, they can be freely substituted, and the basic effects are more or less the same as long as the auxiliary ingredients are not too different.

"Let’s have something to eat first. The Magic Potion doesn’t require you to take it on an empty stomach; on the contrary, while it is meant to be drunk, if you wish, you could just as well inject it into your bloodstream with a syringe for the same effect, though it’s a bit more intense."

Under Hiliard’s urging, Ian ate a few bites of the meat stew. Indeed, it was delicious and rich in flavor; though it didn’t melt in the mouth, the taste was truly exquisite.

Yet at this moment, his mood was somewhat diminished.

Carrying a bowl of freshly cooked seafood porridge to his brother’s room, Ian went in to feed Elan.

"Brother... yummy!"

Clinging firmly to the spoon, Elan made a muffled sound—this was the highest praise he could offer.

Ian chuckled as he teased the corner of Elan’s mouth, meanwhile pulling out the spoon: "Look at what you said, what does that even mean? Next time, will it be ’Friend, yummy’, huh?"

"Eat!" The child clearly didn’t understand the joke his brother was making, but he energetically patted the table repeating the word.

"Little foodie."

Seeing Elan gradually becoming more able to express his thoughts and feelings, Ian felt very pleased.

Following this trend, the other should be able to fully recover to normal before the age of six or seven. The Terra People’s physique was indeed beyond his expectations; even Sleep Powder, a high-level sedative, wasn’t able to cause permanent damage to the nerves.

Feeling much better, Ian turned around only to see Hiliard standing at the door.

"Don’t worry, I’ve checked Elan over, and he’s very smart with no impact on his brain development, and there’s no deformity on his body."

Glancing at Elan, the old Knight said calmly, "To tell you the truth, he’s probably a bit healthier than you were at the same age. At least he’s never been starved."

"By the way."

As if remembering something, Hiliard nodded, "If nothing unexpected happens, today you will become a true Sublimator... To celebrate this moment, I have prepared a special gift for you."

"Eh?"

Ian was genuinely surprised, blinking a few times before smiling, "Then I’m really looking forward to it, Teacher."

He wouldn’t be rude enough to guess what someone else’s gift was; sometimes, ignorance is bliss, and waiting for a surprise is part of the joy.

And besides...

What a... clumsy fellow.

— Are you afraid I’d feel deceived and unhappy? Bringing up the topic so bluntly, are you worried I’d sulk, really treating me like a child?

"The Teacher must have never looked after children before."

With this thought, Ian couldn’t help but sigh internally, "Well, let it be; a man in his seventies certainly has his own plans."

"If he’s not afraid, all I can do is watch and help out. If anything goes wrong, I’ll just have to provide for his retirement."

The threat of the Natives was inconsequential, the sequelae plaguing his brother were gradually healing, and his own Magic Potion was about to be completed; everything was steadily improving.

Such a life... wasn’t too bad after all.

With such thoughts, Ian and Hiliard returned to the dining table and cheerfully finished their leftover dishes.

That night, under Hiliard’s guidance, Ian began taking the Sand Armor Apprentice’s Magic Potion.