Chapter 168 – High-Level Focus Potion

Although Punk had firmly resolved to thoroughly study the “Mana Compression” metamagic technique, metamagic techniques were not easily mastered.

According to inherited records from his cheap parents in his memory, the most crucial requirement for proficiently applying “Mana Compression” was possessing extraordinary control over mana. Simply put, it demanded precise control. If ordinary mages could use mana to paint, then mages wanting to learn “Mana Compression” had to achieve the ability to use mana for embroidery.

Punk was no prodigious genius; in fact, his mana control ability could only be considered average. Therefore, when using “Mana Compression,” he had no choice but to divide the large amount of mana requiring compression into dozens of small portions, compressing them separately before carefully merging them to fill the spell model. Only this method could ensure no errors in mana operation.

However, this “divide and conquer” approach was far too time-consuming. Those truly capable of freely using “Mana Compression” could compress all the mana needed for spellcasting in one go within a second. In actual combat, there was no time to slowly compress mana.

Thus, Punk’s first and most critical problem made a grand entrance—insufficient mana control.

There were no shortcuts to solving this problem; the only way was through training. Year after year, day after day, training the soul to master mana.

But Punk couldn’t accept ordinary, step-by-step training. That inefficient method was too prolonged, to the extent that it could hinder advancement. Spanning hundreds of years, even Punk, a half-Ancient Elf, found it hard to accept. After all, beings below the Legendary level had finite lifespans and even more limited energy. Using time for mana control training naturally meant no meditation, and advancement would stagnate.

In fact, this kind of “investment,” which consumed vast time with no guarantee of success, was one of the major reasons many mages hesitated before metamagic techniques.

Although control training was a necessary process, the training itself had some shortcuts. It was like comparing someone simply running on their own to someone receiving guidance from a professional coach in a gym—the training efficiency over the same period would undoubtedly differ.

Therefore, Punk decided to find ways to increase the efficiency of his mana control training.

Punk quickly thought of two methods to enhance training efficiency. One was to utilize “Haitzita’s Soul Nurturing Wave” to attempt targeted enhancement of mana control techniques during meditation.

However, this method was likely ineffective or of limited effect. After all, the meditation methods researched by Grand Arcanists were very balanced, enhancing all aspects to some degree. Punk lacked the ability to distinguish which part of the meditation method strengthened mana control, so it could hardly be called “targeted.”

The other method was much more reliable… It was the formula for an ancient potion—the Superior Focus Potion!The formula for this potion was collected by Punk’s cheap parents. It’s said that the history of this magic potion can even be traced back to the Netheril era. It’s also one of the few auxiliary cultivation drugs with minimal side effects. According to the description, it only causes “a little” fatigue at the soul level.

While bringing this “negligible” side effect as described, the “Superior Focus Potion” also has powerful positive effects. It can greatly increase a creature’s concentration. It’s said that during the Netheril era, many powerful mages would use this focus potion to assist in leveling up or learning profound spells.

To clarify the details as much as possible, Punk ordered the System to conduct a detailed analysis of the potion.

Ding—System analysis results as follows:

Potion Name: Superior Focus Potion

Potion Level: Formal-Level

Potion Ability: Greatly enhances a creature’s focus.

Potion Side Effects: Causes “a little” soul fatigue.

Potion Ingredients: Blackleaf Grass, Wraith Moth, Ghostlight Mushroom.

Potion Brewing Difficulty: Simple

Punk quickly decided to try using this potion. He wasn’t too worried about the “a little” soul fatigue side effect. After all, the “Soul Nurturing Spell” built into the “Haitzita Magic Box” was a Legendary Spell—surely it could handle the side effects of a mere Formal-Level potion?

The formula for the Superior Focus Potion wasn’t complicated and could even be considered simple. Its brewing difficulty was also very low, but the real challenge of this potion lay in—the rarity of its ingredients.

To be precise, it should be the rarity of the Wraith Moth.

Two of the potion’s ingredients—Blackleaf Grass and Ghostlight Mushroom—were quite easy to obtain. Ghostlight Mushrooms could grow on the corpses of intelligent beings filled with dark elements, requiring only one or two months to cultivate.

As for Blackleaf Grass, Punk had plenty. Being a commonly used alchemical ingredient that doesn’t easily decay, the Mage Guild in Doleiz City had stored a large chest of it, which Punk had taken when he destroyed the city.

But the Wraith Moth was completely different.

In fact, this creature couldn’t be found naturally anywhere in Faerûn. Even across the multiverse, only a handful of extreme planes produced it, because it was a purely alchemical creature that needed to be “created” step by step by alchemical mages themselves.

Fortunately, Punk remembered that among the vast collection of theoretical knowledge books left by Mainaixi, there was information about creating Wraith Moths. However, due to factors like the author’s writing style, the method wasn’t described in great detail.

Punk took out that ancient tome from his Ring and began flipping through it. Although he clearly remembered all the contents of the book, Punk always felt that facing the physical book helped his thinking.

But the more Punk looked at the production method recorded in “Introduction to Alchemical Ingredient Processing,” the more speechless he felt. By the end, his inner state could be described by a single meme:

“Smack… crash”!

“Damn it all, was the bastard who wrote this entire book really trying to spread knowledge? He wasn’t just showing off his own power, was he?”

Punk complained inwardly, utterly exasperated.

The method recorded in the book was extremely complex and tedious, but when summarized, it basically came down to five steps:Step One: Find a creature, but it’s best not to exceed your own professional level, lest you end up getting killed by the Wraith Moth you cultivated!

Step Two: Find a magical larva with an energy level around one standard unit of mana and have it parasitize the creature’s body.

Step Three: Catalyze the larva to consume the host’s body while using the “Formal Alchemy Spell—Emotional Fusion” to merge the host’s hatred and pain with the larva.

Step Four: Kill the fully fused adult, which is the Wraith Moth.

Note: The chosen magical larva must not be too strong, or it will devour the negative emotions. Of course, it can’t be too weak either, or it won’t be able to withstand the negative emotions. Additionally, the larva needs to possess strong adaptability to prevent dying during the fusion process.

Little Tip: It is recommended to use “Mongolog Worm larvae.” Personally tested with great results.

——————Legendary Mage—Hatred Starvation Butterfly—Liliya Mystery.

To be honest, the first four steps of these instructions are nothing special, but the final “Note” is downright treacherous. Finding a larva that’s neither too strong nor too weak and has strong adaptability—how easy is that supposed to be?

As for the “thoughtful” little tip left by that Legendary Mage at the end, it’s anything but thoughtful. It’s just plain heart-wrenching, isn’t it?

Sure, Mongolog Worm larvae are indeed weak, but every single one of them grows into a Master-Level monster as an adult. The larvae never leave their mother’s belly until they mature.

For a Legendary Mage, slaughtering a Mongolog mother and catching a bunch of larvae is as easy as pie, but for a Formal Mage like Punk… Are you sure you’re not tricking me into becoming breakfast?

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(End of Chapter)