Chapter 172 – Success of the Potion

“Simply combining shadow grubs with some low-level negative emotions can actually give birth to an Apprentice-Level creature. This is the charm of alchemy.”

Punk said cheerfully as he watched the Wraith Moth fluttering in the air.

Now that the Wraith Moth had successfully been born, what pleased him most was that it showed no obvious defects. This proved that Punk’s plan to use shadow grubs as parasites was feasible.

However, unlike Punk, the Wraith Moth trapped in the basement had no reason to rejoice. Nurtured by copious negative emotions, the Wraith Moth was now extremely furious. Its blood-red eyes constantly scanned everything in the laboratory, its desire for destruction and havoc completely unconcealed. Ultimately, it very unwisely set its sights on Punk.

“Squeak————”!

The Wraith Moth showed no fear of the power disparity. It frantically beat its wings, opened its dark maw, and transformed into a shadowy streak as it lunged at Punk.

Although the Wraith Moth was flying with all its might, this speed and attack intensity were no faster than a snail in the eyes of a Formal-Level mage. Punk casually cast an instant Mage Hand to clutch the Wraith Moth in his palm.

“Excellent, the little one is quite lively. It seems it will make a qualified experimental ingredient. That means the material issue for the ‘Superior Focus Potion’ is resolved. I just hope the senior who wrote the book didn’t leave any pitfalls in the brewing process.”Punk neatly arranged all the materials and tools required for potion brewing on the experiment table, then began the first brewing attempt of the ‘Superior Focus Potion’ while mentally complaining.”

Fortunately, the senior hadn’t fabricated anything regarding the potion formula and brewing steps. With the System’s assistance, Punk easily brewed the relatively uncomplicated “Superior Focus Potion.” After all, this potion was among the simpler types at the Formal-Level, with the greatest challenge lying solely in the creation of the Wraith Moth.

The finished potion was contained in a flawless glass test tube. Due to the high volatility of the “Superior Focus Potion,” Punk securely sealed the tube’s opening with an enchanted cork.

The orange-yellow potion emitted a faint glow. Punk could clearly see numerous bubbles continuously forming at the bottom of the potion and bursting at the top layer. The entire bottle resembled orange soda, appearing quite palatable at least.

“Brewing complete. From the description, there don’t seem to be any issues.”

Punk murmured softly.

He pinched the potion between two fingers and shook it several times. Only after confirming that the “Superior Focus Potion” indeed swirled in a double-helix pattern as described in the book did he feel reassured.

To be cautious, Punk successively used several Divination Spells to verify the potion’s safety. Only when all the Divination Spells indicated the potion posed no danger did Punk slowly remove the cork.

The moment it contacted air, the orange potion rapidly began to volatilize. Dozens of slender orange-yellow mist trails seemed to come alive, winding and crawling toward the opening. Without further delay, Punk quickly poured the potion into his mouth and swallowed it in one gulp.The moment the Superior Focus Potion entered his mouth, Punk immediately felt a surge of cool energy rushing straight into his mind. The potion didn’t feel like liquid at all, but rather like a wispy mist. Within mere seconds, all the “mist” in Punk’s mouth had completely vanished.

After absorbing the Superior Focus Potion, Punk clearly felt his mental focus sharpen. He now perceived the world with sudden clarity, every detail before his eyes becoming vividly distinct. He even experienced the illusion of being able to comprehend the entire world effortlessly.

Of course, Punk knew very well that this absurd sensation was merely an illusion brought about by a sudden massive boost in concentration. Any creature with a modicum of intelligence wouldn’t mistake such an illusion for reality.

The potion’s duration was limited, leaving no room for waste. So Punk didn’t dwell too long on the peculiar sensations it induced. Instead, he began attempting to fully control his mana, compressing mana streams that were originally as thick as flowing water into strands as fine as spider silk.

Had he attempted this step before drinking the potion, it would likely have ended in failure. But now, with the potion’s assistance, Punk felt his control over mana had never been so precise. The mana streams, which had previously resisted his control, were effortlessly compressed to less than a third of their original volume.

Under Punk’s manipulation, the mana-formed threads could even be summoned effortlessly around his body. Circles of azure energy filaments slowly rotated around him, their trajectories devoid of any tangled mess. On the contrary, each thread now moved along its designated path with perfect regularity.

“If I could achieve this level of mana control without the aid of the Superior Focus Potion, then the metamagic technique—Mana Compression—could be used in actual combat.”

Coolly contemplating his newfound fluid control over mana, Punk thought to himself.

A full hour passed before the effects of the Superior Focus Potion gradually faded. Punk slowly withdrew the mana threads floating around his body.

After the potion’s effects completely vanished, Punk could clearly feel that his control over mana had significantly improved. If mana were compared to a sword, his previous control resembled that of a child just picking up a blade—clumsy and awkward in both manipulation and command. But now, Punk’s control over mana was akin to that of a novice swordsman—at least he had touched the threshold of true “mastery.”

“Though there’s still quite a distance to go before achieving effortless control, this training effect is already astonishing. If I were to train through conventional methods alone, it would take over a decade of practice to make such significant progress… Hiss—what’s happening?”

Just as Punk was marveling at the astounding effects of the Superior Focus Potion, an intense wave of dizziness suddenly struck his mind without any warning. Had he not been mentally prepared for the potion’s side effects, he might have thought he’d been hit by a Greater Daze spell.The dizziness was so intense that even Punk found it hard to bear. In less than five seconds, his mind felt as if it had been carpet-bombed by artillery, rumbling chaotically, and even his thoughts began to blur and grow hazy.

“Damn it, is this the so-called ‘minor’ side effect? Was the idiot who wrote this a mind flayer or something?”

As waves of pain and buzzing assaulted his mind, Punk even felt a rare urge to curse. Though such side effects wouldn’t harm the soul, an ordinary Formal-Level Mage would surely be left dazed and disoriented for a long time after enduring this “minor” side effect.

Fortunately, Punk was no ordinary Formal-Level Mage. He quickly ordered the golem to protect him, then gritted his teeth against the discomfort and retrieved the “Haitzita Magic Box” stored in the inner layer of his Mage Robe.

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(End of Chapter)