The pink liquid was the newly improved Restoration Elixir Richard had developed after making a breakthrough in his research on the Blood-colored Seal. After some simple tests, he could confirm that the improved Restoration Elixir could increase recovery efficiency by thirty percent. As for the taste... that was hard to say. To find out, one had to try it personally.
"Phew—"
Richard took a deep breath, pulled the stopper from the glass tube, and drank all the liquid inside in one gulp.
As the liquid entered his mouth, familiar flavors surged forth: mashed, sticky bananas, slightly expired fermented tofu, concentrated bitter melon juice, somewhat rotten durian...
Once those flavors had passed, an explosive sensation swept across all his taste buds like a gale taking the stage as the grand finale.
It was an intense spiciness, as if an entire bottle of chili sauce had been poured into his mouth. A burning pain immediately arose along the inner walls of his mouth, almost beyond their capacity to bear. His tongue went stiff and nearly numb, taking quite a while to recover. Then the fierce heat leaped over his throat, slid down his esophagus toward his stomach, and made the inside of his entire body "boil."
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
"Phew—"
A full five or six seconds passed before Richard finally let out a long breath and felt the inside of his body gradually calm down.
The improved Restoration Elixir worked even better than he had estimated, increasing recovery efficiency by more than forty percent. Correspondingly, though, its taste had become even worse.
At this rate, continuing to take it orally was probably no longer a good approach. He could consider intravenous injections instead.
With a bitter smile, Richard took another glass tube filled with potion from the cabinet, frowned