As the medicine was swallowed, the old man clenched his right hand, knocked on the table, and closed his eyes with an expression even more terrifying than when he had drunk the poisonous insect blood. But at least the swelling had stopped. Though blood was still seeping from his body, his bloated form was beginning to shrink.
Clearly, he had endured once again. This meant that both Shade and the old man had passed the second round of the Gods' Wine Party hosted by the God of Vampires. The girls still needed to drink together twice more, while the Witch needed to do so once.
"Thank you."
Having returned to normal, the old man thanked the girls wearily. This time, he did not take out that ring as a token of gratitude, but he clearly would not forget those who had helped him.
"The ninth Blood Brew, Aether Wine. The origins of this Blood Brew are quite interesting. Its ingredients are several magical creatures, came from another god who had once traded with me. I cast the bottle into a deep-sea whirlpool, where it was compressed under the pressure of the deep sea for tens of thousands of years. Then I added some Deep Sea Giant Monster blood for flavoring. In my view, this bottle belongs to the precious mouthwash class. Aside from its somewhat special flavor, all it does is provide mortals with an unimaginably vast amount of spirit."
"I want to try it."
The Witch spoke immediately.
"So do we."
The girls raised their hands as well.
Nothing unexpected happened during the tasting of the ninth Blood Brew. Though Shade was tempted, he did not suggest trying it again himself. The Witch absorbed that immense amount of spirit, at the cost of seeming to age ten years.
This