After confirming that he had more or less mastered drawing Golden Light Talismans, Kraun brought out some Talisman Paper and poured half a bowl of Sunfire Liquid from the Crystal Ball in his Sea of Consciousness.
Like Moon Dew, Sunfire Liquid also needed to be stored in a jade bottle, preferably one made of Warm Jade, to ensure none of its effects were lost.
Where could he find something like that? The people here had no particular regard for jade. They thought it was just an attractive mineral, and he couldn't even find anywhere to buy it.
He planned to ask the Gisai merchants the next time he ran into their caravan, and see if they could help him get some.
With thorough preparations and a little experience under his belt, he drew the talismans much faster this time. In less than two hours, he had used up all the Talisman Paper.
He got forty-two Golden Light Talismans. His success rate was slightly lower than it had been when drawing Heart-Clearing Talismans, but it still reached fifty percent.
Kraun undid the buttons on his shirt and stuck a Golden Light Talisman to his chest.
He gently pressed the paper. A faint suction seemed to come from it, and the Dao Talisman adhered to his skin.
Two or three seconds later, warmth spread from his chest throughout his body.
At the same time, a golden gleam flickered faintly across the "ink marks" on the Dao Talisman.
He felt as though he were basking in the warm sun. It wasn't hot, just comfortable.
He tried a few other methods, such as sticking one to his forehead or arm, and observed the effects.
In the end, he reached a conclusion: a Golden Light Talisman worked as long as it was in direct contact with someone's skin. One talisman lasted about an hour.
As for its supposed ability to drive away evil influences, he had no test subject for now, so he would have to verify that later.
Kraun sat cross-legged beside the bed and visualized the Golden Light Incantation to restore his energy.
After five or six cycles, he emerged from his meditative state.
He threw a few punches, kicked his legs, and stretched his muscles.
At the same time, he continued thinking about how to use the Dao Talismans.
There had to be other ways to activate them, right?
Kraun muttered to himself. The Golden Light Talisman was easy enough; he could simply stick it to his skin.
But if he wanted to use a Heart-Clearing Talisman in battle, how would he find the chance to prepare clean water, light it, and drink it?
At the thought, he took out a Heart-Clearing Talisman and tried sticking it to his forehead.
The Heart-Clearing Talisman gave off a faint suction and clung securely to his forehead.
Two or three seconds later, a cool sensation spread from his forehead throughout his body.
It worked. It seemed the skill descriptions weren't all that complete after all. Then again, an introduction was hardly a detailed instruction manual.
Kraun gave himself a hearty pat on the back for his spirit of exploration.
With the Talisman Paper used up, he finally had time to take out the Witcher's potion recipes and study them at leisure.
Geralt had given him two potion recipes. One was for a Stamina Potion, which rapidly replenished a large amount of the drinker's stamina. All its ingredients were highly restorative herbs. The other was a Strength Potion, which could temporarily bring out a person's potential and increase their muscle strength, but left them exhausted for a while afterward.
The duration of this side effect was uncertain and varied depending on the person's constitution. It usually lasted one to three hours, though it could be shorter or longer.
After carefully examining the required herbs and the complexity of the brewing process, Kraun decided to start with the Strength Potion.
Visualizing the Golden Light Incantation gave him abundant energy and excellent stamina, so he didn't need a Stamina Potion as badly. The Strength Potion was different. It could immediately boost his combat power, and a few bottles on hand might come in handy.
With enough food, the Golden Light Incantation could quickly replenish his energy and stamina. If he used a Strength Potion, the side effect would likely last very little time.
As he looked over the various ingredients listed for the Strength Potion, images of how to prepare them quickly formed in his mind. He then rehearsed the brewing process in his head, anticipating which steps might go wrong and how to handle them.
Once he felt he had it all figured out, he went to the potion room.
He hadn't brewed any potions since completing his trade with the Gisai.
A layer of dust had settled on the alchemy table.
Kraun grabbed a damp rag and quickly cleaned it.
Then he rummaged through his herb box for the ingredients he needed.
In the end, he managed to gather enough for just one batch. One batch would make a set of potions: three bottles in all.
One of the ingredients was a Blood-Drop Star Fern Leaf, a mutated variety of Star Fern Leaf marked with red, teardrop-shaped spots. It was extremely rare, and he had only one.
He ground the herb, placed it in a container, and extracted its essence. Then he divided the resulting liquid into three small portions.
That way, he could brew three times and gain more experience. If he got lucky and succeeded once, he would not only make back the cost of the ingredients but even earn a little.
Judging by the brewing steps and how difficult the herbs were to prepare, the Strength Potion was harder to make than the Blood-Boiling Potion. Even so, Kraun was confident he could succeed at least once.
The Gold Wall's properties gave him confidence that ordinary alchemists lacked. His ability didn't fluctuate. He might rarely perform exceptionally well, but he could always count on being above a certain standard.
Half an hour later, Kraun removed the spirit lamp and swiftly poured the ochre potion from the crucible into a test tube, which he placed on the cooling rack.
After waiting a little while for the potion to cool, he lifted the test tube with a pair of tongs and gently swirled it.
The potion's color remained bright, with no sediment at all, and a faint spicy smell wafted through the air.
"Snap." He snapped his fingers in delight and murmured, "A great start."
He cleaned his tools and continued brewing, succeeding once again.
After he summoned the Gold Wall, his Herbalism skill proficiency increased by about twenty points.
[Herbalism: 1294/5000; Tier 3]
You reap what you sow. Damn, that felt great.
Kraun put the potions away, visualized the Golden Light Incantation for two cycles, and went to sleep in peace.
Karim Village was one of the most remote villages in the Faruk Kingdom, nestled in the Andes Mountains.
Its people had little contact with the outside world throughout the year, and the villagers still lived relatively primitive lives.
The nearest town was Zack Town, a seven- or eight-day hike along mountain trails.
They lived by hunting and gathering. The bountiful Andes Mountains were a paradise for wild animals, and the many different species ensured that the villagers had plenty of meat. Men, women, young, and old were all strong and tall.
A few days ago, Gray Fog had begun to spread through the mountains, carrying a faint fishy smell.
The fog was extremely strange. When the sun came out, it retreated into shady corners, where it gathered into thick, black patches.
Then, once the sun set, it spread again with startling speed.
Old Hamilton was the village chief, and he was deeply worried about their situation.
Ever since the Gray Fog had surrounded the village, the villagers had all become inexplicably short-tempered. They often got into physical fights over the slightest quarrels.
It wasn't just neighbors. Even close family members argued and fought over trivial things.
Night had fallen, but he tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. He thought he would gather the villagers tomorrow and discuss what to do.
"Waaah!"
A child was crying in the next room. His two granddaughters lived there. The older one was nine, the younger one five, and the sisters often quarreled. Sometimes the older girl would beat her little sister badly.
Both girls loved their grandfather and often came to sleep in his room at night.
Old Hamilton suddenly felt irritated. Why weren't they asleep at this hour?
He sat up, ready to put on his shoes and give the two girls a good scolding.
"Ah!" A piercing scream rang out, then abruptly stopped.
Old Hamilton's heart lurched. Forgetting his shoes, he rushed into the next room.
The lamp was still lit. The room was sparsely furnished, and he could see everything at a glance.
Only his younger granddaughter stood beside the bed, her hair disheveled. His older granddaughter had vanished without a trace.
"Where's your sister?"
Old Hamilton looked around in confusion, unable to understand what had happened.
"Ke ke." A sinister laugh came from the little girl's mouth. She pointed at it. "I ate her."
"Come on, don't joke around." The old man crouched down and put his hands on the girl's shoulders.
He brushed aside his granddaughter's unkempt hair and saw that her eyes were crisscrossed with blood vessels, a faint red glow shining in them.
Thinking his granddaughter had been frightened, he gently reassured her. "There, there. Don't be scared. Tell Grandpa what happened."
"I ate her." The little girl stared blankly at him and repeated the words.
Old Hamilton felt anger well up inside him too. His voice grew stern without him realizing it. "Ate her? How? Your mouth is so small!"
"My mouth is small, but I can open it really wide." The little girl's mouth slowly stretched open, and her face twisted into a grotesque, deformed shape.
Her mouth gaped like a cavernous maw—a real cavernous maw.
The night grew deeper. From the darkened village came occasional wails and the sounds of chewing.
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