Wolfsbane Potion
The potion-making workshop in the Box World.
In the center of the room, a huge black cauldron stood steadily atop the magical flames, surrounded by various oddly shaped glass bottles, scales, mortars, and knives. The air was filled with a mixture of herbal and metallic scents.
Lucien stood before the crucible, holding a thick book with a dark green leather cover.
His gaze fell on one of the pages, which detailed a newly discovered potion recipe— Wolfsbane Potion.
"Wolfsbane Potion, invented by Damocles Belby, was awarded the Order of Merlin, Second Class, for his great contributions to the Werewolf problem," Lucien read aloud from the book.
The magic of this potion is that if Werewolf takes it a week before the full moon, he can maintain his sanity after transforming and no longer attack humans uncontrollably.
Werewolf- like behavior is, in essence, a curse.
Lucien's goal is to improve three curse-related potions, and Wolfsbane Potion is one of his chosen targets.
Taking a deep breath, Lucien began preparing to concoct the potion. He first placed the necessary materials one by one on the workbench next to the crucible: Moonstone Powder, Fluxweed, Bicorn Horn powder, angelica juice, Hellebore Syrup... Each material had been carefully selected and processed.
He picked up a small silver knife and began to process the Fluxweed. The sap of this herb was highly corrosive and had to be handled with care. Lucien used the knife to cut the Fluxweed into even pieces, then placed them in a mortar, added a small amount of pure water, and began to grind. As the grinding progressed, a refreshing herbal aroma filled the air, but it was mixed with a subtle, almost imperceptible bitterness.
After grinding, Lucien poured the juice of the Fluxweed into the crucible. The magical flame beneath the crucible automatically adjusted to the appropriate temperature, and the juice began to boil gently. Then, following the order of the recipe, he added Moonstone Powder and Bicorn Horn powder in turn. With each addition, the liquid in the crucible changed: the Moonstone Powder turned the liquid a pale blue, while the Bicorn Horn powder made it more viscous.
Lucien watched intently as the changes in the crucible changed, his wand waving gently as he chanted complex incantations. He needed to precisely control the heat and the speed of stirring; any mistake could lead to the potion's failure.
When the potion turned silvery-blue, Lucien picked up the glass bottle containing the juice of Angelica pubescens and carefully dripped it into the cauldron. Instantly, the potion began to churn violently, releasing large amounts of steam, and the smell in the air became even more pungent.
Lucien swiftly waved his wand, channeling his magic into it in an attempt to suppress the potion's instability. With his efforts, the potion gradually calmed down, its color changing from silvery-blue to a deeper purple.
The final step was to add the styrax syrup. This syrup was highly poisonous and its dosage had to be strictly controlled. Lucien precisely drew three drops of the syrup with a dropper and slowly dripped them into the crucible. The potion boiled again, but this time, it quickly stabilized and eventually became a clear, transparent liquid with a faint, moonlit glow.
"Success." Lucien breathed a sigh of relief, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. He picked up a clean glass bottle, poured in the refined Wolfsbane Potion, and then sealed it tightly with a cork.
Gazing at the clear liquid in the bottle, Lucien fell into deep thought. While the Wolfsbane Potion could keep Werewolf sane, it couldn't truly cure their curse. Acquired Werewolf were transformed after being bitten, while innate Werewolf were due to a curse inherited in their bloodline.