Preparing the Sequence 8 Potion

"Of course I know," Odys said. "But you also know that my business has been growing larger and larger. If I don't advance soon, my status and strength will become seriously mismatched. That would put me in danger."

This was a reason he had prepared long ago.

Max nodded. "That's true."

He took a deep breath. "All right. As long as you're prepared, I'll apply for the Melee Scholar potion formula and the Beyonder materials for you later."

Odys had contributed enough over the years to obtain these from the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery. "All right, thank you."

He then asked, "Can my remaining accumulated contributions also get me the potion formula for Sequence 7?"

Max simply put down his knife and fork and said seriously, "Advancement isn't something to take lightly. One small mistake, and you could lose control! Especially when advancing to Sequence 7. That already counts as Mid-Sequence, and the risks are considerable!"

"I suggest that you wait three to five years after becoming a Melee Scholar before considering advancement."

That's because he doesn't know about the Acting Method, Odys thought.

"I was just asking," he said.

"It should be possible." Max picked up his knife and fork again as he answered the previous question. "But I'll need to ask Captain Ikanser about the specifics."

"You should understand that potion formulas of this level rarely circulate on the market."

Odys focused on cutting his steak. "I understand."

That was the end of the topic. After that, they began discussing the international situation and interesting stories from Backlund. Naturally, they also teased the terrible weather of this massive city.

That afternoon, Odys received the Melee Scholar potion formula and the two main ingredients.

Only after returning to the lounge and laboratory at Gall Herbal Shop did Odys open the potion formula and examine it:

"Sequence 8: Melee Scholar

"Main ingredients: a complete Spotted Spirit Monkey Pituitary, a complete Blood Hyacinth flower.

"Supplementary ingredients: three Pure Black Poppy flowers, 12 grams of Dragon Tooth Grass powder, 15 milliliters of Boxwood distillate steeped for one year, and 25 milliliters of pure water."

Odys placed the two Beyonder materials on the table. The herbal shop had all the supplementary ingredients, so he went to the front counter and fetched them one by one.

Once he had gathered all the supplementary ingredients, Odys decided to advance tonight.

Just as he was about to put away the Beyonder materials, a majestic and mysterious figure suddenly appeared in Odys's mind. It was Mr. Fool!

The figure then vanished, replaced by another image in his mind. A middle-aged man whose appearance could not be seen clearly assumed a praying posture and spoke in a low voice, "Great Mr. Fool, please convey my question to Mr. Hermit.

"I would like to ask Mr. Hermit whether he has any other Beyonder Weapons besides the scepter he mentioned the day before yesterday."

Odys recognized the person praying as the World.

After the other party finished asking his question, the image in Odys's mind disappeared. After giving it some thought, he understood that Klein had most likely taken an interest in Arrow of Flames.

So he also assumed a praying posture and whispered, "The Fool who does not belong to this era...

"Respected Mr. Fool, please tell Mr. World that I have another Beyonder Weapon, but I do not intend to sell it. If Mr. World needs it recently, I can rent it to him.

"The rental fee is 20 pounds per day. It is a revolver called Arrow of Flames. By infusing it with spirituality and using specially made bullets, it can fire a flame slightly larger than a fist.

"The bullets must be paid for separately, at 1 pound per shot."

15 Minsk Street.

Klein, who had already traded for the Sun Brooch with the old gentleman from the Eye of Wisdom, sighed inwardly upon hearing the Hermit's offer. So cheap!

The Enchanted Bullets he had purchased at the Eye of Wisdom's gathering had cost 10 pounds per shot.

But when he considered that Arrow of Flames's bullets merely possessed an ability similar to a small Fireball and had no particular Beyonder effects, the damage they dealt to Werewolves and Zombies would be extremely limited.

They were far less powerful than Enchanted Bullets...

But they were cheap enough!

Klein thought that he could rent it for Maric to use. It would definitely catch their opponents off guard.

Hmm... rent!

Only then did Klein realize that the Hermit had quite a head for business. The Tarot Club was unlike other Beyonder gatherings. With Mr. Fool's witness and guarantee of credibility, members could rent Beyonder Weapons or even Magical Items from each other.

Even if Mr. Fool was currently just an empty shell, Klein had no intention of trying to gain something for nothing.

After thinking it over, Klein planned to rent not only Arrow of Flames, but also that scepter. After all, the scepter possessed an ability that could restrain evil creatures!

However, he would not be the one paying for it. Maric would have to cover the cost.

51 Henry Street.

After receiving Klein's order, Odys immediately set about making a batch of specially made bullets.

At around five in the afternoon, the two completed the transaction. Under the World's guidance, Odys placed two candles on the table and drew the Occult Symbols representing the Fool: a Pupil-less Eye and distorted lines.

He then erected a Wall of Spirituality and used a sacrificial ritual to offer Arrow of Flames, the scepter, and thirty specially made bullets to Mr. Fool.

The usage rights for the two weapons lasted until five tomorrow afternoon. Therefore, Odys guessed that Klein and the others would likely act tonight.

After completing the transaction, Odys busied himself at the herbal shop as usual until after nine in the evening.

After his clerk Kainer left, Odys shut the shop door and gas lamps, then went to the lounge and laboratory in the backyard. He first adjusted his condition through meditation, then began brewing the potion.

He washed a beaker and dried it clean. After confirming once more that all the ingredients were ready, he placed three beautiful pure-black flowers into the beaker.

These were Pure Black Poppy flowers. Unlike ordinary poppies, Pure Black Poppies were Spiritual Material. Both their fruits and flowers had strong anesthetic effects.

Odys then weighed out 12 grams of Dragon Tooth Grass powder on a scale. It was a relatively popular Spiritual Material with many uses, and the herbal shop kept ground powder in stock.

Next, he measured 15 milliliters of a golden liquid with a graduated cylinder. It was Boxwood distillate steeped for one year. Finally, he added the pure water.

The Spiritual Materials did not react at all inside the beaker. The flowers remained flowers, and the liquids remained liquids.

Odys took out the "protagonists" of the potion: the two Beyonder materials.

He first added the Spotted Spirit Monkey Pituitary, which looked as though it shimmered with tiny starlight and was strangely beautiful.

The moment the Beyonder material entered the beaker, it immediately reacted with the Spiritual Materials, producing sizzling sounds.

Odys then opened the box containing the Blood Hyacinth flower. The blood-red flower lay inside, as though it had been soaked in fresh blood.

The flower still looked incredibly fresh, as though it had only recently been picked. Occasionally, it even twitched as if convulsing after death.

After placing the small hyacinth into the beaker, the liquid inside bubbled as though it had been brought to a boil. It quickly turned into a thick liquid streaked with white and red.

Odys took a deep breath, lifted the beaker, and drained it in one gulp.