Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Three Gifts

The young lady examined the extraordinary gemstone and then put it away.

“I’ll take this gemstone for now. I’ll give it back to you in a few days.”

Pulman quickly expressed that he had no objections. If not for Lolan Hill, he wouldn’t have been able to extract the extraordinary essence from the Dragon Blood Bat.

“You barely qualify, but after we leave, don’t mention my name. I’m afraid of being disgraced.”

The young lady was still somewhat unsatisfied. This student was rather slow.

Pulman could only smile bitterly and agree, vowing inwardly to achieve great things in the future so that his current teacher would recognize him.

After resolving Pulman’s doubts, Lolan Hill used all five of her draws, but the results were quite satisfactory: three formulas for extraordinary potions, one manual for forging armor, and one manual for crafting weapons.

Following the battle, Pulman rested for two days, while Lolan Hill stayed in the small house within the maple forest, studying the extraordinary potion formulae rewarded by the system.

[Revitalizing Potion] (Bronze Rank): Can replenish blood loss, treat frostbite and cold poisons, accelerate wound healing; it is a common and widely applicable potion.

To prepare this potion, high-sequence biological blood or materials related to demon sequences were required. Previously, there were no suitable materials, but now the blood-red gemstone was perfect for use as raw material. However, the other two potions lacked sufficient materials and could not be prepared yet.

Lolan Hill lit the fuel beneath the crucible and first added some auxiliary herbs, continuously boiling them.

The greatest challenge in potion-making lay in the precise measurements and proportions, as well as the adjustments needed during each stage of the process. Even the slightest mistake could ruin everything.

In the ingredients, each herb varied in size, and the effective components they contained differed greatly based on their growing environment, harvesting time, and preservation conditions. Novices often needed extensive practice to gain a proper grasp of selecting materials and dosing.

In fact, whether in the Second Age or now, most potion-makers were proficient only in a few recipes, achieving success with a single skill they relied on throughout their careers.

True masters who could craft various potions were rare, as this profession heavily depended on experience. A slight misstep could waste precious materials, yet the growth of potion-makers required hands-on practice, leading to a persistent shortage of talent.

Many of the grand potion-makers in the Mercury Dynasty were witches because witches lived long lives, making their cultivation more beneficial. Moreover, if the potions were related to their own domains, they might even produce miraculous effects.

As a result, witches were often associated with images of women in black dresses stirring potions beside enormous crucibles.

With the enhancement from her mythological talent, Lolan Hill precisely and clearly perceived every component and change in the potion, having already completed the first batch.

After the experiment, she successfully refined a perfect-quality potion on her second attempt.

In the test tube, the charming red color swayed slightly, and a [Vitality Potion] was already placed before her.

[Vitality Potion] (Perfect Bronze Grade): Mainly made from blood-red gemstones of the Demon Sequence, the refining process was flawless and of extremely high quality, suitable as a teaching specimen.

Having fully utilized this blood-red gemstone, Lolan Hill finally refined 10 potions.

This combat-use potion was not very useful for herself at the moment, but it would be very much needed by Pullman after he left.

However, potions could easily be damaged during transportation. Thinking of this, the young lady walked into the kitchen and opened a cabinet below, taking out a small jar.

Unsealing it, she poured out a bowl of thick, semi-transparent golden liquid. The sunlight shining through the window made the pale gold liquid appear crystal clear, emitting a faint sweet fragrance.

This jar contained maple syrup collected by Lolan Hill. Maple sugar produced by maple trees was not as cloyingly sweet as granulated sugar or honey; its taste appealed more to Lolan Hill, and it was also very nutritious.

She occasionally used it for cooking or directly mixed with hot water for drinking. Humans instinctively liked sweetness. In her previous life, whether it was milk tea or soda, sweetness was indispensable.

Returning to the alchemy laboratory, Lolan Hill carefully mixed the potion with the maple syrup and then heated it slightly to evaporate the excess moisture, forming a semi-transparent gel-like substance. She scooped out this jelly-like gel, let it cool for a while, and then shaped it into small cubes.

On a clean plate were 10 dark red transparent small cubes. To prevent them from sticking together, the young lady sprinkled some flour around them, and finally, the 10 potions turned into 10 red candies.

All done!

The young lady lightly clapped her hands, placing these candies into a small wooden box to prevent them from being crushed, then took them out.

Back in her room, she took out three items, and then Lolan Hill left the maple forest and arrived at the place where Pullman was resting.

It was almost dusk. Pullman was moving his limbs, checking the healing of his scars, while several fish were roasting beside the campfire, filling the air with a pleasant aroma.

“How is your recovery going?”

“Not bad, nothing serious.”

As expected of a youth with tenacious talent, he still had the ability to withstand blows.

“Are we setting off tomorrow?”

“Mm-hm, I’ve already made up my mind.”

“Alright, it’s time to say goodbye.”

“The gemstone you gave me before, I turned it into a potion.”

Lolan Hill took out the box of candies and handed it to the youth.

“After getting injured, you can take one out, but there are only 10, so use them sparingly.”

“Thank you, teacher.”

The youth happily accepted it, and then Lolan Hill brought out a maple box from behind.

“Finally, I will give you three things. Although they are items, they also represent three pieces of advice that I want to give you.”

“Firstly, power.”

The young lady opened the first layer of the box, where a neatly arranged stack of wheat was placed, precisely the improved variety.

Pulman’s eyes showed some confusion.

Lolan Hill picked up a bundle of wheat and began to explain.

“Food is the most important thing. How many people you can support determines how large an army you can ultimately have, how much labor force you can command, and how big a business you can undertake.”

“Population equals power.”

The youth seemed to understand something and nodded.

“Secondly, wisdom.”

The young lady opened the second layer of the box, where a neatly arranged stack of books was placed.

“Never stop thinking at any time. Continuously reflect on and summarize lessons learned, constantly learn the knowledge you need, and solve problems with your mind. If you ever gain territory, be sure to promote education; it may show slow initial results, but it can fundamentally change everything.”

The youth agreed deeply. During this period of learning, he finally realized how childish and laughable many of his previous ideas were.

“Lastly, luck.”

The young lady opened the last layer of the box, where an orange transparent fruit was placed.

“Luck, some people always say they succeeded because of good fortune, but is that really by chance?”

“Why do some people always have good luck while others are constantly unlucky? Is it really by chance?”

“It’s not like that. Even when the same opportunities are presented, there are still people who fail to seize them. When the tide rises, it’s hard to tell, but once it recedes, the truth will become evident.”

“Never rely on侥幸心理侥幸心理 (侥幸心理 means侥幸心理侥幸心理), as it will only turn you into a gambler.”

“I believe that good luck is the miracle achieved after countless relentless attempts and efforts until ultimate success.”

“If a pool contains 99 black stones and 1 white stone. You pick 99 black stones in a row, and only on the last attempt do you get the white stone. But as long as you hold up this white stone, everyone will consider you lucky, a chosen one.”

“Why? Because people won’t pay attention to your previous failures, which are as mundane as the rest. They will only see you reaching into the pool, pulling out a white stone, and exclaiming that it’s a miracle.”

“Because most people would give up after two unsuccessful attempts, but you succeeded. Even if your previous experiences were awkward or tragic, people will beautify them, saying this is the persistence of a hero.”

“What we call luck is not a coincidence, but the inevitable result of relentless struggle for hundreds of times. I hope you understand this point.”

(End of Chapter)