The Laboratory.
Ian lay on a bed beside the laboratory table, his breathing even and deep. Beside his hand lay a piece of parchment covered in formulas.
Gaga was curled up on his shoulder, its wings folded near his ear like a warm shadow.
The midday sun shone through the metal grille of the skylight, casting long, thin patches of light on the floor.
Ian’s eyelashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes.
He sat up, his bones making soft popping sounds, and his Spiritual Power swept over the laboratory table like a tide.
A dark amber Crystal Tube stood silently on its rack.
Inside the tube, the Potion flowed slowly like cooling lava. Deep within, fine, earth-yellow patterns coiled and intertwined.
In its very depths, the faint silhouette of a mountain range flickered in and out of view, exuding a heavy, ancient aura.
Ian reached out and picked it up. His fingertips felt a cool sensation, and it seemed as though a pulse was beating inside the Potion.
Beat by beat, it resonated with the Earth Vein.
He closed his eyes and used his Perception for a full ten minutes before slowly opening them again.
"It’s a success," he murmured to himself, "but it has its limits."
Gaga lifted its head, its black-bean-like eyes staring at the Potion. It then nuzzled his cheek.
"So, Ian, are you going to drink it?"
"Not for now." Ian shook his head.
"I have the Seed of the Stars, which is more aligned with the Rules of Stars and Time. An Earth bloodline... it can be a backup option, but not my main path."
He walked out of the laboratory and pushed open the metal door under the skylight.
The midday sun poured down, illuminating the half-withered Golden Oak Tree.
Old Finn was organizing ledgers in the front hall. He looked up at the sound of footsteps, a flicker of concern crossing his aged face.
"You slept for less than six hours."
"It was enough. Go and tell Aidele to come over."
Ian turned to look toward the laboratory, a silver light flowing in his eyes.
"Tell her... I have something she needs here."
Twenty minutes later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the area under the skylight.
Aidele walked in quickly, dressed in a dark cyan long robe. Delia followed behind her, her gaze immediately falling on the open door of the laboratory.
"Ian," Aidele stopped three steps from the laboratory table. "Old Finn said..."
"Look at this." Ian offered no explanation, simply picking up the Earth Tyrant Potion.
The Crystal Tube shone with a dim amber luster in the sunlight.
Aidele’s pupils contracted.
She reached out, her fingertips hovering an inch above the tube’s surface without making direct contact.
Deep within her dark cyan pupils, the faint silver light patterns of her "Time Trace" bloodline quietly emerged.
BOOM!
The moment her Perception touched the Potion, an image exploded in her mind.
Majestic mountains shot up from the ground, rocks shattered and reformed, and a muffled roar echoed from the depths of the earth.
A vast, heavy, and almost primeval Power surged back along her Perception, sending ripples across her Sea of Spirit!
Aidele swayed and was caught by Delia, who steadied her by the shoulder.
"This... This is..."
Her expression changed drastically as she stared intently at the Potion in Ian’s hand.
"A Tier Two Potion? No, that’s not right. This Energy fluctuation is already nearing the peak of Tier Two..."
Ian flicked the side of the tube with his fingertip.
DONG!
A low thrum reverberated through the skylit area, and the leaves of the half-withered Golden Oak Tree rustled.
The mountain silhouette deep within the Potion suddenly sharpened for an instant, emitting a heart-pounding pressure.
"The Earth Tyrant Potion," Ian said calmly.
"This is the result of more than half a month’s work. And I have you to thank for your support."
Aidele’s breath hitched. "I..."
"Let me finish first." Ian interrupted, holding the Potion out to her.
"This is a Tier Two Bloodline Potion, and its effects are quite good."
He held up his first finger. "First, after consuming it, your body will be permanently enhanced. Your Power will reach the level of a Level Two Late Stage Body Refining Wizard... and your bone strength will be comparable to a Tier Two Extraordinary Creature."
Aidele swallowed, her palms growing sweaty.
Ian held up a second finger. "Second, you’ll gain the ’Child of the Earth Veins’ trait... an exceptional ability for both reconnaissance and evasion."
Delia couldn’t help but gasp, her fingers tightening slightly on Aidele’s shoulder.
Ian held up a third finger, a silver glint flashing in his eyes.
"Third, it grants an extremely powerful ability: Ussa’s Body.
You can transform for five minutes each day. During that time, half of all damage you take is transferred to the Earth Vein.
Your own Power and defense will be quintupled, and your attacks will carry a Shock Wave strong enough to shatter the defensive Witchcraft of a peer at the same level."
The skylit area fell into a dead silence.
The only sound was the low, heartbeat-like pulse of the Potion, driven by the mountain silhouette within.
The sound hit the walls and echoed back, as if the entire workshop was trembling along with it.
Aidele stared at the Potion, the light in her dark cyan eyes growing brighter and brighter.
Shock, ecstasy, disbelief, and the hope of finding a way out of a desperate situation.
All these emotions intertwined on her face, finally solidifying into a near-fervent determination.
"What are its side effects?" she asked, her voice hoarse.
’A Potion this powerful must have significant side effects, right?’
Ian nodded and lowered one finger.
"There are two. First, you’ll gradually grow weaker if you’re away from the earth for long periods. The longer you’re away, the more pronounced the Weakness.
Second, your personality will be influenced by the traits of the earth, making you more stubborn and inflexible."
He paused, then lowered his voice.
"The most troublesome part is... when you try to break through to become a Level Three Wizard, you’ll need to overcome an additional ’shackle’ brought by this bloodline.
It’s like adding another barrier you have to break on your path to advancement."
Aidele was silent for three breaths.
Then, she let out a soft laugh that seemed to light up the whole room.
"Ian, do you know what I lack the most right now?"
"I do," Ian said, looking directly at her. "Time, and Power."
"Exactly." Aidele took a step forward and grasped the Crystal Tube.
The Potion’s pulse traveled up her palm—heavy and brutish.
Yet it also carried a reassuringly solid feeling.
She felt that Power, her fingers trembling slightly.
"My father is in a coma, the Elder Council holds the power, and my first and second brothers are working together to suppress me...
As the seventh-in-line heir, I don’t have the luxury of thinking about the distant future."
She looked up, the silver patterns flowing in her eyes.
"What I lack is Power I can hold in my hands right now—Power that will let me survive the Beast Fighting Arena.
And Power that will let me establish a firm foothold before the final battle in the ruins!"
Ian looked at her. "So, have you thought about your payment?"
"Of course." Aidele tightened her grip on the Potion, her knuckles turning white.
"What do you want?"
"Star Crystals," Ian said, enunciating each word.
"A large quantity of Star Crystals. Star Fragments would be even better, if you have them."
Aidele’s breath caught.
Star Crystals were no ordinary resource.
They were rare ores related to the Star Rule, and even on the Central Continent, their production was limited.
Most were monopolized by Level Four or higher Morning Star Wizards or top-tier families.
’In her current situation...’
"That will be difficult," she said, gritting her teeth, "but I still have some channels."
Ian raised an eyebrow. ’It seems even the most down-and-out scions of great families still have some hidden resources.’
Aidele took a deep breath. "My fifth sister, Ashia, is a senior Magic Potion Alchemist in the family. She has a stable supply channel for Star Crystals.
The fact that she was willing to send so many resources before shows she’s optimistic about our partnership."
She paused, a calculating glint in her eyes.
"I can trade the promise of a closer partnership in the future. For the monthly supply of Starlight Potions and Bloodline Potions, I can give her an exclusive share and lower the price by another five percent."
"Also," her voice grew heavier.
"Some non-core assets left by my mother... I can sell them off secretly.
Although it will attract the Elder Council’s attention, as long as I’m discreet, I should be able to gather a batch before the assessment."
Ian watched her.
The girl in the dark cyan long robe stood with her back perfectly straight, her hand holding the Potion as steady as a rock.
Her eyes held the ruthlessness of someone burning their bridges, and the fiery hope of one grasping a lifeline in a desperate situation.
"You can have the Potion now," Ian said slowly. "And there will be more than just one later on."
Aidele’s pupils shrank. "What?"
"There will be at least two more Earth Tyrant Potions. I’ll give them to you in a few days.
One for yourself, to deal with the gauntlet at the Beast Fighting Arena, and the other two... for trusted subordinates worth cultivating.
However, consuming a Bloodline Potion requires a neutralizing Potion. They aren’t too difficult to obtain, but you’ll have to figure that out yourself."
He paused, a hint of deeper meaning in his voice.
"Aidele, you are the seventh-in-line heir of your family.
To have made it this far, it’s impossible that Delia is the only capable person by your side.
Before, you didn’t have enough resources to support them. Now, with this, you can start building a real team."
Aidele swallowed, her eyes finally turning red as she stared at the Potion.
She blinked hard to clear the moisture from her eyes, her voice low and hoarse.
"Ian, you..."
"Don’t get emotional just yet," Ian cut her off, his gaze calm.
"This is a transaction. You provide Star Crystals in exchange for my skills and results.
The more crystals you gather, the more my strength can grow, and the faster I can concoct Potions.
The stronger I get, the better the Potions I can create. It’s a virtuous cycle."
He tapped the laboratory table with his fingertip. "The premise is that you can show me ’sincerity’ that I find satisfactory."
Aidele took a deep breath and carefully stored the Potion in her Dimensional Ring.
Her movements were as solemn as if she were tucking away her very destiny.
"Two days," she said, raising her eyes. The silver patterns within them were astonishingly bright.
"Give me two days. I will deliver the first batch of Star Crystals to you—no less than twenty standard units."
Ian smiled. "I’ll be waiting."
Aidele turned to leave, then stopped and looked back at him.
"Ian, if... if I ultimately fail, and die in the final battle of the ruins..."
"Then our transaction is terminated," Ian said calmly.
"But until then, I will fulfill my promise."
Aidele smiled, a genuine smile this time.
"That’s enough."
She led Delia away from the skylit area at a brisk pace, the sound of their footsteps fading outside the workshop.
Old Finn emerged from the doorway, a complicated expression on his aged face.
"Wizard Marcus, it will be very difficult for the young lady to get twenty Star Crystals in two days."
"I believe she can."
Ian turned and walked back into the laboratory, his voice drifting back.
Gaga flew to his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek.
"Ian, didn’t you just make a losing deal?"
"Gaga, this is an investment," Ian corrected, a silver light flowing in his eyes.
"Trading skill for resources, and using those resources to accelerate growth—that is the path a Magic Potion Alchemist should walk."
He looked at the remaining Essence Blood Materials on the laboratory table as faint golden threads appeared in his palm.
"Before she comes back with the crystals," he said, looking at Gaga.
"We need to refine another batch of Blood Essence. You’re not far from Tier Two yourself..."
Gaga’s small eyes lit up. It had long been craving that Blood Essence.
"Just a little longer, and Gaga will be a Tier Two Summoned Demon, too!"