Chapter 53: *Let me teach you !*
Alan shook his head helplessly. "You’re already trying to figure out how to be more efficient, aren’t you?"
Kevin scratched his head and replied honestly, "Actually, yes, I am. It would be fantastic if I could boost my speed when crafting potions, and I’m genuinely curious since this is all so new to me."
Alan settled himself into a chair and gestured for Kevin to join him. "Alright, let me teach you then! You’re truly one of a kind; most new students aren’t as eager to learn as you are. They’re usually more concerned with making friends and having fun than with studying."
Alan retrieved his cauldron and a small bottle of water from his magic bag. He then asked Kevin, "Do you have the ingredients for the Healing Potion ready?"
Kevin quickly pulled out the ingredients he purchased from Uncle Douglas but he only took out enough to craft two potions. Thanks to his passive Recovery skill at level 2, just 20 minutes of rest was sufficient for him to recover 50 points of Soul Force. He had already replenished his reserve to 496 points; ’rest’ simply meant that he hadn’t been using his Soul Force actively.
To maintain the illusion that he could only use 180 Soul Force points, Kevin handed Alan the ingredients for one potion while keeping the rest for himself. He then took out his own cauldron and a bottle of water, ready to attempt crafting the Healing Potion using whatever technique Alan was about to share with him.
Alan nodded in agreement, and after emptying his bottle of water into his own cauldron, he began explaining the process. "Before you start crafting your potion, it’s crucial to separate each ingredient to avoid wasting time later."
He pulled out four empty vials and filled each with one-third of the goblin blood. Handing back the remaining two-thirds to Kevin, he arranged the ingredients in the order they would be used. "You’ve crafted this potion several times already, haven’t you?"
Kevin nodded affirmatively, and Alan continued, "Did you notice that after adding each ingredient, the amount of spiritual energy required remains the same ?"
Kevin nodded again and replied, "That’s exactly why I wanted to know if it’s possible to infuse the spiritual energy into the potion faster to save time."
Alan smiled knowingly but chose not to comment on that question just yet. Instead, he asked, "How long does it typically take you to craft a potion?"
Kevin answered promptly, "Twenty minutes."
Alan’s smile widened. "Not bad at all! Now, focus on the spiritual energy around us and observe how I’m going to use it. Let me know when you’re ready."
Kevin quickly concentrated on the spiritual energy surrounding them, feeling the anticipation build as he sensed that Alan was about to share a valuable secret. Once he felt confident about the energy he could tap into, he announced, "I’m ready."
Alan laughed heartily. "Alright, here we go then! Pay close attention; this is going to be quick."
Kevin watched in amazement as Alan began to gather the spiritual energy around his left hand, forming small, milky-colored orbs—seven in total. The most impressive aspect was that all the orbs appeared to contain an equal amount of spiritual energy, shimmering faintly in the light.
Without delay, Alan dropped the first milky orb into the cauldron with his left hand, immediately following it with the first vial of goblin blood using his right hand. He was fluid and seamless in his motions, alternating between pouring in another milky orb of spiritual energy and the three stalks of Vitality magical herbs. He alternated between the orbs of spiritual energy and the ingredients and never paused, carefully maintaining the rhythm.
The entire process took just about two minutes, and when he finished, the potion in his cauldron swirled with captivating colors, gradually shifting from a rich red to a vibrant purple.
"You need to wait a few minutes for the potion to stabilize," Alan instructed, his tone calm and reassuring. "When it reaches the desired color, you can transfer it to a hermetic bottle and prepare for the next potion. This method not only allows you to craft potions faster, but it also conserves some of your Soul Force. Once you’ve gathered all the spiritual energy you need, there’s no longer any need to summon your Soul Force. Do you understand?"
Kevin nodded eagerly, fully grasping Alan’s teachings; summoning his Soul Force once instead of seven times was clearly far more efficient. He couldn’t believe it—this technique was incredible! It had the potential to save him significant time and conserve his Soul Force. "Wow, that was amazing! I understood everything you did; let me try it now."
Alan handed Kevin four empty vials from his magic bag. "You’ll definitely need to buy more of these later since you’re going to use many more of them."
Kevin expressed his gratitude and began arranging his ingredients just as Alan had demonstrated. Once everything was prepared, he poured the water from his bottle into his cauldron and set about crafting his potion.
Focusing intently on the spiritual energy surrounding him, Kevin recalled the precise amounts needed for each ingredient introduction. Mimicking Alan’s technique, he concentrated the energy, shaping it into a small milky orb above his left hand. Once he succeeded, he repeated the process six more times, determined to master this skill.
Fortunately, he was wearing his black necklace again, as it required substantial concentration to keep all the small orbs of spiritual energy suspended above his left hand. He was fairly certain that he would have experienced a splitting headache without it.
Once his seven milky orbs were ready, he carefully replicated the technique Alan had shown him. After he had added all the ingredients and orbs into the cauldron, he heard the familiar sound of the System echoing in his mind. With bated breath, he opened it eagerly to determine if he had successfully crafted his Healing Potion using the new technique:
[ Congratulations, you have crafted a low grade Healing Potion ! You have gained 10 experience points and 1 Soul Force point. ]
A wave of relief washed over Kevin, and he glanced at Alan, who seemed completely stunned, his expression clearly conveying, "What the hell?"
Wondering what had caused Alan’s astonishment, Kevin waited patiently for him to respond, curious about whether he had done something wrong or if his awe was due to his own accomplishment.
