[Vol. 7] Chapter 131: Tears of Light
"It didn’t explode! This time, it didn’t explode! Keep this pace steady, don't let your hands shake!"
Seeing that the boiling potion was finally starting to stabilize, the black-haired girl clapped her hands excitedly. Meanwhile, Ismael, who was still pouring the base solution, held his breath, too focused to even respond to Violet. His entire attention was on controlling his strength and carefully observing the changes in the golden liquid inside the pot.
This was the final step in the potion-making process, the most dangerous stage. One wrong move could lead to serious consequences.
The intense heat radiating from the pot’s rising vapors, or the massive explosion that could occur if the fusion failed, were not things an ordinary person could survive. Although protective gear and defensive magic had saved Ismael from previous mishaps, it didn’t change the fact that assisting Violet was entirely his choice. If he truly hated this, he wouldn’t have to help or guide her at all.
Yet, he stayed, because he was just as curious about the potion she was trying to create.
One of the most fundamental rules in potion-making was: the more powerful a potion is, the harsher its requirements, and the greater the risk of failure. The explosions they had encountered before were proof of how difficult and dangerous this potion was to make.
In fact, if Violet hadn't reinforced the workshop with barrier magic before every attempt, the first explosion from a few days ago would have destroyed the entire building.
As one of the top potion masters, Ismael could easily tell, if this potion succeeded, it would likely reach an astounding Tier 6, or even Tier 7 ranking.
To put that into perspective, the legendary "Elixir of Resurrection", which was said to bring the dead back to life, appeared only once in history over a hundred years ago and was sold for an astronomical price of 1.8 billion Quarks. Even that potion was only classified as Tier 7. It is not an exaggeration to call it a miracle medicine.
But potion-making wasn’t just about having rare ingredients or a great idea. Practical experience was just as important.
Violet was, without a doubt, one of the most talented students Ismael had ever taught. But talent alone couldn’t make up for lack of experience, and there were some things she simply wasn’t ready to do yet.
A large cloud of scalding steam kept rising from the specially crafted pot, while the golden potion inside continued to shrink in volume. However, as the reaction neared completion, the rate of shrinkage gradually slowed down.
Under the intense gaze of the black-haired girl, Ismael focused entirely on controlling the flow of the base solution from the bucket. His hands remained steady, without the slightest tremor—his movements were as precise as a machine.
Both liquids were almost gone. The amount of base solution had been carefully measured in advance, so they both knew: the moment the last drop fell in, it would determine whether this potion-making attempt was a success or a failure.
"Drip."
The final drop of the clear liquid fell into the pot.
At that exact moment, Violet, who had been waiting for this crucial moment, swiftly shut off the magic furnace underneath. Her eyes widened as she watched the golden liquid, now without an external heat source, undergo a sudden and drastic temperature shift.
"Gurgle... gurgle..."
The boiling potion began to cool at an unnatural speed. The rising steam vanished, and after all that intense reaction, the once massive batch of colorful potion had now condensed into a small amount of golden liquid, only about one-twentieth of its original volume.
It settled at the bottom of the pot, giving off a gentle golden glow.
"......"
For nearly ten seconds, both Violet and Ismael stayed silent, closely watching the potion while staying on high alert for any unexpected explosion.
Then, they slowly lifted their heads and exchanged glances.
"...Did we do it?"
"...Looks like it. At the very least, the potion has completely stabilized, so there's no more risk of an explosion."
"WOOHOO! What did I tell you?! I knew we could do it this time!"
"You say that every time..."
Only now did Ismael finally relax, letting out a long breath as he lowered the empty bucket he had been holding up. He glanced at the thermometer hanging on the wall and casually turned on the workshop’s ventilation system.
With all the steam that had filled the room earlier and the heat from the magic furnace, the temperature inside had soared to an astonishing seventy degrees Celsius. Without his protective suit, even he wouldn’t have been able to last long in such extreme conditions.
By the time he returned to the pot, Violet had already used a special transparent vial designed for magic potions to collect every last drop of the concentrated golden liquid. Although the final amount was very small, she had managed to fill exactly a dozen vials.
After storing them safely in her backpack, she casually handed the last vial over to Ismael.
"Here you go! We agreed I’d share some with you for your research if we succeeded. Seriously, thanks a lot for your help!"
Wiping the sweat off his hands with a freshly opened disinfectant wipe, the demon researcher instinctively glanced at the small, pale hand stretched out toward him. Then, he took the tiny 50-milliliter vial of golden potion and examined it with curiosity.
After a moment, he smiled and nodded.
"No need to thank me, Miss Violet. This was a truly valuable experience for me as well. Honestly, ever since I came to Sainz Academy, I haven't had the chance to work on something this challenging and dangerous. Now that it's finished... may I ask what this potion is called and what it does?"
Violet rested her chin on her hand, thinking for a moment before answering bluntly.
"Hmm, the effect, huh... well, if everything works as I planned, this potion should grant the drinker an incredibly powerful boost for a short period of time… dramatically increasing their overall strength to around Tier 6 or even Tier 7, until the effect wears off or the potion’s energy is completely used up."
"The most important thing, though, is that it has no risks or side effects at all. Of course, the minimum requirement to take it safely is around Tier 4 strength. At the very least, someone needs Obsidian steel-level endurance to handle it. Otherwise, it could still be dangerous."
Even though Violet had vaguely mentioned this before, Ismael still couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.
"From Tier 4 to Tier 7? Are you sure?! Tier 7 is an lofty realm that only mythical beings can naturally reach. It’s just a step away from the level of actual gods. If this potion truly grants that kind of power, it could even pose a threat to the [Eternal Day] Barrier that protects Sainz Academy City…"
He took a deep breath, trying to process the implications.
"If this is real… and if a potion like this could be mass-produced… the balance of power among the world's five great nations. No, even world domination wouldn't be impossible. Creating an army of mass-produced mythic beings… That’s terrifying!"
But Violet simply laughed and waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh, that's impossible! You saw the price of the ingredients we used, there's no way this could ever be produced on a large scale. Honestly, I made this just for fun. I won’t be making more of them anytime soon."
She paused, then smiled.
"As for the name of this potion, let’s call it Blood of Light… No, wait, [Tears of Light]. But I don’t plan on spreading or promoting it for now, so, Ismael, I’m counting on you to keep this a secret. Especially the formula."
"Of course, Miss Violet, you have my word. I take my professional ethics very seriously."
Seeing the other person quickly and seriously express their position, the young woman smiled, not saying much more. She simply lowered her head again, examining the other [Tears of Light] potion left in her hand.
Honestly, even if Ismael were to leak the formula, it wouldn’t really matter. He had been there throughout the entire process, without his expertise, she wouldn’t have succeeded. Violet had never actually planned to keep the brewing process a tightly guarded secret.
But there was one ingredient, the key component of [Tears of Light], that only Violet herself had access to. No one else in the world could obtain it.
So even if this potion became famous and countless people coveted it… even if the formula somehow got out…
No one would ever be able to replicate it. Not a chance.