Chapter 19 Mountain Monster Potion

First, Ivan gave Rosyth a beating, then Benson—the two didn't escape his wrath. Ivan finally vented some of his frustration, but this was just the interest; the debt of a life wasn't something that could be so easily repaid.

Being within the city, he didn't dare escalate things further. Otherwise, he would've ensured the two received a more profound lesson.

Ivan returned to the apothecary lab, his mood no longer as cheerful as it had been earlier.

"The difficulty is still significant,"

He shook his head slightly as he stared at the gray-black strands drifting in the sapphire amber within the glass vessel. *So much work is still ahead; he needed to tread carefully and explore diligently.*

Managing to successfully craft a potion once only meant there was a chance of succeeding—a very low chance.

*Should he use that last Level 1 Light of Wisdom?*

That thought flashed through Ivan's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. The problem of Sapphire Potion's low success rate wasn't unsolvable; simply increasing frequency and repetition in crafting would naturally lead to greater success as skill improved.

The cost of Sapphire Potion was still within a bearable range, and he was just a dozen or so experience points away from advancing to Level 3. There was no need to use a precious Light of Wisdom.

Once he figured it out, Ivan began his second attempt at crafting the Sapphire Potion, diligently accumulating experience.

He didn't forget to visit the medical hall daily—he needed money; otherwise, how could he sustain the expenses of his private apothecary endeavors?

Bat's Eye Medical Hall.

Ivan and Justine had been booted out of the apothecary lab because Old Orio was making a pot of more valuable potion.

Justine suddenly said, "I know what Mr. Orio is working on."

Ivan guessed, "Could it be the Mountain Monster Potion you handed in?"

"Hmph."

Justine found his response boring but at the same time confirmed his guess was correct.

Ivan asked curiously, "Is Mountain Monster Potion a Breathing Secret Medicine as well?"

"Let me ask you a question first."

Seeing Ivan nod, she answered his inquiry: "No, it's a type of nutrition potion that works well in conjunction with Breathing Secret Medicine. It's said to have been originally passed down by sorcerers and definitely isn't inferior to your stuff. Now, tell me—do you have some kind of high-efficiency learning method?"

Justine had just started learning apothecary under Old Orio. She'd barely gotten a handle on the basics, but what disheartened her was this: despite working harder than Ivan, her efficiency lagged far behind, making her appear clumsy by comparison.

Ivan thought for a moment before replying, "Does talent count?"

"Hmph!"

Hearing this, Justine let out a heavy snort, nearly fuming in frustration, and decided to ignore him entirely.

Ivan was only too glad for the peace and quiet.

Minute by minute, time passed. When Old Orio finally opened the door to the apothecary lab, Ivan eagerly stepped inside.

When he came back out, a new potion was tucked in his pocket.

The Mountain Monster Potion, as Justine had described, was indeed a rare and special nutrition potion. According to Old Orio, using it alongside Breathing Secret Medicine could amplify the effects, though the specific extent of improvement remained unknown.

The price Old Orio quoted wasn't cheap—slightly lower than Gushing Potion, yet it still cost 4 Gold Coins. Most people wouldn't dream of using it when adding just one more coin could buy a low-grade Breathing Secret Medicine.

Ivan had hoped Old Orio would cut him a deal, but the old man was unyielding. In the end, Ivan had to fork over 4 Gold Coins, nearly emptying his pockets.

…

Days flew by.

Ivan adhered to his regular, well-structured routine, which remained as fulfilling as ever. He successfully crafted two more batches of Sapphire Potion, earning 2 Experience Points in apothecary skill.

One morning, he consumed his second vial of the Sapphire Potion and pulled out another vial.

"This potion looks bizarre,"

he murmured.

Inside the small glass bottle, the liquid resembled distinct droplets of blood or even blood-colored insect eggs. It looked unnervingly eerie, unlike any potion Ivan had encountered before.

Trusting Old Orio, Ivan waited for the sensation akin to being enveloped in seawater to emerge. Then, gritting his teeth, he swallowed the Mountain Monster Potion.

The bubbling sensation of tiny pops breaking filled his mouth, accompanied by the overwhelming stench of fish.

He fought the urge to vomit, tightly pursing his lips to swallow the liquid down.

"Urgh—urgh—urgh."

Ivan coughed dryly a few times to ease the queasiness overtaking his stomach.

After training with the Gushing Breath Method consecutively, he noticed something different—it left him feeling less hungry than usual. If not for his physical fatigue, he even wondered if he could handle several additional rounds.

"Ah, I see. It's said intermediate Breathing Methods can link to the stomach, enhancing digestive efficiency to better absorb nutrients. Meanwhile, the Mountain Monster Potion directly supplies that nutrition—truly remarkable."

*Experiencing its benefits firsthand, Ivan began craving the recipe for the Mountain Monster Potion.*

Getting it from Old Orio would prove to be difficult; he'd have to figure out a way to secure it through Justine.

The effects of Sapphire Potion lasted for three days, during which Ivan made noticeable advancements in his strength.

Strength: 2.6, Agility: 2.0, Constitution: 2.6, Spirit: 1.4

This was likely due to the Mountain Monster Potion's effects. The second dose of Sapphire Potion's potency hadn't diminished much either, granting him an increase of 0.5 Constitution, 0.3 Strength, and 0.3 Agility—his Constitution now matching his Strength, leaving him satisfied.

In the backyard, Beaman noticed something unusual while both shared the same space.

"Ivan, test your punching power."

The Marichadon family was always like this. Leider and Paul were rarely home for even a single day per month. Beaman stayed occasionally, while the youngest trio of siblings were the only ones who truly lived at home.

Because their training routines and durations varied, the younger siblings Peggy and Sean usually wrapped up their sessions early every day.

"Watch yourself,"

Ivan declared with a low growl. He gathered nearly all his strength into his right fist, striking with force like a stone propelled forward.

Faced with this show of power, Beaman's expression became slightly more serious. He adjusted his stance to block the incoming blow.

"Boom."

Using stillness to counter motion, Beaman's body remained firmly rooted in place.

*The intricacies of the moment were known only to him as he subtly asked,* "Not focusing your blood energy, are you?"

"No," Ivan retorted, glaring. "Can't gather it."

The Gushing Breath Method, being a foundational technique, had a drawback: dispersing blood energy throughout the entire body. In combat, there was no time to consolidate it into a single area—a stark contrast compared to the family's intermediate Goliath Frog Breathing Method, which outclassed it by two major tiers.

Beaman ignored Ivan's complaints, thoughtfully commenting, "Judging by the strength in that punch, you're around 2.5 graduated degrees. You're already halfway to being a 2nd Class knight's page. Nice going, kid—not bad for someone who kept this all under wraps."

What caught him off guard was the realization that his seemingly idle younger brother had made such strides in strength—Beaman found himself slightly bewildered.

Still, he couldn't help feeling happy for Ivan.

"Well done!"

Ivan said earnestly, "I owe it to your support. I couldn't have done it without my older brother's encouragement."

Beaman waved it off with a laugh: "Ha, I just lent a hand with a few small things—not worth mentioning."

Then he paused, realization dawning on him as he picked up another layer of meaning in his brother's words. His eyes widened in astonishment, his gaze locking on Ivan with disbelief.

"You're not suggesting... that breathing—thing—are you?"

As he spoke, he pointed to the apothecary lab not far away.

Once strength reaches the level of a 2nd Class page, low-grade Breathing Secret Medicine loses its effectiveness. Meanwhile, mid-grade Secret Medicine is rare and unattainable—no amount of money can easily procure it, especially for someone without status.

Ivan nodded slightly and replied softly, "It's exactly what you're thinking, the reformulated Whirlpool Potion—mid-grade quality."

"Gulp."

As the breeze swept through, the clear sound of Beaman involuntarily swallowing could be heard.

*At that moment, his expression shifted at an unprecedented speed, a visible reflection of his inner turmoil.*