Orion sat by himself in his poorly lit room, leaning against the chill of the wooden wall. His piercing blue eyes flashed with inscrutable emotions as he emitted a soft sigh. The burden of his father's surprise call hung over him, like a riddle waiting to be resolved.
"Why now?" he wondered, his fingers drumming a steady beat on his knee. His father, Viscount Theo Vale, had never really cared for him. If anything, he had been detached—standing by, not caring whether Orion got it right or wrong. So why did he now wish to see him?
Orion shut his eyes for a moment before shaking his head. "I'll know when I meet him tomorrow," he grumbled to himself. There was no use overanalyzing it now.
His attention then turned towards the wooden table in the corner of his room, where four round jars of spherical shape rested neatly, swathed in velvet cloth. His movements were measured and slow as he walked to the table.
In Eldora, each and every individual to whom a Blessing was awarded in the course of the ritual was given cultivation resources. Exactly how much didn't depend upon their blessing ranking—Bronze, Silver, and Gold got four jars equally. This is how the creators intended to allow everyone an equivalent starting boost to ensure that no one's cultivation prospects would ultimately be determined except by talent itself.
Reaching out, Orion removed the velvet cloths, one at a time, to expose four crystal-clear spherical jars of golden-yellow liquid as viscous as honey. A lush, floral fragrance wafted through the air, soothing and invigorating.
"ManaGold."
An average resource, employed to assist neophytes in tapping mana out of the atmosphere. It purified the body, made one more skilled at siphoning off energy, and gave a minimal boost to the physique. Most beginners considered it a precious artifact.
But Orion just jeered. "An impure form of ManaGold…" His hand passed by the jar as he breathed out in disgust.
In his previous life, ManaGold had been considered the bottom-of-the-barrel resource, something utilized solely by the lowest of cultivators who could spare nothing else. Even then, he had never once depended on it.
"It looks like not only has the general level of cultivation fallen in recent years… but even standards of alchemy have fallen as well."
His thoughts whirled in his head before he finally turned away from the jars. Walking towards his bookshelf, he took out a blank parchment and an ink pen, quickly jotting down a list of herbs. His handwriting was precise and elegant, a habit developed in him from his previous life.
Opening his door, he walked out and saw a young maid walking down the corridor.
"You," he called.
The maid jumped a little, then turned hastily towards him, bowing. "Yes, Master Orion?"
"I want you to fetch me these herbs from the market," he instructed her, handing over the parchment. "And an alchemy pot, too."
The maid hesitated for an instant, her eyes flashing with curiosity. Alchemy? Her master had never had any interest in alchemy before. How did he know it?
Regardless, she nodded in compliance. "Right away, Master."
Orion sat back to watch her leave before shutting his door and resuming his place at his table. He scooped up the four jars and gently set them down beside him as he sat cross-legged on the floor. Closing his eyes, he regulated his breathing.
The mana around him was thick with potential—silent, unseen, but ever-present. He concentrated, attempting to draw that power into his body, directing it through his meridians.
Minutes ticked by. Then an hour.
When he did open his eyes, he breathed out long. There was a slight tingling sense of freshness in his body, but….
"Too slow."
At this pace, it would take years to get to a decent level. The process of absorption was not efficient, and without proper purification, the mana was much too weak.
As he stood there lost in thought, a knock on his door broke the silence.
"Come in," Orion replied calmly.
The same maid came in, holding a small black cauldron-shaped pot with intricate rune carvings on its body. There was a small burner attached at the bottom, meant to support a fire mana crystal.
"Master, where do I put this?" she inquired.
### "On the ground here," Orion told her.
She placed it down carefully before handing him a small pouch. "Here are your herbs."
Orion nodded. "Good job."
The maid beamed, her expression brightening. "It's my duty, Master. No need to thank me." She bowed once more before excusing herself.
As soon as she left, he sat down and opened the small pouch, examining each herb carefully.
The quality was decent—not the best, but acceptable.
Orion next looked to the alchemy pot, studying its shape. The fire mana crystal beneath the burner emitted a pale light—a rough red crystal, able to create heat if infused with mana. It was utilized by most Apprentice-level alchemists, for full-fledged alchemists were able to directly manipulate fire without relying on an outside source.
Gulping, Orion directed his small mana within himself into the fire-crystal. Heat burst forth from the burner as the flames came to life, casting golden shadows in the room. His body shook with the effort, sweat appearing on his forehead.
"Even something so trivial depletes my mana… I must become stronger."
Suppressing his fatigue, Orion picked up one of the jars of ManaGold, opened it, and added the golden nectar to the pot. He drained the four jars one at a time.
In minutes, the syrupy liquid was boiling, letting out an even more potent floral aroma into the air. The smell was calming, but Orion stayed concentrated.
"Time for the second step."
He reached into the pouch and pulled out a vibrant blue leaf that gave off a thin cold mist—Frostleaf, an ordinary alchemy herb with a cooling effect.
He next pulled out additional herbs Bitterroot – Dissolves impurities., Fire Orchid Petals – Increases mana absorption., Cloudgrass – Stabilizes potion form., Spirit Thistle – Fortifies meridians, Crimson Lotus Seed – Increases body refinement.
With deliberate movements, Orion added them one at a time, cautiously observing any response.
The bubbling concoction started to alter, darkening from golden-yellow to deep amber. Tiny waves appeared on the surface, the cauldron softly pulsating with energy circulating inside.
Orion observed closely; his hands firm.
Orion took a deep breath, regulating mana flow meticulously.
Alchemy demanded total accuracy.
Too much heat? The mixture would be incinerated.
Too little? The herbs wouldn't mix well.
This was a test of control.
Minutes ticked by. Then—
A gentle hum vibrated from the pot. The vibrations stopped. The alchemical process was done.
He breathed in relief. "Phew… finally."
Opening the lid, he looked inside. At the bottom lay eight crystallized pills, their surface smooth and golden-yellow, emitting a faint warm light.
He picked one up, examining it. Denser. More concentrated than liquid ManaGold.
"Still… this is just a mediocre level pill." Orion let out a sigh.
For an instant, he remembered his previous life—his previous life father, always telling him to learn alchemy. But at that time, Orion had only been interested in the sword, not listening to his father.
"If only I had listened…"
But there was no use in thinking about regrets. What was important was now.
Nevertheless, this was much better than the liquid state.
One ManaGold capsule was equivalent to three bottles of liquid ManaGold.
He looked in the direction of the window. The moon was full high in the sky at night.
"It's already nighttime."
It being time for dinner, he cleaned himself up and came down the stairs. Celia, Sera, and Elara were already seated at the dinner table, awaiting his presence.
"Orion!" Celia smiled. "Sit down!"
As he sat with them, Elara pouted and spoke in adorable voice. "Brother, you vanished all day! What were you doing?"
Orion grinned. "Merely cultivating."
Dinner proceeded in a warm mood.
Afterward, he went to his room.