A bizarre potion?
Lan Qingyou never expected that the product she had spent fifteen hours crafting would be identified as "bizarre" by the small screen.
What was that supposed to mean? Was everyone on the Karim Continent back then some kind of birdman who could fly?
Lan Qingyou grumbled inwardly with dissatisfaction.
After all, she had created this potion as a safety measure, a sort of final fallback. She didn't want her last resort to be mocked like this.
Though, ten minutes was a bit short.
Looking at the number 013 on the enamel mug, Lan Qingyou found the corresponding formula in her notebook and copied it into a separate one.
Now that she had the formula, she could probably extend the duration significantly if she used the Meteoric Iron Cauldron for production in the future.
Having worked for twenty-seven or twenty-eight hours straight, Lan Qingyou was already exhausted.
But even though her body was tired, her spirit was exceptionally excited—hyperactive, even.
This was her first successful attempt at developing a potion from scratch, which was a massive step forward for a rookie alchemist like her.
With no desire to sleep, Lan Qingyou suddenly thought that since her "feel" for the work was so good today and she wasn't sleepy, why not take the opportunity to broaden her product range?
The more she thought about it, the more excited she became.
She began calculating exactly what kind of potion she should develop next.
First, it had to be something she didn't already have, which ruled out mana, life, or attribute potions.
At the same time, this potion needed to have a guaranteed market.
Ideally, it should become her absolute flagship product.
Scanning her personal panel, Lan Qingyou's gaze eventually locked onto her talent.
While she wasn't dissatisfied with her own talent...
She was certain there were many others who, like her, had awakened an E-grade talent.
After all, she hadn't seen many A-grade or S-grade talent holders on the World Channel.
Think about it: who wouldn't want their talent to be a bit higher?
If a potion truly existed that could improve one's talent, surely many people would be willing to trade their most precious possessions for it?
When that time came, wouldn't she no longer have to worry about obtaining high-level materials?
This was big!
Incredibly big!
She would practically be taking off!
Thinking of the beautiful future ahead, Lan Qingyou couldn't help but rub her hands together. She then began to ponder where to start researching such a potion.
Ultimately, how did talents awaken in the first place?
She remembered the small screen had said something about it during the awakening process.
What was it? Think hard...
After over twenty hours of intense work, Lan Qingyou's brain was no longer as sharp as it had been.
She rested her head on her hands and stared blankly at the glowing green lines on the ceiling.
“Right! It said something about being a reflection of the soul, about thinking of what you desire?”
After sitting still for a few minutes, she finally recalled the text that had appeared on the small screen during her talent awakening.
A reflection of the soul, thinking of what you desire...
Come to think of it, what I wanted back then was to be able to move easily, which is why I got a talent that reduces body weight.
Was it because the desire wasn't strong enough at the time—since I was more focused on nearly dying of thirst and hunger—that I only got an E-grade talent?
Though she had no evidence and it was entirely her own speculation, Lan Qingyou felt it was very likely.
Her mindset at the time had been very conflicted.
She wanted to live, yet her body was at its limit and near collapse.
The intertwining feelings of wanting to live and the fear of dying had made her mental state extremely unstable.
So, could it be understood that talents are born from the spirit?
Of course, Lan Qingyou had another piece of supporting evidence for this.
The word "talent" might sound nice and sophisticated, but the underlying logic was nothing more than magic born from "desire."
Otherwise, why would talents have grades like E or B?
To put it bluntly, these so-called grades were actually magic levels.
And her desire to upgrade her talent grade could be seen as upgrading a magic level.
Talent equals magic.
Once she plugged it into that formula, didn't it suddenly seem much simpler?
Lan Qingyou: "Are you there?"
Lan Qingyou: "Are you awake?"
Lan Qingyou: "I have something to consult you about."
Li Huai had just finished replenishing the magic shield's mana and was feeling drowsy. There were still about twenty hours left until the mana tide ended.
He had intended to rely on his maxed-out spirit attribute to power through a bit longer.
Then he saw the message from Lan Qingyou.
And she seemed to be in a hurry?
So, despite his reluctance to move, Li Huai forced his hands onto the desk and began to type.
Li Huai: "What is it?"
Lan Qingyou: "Is your talent grade A or S?"
...
Li Huai rubbed the bridge of his nose, wondering if his days of forced wakefulness were causing hallucinations.
One had to understand that a talent was vital for a survivor; no one would ask about its grade so directly, would they?
Furthermore, they were just partners with a tacit understanding of cooperation.
Was Lan Qingyou really the type of person to ask such a question?
After nearly a month of interaction, he might not say he knew her perfectly, but she definitely wasn't the type to disregard others' feelings.
No, it would be more accurate to say she simply had no interest in others at all.
He rubbed his eyes and looked closely, confirming it wasn't some fake ID like Lan Qing-who or Lan Qing-you-too.
Had she lost her mind?
Lan Qingyou: "No, sorry, I phrased that wrong. I just wanted to ask if you face any restrictions when using your talent, or if you're unable to exert its full power?"
Just as Li Huai was beginning to question reality, another message arrived from Lan Qingyou.
Right, that was the Lan Qingyou he knew.
Li Huai felt relieved.
But why was she asking this?
She seemed... "professional"?
Li Huai honestly couldn't find a better word to describe the current Lan Qingyou. It was just a feeling he couldn't quite put into words.
Li Huai: "Why are you asking this?"
If he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't bother trying; he'd just ask. Lan Qingyou wouldn't care anyway.
Lan Qingyou: "I'm researching a topic here, and I wanted to ask someone like you who can use their talent in the most direct way."
Researching a topic?
Even if you're an alchemist and like reading the books and knowledge of this world, isn't your progress a bit too fast?
We've only been in this world for a month, right?
Oh, wait—it won't even be a full month until the mana tide is over.
Li Huai's head was full of question marks.
Though he didn't understand what Lan Qingyou was up to, he decided to give her a brief explanation.
Li Huai: "I don't know what topic you're researching, but I can tell you responsibly that you're right. The restrictions are quite significant."
Lan Qingyou: "Tell me more. Go into detail."
Upon hearing this, Lan Qingyou's interest was piqued.
Rate on N.U.
