Apples possess high nutritional value, rich in minerals and vitamins. They are neutral in nature, sweet and slightly sour in taste, capable of quenching thirst, clearing heat, relieving restlessness, and aiding digestion.
Of course, they also have a subtle effect of nourishing the brain and blood, calming the nerves, and promoting sleep.
However, after being processed by Shuckle, this particular effect was amplified slightly.
There are quite a few magic potions with similar functions, but one made solely from an apple, and tasting this delicious? Such a potion surely couldn't exist naturally.
It was at this moment.
Dark suddenly realized that the Shuckle bugs in this world probably didn't possess the ability to juice!
Otherwise, there should be juice stalls lining the streets.
"I'll find a chance to check the library tomorrow," Dark thought.
He continued his experiments.
This time, he used oranges.
Three oranges yielded three glasses of orange juice.
DemiDevimon drank one first as a sign of respect.
Then, its face turned slightly green, and it rushed into the bathroom. After the sound of flushing water, it emerged looking refreshed and invigorated.
Dark decided not to touch the other two glasses of orange juice.
Finally, he placed three pears into Shuckle's shell, allowing them to quickly dissolve and ferment.
The resulting three glasses of pear juice had a sweet and refreshing aroma.
Without needing any command from Dark, DemiDevimon downed one glass in a single gulp. It then suddenly squinted, standing still on the spot, savoring the taste for a long while.
Dark asked, "How is it?"
Only then did DemiDevimon speak: "Society has grown cold, hasn't it."
Dark: "..."
He picked up a glass of pear juice and took a sip. Indeed, he felt a cool, icy sensation in his throat, and a peculiar freshness spread through his chest.
Clearing heat and reducing internal fire, soothing coughs and moistening the lungs? It has that rock sugar and pear soup vibe.
So, Dark wrote in his notebook:
Apple Juice: Brain-boosting and refreshing.
Orange Juice: Aids digestion and stimulates appetite.
Pear Juice: Cools the body and clears the lungs.
"Why do I feel like an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor?"
After writing, Dark chuckled to himself.
Shuckle's ability was truly formidable, capable of fermenting various fruits into juices with special effects.
However, the fruits used for experiments so far were ordinary ones, and the special effects extracted weren't particularly strong.
This weekend, he could go to Traveler's Street to pick some fruits that inherently possess special effects and ferment them. Perhaps he could obtain juices comparable to magic potions.
Additionally, the fruit that the Catnip Grass was about to bear seemed like it could be fermented too.
These were all points worth considering.
After summarizing his findings, Dark nodded with satisfaction, then looked at the remaining four glasses of juice.
"Seems like Rose mentioned she has poor digestion, probably from eating too much beef with Diana."
"Hmm, Diana gets sleepy when reading at night, and eating too much beef can also cause internal heat."
"Perfect, two glasses each."
Without much further thought, Dark found a tray, placed the four glasses of juice on it, and headed out the door.
Diana's room was number 233, and Rose's was 234 – both easy to remember.
It was Dark's first time entering the female dormitory area; he couldn't help but feel that even the floors seemed a bit cleaner than in the male dorms.
Fortunately, it was already past nine in the evening, and the corridor was completely deserted.
Dark arrived at room 233 first and knocked on the door.
"Who is it~" came a soft, gentle voice from inside.
"It's me."
"Eh! Eh? Eh?!"
Dark waited outside the door for a short while before Diana opened it, her face flushed red.
She looked up at Dark and whispered, "It's so late, why did you suddenly decide to come over?"
Dark gave a faint smile, lowering the tray slightly. "I made a few extra glasses of juice."
"Is, is that so?"
Diana twisted a corner of her nightgown with her fingers and stepped back slightly, opening the door a crack wider.
"Then, come in!"
"Is it appropriate?"
Dark hadn't originally planned on going in, but since he was here, he might as well sit for a bit.
After all, she was one of his closer friends at the academy.
Although the dorm rooms were of the same standard size, Diana's room felt visually much narrower than Dark's.
She must have spent a significant amount of academic credits decorating it. Not only was the wall covered in pink wallpaper, but the corners and shelves were also filled with teddy bears of various sizes.
A black and white bear wearing a bow on one ear was particularly conspicuous.
Uh...
Isn't that Diana's familiar?
Dark glanced at the panda familiar, which had been forced into a flowery dress, and suddenly felt he treated DemiDevimon rather well.
At least it didn't have to wear a dress.
Dark put the tray down, selected a glass of orange juice and apple juice, and moved them to the desk.
A half-finished exercise book lay on the desk; it seemed Diana had just been engaged in a fierce battle with it.
"Orange juice, aids digestion and appetite, but drink it sparingly."
"Apple juice, refreshing and helps clear the mind. Drink some if you feel sleepy."
Diana leaned over and sniffed them, then handed the orange juice back to Dark. "I don't need this."
Dark: "Alright, fair enough."
Then, Diana picked up the apple juice and downed it in one go.
A moment later, her eyes lit up, and she suddenly felt her mind become much clearer. "It's here! It's here! The focus is back!"
Dark smiled slightly. "Want some pear juice? Clears heat and reduces internal fire."
"Hehe," Diana's eyes darted around, and she pointed next door. "Give it to Rose, she's really suffering from internal heat right now."
Dark nodded. "Alright, I'll head over then."
Diana: "Okay!"
So, Dark knocked on Rose's door.
Rose opened the door, poked her head out, and upon seeing Dark, invited him in as well.
She was wearing a white nightgown, her lower abdomen slightly distended, and her lips were chapped – clear signs she had indeed eaten too much beef and hadn't digested it yet.
Dark left the orange juice and pear juice with her.
After returning to his dorm, Dark looked at the last remaining glass of orange juice, contemplated whether to drink it or not, and finally chose to drink it.
It actually worked; he felt considerably refreshed after coming out of the bathroom.
"The apple and pear juices are good stuff. I should keep some on hand in the future."
The calendar page turned.
During Tuesday's first period, the Dueling class.
Professor Jones learned that the first-year students had all refined new Magic Spirits the day before. She randomly selected a few students to come up on stage for demonstration duels.
With a wide variety of new Magic Spirits, the duels between students were indeed much more interesting to watch than when they only had [Phantom Beasts].
Someone suggested holding another in-class tournament like the last one.
However, Professor Jones stated that the time was not yet right.
Magic Spirit cards were just the largest category among the five major types of magic cards. The next in-class tournament would be held after the vast majority of students had created their first Magic Card or Item Card.
As for Field Cards and Ritual Cards, those belonged to extremely advanced content, and she didn't expect the first-year students to learn them within the first semester.
After this class ended, Virt arrived as expected and returned the 1 academic credit owed from yesterday to Dark.
The hero's son showed his usual diligence when it came to repaying debts.
Dark accepted the 1 credit and also began considering how to create Magic Cards or Item Cards.
"Perhaps I can use the juices fermented by Shuckle as core materials."