Lynn's eyes widened. Without hesitation, he flipped open the counter and pulled out a high-grade amplification potion—his master's meticulously crafted masterpiece—from the deepest compartment.
"Give this a try. I guarantee you'll be satisfied this time." Lynn's tone was solemn.
[Top-Tier Berserk Potion]: Greatly boosts all-around abilities and sends the target into a berserk state.
He set the blood-red potion on the table. There was no doubt about it—this was the crown jewel of Bloodsaw Potion Shop, the best they had to offer!
The Black Knight reached out, grabbed the potion, and downed it in one gulp. In an instant, a crimson glow surged around his body, and faint scarlet streaks flickered in his eyes—clear signs the potion had taken effect.
[Ding! Danger Level: 20%]
"Minimal effect." The Black Knight tossed the empty bottle aside casually, his voice hoarse. "This might work on weak creatures, but for me, its impact is practically negligible."
...
Lynn's eyes narrowed. He quickly fetched another high-quality potion from under the counter. "Then try this one!"
"Garbage."
[Ding! Danger Level: 30%]
...
"What about this?!"
"For hemorrhoids."
[Ding! Danger Level: 40%]
...
"This is definitely the best we have!"
"Expired."
[Ding! Danger Level: 60%]
...
A few minutes later, Lynn stared grimly at the row of empty bottles on the counter, then at the Black Knight—who was clearly growing impatient. It was obvious: for a warrior of the Black Knight's caliber, the potions sold in their shop were far from meeting his demands.
[Ding! Danger Level: 91%]
Anxiety crept into Lynn's heart. This seemingly simple quest was actually just as dangerous as the ones he'd faced before.
"It seems your shop has no better potions to offer." The Black Knight lifted his head, cracking his neck with a series of harsh clicks. His voice was cold and hoarse. "You're wasting my time."
[Ding! Danger Level: 95%]
"Wait a minute!" With the danger level teetering on the edge of maxing out, Lynn raised a hand, adjusted his monocle, and spoke calmly. "We have one more potion—one I'm certain will meet your standards. But we don't have a ready-made batch; I need to brew it on the spot. Give me some time, and I'll deliver the finest potion you've ever had!"
The Black Knight's hoarse voice held a hint of curiosity. "Oh?"
Lynn maintained his composure. "If this potion fails to satisfy you, you can cut me down on the spot!"
[Ding! Danger Level reduced by 5%]
A flicker of interest sparked in the Black Knight's glowing scarlet eyes. He said indifferently: "Is that so? Very well. I'll give you half an hour to brew it. As you said—if it doesn't meet my standards, I'll kill you."
"Understood!" Lynn replied firmly.
...
Lynn raced to the backyard. Without a second thought, he pulled out a recipe from his system space—a reward for healing that Origin-level monster.
[Critical Strike Potion]
[Rarity: Special]
[Ingredients: Origin-level Creature Tissue x1, Explosive Fruit Pulp x1, Hell Clover x4, Black Bat Wing x1, etc.]
[Description: Greatly increases critical strike rate, but comes with some negligible yet strange side effects…]
A reward for healing an Origin-level monster—this was undoubtedly the best potion he could offer.
"I have to make this work. A system-rewarded recipe must be far superior to any other potion in this world!" Lynn's expression turned grave.
He rushed into the warehouse, scrambling to gather all the ingredients needed for the brew. Most of them were in stock, thanks to his master's preparations. Even the hardest-to-obtain ingredient—Origin-level creature tissue—he had on hand. When he'd fixed the Abyss Headhunter's teeth last night, he'd collected plenty of tooth shavings and the monster's oral mucus, stashing them away as top-tier materials.
Once all the ingredients were assembled, Lynn hurried to the alchemy room in the backyard, ready to start brewing. His alchemy level wasn't particularly high, but two years of learning from his master had honed his skills considerably.
"Start brewing!"
[Ding! You ground the medicinal powder. Alchemy XP +1]
[Ding! You extracted Explosive Fruit Pulp. Alchemy XP +1]
[Ding! You purified Slime Mucus. Alchemy XP +1]
Gurgle, gurgle—Lynn stirred the thick, bubbling mucus in the cauldron vigorously with a wooden spoon, as flames roared beneath it. Wearing a mask, his expression remained stern.
"Add the black bat wing first, then the Face Wolf Spider's fangs."
[Ding! You added an ingredient. Alchemy XP +1]
[Ding! You added an ingredient. Alchemy XP +1]
Boom—The potion in the cauldron instantly shifted from white to purple, bubbling up to form skull-shaped froth. Lynn stood calmly by the cauldron, stirring continuously as the liquid swirled through a kaleidoscope of colors—red, blue, black, purple, and back again.
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, twenty minutes had passed.
[Ding! You brewed Critical Strike Potion x1. Alchemy XP +10]
[Ding! You brewed Critical Strike Potion x1. Alchemy XP +10]
[Ding! You brewed Critical Strike Potion x1. Alchemy XP +10]
With each system prompt, Lynn quickly poured the potion into empty vials, lining them up neatly on the table—ten vials of Critical Strike Potion in total. The brew earned him an additional 100 Alchemy XP.
[Critical Strike Potion]: For humanoid creatures only. Increases target's critical strike rate by 100%, but with some minor side effects…
"My life depends on how well this potion works!" Lynn's expression was solemn.
...
Back in the main hall, Lynn pushed the black-and-red Critical Strike Potion firmly toward the Black Knight. Adjusting his monocle, he said seriously: "Critical Strike Potion—our shop's latest high-end brew. You're the first customer to try it. The effect speaks for itself."
The Black Knight glanced at the unassuming potion, twirling the vial in his hand. He said indifferently: "Are you certain this is your best? Think carefully—if it still fails to meet my standards, I'll keep my promise and cut you down."
Lynn stayed calm. "I guarantee your satisfaction!"
Deep down, though, his heart was racing. He had no idea how well the potion would perform—but at this point, he had to trust the system's quality.
Click—The Black Knight pulled out the cork. A faint, acrid stench wafted out. He froze for a moment—while the smell was terrible, just inhaling it made the power surging in his body stir violently. For a warrior who'd consumed countless potions over the years, this feeling was something he hadn't experienced in ages.
He grew solemn, raised the vial to his lips, and downed the entire contents in one go.
Hum—In an instant, an intensely bitter heat surged through his veins. "This… this power!" He trembled as he stared at his arms, shooting to his feet.