As soon as Ares began his training, the effect of the potion started to show, as his skin turned slightly red and his temperature rose. With every breath he took in and out, white mist billowed from his mouth, until his body looked like a cauldron boiling over fire.
Ares did not feel the passage of time, as he was completely immersed in his training. When dawn broke, a gray mist had covered the City of the Heart, and the air was cold yet refreshing at the same time.
The room was filled with the heavy smell of his sweat mixed with a suffocating stench, until the odor clung to the walls of the place and weighed down his chest.
Ares felt the sting of the cold morning mist that crept in through the window he had forgotten to close, as the icy air brushed against his skin like frozen needles, waking him from the intoxication of training. At that moment he regained his awareness, and the effect of the potion had faded, his skin returning to its natural color, but many black stains had covered his body and clothes, and a pungent stench spread from him like burning smoke.
He said, pinching his nose tightly, his features twisted with disgust:
"Damn it… this smell is so foul!"
Even so, his violet eyes gleamed with enthusiasm, because those black stains were nothing more than the impurities that had blocked his energy pathways. Now that he had gotten rid of them, he felt as if his body had become lighter, as though something that hindered his movement had disappeared, and he sensed he was on the verge of a qualitative leap where he could reach the required level and begin practicing meditation techniques.
"Truly… I didn't expect this potion to be capable of purifying impurities!"
In his previous life, no one knew that a body-strengthening potion could cleanse the body of impurities. Such knowledge meant a great deal, for potions with purification properties were extremely rare and were always in the hands of nobles.
He murmured thoughtfully, his voice coming out broken with his hot exhale:
"Perhaps this effect only appears when the body is pure and free of aura power…"
That was the only conclusion that crossed his mind.
Then he stood up, his expression slightly grim as he smelled the foul stench that clung to his breath and clothes:
"I suppose I should take a bath quickly."
He went straight toward the bathroom. When Ares first saw the bathroom, he felt both surprise and shock—not because its existence was difficult in this world, but because the streets of cities were filled with filth and excrement. Do not be deceived by the appearance of the City of the Heart; cleanliness was only present on the main streets, but if you entered the deep alleys, you would see the other filthy face. And there were cities that did not care even about the most basic levels of cleanliness.
The bathroom used fire magic to heat the water to a suitable temperature.
Warm droplets of water rushed onto Ares' body, washing away the black stains and cleansing his skin from the clinging impurities. The water rippled over his skin, dragging away the filth and his foul stench, and with every drop that flowed down he felt a weight leaving him bit by bit. When he closed his eyes, he felt as though his skin was breathing freely for the first time in years. When he finished bathing, an overwhelming freshness washed over him, making his body tremble with delight.
Even though he had spent the entire night training, Ares did not feel sleepy or tired; on the contrary, he felt a strange vitality flowing through his body.
He sat on a chair and grabbed food greedily, devouring it like a man who had endured a long famine. The sound of his chewing filled the room, a mixture of crunches and the rapid movement of his jaw.
While eating, his mind drifted to another thought:
"What if I used the synthesis box and combined the body-strengthening potion?"
A gleam lit up his eyes, and the corner of his mouth curved into a small smile:
"I think this might work… why shouldn't I try?"
As soon as he finished his meal, he began crafting body-strengthening potions, which took him a long time. The sun rose and the city filled with the noise of labor like a massive engine, then the sun fell announcing the end of a day full of activity and motion. As darkness descended and the streets quieted, Ares continued making potions until he finished just before the last ray of the sun disappeared.
While Ares was feeling proud of his work, a blue screen appeared before him:
[You have obtained the title of Alchemy Apprentice: Growable (Click to learn the function of the title)]
Even though it was only a single line that appeared on the screen, it made Ares' eyes widen in shock.
"I finally got a title!"
You must understand that when Ares studied the system, he realized the importance of titles that helped one grow and master things outside their specialty. Quickly, he extended his finger and pressed immediately to learn more about the first title he had obtained.
[Alchemy Apprentice:
Description: You have shown skill in alchemy by inventing a new recipe in this world, and because of your patience, precision, and dedication, you have obtained the title of apprentice.
Function: You can craft many potions and alchemical creations at the level of an Alchemy Apprentice, and thanks to the title your success rate will increase by 30%.]
When Ares read the information, he felt the matter was a little illogical, for he hadn't invented anything but merely reformulated a recipe.
"So does this mean that I became the inventor of the potion? And thus got this title?"
Ares felt a pang of sadness for just a single second, but quickly brushed it aside with a cold smile.
"Who cares? What matters is that I got a title, and it's growable. That means I've managed to step onto the path of the Eye Alchemy."
Even though it was just the title of "Alchemy Apprentice" and a 30% success rate, that was enough for now. In the future he would develop it, and with all his memories of recipes and resources, he would become one of the greatest alchemists in the world.
Ares took a deep breath, calming his emotions and focusing back on the potions, as he had only 10 body-strengthening potions left after his resources were depleted.
He activated "King's Eye":
[Name: Body-Strengthening Potion
Rank: Potion of Grade 1
Description: A potion crafted from simple resources but which has brought about a great change in the alchemy of this world.
Effect: Strengthens the body and purifies impurities when the body is untrained and has not used aura, but when used by an aura user, it only strengthens the body.]
When Ares read the information shown by "King's Eye," it was exactly as he expected.
In this world, potions are ranked from Grade 1 to Grade 9.
After that, Ares busied himself with synthesizing potions, time passing slowly. The sky above him was black and studded with stars, the moon glowing with a calm radiance. The gentle night breeze slipped into the room, stirring his spirit and enveloping him in peace and serenity.
After two hours of synthesizing ten potions, Ares ended up with a liquid that was no longer black with a strong odor, but had become silver and shimmering as though it contained a faint light, its scent refreshing and soothing to the soul.
When Ares smelled that fragrant aroma, his whole body trembled, and he felt as if every cell in him was dancing with joy. He immediately activated "King's Eye":
[Name: Silver Potion
Rank: Potion of Grade 5
Description: Originally just a Grade 1 potion, but it underwent a transformation by an unknown force, leading to the birth of a Grade 5 potion.
Effect: Strengthens the body and purifies impurities comprehensively, and may cause the awakening of a special physique with a probability of 0.01%.]
When Ares saw the information, his breathing became rapid, his chest rising and falling violently. A Grade 5 potion! Can you imagine what that meant? Ares, who had only returned four days into the past, now had a potion normally crafted only by advanced alchemists.
If this potion were put on the market, countless nobles would flock to it ravenously, competing like hungry wolves to obtain it. The aroma of rare herbs lightly mingled with the air, somewhat sharp, reminding him that this was no ordinary potion at all.
And by using this potion, it meant that Ares' body would surpass its previous physical limitations, opening the path for him to begin his meditation training. He felt a faint heat ignite in his veins, like pure fire coursing through his blood, reflecting in his eyes which sparkled with fierce light.
He whispered softly, smiling faintly:
"With this potion, I'm certain I'll build a strong foundation… As for awakening a physique? Sorry, that's something next to impossible."
The initial success rate for awakening a physique was nearly zero, even less. For one to gain a special physique, there had to be ancient blood flowing in their veins, blood borne only by the royal family, the four dukes, and some ancient families with long histories in the Sun Empire.