Chapter 52: Making a Basic Healing Potion
Ren let out a deep breath as he watched the pot. It already felt like he’d finished a full task—but the healing potion was nowhere near complete yet. When small bubbles began to rise from the bottom of the pot, he added the green paste from the mortar and slowly stirred it clockwise with a wooden spoon.
Ren took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled.
“This is where I add magic…”
He held his hand over the pot and gathered his magic power. Imagining it flowing from his palm, he brought his hand close to the surface of the water.
Gobo gobo…
“Hot!”
Green liquid splashed up and hit his hand, making him instinctively pull back.
Gobo gobo…
The liquid in the pot began to boil. For a moment it turned a deep green—then quickly became cloudy and murky.
“Ah!”
Ren pulled the pot away from the fire.
“I thought it worked for a second… but maybe not…”
He leaned in and sniffed. A strong, grassy steam wafted up into his face, and he frowned.
“Yeah… this seems like a failure.”
He wasn’t exactly sure what the correct result should be, but he was certain this wasn’t it. Taking out a small container, he poured the murky green liquid into it. He wasn’t sure if it would be usable, but decided to keep it for comparison later.
Once again, he placed healing herb leaves into the mortar and began grinding them.
As he crushed the herbs with the slightly chipped pestle, Ren glanced at the fire surrounded by stones. The flames had weakened a little. He instinctively moved to add more dry branches—but stopped himself.
“…Maybe a smaller fire is better.”
The liquid had been boiling too vigorously while he was channeling magic. If he used a gentler flame, he might have more time to infuse it properly.
Crackle…
The branches made a soft sound as the fire gradually shrank. Ren worried it might go out, so he carefully added a single thin branch.
“It’d be bad if the fire went out…”
He wanted a low flame, but not so weak that it died completely.
While continuing to grind the herbs and think through his next approach, Ren poured water into the pot again and set it over the fire. When small bubbles appeared, he added the freshly made herbal paste and stood up.
Remaining on his feet, he stirred the mixture with a spoon while slowly lowering himself, bringing the pot closer to the flame. Being careful not to place it too close, he gathered magic in his right hand and gently poured it into the liquid.
Juu…
The pot made a soft sound, but he maintained his concentration and continued channeling magic.
After a while, the surface of the liquid began to sparkle faintly. Ren held his breath.
Carefully, he moved the pot a little closer to the fire.
Bloop.
A large bubble rose from the bottom. The liquid turned a vivid green. Ren quickly pulled the pot away from the fire.
The bright green liquid shimmered beautifully.
“Did… did it work?”
He leaned closer to the pot. The steam was hot, but it carried a fresh, pleasant scent—completely different from the earlier attempt.
“I think it worked.”
Heart pounding, Ren took out a small container and placed a dry cloth over it. He poured the liquid through the cloth to strain it. Drop by drop, the vivid green potion collected inside.
“Hot… Maybe I should’ve strained it after it cooled. The book didn’t really say, did it?”
He tried to squeeze the cloth, but the liquid was still too hot. Deciding it wasn’t safe, he left it to cool for a while.
“I’ll try making another batch.”
Once again, he plucked healing herb leaves, placed them into the mortar, and began grinding them.