Translator: CinderTL
Mason, standing nearby, paid no attention to the brewing process.
Without Vanessa, he would have long been buried in this treacherous land.
He firmly believed the witch had no reason to harm him.
Having noticed Roland's cautious attitude toward Vanessa, Mason disregarded Roland's whispered warnings, uncorked the bottle, and drained the pale green liquid in one gulp.
He smacked his lips, feeling an immediate surge of fullness in his stomach and the dryness in his throat vanish instantly. A flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.
After quietly describing the potion's effects to Roland, the noble youth, perhaps having accepted his role as a test subject, unhesitatingly retrieved a Negative Energy Protection Potion from Roland's pouch and drank it down as well.
Seeing Mason ignore his warnings, Roland activated his Focus ability, his sharp gaze locked on the noble youth before him, scrutinizing every minute change.
Moments later, confirming that Mason showed no adverse reactions and instead seemed invigorated, Roland secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Yet his vigilance remained undiminished. He cautiously opened a Negative Energy Potion and took only a small sip.
After waiting a moment to ensure he felt no adverse effects, Roland gave a slight bow to the Purple-Haired Witch in gratitude.
Observing Roland's cautious demeanor, the witch showed no irritation. Instead, a fleeting hint of appreciation flickered in her eyes.
She said nothing, merely nodded slightly before refocusing her gaze on the mind flayer blood, which had already changed color in the crucible.
As she tilted the vials, several silver droplets precisely landed in the crucible.
The purple liquid within instantly contracted and condensed, emitting a soft, ethereal glow.
After murmuring a few arcane syllables, the liquid completely stilled, resembling a solidified amethyst crystal radiating a steady, pure, and potent psionic energy.
Witnessing this, Vanessa extinguished the eerie blue flames, admiring her masterpiece with satisfaction. She then deftly retrieved two crystal flasks and divided the purple liquid from the crucible equally between them.
She pushed one flask toward Roland.
As for the other...
Having discerned Roland's cautious nature, the witch's lips curled into a faint smile. She raised the flask and drained it in one smooth motion.
After lightly pursing her lips, as if savoring the aftertaste, she exhaled softly and explained, "I've purged the impurities from the mind flayer blood. Now... it's merely a common potion to stimulate psychic potential."
"Psychic potential?"
"Exactly."
Vanessa nodded slightly, a playful smile curving her lips.
"Consider this... compensation for my earlier rudeness. As for whether you drink it or not..."
Her gaze settled on Roland.
"...that's your decision."
Roland frowned, instantly recalling the earlier notification about becoming a Psion.
He picked up the bottle, focusing his mental power to carefully examine its contents.
After a moment, he nodded slightly.
The liquid indeed radiated only a pure, concentrated psionic energy aura. The earlier whisper-like mental contamination had completely vanished.
He then handed the bottle to Pixie Tracy, who was more sensitive to magic elements. Seeing her nod in confirmation as well, Roland finally suppressed his remaining doubts and slowly drank the potion.
The liquid slid down his throat with a soft gulp.
An icy torrent instantly swept through his limbs and bones, followed by a scorching flame igniting deep within his marrow.
Countless fragmented memories, none of them his own, surged through the edges of his consciousness like a tidal wave, bringing sharp, needle-like pain.
Then, a long-dormant sense abruptly awakened.
It was as if an invisible veil had been peeled away from the world before his eyes.
This newfound strength bore some resemblance to mental power, yet possessed a fundamental difference.
Mental power felt like an extension of one's will, while this psionic energy, originating from the depths of the soul, was more like an invisible hand capable of directly touching and weaving the threads of energy flowing beneath the world's surface.
If Roland had to compare it to any previous experience, he felt only his Material Empathy came close.
However, Material Empathy was limited to understanding the essence of matter, whereas this psionic energy seemed capable of probing the souls of living beings.
"Adapting well, I see..."
A soft voice interrupted Roland's immersive experience.
Vanessa raised an eyebrow, her tone tinged with amusement.
"My potion isn't poisonous, is it?"
After her playful remark, she turned back to tidying the alchemy table, her purple hair swaying gently in the air, and continued explaining without missing a beat.
"To the east lies the sea, teeming with countless fishmen in its depths. To the north, impassable mountains block our path. Therefore, our only escape lies to the west. But..."
Vanessa deftly tied a small bundle and tossed it to Mason, who stood nearby, before continuing.
"The journey west, away from this region, will be exceptionally long, so by then..."
The witch chuckled softly, her violet eyes turning to Roland.
"I'll have to rely on you for protection, Mr. Roland."
With that, Vanessa turned without hesitation and strode out of the cottage, taking the lead.
Her decisive action caught Roland off guard.
After exchanging a glance with Mason and Tracy, he shook his head with a hint of resignation and stepped forward to follow.
Protected by the Negative Energy Protection Potion, the wraiths radiating bone-chilling cold in the misty moonlight now served as a natural barrier, shielding the group from harm.
The journey proceeded remarkably smoothly.
"Miss Vanessa..." Roland gripped the hilt of his sword, his gaze sweeping cautiously through the shadowy fog as he spoke. "Do you know... where the mist in this region originates from?"
"The south," Vanessa replied tersely.
At that moment, the witch truly seemed to be embarking on her first long journey, as she had claimed earlier. A sense of novel delight shone on her face, and her movements were unusually graceful and unrestrained.
If not for the occasional rustling and scraping sounds from the surrounding demonic beasts, Roland might have mistaken their escape from danger for a leisurely journey.
"About a few months ago?" Vanessa continued, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Somewhere in the south, an unusually massive surge of magic element erupted. It almost materialized into a tangible current, shooting straight into the sky. Afterward, the surrounding region was drenched in relentless torrential rain."
"Once the downpour subsided, a dense fog saturated with magic element began to slowly rise and spread, continuously expanding outward in all directions..."
"A few months ago? Torrential rain?"
These two keywords immediately made Roland frown, instantly connecting them to his previous encounter in Mist Creek Town, Blackwater Territory, within the Golden Valley Kingdom.
Back then, after the bronze mountain-like giant dragon departed, Mist Creek Town had also been drenched in a torrential rain saturated with a high concentration of magic element.
However, before the rain had completely stopped, he had already set sail from Far Ocean Port.
"Could the mist here be related to the giant dragon as well? Perhaps... Mist Creek Town is also shrouded in the same fog right now?"
Thinking this, Roland couldn't help but voice his question aloud.
"A giant dragon? An intriguing hypothesis..."
Hearing Roland's question, Vanessa chuckled softly before slowly shaking her head.
"However, I'm afraid I didn't sense the aura of such a legendary creature, one that exists only in myths."
"I see..."
After a few more questions yielded no further useful clues, Roland decided to change the subject.
"Miss Vanessa, you mentioned earlier that the potion activates a person's psychic potential. So..."
He uncorked a concentrated nutrient potion and gulped it down, feeling the gnawing hunger rapidly subside before continuing.
"Do you possess any knowledge of psionic energy, or... any techniques for its use?"
"Of course."
Vanessa nodded without hesitation.
She leaned in slightly, her footsteps light as she moved closer to Roland's side.
"Do you want to learn?"
As her faintly seductive voice echoed, Vanessa's violet eyes swirled like deep whirlpools, momentarily unsettling Roland's mind.
But in an instant, he regained his composure and nodded in response.
Seeing Roland's gaze clear so quickly, Vanessa subtly raised an eyebrow before abruptly halting.
"Teaching you about psionic energy isn't out of the question, but I think..."
Her tone shifted as she glanced into the dense fog ahead.
"This isn't exactly the ideal place for imparting knowledge, don't you agree?"
"That's Slaad Toad territory up ahead," Vanessa explained, lowering her voice slightly.
"These chaos creatures from the outer planes aren't affected by the fog, so my usual tricks for avoiding ordinary demonic beasts probably won't work here. Therefore..."
She turned her head, winking playfully with her right eye at Roland.
The gesture, far from seeming contrived, carried a unique, almost girlish vivacity.
"It's time for you to fulfill your promise, Mr. Roland..."
(End of the Chapter)
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