Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 568: Zaxan’s Transmutation

CH568 Zaxan’s Transmutation

***

Moments earlier...

After identifying the requirements of her trial, Eleanore had immediately focused on a possible solution.

In fact, it was something she had already been researching before entering this place.

A cure for Berserk Human Transformation.

Her proposed method was relatively straightforward— at least in theory.

Since the spell [Purification] could remove the berserk property from an afflicted individual, she wondered whether a far more concentrated version of the same principle might be capable of reversing the transformation entirely.

If that were possible—

Then perhaps the effect could be reproduced through alchemy.

Specifically, through a potion.

Of course, she did not mean this literally.

She had no intention of turning a spell directly into a potion.

Rather, her goal was to create a potion capable of stimulating ambient and/or internal mana to behave in the same purifying manner as the [Purification] spell.

The concept itself was not entirely unprecedented.

There were already potions which, when exposed to ambient mana, produced effects similar to their corresponding spells.

Explosive potions of various grades had long been created to mirror the destructive nature of the [Fireball] spell at different power levels.

In fact, from an academic perspective, most healing potions functioned in a very similar manner. They worked by introducing mana into the body while simultaneously stimulating the recipient’s own mana to behave in ways comparable to many healing spells.

Drawing upon this foundation, Eleanore had intended to create a potion adjacent to the [Purification] spell— one capable of gently eliminating the berserk property from the inside out.

If successful, it might even reverse the transformation process itself.

Unfortunately, there were several complications with the potion formula she had devised.

First, one of the required ingredients was exceedingly rare— even within the highly industrialised alchemical circles of Pangea.

As for Verdantis, she had already searched for the material while in Dragonstone, yet none of the alchemy vendors there even seemed aware of its existence.

The second problem was the refinement method required to process that ingredient along with another supplementary component necessary to produce the desired effect.

The method in question was an ancient alchemical technique.

It was rarely used in the modern era of Pangea.

Not only that, it was an exceptionally abstruse technique— one that Eleanore doubted would even exist within Verdantis.

After all, the method was so difficult that even she had been forced to rely upon a form of ’cheating’ to employ it successfully.

Her Fey Monarch Bloodline.

Without that advantage, replicating the technique would be extremely difficult.

And if others could not reproduce the process, the potion would remain limited to a handful of capable alchemists.

Such limitations would make widespread production impossible.

In other words, even if she succeeded, the cure could never truly proliferate.

Fortunately, fate intervened.

The scroll she had managed to read —containing the wizened troll’s alchemical insights— described a method the troll had discovered and developed himself.

A method capable of substituting the ancient technique.

More surprisingly, the same method also allowed the replacement of the rare ingredient she had originally planned to use.

In truth, the troll’s method was something quite unusual.

It was not merely a refinement process.

It was an alchemy-specific spell.

[Zaxan’s Transmutation]!

In essence, the spell was a method of bypassing the need for rare ingredients in alchemical concoctions by utilising a much cheaper, similar —and most importantly readily available— substitute.

The troll’s spell allowed an alchemist to transmute the nature of the cheaper ingredient into that of the rarer one, though this came at the cost of consuming a significantly larger quantity of the substitute as well as requiring a rather cumbersome refinement process.

Even so, thanks to the spell, Eleanore was able to successfully complete a viable Purification Potion.

’With [Zaxan’s Transmutation], it is not only possible to convert the essence of a cheaper ingredient into that of a rarer one... the entire process directly exposes the resulting refined essence,’ Eleanore mused inwardly.

’That means the normally strict extraction technique required to obtain that essence safely can be bypassed entirely.’

Her thoughts continued to spin as she considered the broader implications.

’And since this method is based on a spell... once Alex’s Rune-Tech fully recovers, he may be able to convert the spell into a runic formation.’

’If that happens, the process could potentially be automated.’

Such a development would make the transmutation process vastly easier.

Once the conversion could be handled automatically by a formation, the produced essence could be directly integrated into potion refinement.

Afterwards, Eleanore carefully reviewed the potion formula she had constructed before beginning the search for the required ingredients.

Just to be certain that the formula worked as intended, she decided to complete the potion first.

Only then could she analyse the final product and confirm —as much as possible without conducting an actual field test— whether it would function as expected.

Unlike Alex’s simple three-ingredient formula, her own creation was far more complex.

It required fifteen different ingredients and over twenty separate refinement steps before the potion could be completed.

Nevertheless, Eleanore worked with professional precision and composure.

Before long, a filled potion vial rested neatly upon the worktable.

She then proceeded to brew two additional potions to increase the number of samples available for testing.

Thanks to the fully equipped alchemy laboratory provided within the trial environment, all the instruments necessary for analysing the potion were readily available.

The test itself was not entirely conclusive.

Nothing could truly replace observing the potion’s effects upon a living subject.

Instead, the apparatus simply measured and analysed the essence composition and mana behaviour contained within the potion.

Using those readings, Eleanore compared the results with her prior experience of the [Purification] spell.

From this comparison, she was able to estimate the potion’s likely efficacy.

A satisfied smile slowly appeared on her lips as she examined the results before her.

’There is an eighty per cent chance the potion will work as intended,’ she deduced.

Given the conditions she had been working under, this was the best result she could reasonably hope for.

Crack... Shatter...

Suddenly, the scene around her trembled violently.

Before she could react, the entire trial space fractured and collapsed.

In the next instant, Eleanore found herself once again seated before the stele.

Beside her, Alex remained motionless, still immersed in his own trial.

Just then, her attention was drawn to a faintly glowing spot on the surface of the stele.

When she focused her gaze upon it, a list of rewards materialised before her eyes.

-

Eleanore shook her head slightly as the memory faded.

She turned to Alex.

”Not really. It was good enough,” Eleanore replied to his earlier question. ”It’s the points I gained. I don’t have enough points to redeem what I want from the reward list.”

***