IRM Chapter 54

For an alchemist, the most difficult thing about crafting potions was not memorizing formulas or remembering procedures, nor was it obtaining precious materials or knowing their characteristics intimately.

The most difficult thing was combining materials of different properties together, ensuring they could maximally activate their characteristics. When these characteristics were linked and arranged in a certain sequence, they became the effects a potion could produce.

In other words, a top-tier alchemist didn’t need to memorize many formulas. He only needed to carefully sense and find the unique information belonging to different types, sizes, and forms of materials.

Ji Chi had never systematically studied alchemy, and very few alchemists could reach such a realm. He was like a child possessing powerful strength but still searching everywhere for a handy little wooden stick.

Tang arranged the materials they had found one by one on the inn’s wooden table, saying without looking back, “Now we’re only missing the Elven Spring. I remember the master has this, right?”

Bard came back to his senses and found a palm-sized cedar bottle from his toolbox. The sound of water came from within as he shook it, then handed it to Tang. “You found everything this quickly?”

“There have been quite a few merchants coming to the sea area recently, and they all carry some precious goods with them.” Tang casually explained, counting the materials on the table once more. “This should be everything. By the way, does potion-making require a specialized workshop? Do we still need to go out and find a place for you to make fire?”

Tang inquired of Ji Chi.

Bard still had that “you’re just playing around” expression. “Ignorant! What exactly do you think potion-making is? I think we should still…”

“No need.” Ji Chi interrupted him, taking the potion from Anna’s hands and walking toward the pile of materials. “Here is fine. I think I know how to do it now.”

As he spoke, he poured the entire potion onto the table without any reluctance. Under Anna’s heartbroken gaze, he spread the spilled liquid into a thin layer.

The connections between elements became clearer. At this moment, it was like a clear instruction manual presented before his eyes.

First was the Elven Spring. It was like a sturdy chain linking all elemental reactions together, so all materials should be immersed in spring water for crafting.

Next was the Phantom Grass. It played the most important role in the potion, and the appropriate dosage directly determined whether the potion would succeed.

Then came Moonlight Fruit, Shaping Wood branches… various different materials were added to the open glass vessel in a certain order, with blue-green intertwining flames burning not far below the container.

Ji Chi seemed immersed in a mystical state. In his eyes, the potion’s steps were completely broken down. He only needed to follow that reference book… no, perhaps he could improve it further, making the elements combine even more closely.

Bard’s complaining voice gradually weakened. He, Tang, and Anna together watched Ji Chi’s potion crafting with some fascination.

In ancient times, a Holy Church alchemist once said that a perfect, fluid creation was like an intoxicating opera, and the pinnacle of any profession was an art form.

They were finally fortunate enough to appreciate this scene. Ji Chi was like performing a silent piece of music, with the transparent glass rod as his conductor’s baton and the special stirring rhythm as his musical score. Everything was elegant and natural.

Last came the Mermaid’s Tears.

Ji Chi held the pearly white pearl for a while, examining it. It didn’t need much processing; as a symbol of mermaids, dissolving entirely into the potion was its ultimate destiny.

The pearl fell into the viscous liquid and quickly dissolved in the high temperature. After a few seconds, the color of the liquid in the glass vessel suddenly changed, transforming from transparent to an ocean-like enchanting azure blue. Gentle light spread like waves throughout the entire room.

[Mermaid Potion]

Quality: [Epic]

Effect: [Transform into a real mermaid, gain temporary skill (Siren’s Song), duration three months]

He had actually crafted an Epic potion? A trace of surprise flashed in Ji Chi’s eyes.

Logically speaking, these materials weren’t particularly precious. Even if a Saint Alchemist came to craft it, there would only be a very small probability of creating [Fine] quality. To cross two rarity levels was simply a pipe dream.

However, Epic quality also had different tiers, and this should be the lowest tier. Ji Chi carefully bottled it. This was the first item he had crafted without using skills. Regardless of quality, being successful was enough to surprise him.

Ji Chi smiled slightly and looked up at the others.

Bard had long been speechless, staring at him with a horrified expression, his lips opening and closing several times without making a sound.

As peaks of two professions, they could naturally see that this potion was definitely not as simple as [Excellent] or [Fine] quality.

Tang had already put away all his smiles. With a solemn face, he asked quietly, “So you are the Eastern Saint Alchemist of the Saint Trilley Empire?”

His tone rose questioningly, but his complex, trembling eyes had already accepted this conclusion.

Ji Chi put the [Mermaid Potion] back into his magic bag, saying humbly yet seriously, “Just luck. I still have many things to learn.”

Bard, Tang, Anna: “……”

Listen to these words! How come I never had such luck!

Five days later, in the center of the Weiss Sea area, at the bottom of the ocean, lay the mermaid royal city of Manheim.

On the flat seabed, a prosperous and magnificent city quietly occupied the crystal-clear seawater. Fluorescent blue seabed crystal ore served as its street lamps, brilliant and colorful coral clusters as its buildings, and diverse fish and shrimp as its decorations.

This city was tranquil and silent, yet breathtakingly beautiful.

Third Prince Audis led a group of guards, with several female mermaids in custody in the middle, all possessing extremely beautiful appearances. They swam all the way toward the royal palace in Manheim’s center, their long, smooth fish tails creating rippling patterns in the seawater.

Seeing they were only a short distance from the royal palace, a female mermaid with a deep blue tail finally couldn’t help but sob softly. “I don’t want to become a sacrifice… Please! Please…”

The other mermaids with her also showed fear and sorrow, with pearly white pearls rolling all along their path, sinking to the seabed where playful fish and shrimp pushed them around.

The Third Prince didn’t scold them. His brows also carried a faint sadness. He sighed lightly, knowing his comfort was too pale, and could only gently promise. “I’m sorry, but this concerns the future of our entire clan… You are the pride of our whole clan, and your families will be well taken care of.”

As they spoke, the group arrived at the royal palace.

It was called the royal palace, but since the old Mermaid King’s death, no one had lived there for a long time. The eldest prince, third prince, and fourth prince had long ago led their people to divide the vast Manheim into three power territories.

These three powers usually got along harmoniously, but when the ritual held every five years came around, it was time for competition to begin.

Only the prince who sacrificed the most beautiful mermaid could allow his people to receive more of the God-granted Grass.

When the Third Prince arrived at the royal palace, the eldest prince Wayne was already waiting by the throne. His expression didn’t look good either. Seeing the Third Prince enter, he glanced at the female mermaids behind Audis, and a trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

“Brother.” The Third Prince bowed to him, his pale golden fish tail standing upright on the palace’s smooth floor like human legs.

The eldest prince nodded slightly, remaining silent for a while before saying with some difficulty, “If there’s no suitable candidate this year, then sister she…”

The Third Prince lowered his eyes and pressed his lips together. He seemed to be trying hard to suppress himself, but facing his familiar brother, he finally couldn’t help but explode. “I’m really sick of this ritual! Can’t we unite and attack the temple once more? We’re already much stronger than Father was!”

The eldest prince sternly stopped him. “Audis! Shut up! That’s a divine creation! If Akangie is the incarnation of the God of Light, then it is the existence closest to the ancient gods. Tell me, who has the right to oppose gods? Haven’t we suffered enough tragedies!”

The Third Prince held his breath and turned his head aside, his eyes red-rimmed, saying hoarsely, “But my sister is already gone, and this time I can’t protect my younger sister either…”

The eldest prince fell silent. How could he not feel heartbroken?

“Brother, it’s alright.” The Fifth Princess was pale with fear at this moment, but still forced herself to remain calm, struggling to pull up a gentle smile. “I’m just going to save our people, aren’t I?”

She swam forward, her fire-red fish tail inherited from her mother bright and beautiful, reaching out to hold both brothers’ hands and shake them. “This year’s God-granted Grass should be divided equally among all the people, okay… I don’t want to see you argue anymore.”

Just as the two princes were grieving, the Fourth Prince’s happy and surprised voice suddenly came from outside the palace. “Brothers! Nina! Look what I found!”

The Fourth Prince swam up to them with his red tail, gently stroking the Fifth Princess’s thick red hair. “You don’t have to go to the ritual this year!”

Nina looked up, a flash of surprise in her eyes, but it quickly dimmed. “So it’s another sacrifice… There’s no difference. Someone always has to sacrifice, and I’ll have to go sooner or later… Brother, don’t smile like that, that young lady will be very sad.”

The Fourth Prince awakened from his joy that his sister could live, realizing this wasn’t an entertaining beauty contest – behind every winner was bloodshed.

He put away his smile and gloomily blew a string of bubbles from his mouth. “I was wrong. I’ll apologize to her.”

As he spoke, successive gasps and exclamations came from the doorway, growing louder and louder, causing even the sobbing female mermaids to look up.

A slender figure swam in from the palace entrance.

She had skin as white as moonlight on the sea surface, black eyes like the most expensive black pearls from the deep sea, and smooth black hair that, unlike other mermaids, didn’t cascade to her waist but floated short beside her ears, revealing the beautiful, rounded curves of her shoulders and neck.

Her upper body wore human black clothing that constantly floated upward in the water’s buoyancy, revealing the tender, fair skin of her waist.

Of course, what was most eye-catching was that slender fish tail – pure black, with each scale neat and smooth like the finest black crystal, reflecting mysterious shimmering light.

“The legendary black mermaid…” the eldest prince murmured. “There really is a black mermaid…”

After the amazement, the great hall fell into silence.

There was no need for voting. This black mermaid was absolutely the undisputed choice for sacrifice, but… would the only black mermaid just appear briefly like a flash in the pan and then never be seen again?

The mermaids fell into silence. Many looked at Nina, then turned to look at the black mermaid, all filled with reluctance.

Nina bit her lip and swam forward, facing Ji Chi.

Ji Chi looked at her calmly, feeling a bit panicked inside.

What are you trying to do now, miss?

She bent down slightly, gently stroking Ji Chi’s smooth tail scales. Under Ji Chi’s strange expression, she sighed and said firmly, “I’ll still go this year. Miss Black Mermaid, you must live well and bring good fortune to our people.”

Ji Chi looked at her with complex feelings. Oh, is it you, the oceanic version of a saintess? If Saintess Coralie could be half as reasonable as you, it would be perfect… But no need, thanks. In another five years, this task will expire anyway.

The eldest prince frowned and interrupted her. “What are you saying, Nina!”

He rubbed his tightly furrowed, aching brow and sighed as he explained, “Nina, I don’t want you to go, not only because you’re my sister, but because this behavior is deceiving the gods! Our mermaid clan has suffered enough. We can’t take another wrong step.”

He turned to face Ji Chi. “Miss, thank you for your sacrifice. We will remember you forever.”

What else could Ji Chi say? He could only nod silently.

You really do talk a lot. Can’t you finish this quickly? My butt feels so cold and breezy, I’m really not used to it…

“Alright, that’s it then.” The eldest prince wearily waved his hand. “We don’t need to hold any voting this time. Let’s set out for the Hephaestus Temple.”

The procession escorting the sacrifice to the temple had quite a few mermaids, a full hundred or so, most of whom were the Fourth Prince’s people, since Ji Chi was found by him.

The main purpose of so many mermaids wasn’t to guard Ji Chi, but to go near the temple to harvest God-granted Grass.

This type of seaweed was extremely special and could only grow in the sea area near the temple. It was indispensable to the mermaid tribes.

Because mermaids needed to consume a certain amount of God-granted Grass each year for their bodies to remain healthy and strong.

The Fourth Prince’s people hadn’t received enough divine grass for many years and were now visibly more haggard than the other two princes’ subordinates.

The three princes were also in this procession. When they reached the temple vicinity, they would offer the sacrifice to the monster with the most sincere devotion.

The journey from Manheim to the temple took a day and a night. They swam from morning to dark, then from dark to dawn, resting only briefly for dozens of minutes to eat.

Ji Chi hadn’t eaten since becoming a mermaid, but strangely wasn’t very hungry. Perhaps due to the complete transformation into a mermaid, this body was much more resistant to hunger than humans.

He declined the live fish offered by several princes and simply sat quietly on a piece of coral, gazing at the gorgeous underwater scenery.

The princes didn’t force him to eat. They knew Miss Black Mermaid must be too frightened to eat anything. Although she had been quiet and cold throughout the journey, who wouldn’t be afraid when death approached?

The princes looked at Ji Chi with pity and compassion, their hearts heavy with reluctance and sorrow.

Ji Chi didn’t know how much they had imagined. He was just silently calculating time.

He hadn’t drunk the entire potion this time, because the full potion’s duration was simply too long. Ji Chi didn’t want to return to the academy and have people exclaim “You don’t even want to be human anymore?!” So he could only control the potion amount bit by bit.

He had only taken a small sip, and indeed, the duration shortened from three months to one day. During this day, as long as he spoke, it would automatically trigger the Siren’s Song skill, capable of charming minds to a certain extent.

Just as Ji Chi was hesitating whether to go to the surface for another sip of potion, the eldest prince beside him suddenly reminded, “We’re almost there – Hephaestus Temple.”

Ji Chi looked up. Ahead was a hazy area, as if covered by a matte film that blocked all light and shadow, yet he could see the black silhouette of something enormous flash by.

Fear flashed in the eldest prince’s eyes. He swallowed and said hoarsely, “We can’t escort you the rest of the way. After we finish singing the ritual song… it will come for you.”

He said the last sentence very quietly, seemingly unable to help being afraid himself.

The princes ordered their followers to swim far away, then brought Ji Chi down to the seabed.

This area was where the God-granted Grass grew. Those seaweeds looked more like flickering lanterns floating on the water’s surface, like prayer lanterns scattered across the night sky.

The three princes stood behind Ji Chi, singing ancient songs in low, devout voices.

In the ethereal singing echoing across the seabed, a black shadow ahead grew larger and clearer. When the shadow came completely before Ji Chi, he looked up to estimate its size – a full fifty meters tall.

Before anyone could react, a black, deformed hand reached out from within the membrane-like barrier, accurately grabbed Ji Chi, and pulled him into the temple’s domain.