Chapter 71: Brewing... A problem
Asher held the leather-bound book in his hands, studying the ingredients now scattered across the dining table. His silver hair caught the afternoon light streaming through the window as he double-checked each item against the illustrated pages.
"It’s all here," he muttered, snapping the book shut with a decisive nod. He grabbed the cauldron and headed toward the kitchen.
Yes, he was literally going to cook the ingredients on a regular stove. But honestly, what choice did he have? It wasn’t like he possessed some convenient fire-related ability, and attempting to use a spell would probably result in the entire dormitory becoming a crater. His ether control was about as reliable as... anything unreliable, so the kitchen stove would have to suffice.
The plan was theoretically sound, even if the execution was questionable. He’d discovered this particular concoction while exploring the game world, where creating potions was as simple as having the right ingredients in your inventory and pressing a button. Reality, unfortunately, was proving far more complicated.
"There’s also the small matter of Austin having actual fire magic in the game," he mused aloud, turning on the burner. "His flames probably had special properties or something."
Blue flames roared to life under the cauldron, and Asher stared at them. The whole setup felt disturbingly domestic, like he was preparing some sort of bizarre soup rather than a legendary stat-boosting elixir.
"Well," he sighed, pouring water into the cauldron, "at least if this kills me, it’ll be an interesting way to go."
He flipped through the book again, squinting at the incomprehensible text. This was the real problem—he couldn’t read a single word of it. The only reason he’d been able to identify the ingredients was through the detailed illustrations and the fact that their names were written in three different languages, one of which he actually recognized.
"Do I chop these up or just throw them in whole?" he wondered aloud, holding up a bundle of what looked like crystallized herbs. The instructions might as well have been written in alien script for all the good they did him.
This was exactly why he needed to get his system working. If there was any chance it could help him understand ancient magical languages, he’d take it. For now, though, he was flying blind.