Loeta quite literally threw a scroll at me and I quickly raised my right arm to catch it. How a translucent spiritual medium can hold such a thing I will never know, but that isn't my concern right now. What is my concern is how I'm going to make a potion with only one arm.
Loeta read my mind. "Eoin, help him, this task will be too much for him without both arms." Eoin then flew to my side and helped me unroll the recipe.
... This is simple, but there are a lot of ingredients. Elkthorn, Ignisbloom, Citrona Heart, Applet, and a GraHerb, with a 1:1:2:1:1 ratio respectively. I quickly weigh out each herb and instruct Eoin to put each portion into the mortar as I confirm the masses. I then feverishly grind the herbs into the paste as Eoin strained to hold the bowl down, trying really hard to not flick any material out on accident. I pour the completed paste into the boiling cauldron. All I can do now is pray for the best.
Maybe in the description, the process seems to go pretty fast, but in reality this would take 15 real-time minutes, which would be about 35 in-game minutes. With only one hand, this took a lot longer, and since dawn only lasts 22 real minutes, I really hope I got the paste into the cauldron on time; I forgot to time-check myself.
The cauldron signaled potion completion, and I quickly ladled the potion into two bottles. Instead of receiving three portions, though, I only got two - but the bottles were huge, almost like space food containers made out of glass.
Odin's Draught: Heals 35% HP and causes the drinker to gain status [Tipsy]. Combine with Loki's Wine for various effects.
Tipsy: Buff ATK, Weaken INT, Weaken DEF, Buff EVA
That's overpowered. It gives you the power of the Drunken Fist. I took a bottle of that and quickly pulled out Loki's Wine. "Combine!" I yelled, and a flash of light engulfed both mixtures. I felt their combined weights leave my hand. The light orb touched down on the ground and dissipated, leaving a sky blue mixture inside what looked like an old-timey soda bottle.
Freya's Elixir: Replenishes spiritual life force. Combine with Jewel GraHerb for enhanced effects.
I immediately took another GraHerb - the last one - and placed it on top of the soda bottle and once again yelled "Combine!". The GraHerb disappeared, and the potion turned golden.
Freya's Finest Elixir: Replenishes spiritual life force, dispels all curses, strengthens affected body, and returns youth. Do not consume multiple elixirs within a lifetime.
I have no use for any of this. If I was Azrael, the body strengthening might be tempting, but I'm not. This potion is not for me. "Eoin!" I hold the potion out. "Take this to the tree and pour it on the roots and trunk of Loeta's tree. Quickly!" The little sprite darted towards me in a blur. The potion disappeared, and I watched as the golden liquid trickled down the trunk and swirled around in the pool at the foot of the tree. The glowing wisps from before began multiplying and circled the tree, accelerating until only a blur of yellow-white light stood between the tree and me. A pulse of energy burst out of the circle, filling me with energy and pushing me back.
"Wah-!" Eoin's voice flew towards me, and her body, probably thrown by the pulse came flying out of the column of light and over my head. I caught her. "Whew~," she squeaked. "Thanks!"
The pulses continued to push out from the tree, dispelling the curse as it continued to move through the forest. They probably would continue to move until they hit the forest boundary. Nearby players are probably really, really confused right now. Maybe they'll write off as the celebration for the official release or something.
The pulsating waves began to weaken as the spinning column lost momentum. The wisps slowed to a standstill, then were pulled into the tree as if sucked in by a vacuum. The oak's browned and tattered leaves were now green and glowing with power, with each leaf pulsing with an eleven-humped sparkle aura. Loeta stood a few feet above the water, her features now brimming with joy, excitement, strength, and vitality. Her chest - I think the character designer was trying to pay service to the stereotypical human male here - had grown into two voluptuous mounds held back only by her flowing, light green dress. For the sake of image, she looked like Palutena from Kid Icarus, if you took away the halo behind her and replaced it with a holographic maple leaf and her circlet for a crown of leaves. She held a long caduceus, wrapped in ivy vines instead of serpents and tipped with an emerald crystal the size of my head.
She pointed the staff to the sky, and a near-blinding jet of light shot out of the emerald. The bolt flew into the sky, exploded like a firework, and then sent hundreds of fragments down throughout the forest. A blessing, or a ward, maybe?
The glow dimmed, and the grove returned to its mystical, eerie atmosphere. Mostly. Loeta was grinning like a girl who just got asked to a date by their crush. She touched down at the edge of the pool, which was about ten feet from where I was currently standing. She leaped from the spot and dashed into me, tapping me in a bone-crushing hug.
"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" Loeta cried as she spun around, hugging me for dear life. Eoin fortunately was able to escape the choke hold.
The stereotypical lucky pervert from most VRMMO novels (especially japanese VRMMO light novels) would probably be rejoicing in my position. I mean, how could a guy like that resist succumbing to the feeling of being sandwiched between the breasts of a well-endowed woman? I, however, was not enjoying it, since she was hugging me so hard that I was suffocating. I could feel my HP dropping as she spun my helpless body in circles.
"Loeta! HP! HP!" I gasped as I felt my HP reach the red. She finally let me go, and I gasped as I stumbled away from her, very much disoriented.
Nio (Potioneer/Alchemist)
HP 21/114
MP 153/450
Stats
STR 27 VIT 21
DEX 83 EVA 111
INT 39 LUK 29
Titles
Savior of Ilidas Forest: You have saved Ilidas from certain doom. All traits receive bonus in rank experience, and purifications refill both health and mana. Increase to strongest attributes, and natural regeneration while in Ilidas Forest.
Current Traits (+7)
[Alchemy 16] [Throw 14] [Eagle Eye 22] [Enchant 1] [Archery 17] [Crafting 3] [Mixing 9] [Mana Control 21] [Discovery 22] [Combining 4] [Wood Element Inheritor 1]
My HP! I was at 74 or something earlier, she just took fifty points off my health!
"I'm sorry, I got too overexcited. I'm finally back to full power!" She punched a fist into the air. "Yes!"
"G-Glad to be of service, milady." The natural regen was helping a little, but I was still sore. I bowed shakily to the guardian of the forest.
"Oh, psh. Just call me Loeta, Nio, there's no need for formalities. Is there anything I can do to thank you for your amazingness?" Her eyes shined brightly as she waved off my manners and looked at me.
Is there really something I want from the guardian of Ilidas? Wait, actually, there is one thing...
YOU ARE READING
Trigger-Happy Potioneer
FantasySixty years from now, VR has advanced to the point that full-dive is possible and VRMMORPGs are everywhere (but really nothing else has gone as far). Since all the standard class-based games are boring, why not make a game with no classes?
