Nebula’s room caught me off guard the second I stepped inside. It was far softer than I expected—everything about it held an almost delicate touch.

Sheer curtains, drawn just enough to let in the late light, cast a lavender hue over the walls. A small bookshelf lined one side, filled with neat rows of books and a few scattered trinkets. By her bed, there was a worn chair, its cushions sinking from use, draped with a light, cream-colored throw. There was also a bunny plushie on the bed…

Given her cold attitude, This wasn’t a space I’d have pictured for Nebula Carlstein.

She was sitting on the edge of her bed, watching me with her arms crossed and one brow raised as if daring me to comment on her room.

I did just that. “First time seeing your room,” I commented, glancing around with the faintest smirk, taking it all in as I crossed the space and found a seat across from her. “Color me surprised. You like bunnies?”

She didn’t respond. She just looked at me, waiting, eyes narrowing as if she was trying to read some hidden motive on my face. “...So? What are you here for?”

“Right,” I replied, clearing my throat and getting to the point. “A pill.”

“A pill,” she repeated, staring at me blankly. “What is that supposed to mean?

“Well,” I leaned forward. “It’s called the Surging Blood Pill. Essentially, it’s a temporary boost to a person’s physique—it makes one’s mana surge into the muscles. It can make you stronger, faster, tougher. It was popular back in my… well, back in Murim.” I still found it a little strange that I had told her about that world.

Nebula just watched me, arms still crossed, brow still raised. “And?”

“What do you mean ‘and’?” I said, sounding offended, “I’m going to make it, and I need your help.”

She stared at me for a moment and then let out a dry laugh. “You want my help?” Her tone was deadpan, and her eyes were sharp with irony. “Iskandaar, I am not an alchemist.”

“I know. I’ll be doing most of the work, you’ll just help. We can pull it off together.”

Nebula’s brow stayed arched, but I caught the faintest hint of curiosity in her gaze. “And why should I even agree to this? You know, I don’t know anything about alchemy, potions, or whatever pill you’re cooking up. It seems to be that I’m just going to be wasting time.”

“You’re getting to spend more time with your betrothed. Isn’t that enough?” I asked with a shrug, and she blinked, her face going a little red. She opened her mouth to counter, but I spoke over her.

“Jokes aside, you don’t need to know everything about alchemy,” I said, leaning back a little, keeping my gaze level with hers. “I’ll handle the specifics. I have the recipe, I just need to master it, but I need a Blood Mage I can trust by my side to do that fast. Besides, what we’re about to do here, Nebula… is going to be significant. It’s going to save lives. How many Adventurers do you think will benefit from such a pill during a near-death encounter?”

She pondered over my words. A cause bigger than us seemed to pull her attention. She nodded, crossing her arms a little tighter, as she said, “Alright. Go on.”

“Picture this,” I began, letting the words come as easily as the vision of it. “A pill that makes you unstoppable in the right moment, regardless of whether you’re a mage or a fighter. It grants strength and resilience just when it’s needed most. Sure, there’s a bit of drain afterward, but compared to the advantage it grants in the heat of a battle?”

“...It’s worth it.” Nebula tapped her fingers on her arm, looking at me thoughtfully. “But are you sure you can actually pull this off? I’m skeptical because if you could, you should’ve been able to do that by yourself.”

“The ingredients are different in both worlds. So I have to put this through much testing,” I said, giving her a small smile. “But with your help? I don’t see why not. Plus… we’re not simply doing charity work here. If we succeed, you’ll get a royalty on every pill sold. As co-creator.”

She blinked, and for once, she looked taken aback. What, did she think I was going to make her do slave labor?

I could see the thoughts moving behind her eyes—the weight of what I’d just offered. She knew, just as I did, how profitable a pill like this could become. She knew its worth.

“Royalty…”

She murmured, almost testing the idea in her mind. I just smirked and waited. For a second, she looked away, like she was contemplating everything, and then her lips quirked, a smile breaking through that mask of hers.

“Well,” she finally said, “it can’t hurt.”

****

I stepped out of the alchemy shop with a bag packed full of herbs and vials of monster blood. They were essentials for what I had in mind. Lilian, who had been outside eating frites, joined me when I walked out. Her eyes flitted over the bustling market, curious as if every item might hold some forbidden secret.

She peered into the bag and wrinkled her nose. “And what’s that squishy thing supposed to help with?” Her finger hovered near a translucent pouch, obviously trying to keep her distance from it.

“Blood sac of a Dire Wolf,” I replied without missing a beat. “It enhances the pill’s potency.”

She looked scandalized, snapping her head to glare at me. “Dire wolf blood? You’re sacrificing my wolf babies for pills?!”

I smirked. “Only because I want the best for you. You realize that you’ll benefit from me making money too.”

“How?”

“Unlimited Pudding Magic.”

“Ohhh~” She grinned, her shock at seeing butchered wolf blood vanishing into thin air. “Fine, then! And what’s that?” She pointed to a bundle of crimson, thorny herbs.

“Fiendroot. Stabilizes the whole concoction. Keeps it from blowing up.”

Lilian shot me a sidelong look. “Are you sure you’re not planning to blow us up?”

“Only if you keep distracting me.”

“That’s so rude of you to say,” she said even as she stuck her tongue out.

We chatted as we walked through the city. A few minutes later, we strolled through the ornate gates toward Solara’s mansion. The scent of well-tended gardens surrounded us. The investigation for the demon had been useful for this place, they cleaned up all the overgrown weeds to search better. That almost made this place liveable again.

When we entered, Solara was in the courtyard, shadowboxing with an intensity that was almost hypnotic. Each punch and kick landed with the sharp focus of someone training to kill a man—grace and power blending together in every movement. Even as she moved, I could feel her Mana circulating within her in a way that she never knew of before.

Fighting, in a well-made technique, could also be considered cultivation because it made the energy swirl within the body. At this rate, she’ll finish circulating all her energy into her body. She was almost ready for the fun part of cultivation—energy absorption from the atmosphere.

“Solara, you’re doing well,” I called, waving at her. Solara paused mid-kick, glancing our way with a grin.

“Someone around here has to put in the hard work,” she said, shooting Lilian a look.

Lilian scoffed. “Hard work? Looks like you’re just dancing with ghosts. While I was helping the young master,” she raised the bag she was carrying. “See?”

Solara shrugged. “Sounds like you’re jealous of my progress.”

“Sure,” Lilian grumbled.

They shot back and forth with jabs that had somehow grown usual between them. How did this Lilian manage to fight with everyone? I sighed. Sadly, I didn’t have time to humor them.

“Is Nebula inside?” I cut in.

“Yeah, she’s been waiting for you,” Solara said, toweling off her face. “Are you two going to make that pill for real?”

“Attempt to, anyway,” I said with a nod. The Heavenly Demon’s memories would help, but alchemy wasn’t exactly my specialty. I turned to Lilian. “Why don’t you join Solara for a sparring session? I’ll catch up with you after.”

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

She crossed her arms. “Trying to get rid of me?”

“Would I ever?” I replied, giving her my best innocent look.

She shot me a suspicious look but thankfully agreed. “Fine, but I really wanted to see the process. So I expect a full update later. You owe me that much.”

“Fair deal.”

Leaving them to their banter, I stepped inside. The Fenixia mansion was as grand as ever—marble floors, vaulted ceilings, the kind of opulence that wasn’t shy about announcing itself. This time, though, the living room had been transformed into an impromptu alchemy lab. I didn’t bother setting things up inside the secret chamber.

An alchemical pot simmered in the center of the living room, sending wisps of vapor into the air with the faintest crackle.

Nebula sat nearby, flipping through an old grimoire, her expression unreadable. She looked up as I entered, a subtle look on her face. “Took you long enough. I’ve been waiting.”

“Good things come to those who wait~” I said, dropping the bag beside the pot.

She raised an eyebrow at the spread of ingredients. “Once again, are you sure about this?”

“About making money?” I asked, my smile sharpening as I began unpacking the bag. “Absolutely.”

Nebula crossed her arms, watching me lay out each herb and vial with meticulous care. Her skeptical look softened, just barely. “So, what’s the plan?”

I started mixing the ingredients, the motion familiar in a way that stirred memories of the cult—memories that weren’t mine. I ignored that for now. “I told you before, we’re trying to make the Surging Blood Pill,” I said, glancing at her. “It will convert a portion of the consumer’s mana, transforming it into strength and speed. Nothing quite like it here. It’ll be a hit.”

Nebula’s eyebrow arched slightly, her gaze steady. “You know, it sounds too good to be true. Are the side effects truly just as you’ve said?”

“Yep. Exhaustion. It’s nothing people can’t handle,” I replied, stirring the concoction as the pot began to bubble. “Depending on how much mana you have, the exhaustion might not even be that big of a deal afterward.”

Nebula stayed silent for a moment, and then a laugh escaped her as she shook her head. “You’re something else.”

As the ingredients combined, the mixture emitted a faint, crimson glow, pulsing like a heartbeat. I could feel it—this was the start of something big.

****

The alchemical pot bubbled softly, a faint crimson steam rising from its surface. As I unlatched the bag, the faint smell of iron hit my nose. I tilted it, letting the Dire Wolf blood trickle into the pot.

It thickened in the heated water. A dark, viscous pool swirled with flecks of scarlet.

Nebula raised her hand, extending a finger above the mixture. A small cut opened at her fingertip, releasing a single drop of her blood into the brew. With it, the crimson liquid began to churn, reacting as her blood magic took hold, guiding the blood to settle into the correct blend. It pulsed once, like a heartbeat, the liquid slowly binding together.

"Ready?" she asked, glancing my way.

I nodded, reaching for the Fiendroot bundle. One by one, I dropped the thorny herbs into the pot, watching as they dissolved, their crimson hue bleeding into the mixture. I also instructed her to move the concoction in the required manner, controlling the blood perfectly. A faint glow flickered from within, illuminating the pot’s depths as the ingredients merged, their energies reacting with one another.

“Stabilizer,” I murmured, adding the last piece to keep the concoction from separating. The concoction hummed, bubbling up, and I spent the next few minutes guiding Nebula. Often, I had to use bits of my Demonic Affinity Qi to charge up the concoction as well, making the flow better. I didn’t use too much, otherwise the pill would be ruined. Also, I wanted to sell the recipe, and that couldn’t be if demonic energy was required for making it.

Soon, it was time for the final step.

I focused, reaching into the core of my being to draw out the Star Affinity. I felt it hum to life within me, a searing warmth that sparked at my fingertips. Carefully, I directed the energy into the pot, allowing the gentle starfire to heat the liquid from beneath, keeping the temperature steady. The blood simmered, and the Fiendroot melded, as did the dozen other ingredients I had put inside. The concoction began to thicken, forming a rich, pulsing red.

We watched as it bubbled, the mixture’s glow intensifying. “We’re close,” I said. This should be it. Just a few more seconds, and—

An explosive burst of heat and light erupted from the pot, sending a cloud of crimson vapor into my face.

I stumbled back, wiping the sticky residue from my eyes as the fumes dispersed into the air. Nebula sighed, her hand still hovering above the pot, fingers twitching as if holding back irritation. "Well," she muttered, inspecting the disaster left in the pot, "that was underwhelming."

I gave a half-hearted shrug, wiping the mess off my face. "It’s fine, no man succeeds on their first attempt. We have enough materials for a few more attempts."

She sighed again, and we both stared at the remnants of our failed brew, letting the silence hang heavy between us before moving to clean up and begin again.

****

We succeeded. It took a few days, but we succeeded. At least it seemed that way to our bare eyes, and my [Inspect] Skill also confirmed it with a description. The memories of the Heavenly Demon also confirmed that the concoction had proceeded as it should, as the final product looked the same. Still, we had to test it.

Thankfully, the testing proceeded without anything dramatic. I expected as much. It’d have been weird for the pill to fail in miserable ways after in-take even after the details my [Inspect] showed.

—

Name: Surging Blood Pill

Type: Consumable | Alchemical Enhancement

Details:

A potent alchemical pill crafted through a blend of rare monsters’ blood and alchemical herbs. Upon consumption, the pill temporarily converts a portion of the user’s available mana reserves into raw physical strength, rapidly fortifying muscles and increasing speed. Although the effects are powerful, they are limited in duration and come with a side effect of significant exhaustion after the boost ends.

Effect:

* Mana Conversion: Converts 30% of the user’s current Mana Points directly into enhanced muscle power and endurance.

* Physical Boost: Increases Strength and Agility by manafold for a short duration.

* Side Effect: Leaves the user fatigued and with reduced MP recovery for 30 minutes after the effect wears off.

Requirements:

* Recommended for users with Mana Points of 1000 or higher.

Warning: Excessive use within short periods may lead to severe physical strain and lowered resistance to Mana depletion.

—

After reading all that and then doing the testing, I could be sure that the pill was made properly. The recipe was ready to be sold.

Nebula and I made our way through the bustling streets of Waybound, and I caught the hint of a smile playing on her lips as we walked past the yells of shopkeepers and the smells of food and flowers. She’d been waiting for this moment as much as I had, maybe even more so with all the time she’d spent hovering over that alchemical pot, silently judging every misstep I’d made along the way.

“Admit it,” she said with a grin, nudging me with her elbow. “You didn’t think you’d actually get it done. Not after the fifth try.”

“Oh, ye of little faith,” I replied, rolling my eyes but unable to keep the grin off my face. “Did you think I’d succeed?” I said, and she shrugged. “See. Still, maybe we didn’t think we’d get it done, but Lilian and Solara sure acted like it was a triumph worthy of a festival.”

“Duh, it’s almost as if they’re blind cultists,” Nebula shot me a sidelong look and said, and when I didn’t say anything, she let out a laugh, the sound surprisingly genuine, as if she was reliving that exact moment. “I’m joking. You should’ve seen Lilian’s face when the potion actually held its form and became a pill. I thought she was going to tackle you to the ground.”

“She almost did,” I muttered. “One more cheer, and she’d have hugged the life out of me.”

“She looked ready to frame that first pill,” Nebula said, amusement clear in her voice. “As if it wasn’t one misstep away from blowing up in your face. Again.”

“Like you didn’t look just as pleased,” I shot back, arching an eyebrow at her. “Don’t think I missed that victorious little fist pump when the pill stabilized. You can’t pretend you weren’t just as invested in this.”

She tilted her head, trying for a look of innocence but failing. “Well, I wasn’t going to leave you to blow up alone. Besides,” she added with a mischievous glint in her eye, “Money is money. I won’t lie, I’ve been hoping to score a jackpot from this.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Well, we’re heading to claim our jackpot as we speak. We’ll get a reward worthy of all that work. The Alchemy Guild should recognize a stroke of genius when they see it.”

Nebula shrugged, brushing off my self-assured words. “Let’s hope they’re as impressed as you are. I’d hate to see that triumphant smile of yours drop after all this.”

We continued along the crowded path, our pace unhurried, as the towers of Waybound loomed above us. The air was thick with the mingling scents of street vendors’ foods and the faint herbal tang drifting from apothecaries and the increasing alchemical shops lining the streets. I took in the familiar sight, letting the energy of the city sharpen my focus.

But as we rounded a corner, we found ourselves nearly colliding with a familiar figure stepping out of a shop. I blinked.

Prince Alaric Rooshmar, accompanied by his maidservant, blinked. He looked our way almost immediately, his expression shifting from nonchalance to keen interest. I inclined my head respectfully, planning to walk on, but his voice stopped me.

“Iskandaar Romani,” he called, his tone friendly yet deliberate.

I turned, offering a polite nod. “Your Highness,” I said, and Nebula did the same. Alaric smiled in return, and to my surprise, his maidservant bowed a little to me.

“Young master Romani,” she said, which honestly was odd. I didn’t think she’d be this respectful after how our first meeting went.

Alaric’s gaze drifted to Nebula, a glint of amusement sparking in his eyes. “I trust I’m not interrupting?” His lips quirked into a smile. “A private outing, perhaps?”

Nebula stifled a laugh, nudging me. “No, it’s not a date. He just happened to drag me out here for business.”

I shook my head. “Yes. We’re actually on our way to the Alchemy Guild,” I peeked behind the tower looming behind Alaric.

“Ah,” Alaric said, his curiosity clearly piqued. “Might I ask why?”

I decided to answer honestly. I had an idea. I gestured to the small vial I carried. “Amelia, err, the chancellor, arranged a meeting with one of their top alchemists in the guild. After several… trials, we succeeded in creating a new pill. We’re hoping to sell the recipe.”

“Impressive,” Alaric murmured, his gaze sharpening with interest as he studied the vial. Then he glanced at his maidservant, exchanging a look of silent understanding, before returning his focus to me. “In that case, would you mind if I accompanied you? I’d like to see what Waybound’s finest alchemists think of your… creation. And who knows, maybe Roshmar will be interested in buying it directly from you.”

I held back a smile. This was a stroke of luck. Nebula raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised, and glanced at me as if to ask, Is this part of the plan?

“Of course, Your Highness,” I replied smoothly, masking any hint of surprise. “We’d be honored to have you join us.”