Before Jacky proceeded with the mind upload, he knew he had to settle a personal vendetta. If he were to die now, all his inheritance would fall to his wife, and he refused to let that happen. With determination coursing through his veins, he immediately reached out to his trusted connection — an executor.
He made sure that the laptop was safe from eavesdropping before contacting the person through a video call while inside the bathroom. After all, this was a very important matter to him, and he couldn’t help to worry about everything.
Upon picking up the call, the executor asked, “Mr. Howard, may I know your business in calling me?”
The executor was a connection that he made years ago somewhere, and he wasn’t aware of the fact that he was on the brink of death.
“I need your help with something,” Jacky replied with resolve, “I’m on the brink of death, and I can’t afford to leave my inheritance to my wife.”
Understanding flickered in the executor’s eyes as he grasped the gravity of the situation. “I see. You want to revise your will?”
“Exactly,” Jacky confirmed with a nod. “I want to ensure that my assets go to a cause I believe in, not into the hands of someone who doesn't deserve them.”
The executor nodded and said, “I’ll draft the necessary documents immediately. We’ll make sure your wishes are carried out precisely.”
Jacky then ended the call with a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. With the assistance of the executor, he had taken the necessary steps to ensure that it would be handled according to his wishes. As he leaned back in the toilet, a glint flashed through his eyes.
Now that he had done everything within his power, all that remained was to wait patiently. The anticipation of his impending second chance at life filled him with a sense of euphoric joy — his lips had slowly transformed into a wide grin.
***
Mermaid Tears Elixir
It is a rare treasure derived from the tears of mermaids, which legends said to be able to significantly enhance one’s mana aptitude. Furthermore, it expands the user’s sea of consciousness, infused mana, and accelerates mana regeneration. Traditionally, the user has to wait until a full moon to safely intake the elixir, or else they will be hit by a deadly curse.
Victor was scrutinizing the description of the elixir reward he’d acquired with his revenge mission. Days had passed since then, yet he hadn’t used it. That was because it had to be taken at night under a full moon. And today was that day.
He glanced out the window, observing the clear night sky adorned with a radiant blue moon and a canopy of twinkling stars, looking like a bunch of dots coloring the empty canvas. Such a rare, tranquil night. The moonlight would play a crucial role in increasing the elixir’s potency, and Victor couldn’t miss this opportunity. Though because of this, he couldn’t consume it in the basement.
Still, unlike the previous elixir, which inflicted excruciating pain until he lost consciousness, this one should come with no adverse effects. On paper, there was essentially nothing to worry about. One thing was for sure, however, this elixir was something that he only heard in legends and never appeared in the market, as its existence was considered a myth; he subsequently had to be extra careful.
As of this moment, the players were hot on his trail, and the first second-stage Initiate Attunement acolyte would likely emerge in the next two to three days. He couldn’t grow complacent just because he was an official Magus now. On top of that, there was a player with an even better mana aptitude than him still. Where would he put his face if these bunch of idiots were to surpass him?
Out of the blue, a voice sliced through Victor’s train of thought.
“Master,” Lizbeth announced crisply, “the first sub-level of the high-rank meditation technique has been completed, and I have sent it to your Master Shadowlink Mark.”
“Good.” Victor nodded his head, his eyes briefly meeting Lizbeth’s before returning to the glowing screen in front of him. “The timing couldn’t be better.”
Without dilly-dallying any longer, he took out a vial containing a shimmering, iridescent blue liquid from his interspatial ring. After studying the new meditation technique for an hour, he removed the cork and examined the elixir’s contents. As the elixir’s aroma wafted into the air, a strange force full of grievances emanated from within.
In an instant, Victor felt as though his consciousness was transported to a mysterious realm with a beautiful and charming mermaid princess weeping pitifully in front of him. That fairy tale-like mermaid princess was extremely beautiful and charming, his gaze was deeply attracted to her and was unable to extricate himself. Sorrow gushed out from his heart and tears streamed down and fell from his eyes.
Just as he felt himself slipping deeper into the enchantment, a tranquil energy enveloped him, dispelling the hallucination and restoring clarity to his mind. What just happened?
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“…ter! Master! Are you okay?” Lizbeth’s shout, followed by a small violent shaking of his hair, jolted him back to reality.
No wonder that the elixir must be taken under a full moon. If I were to consume this elixir elsewhere, even with the Twilight Moon Pendant, the chances of me going insane are high… Beads of cold sweat fell down from his forehead; he realized that he had just escaped the deadly curse, and it must be some sort of powerful mental attack.
Shaken by the experience, Victor took a moment to calm his racing heart before managing a reassuring smile. “I’m okay, Liz. I was just a bit distracted.”
“Be careful. I may not be able to help you if you go too deep,” she stated while crossing her arms. Somehow, it’s a bit misleading…
Regardless of that, as expected of an elixir that its existence was considered a myth, the memory of the mermaid princess’s sorrowful visage still lingered in his mind even as he returned to reality. Gripping the vial tighter in his hand, he steeled himself for what was to come.
Raising the vial to his lips, Victor hesitated for just a moment before tipping it back and swallowing its contents in one swift motion. As the liquid slid down his throat, he circulated the new meditation technique he had learned, focusing his mind to resist the intense hallucinations. To his surprise, the meditation technique proved effective, helping him neutralize the strange energy of the elixir and assimilate it into his body.
“Amazing, this new high-rank meditation technique is better than I expected!” Victor exclaimed as he felt a newfound sense of clarity and strength coursing through him.
Due to the fact that it was derived from the Myriad Elements Method, Victor had no need to do the arduous process of adapting to a meditation technique like he once did in the past; it flowed naturally, as if it had always been a part of him. To top it off, he realized that the potential of the meditation technique surpassed the Myriad Elements Method in every way. This technique allowed him to fuse multiple elements simultaneously without relying on spell models.
Nevertheless, it remained as a high-rank meditation technique and could only be practiced by an Elemental Adept or higher-ranked Magus. Well, it was the continuation of the Myriad Elements Method after all, though he shouldn’t name it simply as “Myriad Elements Method 2.0” either. That would be lame.
But as Victor contemplated this, he was suddenly overcome by a wave of dizziness. Clenching his fists, he fought against the sensation, refusing to let it overpower him. With focused determination, he continued to circulate the meditation technique, drawing strength from the tranquil energy of the moonlight and the pendant around his neck. Then, slowly, the dizziness began to subside, replaced by a sense of heightened awareness. Victor felt as though a veil had been lifted from his mind, revealing hidden truths and insights previously beyond his reach.
With a deep breath, Victor exhaled slowly, the tension melting away as he realized that he had successfully consumed the elixir. Its effects were nothing short of miraculous; it not only enhanced his physical constitution, but it also simultaneously improved his learning ability and enhanced his spirit. Victor felt like he was born anew.
“Phew. I feel wonderful.” Victor clenched his right first, sensing the changes coursing through his body. He was certain that his overall combat power had increased by at least 20 percent. “And it’s all thanks to this new meditation technique… Right. Let’s call it ‘Omni-Elemental Fusion Method’ then.”
“Hmm, quite a decent name coming from you.” Lizbeth was never tired of dishing out quips at him.
“Ha, better than anything you may have come up with.” Victor gave her a sarcastic smile. This was true, as shown when she named the company “Placeholder” in the past.
“Hey! Don’t you dare underestimate my naming sense!” Lizbeth harrumphed, sticking out her tongue at him.
Victor motioned at her playfully. “Then, by all means, prove me wrong. If you have a better name, I’m all ears.”
“Uh…” Lizbeth feigned deep thought before quickly averting her gaze from him. “Let’s not get into that, shall we? Hehe. Why don’t we check your improved status instead?”
Really now? Victor was not one to bully this little fairy of his though, so he let it slide and instead activated his Master Shadowlink Mark like she told him.
Victor Asteriscus
HP: 100%
MP: 507/507
Power Rank: Sigil-less Elemental Adept Magus
Elemental Affinity: Cosmo (95%) | Anemo (82%) | Pyro (57%)
Mana Aptitude: Intermediate bright grade
Meditation Technique: Omni-Elemental Fusion Method (foundational, 34%)
Status: Healthy
Strength: (31 → 32)
Agility: (30 → 32)
Vitality: (31 → 32)
Magical Power: (41 → 43)
Infused Mana (total): (420 → 507)
Spell Repertoire:
* Aleph: {Blink Step}, {Spatial Mirage}, {Slicing Wind}, {Zephyr Dash}, {Tempest Burst}, {Wind Guard}, {Flame Whip}, {Flame Dart}, {Ember Shield}, {Heat Wave}, {Demonic Eye}, {Mind Programming}
* Bet: {Warpblade}, {Volcanic Spear}, {Tempest Gale}, {Blazing Burst}
“Not bad at all,” Victor muttered in satisfaction. It was truly a miraculous elixir for it to propel his stats so much, especially his MP. With his increased mana pool, he could now cast more spells without fear of exhausting his reserves quickly.
It had to be mentioned that casting a single Bet-tier spell could use up fifty or more points, making continuous spellcasting at that level to be almost impossible unless his regeneration could keep up with the consumption.
By the way, the first sub-level of the Omni-Elemental Fusion Method, or OEFM for short, would come into play once he was on the verge of forming his first sigil later and to progress beyond that. He estimated that he could fully utilize this sub-level for a few months or so based on his rate of progression. A few months might seem long, but it was actually at a breakneck speed compared to other Elemental Adept Magi. Now that his mana aptitude had increased, his progression would only accelerate further.
Hmm, but accelerated progression pace also means a heightened rate of mana crystal consumption. Right now, even ten mana crystals daily will not suffice to sustain my meditation regiment…
“Shit, I’m going to go broke again, am I?” Victor yelled as he held his head in exasperation.
“Wh-What?!” Lizbeth was taken aback by his sudden outburst, her eyes widening in surprise.
“It’s nothing.”
“Geez, stop with your sudden outburst.”
Fortunately, he had a solution in mind. The captured mercenaries were set to begin mining the mana crystal mine soon, and all he needed to do was assign some players to oversee guard and supervision duties. It was a relief to have an untapped mana crystal mine on his doorstep—
“Aaahh!!”
But before he could fully savor this sense of relief, a high-pitch scream shattered the tranquility outside, jolting Victor from his thoughts.