For the next several hours, Jack and Nina were hard at work, brewing an assortment of potions. The dimly lit alchemy lab was adorned with shelves filled with an array of colorful vials and bubbling cauldrons. The air was heavy with the scent of herbs and arcane ingredients as they meticulously concocted their potions.
First of all, the girl deftly mixed ingredients in a large cauldron to create a potent stamina potion. As the brew simmered, she poured the liquid into a vial and swiftly downed it to invigorate her body so it could function effectively for the next twenty-four hours.
Then Jack and Nina proceeded to create a few powerful health and mana potions, each one carefully selecting and blending ingredients to maximize their effectiveness. Jack also created potions to heighten his reflexes for the upcoming battle against the sorceress known as Melinda. Meanwhile, Nina focused on enhancing her mana manipulation skills, crafting potions to amplify her magical abilities and cast more powerful spells with ease.
After completing the potions, Nina shifted her focus to enchanting Jack’s sword. Tapping into the local mana pool, she channeled the magic energy to imbue the blade with three different enchantments. The first one greatly increased the sword’s attack power, while the second bestowed the ability to inflict fiery damage upon enemies.
The most intriguing enchantment was the creation of a phantom copy of the sword. By activating this enchantment with a mental command, Jack could release a spectral flying blade, sending it hurling in the direction he swung his physical sword. The strike of the phantom copy would be as powerful as that of the real sword.
Nina warned Jack that activating the enchantments consumed mana, so she advised him to activate them strategically only when needed, such as before their clash with Melinda. If the sword ran out of mana, the enchantments would deactivate until replenished. The first two enchantments could be turned on and off with a simple mental command. The third enchantment, the one that created a phantom copy of his sword, had to be activated each time just before it was utilized.
By the time they finished, morning had arrived. Their meticulous preparations finished, Jack and Nina bade farewell to Kirk. His condition was getting worse. Both his legs had already turned into stone up to the thighs, and his fingers had begun to petrify as well. It was so painful for Nina to see him in that state she almost cried. She didn’t want to leave him alone, but she knew she had to. In order to save him, she needed to kill the sorceress. There was no other way to cure Kirk.
After Jack reassured her that his treehouse was secure in their absence, they departed, each equipped with potent potions. Jack carried his sword, imbued with mystical enchantments, secured at his hip. Nina, a proficient mage, had no need for a physical weapon; her combat spells surpassed many conventional arms.
Nina guided Jack into the area of the forest he had dubbed the Darkwoods. After he discovered a less dense and much brighter part of the forest, which he had named the Sungrove, he rarely ventured back into the Darkwoods. He hadn’t explored that section of the alien forest all that well, and that likely was the reason he had never found the Shrine of Talindra Nina was leading him to.
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It took them a few hours to arrive at their destination. In the center of a small clearing they had just entered, a pedestal stood with a statue of a long-haired female deity dressed in a flowing robe. Before the statue, embedded into the stone of the pedestal was a bowl, currently empty. Nina explained that one needed to put a specific rare item in the bowl to receive Talindra’s blessings. However, as she had told him the previous night, the first use was complimentary, so all he needed to do now was touch the statue.
When Jack pressed his palm against the cool, smooth statue, a wave of warmth enveloped him. A message appeared before his eyes, informing him that he had been cleansed of all negative effects. When he checked his status, he discovered that the curse the witch had placed on him many days before had indeed been lifted. Relief flooded through him, knowing that the menacing blind mutants would no longer materialize all around him every single night.
It took them several more hours to make their way back to the Sungrove. Along the journey, they encountered various monsters, dealing with them without any trouble. While Jack engaged the creatures in close-range combat, Nina cast offensive spells at them from a distance. She used some protective and combat-enhancing spells on him as well. Through their seamless coordination and effective teamwork, Jack grew increasingly confident that the two of them made an exceptional duo. He was getting more and more optimistic that they might actually be able to defeat the sorceress.
Finally, they made it back to the Sungrove. Nina wanted to return to his treehouse to check on Kirk, but Jack told her it wasn’t such a good idea. Jack reasoned with Nina, explaining that if they first returned home, it would take them a few additional hours before they could reach the meeting place with Melinda. He stressed the importance of arriving before Melinda to avoid falling into any potential ambush she might set. Time was of the essence, and they couldn’t afford any delays in their journey. Reluctantly, Nina agreed with Jack’s reasoning. Noticing how sad she was, Jack once again reassured her that his treehouse was securely protected by magic and would remain safe in their absence, so nothing bad would happen to Kirk.
When they finally reached the scorched remains of the camp where Nina and Kirk had once lived, the evening had already descended upon the alien forest. Jack couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness as he surveyed the wreckage of what had once been Nina’s home. The effort and care Nina and her friends had put into creating this place were evident, and the sight of it in ruins was truly disheartening. Glancing at Nina, he noticed the tears glistening in her eyes as she stared at the scorched remains of her home.
As Jack prepared to offer words of encouragement to Nina, a sudden rustle of leaves caught his attention. Someone had stealthily emerged from the foliage behind them, catching both Jack and Nina off guard.
“Well, well, well,” a female cold voice suddenly spoke from behind their backs. “You arrived sooner than I expected.”
Both Jack and Nina swiftly turned around to face the woman who had just emerged from behind a nearby tree trunk. Jack was taken aback to see she wore her birthday suit.
“That's her,” Nina whispered to Jack, her voice laced with hatred. “That’s Melinda.”
A wicked grin stretched across the sorceress’ face.
“That’s right. It’s me. Shall we begin then?”