Chapter 82

This is an extra chapter.

Note: It's full of jokes and the author's whims.

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In the workshop of Atelier, a sound like a sigh echoed. I twisted my neck, puzzled, and frowned, holding a test tube in my right hand containing a reddish-black, syrupy liquid. It was one of the new potions I had been working on. But something had gone wrong during the manufacturing process...

"No... I copied the recipe from the book, but... did I leave it unattended for too long? This looks like a failure, doesn't it?"

The liquid in my right hand was supposed to be a bright orange. How did it end up like this? It was because I had carelessly looked away.

The incident began with an item delivery at the Making Box. A random herb was supposed to be delivered, but this time it was a herb called "Murel's Grass." Its use was unknown, but it could be grown from seeds, so I planted it in the field and waited a few days.

"Pfft, hahaha..."

I was holding a book at the store counter, trying to suppress my laughter. Kyoko and Rui looked at me with puzzled expressions, but I couldn't stop laughing.

"Stupid. The person who made this book is an idiot."

It was a book I had obtained during a camping event. Apparently, it was a diary of an old mage, but the content was absurdly ridiculous.

"No... After mastering magic, the next step was hair loss treatment... hahaha. No, I can't stop laughing."

The mage had mastered fire magic and, in his later years, reflected on his life. He lamented the loss of his hair, which he attributed to his dedication to fire magic. The stark contrast was hilarious. I imagined the mage's hair turning into an afro in an explosion.

"So... he started working on a hair growth potion... Hmm? What are these ingredients?"

My laughter subsided as I read the list of ingredients. Most of the items were at a higher level, but more than half were already in my possession. The ingredients included Herb Spirit Grass for High Potions, Magic Spirit Grass for MP Potions, and parts from two specific types of monsters used as catalysts. There were also Vitality Tree Berries and Murel's Grass from the Making Box. The potion-making level seemed high, and it would take a lot of time, but it also promised a lot of experience points.

"Ah, I'll ask Miu for the monster parts. At my level..."

The monsters were found in the deepest part of the dungeon near the third town. Exploring that area solo was impossible at my current level. As I continued reading the book:

"Murel's Grass and parts from the two monsters to create two bases. By changing the ratio, it can become a hair growth potion or a hair shrinking potion. And the method... Hmm."

I wrote down the content in my notebook and organized the steps. The ratio and weight calculations were more complex than previous potions, and it would likely take over an hour. After decoding the book and requesting the materials from Miu, I waited for a weekend when I had free time.

"Grinding, boiling the liquid. Powdering the two monster parts... and then..."

I heated the two semi-liquid bases, mixed them, and the clear liquid on top became the hair growth potion. The yield was minimal, almost a hobby, but even a hobby can be tiring.

"Sure enough, the advanced alchemy equipment is great. It even takes over the manual mixing."

In the small cauldron, the mixture was automatically stirred to prevent burning. The advanced alchemy equipment increased the success rate of potion production and took over many manual tasks, though it only helped with the mixing. Previously, most tasks involved simple mixing and boiling, but as the potions became more complex, fine-tuning ratios and weight calculations took over.

While the equipment handled the mixing, I worked on improving a body-strengthening potion using inexpensive monster parts. The potion used monster parts to enhance stats, but different monsters had various negative effects. Parts without negative effects were rare drops or from high-level monsters, so they weren't widely used. I aimed to remove the negative effects and create a mass-producible, affordable item.

"Hmm... Goblin horns and slime drops have no effect when boiled, and weaker monsters lose their enhancement effects when the negative effects are removed. Stone Armadillos and Rock Crabs, and Blue Beetles are the best options now. Armadillos and crabs enhance DEF, and Beetles only enhance SPEED..."

I recited the results of my previous improvements and began today's work. The slow-moving monsters on the west side caused sleep (armadillos) and confusion (crabs), while the beetles near the second town caused poisoning. I tried to neutralize these effects with counteracting herbs, but the potency of the potions was reduced. So, I tried making them into solid pills.

The base materials for the pills, the herbs to counteract the negative effects, and the monster parts needed to be processed. I planned to do this while the clear liquid was being prepared.

"This isn't working. Maybe I should dry the mixture into a clay-like substance and then make the pills..."

I twisted my neck, but the incomplete products still had some toxicity. However, the rate of negative effects was reduced to 30%—the incomplete enhancement pills were a success. They had a 30% chance of causing negative effects, making them a kind of gamble. But since they could be used with other enhancements, they didn't conflict with existing enchantment stones. Making enchantment stones was becoming more time-consuming than potions, so if the enhancement pills worked, I could consider phasing out the enchantment stones.

I was working on improving the recipe when I forgot something important.

"Drying the herbs or using them fresh..."

I mixed and heated the liquid for much longer than planned. It began to boil violently and emit a foul odor—then it exploded.

I was hit by a very comical explosion, but it felt like it was happening to someone else. I fell on my butt from the shock, and the liquid and red and pink smoke from the cauldron covered me. I was unharmed thanks to the ring with a protective gem.

The gem in the ring was shattered, indicating that the explosion had some damaging force.

"Cough, cough... Ugh, I forgot. Damn... I have to start over."

I muttered, scratching my head while sitting on the floor. I picked up something shaking at the edges of my vision. My usual short hair, which barely touched my jaw, had grown significantly. When I checked the length, it had grown to about chest level. I pinched the heavy, long hair and examined it closely.

"Wow, half a success. It's a success as a hair growth potion, but the cause of the explosion... Haaa!?"

When I stood up, I realized my eye level was much lower. In fact, my entire body had shrunk. Realizing this, I felt a chill run down my spine.

"W-What the hell is this!?"