Chapter 207: Small Steps Forward

Gray let out a slow breath as the warmth of the medicine spread through his body. His regeneration was working, though it would take some time before his wounds fully healed. Fortunately, he had something to occupy himself with while he recovered.

He opened his status screen.

[Level: 53]

[Stat Points: 40]

[Skill Points: 4]

He studied the numbers for a moment.

’Forty points. That’s the most I’ve had in a while.’

His golden eyes shifted toward Cindy, who was swimming nearby, her silver eyes still carrying a mixture of relief and lingering worry. Then he glanced at Lily’s cocoon, its surface pulsing faintly in the darkness.

’I need to be stronger.’

He began distributing his stat points.

Twenty points went into SPD, ten into ATK, five into DEF, and the remaining five into INT.

[SPD: 418 → 438]

[ATK: 234 → 244]

[DEF: 147 → 152]

[INT: 158 → 163]

[HP MAX: 1880 → 1930]

[MP MAX: 1800 → 1850]

The changes settled into his body. His reflexes sharpened, his physical strength increased, and his carapace became denser and more resilient. He could also feel his mana reserves expanding.

Next came his skill points.

He considered his options carefully before settling on three skills.

[TECTONIC SHIFT — Lv. 5 → Lv. 7]

[PHANTOM CLOAK — Lv. 8 → Lv. 9]

[ARCANE BURST — Lv. 7 → Lv. 9]

With the allocation confirmed, he closed his status screen and took a moment to familiarize himself with his improved abilities.

Only then did he notice Cindy swimming in slow circles around Lily’s cocoon.

"Is Lily going to be okay?"

Cindy paused beside the cocoon, her silver eyes following the faint violet patterns that traveled across its surface.

"I’m not sure," she admitted. "But I can still sense her presence inside, and I haven’t detected anything that suggests she’s in immediate danger. For now, I think we should leave her alone and let her finish whatever process she’s going through."

Gray nodded, though he couldn’t help glancing at the cocoon again.

He hoped Lily would emerge soon. The chamber felt strangely empty without her usual playful antics and curious movements.

Cindy soon turned toward him and swam closer.

"Gray, could you take out your alchemy equipment from your ring? I want to try making something."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Right now?"

"Yes. I need to get used to working with this body."

Gray looked at her new axolotl form before glancing at the equipment she was asking for.

"Wouldn’t it be easier to experiment with Tartarus Essence directly? You already know how to use it, don’t you?"

"That’s precisely why I need to practice." Cindy folded her little arms, looking unusually serious. "I’ve made pills before, but this body is different. My control over mana and my movements aren’t the same as they were when I had a human body. Even if I know the recipe, I still need to get accustomed to performing each step like this."

She glanced toward his ring.

"And besides, I can’t guarantee that everything will work as expected. This is my first time attempting alchemy in this body, so I’ll need you to help me."

Gray stared at her for a moment.

"So, in other words, I’m your test subject and assistant?"

"Don’t make it sound so terrible. You’re helping me practice."

"That’s exactly what an alchemist says before something explodes."

Cindy gave him an unimpressed look.

"Do you want me to help you recover or not?"

"Of course. I’d just like to know what we’re making before I risk my life again."

"You’re being dramatic."

"Considering what happened earlier, I think I’ve earned the right."

Cindy ignored his complaint and waited until he took out the alchemy equipment from his ring. Once everything was laid out, she began examining the available ingredients, carefully sorting through the herbs and other materials.

After a while, her eyes settled on two particular ingredients.

"All right. I think I’ll start with a healing potion."

She picked up a small bundle of herbs and a red fruit, inspecting them closely.

"We have Heart Frog Herb and Red-Eye Fruit. Those should be suitable for a basic healing formula."

She turned toward Gray and pushed the ingredients in his direction.

"I’ll handle the brewing and mana control. You can start by grinding these into a fine mixture."

Gray looked down at the ingredients, then back at Cindy.

"You’re giving me the tedious part."

"You’re welcome to refuse."

He sighed and reached for the herbs.

He began grinding the Heart Frog Herb and Red-Eye Fruit, while Cindy positioned herself beside the alchemy equipment and carefully studied the recipe.

Cindy carefully arranged the ingredients beside the alchemy equipment, inspecting each one before beginning.

"All right, let’s start with the heating process."

She raised one of her tiny hands, gathering a small amount of mana at her fingertips. A pale blue flame flickered to life, illuminating her silver eyes as she directed it beneath the alchemy vial.

Gray watched from the side while continuing to grind the remaining ingredients.

"You’re using your magic to control the temperature?"

"Of course. Heating the mixture too quickly could ruin the entire potion. I need to keep the temperature stable throughout the process."

Cindy adjusted the flame, allowing it to spread evenly beneath the vial. Once the glass began to warm, she picked up a small portion of the prepared herbs and carefully dropped them inside.

The herbs darkened as the heat gradually dried them, releasing a faint medicinal aroma into the chamber. Cindy waited until they had been heated sufficiently before adding the next ingredient.

"Now, the crystalline herb extract."

She reached for a small crystal-like herb whose translucent surface shimmered under the light. After placing it inside the vial, she used her mana to regulate the heat.

The crystal slowly softened, its rigid structure melting into a thick liquid that trickled down the inside of the glass. As it mixed with the heated herbs, the contents began to change color, shifting from a dull brown to a murky green.

Cindy narrowed her eyes, carefully observing the transformation.

"Good. The reaction seems to be working so far."

She gently stirred the mixture with a thin glass rod, making sure the ingredients blended evenly.

Then she glanced at Gray.

"Your turn. Hand me the ground Heart Frog Herb, but only a little at a time. Don’t dump everything in at once."

Gray looked at the finely ground herbs in front of him.

"How much is a little?"

"Just a pinch."

"That’s not a measurement."

"Gray."

"All right, all right."

He scooped up a small amount between his claws and carefully sprinkled it into the vial.

The moment the powder touched the liquid, tiny bubbles rose to the surface. The murky green mixture briefly turned a deep crimson before returning to its previous color.

Both of them watched the reaction.

"...Is that supposed to happen?" Gray asked.

Cindy didn’t answer immediately. She leaned closer to the vial, studying the bubbles and the faint traces of red swirling through the liquid.

After a moment, she nodded.

"Yes. That’s part of the reaction. Keep the remaining ingredients ready. I’ll need you to add them gradually while I maintain the temperature."

Gray glanced at the vial, then at Cindy.

"You sound awfully confident for someone who’s never done this in an axolotl body before."

"I know the recipe, Gray. The body is the unfamiliar part, not the alchemy itself."

"Right. I’ll remember that when the vial explodes."

"It isn’t going to explode."

"That’s reassuring."

Cindy gave him a blank look before returning her attention to the potion.

"Now, stop talking and prepare the Red-Eye Fruit. We’ll need its juice for the next stage."

Gray obeyed, slicing the fruit into smaller pieces and carefully extracting its crimson juice into a separate container.

As the potion continued to simmer, its color gradually deepened. Cindy adjusted the flame with minute changes in her mana, her expression growing more focused as she prepared for the next step.

Cindy carefully poured the crimson juice of the Red-Eye Fruit into the vial, maintaining her blue flame beneath it. The liquid swirled as the new ingredient mixed with the existing mixture, its color gradually shifting from deep red to a murky purple.

"Good. Now, I just need to stabilize the mixture..."

She narrowed her silver eyes and adjusted the flow of mana, trying to maintain a consistent temperature while stirring the liquid.

However, her attention briefly wandered toward Lily’s cocoon.

’I wonder how long she’ll need to emerge. And what exactly happened when she absorbed that orb?’

The questions lingered in her mind. She had been worried about Lily ever since the transformation began, and even though she could still sense her presence, she couldn’t completely put those concerns aside.

Her concentration slipped.

The flame beneath the vial suddenly grew stronger.

"Oh, wait!"

Before Cindy could correct it, the liquid inside began bubbling violently. A strange hissing sound escaped the vial, followed by a series of sharp cracks spreading across the glass.

Gray immediately leaned backward.

"Uh, Cindy?"

"I know! I’m fixing it!"

She hurriedly reduced the flame and tried to stabilize the mixture with her mana, but it was already too late.

POP!

A puff of green smoke burst from the vial, spreading across the small alchemy setup. The glass container cracked apart, spilling the ruined potion across the equipment.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Gray and Cindy stared at the mess.

Then Gray slowly turned his golden eyes toward her.

"...Congratulations. You’ve successfully invented poison."

Cindy’s voice dripped with irritation.

"It’s not poison! The reaction was simply unstable!"

"Of course. And the vial spontaneously decided to commit suicide."

"Gray!"

He raised both hands defensively.

"Hey, I’m just trying to lighten the mood."

Cindy looked away, her little tail swishing irritably behind her. She had been confident that she could handle the recipe, but the failure had come so suddenly that she couldn’t help feeling frustrated with herself.

After a moment, Gray’s expression softened.

"Well, don’t worry too much about it. Everyone fails sometimes, right? You just need to figure out what went wrong and try again."

Cindy glanced back at him.

Gray nodded solemnly.

"Besides, it’s not like we lost anything important. We only wasted some herbs, a fruit, and a vial. And if the next one explodes, at least we’ll know your alchemy has a destructive side."

Cindy’s silver eyes narrowed.

"...Gray."

"Yes?"

"You’re really bad at encouraging people."

Gray tilted his head.

"Really? I thought I did pretty well."

"You just told me that my potion might explode again!"

Gray let out a quiet chuckle as Cindy turned away with an exasperated huff.

Still, after a few moments, she began inspecting the ruined mixture, her earlier frustration gradually giving way to curiosity.

"...I suppose I can learn something from this failure," she muttered. "The temperature increased too quickly when I added the Red-Eye Fruit juice. I should have reduced the flame beforehand."

Gray watched her regain her composure.

’Well, at least she isn’t giving up.’

He reached for the remaining ingredients and began organizing them again.

"So, shall we try another batch?"

Cindy looked at him suspiciously.

"Are you sure you want to help me?"

"Why wouldn’t I? If we succeed, we get a healing potion. If we fail, I get to watch you invent increasingly dangerous liquids."

She stared at him.

"...You really don’t know when to stop talking, do you?"

"Not particularly."

Cindy sighed, though the corners of her mouth lifted ever so slightly.

"Fine. But this time, follow my instructions carefully."

"Okay, ma’am."