NOVEL NEXT Chapter 195: Pills
"That's a hundred gold coins. More importantly, you'll accompany me on the next mission outside the Tower. As my primary retainer."
Theresa's breath caught. She bowed again. "Thank you, Master Harvey."
Harvey didn't smile. But his voice was lighter.
"I didn't expect you to win. But I value results."
He then turned and left, not glancing at the two other slaves on the stage. They were also just looking down at the ground as if they were ashamed of the result of the match.
Soon, Van met Theresa behind the arena afterward.
She was exhausted, but glowing with energy.
"I did it," she said, panting, but beaming.
"You did," Van replied. "And Willowstep suits you."
Theresa chuckled. "I think I'll keep the name."
Van looked at her quietly.
"You were amazing today."
She paused. "I wouldn't have won without your help."
He shrugged. "You did the work. I only helped you see it better."
Their eyes met for a moment—and then, without another word, Theresa turned and walked back toward the dorms, head held high.
Van stayed behind, watching her go, quietly satisfied. It wasn't just because of the victory.
But because, in a place where people like them are treated badly because they were Aura Users… someone was starting to rise.
***
Two weeks later, within Julia's private training ground, one could see Van using it instead. It was now filled with the scent of herbs and various materials for alchemy.
It was early dawn. This training ground wasn't simple. It was filled with magical barriers meant to repel intruders, sense movement, block spells, or more specifically, it could isolate magical disturbances from the rest of the Tower.
Of course, Van had borrowed the keys with permission.
Well—Julia had told him to clean the place last week, and she hadn't asked for the keys back. Anyway, as Van knew about Julia's schedule, he knew that she wouldn't use the training grounds for three more days.
Anyway, since Julia didn't take the keys, it shouldn't be a problem to use the space.
He knew he was pushing boundaries. But if he was going to make the Aura Advancement Pill, there was no better place than here.
This room was forged for magical tests and filled with Magic Stabilization Arrays—perfect for housing the violent reaction of a high-tier alchemical product.
Van had spent the last few weeks preparing meticulously.
He had refined two of the eight Spiritual Kiss Flowers through micro-distillation and extraction, learning how their essence reacted under low-flame and Aura exposure. One wilted completely under test conditions—another combusted violently when mixed with raw Ashroot Dust and left open to open air.
But he learned from it and that was important.
Thanks to that, Van adjusted.
In any case, he only needed six flowers for this pill.
Using his Ocularis Lens, he mapped out the behavior of each compound, tracking how Aura reacted to the floral-based essence at a molecular level and it wasn't something that Alchemists could easily do even with their higher rank.
At this time, Van stood in the center of Julia's private training ground. Spread before him were tightly sealed jars, cauldron bundles of Ashroot, vials of Dew Resin, flecks of Molten Bark Dust, and a small circular furnace. The Soul Dew Drop—a rare stabilizer—was positioned at the center of the catalyst tray, glowing with gentle silver light. It was another item that was quite difficult to obtain.
Then, most importantly, six pristine Spiritual Kiss Flowers, still glowing with their violet petals, could be seen…
After all this time, Van was finally ready.
Van took a slow breath, steadying his nerves. A single mistake could cause everything to collapse—or worse, explode.
He had to make his Ocularis Lens work overtime and ensure that he wouldn't miss anything.
"Let's begin…" he whispered.
Just like that, his Lens showed him the information he needed.
[ Alchemical Sequence Initiated: Formula – Aura Advancement Pill
Tier: High ]
[ Environmental Interference: 3.2% – Stable ]
[ Catalyst Temperature: 28°C – Optimal ]
[ Initiate Aura Fusion… ]
Alright...
The furnace came to life as the mystical fire was triggered by Van's Aura…
Well, as a First-Level Aura Knight, he could now manipulate his Aura and it was more than enough to trigger the formation of the furnace…
Soon, the area started getting hot but it was stable.
Van first ground the Ashroot into a fine powder using a cooled mill. He poured it into the mixing bowl and slowly added crushed Molten Bark Dust, which created a faint golden smoke that he immediately contained in a sealed bell jar.
[ Combustible warning: Maintain 21% humidity ]
Next, the Dew Resin—measured drop by drop. It was the emulsifier. It connected the dry ingredients and activated their latent Aura-conductive properties.
As the resin flowed over the dust, the mixture began to bubble softly.
Then came the most difficult part.
The flowers.
Van placed the six Spiritual Kiss Flowers in a separate mortar etched with a mana-gathering formation that was already installed there. He poured a few drops of Soul Dew Drop over the petals and immediately began to grind—slow, circular, controlled.
A faint glow escaped the mortar. As the petals broke down, a shimmer of rose-colored mist began to rise.
[ Extraction Rate: 78% ]
[ Spiritual Essence Stability: 91% – Holding ]
He had to be fast now.
Moving carefully, Van poured the pink spiritual paste into the bubbling core mixture. The furnace roared as the compound reacted.
Flames rose and curled around the cauldron, but the Formation Array kicked in.
Still—Van staggered back from the force.
[ Reaction Detected: Grade-B Alchemical Resonance ]
[ Apply Aura Thread… ]
"Yes," Van hissed.
Aura Thread was one thing he had been practicing for this Alchemy…
He extended his palm, letting a single thread of Aura leak into the air—thread-thin, almost undetectable. He guided it toward the cauldron, coiling it into the ingredients…
Soon, the bubbling slowed. The glow deepened from rose pink to amber.
Then Van just needed to wait. He had to be patient during this process after all.
[ Stabilization: Complete. Cooling Chamber Required. ]
Van panted as he was drenched in sweat. Controlling his Aura precisely was not easy at all. He needed to concentrate and couldn't miss a bit, or he might waste his ingredients and the time he spent to make this possible…
Van then shifted the Cauldron into a magically insulated chamber just as it began to harden.
Four hours.
That's how long it took.
Every breath, every movement had to be followed... If he had hesitated—if the Soul Dew Drop had been one degree too warm—it would've failed.
But now…
Now he watched as the result hardened into twelve soft-glowing pills, stacked like small marbles within the Cauldron. Each one gave off a faint spiritual resonance…
"Lens.. Check it immediately." Van said as he wanted to make sure if the pill he created was a failure or not.
[ Item Created: Aura Advancement Pill – Grade A ]
[ Pill Count: 12 ]
[ Spiritual Potency: 92% ]
[ Side Effects: Minimal ]
[ Success Rate for Core Condensation: 68% ]
Van quickly moved, and he swiftly collected the pills and placed each of them in their own glass container. Then, he collapsed back onto the floor with his arms limp at his side.
"I… I did it."
Twelve pills. One batch.
Each one was capable of helping an Aura User reshape the internal flow of energy and reinforce their core pathways. With this, even a Zero-Level Aura User would have a perfect foundation and not have to worry about at least a Second-Level breakthrough. Furthermore, this pill would push their strength beyond traditional limits.
He stared at the pills in silence… He had various thoughts in his mind, and one of them was the fact that he wanted to consume all of these Pills.
However, the more he consumed, the less effective it would be. Perhaps, three or four pills were alright but beyond that, it would be just a waste.
After a few moments, Van took a deep breath as he needed to hide these pills.
No one could know about this.
Not yet.
He carefully sealed the glass container with a larger box and wrapped it in a mana-cloaking cloth. He then began scrubbing every trace of the ritual clean. The ash, dust, spilled resin, and even his sweat were completely removed.
Then, after some time, even the furnace cooled as the stone floor was swept and washed.
By the time Xiel was about to call him, Van came out of the room, which looked untouched.
"Van, you're late… Are you not hungry? I thought you were too immersed again and forgot to eat." Xiel asked as he smelled the herbs from Van. However, it was no longer surprising since they already knew that Van wanted to become an alchemist.
"I'm good… Thank you, Xiel…" Van said as he patted Xiel's shoulder.
Just like that, Van doesn't have an appetite to eat. He simply returned to his quarters as he wanted to take a rest for now.
Back in his shared room, he stored the box in his satchel, opened a wooden drawer beneath his sleeping mat, and placed the satchel inside.
Then, for good measure, he layered a few faded rags and iron nails on top—something no one would bother checking.
He finally lay down to sleep... He needed to rest as he used almost all of his Aura during the pill refinement.