The lord of life and death

Rain entering the new room first thought in his mind," The space technology or magic of this world amazes me in every turn, inside a 10 sq. meter wide tree, a 100 sq meter stadium."

He finds the place where he will make the potions, in the center of the stadium, tables with instruments are required for creating potions in circles of 10 tables in each circular row. In the center of the circle boxes of herbs, and other things required to make a potion.

Rain looks at the audience circling the stands and finds his mother, who is waving at him. Rain also waves at her. 

Rain hears from Great Master Solarius as if she is speaking in his ear who is standing beside the boxes of herbs with the other two Master Potionist.

" Everybody choose a table, there is a recipe on the table."

"Everything is written in black in the recipe except the missing ingredient which is in red."

"You all have 10 minutes to think of an alternative ingredient from the boxes of herbs beside me and obtain them." 

After hearing these and seeing his fellow competitors scramble to choose a table, Rain started walking to the middle row, the 4th, 5th, and 6th circular rows.

Rain ran to a table before anyone occupied the table in the 5th row. 

Rain upon reaching the table took the potion recipe from the table. He starts reading the reading the recipe.

"It's a strength potion."

" And one of the main ingredients is missing, the heart blood of Barbarian Bull."

Finishing reading the recipe, Rain raises his head to observe the boxes of herbs and other ingredients.

"I cannot see anything from here."

"But let's first the soul chip finds 2 or 3 alternative ingredients."

Rain commands the soul chips to find an item with similar properties to the heart blood of a barbarian bull.

Rain waited 10 seconds and then Soul Chips started to transmit the names of items to his mind. He stops the transmission after Soul Chips mention the 10 names. The 10 names the soul chip mentions are more valuable than the heart blood and some are very hard to find.

He does not think the 10 ingredients the soul mentions will be inside the boxes. The barbarian bull is a half-step extraordinary life with only its body being the extraordinary. To consider a completely extraordinary life in this world- Body, Energy, and Soul all should be extraordinary.

Rain is in the second realm of an alchemist, with only his soul considered extraordinary. Without extraordinary energy in this continent, he cannot transform his body and energy into an extraordinary life.

So, Rain commands the soul chip to show the same value item of the heart blood of the barbarian bull and arranges the list with the most common item at the top.

In 10 seconds the list is out, Rain closes his eyes to see the list and narrows his eyes on three ingredients, two are common and one is rare.

The rare ingredient can be found in the Snake scale river. Where he finds a snake scale water lily. 

Which is in between his village and Torian City. So maybe the item is in the boxes.

Rain opens his eyes and turns his attention ahead to the boxes finding many participants checking the boxes in the center. Rain checked the time and found six minutes of the 10 minutes already passed.

"I should check if the three ingredients are in the boxes. If no, then check if another item from the list is there."

Rain took a basket placed under the table and walked toward the center. First, he put the ingredients available inside the basket. After putting them, Rain observes first for the rare ingredient and lady luck shines on him. He sees a box with the name- heart bood of Crystal scale Boa.

He found them in vials inside the box. Rain takes one vial and with all the ingredients he starts to return to his table.

"I have prepared all the ingredients. Now, I have to wait for the signal from the Great Master Solarius or from the other two masters present to start the competition. "

While he waits, Rain closes his eyes as the Soul Chip Simulates the process of making the Strength Potion. Soul Chip can simulate at a speed where 1-minute pass in the outside world and 1-hour pass in simulation.

Rain finds the Soul Chip complete 1 simulation and the Soul Chip transmits the process and data of the complete potion to his mind. Rain absorbed the knowledge and when Great Master Solarius spoke he did not pay attention but let the soul chip record what she was speaking.

Rain opened his after a few minutes and as he opened his eyes, he told the soul chip to transmit the recording of Great Master Solarius. He hears her voice speaking," The time required for strength potion to complete is 1 hour. But because everyone chooses an alternative potion, the time required for all of you to make the potion is 1 hour 30 minutes."

"Now, everyone can start."

Rain opened his eyes as he lost some valuable minutes, started the burner, and poured water on the vessel.

And starts to make the potion. He is gunning for the first place, he does not want any ranking other than the first place.

--------

Glenn's mother seat on the stands from where she can see the left side of Glenn. She had been watching Glenn with a frown for the past few minutes, as everybody started but Glenn was closing his eyes thinking something.

She is worried Glenn will not be able to join the guild, she does not think Glenn can get any ranking. She heard from the parents and guardians who came to support their children. Their children practice potion-making for 5 to 15 years.

When Glenn started learning and making potions the time was only 1 week. Now, she only prays to the Goddess, that her son can join the potion guild. She heard from the person who escorted them to the stadium that only by passing the first potion test can they join the guild. Now, Glenn is making the first potion, if his potion passes and advances to the second potion test, he will able to join the guild.

She cannot tell if Glenn can pass the first potion test. She turns around to see everyone in the audience to find out If Albus has arrived. She starts to worry about Albus If something happens to Albus or his family.

"I knew Albus for 15 years and first time I have seen him breaking his word."

"After Glenn finishes the test, I should go and check on Albus, if he is having any problem."

She then turned her head to the timer to see already 30 minutes had already passed from the start of the test. While watching her son, She starts listening to the conversation near her.

" My Daughter started learning about potion 15 years ago, she will gain a ranking."

" This tests not only the ability to make potion but also the material knowledge about potion."

"My Son, practice under Master Leo. Master Leo always praises my son's knowledge of the material required for making Potion. He will surely pass all the tests."

" My Son was not going to participate in today's test but test two seasons later. But hearing about rewards from the princess, I bought my Son."

"My Daughter too."

"Even, If they did not pass, they can increase their knowledge."

"Yes, Yes."

Soran also nods hearing as she also agrees this test will increase Glenn's Knowledge. If he fails this test, Glenn will have to stay for another season and participate in the next test in the next season. 

Thinking this made her frown, She did not want Glenn to fail but in her mind there also thought that wish her son to fail, so she could spend another season with her.

"Look, My Daughter finished making the potion, She will rank first. Her grandfather is Great Elder Magnus."

Her thinking is interrupted by a familiar voice, which she recognizes and she turns to the source of the voice. And found her guess is right. The voice is from her former best friend Verna Silvertree, Who stopped talking with her when she got pregnant with Glenn.

Verna despises every other race except the tree spirit. She advocates the removable of half-tree spirits like Glenn from the village on the outskirts of an endless forest. She also supports punishing those who are responsible for giving birth to half-tree spirit.

They were best friend once but now there are enemies. Now she wishes that Glenn will get a better ranking than her friend. And the next thought came she remembered her father was a member of the tree-spirit military, so then the grandfather is from her husband's side.

She recalls she heard the news about her marriage, and she thought she married her boyfriend then. But hearing her daughter's grandfather is a Great Master poitionist. She figure she did not marry her boyfriend.

She then looks at the timer finds there are 20 minutes left for the end of the test and then turns to Glenn and finds he is pouring the piotion in vials. She sighed in relief," He completed the potion in time not left if the potion is form correct and past the review of Great Master Solarius and the two elders."