While Bev was gone Kennon got almost every single one of the enchants in the house up and running. Bev would have to take a look at a few of them. Tutor refused to tell him things it hadn’t told Bev. but the progress felt good.

  Kennon had also gotten everything he needed to fully restock their first aid kit. He would be making it himself naturally. Bev’s experience gave him what he needed to know about making a living as an alchemist. But those merchants were right. There was no way anyone would buy from a masterless novice. Not unless they were desperate.

  The risk to your health was just too high.

  But, he had Tutor. So he knew his products wouldn’t kill them. He just had to make them first.

  Kennon had a lot of experience with non magical alchemy. Running a distiller was second nature to him. But before he had the mana sight, and mana manipulation skills magical alchemy wasn’t worth the time. He had notes. And had read the notes. But anything more than powering his mortar and pestle was too difficult.

  Now he was trying to make a mid grade healing potion. And he was out of his league.

  Now, your first batch will fail. There is no doubt about that. Don’t even hope for success. If you went the slow and steady route there would have been a chance. But you will fail. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try though. Just don’t be disappointed.

  But, we all learn from failure. So you only truly failed if your second batch isn’t better. Now, the first step is -

  It started with easy, non magical steps. Prepping the workstation. Tutor insisted that everything be cleaned with arcane water. Thankfully Kennon now had a much easier, and safer, applicator. He could just spray it, then scrub with a specifically treated rag.

  Then came the base ingredients. Simple things, a little mana aloe, the more generic variant of golden aloe. Some aequus leaves for stability. A few sprigs of zoti to provide energy. All ground as fine as he could. Using his old pestle to prevent them from leaking their mana.

  He put them beside a bowl of arcane water that was heated slightly.

  Next to prepare the vita berries. Both the most important, and most expensive part of the potion. A peak T1 plant, simply eating them raw provided noticeable healing. But when mixed perfectly they could mend bones in minutes.

  He hoped to prove Tutor wrong. He may have been a novice. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t do this.

  He placed the berries in the arcane water, and started raising its temperature while he ground them to mush. The arcane water did perfectly, leaching the mana out of the mash but not letting it escape. When the berries were completely pulped and the water almost boiling he threw in the other ingredients.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  A blinding mix of affinities spread throughout the mix as the ingredients dissolves together into a rusty red. It was almost done. He poured a little of his mana in, and excited the arcane out of the mixture while he stirred, and rose it to a boil.

  Everything looked perfect! The caustic arcane started to separate out. Leaving a pure ruby red in its wake!

  Then disaster. It was a little thing. A slight misplacement of his mana. He was a little too eager perhaps? The arcane started to slip back into the mixture. And the moment it did the entire thing instantly turned into a thick black sludge. The heat rose uncontrollably and Kennon jumped back as the stench of death hit his nose.

  Thankfully the stench was gon only a single step back. The fume hood connected to the chimney had been sucking up the air under it. Including the thick black smoke that now poured from his heating pad.

  Failure.

  I told you it would happen. It often happens on the second attempt as well. You were careless with your mana. You separated the arcane mana well, but your hold over it slipped allowing it to mix again. The moment that happened it was over. It is a complicated procedure. And takes practice to master. I’m sure you'll get it next time though!

  Kennon sighed, and as soon as the bowl stopped belching smoke he cleaned up, and started over.

  Bev was actively avoiding the alchemy room. But by the time Kennon came out the rest of the house was repaired. And she was resting in the living room.

  Kennon came out looking like he hadn’t slept in weeks.

  “Are you ok?” Bev said.

  “Yea, I wasted the first two batches of vita berries.”

  Bev winced, “Sorry. Did you get it right eventually though?”

  Bev already knew. She had felt it the moment he had succeeded. But she knew asking like this would help his mood. And it worked. A tired smile formed on his face as he pulled out two small glass bottles. Each containing a thick ruby red liquid.

  Mid grade healing potion - medicine - T1

  A miracle, and staple of the alchemical arts. Greatly improves natural healing for one day on consumption. As well as nearly instantly curing small, yet mortal wounds, All the fuel for the healing comes from the potion itself and does not overly stress the body. Capable of curing any ailment that time could also cure. Also provides a minor boost to stamina.

  Conflicts with other potions of magics that also boost natural healing. Including second doses of itself. Misuse has unpredictable effects depending on the exact nature of said misuse.

  No other side effects.

  This potion was made by a novice alchemist.

  Bev said, “That is amazing! That would easily replace the potions we had to use in the portal!”

  Kennon nodded, “It will. I have a few more things I have to make to fill it back up. And a few other non medicinal brews to reach initiate. Then I will get a recipe list just like you have a rune list. At that point I hope to be able to make things well enough people don’t care if it wasn’t made by a journeyman”

  Bev couldn’t help but agree. It was also interesting that it wanted him experienced with non medical alchemy. She had almost no knowledge of alchemy beyond medical, and poison. She wondered how Kennon would take to it?