Chapter 325: Unexpected side effect
The forest was quieter than usual today.
Most of the village rangers had been deployed to patrol the vast lands surrounding the settlement, ensuring every path was secure before the Lord’s arrival tomorrow.
With the greatest threat lurking in the eastern woods now gone, no part of the forest was left neglected. Every trail was being watched, every corner inspected.
Luke wasn’t stopped by any of the guards, though a few greeted him with friendly nods as he ventured deeper into the woods.
His sharp eyes swept across the forest floor, searching for a rare herb that was notoriously difficult to find. Fortunately, the weather had been on his side.
There was a flower called Tanwana. It bloomed for only a handful of days after heavy rainfall, flourishing beneath the warm sun before quickly withering away. His father had mentioned that it had rained for two straight days while they were away, making this the perfect time to look for it.
The reason Luke was so eager to find it was simple. Tanwana was the primary ingredient needed to brew a valuable potion.
He had already gathered enough materials to produce twenty vials of Recovery Potion, so that objective was all but complete. But if he could also get his hands on...
"Found you."
A grin spread across his face as he spotted the mushroom-like flowers clustered beneath the roots of a towering tree.
Their petals resembled the bumpy skin on a frog’s back, their deep violet hue making them look even more peculiar. Yet despite their unappealing appearance, they carried the unmistakable scent of rain-soaked earth.
"Man, these things are ugly." Luke muttered, noticing one of the flowers had been partially scorched.
[Host, this is hardly the time to be judging appearances.]
The system’s reminder echoed in his mind.
Luke scoffed. "It’s not like I was going to throw it away."
He shook his head, carefully tucked the flower into his pouch, and continued searching.
Fortunately, several more clusters were growing nearby. By the time he was done, he had gathered enough Tanwana to brew at least three vials.
"Now that this is out of the way, let’s refine this little guy."
Settling beneath a sturdy tree, Luke emptied the contents of his bag and placed the gemstone in front of him.
He took out a small pot, a small pouch of water, several pieces of firewood, and three sturdy branches long enough to suspend the pot over a fire.
The process itself was simple.
Boil the gemstone together with a Healing Potion.
He only had two vials left, and both would be used for the refinement.
"I’ll have to brew more before nightfall."
He planted the three branches into the ground to form a stable frame, then arranged dry twigs and firewood beneath it, preparing the fire.
Once everything was in place, he secured the small pot with a rope and carefully suspended it above the stacked firewood.
Satisfied, Luke lit the fire and poured water into the pot.
Several minutes later, when the water reached a rolling boil, he dropped the gemstone inside, followed by half a vial of Recovery Potion.
Hiss!
A cloud of steam billowed into the air.
The soothing fragrance of medicinal herbs was quickly overwhelmed by the gemstone’s nauseating stench.
"Just like its owner," Luke muttered with a scoff. "Even his magic stone reeks."
He waited a few more moments before emptying the remaining half of the vial into the boiling water.
There was no reason to take unnecessary risks.
The second vial was already uncorked and waiting in his hand.
After letting the mixture simmer a little longer, he lifted the pot off the fire and allowed it to cool for several seconds before fishing out the gemstone.
It was still warm, but no longer hot enough to burn his fingers.
Without the slightest hesitation, Luke tossed the refined gemstone into his mouth.
Gulp.
There was no need to chew. The smooth stone slid down his throat, and he immediately chased it with the remaining Recovery Potion, washing away the revolting aftertaste out of equal parts disgust and caution.
Once it was done, Luke closed his eyes and waited.
A sudden surge of Gamma coursed through his veins.
His understanding of magic had grown alongside his control over it. For the first time, he could consciously sense the gentle warmth flowing through his body, the same invisible energy every living being possessed, yet only a rare few could ever perceive.
"Haah... that wasn’t so bad."
He let out a relieved breath and opened his eyes.
The next instant, the world lurched.
A violent wave of dizziness crashed into him, blurring his vision. He instinctively squeezed his eyes shut before trying to steady himself.
[Host?]
Luke fell backward until his back slammed against the tree trunk.
Something was wrong.
This wasn’t normal.
Was Manbaru’s magic stone truly so potent that even his enhanced Endurance couldn’t withstand its effects?
’Allocate some points to Endurance.’
The command flashed through his mind.
As his stats adjusted, the piercing ringing in his ears gradually faded, and the suffocating dizziness began to loosen its grip.
Luke slowly opened his eyes again, still breathing a little heavier than before.
"What... was that?"
He pressed a hand against his temple, his gaze drifting across the forest as he struggled to regain his bearings.
[This shouldn’t have happened. With your recent growth, the host shouldn’t have suffered even the slightest side effect from a magic stone of this level.]
The system sounded genuinely perplexed.
Luke immediately activated his special eyes and carefully examined himself.
Everything appeared normal.
No internal damage.
No lingering abnormalities.
The relief had barely settled in before another notification appeared.
This time, it was far more welcome.
[Congratulations, Host. Your Gamma has increased significantly.]
[You have acquired a new skill.]
[Name: Ghost Walk]
[Rank: A]
[Description: Allows the host to erase their presence on every level. Not only physically, but magically as well. Even those with exceptional perception will struggle to detect the host. When combined with Shadow Walk, the host becomes a true phantom.]
[Note: At your current level and proficiency, the skill can only be maintained for one minute.]
Luke nodded thoughtfully.
The limitation had never been Gamma.
He had more than enough of that.
Like every other skill, the true bottleneck was proficiency.
Fortunately, he had made steady progress by using his abilities whenever the opportunity arose. Several of them had already advanced through repeated practice.
And for some reason...
He had a feeling Ghost Walk would see even more use than the rest.
Perhaps more than any skill he possessed.
.....
"Hmm... hmm..."
Nadia softly hummed a tune she had recently picked up from the cheerful woman who sold fresh bread in the village.
Surprisingly, she had started going outside again.
The person who encouraged her was none other than Ginna, the kind-hearted neighbor living next door.
According to Ginna, fresh air and gentle walks were good for both the mother and the baby, especially while she was still able to move around comfortably.
Nadia had taken the advice to heart.
Just as she was about to begin preparing the day’s meal, a knock echoed through the house.
Knock.
She froze.
Dart wasn’t supposed to be back yet.
Earlier that morning, she had also noticed a cart standing outside the neighboring house.
Her heartbeat quickened.
Trying to steady her breathing, she walked toward the door, one careful step at a time.
Her fingers wrapped around the handle.
She pulled it open.
There he stood, with a gentle smile on his face.
"Missed me?"