Chapter 178: The Pleasing Effects of Potions
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 178: The Pleasing Effects of Potions
"Ugh... so expensive..."
After comparing prices across several shops, I finally bit the bullet and bought some potions. Since I wasn't entirely sure how effective they would be, I only purchased a few to test them out.
First was the Refreshing Potion. Unlike a Mental Power Potion, it doesn't actually increase your mental capacity; it just does exactly what the name suggests. It was the cheapest of the bunch, purchasable with Red Copper or even ordinary currency—though the latter would have far exceeded my wallet's limit.
Actually, I didn't even have any Red Copper. My lowest denomination was Mithril. So, these two bottles of Refreshing Potion were actually freebies I managed to snag after paying for the other potions with Mithril.
I’d gotten them by being thick-skinned and haggling quite a bit.
The ones I actually spent Mithril on were the Everlasting Memory Potion and the Contemplation Potion. One boosts memory retention for a set duration, while the other helps organize thoughts and find clarity during intense brainstorming sessions. Although the description for the second one sounded a bit abstract, that’s what the label claimed.
As for magic potions, those were simply too expensive. Besides, magic potions are best when brewed on the spot for maximum efficacy. Many are custom-made or require an appointment, which makes them even pricier.
I just looked; I didn't dare buy any.
As I walked away, glancing at the Orichalcum coins sitting in my storage equipment, I wondered if I was becoming a bit of a miser. I had all this money, yet I was still being so cautious with my spending.
But I consoled myself with the thought that I was just testing the waters. If the results met my expectations, I certainly wouldn't be stingy. After all, money is just money; it only becomes valuable once it's spent and converted into something that benefits me.
I returned to the villa. Even though it was already afternoon, the place was empty—at least the living room was. The others were likely out having fun.
Since no one was around, I locked myself in my bedroom. I was about to experiment with these potions, and if I ended up dizzy or suffering from side effects, I wanted to be able to just collapse onto my bed. At worst, I could call Sister Bai to come save me... Wait, shouldn't my first instinct be to call the academy infirmary or a hospital? Oh right, I didn't know the number for the Witch Academy's hospital, so calling Sister Bai was definitely the right move.
Then again, drinking standard potions usually doesn't lead to emergencies, or that shop wouldn't be able to stay in business so peacefully.
With that thought, I boldly downed the Refreshing Potion. Immediately, a cool aftertaste bloomed in my mouth, followed by a chilling sensation that surged into my brain. It wasn't like the lingering minty coolness you get in your mouth; it felt more like wasabi mixed with mint—that sharp, icy sting shooting straight up to the crown of my head.
The kick was so strong it actually forced tears from my eyes. But I have to say, it really did the trick. I felt completely rejuvenated!
The afternoon drowsiness that had been creeping up on me vanished instantly.
My mind was incredibly clear and organized. However, this state was clearly not natural; even at my absolute peak, I couldn't achieve this level of mental sharpness. It seemed the potion's effects were quite potent. I just wondered if this counted as overdrawing my energy.
I’d probably feel pretty drained once the effect wore off.
I should have asked how long it lasted and if there were any other side effects when I was asking if they could be used simultaneously.
Right now, all I knew was that they could be used together, but shouldn't be overused. If the body showed any abnormalities, I had to stop immediately. Also, when using potions related to memory and mental power, it was best to have some candy or sweets on hand to replenish sugar levels. Overusing the brain consumes a lot of energy, and since we still have physical bodies, that consumption needs to be compensated for.
The shopkeeper had been quite thoughtful in that regard, gifting me a jar of candy. Compared to Mithril coins, candy was practically worthless to them.
Either way, the merchant was the one making the profit.
I checked my physical condition, then downed the Everlasting Memory Potion. I decided to hold off on the Contemplation Potion for now; I just wanted to see how much a memory-enhancing potion could actually do.
Then, I pulled out the book on runes that Teacher Ji Niang had given me.
Even though this physical book only covered a few hundred common runes, it was impressively thick.
Although the title said "Analysis," I felt the author was being far too modest. I had been at it for several days, and my progress had been underwhelming.
After three or four hours of intense study, I suddenly slammed the book shut.
I looked up, closed my eyes, and reflected...
After a long silence, I slowly opened my eyes, unable to hide the smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
So this is how the world feels to a genius with a powerful memory!
While the potion couldn't compare to a true photographic memory, the results far exceeded my expectations!
If I were given a few days to do nothing but grind through this book, I was confident I could master the whole thing. This level of efficiency was something I wouldn't have dared to believe before!
Of course, that would require a steady supply of potions. Truly, learning is a major drain on the wallet...
I opened the candy jar, popped a piece into my mouth, and chewed. I had to admit, the candy tasted great and felt very soothing. While I hadn't experienced what "brain fry" felt like yet, it was better to be safe than sorry.
I immediately added the Everlasting Memory Potion to my "must-buy" list. I could order it directly through my phone and have it delivered via the campus express service.
As long as you're willing to pay, you don't have to worry about items being damaged in transit. For a small extra fee, you can ensure the goods are transported safely inside a spatial equipment. Even fragile glass potion bottles won't rattle a bit. The courier could perform a high-energy dance routine the whole way here and the potion would still arrive perfectly safe.
I closed the book because I could feel the Refreshing Potion's effects beginning to wane. My mind was growing tired at a visible rate. The duration had been excellent, and the memory potion seemed to be fading as well. Or rather, the effects peak after consumption and then steadily decline until they're no longer noticeable.
I wasn't sure if my declining memory was due to mental fatigue or the potion wearing off, but I knew I needed to rest.
I wasn't so tired that I was about to fall asleep on the spot, just a bit drained.
After putting away the candy jar and tidying up my things, I pushed open the door and walked out.
By now, it was already evening.
"Eh? Sister Xiao Han! You were home?"
As I reached the railing, Hong Chenyi, who was on the first floor, immediately spotted me.
"Hmm? Yeah, I had nothing to do this afternoon, so of course I was here. I had a bye, remember?" I said, shrugging.
"Oh, right! I forgot to congratulate you on getting a bye today! It looks like your spot in the Freshman Top 10 is guaranteed now!" Hong Chenyi was already celebrating on my behalf.
"Heh, how is it guaranteed? There are still a few matches left. Don't get ahead of yourself," I said, waving a hand as I walked down the stairs.
"Aww, don't say that. The next round is 13 down to 7. As long as you don't run into Tan Han, isn't it a sure thing? And even if you do, there are still three spots for the Top 10 left for the remaining six to fight over! What's there to fear?"
"True enough~"
I plopped down on the sofa without arguing. Should I tell her that the current Tan Han was no longer a match for me? That would be a bit too arrogant. Besides, there was no point in showing off in front of Hong Chenyi. It was better to keep quiet to avoid unnecessary trouble; she was clearly the type who wouldn't stop talking once a topic was raised.
"By the way, Sister Xiao Han, you look a bit drained. You didn't spend the whole afternoon in your room 'releasing yourself' just because you had a bye, did you? No way, right?"
"What do you mean 'releasing myself'!" I reached out and gave Hong Chenyi a light smack on the head. Couldn't she guess something wholesome for once? As expected, her head was full of nonsense. Everyone in this dorm seemed to be... wait, I should probably exclude Yu Yuetian for now.
In short, this dorm was full of weirdos.
"Keep your mind out of the gutter, will you?"
"Yes, yes, Sister Xiao Han. My thoughts are wicked, my mind is depraved. I'll definitely change in the future!"
As Hong Chenyi and I were messing around, a sudden vibration in the distance made us both freeze.
The sensation was familiar—just like this morning when Afuhemi Academy arrived at our Witch Academy!
I hurried to the window and looked toward the source of the commotion. It was too far away to see clearly, only blurry figures were visible, but the arrival method was similar to Afuhemi Academy's—a massive void structure. The light radiating from the opened curtain wall was so intense that even from this distance, it looked like a miniature sun.
As I focused my gaze, I realized it was indeed a floating island-like complex. Given the magnificent, golden buildings and the materials that were so holy they practically reflected everything, I had a pretty good guess.
This Transcendent Academy exchange was definitely spearheaded by the Three Top Academies. So, the first ones to arrive would likely be from those three. This was almost certainly the people—no, the angels—from Holy Angel Academy.
I wondered if those angels would actually have halos on their heads and feathers on their backs.
They probably have wings and feathers. Recalling the Holy Angels I’d seen on the Academy Network, they were truly beautiful. I wondered if they would look even more beautiful crying if their wings were snapped?
But then I remembered that Holy Angels supposedly have no gender... hmm... that actually sounds okay. No sexual characteristics... that sounds even better!
"Wow... what is that? It's so far, I can't really see," Hong Chenyi remarked, leaning against the window.
"Most likely Holy Angel Academy. Arriving at this hour, they're still a bit early."
"Eh? You know, Sister Xiao Han?"
"Just a guess. This exchange is likely led by the Three Top Academies, so they should be the first to arrive. Judging by those special effects, it's probably Holy Angel Academy."
"That makes sense. But shouldn't the top academies make a grand entrance at the very end?"
"You want everything to be a finale, don't you?" I gave Hong Chenyi an exasperated look. She’d said the same thing when I first went to class. What goes on in her head? "Whatever. Anyway, Hong Chenyi, are you going out to take a look?"
"Nah... I'm too lazy. It's just one academy visiting; it doesn't require my personal presence to welcome them." Hong Chenyi walked back to the sofa and flopped down like a salted fish.
"True. Those academies aren't worth our personal welcome," I agreed, following her lead.
I remembered Teacher Ji Niang saying not to hold back and to crush them. That meant there would inevitably be battles between the academies.
I certainly didn't need to give them a warm welcome.
Looking at the "salted fish" Hong Chenyi, a thought occurred to me. "Hong Chenyi, did you sign up for the flight license exam?"
"Eh? Why ask? Yeah, I did. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would've forgotten—I didn't practice today!" Hong Chenyi sat up abruptly.
"Here, have something good." Hearing her answer, I shook my head with a smile and pulled out a Ley Line Memory. After double-checking it, I tossed it to her.
To most people, a Ley Line Memory is like a blind box. But at the end of the day, it's just Ley Line power carrying a memory. Could it really be more complex than a Mana Source or a spellbook? Impossible. Under Floating World level Spirit Vision, it had nowhere to hide.
When Teacher Ji Niang called them memory blind boxes, I treated them as such for fun. But after trying a few and finding nothing great, I lost interest in the gamble. So, I just looked through them directly. I’d confirmed that the batch of Ley Line Memories I had were mostly useless to me.
However, some were actually quite decent—like memories of classroom theoretical knowledge or various combat techniques. I kept those.
As for the rest, rather than letting them clutter my mind, I might as well give them away.
The one I just tossed to Hong Chenyi, for instance, was a very basic memory suited for a complete novice just starting with broom flight. It was useless to me, but perfect as a gift.
There are plenty of people who would want such a thing—like Hong Chenyi, who hadn't even passed her flight license yet.
I hadn't decided who to give it to, but since only Hong Chenyi was in the villa, she got lucky.
Besides, I’d set aside a few for the other roommates. Since I was giving them out anyway, I might as well be fair. "It's not scarcity that's the problem, but inequality," as they say.
Speaking of which, should I save one for Tu Xingyue?
She is the Vice Class Monitor of Class 14, after all. She’s worked hard managing the whole class for so long.
I felt like a class mascot—just popping into the group chat when I felt like it or forwarding some info to spark a conversation.
Tu Xingyue really has it rough. Once this Freshman Competition is over, I'll pick something suitable from the prizes to give to her.
"Eh? What's this?" Hong Chenyi caught the item clumsily and looked at me with confusion.
"Something good, obviously."
"I know it's something good. Anything you give is bound to be good, Sister Xiao Han. But can you tell me what it is?"
"A Ley Line Memory, or what you might call a memory blind box. You can gain a segment of memory after using it. Want to try?" I explained.
"Eh? Someone else's memory? This kind of thing... Sister Xiao Han, you didn't do something unspeakable to get this, did you... Ow!"
"It's a Ley Line Memory, a memory carried by the Ley Lines! What are you thinking? Do I look like some demon who goes around stealing people's memories? I couldn't do that even if I wanted to!" I gave her another smack to help her remember.
"Right, right! You're definitely not like that. So, how do I use it? What's the memory inside?"
"It contains memories of practice techniques for the flight license. it'll help you learn flying skills quickly. Here, I'll show you." I held the Ley Line Memory against her forehead, my hand over hers. "Use your mental power slowly. Use it to hook onto this part here... yes, exactly. Now, slowly guide it into your mind. Take it slow, or the memory might get corrupted."
"This feels weird..."
"It's a foreign memory; you'll get used to it." I comforted her. Even I had felt a bit odd the first time I tried it, so it was only natural for Hong Chenyi to feel the same.
"Oh~ it really is a foreign memory. Holy crap... you can ride a broom like that?"
"Stick to the proper techniques. Don't learn the suicidal ones, or you'll end up killing yourself," I warned her kindly.
"Got it, got it. Definitely." Hong Chenyi nodded vigorously.
I let go of her hand and... pulled out three more.
"Eh? Sister Xiao Han, you have that many? Are these all for—"
"In your dreams. These are for Dongli Yiren and the others. One each." I immediately cut off Hong Chenyi's unrealistic hopes. She wanted them all?
Why not just go to sleep?
You can have anything you want in your dreams.
"Aww... fine. So, Sister Xiao Han, what are the memories you're giving them?" Hong Chenyi asked, still curious.
"Not telling. Did you forget what I just said? These are memory blind boxes. You can let them choose for themselves when they get back. I'm leaving this task to you, Hong Chenyi!" I patted her shoulder.
"Mission accepted!"
"Heh, no need to be so serious. Alright, that's it for now. I need to get some rest. I won't have the luxury of a bye tomorrow."
I stretched, planning to head upstairs for a bath and a good night's sleep. The potion's effects had completely worn off, leaving only exhaustion.
I did a quick mental check of what I’d learned. As long as that knowledge didn't vanish along with the potion's effects, I was good.
That was that.
After my bath, I lay in bed, going over the rune knowledge in my head one last time before drifting off to sleep.
* * *
The next day.
This morning would host the most intense matches yet. After this round, seven of the Freshman Top 10 would be locked in.
The ones with the most secure spots were undoubtedly Tan Han and myself. That was already beyond dispute.
Even now, my knowledge of the other contestants was mostly limited to their entry numbers.
The only one I recognized, aside from Tan Han, was Hong Chenyi's ex-girlfriend. She actually hadn't been eliminated yet. I felt a bit of pity for Hong Chenyi. I’d told her not to worry about whether they could be "besties" or not—at this point, why not just get back together?
With me in the dorm and her ex-girlfriend, Shi Huiyu, looking out for her, who would dare touch her in this academy?
Talk about a winning life. Powerful sisters as backings and a girlfriend to protect her—isn't that the perfect life?
Honestly, I was a little jealous.
I was warming up in the preparation area, quite looking forward to the upcoming match.
Unfortunately, I probably wouldn't run into Tan Han yet.
As the massive light screen above the arena confirmed the final match-ups, my eyes narrowed slightly.
I wasn't surprised that Tan Han had actually gotten a bye this time. What surprised me was that my opponent was Shi Huiyu!
Talk about... fate. I just hoped she could secure one of the three remaining Top 10 spots in the resurrection matches this afternoon...
I looked toward Shi Huiyu and caught her eye. I offered a smile, but she remained cold as ever, though the shock in her eyes was unmistakable.
"Please look after me..." I said to her with a smile from below the stage.