Chapter Fifty-One: The Effect

While the chip ran its analysis, Hughes took the opportunity to crouch by the riverside, gazing at his own reflection in his palm. His eyes seemed unchanged, save for their extremely rare violet hue.

“Beep! Data link analysis complete!”

“Beep! Data collation complete!”

“Beep! Data summary as follows!
1: Nature Whisper Potion Recipe (Advanced Natural Potion).
2: Tranquility Potion Recipe.
3: First-level Witchcraft: Explosive Thunderball Spell Template — Compresses a large amount of lightning into an energy sphere, exploding with tremendous force and causing moderate paralysis. Casting time: ??, Spell range: ??, Consumption: Mental energy ??, Mana ??, Power: ?? (Cannot be accurately valued without testing).
4: First-level Witchcraft: Flame Rain Spell Template — Summons fire elements to form a dense barrage of fireballs, each attack accompanied by an explosive effect. Casting time: ??, Spell range: ??, Consumption: Mental energy ??, Mana ??, Power: ?? (Cannot be accurately valued without testing).”

“These things...” Hughes was certain that anything listed by the chip would become the object of fierce competition if made public.

“Who exactly is he?” Hughes grew increasingly suspicious about Gegalie's identity. To give away such treasures so casually only made his background all the more mysterious.

Everything Gegalie had given him was a delightful surprise. Not to mention those two first-level witchcraft templates—even just the recipe for the Tranquility Potion was enough to fill Hughes with excitement.

He could hardly wait to return to the academy and attempt to concoct the Tranquility Potion, to further strengthen himself.

Hughes had also checked on the tree in the cave. The three fruits hanging from its branches were already tinged with red, indicating they would ripen soon.

He then led the horse he had tethered earlier closer to the cave entrance. If any wild beasts were to devour it, finding another horse would be troublesome.

That night, Hughes merely sat at the cave entrance and meditated. The boost to his mental energy from a single night of meditation was negligible—it would take several nights to see any slight improvement. But Hughes persevered, knowing that such things accumulated over time.

Upon entering the cave, he saw that the three fruits looked fully ripe. As he hesitated over whether to pick them, the entire tree began to tremble.

The leaves started to wither, the patterns on the trunk faded until they vanished, and the branches shriveled as if drained of all moisture, becoming brittle and fragile.

The three fruits glowed with a faint red light, about to drop from the branches.

At the perfect moment, Hughes caught each fruit as it fell.

The tree was now completely withered. When Hughes touched the trunk, it crumbled as if decayed for many years, easily punctured in several spots.

He examined the three dark red fruits in his hand, each about the size of a ping-pong ball, their surfaces etched with familiar patterns winding around the entirety of the fruit. After a moment's thought, Hughes picked one up and popped it into his mouth.

“It actually tastes a bit like a cherry, though it has no pit,” Hughes thought.

But in the next instant, his smile vanished. The flesh and juice slid into his stomach, and at first, he felt nothing. Gradually, however, it seemed as though he had swallowed a mouthful of molten lava rather than fruit.

“Beep! Detected violent energy reaction in host’s body. All attributes increasing.”

“How can it hurt so much!” The pain was so intense that Hughes collapsed halfway to the ground, great drops of sweat splitting and falling onto the earth.

The agony persisted for nearly half an hour. Hughes was soaked through, his clothes clinging tightly to his body, making him incredibly uncomfortable.

Dark impurities emerged from his skin, mixing with sweat and emitting a foul, pungent odor.

“Ugh, damn it!” Overwhelmed by the stench, Hughes rushed outside and plunged straight into the river.

Though the water was icy cold, it was nothing compared to the excruciating pain he had just endured.

“Chip! Give me my data,” Hughes demanded, sitting in the water for quite some time before he was able to recover.

“Beep! Hughes Bruch: Strength: 5.1 (increase of 1.2), Agility: 6.12 (increase of 1.52), Constitution: 7.14 (increase of 2.84), Mental energy: 8.13 (increase of 1), Mana: 8.13 (increase of 1) (Mana and mental energy synchronized). Status: Healthy.

Skills: Basic Swordsmanship, Potion Brewing (Stamina Potion, Hemostatic Potion, Natural Potion).

Witchcraft: Lightning Strike: Zero-level spell, casting time: 2 seconds, spell range: 10 meters, consumption: mental energy 1.5, mana 1.5, power: 8.

Icicle Spell: Zero-level spell, casting time: 3 seconds, spell range: 10 meters, consumption: mental energy 1.5, mana 1.5, power: 5.

Frost Armor: Forms a layer of ice armor on the body’s surface to resist attacks, boosting resistance to fire, water, and ice elements.”

“So much!” Hughes stared at the dramatic leap in his attributes, his gaze fixing on the two remaining fruits in his hand.

“For the sake of power, I’ll endure it.” Just the memory of that deep, bone-gnawing pain made Hughes shudder.

Gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes, he swallowed a second fruit. The strange yet familiar sensation returned as he sat cross-legged in the river, quietly waiting for the storm to pass.

Perhaps, thanks to the first fruit, the pain from the second was less severe, and Hughes found it manageable.

“Beep! Detected energy reaction in host’s body. All attributes increasing! (Host has developed resistance, effect diminished.)”

Once the pain of the second fruit subsided, Hughes immediately consumed the third.

“Beep! Detected energy reaction in host’s body. All attributes increasing! (Host has developed resistance, effect diminished.)”

“He’s quite determined!” Unbeknownst to Hughes, as he endured the pain with eyes tightly shut, a pair of vertical pupils watched him from afar. Though belonging to a serpent, there was a hint of satisfaction in their gaze.

“Beep! Hughes Bruch: Strength: 6.8, Agility: 8.54, Constitution: 10.11 (increase), Mental energy: 9.41, Mana: 9.41 (Mana and mental energy synchronized). Status: Healthy.

Skills: Basic Swordsmanship, Potion Brewing (Stamina Potion, Hemostatic Potion, Natural Potion).

Witchcraft: Lightning Strike: Zero-level spell, casting time: 2 seconds, spell range: 10 meters, consumption: mental energy 1.5, mana 1.5, power: 8.

Icicle Spell: Zero-level spell, casting time: 3 seconds, spell range: 10 meters, consumption: mental energy 1.5, mana 1.5, power: 5.

Frost Armor: Forms a layer of ice armor on the body’s surface to resist attacks, boosting resistance to fire, water, and ice elements.”

These were Hughes’s final stats. Comparatively, the second and third fruits were far less effective than the first. Were it not for the acquired resistance, his attributes might have reached terrifying levels.

“This is already excellent!” Hughes was more than satisfied with his new stats, especially his constitution. After witnessing the defenses of the banshee and the giant serpent, he had long coveted greater physical resilience.

Rising from the river, his joints crackling, Hughes flexed his fists, feeling the surging power within him. He was deeply satisfied with this journey—truly a bountiful harvest.

Once ashore, Hughes dried his clothes by the fire while hefting a large stone back and forth, hoping to quickly master the sudden surge of strength in his body.

At noon, Hughes caught a few more fish from the river and roasted them. Though lacking seasoning, the fish were so fresh and tasty that he couldn’t resist eating them all.

After finishing his meal, Hughes checked the time. It was only midday. The spring sun shone warmly, accompanied by a gentle breeze, as he mounted his horse and set off for the Ring of Shadows.

It had been almost a month since Hughes had left the Ring of Shadows. With several more days needed for his return, he guessed that the secret realm’s affairs would be drawing to a close.

Thinking of the secret realm sent a chill through him, and he suddenly felt the urge to leave the Ring of Shadows altogether.

“No, not yet. It’s far too soon.” He immediately dismissed the thought. There was still so much to learn—things that only the Ring of Shadows could provide.

Once back, Hughes would have plenty to keep him busy: the brewing of the Tranquility Potion, the vast knowledge of alchemy and enchantment—all awaited him, each demanding enormous time, effort, and magical stones.