The Primal Hunter

With a wave of his hand, a new cauldron was summoned as the scalekin explained:

“The potion brewing test is similar to the poison concocting one, with only a few changes. As far fewer types of potions exist, there is a larger focus on pure potency rather than diversity. Hence, the second part will not focus as much on how many different potions you can make but how potent they will be. The final part will also not require you to recreate potions but will present to you three lifeforms, and you are to craft potions optimal to them with the provided ingredients. The test begins when you infuse mana into the cauldron.”

There was no fluff or extra information, just the same thing as before. Jake nodded in acknowledgment as the projection disappeared and he got to work.

The first part began as expected, and Jake made all the potions he knew how to… which wasn’t a lot. He made health, stamina, and mana potions and then finished off by making a few antidotes he had learned to create a good while ago. He also attempted to make some potions with the ability to soothe the mind and kind of succeeded.

As for the second part, it was just more of the same as Jake experimented with the many products given. He discovered a lot of ingredients with interesting affinities and energies, and it was clear the task was to transform those into potions. Jake already had some experience with making arcane mana potions, so couldn’t he also make fire mana potions? Water mana potions? So that is what he did as he created potions of many different affinities, and he even made one able to restore blood energy for vampires. He did have to admit, though… this part didn’t go well.

Of the three parts – heck six parts if you count the poison test – the final part of potion brewing was the most interesting. Three lifeforms that looked to be in statis appeared, and Jake instantly noticed how peculiar they were. One was a dark elemental with some wind affinity mixed in too, the second was a plant-like lifeform that looked like a mass of tentacles of bark, and the final was a Risen, but not a normal Risen. Instead, it was someone who had clearly attuned himself to the death affinity. More than usual undead, at least.

This was when the word “optimal” came into play. All of them could use pure mana if given, but it would not be as effective as a potion pre-attuned to their affinity in question. None of them appeared to have vital energy either, and as far as Jake knew, none had stamina either. The elemental ran on pure mana of the dark and wind affinity, the plant-like lifeform used a vital energy Jake was not familiar with but was clearly closely related to the life-affinity, and the Risen used their unique energies too.

He inspected the three of them thoroughly, not minding the creepy situation that was him studying three naked time-frozen individuals. Once he felt confident, he began crafting, starting with potions for the Risen. He quickly made a death-attuned mana potion and moved on to make mana potions to the two others. Luckily he had a lot of experience with the dark affinity, and the wind affinity also wasn’t unfamiliar due to his closeness with Sylphie.

With that, the elemental got a potion he was quite proud of. Jake then correctly identified the plant-like lifeform that just used normal regular affinity-less mana together with the life-energy, even if it didn’t have a big pool of it, so he made one of those too. Finally, he returned to the Risen and began working on creating a potion restoring spirit energy – the unique resource of Risen and other undead.

He quickly found the ingredients and worked on making it, but the time ran out as he was about halfway. The cauldron just disappeared from between his hands as the projection appeared again. Jake had now failed to craft everything two tests in a row.

Jake once more slumped down, a bit disappointed in himself. “So, how badly did I do?”

“A very mixed bag. Your ability to create basic potions is respectable, but in every other area, you seem lacking. Tell me, what do you craft potions for? What is the purpose of the products you produce?” the projection asked.

Jake asked, a

correct to assume that the primary customer of your alchemical creations is yourself? There is a connection between your alchemy shown in all tests so far and how they all seem to focus on personal benefits. You have clearly never crafted a potion explicitly for anyone else but only on making what is useful to you. On the good side, your high Perception and ability to

he did create potions for himself. Same for poisons. While he made some to sell, his motivation for crafting potions wasn’t to make highly marketable products but to make something more useful to himself while fighting. Right now, that wasn’t a problem as everyone around him were humans and beasts, but he

But he could no doubt have made way more if he focused on making money. Perhaps the biggest proof of his selfishness in crafting was how he had never bothered to really learn how to make antidotes. Jake himself had the legendary Palate skill, so

to build upon, but instead of building a tall tower one floor at a time, you erected a few large pillars you then just keep

he had to start from the beginning, but if he had experience with similar creations, it

at him and nodded. “Are you ready for the last elective

two seconds,” Jake said as he chugged

the actual tests anyway, so he may as well

serious. “Just a fair warning: that may become more difficult down the line. The required ingredients will get rarer and more

it will work out. Even if it doesn’t, that is something I will face

just did but just rush on. So no, you are not ready yet for the next test. Sit the fuck down, meditate, and consider what you screwed up in the prior tests and can improve on. See

the scalekin just disappeared again. Jake stared a bit at where it had been as he took the words in. Was he rushing? Perhaps he was trying to go faster than needed. He had already

to listen to the advice, closed his eyes, and entered meditation. He considered both the tests he had been through as he internalized what he had learned. The tests had allowed him to try out a lot of new ingredients and methods, something he

was at an academy… so it was only

is the Chosen of the Malefic One?” one of the other projections asked, clearly skeptical to

D-grade and not especially outstanding. The only truly outstanding thing shown so far is the arcane affinity and his Identify-blocking ability. Also, he is human,” another one said, at least thinking about the possibility for a

among them again, already aware of what had been said. “He is the current Chosen of the Malefic One, I have no doubt about it. As for how outstanding he is, I doubt we will be able to discover through these tests. I do agree that as an alchemist alone, he is nothing outstanding. At least not yet. He hasn’t even done alchemy for more than a year or two, so who is to tell what the future

another more skeptical projection said. “Those possessing such talents in alchemy must be numerous within the Order. I think everyone present here were as talented back in their heyday as this supposed Chosen is. So while he may be talented, he is not Chosen material, not at all. I am looking forward to the combat portion, though. He must be a

still couldn’t voice that his belief in the human being the Viper’s Chosen was based on his brief interaction with the Malefic One. Why else would the Malefic One give direct instructions on not only what they had

the scalekin, it

Blessings, but alas. It had been decided that would

a bit, though. The Malefic One had not elected to teach his