Grandpa Maray shifted his gaze, then turned and walked back toward the wagon. Without looking over his shoulder, he said, "We depart in one hour."
The members of the Guard team immediately straightened. Once the pressure eased, their bodies relaxed noticeably.
They hadn't known earlier, but now that they understood Grandpa Maray was a magic caster capable of using Third tier spells, the weight on their shoulders felt crushing. No wonder they had been feeling suffocated.
"Captain Dalron, may I examine your wounds?" Eidar asked, his expression hopeful.
Dalron hesitated briefly, then nodded. "Go ahead."
Nearby, the twins Leron and Rann sat on the ground, leaning against each other for support. Belnar quickly opened his backpack, taking out three small bottles of blue liquid healing potions.
He handed one to each injured member of the Guard team.
As Captain Dalron and the brothers braced themselves and swallowed the potions, Belnar could only shrug helplessly. Even though healing potions were far weaker than healing magic, they still helped stabilize injuries and speed up recovery.
Since he was the only one still fully battle ready, Belnar stood up after distributing the potions and returned to the battlefield.
There, he began cutting off the little fingers of the ten goblins and two Orcs they had slain. He stored each finger inside a small leather pouch tied to his belt.
These were proof of their kills—evidence the Adventurers' Guild required before paying rewards.
Meanwhile, Eidar crouched beside Captain Dalron and carefully examined his injured calf. His bright blue eyes narrowed with curiosity.
"Is something wrong?" Saelran asked, noticing Eidar's expression change.
Dalron immediately tensed. The state of his leg would determine whether he could continue being an adventurer.
"With such a serious injury," Eidar murmured, "how could the skin and muscle be fully healed while the bones inside remain damaged?"
He clicked his tongue softly. "This is completely different from how healing potions work."
He then looked at Saelran, excitement gradually rising in his eyes. Without warning, he stood and hurried back toward the wagon. "Wait here!"
Saelran blinked.
Is there really a difference between healing magic and healing potions? In the game, both restored health, so he had never questioned it. But this world clearly followed different rules.
He also realized that the healing potions in this world were nothing like the ones from Oblivion Gate. These were far more primitive—older versions created long before Eidar revolutionized potion making in the future.
Eidar returned quickly, this time carrying a small bundle of alchemy reagents.
Saelran instinctively glanced toward Grandfather Maray in the wagon. The old man's expression remained calm, as if this development was neither surprising nor unwelcome.
Saelran also remembered that Eidar had told him earlier, he had spent years studying healing potions but had never created one before.
This situation presented the perfect chance for him to try.
Eidar set down the pack of reagents and picked up several herbs, holding them between his palms.
"Potion crafting," he whispered.
A faint green glow emerged, enveloping the herbs. Under the magical light, the herbs slowly dissolved into fine powder.
He repeated the process with several other ingredients, mixing them with practiced motions according to precise ratios.
The entire procedure took nearly ten minutes.
"Sael, give me a hand," Eidar said suddenly.
"Of course," Saelran replied.
He had been considering becoming an Alchemist anyway, so he naturally jumped at the opportunity.
Following Eidar's instructions, he brought over the ceramic jar he had been using as a kettle.
"Add the water," Eidar said as he prepared the powdered mixture.
Saelran opened the water pouch and poured water into the jar. As he did, Eidar added the powdered reagents one after another.
"Alchemy," Eidar murmured, taking the jar and shaking it gently as his hands glowed faintly.
Before the eyes of Saelran and the Guard team, the clear water slowly transformed into a murky pale green solution.
Captain Dalron's eyes widened. "This… this is a healing potion!"
Very few people had ever witnessed an Alchemist, or anyone for that matter, making a potion right before their eyes.
"No," Eidar said seriously, shaking his head. "This is only an alchemical solution that can heal wounds. A true healing potion requires a far more complex process."
He pointed at the jar. "This mixture will deteriorate quickly and eventually become poisonous. It must be made and used immediately."
He handed the jar to Dalron. "Drink it. It won't fully heal you, but it will lessen the pain and help the recovery process."
Captain Dalron and the two brothers watched with tight expressions as he drank it, bracing for the bitter taste.
They should have known better, anything brewed from alchemical substances was bound to be unpleasant.
Eidar made two more solutions and handed them to the injured twins.
By the time he finished, his face had turned slightly pale. Making three alchemical solutions in a row had clearly drained him.
"What's wrong, Sael?" Eidar asked as he wiped sweat from his forehead.
Saelran's attention was fixed on his attribute panel.
The Alchemy skill Eidar had used had caused an immediate reaction from his system.
The two skill points he had spent earlier now showed results:
[Attribute Table]
Player: Saelran
Alignment: Neutral
HP: 53 (4%)
MP: 13 (1%)
Physical Attack: 53 (4%)
Physical Defense: 13 (1%)
Agility: 53 (4%)
Magic Attack: 13 (1%)
Magic Defense: 13 (1%)
Overall Resistance: 0 (0%)
Special Ability: 0 (0%)
Total: 16%
[Ability Table]
Innate Ability: Player
Overall Level: 5
Experience Bar: 100/400
Class:
Basic Class: Genius LV1 (Warrior, Priest, Alchemist)
Intermediate Class: Sword Saint LV4
Skill Points: 7
Passive Skills: Inventory Box, Slash Damage (4%)
Active Skills:
Warrior: Instant Reflex, Light Consecutive Slash, Rapid Slash
Priest: Minor Healing (Tier 1)
Class Skills: Potion Crafting, Alchemist
The experience he had accumulated up to this point, combined with the large amount he gained from the Orc he killed earlier, had raised his level by three.
Saelran's overall level had now reached 5.