Translator: CinderTL
After carefully pouring the potion from the crucible into a prepared glass bottle, Roland didn't immediately drink it.
According to Bronson, the Spirit Summoning Potion, as a potion designed to forcefully awaken the Consciousness Shoal, was certain to inflict a powerful shock to the spirit.
While it wouldn't be life-threatening, failure to Awaken the Consciousness Shoal meant he couldn't attempt it again for a while, or he risked mental collapse.
And in the process of refining the Spirit Summoning Potion, Roland's sleep schedule had become completely disrupted, leaving his spirit constantly exhausted.
Taking the potion now would likely lead to failure.
"I should rest first," he decided.
With that thought, Roland carefully stored the Spirit Summoning Potion and collapsed onto his soft bed without even bothering to wash up.
Soon, the room filled with the sound of his tired, rhythmic snoring.
Time slipped away unnoticed in his deep slumber.
When the setting sun's rays once again bathed the room in golden light the next evening, Roland slowly opened his eyes.
He stretched his stiff body, and once his mind was fully clear, he got up and went downstairs, where he paid for a hearty meal.
Once he confirmed his spirit was in peak condition, Roland returned to his room.
After pouring a cup of hot water to moisten his throat, he retrieved the Spirit Summoning Potion.
Gazing at the swirling blue-green liquid within the bottle, he took a deep breath, tilted his head back, and drank it down in one gulp.
The next moment, an icy liquid slid down his throat.
Then, as if a bolt of lightning had exploded in his stomach, a tingling sensation shot through his entire body.
Roland's pupils constricted sharply, and everything in his vision began to warp and dissolve.
The walls melted like wax, the floor transformed into flowing ripples, and his consciousness was dragged down into the depths of the sea by an invisible force, sinking and sinking.
"This... is the Consciousness Shoal?"
When his vision finally cleared, Roland found himself standing on a gray, desolate beach.
The sky was a heavy leaden gray, the sea as black as ink, and the churning waves glowed with an eerie, ethereal blue.
The air was thick with the salty stench of decay, and each breath felt like inhaling icy mist, stinging his lungs.
In the distance, waves crashed against the shore, each surge bringing with it fragments of broken objects.
Twisted metal shards, half-rotted books, even mutilated human remains.
They were washed ashore only to be dragged back into the deep sea by the receding tide, trapped in a terrifying cycle.
Roland looked down and saw his feet slowly sinking into the sand.
No, it wasn't sand.
It was countless tiny, writhing black particles, like some living thing trying to devour him completely.
"This must be an illusion, right? If so..."
Seeing this, Roland didn't panic. Instead, he frowned thoughtfully.
Just then, the sea surface churned violently, and a massive shadow slowly emerged from beneath the water.
It was a blurred human face, but so enormous it blotted out the entire horizon.
Its eyes were empty, pitch-black voids. Its mouth slowly opened, emitting a silent, piercing scream.
A sharp pain pierced Roland's eardrums, as if countless tiny needles were stabbing into his brain.
Fragments of memories flashed before his eyes like a carousel.
They were torn apart and reassembled by some unseen strength, finally coalescing into sharp blades that pierced his soul.
"Hiss!"
After drawing a sharp breath, Roland's body began to convulse violently, his clothes soaked with cold sweat.
His fingers dug deep into his palm, blood dripping through his clenched fist, yet he remained completely unaware.
Just then, a cold, unyielding strength surged from the depths of his soul.
The gray sky froze instantly, and the churning black sea transformed into a frozen mirror.
The colossal face that had blotted out the sky shattered like fragile glass the moment it touched Roland.
The searing pain that had pierced his very soul vanished along with the countless fragments, dissolving into nothingness.
"Looks like the Steel Will took effect," Roland muttered, shaking his head. A flicker of curiosity sparked in his eyes. "I wonder if this phenomenon caused by the Spirit Summoning Potion falls under mind control or spirit attack."
The black sand beneath his feet continued to writhe, attempting to drag him into the abyss, but his feet remained as firm as if cast in iron.
Gazing at the black particles crawling up his arm, Roland curled his lips into a slight smile. He slowly raised his hand, then clenched his fist.
"Disperse."
The moment Roland spoke, the entire Consciousness Shoal shuddered violently, as if suppressed by an irresistible force.
As the waves recoiled and the sky cracked, the shattered objects washed ashore crumbled into dust and vanished.
In reality, Roland snapped awake.
His breathing was steady, his heartbeat regular, his back wasn't slick with sweat, and his hands were perfectly intact.
He glanced at the table. The cup of hot water he'd just finished drinking was still steaming, proof that everything had happened in a mere instant.
After a moment's hesitation, Roland carefully examined his body for any changes.
But aside from a cool sensation in his brain, he felt nothing unusual.
"Did I just successfully Awaken my Consciousness Shoal?"
Just then, a line of dazzling golden text appeared before his eyes:
[Detection complete: Host has successfully Awakened Consciousness Shoal. Eligible to become a high-tier class Juggler.]
[Requirements: Strength 3, Agility 6, Spirit 5, mastery of 0/3 tricks of any level, total tricks performed 0/100]
[Host does not meet the requirements for the Juggler class.]
"So I really unlocked a new class. But a Juggler? Is it like those clowns in the circus?"
Roland stroked his smooth chin, and a comical image of a white-faced, red-nosed clown immediately popped into his mind.
"My strength and agility are both up to par. As for... right!"
Seeing the mental attribute requirement, Roland immediately pulled up his Job Panel.
The mental attribute, which had previously displayed 1.8, had now jumped to 2.8.
"My mental attribute increased by a whole point? If I keep taking Spirit Summoning Potions..."
He decided to act immediately.
Roland got out of bed and walked to the wooden table laden with alchemical equipment.
With his previous experience, the brewing process went exceptionally smoothly this time. The only thing that surprised him was:
"Is this thing really that tenacious?"
Due to multiple failed attempts, Roland had made several trips to the fish market to buy Devilfish, even becoming familiar with the fishmonger, a woman named Jenny, and negotiating the price down each time.
The Devilfish in his hand was the one he had bought two days ago.
Even after surviving two days without water, it was still writhing slowly.
"Strange... How does Aunt Jenny always have stock? I thought Devilfish fishing had been difficult lately."
Shaking off these distractions, Roland drew the dagger from his waist and expertly extracted the Fish Eye Essence.
The solution changed color, was bottled, and he drank it in a single gulp.
Perhaps thanks to his improved mental attribute, the illusion this time was far less intense than the first. Coupled with the protective effect of Steel Will, he didn't even realize he'd broken free until it was already over.
On his Job Panel, his mental attribute value jumped again.
From 2.8 to 3.4.
"It seems like the effects of the potion, like the Mithril Body Tempering Technique, gradually diminish with repeated use."
"But that's fine."
Roland counted the coins in his purse as he thought.
"The remaining money should be enough to brew a dozen more Spirit Summoning Potions. After drinking them all, I'll definitely meet the mental attribute requirement to qualify as a Juggler."
"By the time we return to the manor, Mr. Bronson's skeletal remains should be fully carved. That will allow for a seamless transition between learning tricks and fulfilling the requirement of performing them a hundred times for my Juggler certification."
"And since the Juggler is a high-tier class, its attributes shouldn't be too bad. Plus, it can trigger job resonance with the Warrior and Blacksmith classes..."
Lost in these thoughts, Roland was suddenly interrupted by a commotion outside his window.
Frowning, he listened to the noise. Though his inn was located on a main thoroughfare, it was usually quiet. He'd never heard such a racket during his stay.
Curious, Roland looked out the window. He saw the residents of Far Ocean Port excitedly streaming towards the city gates.
"King Monen is coming!"
"Good heavens, why would such a great figure visit our Far Ocean Port?"
"Stop overthinking it! Hurry, let's go see!"
"I never thought I'd live to see a legendary hero in person!"
(End of the Chapter)