Chapter 401 - The Sphinx's Peak Ability.
He didn't know the full theory of it as it wasn't published but he understood that those Spiritual Eyes were the reason for the Witches having the sole ability to concoct potions.
It allowed them to examine the concoction at a microscopic level and use their mental energy to stop the concoction from turning bad.
If it wasn't for it, the mental energy would never be used at such a microscopic level.
Gadgets, equipment, and such, were all useless since even if one was able to see at a microscopic level, his metal energy would not shrink to that level.
Felix knew that without this step, the ingredients used wouldn't combine, absorb, or react to each other positively.
If he went and tried to concoct the potion, he wouldn't even know how it failed. That goes to everyone without those Spiritual Eyes.
That's why he was shocked by Lady Sphinx's ability to concoct.
'She started using the secondary materials.' Felix commentated in his mind while watching Madam Hala threw in a coated voidling's scale.
After so, the bubbling milky white concoction had its intensity reduced. Felix was able to see all of this since he was hovering in the air for better visibility.
After a couple of seconds, the bubbles had increased in number again and Madam Hala threw in the last coated voidling's scale. When it was pacified she hastily threw in the golem brass and sealed the lid shut.
Then, she turned on the heat, making the cauldron shake while the lid clutter around, appearing like a monster was sealed inside trying his best to burst out.
Both Felix and Madam Hala held their breaths in anticipation and worry as they knew that this was the decisive moment of the concoction that had no relation to the potioneer.
With everything that Madam Hala had done, the chance of the potion turning successful was still just 49%.
Considering that this was an Elemental Potion that chance was quite high for a rank 3 witch.
'Come on, please, please, pleas...' Felix kept praying piteously with his hands folded, appearing like a devoted believer.
While he was praying the lid was shaking harder and harder until Madam Hala started showing signs of disappointment and gloom.
Upon seeing those signs, Felix felt his heart break into pieces as he knew what was about to come but he didn't dare to believe it...No he didn't want to believe it.
Alas...
Booom!!
An abrupt explosion went off inside the cauldron, producing the noise but not the actual effect as it was suppressed inside of it.
Peeeeep....
A second later, a stream of smoke surged out of a tiny hole on the lid, producing ear-piercing noise due to the suppressed smoke wanting to exit the cauldron all at once.
At this moment, only that noise was resounding in the room as neither Madam Hala nor Felix was speaking.
While Madam Hala was sighing in disappointment and had an apologetic expression, Felix was gazing at the ceiling with a deadpan expression.
'Told you that you are going to jinx it.' Brutal as always, Asna added salt to Felix's wounds by mentioning, 'Now look at your stupid face, I can hear your heartstrings snapping from here.'
"It failed, my materials, my money, my game points, all lost..." Unresponsive to Asna's taunts, Felix kept murmuring to himself in a daze.
Seeing how hard he got hit by the misfortune, Madam Hala decided to comfort him by mentioning, "I don't know if someone told you or not, but if you hired me again after I failed, the fees of the next concoction would be halved. If I failed again, the fees would be removed entirely."
Alas, Felix wasn't comforted even slightly as he knew that he would need to collect the materials again, causing him to waste another 4 billion SC and 12K GP at least.
'I should have bought it in the auction and got it over with...'
Regret started to wash over Felix like a tide after recalling that he gave up on the elemental potion for 9 billion SC.
Although it was double the price, at least he wouldn't have been stressing himself over the concoction.
Sighhh
"Madam Hala, no need to feel bad for me." Felix let out a long exhale through his nose, calming himself down, and said, "You did a wonderful job but luck wasn't in our side."
Madam Hala felt even more guilty after hearing so. She hated seeing her potions failing and especially if the potion belonged to a client that paid a hefty amount of coins to trust in her skills.
"I wish that you could trust me again with another concoction attempt." Madam Hala said with her head bowed slightly.
She was cold at the start, not paying Felix any attention but when she messed up, she didn't hesitate to lower her head for her failure. Felix respected that as he knew that some witches would merely shrug their shoulders like it was not a biggy.
"If I decided to go for it again, you will be my first choice." Felix said, smiling fainly.
"I am glad." Madam Hala smiled beautifully.
"May I ask if there is any Elemental Potion in your possession or a sister of yours?" Felix asked with a hopeful tone.
"Sorry, all the potions that I make are either preordered in bulk by Backgrounds or by clients like you." Madam Hala shook her head, "My sisters are all like this."
"That's a shame." Felix sighed and said, "I better get going, I don't want to waste your time."
Then, his holographic image had broken into light particles and disappeared from the room.
Madam Hala massaged her neck at the sight and started to clean up the tables, preparing for the next potion concoction.
***
After Felix returned to his Androxa house, he didn't say a word as he simply picked up his car keys and drove to the Training Center.
When he got to his room, he modified it with breakable objects, like glass, cars, tables...etc.
Then, he created a sledgehammer and started f*cking the entire place, destroying anything that his furious eyes met.
"FOUR FKING BILLIIONS!!"
SMASH!!
"FOUR!!"
SMASH!! CRUSH!!...
This carried on for at least ten minutes until the entire area was filled with broken items lying on the ground. Felix was lying in the middle of them with his chest rising up and down.
But his expression was calm and collected again, feeling completely refreshed after venting his frustration without being a nuisance to anyone.
"Now what?" Felix said while massaging his temples.
He could see that only two options were left for him. Collect materials and try again or integrate with his illusion essence. He already has 2% collected and his affinity rating was at 100%.
But knowing that he spent a month to get this 2% was a huge turn-off. Because the potion was accessible only in big auctions like the event, he couldn't even buy it.
"Sigh, I better start collecting them again." Felix decided, "But first, let's integrate the last 4%."
Felix logged out and started meditating on his bed for an hour until his mind was empty from any thoughts about the potion.
Then; he went down to the carpet and brought out all of his materials.
"Asna, please inform me if Lady Sphinx showed up." Felix requested.
"Okay."
"Let's begin." Felix took a deep breath and penetrated his heart with the injection needle.
***
15 minutes later...
Felix was left breathing ruggedly with his face on the carpet. However, a satisfied smile was affixed on his lips due to not fainting.
He swiftly drunk the rejuvenation potion and while his body was getting healed he was sending messages to Asna.
"No one showed up." Asna replied lazily while standing in front of her mansion door with the J?rmungandr.
"Give it some time." The J?rmungandr said.
Felix nodded his head and focused on his body's recovery. Two minutes later, he sat back up in a meditation position and closed his eyes shut.
...
After he opened them up, he was already in the consciousness space. Felix sprinted towards Asna's mansion and asked after he reached their side, "Still nothing?"
Both of them shook their head.
Felix frowned his eyebrows and said, "Elder, if I still recall, you have taken an hour or two before showing up after you woke up right? To read my memories."
"Yes." The J?rmungandr nodded his head then shook it, "But she is not doing the same now since I can't sense her presence in your body at all. It's either she still asleep or the amount of essence wasn't enough to shape up a tiny part of her consciousness."
Felix's heart sank at the news. He always took the primogenitors waking up for granted. But, it seemed like his thinking was too shallow.
"I will be waiting for her." Felix said firmly, "She is probably still asleep but she will wake up soon enough."
"Let's play a game of chess while we wait then." The J?rmungandr manifested a chessboard and took his seat. Before Felix could take his chair, Asna was already sitting on it indifferently.
"I don't know why you are rushing to have your ass whooped." Felix taunted while taking a seat next to them.
Asna flipped him the finger without glancing in his direction.
Felix chuckled while closing his eyes, diving deep in his memories to see what's the Peak ability that he had unlocked.
In a couple of seconds, he opened his eyes with his eyebrow knitted in confusion. "The Truth Eyes?"