Three days later, Marcus stood in an opulent private laboratory that made the academy's facilities look like children's toys. Lady Aria Thornvale had spared no expense in creating her personal alchemy chamber—walls lined with rare ingredients in crystal containers, equipment enchanted by master craftsmen, and a central cauldron made of pure mithril that cost more than most houses.
Lady Thornvale herself was an imposing presence. She appeared to be in her forties, with silver-streaked hair, sharp green eyes, and a Gold Rank aura that filled the room like pressure. She wore elegant robes marked with the crest of House Thornvale, one of the kingdom's most powerful noble families.
"So you're the Bronze Rank student who claims to create Legendary-grade potions," she said, studying Marcus with barely concealed skepticism. "You understand the stakes? If you fail, I waste 50,000 gold in ingredients. If you succeed, you earn 100,000 gold and my patronage."
"I understand, Lady Thornvale," Marcus replied calmly, examining the ingredients she'd prepared. "May I ask why you need a Vitality Enhancement Elixir?"
"My husband is dying," she said bluntly. "Gold Rank cultivation should grant centuries of life, but he was cursed during a dungeon expedition. The curse is eating away his life force. Normal healing can't stop it. But a Legendary-grade Vitality Enhancement Elixir might slow the deterioration long enough for us to find a proper cure."
That changed things. This wasn't some vanity project—this was a woman trying to save her husband's life. Marcus felt a flicker of empathy.
"I'll do my best," he said sincerely.
Professor Blackthorne stood to the side as official observer, along with two Royal Alchemist Guild representatives—a Silver Rank alchemist named Helena and a Gold Rank master named Wilhelm. They would verify that Marcus didn't use external assistance or cheat in any way.
The ingredients were laid out before him: Phoenix Heart Extract, Essence of Ancient Dragon, Purified Life Crystal, Tears of the World Tree, and a dozen other components that Marcus had only read about in textbooks. Each one was worth thousands of gold.
Total value: exactly 50,000 gold.
"You may begin whenever ready," Professor Blackthorne said formally.
Marcus took a deep breath and centered himself. He couldn't obviously use his 100x Effect—the observers would notice the power surge. But he'd prepared a workaround.
Before leaving his warehouse, he'd taken a special potion of his own creation: a "Skill Enhancement Elixir" that temporarily boosted his alchemical abilities by a moderate amount. To observers, it would explain any improvement in his performance.
What they didn't know was that he'd created this "enhancement elixir" while his 100x Effect was active, making it far more potent than it appeared.
The result: his Bronze Rank alchemy skills would effectively perform at roughly Silver Rank level, impressive but not suspicious.
And if that wasn't enough, he'd activate his actual 100x Effect for the final, most critical steps.
Marcus began working.
He started with the base—Purified Life Crystal dissolved in World Tree Tears. This created the foundation for the potion's vitality enhancement properties. Temperature had to be exactly 210 degrees, not a degree higher or lower.
He added Phoenix Heart Extract drop by drop, watching the solution's color shift from clear to pale gold. Each drop had to be added exactly seven seconds apart. He counted in his head, his timing perfect.
The observers watched in silence, taking notes.
Next came the Essence of Ancient Dragon—the most volatile ingredient. Too much and the potion would become toxic. Too little and it would lack the power to fight a Gold Rank curse. Marcus measured out exactly 3.7 grams, triple-checking his scale.
He added it slowly, stirring counterclockwise thirty-three times. The solution began to shimmer with inner power.
"Impressive control," Master Wilhelm murmured. "His hand doesn't shake at all."
Marcus continued through the recipe, adding ingredients in precise sequence. Sacred Basil at the twelve-minute mark. Ground Celestial Pearl at seventeen minutes. Moonlight Essence at twenty-three minutes.
Each step perfect. Each measurement exact. His paranoid practice paying off.
At the thirty-minute mark, he reached the critical phase: combining all the separate components into the final elixir. This was where most alchemists failed—the mixture could become unstable, explode, or simply fail to integrate properly.
This was where Marcus activated his 100x Effect.
100X EFFECT ACTIVATED. DURATION: 30 MINUTES.
He did it subtly, without obvious display. But suddenly his Bronze Rank alchemy skills multiplied to what felt like Grandmaster or even Saint Rank mastery. He could see the molecular structure of every ingredient, understand their interactions at a fundamental level, predict outcomes before they occurred.
His hands moved with supernatural precision, guided by knowledge that shouldn't be possible at his age or rank.
The observers leaned forward, sensing something extraordinary was happening but unable to pinpoint what.
Marcus combined the components in a complex pattern—figure-eight stirring, temperature fluctuating between three precise points, adding catalysts at exact intervals. The potion began to glow brighter and brighter, filling the laboratory with golden light.
"By the gods," Helena whispered. "I've never seen such perfect integration..."
The glow intensified, then suddenly stabilized. Marcus removed the cauldron from heat and carefully decanted the final product into a crystal vial.
The Vitality Enhancement Elixir shimmered like liquid sunlight, swirling with motes of power that seemed almost alive. It was beautiful, potent, and unmistakably Legendary-grade.
Master Wilhelm took the vial with trembling hands. He performed a battery of tests—potency analysis, stability check, purity measurement, side effect screening. Each test took several minutes.
Finally, he set down the vial and turned to Lady Thornvale.
"Legendary-grade," he announced, his voice filled with awe. "Not merely Legendary—this is peak Legendary quality. I've seen Gold Rank alchemists who couldn't match this. The potency exceeds anything I've witnessed in thirty years of practice."
Lady Thornvale's stern expression cracked, emotion flooding her face. "It will save him?"
"If anything can slow a Gold Rank curse, this will," Wilhelm confirmed.
She turned to Marcus, and tears were streaming down her face. "Young man, you've given me hope when I had none. 100,000 gold seems inadequate payment."
She pulled out a dimensional storage pouch and handed it to Marcus. He could feel the weight of coins inside—the promised payment.
But then she added something else: a small crystal badge marked with House Thornvale's crest.
"This is a House Thornvale patronage token," she explained. "It grants you access to our family's resources—our ingredient suppliers, our equipment, our connections. Any noble house in the kingdom will recognize this and treat you with respect." She smiled through her tears. "You're under our protection now, Marcus Aldrich. If you ever need anything—anything at all—House Thornvale will provide it."
Marcus accepted the token, understanding its value. This wasn't just a badge—it was political capital. House Thornvale was one of the five most powerful families in the kingdom. Their patronage could open doors that gold couldn't.
"Thank you, Lady Thornvale. I'm honored."
After she left with her precious elixir, Professor Blackthorne pulled Marcus aside.
"That was extraordinary work," she said quietly. "I've taught alchemy for twenty years, and I've never seen a Bronze Rank alchemist—any alchemist—perform at that level." She studied his face. "How did you do it?"
Marcus showed her the empty vial of his Skill Enhancement Elixir. "I took this before starting. It temporarily boosts alchemical ability."
"I've seen those potions. They provide modest improvement at best." Blackthorne's eyes narrowed. "That shouldn't have been enough for what I just witnessed."
"Maybe I got lucky," Marcus offered.
"Maybe." She didn't sound convinced. "Or maybe you're hiding the true extent of your abilities. Either way, you've proven yourself exceptional. The Alchemist Guild will be watching you now. So will other noble houses."
More attention. More scrutiny. More danger.
Perfect.