Having successfully wrapped up Plona’s bloodsucking debut, I gathered the leftover scraps that I had set aside and returned to the Iron Grave to deliver them to Lavina. Just three days later, Lavina called us back together again.
“Mmm….”
“What is it?”
Unable to bear Lavina’s frustrating behavior as she kept us waiting for ten minutes after summoning us, I urged her to speak up.
Did she think she was some kind of rice cooker? I was prepared to wait for her to open her mouth first, but if I let this go on, the night would be over.
Fortunately, after a little manual release of steam, the rice cooker finally opened.
At least it wasn’t broken. Thank goodness it fixed itself before I had to hit it.
“So, um, the blood supplement is kind of done?”
“What’s wrong?”
I was completely clueless when it came to potion-making. Over the past three days, Stella had gone to help out, but if something went wrong despite that, there was nothing I could do.
“Well… I upgraded it as much as possible, and completed the clinical trials, but there was nothing wrong with the blood itself that was produced. It means that there’s no issue with any components being missing or it getting diluted just because it’s blood that was enhanced as a potion.”
“It’s also been verified that it’s safe to drink. I checked it myself, so I’m sure about it.”
Cutting off Lavina as she rattled off experiment results, Stella chimed in as well.
At least it started with good news. If Lavina had said that the quantity was increased but it didn’t have any substance, I would’ve been deflated.
Filling up the subordinates’ bellies and me gathering strength isn’t exactly the same system, but since life force infused in blood is the key in both cases, it can’t be too different.
Besides, since Stella confirmed it herself, she wouldn’t have skipped checking that part.
…But wait, she confirmed it herself? Could it be—
“I understand what you’re thinking, but that’s not it. As I mentioned before, once the effect analysis of a potion is complete, no further variables occur. Drinking it is merely a final verification.”
Before I even got to ask, my doubts were shut down completely before they could even leave my lips.
Well, Stella isn’t the type to test safety on her own body. If I’m not mistaken, she must have had some compelling reason to do it.
Anyway, what’s certain is that there’s no issue with performance. So what’s the problem?
“The issue isn’t with drinking it, but with the one who drinks the blood supplement… Originally, I thought that if it came down to it, we could keep using the blood supplement on just one human and repeatedly draw their blood, you know? However, there’s an upper limit to even the simplest form of the magical formula related to the increase in blood—”
“Just give me the conclusion.”
“If a person with a certain level of magical resistance drinks the blood supplement, they die.”
Wait, what? Where did that conclusion come from all of a sudden?
Were we researching poison? Was the blood supplement actually just bait, and we were just being exploited for labor?
I glared at Lavina with a murderous look, demanding a proper explanation, and she began to extensively clarify.
According to her, potions typically require a certain level of magical resistance depending on their type and potency.
And anyone who consumes a potion that exceeds their own resistance would suffer side effects.
The type of side effects fundamentally differs based on the potion, and even for the same potion, the manufacturing process can lead to vastly different results. So, even potions with the same potency could either require lower magical resistance or cause fewer side effects, which all falls under the maker’s skill.
“But if magical resistance is involved in blocking side effects, shouldn’t it also block effectiveness?”
“The effectiveness is embedded during the inscription process, while the efficacy of the end product belongs to the substance itself. However, side effects remain the residual nature of the magic that didn’t convert to substance.”
This is complicated. I started to question if I had asked at all.
But suddenly, I recalled something Lavina had mentioned before.
“Didn’t you say before that the side effects weren’t a big deal?”
She definitely said, “There might still be slightly annoying side effects.”
Of course, she had also mentioned that there might be other side effects, but dying is… just a minor side effect?
My eyes narrowed instinctively.
Feeling the shift in my gaze of distrust, Lavina immediately launched into a secondary explanation.
“To defend my honor, there aren’t many people who can create potions as well as I can. Probably.”
Even as a joke, shouldn’t we skip the “probably” there? Is this something I should view positively with a clear conscience? That’s a tough one.
“So? ”
“Ultimately, the goal is to significantly increase quantity, right? When I increased the production amount according to the spell, the potion turned out to be stronger than expected. It doesn’t harm anyone with sufficient resistance, but… let’s just say the threshold is a bit higher…”
I was left agape at the specific numbers and examples provided.
I mean, it didn’t require the magical resistance of a knight, but it was still levels that were far from what the humans around here could manage.
I felt a bit dejected.
The reason I became interested in the blood supplement in the first place was to gather enough blood without straying too far from the Underground City, ensuring I could avoid the eyes of humans and steadily build power.
Seeking out humans who could potentially use the blood supplement, going around digging them up would just be putting the cart before the horse.
Just then, I felt a gentle tugging from behind and turned my head.
Looking down, I saw Eleonora’s finger gripping my clothing. It seemed like she wanted to say something, so I bent slightly at my knees to lower myself, and Eleonora whispered.
“Couldn’t we just think of it as a one-time use and draw blood only?”
In other words, even if we give up on infinite recycling, isn’t it a benefit if we can draw blood from one person more than twice?
At a glance, it sounded like a reasonable opinion, but unfortunately, the keen-eared elf chimed in, graciously catching Eleonora’s sweeping inquiry.
“If they die, the effect disappears right away, and blood production stops as well. And dying from side effects happens faster than when the effect actually manifests. During clinical trials, the maximum blood drawn didn’t even fill this bottle, so if you’re looking for just that, you might as well raise them up and be done with it, right?”
Hearing that made it seem like a tricky situation. The effectiveness seems to be present, but if there’s no suitable target to use it on, it’s like setting the table but not being able to eat.
If there had been a flaw in the performance of the blood supplement itself, I might have given up easily, but with these various conditions being a sticking point, it made me even more reluctant.
“Assuming they have sufficient magical resistance, how much blood can be extracted?”
I figured if I confirmed it didn’t take more effort to capture those who met the criteria, I could give up cleanly.
But Lavina’s reply shattered that idea.
“Oh, production quantity isn’t an issue. Over a period of six hours, you can draw about 30 times the total amount of blood in someone’s body. But keep in mind, drinking one bottle lasts for 30 days.”
“…What?”
For a moment, I doubted my ears, but Lavina wore a smug smile as if showing off her talent, refusing to retract her statement.
That’s way too much to just dismiss as a sour grape. It would seriously be a shame to give up.
…Wait, 30 times? Doing the math, that’s about 5 servings an hour, meaning every 12 minutes, it’s making up the amount of blood that was originally in the body?
“Is that really possible?”
I was left speechless by the unbelievable capability.
Is this what potions are all about?
Well, magic poison could also be considered a type of potion, so remembering how Plona, once a knight, nearly died paralyzed by poison might not be too far off the mark to think that blood replication might be feasible.
Alright, fine, let’s acknowledge that it can be produced.
But didn’t you say that in theory, as long as there’s resistance, it should be fine? Are you sure that’s okay?
“Of course, you need to keep drawing blood continuously while the effect lasts. Depending on the species, but speaking for an average human, if you leave it for just a few minutes, they’d probably explode and die from blood pressure that’s too high. Humans don’t have particularly sturdy blood vessels, you know?”
“….”
“But we’ve condensed the blood production time into six hours a day. You should be amazed by this. Rather than having to strain continuously for 720 hours over 30 days, we just have to endure for six hours a day.”
Lavina smiled confidently as if she were stating a point worthy of praise.
Do all research-loving types have some quirk in their brains?
I could only think about how I’d be in trouble if I were a victim in this scenario. Listening to this made me feel like I was hearing an elf version of Raul.
Of course, it’s not my problem if humans die, but I also promised to show for the dark magic research as the price for the blood supplement.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that they were trying to slip in some clauses about deceptive drug contracts here or something.
To avoid having blood drawn in the future due to differences in values, I resolved to start verifying whatever that elf says from now on, not just take it at face value.
At that moment, Eleonora was talking to Lavina directly for the first time.
“Um… if we just keep drawing blood, won’t the one getting it also be okay?”
“Exactly. It’s not that harmful ingredients build up and kill you, but the body can’t withstand the pressure of overly accumulated blood and ruptures. So, as long as the blood is drawn well, you’re fine.”
“Then, can I withstand that medicine?”
“Eleonora!”
Startled by her unexpected question, I hurriedly cut off Eleonora’s words.
Absolutely not; there was no way I would allow that. But at that moment, I caught the familiar glint of determination in Eleonora’s bright yellow eyes.
I’d seen that look a few times before.
The day we first met, when she asked to be killed if I wouldn’t take her in.
The day I thought I’d lose Eleonora to Kanak, and she smiled saying she’d follow me to hell and back.
Eleonora is usually quiet and doesn’t assert herself much. But when she decides something, that stubbornness is hard to break, and I knew that very well.
“I want to try that medicine, if possible.”
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