Rion sat cross-legged in a small cave he had found during his search for the items.

The filtered sunlight fell on the neatly placed herbs, but his eyes weren't on them; instead, they were on the blue screens that were floating before his eyes.

———

Item: Cliffroot Sinew

Rank: Rare

Description: A twig with red and blue spots found at the core of trees that take root inside the narrow cracks of cliffs. It naturally absorbs the minerals from the stone, making it excellent for toxin cleansing.

Effect: Poison Neutalization, Rough Tongue.

———

———

Item: Ghostly Peagrass

Rank: Rare

Description: A pale grass found near a redwood tree that has survived a full century. It naturally absorbs the toxins of dark pea mushrooms growing around it, making it extremely poisonous.

Effect: Mind Clarity, Extreme Poison.

———

———

Item: Solebright Flower

Rank: Rare

Description: A bright white flower that grows at the only bright spot within a dark area. It absorbs a substantial amount of life essence from the blue spongy algae surrounding it, making it excellent for mental enhancement.

Effect: Mental Receptivity, Extreme Bitterness.

———

———

Item: Bindmoss

Rank: Uncommon

Description: A soft grey-green moss that grows at the base of old trunks where forest moisture is thickest. It holds the inherent effect of binding and harmonisation.

Effects: Essence Binding, Effect Harmonisation.

———

———

Item: Oldenbark Bead

Rank: Uncommon

Description: A solidified crystalline nectar of a greybeard tree that has survived a full century. It holds the inherent effect of enhancement.

Effects: Essence Enhancement.

———

He finished reading all of the descriptions and nodded,

"In theory, the Bindmoss would bind and harmonise the effects of the other four herbs.

Cliffroot Sinew would neutralise the poison within the Ghostly Peagrass.

Solebright Flower's bitterness would soften the rough tongue of Cliffroot Sinew.

Finally, the Oldenbark bead would enhance the remaining effects — mind clarity and mental receptivity.

Which, as a result, should enhance a person's focus to the absolute degree."

Even though he had collected all of the needed herbs, there was just one small problem.

"How am I going to make it?"

He knew about every herb from common to supreme rank but he didn't know how to make medicine out of them.

He frowned and mumbled, "Do I really have to go with that plan?"

His other plan was much simpler: he would return to the Redwood Basin and request Zaelyane's help in concocting the medicine, but that plan had its own significant issue.

Zaelyane could deny concocting the medicine for him.

He didn't have much of a connection with her because she rarely stepped out of the hut, which might be because she wanted to hide her identity as an elf.

'I still don't know if she is different from us...'

But he knew one thing — her assistance would be the last piece he needed to create that medicine.

He picked up the herbs and placed them in his leather pouch before he rose up, mumbling while walking out of the cave, "There is no other choice..."

The golden sunlight brushed him as he stepped out of the cave and turned towards the north.

Swoosh! Crack!

His aura flared up, and spider web-like cracks appeared on the ground beneath him as he rushed towards the Redwood Basin.

His body seemed to blur in silver light as he ran with all of his might, and within a few minutes, he stood before the healer's hut.

Tkk! Tkk!

He knocked at the wooden door and waited for Zaelyane's answer.

"Who?" She asked from inside the hut.

"Rion," he answered.

Crek!

A few moments later, the door creaked open, and an otherworldly beautiful face peeked out of it.

"Why are you here?"

He smiled and said, "I need your help."

She frowned. "My help?"

He showed the leather pouch to her and said, "I want to create a medicine."

Her eyebrows raised curiously, and she raised her slender jade-like hand to ask for the pouch.

His smile widened as he placed the pouch in her hand.

She opened the pouch, and her emerald eyes widened in surprise. She quickly turned her head towards him and asked with a curious smile, "You... how did you get all of these rare herbs?"

"I took Dora's help to find them," he answered without hiding anything.

"Oh..." she mumbled in realisation and asked, "Who is Dora?"

Outwardly, he smiled.

Inwardly, he screamed, 'Of course! You don't know her! How would you know when you don't even leave your hut?'

Her curiosity about how he found them died down, and she said, "Forget that. What medicine are you talking about? I've never read about a medicine that includes all of these rare herbs."

He scratched the back of his head and suggested, "Don't you think it would be better for us to talk inside?"

She let out a forced chuckle and said, "Yeah..."

She pushed the door open and said before stepping back inside.

"Come in."

As she walked inside, his eyes shifted towards the side of her head to take a glimpse at her concealed ears, but failed.

He inwardly clicked his tongue and stepped inside.

He closed the door behind him, and the smell of ground herbs hit him.

He took a deep breath as the memories began to resurface one after another, his eyes shifted towards the right side — to the bed on which his mother had given birth to him.

He stared at the bed with a smile and softened inwardly. 'It's been fifteen years, yet I can't forget that day.'

Zaelyane, who had already taken her seat in a chair, muttered, "So what kind of medicine are you trying to make?"

He turned towards her and explained, "Do you remember that feeling of clarity and focus during your aura awakening?"

She furrowed her brows and replied, "What does that have to do with your — oh..."

Her eyes stirred in realisation, she placed all five herbs on the table and mumbled while rubbing her ivory chin.

"Cliffroot Sinew, Ghostly Peagrass, Solebright Flower, Bindmoss and Oldenbark bead..."

She turned her head towards him and asked, "This is brilliant! How did you even think of this?"

He scratched the back of his head and answered with a sheepish smile, "Well... I wanted my squad members to forcefully enter that state of clarity to awaken their aura. These herbs just happened to have the effects I wanted."

She nodded and said flatly, "Hmm... I am sorry, but this won't help them awaken."

'What...?'

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