By late afternoon, Adam had used seven Heat Leaf herbs to stabilize his alchemical solution into a woody yellow liquid.
Testing it on a wound, the solution far surpassed the effect of raw powder.
Yet, Adam's face showed no joy, only a faint frown.
After brief contemplation, he depleted his freshly recovered mana to cast Item Appraisal On the solution.
[Item: Inferior Alchemical Solution]
[Effect: Made from Heat Leaf Herbs, with hemostatic and disinfectant properties. When ingested, restores 1 HP. (Cannot be stored long-term; effect fades within one hour.)]
The appraisal deepened Adam's frown.
With higher Alchemist And Pharmacist levels than Nfirea, his potion was still deemed inferior?
Adam had acquired the Pharmacist class from Nfirea to craft potions for combat endurance.
Now, he saw his plan was overly simplistic.
His herbal knowledge was lacking, herb properties, combinations, and dosages were all issues.
Mastering these required time, not just skill activation.
Time was his scarcest resource.
His current solution merely maximized Heat Leaf's potency, a workaround, not even a low-tier potion.
New World potions and YGGDRASIL potions were fundamentally different.
Based on crafting methods and materials, potions fell into three categories,
Herbal Potions: Made solely from herbs, common in the New World, cheap, and ideal for commoners and low-level adventurers. Hybrid Potions: Crafted with herbs and magic, more effective for combat, and pricier. Magic-Only Potions: Non-existent in the New World.
The second and third methods were standard in YGGDRASIL.
However, New World pharmacists had forged a distinct path for the second method.
Since YGGDRASIL's healing potion, dubbed "Gods Blood." existed in the New World, Ainz had speculated why pharmacists struggled to replicate it.
Three possibilities,
Knowledge from players who arrived in the New World was lost, along with crafting techniques. Pharmacists like Nfirea were simply unaware, and the technology existed in distant nations. YGGDRASIL potions required YGGDRASIL materials, unavailable in the New World, causing the method to be lost.
Adam leaned toward the third.
He even suspected Nfirea's future red potion might use materials from the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Perhaps Nfirea's method used fewer resources.
Otherwise, how could Nfirea surpass the Slane Theocracy's 200–300 years of costly research in under a year? It seemed too improbable.
Snapping back, Adam faced reality: no time, no mentors for potion or herbal knowledge, and no YGGDRASIL-style skill boosts from leveling.
Even if a spell could instantly craft potions, he had no way to learn it.
"Crafting potions to bolster my strength seems unrealistic now." Adam sighed.
As for the Alchemist class?
Nfirea had explained that most pharmacists viewed alchemy as a support skill for potion-making.
In YGGDRASIL, Alchemist was broader among production classes.
Paired with classes like Craftsman, Puppeteer, Blacksmith, or Golem Crafter, it yielded powerful results.
High-tier classes like Master Alchemist or Gunsmith could elevate alchemy's combat potential above other production roles.
But Adam couldn't afford to invest in high-tier Alchemist classes or complementary professions.
Without high-tier specialization, base production classes were lackluster in YGGDRASIL.
So, was Alchemist as useless to him as Pharmacist?
Adam pondered.
YGGDRASIL's rules didn't fully apply to the New World, nor vice versa.
"Alchemy's role is crafting solutions with direct effects. It doesn't have to be just a potion-making aid." He mused.
For instance, he could create temporary solutions with various effects.
The drawback was their short shelf life, solutions degraded quickly, losing potency.
This wasn't a dealbreaker.
Rigrit, the necromancer, knew the Preservation Spell, which extended potion efficacy for a year.
New World potions naturally degraded over time, making Preservation vital for pharmacists.
With this idea, Adam's mood lifted. Glancing at the darkening sky, he set up camp by the riverbank.
Nearby, Mugu the Hobgoblin lay prone, occasionally casting fearful, reverent glances at Adam, proof he was still alive.
Over time, Mugu had witnessed Adam's uncanny feats, like waving a hand to make goblin corpses vanish.
***
Every 5 reviews and 200 power stones, a bonus chapter will be dropped.
(5,10,15, 200, 400, 600, and so on then two bonus chapters will be dropped, 1 for 5 reviews and 1 for 200 power stones, so that's 2 bonus chapters!)
And if you want to read more than 50 chapters early, feel free to visit pat re on. com / Xelenea (remove space).