HP: god of potions

Chapter 81

Gray moved through little magical shops, searching for unique materials. "Gosh, it's disorienting, knowing the future. Everything feels boring," he thought, drained by the lack of discovery. But he reminded himself this wasn't an adventure; it was a mission. In one shop, he paused in the doorway to find Yennefer leaning against the wall. "You've been following us for a while now," she said, her eyes flaring with raw chaos magic. "Why? Who do you work for?" Gray, unfazed, replied, "Following you? I don't have that much time to waste, Yennefer of Vengerberg. If you want to blame someone, blame destiny. And if I wanted to kill you…" he paused, choking her with a mere thought using his magic. Yennefer fell to her knees, gasping for air as Gray walked away. Moments later, Tissaia and two other mages arrived to help her, their eyes fixed on Gray's retreating figure, the aura of his magic lingering with each step he took.

After leaving Arezua temporarily, Gray returned to his mountain, though he made a brief stop along the way after encountering some fascinating creatures. Floating just inches above the sticky, swamp-like terrain of a dense green forest, Gray wielded the Sin of Solace in his hand as he drifted between the massive trees. His sharp gaze scanned his surroundings while he mused, "These weird orchid spider-headed spiders could substitute for the ones in my world." Rising from the mossy ground and decaying plant matter, a group of enormous green spiders emerged, each with a bright red orchid where their heads should have been. Their grotesque forms skittered toward him as Gray thought calmly, "Good thing I prepared plenty of flasks. I don't need to gather every single one of them—just enough to create a pure, concentrated version of their essence."

With his plan in mind, Gray gripped the Sin of Solace firmly, the blade gleaming faintly as it pulsed with the ability to cut through magic and any form of defense. The first spider lunged at him, its sharp, crab-like legs slashing through the air. Without hesitation, Gray swung his weapon, the Sin of Solace slicing cleanly through the creature's leg as though it were paper. Green ichor sprayed from the wound, but Gray remained unfazed, moving swiftly and methodically. His next strike cleaved the orchid-shaped head from its body, the decapitated spider collapsing into the swamp with a sickening thud. More spiders charged at him, their grotesque forms emitting unsettling hisses, but Gray's blade flashed through the air in smooth, calculated arcs, cutting through their limbs and torsos with ease.

It was almost too simple. The Sin of Solace rendered even the toughest exoskeletons and magical defenses useless. Gray barely exerted himself as he danced around their attacks, disassembling them limb by limb. Each swing of his blade was precise, severing legs and heads without a single wasted motion. The spiders' attacks became more desperate, but their attempts to ensnare him in sticky webs were futile. Gray simply floated out of reach, his movements fluid and controlled. The swamp was soon littered with the dismembered bodies of the spiders, their ichor pooling into the mossy ground, and their orchid heads torn apart by the Sin of Solace's relentless strikes.

As the last of the spiders fell, Gray lowered himself slightly, inspecting their remains with a discerning eye. His hands moved deftly as he began collecting the materials he needed. He carefully filled flask after flask with the green ichor, taking only what he required for his experiments. The forest was eerily quiet now, the once menacing creatures reduced to lifeless heaps scattered around him. Gray wiped the blade of the Sin of Solace clean, its surface unmarred despite the carnage, and sheathed it with a faint smirk of satisfaction.

Floating higher into the canopy of the forest, Gray took a moment to survey the area. His thoughts lingered on the potential of the materials he had just gathered. "This should be more than enough," he thought, his mind already planning the next steps of his work. With the flasks safely secured, Gray turned his attention back toward his mountain, ready to continue his journey. The forest behind him, now devoid of its monstrous inhabitants, seemed almost serene, though the faint stench of decay and ichor still lingered in the air.

Gray continued to make his way through the dense forest, his senses sharp as the presence of magic grew stronger. He observed the thick dew clinging to the leaves, its condensation imminent, drawing an unusual number of magical creatures to the area. As he moved forward, a towering figure emerged from the shadows—a manticore. Its form was an unsettling amalgamation: the body of a lion, the torso, head, and wings of a bat, antlers of a goat, and a scorpion's stinger poised to strike. The creature's sheer size made Gray pause for a moment as he thought, "The closer the dew gets to condensing, the more creatures sense it, and the more they're drawn to it." It explained why even magical beings that didn't belong here were appearing.

Gray smirked, feeling the tension in the air as he readied himself. This fight would be more challenging—not because he lacked the power to kill the manticore. He could easily pierce its skin using the Sin of Solace, his weapon of choice, or defeat it with any number of his spells or powers. But something in him resisted the easy path. He wanted to rely solely on his superhuman body, as though he feared he might lose it one day. With that decision made, Gray focused his energy, gripping the Sin of Solace in one hand and preparing to engage the beast head-on.

The manticore charged with incredible speed, its sharp claws swiping through the air as its wings carried it into unpredictable patterns. Gray, however, moved like water, dodging each attack with a fluid grace. The creature's stinger lashed out, venom dripping from its tip, but Gray sidestepped effortlessly, his expression calm. Each time he struck back, he held back his strength, deliberately choosing not to end the fight quickly. His punches and slashes with the Sin of Solace were precise but restrained, landing with enough force to stagger the manticore but not incapacitate it entirely.

As the battle raged on, the manticore let out a feral roar, its wings creating gusts of wind that tore through the forest. It lunged at Gray, its claws narrowly missing him as he spun around and delivered a powerful blow to its side, sending it skidding across the ground. Even then, Gray didn't follow through with a killing strike. He was savoring the fight, testing the limits of his body against a worthy opponent. The manticore's venomous stinger came dangerously close to his chest, but Gray caught it mid-strike with his bare hands, the strength in his grip enough to crack its armored surface.

Finally, after toying with the beast long enough, Gray decided to end the battle. He waited for the perfect moment as the manticore lunged once more. With a burst of speed, he closed the distance and delivered a devastating slash with the Sin of Solace, cutting through the creature's defenses. The manticore collapsed, defeated before finishing it off and collecting more materials. 

Gray continued his journey toward the mountain, the path growing steeper and more treacherous with every step. The air turned colder, and the crunch of snow beneath his boots was the only sound echoing in the eerie silence. As he crossed a narrow ridge, his sharp eyes caught movement among the scattered rocks ahead. At first glance, they appeared to be dirty, hairy boulders, covered in snow and frost, blending seamlessly with the mountain terrain. However, as Gray drew closer, an unnatural chattering broke the quiet, followed by a chilling imitation of human laughter.