HP: god of potions

Chapter 82

These creatures, far from being mere rocks, were alive—monstrous beings with sharp teeth glinting like daggers. They growled and snapped as they began to encircle him, their movements deliberate and predatory. Gray stood still, his stance calm but his body tense, ready to react. As one lunged at him, its jagged maw wide open, Gray darted to the side with inhuman speed, gripping the Sin of Solace firmly. With a single, fluid motion, he swung the blade, its edge gleaming ominously. The creature's stone-like form split cleanly in two, its monstrous life snuffed out in an instant.

The remaining creatures hesitated, their snarls turning to low, guttural growls as they realized their prey was far from ordinary. They rushed him in unison, but Gray moved like a shadow, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to evade their clumsy attacks with ease. Each swing of the Sin of Solace cleaved through their rocky hides as though they were made of air. One by one, the creatures fell, their imitated cries echoing eerily in the thin mountain air. When the last of them crumbled, Gray paused to survey the carnage, his breath visible in the freezing cold. Without wasting another moment, he pressed on.

Not long after, he reached a plateau that seemed oddly quiet. The snow here was disturbed, large trenches gouged into the ground as if something enormous had been dragging itself through. Gray narrowed his eyes, his instincts flaring. From beneath the snow erupted a massive centipede-like creature, its segmented body covered in jagged, chitinous plates, each segment larger than a man. Its mandibles clicked ominously as it let out a shrill, ear-piercing screech. Then, as if summoned by that sound, dozens more emerged from the ground, their sheer size and numbers forming an overwhelming force.

Gray stood his ground, gripping the Sin of Solace tightly. As the first centipede charged, its speed unnaturally swift for its size, Gray dashed forward, meeting it head-on. With a single, precise strike, he severed its head from its body, the blade cutting through its armored plating effortlessly. Another lunged from his left, and he spun on his heel, delivering a horizontal slash that split it apart mid-air. The ground shook as the swarm advanced, but Gray moved like a storm, each swing of his blade reducing the monstrous centipedes to lifeless heaps.

Despite their overwhelming numbers, Gray's superhuman body and unparalleled skill allowed him to carve through the horde. His strikes were methodical, each movement calculated to conserve energy while maximizing impact. As the final creature reared up, its mandibles snapping ferociously, Gray leapt high into the air, bringing the Sin of Solace down with devastating force. The massive centipede collapsed, its body twitching before falling still.Gray exhaled slowly, the icy wind biting at his skin as he wiped the blade clean of ichor. The plateau was now silent, save for the distant howl of the wind. The mountain loomed closer, its peak shrouded in swirling clouds.

After returning to the icy fortress, Gray checked on the dew condensing, which was becoming more and more prominent. Gray knew this would result in many magical beings paying a visit to his little mountain, trying to take the dew. Figures such as the northern kingdoms' armies, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, and the elves were expected, but none posed a threat to him. Even the Witchers were unlikely to be a match. Confident in his abilities, Gray wasn't worried as he went back to preparing his auxiliary materials. For a few days, things went splendidly, despite the looming storm. Then, thunder and lightning rolled in as Sin of Solace appeared. "Here comes Rachel 2.0," Gray chuckled madly, sighing before stepping outside to investigate the disturbance at the foot of the mountain.

There, Gray saw Ciri riding a black horse, chased by spectral riders. "So, they are the Wild Hunt," he thought as he observed her approach. Spotting Gray atop the mountain, Ciri quickened her pace, relief evident in her eyes. Gray released a pulse of magic as soon as she entered his 50-meter radius, dispersing the spectral riders instantly. Ciri dismounted hesitantly, looking back at where the Wild Hunt had vanished before turning to Gray. However, he only frowned at her before retreating into the icy fortress without a word, leaving Ciri sighing as she stood in the frigid cold. She glanced around, marveling at the magnificent structure Gray had crafted. "Beautiful," she muttered in awe before a hand gripped her shoulder, making her yelp in surprise. Turning around, she was overjoyed to see Geralt, whom she hugged tightly.

"Thank the gods you are safe," Geralt said in his low, rough voice as he embraced her. Ciri broke the hug and gestured to the icy fortress. "He saved me—the man from the different world," she explained. Geralt studied the monumental structure, frowning. "You can feel it too, can't you?" he asked, and Ciri nodded. "Yeah, there's a storm coming," she replied. Geralt sighed. "Then we need to leave, as far away as we can," he warned, making Ciri panic momentarily before hastily explaining. "I saw a vision—a war is going to take place here. Everyone will come: the Nilfgaardians, the mages, the northern kingdoms, even the elves, and…" She hesitated. "And the Witchers," Geralt finished for her. She nodded gravely. "All of them wanted what this man is guarding. And they all… lost," she concluded, leaving Geralt in stunned silence. He sighed again, turning back to the icy fortress before leading Ciri away.

Gray, meanwhile, busied himself with his preparations, pouring all his focus into refining the auxiliary materials. Though he hadn't yet seen the exact result of his work, he was confident the potion would be a success. Days passed until the dew reached a stage where its effects began influencing the world. For the first time in a while, Gray smiled as he stepped out of the fortress. At the foot of the mountain, he came upon a precious herb—a translucent silver lotus with petals that shimmered like a starlit night sky, its core emitting a faint, ethereal glow. Gray's smile widened, but before he could react, Ciri fell from the sky atop a wooden griffin, kicking up snow. With a screech, the griffin lunged, but Ciri plunged her sword into its neck, her eyes burning with magic. Breathing heavily, she glanced at Gray, who stood calmly holding the herb, dressed in a thin robe that exposed his chiseled physique.

There was an awkward silence as Ciri's confident expression faltered. Gray sighed and turned back toward the castle, but before he could leave, a flock of griffins descended, drawn to the dew. Ciri gripped her sword tightly, readying herself for battle, but Gray merely raised his hand. A devastating beam of starlight fell from the sky, obliterating the entire flock in an instant. Ciri stood in stunned silence, staring at Gray, who had already disappeared into the fortress. Back inside, Gray began experimenting with the herb, discovering that it could heal and resist curses—valuable properties in his eyes. "Too bad it's not useful for this project," he thought as he continued his work. Suddenly, the mountain cracked below, and water spewed forth, bringing with it a new wave of creatures, all drawn to the dew. 

Gray sighed, grabbing the Sin of Solace as he excited the castle and arrived at the towering icy walls of his castle, peering down into the massive crack in the earth. From the chasm below, a rush of water began to flood upward, carrying with it grotesque creatures known as Aeschnae, or Glustyworp. These bumpy, algae-covered monstrosities stretched four yards in length, with ten clawed paws and jaws like saws designed to shred anything in their path. Thirty-one of them emerged from the depths, their rough, slimy skin glistening under the faint light that filtered through the frozen landscape. With a wry smile tugging at his lips, Gray jumped, descending effortlessly into the chaos below.

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A/N happy new year guys, and i hope you have a wonderful year, i know i am not because it means that i am one year older(yes, my birthday is on 01/01, sue me) and i am not happy, i don't want to age, growing old sucks.

PS: The Witcher world is weak, just saying, and gray is currently overpowered, not to mention the Kwamis.