Erwin's face lit up with triumph. His hunch had paid off—this device truly could be upgraded. He'd barely touched it since acquiring it, sticking to simple brews like basic magic-boosting potions to turn a quick profit. But that was small potatoes compared to his ambitions, so he'd let it gather dust.
Now, after the upgrade, everything changed. The enchanted brewing station no longer required pre-mixed ingredients. It could reverse-engineer formulas from finished samples, with no cap on storage. As long as he had raw materials, Erwin Cavendish would never run short on potions again.
The only downside? It hadn't come sooner. He could've loaded it with a diluted batch of that powerful magic-boosting potion for an endless supply. Even watered down, it packed a punch. But Erwin shook off the thought—he was likely overreaching. Top-tier potions demanded rare, costly components far beyond his current reach.
As he moved to stow the station, a forgotten vial caught his eye. It was the one he'd scooped up after dismantling the Yaxley family. Curiosity piqued, he slotted it into the device.
A silver needle pierced the bottle, drawing out the liquid. The station hummed to life, and moments later, a slip of parchment ejected from the top.
[Incomplete Frenzy Potion!]
[Ingredients: ...]
[Preparation Method: ...]
[Effect: Temporarily boosts the user's magic reserves by a significant margin, scaled to the potion's potency. The analyzed sample grants a 30% increase but carries severe side effects, including potential mental instability!]
Erwin scanned the details, his pulse quickening. The thing was brilliant—it had dissected an unknown brew on the fly. A Frenzy Potion, incomplete but promising. The boost tied to quality, as did the risks; a refined version might tame those drawbacks.
He pored over the formula, his innate talent straining against its complexities. Many herbs amplified magical power, but several were strangers—likely extinct strains. The wizarding world had its greenhouses, yet most potent plants hailed from wild Muggle rainforests. Modern pollution and expansion had wiped out swaths of them, confining survivors to forgotten corners. Even in Great Britain, ancient recipes faded for the same reason.
Erwin pocketed the parchment and the station. He couldn't crack it alone, and time was short. But connections were his real edge. Snape, the wizarding world's youngest Potions Master and his godfather, could unravel it. In that domain, Snape outshone most veterans—reason enough he'd been tapped to lead potion efforts for the Order of the Phoenix. If anyone could perfect this, it was him.
With the upgrade charms spent, Erwin eyed his last prizes: Talent Upgrade Card x1 and Talent Fusion Cards x2. He'd saved the talent tweaks for last.
[Talent Upgrade Card]
[Level: Gold]
[Description: Elevates any gold-level talent to legendary gold.]
Straightforward, but "legendary gold" screamed game-changer. Upgrading a single talent to that pinnacle? Worth the haul alone.
[Talent Fusion Card]
[Level: Gold]
[Description: Merges up to three talents (including duplicates) into one. May elevate the resulting talent's level; fusion outcome unpredictable!]
This one screamed risk—a true roll of the dice. The upgrade probability teased potential, but "unpredictable" outcome? It could forge something revolutionary or backfire spectacularly. Logic screamed caution; gambling ruined more lives than it enriched. Cherish stability, steer clear of the unknown.
Yet Erwin felt the pull, that nagging "what if?" Everyone knew the house always wins, but the allure of striking gold lingered.
"System, how does the Talent Fusion Card work?" he asked inwardly.
[Upon activation, the System will sort the host's talents and suggest compatible fusions. Select a category to proceed. View options?]
Erwin's interest sharpened. A guided process? That tilted the odds, made it less of a blind leap. He could scout first, decide later.
He confirmed, and the System chimed.
[Sorting host talents.]
[Compatible fusions identified!]
...
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