Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence-Chapter 121 - 115: The "Potion Genius" Enters My Grasp
The inky black of night shrouded Black Stone Castle in silence.
Baofeng’s sleek form carved an arc through the night sky, landing soundlessly in the clearing before the castle.
In the moonlight, its giant, scale-armored claws were still stained with the dark green blood of an Illusory Poison Toad.
"Lord, you have returned."
A Knight on guard stepped forward to report.
"An important guest has been waiting for you for some time."
"An important guest?"
Raylo raised an eyebrow. ’I think I know who it is.’
"Yes, a Pharmacist calling himself Master Barnaby."
’So it is him.’
Raylo chuckled. ’This "Medicine Genius" is even faster than I expected.’
He gave his orders. "Find Ed and have him send someone to take care of this Illusory Poison Toad. Then, please invite Master Barnaby to the guest hall."
After a quick wash to remove the dust and the stench of blood from his face, Raylo changed into a clean linen tunic.
「In the guest hall.」 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Master Barnaby had arrived promptly and was already waiting.
"Master Barnaby, my apologies for the wait."
Raylo said as he pushed the door open and entered.
"Oh, Lord Baron!"
Seeing Raylo, Master Barnaby rubbed his hands together excitedly.
"Not at all, not at all. I’m the one intruding, I’m afraid."
Raylo gestured for him to sit down, then took the host’s seat himself.
"You must have an important reason for visiting so late at night, Master."
Master Barnaby cleared his throat, his expression turning somewhat conspiratorial.
"Lord Raylo, I’ve come today because... well, I happened to hear something."
He lowered his voice.
"I heard... that a Silver Dragon was sighted again recently in your Black Stone Territory?"
Raylo hid a smile and feigned surprise.
"Oh? Is that so? I haven’t seen anything myself."
Master Barnaby said,
"As you know, My Lord, I am searching for the Silver Dragon. I was hoping to stay in Black Stone Territory for a few days, if that would be convenient for you, Lord."
"It is my honor that you would grace Black Stone Territory with your presence, Master."
Raylo gave a slight nod.
"Then I thank you, Lord!"
Master Barnaby looked very pleased.
"Additionally, I have another, rather bold request. According to the laws of the Duchy, everything within a territory, including any Magical Beasts that enter it, belongs to the Lord. Outsiders are not permitted to hunt without your permission. I would like to request... hunting rights within Black Stone Territory."
As he spoke, Master Barnaby carefully retrieved an exquisite wooden box from the Magic Space Bag at his waist.
He opened the box. Inside, two crystal-clear potions rested, emitting a faint blue glow.
"A small token of my appreciation."
Master Barnaby pushed the wooden box toward Raylo.
"Two bottles of Sky Knight Breakthrough Potion. I hope to exchange them for hunting rights, Lord Baron. As you know, researching potions always requires fresh ingredients."
Master Barnaby had launched his tried-and-true "potion offensive."
Sky Knight Breakthrough Potion!
A glimmer flashed in Raylo’s eyes.
This was a priceless treasure, a Potion that could help a peak Earth Knight break through their bottleneck and ascend to the rank of Sky Knight.
Its value was far beyond what mere gold could measure.
Master Barnaby was certainly sparing no expense.
However, Raylo’s target wasn’t just a few potions. He wanted the "Medicine Genius" himself.
He pretended to think it over, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk. His gaze lingered on the two potions for a moment before he slowly shook his head.
"I appreciate the generous gift, Master. But as for the hunting rights..."
Seeing this, Master Barnaby looked disappointed. Just as he was about to speak, Raylo changed his tune.
"However, the matter of hunting rights isn’t entirely out of the question. I happen to have an ancient Potion formula here. If you could perhaps shed some light on it for me, Master, then what are mere hunting rights in comparison?"
With that, Raylo took a roll of parchment from within his tunic and handed it over.
This was the very formula for the Dragon Descendant Knight’s support Potion, which he had transcribed from the Inheritance Stone Slab.
Master Barnaby accepted the parchment doubtfully. He glanced at it casually at first, but his expression changed dramatically as his eyes swept over the archaic symbols and strange ingredient names.
"This... This is..."
"Dragon Blood Grass, a Griffin Heart, and this... powdered Star Iron?"
Master Barnaby read the formula again, his brow furrowing tighter.
"This ’Moonlight Dragonflower’... the ’Reversed Scale of an Abyssal Demon Serpent’... and the ’Spinal Fluid of a Titan Giant Ape’..."
"Lord Baron, I have no idea where you acquired this, but this is a Potion formula from the Ancient Era!"
"These ingredients... forget today, even in records from several hundred years ago, they were already legendary."
Seeing his expression, Raylo couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment.
’So many of the herbs and materials have gone extinct. It’s only natural that some ingredients from the Ancient Era would have disappeared by now.’
’It seems these Potion formulas are of limited value, then.’
However, just as Raylo was beginning to lose interest, Master Barnaby suddenly slapped his thigh. An excited light, even more intense than when he’d first seen the Potions, rekindled in his eyes.
Master Barnaby pointed at the formula on the parchment.
"Although the main ingredients are extinct, there’s still hope! The alchemical logic in this formula, the way it utilizes the properties of the ingredients—it’s given me a tremendous insight! The properties of many extinct materials aren’t necessarily unique. Perhaps..."
"Perhaps through experimentation, we can find substitutes with similar, or even superior, properties!"
’As expected of the Alchemy Master known as the "Medicine Genius." He found a potential solution the moment he saw the ancient formula.’
’But completing such an experiment would inevitably consume a massive amount of precious materials. For Black Stone Territory, with its current finances, that would be an extremely heavy burden.’
Fortunately, Raylo’s goal wasn’t to actually reproduce these ancient Potions. The formula was merely bait.
"Master Barnaby, have you ever heard of the ’Dragon Descendant Knights’ of the Ancient Era?"
"In the Ancient Era, the world was ruled by Giants. We humans were no different from livestock to them—we were their food. To survive, our ancestors chose to pledge their loyalty and faith to the enemies of the Giants: the Giant Dragons. They relied on the protection of the Dragon Race to survive."
Master Barnaby nodded.
"The Dragon Descendant Knights were a product of that time. Through a special Secret Technique, humans could absorb the Essence Blood of the Dragon Race, awakening various draconic traits and gaining immense combat power. The strongest among them possessed the might to face Giants in open battle."
"But those Secret Techniques and inheritances have been lost to the river of time. All that remains are legends passed down in books or in the tales of Minstrels."
Master Barnaby said with a sigh.
Raylo felt the time was ripe and spoke.
"Master, to be perfectly honest, I recently came into possession of some secrets from the Ancient Era, and I was hoping to invite you to study them with me."
Master Barnaby looked a little surprised.
"Oh?" He glanced at the parchment in his hand, and a look of understanding dawned on his face. "I imagine this Potion formula you’ve shown me is part of it."
Raylo nodded.
"I would like to invite you to serve as my Magic Consultant. What do you think, Master?"
Master Barnaby looked at the parchment in his hand, a hesitant expression on his face.
"If you stay in Black Stone Territory, Master, you can not only study these ancient secrets but also keep tabs on the Silver Dragon’s movements. Wouldn’t that be killing two birds with one stone?"
"Besides, as you know, I’ve recently subdued a Storm Griffin Group and even formed a contract with the Storm Griffin King. When the Silver Dragon appears, I can dispatch my Storm Griffins to help you hunt it down."
Raylo watched Master Barnaby’s expression, upping the ante step by step.
At last, Master Barnaby was tempted.
"Given your sincerity, Lord Baron, I am willing to serve as your Magic Consultant for a time."
Raylo was overjoyed.
’I’ve finally roped the master in.’
"Your presence brings great honor to Black Stone Territory, Master."
Master Barnaby waved his hand dismissively, his gaze still lingering on the ancient Potion formula.
"No need for such pleasantries, Lord Baron. Since I’ve given you my word, I will naturally do my best. I’m just curious... what exactly are these ancient secrets you mentioned?"
Raylo smiled, his expression growing more solemn.
"Do you recall our discussion about the ’Dragon Descendant Knights,’ Master?"
"Are you saying... that you possess the Dragon Knight Inheritance?"
Master Barnaby’s voice held a barely perceptible tremor. Clearly, the speculation had left him deeply unsettled.
To anyone devoted to Magic and Alchemy, the name "Dragon Descendant Knight" represented a lost age of glory and endless mystery.
Raylo nodded slowly.
"Exactly. I chanced upon a complete Dragon Knight Inheritance, but much of it is obscure, and many of the Secret Techniques seem to differ from modern training systems. That is why I wished to invite you to study it with me."
GASP!
Master Barnaby gasped, the way he looked at Raylo changing completely.
If the Potion formula had merely surprised and excited him, then the news of a "complete Dragon Knight Inheritance" was enough to leave an experienced and knowledgeable Alchemy Master like him utterly stunned.
He knew the value of such an inheritance. It was tantamount to a key to a lost civilization.
"Lord Baron."
Master Barnaby’s tone became exceptionally grave.
"This matter is of the utmost importance. If word of this gets out, it will bring about a terrible disaster. To ensure the secrecy of this inheritance..."
Before Raylo could even ask him to maintain secrecy, Master Barnaby took the initiative.
"Let us forge a Magic Contract. I, Barnaby Grey Robe, hereby swear that I will never reveal the contents of the Dragon Knight Inheritance I see and hear today to any third party. If I break this oath, may my soul be cast into the Abyssal depths, never to know peace."
As he spoke, a faint blue glow of Magic Power began to wreathe his fingertip, and a solemn aura filled the air.
A flash of appreciation appeared in Raylo’s eyes.
’Master Barnaby is truly a man of character.’
’He understands that for a secret of this magnitude, any verbal promise is meaningless. Only a Magic Contract can truly bind them.’
"A noble gesture, Master."
Raylo did not hesitate. He extended his own hand, a gleam of silver magic gathering at his fingertip, resonating with Master Barnaby’s Magic Power.
The two different powers touched lightly in mid-air, instantly transforming into two arcane runes that sank into each of their foreheads. The contract was sealed.
An invisible, binding force formed between them, and each could clearly sense the truth of the other’s oath.
With the contract forged, Raylo had no further reservations.
With a flick of his wrist, he retrieved the Inheritance Stone Slabs from the Magic Space Bag at his waist.
"This is the inheritance."
Raylo carefully laid the Stone Slabs out one by one on an open space on the study floor.
Master Barnaby’s gaze was instantly drawn to the Stone Slabs. He practically pounced on them, fitting a monocle to his eye and beginning to examine them one by one.
His fingers gently traced the strange symbols on the slabs. He would occasionally frown, then mutter to himself, completely immersed in the lost inheritance.
"Incredible... This method of channeling energy..."
"So that’s how it works... Using Dragon Blood to temper the body, and with such fine details..."
"This training method has certain things in common with the current Knight system, yet it’s far more primitive and direct..."
"This method of fusing Essence Blood... I’m afraid the mortality rate must be over ninety percent..."
The minutes ticked by. The only sounds in the study were Master Barnaby’s occasional whispers and the scratching of his pen as he took notes.
Raylo sat quietly to the side, sipping the black tea his steward had brought him and waiting patiently.
He knew that for a scholarly Mage like Barnaby, nothing was more captivating than a complete inheritance from the Ancient Era.
At some point, Moonlight had slipped in through the window. It curled up at Raylo’s feet, its pale golden eyes curiously observing the grey-robed Mage sprawled on the floor, mesmerized by a few pieces of stone. It flicked its tail occasionally, as if finding the human’s behavior rather amusing.
