Klaus was sitting above her and staring down at her, and no matter how much Taula wanted to move, she knew she was already defeated.

If she didn’t hit Klaus now, then she might get some participation headpats however, his question made her flustered.

"What should you do with me...?" Taula asked while blinking innocently then her eyes widened with sudden realization. "You should give me headpats!"

"No," Klaus replied with a sigh as he stood up and walked away a bit. "You lost, so no headpats."

Taula rolled over to her knees and bit her lip.

If she were to use a little bit of aura, then she would have won but that was the unfair thing to do... BUT was it really unfair if she used just a little bit so Klaus didn’t know?

Taula stood up, brushing dirt off her pants.

"I want a rematch!" Taula announced.

"No," Klaus said immediately. "Instead, why don’t you and Mirela come be my test subjects?"

Mirela raised up her eyebrows.

"Test subjects?" Mirela asked carefully. Klaus stopped walking and turned back to face them.

"You’ll help me test out some herbs or something like that..." Klaus said with a shrug.

...

"So Klaus, what do you want me to do?"

Taula asked the question while wearing a white apron and a chef’s hat that sat slightly crooked on her head. Mirela wore the same outfit, though her goat horns still poked through the fabric of her chef’s hat making it bulge upward at odd angles.

"Yes, Master," Mirela said, adjusting her hat. "What do you require both of us to do?"

Klaus glanced to the side at where Serra was currently sitting with her legs crossed, still in that meditative stance she’d assumed earlier. Her eyes were closed, completely unaware of the world around her.

"Is she going to wake up anytime soon?" Klaus asked and Mirela shook her head.

"Serra mentioned that she would be there for some hours..." Mirela explained. "She said it was needed for Healers to maintain their holy energy in proper alignment."

Klaus nodded.

"It really doesn’t matter at the end of the day," Klaus said. "We’re going to be making some herbs anyway."

Since he had a lot of herbs on him...107 different types, to be exact... he wanted to sort them out and experiment and what better test subjects than the girl who thought of herself as a maid and the other who was desperately chasing headpats?

"Making herbs?" Taula asked while tilting her head. "Aren’t they already made?"

Klaus sighed.

"I’m going to perform some kind of magic with them to make them stronger," Klaus explained. "And then you’ll help me test them out."

As much as Klaus wanted to keep merging herbs himself, there was no way he was going to keep shoving experimental concoctions into his mouth constantly as if he was some kind of goat or something. It was better to have willing guinea pigs.

Mirela raised her eyebrows but nodded regardless, her hat almost sliding off her head in the process.

"As you wish, Master," Mirela said.

The kitchen counter had been cleared earlier. Klaus raised his hand and summoned different wooden crates of herbs onto it from his storage ring.

Mirela flinched slightly at the sudden appearance of multiple crates materializing out of thin air, but then her eyes widened as she took in the sheer quantity.

"Master, these are a lot of herbs..." Mirela said, walking closer to examine them. "Even crates full of them! Are you perhaps a rich young master from a noble family? You certainly look the part now."

Mirela’s gaze traveled over Klaus’s appearance as she spoke.

He had a sharp face with flowing black hair that had been tied into a ponytail to prevent it from entering his eyes. His jawline was defined, his features more refined than before and he was a bit taller too with a more confident posture.

There was no denying it.

’Master looks like a noble,’ Mirela thought, studying him with new appreciation. ’He even looks better than the Valakris heir... or maybe it’s just my eyes?’

"Stop staring at me as if I’m a painting," Klaus said without looking up and Mirela flinched.

A piece of paper materialized in his hand... It was a list of the types of herbs he had written by that crazy woman.

Out of the 107 types that he had managed to snag from the Death Cult woman’s shop, the list split them between the ones that affected physicality and ones that affected mana but there were barely any high-tier herbs among them... mostly Tier 0 and Tier 1 garbage.

But that wasn’t all.

The documentation also included combination methods for the herbs, detailing specific processes. Instructions on how long to boil them together, what temperatures to maintain, whether to grind them into paste or steep them as tea, the proper ratios for mixing, and even seasonal timing for maximum potency but even with all these detailed combinations, She couldn’t achieve the perfection of merging that Klaus’s system allowed which was why Klaus had the superior method.

’So all of these are physical herbs,’ Klaus thought, scanning the first section of the list.

Physical herbs were a lot harder to see immediate growth from. Most of them required daily consumption over long periods of time.

For example, the Muscle Weave Herb. It was a really mediocre herb that needed to be taken over the course of three years consistently by anyone with proper training regimen to develop a decent physique and even that kind of physique at the end of the day was only fit for physical labor... mining work, construction, and dock loading.

Alternatively, it could be boiled as a supplement to temporarily increase one’s physicality for a period of five minutes, which miners sometimes used before moving particularly heavy loads so it was basically useless for combat.

’But if I can merge it with other physical herbs, will I get something better?’ Klaus thought.

Also, since he had multiple units of each herb, how many units would be required for the perfect merge? There were oo many variables to consider.

Klaus ended that line of thinking and looked back at the list and the crates. After confirming that the herbs he wanted to experiment with first were present, he turned to the girls.

"Gather fifteen units each of the Muscle Weave Herb, Titan Bone Grass, and Iron Blood Root into three different bowls," Klaus instructed.

The girls nodded however, Taula tilted her head.

"What are units again?" Taula asked.

Mirela sighed and reached into one of the crates. She grabbed one of the dried herbs which was a gnarled root about the length of her palm and lifted it up for Taula to see.

"This is one unit..." Mirela explained patiently and Taula pumped her fist in the air.

"Oh! So we need to grab fifteen units!" Taula said, finally understanding.

She reached for the wooden bowls on the counter and the girls immediately set to work, carefully counting out the herbs Klaus had requested.

Once they had stocked each bowl with exactly fifteen units of the specified herbs, Klaus told them to wash them thoroughly.

The girls took the bowls to the sink and rinsed each herb carefully under cool water, removing any dust or debris from storage.

Once clean, they brought the herbs over to the opposite counter where Klaus stood waiting.

"So, Master," Mirela said as she set down the last bowl. "What happens now?"

"I will perform a trick..." Klaus said, raising one finger toward the bowls.

Taula’s eyes went wide. She moved to stand behind Klaus, pressing her hands against his back as she leaned around to watch.

"Ooh!" Taula said excitedly. "What kind of magic trick do you wanna do, Klaus?"

Klaus’s vision shifted slightly as the system interface appeared.

「Place the three items that you want to merge on the designated spots. You can either place one kind of item in a slot or multiple kinds of that one item there.」

Three glowing circles appeared in his vision, overlaying the three bowls on the counter.

「Circle 1: Muscle Weave Herb (15)」

「Circle 2: Titan Bone Grass (15)」

「Circle 3: Iron Blood Root (15)」

「Would you like to merge?」

「Y / N」 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Klaus tapped Y telepathically.

「Merge Bar: 0.00%」

"I will make them disappear." Klaus announced dramatically. He focused on the merge interface, watching the percentage slowly flick up and down.

Taula leaned further around his side.

"So... when is it going to disappear?" Taula asked impatiently.

"In a minute..." Klaus said. "The magic takes time to activate."

Meanwhile, Mirela stood to the side with her arms crossed. She didn’t want to be rude, but she was very doubtful that the Master was doing any kind of magic right now.

The herbs were just sitting there in the bowls completely unchanged. Maybe this was some elaborate prank?

However, after about a minute of waiting, something changed. The merge bar that had been flickering with percentages finally stopped.

「Merge Bar: 99.9%」

’Fuck yeah!’ Klaus yelled inwardly.

「Congratulations! Your items will be merged now!」

Immediately, a bright golden light erupted from the center bowl.

The radiance spread outward in a brilliant flash. Mirela, Taula, and Klaus all threw their hands up in front of their faces to shield their eyes from the sudden intensity.

"What the—?!" Mirela gasped.

"It’s so bright!" Taula yelped.

The light pulsed once, twice, then faded as quickly as it had appeared. When they lowered their hands and blinked away the spots in their vision, they could see the result.

All three bowls were now empty except for the center one and sitting in that bowl was a single perfectly round pill, about the size of a large marble.

Unlike the Tri-Essence Spirit Root that had helped Klaus rank up last time, this one was a complete pill that was ready for consumption.

’So merge can give me whole new forms?’ Klaus thought with satisfaction. ’This is really nice.’

And the best part was that he could merge infinitely. As far as he knew, there was no limit to the amount of times he could use this ability.

There was a brief thought that he could sell these combinations for money, but at the end of the day, Klaus didn’t need cash that desperately anymore. He had other priorities.

’Besides, I should try to get a resource dungeon while I’m here...’ Klaus thought. ’Or I could buy the rights to one at Galen.’

He also planned to use the Compass of Truth to direct him toward wealth, but that required being in a life-or-death situation to activate properly. How exactly he was going to arrange that without actually being on the verge of dying, Klaus didn’t really know yet.

Klaus examined the pill’s description through the system.

「Congratulations! You have received: Physical Enhancement Pill」

「Tier: 2」

「Description: A pill created through the merger of three physical enhancement herbs. Upon consumption, grants a temporary boost of 50% to all physical stats including strength, speed, endurance, and durability. Effects last for five minutes. Warning: User may experience unusual side effects including rapid muscle growth, increased height, and enhanced appetite. Not recommended for extended or repeated use.」

Klaus picked up the pill and turned to Taula.

"Alright, come on," Klaus said, holding it out to her. "Take the pill, Taula."

He wanted to see exactly how it would affect someone else before trying it himself. Taula’s eyes lit up and she took the pill carefully, holding it between her thumb and forefinger. She brought it close to her nose and took a whiff.

"It smells sweet!" Taula said, sounding pleasantly surprised. "Like honey and cinnamon."

Then she popped it into her mouth. The pill dissolved almost instantly on her tongue, and Taula’s expression shifted from curious to shocked.

"Oh," Taula said. "Oh, that’s—"

She took a step backward as she felt her body changing.

It started with a tingling sensation in her muscles. Then the tingling became a burning... then the burning became a full-body transformation that made her gasp out loud.

Her muscles began to swell rapidly...

"What’s happening?!" Taula yelped as her biceps expanded, her shirt sleeves growing tight.

Her shoulders broadened, her thighs thickened and her entire frame seemed to grow larger and more defined with each passing second.

Mirela’s jaw dropped.

"Master, what did you give her?!" Mirela asked, backing up slightly.

Taula’s height increased dramatically. She shot up from her normal 5’6" to an imposing 6’5", towering over both Klaus and Mirela. Her chef’s hat fell off her head, unable to contain her growing form.

Her muscles continued to expand with the biceps like melons and forearms corded with visible veins with abs that looked like they’d been carved from stone. Her legs were thick as tree trunks and her back rippled with definition.

Within thirty seconds, Taula had transformed from a normal athletic woman into a 6’5" bodybuilder who looked like she could bench press a horse.

Her clothes were stretched to their absolute limits wih the fabric straining dangerously. Taula looked down at her massive hands, then flexed her arms experimentally.

Her biceps bulged to the size of her own head.

"HUMPH!" Taula declared, striking a pose.

She turned to face Klaus and Mirela with her newly massive frame blocking out the light from the window behind her then she began flexing... first one bicep, then the other, making them twitch and dance.

"Look at these!" Taula said, her voice somehow deeper than usual. "Look at my GAINS!"

She flexed her right arm harder. The bicep swelled even larger and the peak rising impossibly high. She bounced it up and down, making it twitch rhythmically.

"I am STRONG!" Taula announced proudly. "I could crush Klaus! I could wrestle Dungeon Bosses! I could—"

She tried to take a step forward and immediately stumbled, not used to her new height and mass.

"—whoa, okay, balance is hard," Taula admitted.

Klaus wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead, staring up at the monster he’d created.

’So... in essence, it’s just a pill that makes someone a 6’5" bodybuilder with immense strength for no good reason?’ Klaus thought, watching Taula continue to flex and admire her temporary physique.

Taula struck another pose... this time a classic strongman stance with both arms raised and flexed.

"Master, you should take one too!" Taula said enthusiastically. "We could be SWOLE together!"

"Absolutely not." Klaus said immediately.

Mirela was still staring with her mouth hanging open.

"This is..." Mirela struggled to find words. "This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen."

Taula walked over to the kitchen table or tried to. She misjudged her new size and bumped into the doorframe with her shoulder.

CRACK!

The wooden frame splintered slightly from the impact.

"Oops..." Taula said. "I don’t know my own strength!"

She laughed which was a booming sound that seemed to shake the room then flexed both arms again just because she could.

Klaus shook his head slowly.

"This is a failure..." Klaus declared. "Let’s try again. I’m going to reduce the amount of herbs I put into it from fifteen."

"What?!" Taula said, looking offended. "This is AMAZING! I feel incredible!"

"You look like you’re about to enter a bodybuilding competition..." Klaus said flatly. "And you can’t even walk through a doorway without breaking it."

"Minor details!" Taula said, striking another pose and Mirela finally found her voice.

"How long does this last, Master?" Mirela asked nervously and Klaus checked the system description again.

"Five minutes..." Klaus said.

"FIVE MINUTES?!" Taula said with her enthusiasm deflating slightly. "All this muscle is temporary?!"

"Yes..." Klaus confirmed.

Taula looked down at her massive arms, then sighed.

"Well, I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts..." Taula said. She flexed both biceps again, making them bounce alternately.

"Left arm! Right arm! Left arm! Right arm!" Taula chanted as she made them dance.

Klaus turned back to the herb crates, determinedly ignoring the muscle show happening behind him.

"Mirela," Klaus said. "Get me ten units of each herb this time. We’re trying again with less quantity."

"Yes, Master..." Mirela said, grateful for something normal to focus on.

She began counting out herbs again while Taula continued to explore her temporary bodybuilder form, flexing every muscle group she could identify and occasionally bumping into furniture because she still hadn’t adjusted to her new size.

’Note to self,’ Klaus thought. ’Fifteen units is WAY too much for physical enhancement herbs.’