Chapter 70: Mental Energy Recovery Potion (Castle Bonus)

The ingredient Nero needed was called Mind-Calming Herb, which sounded far more respectable than its actual reputation.

It grew in places where Mana gathered in the soil. Small amounts could help calm the mind, but larger doses were popular among people who wanted to forget their problems entirely.

Basically, it was the hard drug of this era.

Nero looked at Mira, who was waiting beside him with complete trust in her eyes.

’She’s not even two weeks old. If I accidentally turn her into a drug addict during our first lesson, her parents will bury me beside Edmund!’

"Big brother, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking about something that could make our training easier."

"Did you figure it out?"

"I think so, but I’ll test it on myself first."

Fortunately, Nero wasn’t planning to give her the herb directly.

According to Alchemy Emperor’s Knowledge, combining Mind-Calming Herb with Active Mana Water and several supporting ingredients could produce a potion capable of restoring Mental Power.

He already knew how to prepare the water, having used a similar base for his body-strengthening bath before the Red Gate incident.

The remaining ingredients weren’t particularly difficult to find either.

There was just one problem.

The price.

It was too much.

Still, constantly waiting for their Mental Power to recover would make training painfully slow, so Nero decided to prepare a large batch.

He ordered the necessary ingredients and also managed to find the Mind-Calming Herb from a drug dealer. The transaction was surprisingly smooth. It took some digging, but he eventually found it.

He could also get it from a pharmacy, but he needed a prescription, and that wasn’t something he could get instantly.

He also bought five hundred empty potion bottles, sealing caps, and several storage trays.

Mira watched him add everything to his cart.

"Big brother, why are you buying so many bottles?"

"Because we’re going to make enough potions to last a while."

"Five hundred?"

"They’re cheaper in bulk."

That sounded much better than admitting he had spent several minutes trying to avoid the delivery fee.

By the time Nero finished paying, the twenty thousand dollars he had earned from buying Mira’s phone had practically vanished.

Fortunately, his encounter with Yuna had earned him another ten thousand.

’At this rate, I’ll have to start saving people just to afford my shopping expenses.’

Once the ingredients arrived, Nero cleaned the large bathtub and began preparing the mixture.

Mira followed him into the bathroom, looking rather curious.

"Big brother, are we training in here?"

"Nope. We’re making Recovery Potions."

"...In the bathtub?"

"Do you see another container this big?"

Mira examined the bathroom before shaking her head.

"Good. Then we’re using the bathtub."

Nero filled it with water and began preparing the Active Mana Water according to Alchemy Emperor’s Knowledge.

As the supporting ingredients reacted, Mana began circulating through the mixture without him needing to control it directly.

Once the base was ready, he added the Mind-Calming Herbs.

The water gradually changed color as the ingredients reacted, eventually becoming a thick gray liquid.

Mira watched him stir the mixture with a long rod.

"Big brother, are you sure you’re making medicine?"

"Of course. Why?"

"It looks like something you’re not supposed to drink."

"..."

Nero examined the gray liquid.

’Well, she has a point.’

Fortunately, Alchemy Emperor’s Knowledge confirmed that the reaction was proceeding correctly.

A few minutes later, the sharp herbal smell faded, and a familiar notification appeared.

[1-Star Mental Energy Recovery Potion.]

[Quality: High Grade.]

’Oh?’

Nero grinned.

"Success! Five hundred bottles’ worth of High-Grade Mental Energy Recovery Potions!"

’All hail the Choice System!’

Without Alchemy Emperor’s Knowledge, he would’ve been stuck waiting for his Mental Power to recover naturally.

Mira approached the bathtub and examined the mixture.

"Big brother, I searched for Mental Energy Recovery Potions on my phone earlier, but I couldn’t find anything like this."

"Well, it doesn’t exist in this world, as far as I know. This is something I made myself."

Mira looked at him with admiration upon hearing this.

Her big brother was so amazing.

"Are you what people call a god, big brother?"

Nero’s lips twitched.

"Let’s make sure it works before you start worshipping me."

He decided to test the potion himself first.

Using Telekinesis, Nero held the long mixing rod in the air until the familiar pressure began building inside his head after five minutes.

Once his Mental Power was sufficiently exhausted, he lowered the rod and drank a small serving.

"...Ugh!"

’Why does everything that’s good for you taste terrible?!’

Fortunately, the effects were almost immediate.

The pressure inside his head gradually disappeared as his Mental Power recovered, leaving his thoughts clear and comfortable.

Nero checked himself carefully before smiling.

’It actually works!’

Satisfied with the result, he began filling the empty bottles while Mira helped arrange them into rows.

By the time they finished sealing and labeling everything, five hundred bottles of High-Grade Recovery Potion were ready.

Nero transferred the trays into the training room, keeping a smaller supply near the exercise area.

"This should last us a week."

Mira looked at the enormous collection of bottles.

"Only a week?"

"Well, that depends on how much we practice."

’And how quickly we get used to drinking this awful stuff.’

With the potions ready, Nero connected his phone to the training room’s screen and selected a beginner Telekinesis tutorial.

A man in training clothes appeared beside several floating metal balls.

"Welcome to this introductory lesson for E-Rank Telekinesis users."

Mira glanced at Nero.

"Big brother, why are we watching a video?"

"To learn the exercises."

"I thought you were going to teach me."

"That was the plan, but I don’t know enough about Telekinesis to pretend I’m an expert."

"Then why did you say you’d teach me?"

"...Because I thought I’d know more by the time we started." Nero sighed.

He couldn’t say it was because of the system, could he?

She stared at him in silence. He knew this kid was judging him.

Nero quietly increased the volume.

’Forget being called a god. I’ve already lost my reputation as a teacher.’

Fortunately, the tutorial was quite useful.

According to the instructor, lifting objects was only the beginning of Telekinesis. Proper control required maintaining stability while changing their direction, speed, and position.

"To reach D-Rank, you should be able to maintain Telekinesis for thirty minutes and lift three children weighing roughly 67 pounds each while controlling their movements."

’Three children? I can barely lift 22 pounds!’

he then turned around and spoke to Mira. "Your limit is around five minutes too, right?"

"Yes, big brother."

"Then we’ll start with lighter objects and focus on controlling them properly."

The instructor demonstrated a simple exercise involving moving a ball between three marked positions without letting it wobble.

However, just as Nero was preparing their own version, the System appeared.

[Please Make a Choice.]

[Option 1: Complete twenty minutes of active Telekinesis practice using the demonstrated exercises and Mental Energy Recovery Potions.]

[Reward: Something That Can Help With Telekinesis (Legendary)]

[Option 2: End the lesson and rest.]

[Reward: $100 (Common)]

’Legendary?!’

Nero selected the first option without hesitation.

He hadn’t spent a fortune preparing five hundred potions just to quit before they started.

"Mira, I think I’ve found a way to make our training even better."

Her eyes brightened.

"Really? Did you find another video?"

"...Just trust me for twenty minutes."

Nero placed three markers on the floor and handed Mira a metal bottle.

Their first exercise was simple: lift the bottles, move them between the marked positions, and keep them steady.

At least, it sounded simple.

The moment Nero attempted his first turn, his bottle tilted sideways and struck the floor.

CLANG!

Mira managed to keep hers floating a little longer before it began wobbling.

"Big brother, mine almost worked!"

"Good. Now let’s aim for actually working."

The two continued practicing, gradually adjusting their movements instead of trying to force the bottles into position.

After five minutes, however, the familiar pressure returned behind Nero’s eyes.

Mira was experiencing the same problem.

"My head hurts, big brother."

"Then it’s time to test our new potions."

They each drank a bottle before resuming.

A short while later, Mira looked pleasantly surprised.

"Big brother, my head doesn’t hurt anymore!"

"See? I told you they worked."

"But they taste terrible."

"...You’ll get used to it."

’Probably.’

With their Mental Power restored, the two continued training.

Nero gradually learned that smaller movements made his bottle much easier to control. Instead of pulling it directly toward each marker, he began making slight adjustments to keep it balanced.

Mira was improving too, occasionally managing to complete an entire movement without dropping her bottle.

However, Nero wasn’t about to lose to a girl who had barely been alive for two weeks.

’Come on! She’s doing better than me!’

He concentrated harder, only for his bottle to shoot past the marker.

CLANG!

"..."

Mira giggled.

"Big brother, yours went the wrong way."

"I noticed, Mira. Thank you."

Despite the occasional mistakes, their progress was steady, and the Recovery Potions allowed them to continue without waiting for their Mental Power to replenish naturally.

After twenty minutes of active practice, the familiar notification finally appeared.

[Ding! Choice Completed.]

[Reward Obtained: Plane of Telekinesis (Legendary).]

Nero’s excitement immediately turned into confusion.

’Plane of Telekinesis?’

He had expected some kind of enhancement or perhaps an ability that would help him control his Mental Power.

But a plane? As in, a world?