AutumnXd
patreon
CHAPTER 6 : Psionic Potion (Edit)
🕑 Added 2025-06-04 10:56:51 +0000 UTCSimon and Sarah stared, their mouths agape, eyes wide with a mixture of shock and utter, disbelieving joy at the scene unfolding in their modest living room. The lingering scent of brimstone and the faint, shimmering heat radiating from where Heatblast had stood moments before were undeniable proof.
Simon finally found his voice, a booming laugh erupting from his chest. "A b-beastification ability! No, more than that! An elemental transformation! Hahaha! Excellent! Magnificent! My Atherton family… my Atherton family has finally produced a powerhouse!" He clapped his hands together, his eyes shining with unshed tears of pride.
Sarah pressed her hands to her heart, her expression one of pure awe. "Heavens above! That fiery heat… just feeling the residual warmth, it's definitely not weak! And our Ethan is only at Rank One, Level One. Imagine… just imagine how incredible, how powerful it will be when his rank gets higher!"
Both Simon and Sarah possessed what the world considered ordinary-rank psionic abilities. Simon’s was a fire-type manifestation, but in truth, it was little more than an an advanced, psionically-fueled lighter – useful for campfires and the occasional, very minor, intimidation tactic, but hardly combat-worthy despite having some decent latent talent. Sarah's was a speed-type enhancement, a subtle gift that increased her natural swiftness by a mere 5%. They were both well over forty years old and had painstakingly channeled Aura to reach Rank One, Level Three, each possessing their single innate talent and one additional skill unlocked at their first rank. In the vast, sprawling ocean of psionicists, they were, at best, slightly more capable than ordinary people who hadn't even reached a recognized rank – individuals like that hapless kidnapper from Ethan’s childhood. Now, witnessing their son awaken such a palpably powerful and visually spectacular ability, they were naturally, profoundly ecstatic. The future of their family, which had often seemed a path of quiet, unremarkable struggle, suddenly blazed with an unexpected, dazzling light.
After the initial wave of unadulterated excitement subsided, a new, steely resolve hardened Simon’s eyes. He turned to his wife.
"Honey," he said, his voice firm, "how much do we have in our savings account?"
Sarah, still slightly dazed but her practical mind clicking back into gear, replied, "We haven't had many big expenses these past few years, thankfully. I think we have about 500,000 credits saved up."
Simon nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "That much money… it should be enough to buy a fair few psionic potions, right? For Ethan."
"One beginner-grade potion costs around 50,000 credits, give or take," Sarah mused. "So, yes, that should be enough for a good starting supply."
"Alright!" Simon declared, slapping his thigh with a decisive thud. "Take out all our savings. Every last credit. We're buying potions for our boy!"
Sarah didn't hesitate. "I'll go get the bank card and transfer authorization now!"
Ethan, having returned to his room to let his parents process the shock, overheard their fervent discussion through his slightly ajar door. He quickly stepped out, his brow furrowed with concern. "Wait! Dad, Mom, what are you doing? What’s all this about potions?"
Simon turned, his face still alight with fatherly pride. "Of course, we're buying potions for you, son! It wasn't easy for you to awaken such a powerful and unique ability; we absolutely have to support you with the necessary resources to nurture it!"
"But… but it's not necessary to spend so much, is it?" Ethan protested, his heart sinking at the thought of their sacrifice. "Fifty thousand credits for a single potion! Mom, you’ve told me you've repaired your old electric scooter dozens of times instead of just getting a new one because it was too expensive."
Sarah waved a dismissive hand, her eyes soft but resolute. "That's entirely different, Ethan. The electric scooter is just a tool, a convenience; it doesn't truly matter if we have it or not. Even without it, it just means a bit more walking for me, nothing more. But you… you’ve awakened a great talent. A truly remarkable one. Since ancient times, countless strong individuals, the heroes of history, have relied on two things to rise: innate talent and sufficient resources. Your talent, son, is clearly excellent, perhaps even more than that. But if you don't have enough resources to support its growth, it will be incredibly difficult to compete with others who do, especially those from wealthier families. If your incredible talent gets buried, stifled, simply because we lack the resources to help you polish it… that would be a tremendous loss, a gift from the heavens wasted. We can't let that happen."
"But…" Ethan began, still hesitant.
Simon held up a hand, his expression brooking no further argument. "Alright, son, don't say anymore. It's settled. We'll take you to the Psionic Potion Emporium first thing tomorrow morning to buy them. Your mom is absolutely right. If you really feel bad about us spending this money, then there’s only one way to repay us: channel Aura properly for me, for us. Work hard. Get into a good psionic university in the future, make a name for yourself in New Veridia, bring honor to your old father, and more importantly, in this dangerous era, you have to become strong so our family can finally, truly be secure!"
Hearing Simon's heartfelt, unwavering words, Ethan no longer refused. A lump formed in his throat, and he readily, gratefully, accepted. To be honest, witnessing his parents' unwavering dedication, their willingness to pour everything they had into his future, Ethan felt an incredible surge of gratitude and a profound sense of responsibility. His family wasn't impoverished, but they were far from wealthy. Spending so much, potentially their entire life savings, on ten psionic potions was a monumental sacrifice for them, a testament to their love and hope.
Simon, seeing the emotion in his son’s eyes, clapped him on the shoulder, a gruff affection in his voice. "Don't you give me that look, kid. Five hundred thousand is just our liquid savings. My next paycheck isn't far off, and this won't cripple our family's day-to-day lifestyle, not really. Besides," he added with a wink, "your old man happens to be the manager of a rather prominent psionic potion store. There are such things as employee discounts when buying our own products. Maybe, just maybe, we won't even need the full five hundred thousand."
What Simon said was also true. When young Ethan had bravely, if recklessly, saved Seraphina Linley from the kidnapper all those years ago, the grateful Linley family had arranged comfortable, well-paying jobs for both his parents as a token of their immense gratitude. The position Simon had been given was initially as a purchasing agent for a large pharmacy chain that also dealt in psionic goods. Over the following years, through a combination of diligence, a surprisingly keen business sense, and undoubtedly some continued subtle assistance from the Linley family, he had gradually been promoted to store manager of one of their flagship branches. Although there was undeniably some degree of nepotism or beneficial influence from the Linleys in his ascent, Simon's own dedicated efforts and competence were also undeniable.
And so, after a wonderful, if somewhat restless, night's sleep – for Ethan, at least – the family headed out to the Psionic Potion Emporium early the next morning. Looking at the faint, tell-tale dark circles under his parents' eyes, Ethan guessed they had probably spent a good half of the night excitedly calling relatives and close friends to share the momentous news of his awakening.
As soon as they entered the sleek, modern storefront of "AuraVital Supplies," a pretty receptionist in a crisp uniform greeted them with a warm smile.
"Good morning, Manager Atherton! My, are you bringing your son out to play today? It’s rare to see you here on your day off."
Simon puffed out his chest slightly, a proud grin spreading across his face. "Morning, Qing. Actually, my son, Ethan here, awakened his ability yesterday. A rather remarkable one, I might add! I'm bringing him to buy a few psionic potions today to kickstart his Aura channeling."
Qing’s eyes widened with polite interest as she looked at Ethan. "Oh, congratulations! It sounds like young master Atherton awakened a very good ability, then, for the Manager to be personally investing so much so soon?"
Simon chuckled, a rich, pleased sound. "Of course! My son's ability is nothing short of amazing! Alright, no more idle chatting for now. He needs to get back home and start channeling Aura. Time is precious!"
With that, Simon, adopting his professional store manager demeanor, had one of the salespersons carefully pack up ten beginner-grade psionic potions into a specially padded, secure box.
At the checkout, the salesperson announced, "Manager Atherton, ten beginner-grade psionic potions come to a total of 500,000 credits. With your employee discount of twenty percent, the final total is 400,000 credits."
"Swipe card," Simon said calmly, handing over his bank card.
"Okay, sir."
After the transaction was complete, Simon handed the precious box to Ethan, his expression serious. "Here you go, son. Guard this well. I have to go to work now, sort out a few things. You two head back home."
Ethan carefully took the box, his hands surprisingly steady despite the nervous tremor he felt inside. He was terrified he might drop and break the small fortune it represented.
After mother and son had walked some distance from the store, Sarah also had to depart. "I have to go to my workplace too, Ethan. You head back home first. Channel Aura well when you get there, understand? Don't slack off for a moment. This is your future."
"I definitely won't, Mom! I promise!" Ethan declared, his voice filled with a new sense of purpose.
With an excited heart thrumming in his chest, Ethan practically ran the rest of the way home. He burst into his room, carefully placed the box on his bed, and eagerly, almost reverently, opened it. Inside, nestled securely in soft velvet padding, lay ten slender, crystal-clear glass vials, each filled with a faintly glowing, azure liquid. Ethan gently picked one up, holding it to the weak sunlight filtering through his window. Under the light, the potion within emitted a soft, beautiful, almost ethereal luster; it looked exquisite, like liquid sapphire.
"Wow," he breathed. "I almost can't bear to drink something that looks this… magical."
Psionic potions, he recalled from his research and the information pamphlets often available at such stores, were consumable items not fundamentally different in purpose from raw Aura Cores – they provided a concentrated burst of psionic energy for Aura channeling. However, they were generally much cheaper and more readily available than Aura Cores, especially for lower-ranked psionicists. Potions were typically divided into three main grades: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Both beginner and intermediate grades were primarily synthesized from a complex blend of precious, Aura-infused medicinal herbs, carefully processed to extract and concentrate their spiritual energies. The ingredients in advanced-grade potions, however, were rumored to even include powdered or diluted Aura Cores themselves, which is why they were colloquially known among psionicists as "diluted Aura Cores" or "liquid essence." Ethan didn't know the exact alchemical specifics, but it seemed that one standard F-rank Aura Core, the lowest grade, could be processed to make about ten such beginner-grade potions.
This particular vial contained approximately 100ml of the azure potion. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Ethan carefully uncapped it and, with a decisive gulp, drank the entire potion down.
Suddenly, a massive, almost overwhelming torrent of psionic energy exploded within his body, a cool, invigorating flood of pure energy. He hurriedly sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to circulate his "Meditation Technique" with all his focus, desperate to absorb and refine this sudden influx of power. The psionic energy from a potion, he knew, wouldn't stay inert within the body for long; it was volatile and would gradually dissipate back into the environment if not actively absorbed and integrated. One had to capture and refine it completely before it dispersed, otherwise, the precious potion would have been drunk for nothing, a costly waste.
After a little while – though it felt like an age of intense internal struggle and focused effort – Ethan slowly opened his eyes and let out a long, shuddering breath, a thin trail of white mist escaping his lips. "Phew~" he exhaled. "Successfully refined… about fifty percent of it, I think."
He paused, considering this. Under normal circumstances, the stronger one's innate psionic talent, the faster their speed of absorbing and refining psionic energy. In the same situation, a psionicist with an Ordinary-rank talent could, at most, hope to refine perhaps ten percent of a beginner potion's energy before the rest dissipated. But he, Ethan, had managed to refine a full fifty percent. This meant his current effective talent was significantly higher – probably around the Superior-rank, perhaps even touching the lower edges of Rare-rank if he was being optimistic.
"Then why… why wasn't my talent detected during the initial awakening test at the plaza?" Ethan murmured, looking down at the Omnitrix on his wrist. A theory began to form in his mind. He guessed that when he first awakened, the Omnitrix itself, being an an external manifestation and not an internal psionic trait, had no discernible effect on the crystal ball’s reading, which was why his talent was deemed ‘undetectable’ or even ‘No Rank.’ The device had been inert, a blank slate. But after he broke through to Rank One, Level One, it had shown its first true signs of life, granting him the Heatblast transformation and the underlying "DNA Restructuring" skill. Now, it seemed, it was also influencing his ability to process psionic energy. He finally possessed a tangible, measurable talent, tied directly to the Omnitrix.
"This means…" Ethan’s eyes widened, a slow, incredulous grin spreading across his face. "This means that as my psionic rank increases, and as more alien heroes become available through the Omnitrix, my effective talent, my ability to absorb and process Aura, will also become stronger! Holy crap… Freaking awesome!" His heart hammered with excitement. If this theory was truly the case, his Aura channeling speed, his potential for growth, would only get faster and faster as he unlocked more powerful alien forms. The Omnitrix wasn’t just giving him transformations; it was fundamentally enhancing his psionic nature itself.
He then looked at the remaining nine potions in the box. Although a part of him, eager and impatient, wanted to immediately drink another one and ride this wave of accelerated progress, he remembered the instruction manual that had come with the potions. It explicitly stated that there must be an interval of at least three hours between each dose of beginner-grade potion to allow the body to fully stabilize and avoid potential internal damage from energy overload. Ethan, despite his excitement, didn't dare to gamble with his health or the efficacy of these precious resources. He could only sigh, cap the potion box, and honestly, diligently, begin to absorb the ambient psionic energy from his surroundings to continue his Aura channeling the old-fashioned, slower way, eagerly awaiting the moment he could safely take his next dose.
