Chapter 12
Margot turned away, hiding her satisfaction.
"Then you're already halfway there."
She paused, then snapped her fingers. The cauldron's flames dimmed, and a smaller workbench slid forward from the side of the lab. Its polished surface gleamed with glass tubes, a small burner, and several neatly labeled jars of herbs and mineral dusts.
"Since you're so eager," she said with a teasing smile, "let's see if that memory crystal actually worked. You'll start with something simple — a Minor Concentration Draught. It sharpens the mind for short periods of study. Don't worry, it's not that explosive."
Adem swallowed. No pressure, right?
He took a steadying breath and began as instructed — measuring the pale-green Verdan Leaves and grinding them slowly until they released a cool, minty fragrance. Then came the powdered Silverthorn Root and three drops of Clear Dew.
The mixture began to shimmer faintly, a soft cyan hue pulsing from within the cauldron.
"Good," Margot said, her tone calm but watchful. "Now stabilize it with your spiritual force. Slowly, don't force the flow."
Adem nodded, focusing. He could feel the connection forming, a delicate thread linking his spiritual sea to the potion. The ingredients responded, the light growing brighter.
But then… it began to twist.
The glow pulsed unevenly, the rhythm turning erratic. A hiss escaped the cauldron. The scent shifted from fresh mint to something metallic and bitter.
"Adem—!"
Too late.
BOOM!
A burst of green smoke filled the air, coating the workbench in sticky residue. Adem stumbled back, coughing violently as shimmering droplets rained down like dew. His hair stood on end, faintly tinted green at the tips.
Margot waved her hand, dispersing the smoke instantly. Her lips twitched, caught between a sigh and laughter.
"Well," she said dryly, "at least it didn't explode in your face. That's an improvement over my first attempt."
Adem blinked through the haze, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I… might've pushed too much energy."
"You definitely pushed too much," she replied, inspecting the mess. Then, softer, "But that's part of it, Adem. Alchemy rewards restraint and patience."
He lowered his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Guess I got carried away."
Margot nodded. "And that's good. Better too much passion than none at all. Now clean this up and start again. Failure is the foundation of mastery."
Adem stared at the faintly glowing puddle on the table and exhaled.
"Alright then," he muttered. "Round two."
He cleaned the table carefully, movements slower now , deliberate. The faint scent of scorched herbs lingered, but beneath it was something else: resolve.
Professor Margot leaned against a nearby desk, arms folded, watching silently. She didn't correct him — she wanted to see how he'd recover.
Adem took the ingredients again — Verdan Leaves, Silverthorn Root, Clear Dew — but this time, he didn't rush. His grinding was slower, smoother. Every motion matched the rhythm of his breathing.
The cauldron glowed faintly as he reignited the flame, smaller this time. The light danced in his eyes, reflecting both excitement and fear.
Margot finally spoke.
"Remember, control isn't just about force. It's about precision. Alchemy is balance, an exchange of equals."
Adem nodded silently.
He closed his eyes, channeling his spiritual force — not pushing, but letting it flow, guiding it like a calm river. The energy within him thrummed steady and warm. The ingredients responded, merging not through pressure but resonance.
The mixture shimmered again — blue-green light swirling gently like mist over still water. No sparks, no hissing — just a soft pulse, calm and alive.
"Good…" Margot whispered under her breath, careful not to disturb him.
Adem lifted his hand, tracing a faint sigil in the air, the simplest binding rune. The cauldron responded immediately, the surface flattening before giving off a faint golden sheen.
He exhaled deeply, sweat beading on his brow. "I… I think it worked."
Margot stepped forward, expression unreadable. She peered into the cauldron, then dipped a small crystal rod into the liquid. The tip glowed faintly with a soft blue light.
"It's not perfect," she said, examining it, "but you've got talent enough to make the heavens envious."
Then, to his surprise, she smiled, genuine this time.
"Congratulations, Adem. You just brewed your first potion."
A wave of relief and joy surged through him, mixing with disbelief. "I did it…" he murmured, gazing at the softly glowing mixture as if afraid it might vanish.
Margot nodded. "You did. And you'll fail many more times before brewing something worth selling, but you've taken your first true step. That's more than most manage."
Adem's lips curved upward, small but sincere. "I guess even failures can teach you something."
"That's the essence of alchemy," she replied, her tone soft yet firm. "Transmutation isn't only for metals and herbs, it's for people. Every mistake refines you."
She walked toward the door, her white coat brushing softly against her boots.
"Clean up. Then rest. Tomorrow, we start working with elemental catalysts and you'll need every bit of that stubbornness of yours."
Adem nodded, still staring at the glowing potion before him. The light reflected in his eyes, a promise of what could come.
As the door closed behind her, he let out a long breath and whispered to the empty room,
"Alchemy isn't just creation… it's the truth of nature."
The faint golden liquid pulsed once more, as if in agreement.
Adem left the lab for the day. Though he had achieved something remarkable, he knew this was just one small part of the path he had envisioned.
On his way back to his quarters, a few acolytes greeted him with newfound respect — after all, he possessed a fifth-grade aptitude, something exceedingly rare within the Wetland Gardens Academy.
When he finally entered his room, Adem wasted no time. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he steadied his breathing. Ever since advancing to an Acolyte, a question had lingered in his mind, could he strengthen more than just his magic and spirit?
In the world of Magi, the power system favored essence and soul, magic power and spiritual force, but ignored the body. From his memories of Earth's cultivation stories, Adem knew that true power only came when body, energy, and spirit advanced together.
He decided to test a theory.
Focusing, Adem directed his spiritual force to attract elemental particles around him, drawing them toward his mind to condense into magic power. At first it was clumsy, the particles slipping from his grasp, but soon he found rhythm — a harmony between breath and energy.
Minutes turned into hours. The magic power in his spiritual sea grew denser, smoother, easier to command. With newfound clarity, he willed the energy to flow through his body, letting it circulate through muscles and skin — tearing and mending on a microscopic level, strengthening with each cycle.
He didn't dare direct it toward his head, not yet. One wrong pulse could shatter his consciousness.
When he finally opened his eyes, sweat clung to his skin. He stood and stretched, flexing experimentally. Power rippled through him, his muscles firmer, his skin tougher.
By his rough estimate, his strength had doubled — nearing five times that of a normal human.
Adem smiled faintly. "Magic power to strengthen the flesh… if I keep refining like this, I can reach balance between body, mind, and essence."
He looked toward the faint light of dawn filtering through the window and whispered,
"Maybe the Magus path isn't as limited as they think."
—---
I'm writing this for Fun as there aren't many warlock of the magus world fanfics .
It a AU. Alternate Universe so it many not be always on point with the plot of the Og novel.
Please vote with powerstones. It keeps me motivated.
100 powerstones = 1 bonus chapter
I'll not be making money from this fanfic nor do I plan to .
Thanks for reading.