The Dark Mage Of The Magus World-Chapter 59: The Dawn Elixir

One Month Later

Hutson lay on his bed, his mind focused on the sixth astral star forming in the depths of his consciousness.

It was nearly complete.

The faint glow of dawn crept over the horizon as he opened his eyes.

"AI chip, analyze current physical status."

A familiar blue light flickered, displaying precise data before his eyes:

Hutson Merlin

Strength: 2.8Agility: 2.9Constitution: 4.0Mental Power: 10.5Mana: 100%

"All parameters have reached genetic limits."

Hutson frowned slightly, deep in thought.

"Mental power at 10.5... that far exceeds the typical advancement threshold for second-tier wizard apprentices. Is it because of the Astral Meditation Method?"

Most first-tier apprentices capped their mental power around 8 or 9—any further growth required them to advance to second-tier.

Yet he had already reached 10.5, without even breaking through. If others knew, they’d probably want to dissect him for study.

His physical parameters had also improved significantly, but all were now at their natural limit.

Hutson didn’t rush into advancement.

Instead, he spent five days stabilizing his mental power, ensuring that his body and mind were in perfect equilibrium.

Then, it was time.

"Next step—potion refinement."

He had two full sets of ingredients—one purchased, and another borrowed from Larry.

"If I succeed on the first attempt, I can return the extra set."

Hutson had heard that to advance to a full-fledged wizard, multiple doses of potions were often required—sometimes, a single dose wasn’t enough, and failure meant death.

Fortunately, first-tier advancement wasn’t as brutal. One dose was usually sufficient.

Hutson stood in his personal laboratory, carefully laying out each ingredient:

Demonflower RootstockAncient Tree Sap30 grams of ObsidianSaturn Dust

The greatest challenges of crafting the Dawn Elixir lay in two areas:

Handling the Demonflower Rootstock, which was highly toxic and needed precise extraction.Maintaining the Ancient Tree Sap’s alchemical potency, which required it to be kept at exactly 83 degrees Celsius—no more, no less.

The Ancient Tree Sap had to remain actively heated in a beaker, requiring constant monitoring. A few degrees off and the entire elixir would be ruined.

The Demonflower Rootstock, on the other hand, contained a lethal neurotoxin. Extracting it without contamination was a delicate process—yet paradoxically, its purified toxins were the key to the potion’s transformative power.

"In essence, the Dawn Elixir is a poison."

For an ordinary person, a single sip would result in instant death.

Even a weak-willed apprentice might fail to withstand it and perish.

From his spatial ring, Hutson retrieved a black sunflower-like plant.

Unlike normal sunflowers, its center wasn’t filled with seeds—

Instead, it bore a human face.

The features were distinctly female, eyes shut, lips slightly parted—two delicate fangs protruding from the corners of its mouth.

Hutson stared at it for a moment.

"...Strangely cute."

He frowned. Why had that thought even crossed his mind?

Before he could reflect further, the face twitched.

Then—its eyes snapped open.

A deep, sultry gaze locked onto him, filled with an eerie allure.

Hutson’s heart pounded—

"Dark Energy Shield!"

A pulse of shadow energy enveloped his body, snapping him back to his senses.

Damn it.

He had almost fallen for the Demonflower’s charm.

The plant could absorb emotions, and if it managed to feed, its toxin would be tainted—rendering it useless for potion crafting.

Fortunately, the Dark Energy Shield blocked its enchantment, ensuring the ingredient remained pure.

He grabbed a pair of shears, aligning the blades at the point where the flower met its rootstock.

Only the rootstock was needed—the flower could be saved for other alchemical uses.

"AI chip, mute external sound."

The moment Hutson issued the command, the Demonflower’s expression twisted in terror.

Hutson cut cleanly.

A single swift motion—

The flower’s severed head fell.

At the same time, he sealed the exposed root with mana, preventing its juices from contaminating the workspace.

The flower’s mouth gaped open in a silent scream, but Hutson could hear nothing. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

For nearly a full minute, the severed face writhed and wailed.

Then, its expressions slowed.

Finally, its eyes fluttered shut—as if it had simply fallen asleep.

Hutson exhaled, sealing the flower head in a preservation jar before tucking it back into his spatial ring.

"Might be useful later."

Now came the most delicate phase.

Hutson placed the sealed rootstock into a large beaker, then slowly channeled mana into the material, guiding the toxins out of the fibers while keeping its structure intact.

A single misstep, a slight rupture in the delicate root, and the entire potion batch would be ruined.

Minute by minute, the black-purple liquid began dripping into the collection flask below.

The laboratory was silent—

Save for the soft, rhythmic tap, tap, tap of toxin meeting glass.

For eight hours, Hutson worked without pause, carefully blending and refining the elements.

Finally—

A small vial of pale violet liquid rested in his hands.

He plugged it with a cork stopper, sealing the Dawn Elixir within.

A long exhale.

"Done."

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling the sheer drain on his stamina.

Mana Remaining: 11%.

Potion crafting was not just a test of skill—

It was a test of endurance.

Physically, mentally, and magically, he was exhausted.

"Thank the stars it succeeded on the first try. I really didn’t want to go through that again."

The process had been nerve-wracking, every step requiring absolute precision.

Even thinking back on it made his hands tense.

Hutson let out a tired chuckle.

"No wonder Larry insisted on lending me extra materials... He probably didn’t expect me to succeed on my first attempt."

AI chip could simulate every step, calculate the perfect moment for each reaction—

But execution still relied entirely on him.

And today—

He had proven himself.

For an ordinary human, such a task would have been impossible.

The precision, the endurance, the sheer mental strain—only a wizard could withstand it.

A mind far beyond the limits of mortals, honed by unwavering focus and relentless discipline.

And Hutson had proven himself worthy of the title.

With the potion finally crafted, Hutson descended the stairs, exhaustion weighing on his body like a heavy cloak.

The first thing he did?

A long, hot bath.

He sank into the tub, the warmth easing the strain in his muscles.

But even now—he continued to meditate.

His mental power had already reached its peak, but the habit was deeply ingrained.

Besides, meditation accelerated mana recovery.

In his mind’s eye, the six astral stars shone brilliantly, connected in a delicate web of power.

Only four empty nodes remained—waiting to be illuminated.

"To advance from second-tier apprentice to third-tier, I need ten stars... The same number as the full astral formation. Perhaps there’s a deeper connection here."

Time faded away as he drifted deeper into thought.

So much so that he didn’t even notice the bathwater growing cold.

Mana: 100%

When he finally opened his eyes, dawn had already broken over the horizon.

The fatigue that had clung to his body had vanished, replaced by a calm clarity.

Yet, despite the completion of the Dawn Elixir, he still chose not to drink it immediately.

Instead—he would spend the next few days calibrating his physical and mental state, ensuring that he was at his absolute peak before attempting the advancement ritual.

When word reached Larry, the master alchemist’s reaction was immediate.

"You succeeded on your first try?"

His voice held genuine disbelief.

Hutson merely nodded, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Barely. I almost failed several times—it was far harder than I expected."

Larry stared at him, his expression shifting from shock... to something close to horror.

"You... do you have any idea what you just did?"

Hutson raised an eyebrow.

Larry let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temples.

"I had already prepared a backup potion for you."

He shook his head, muttering,

"Because I never once believed you’d actually succeed."