What is a Phoenix exactly?
Well, you may already know it. However, in case you don't, let me tell you.
A Phoenix is a mythical creature that captivates the imagination with its fiery splendor.
Picture a magnificent bird, its feathers ablaze in vibrant hues of crimson, gold, and amber — just like Nuria's or Ember's flames.
The uniqueness of the creature itself is when it meets its end, it is reborn from the ashes of its own destruction. From the remnant of the old, a new Phoenix emerges, filled with renewed life and eternal beauty.
Now, let's talk about the Phoenix's Feather and its uses for alchemy, especially the Tearfall — a cure-all illnesses potion.
The Phoenix's Feather, a prized treasure for alchemists and wizards alike, is a testament to the creature's extraordinary essence. Delicate yet resilient, it possesses a radiant glow, reminiscent of a dying ember, and a texture as soft as the caress of summer breeze.
Legends — It's not a legend anymore as its magical properties have been verified by wizards and alchemists. When immersed in potions, it bestows remarkable healing properties upon them.
A single plume can infuse a concoction with the essence of 'rebirth', mending even the most stubborn maladies.
But, as strong as it might be. No one since the previous Wizard Circle Leader could make use of this ingredient to its full potential.
Because of its purest fire essence, there are almost no ingredients compatible for creating new potions except the one the Wizard Circle Leader had made, Pyrosm Pill — to suppress his daughter, Evelyn Aquatile's strong ice element that even almost made her lose her life by her own power and returned her lifeforce that had been drained.
To be honest, I didn't know how Bell could manage to make Tearfall, the process I meant. All I knew was the ingredients used for it. The rest was clueless.
But again, can the current him create his would-be masterpiece potion?
"Huff…"
I could feel my legs trembling, almost failing me, even sending me to my death.
"Shit…"
I was currently climbing the steep and narrow path that lead to the peak where I supposed a Phoenix was nested somewhere around this peak. It had been around 20 minutes since I began ascending this path.
Raven was walking ahead of me to make sure the road was safe to step on. Behind me was also him, his shadow clone to be precise, making sure I didn't slip and fall like an idiot.
The danger didn't only come from the narrow path but also from the occasional lightning that crackled through the air, striking mere meters away from us in the air. Although luckily it didn't hit the narrow road we were walking on, but the sound of the thunder made my ears ring continuously.
We continued this dangerous for another half-hour until we finally reached a large flatland platform. Along the mountainside, the surface jutted inward, creating a cave-like formation.
The cave's entrance was wide enough to even let an adult wyvern in and the cave size was large enough to make it their nest, seemingly to fit in probably an adult wyvern and three young wyverns at a time.
As we stepped inside, the cave was empty, and no signs of danger were found.
Since Raven wasn't convinced yet about the safety, he made a ten minutes check of the surrounding. Once he was satisfied, he approached me who already made myself at home in the cave.
"I guess we can take a break here."
The fire I lit on firewood I brought in my storage cube illuminated the once-dark cave.
"Here."
Raven frowned when I handed him a freshly grilled fish, its aroma wafting through the air. He hesitated for a moment before accepting it.
"Where did you get the fish from?"
"From the market. It's still fresh because I kept them inside my storage cube."
Satisfied with my answer. His expression finally softened as he began to devour the grilled fish like a beast, finishing it in just three seconds.
Turning my attention away from him, I looked at the grilled fish in my hand, relishing its perfectly seasoned, salted flavor with every slow, deliberate bite.
"You shouldn't be too carefree in your surroundings or else you'd die when you least expect it, Crow."
Raven suddenly said, breaking the calm, peaceful silence. And I responded with a shrug and finished my break meal savoringly.
Once I was done, I finally got up and looked around the cave.
Raven didn't say anything except lock his eyes on me, his eyebrows raised.
I walked toward the wall with the rough cave's surface, looking for something. A small mechanism that might help us reach the peak faster.
'It should be somewhere around here.'
Seemingly couldn't find the object I looked for by normal means, I used my Clairvoyance - Pathfinding. At first, it was hard because I didn't know what the mechanism looked like.
But, as I kept thinking and imagining every mechanical object I had seen before in books, the Internet, etc. An image was eventually projected in my mind after I imagined a shape that had never been recorded anywhere by combining some shapes I remembered.
The proficiency and detail provided by Clairvoyance and its sub-skills had been enhanced ever since my Magic reached <E> rank realm. Because of that, finding something with Pathfinding becoming easier.
With the information I got from my skill, I continued my effort to look for the mechanical device that looked like a small, hidden contraption, no longer than a few inches. Its intricate design boasted gears, levers, and a tiny winding mechanism.
After a while, I found it tucked away in a narrow crevice between two rocks. The small device gleamed with a metallic sheen, camouflaged perfectly amidst the rugged cave wall.
"There you are."
Carefully, I retrieved it, marveling at its craftsmanship. It fitted snugly in my palm.
After that, I walked outside the cave. Raven followed me after, he didn't question me anything, returning to his usual demeanor. A silent shadow.
Standing at the precise midpoint of the flat platform outside the cave, I closed my eyes, focusing my mana on using Pathfinding again.
The image projected was the area right under my feet. Sweeping the dust with my shoes, I could see a part of what seemingly bigger pattern.
"Raven, can you dig the ground right under me?"
Without asking me the reason why he needed to do that, he obediently dug into the ground…
He kneeled down, pulling out his dagger, and then forcefully drove it into the ground.
Describing it as a "dig" might be an understatement, considering the force and intention behind the action.
As soon as he drove his dagger into the ground, I took a few steps to the back, knowing that he would use his skill.
Nodding at me approvingly, Raven focused his attention back on his dagger. Slowly directing his mana to his dagger, the shadow enveloped the dagger's blade, seeping into the ground through a small crack created by the dagger.
BOOM—!
The explosion occurred underground, sending a small tremor to the platform and everyone standing on it. As Raven pulled out his dagger and sheathed it, a small area of the platform crumbled, revealing a mechanical tool — a keyhole that seemingly fit the device in my palm.
'As expected!'
I grinned.
Before we stepped onto this flat platform, back when I was walking on the narrow path, risking my life. I had noticed this weird pattern carved on the mountain wall that supported the platform.
The ground, flat platform we were standing on wasn't a part of the mountain but was a whole mechanism set. An inactivate floating platform.
I carefully inserted the small device I had found into the keyhole, feeling a satisfying click as it fit perfectly into place.
Instantly, the surrounding area seemed to come alive. The platform beneath my feet began to move and shake, creating a great tremor upon my legs, making me fall to my knee. Unknown symbols and intricate patterns emerged, glowing with a faint ethereal light.
The symbols and patterns intertwined, forming a mesmerizing display of arcane energy — something like hologram but magic, you know what I mean.
As the glow intensified, the entire platform lifted off the ground, defying gravity with otherworldly power.
"Look out for the lightning!"
I shouted as we were being propelled upward, ascending toward the towering mountain peak at an incredible speed.
The wind whipped past us, roaring in our ears as the platform soared higher and higher. The landscape below rapidly transformed into a sprawling panorama of jagged cliffs, deep valleys, and swirling mists. The air grew colder, biting at our skin as we ventured closer to the summit.
Lightning struck the platform and terrorized us. Under the pressure of the wind, we forced ourselves to move and avoid the raging lightning.
"Isn't this fun, Raven?!"
I yelled loudly, trying to overlap the thunder sound.
"What?!"
Finally, the platform reached its destination, halting abruptly at the mountain peak.
The closer we were to the peak, the darker it got because of the dark cloud that seemed to protect the peak from the sunlight. Nonetheless, we could see endless stretches of pristine red flame spread out at the center of the peak.
There. Protected by the pillar of flames, lay a large golden bird with fiery plumage — the Phoenix.
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