Chapter 39: Human Efficiency
Rebecca’s potions were always top-notch. Her skills surpassed even the legends. Within an hour, she had developed a highly effective, easily reproducible potion.
The ingredients were inexpensive and readily available. The process was straightforward: various herbs, processed according to a specific order, were simply boiled in a stone pot. It was surprisingly simple, reminiscent of pre-modern alchemy.
She gave a sample to a young apprentice, who drank it. His master then used a basic lightning spell on him. As the lightning struck, a magical barrier appeared on the apprentice’s skin, absorbing the attack.
They then tested various basic spells, all neutralized by the barrier. When they tried a more powerful spell, the barrier began to weaken, but it still managed to withstand the attack.
Rebecca stopped the experiment before the apprentice was harmed, stating that this was the potion’s approximate limit. Any more powerful spells would overwhelm the barrier.
It could only withstand basic and low-level intermediate spells, but that was enough. The Druids hadn’t reported animals using advanced or large-scale spells yet. This potion would provide adequate protection for the hunters.
The Druids, impressed, decided to produce the potion immediately. After obtaining their promise not to share the formula with any merchants, Rebecca revealed her recipe.
The simple methods and tools appealed to the Druids. Apprentices and nearby villagers volunteered to assist in potion production.
The first batch of potions was distributed that night to hunters operating in areas with a high concentration of dangerous animals. They were confident that the hunters would use the potions. The Druids were revered figures, and their people trusted them implicitly. Even if the Druids claimed that eating stones could cure illnesses, many would believe them and try it.
The Druids who had been summoned were returning, and the meeting was about to commence. Abyss, along with his companions, helped with production.
The elves’ concept of “efficiency” was quite different from the human one. Initially, they wanted each apprentice to learn the entire formula before starting. Rebecca had to introduce the concept of an assembly line.
Some elves insisted her method was inefficient, and the quality of their work would be low. But after they tried it, they were astonished by its speed and the consistency of the results. It was far superior to any method they had ever employed.
Abyss and the girls took on their roles.
Leona, her strength, speed, and precision exceptional, was responsible for shelling a hard-shelled fruit. With incredible speed, she separated the seeds from the shells, her arms a blur, her efficiency high, despite intentionally slowing down to avoid intimidating the Druids.
Flora, known for her meticulous attention to detail, oversaw quality control, working with several apprentices to inspect the ingredients, removing any damaged or unsuitable materials. She became the team leader within hours, significantly increasing efficiency.
Rebecca, the project manager, meticulously timed the potions’ brewing process using magic, carefully monitoring the fifty pots simultaneously, extinguishing the fires with magic as each potion was ready, her calculations precise and flawless.
Abyss, accustomed to using his magic rather than manual labor, found himself carrying supplies from the nearby farms.
“ABC, bring that bag of hedgehogs,” Leona shouted, wiping her face, imagining herself as a hardworking peasant girl.
Hedgehogs were the fruit Leona was shelling. Abyss, his shoulders now hardened wood thanks to a recently acquired spell, easily lifted the bag, its sharp thorns unable to pierce his skin.
“Here you go,” he said, handing her the bag.
“Thank you, my capable ABC,” Leona said politely, grabbing a handful of hedgehogs and starting to shell them. But then, she sensed Abyss standing behind her, seemingly lost in thought.
She was about to ask him what was wrong when she felt a hand on her head, gently stroking her hair.
A familiar comfort, a pleasant tingling sensation, spread through her body.
“Meow… ABC, you’ve recovered your memories…”
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