Arthur locked his room door tightly and sat in front of a large table filled with various items. He took a deep breath and pulled the magic beast cores out of his Dimensional Storage. Calmly, he placed one of the beast cores into a bowl and began crushing it with force.
"I hope this works."
After grinding the core into a dark red powder, he poured it into a clay cup, then sliced a lemon and squeezed part of it in. With precision, he added five drops of monster blood, followed by ten drops of olive oil.
The mixture began to hiss faintly, accompanied by wisps of dark smoke. After waiting for about a minute, Arthur added half a cup of water, mixed the contents, and soaked lavender into the blend to release its aromatic scent. Before finishing, he added more water and lemon juice and left the mixture to settle.
"I followed the diluted version of the recipe, just like in the novel… so I should be fine. Wait—if I use the Plot Savant skill, it should confirm my hypothesis."
He quickly activated Plot Savant and examined the bowl.
[ Brutal Enhancement Potion, Purity Level: 87% ]
[ Safe for consumption ]
"That's good." Arthur smiled in satisfaction—though the smile didn't last long. He remembered what he was about to endure by drinking this potion.
Magical and enhancement potions were common in this world. All Boundless were expected to consume strengthening elixirs to boost their power and increase their stats. Some rare and hidden recipes existed, known only to a few—like this Brutal Enhancement Potion Arthur had just made. It originated from a tribe of beastkin who lived in The Wild Plains.
Although the potion had incredible enhancement effects, it came with a nasty side effect: it hurt like hell. He had to be careful not to take too much, as his body was still far too weak. Even though he followed a diluted recipe to avoid exploding, caution was still necessary.
Once the potion was ready, he filtered it through a narrow sieve. The dark red liquid released a stench that nearly made him gag. With difficulty, he forced himself to drink it—despite the revolting taste. After gulping down half the cup, he stopped and set it aside, quickly moving to his bed.
He took a deep breath and braced himself for the hellish pain the potion would bring. Seconds ticked by like minutes, but nothing happened. His tension eased, replaced by confusion.
"Was the novel exaggerating? Or did the lower purity reduce the pain?" He got up and rubbed his forehead suspiciously.
"Ugh…"
Suddenly, his guts clenched. His heart pounded like a war drum, veins throbbing. He clamped his mouth shut, holding back a scream, only letting out a muffled groan. With great effort, he lay back down and remained still.
A few minutes passed—ones that felt like hours—before the pain finally subsided. His body was soaked in sweat.
"Finally…" he gasped, panting madly. He stood up and drank some water to ease the burning in his stomach. Despite the crushing exhaustion, he didn't return to bed. Instead, he drew his sword from Dimensional Storage and began swinging it, mimicking the movements he remembered from old samurai programs back on Earth.
The novel mentioned that the best thing to do after drinking the Brutal Enhancement Potion was to train, as it would help circulate the potion's effects throughout the body. As he moved, he felt searing heat rushing through his veins.
Hours passed in a frenzy of intense training. When night finally fell, Arthur, still playing the role of the domineering heir, called in the maids to clean him up, then went to have his dinner. Afterward, he stopped by the bathroom—and what he saw and smelled there gave him nightmares that night.
…
The next morning, he woke up feeling incredibly refreshed, despite the awful dreams. His first thought was:
'Damn these barbarians. I want to enlighten them with my modern knowledge… but I can't. Arvan, known for his debauchery and cruelty, can't suddenly be a genius.'
Lying on his bed, he muttered, "I can't live a normal life… I can't run, and going home is impossible. Maybe my current position isn't so bad. But first, I need to eliminate obstacles and solidify my standing."
Arthur wasn't evil or heartless. He was simply logical. He realized that a soft heart and modern ideals about human rights wouldn't help him here. What he needed was the iron heart of a tyrant who ruled with strength and decisiveness.
"Yeah… that's what it'll take. My life comes first. Even if I somehow fix things for the real Arvan, I still need to survive the coming disasters." He narrowed his eyes coldly, rose from bed, opened the window, and looked out over the large village.
"I need to change things. This village is doomed in the novel. The first catastrophe strikes in just three months."
After casting out the last of his hesitation, he calmly drank the remaining Brutal Enhancement Potion from the day before, drew his sword, and resumed his training. He resisted the burning pain, forcing himself to stay focused while swinging the blade.
The pain lessened over time, allowing him to concentrate better. After two hours of grueling practice, a system notification suddenly appeared before him.
[ Congratulations ]
[ You have acquired a new Basic Skill ]
[ Swordsmanship (Level E) ]
"That easily? I was just swinging it around… Do I have a natural talent for the sword?" Arthur was stunned, finding it hard to believe he reached Level E in swordsmanship in just two days.
[ No. Your talent is actually terrible. Anyone can reach Level E in swordsmanship quickly. Besides, you already understand samurai techniques and can imitate them well thanks to your Photographic Memory.]
The system's words shattered his illusions, snapping him back to reality. As it said, anyone could gain several E-tier skills… but that didn't mean they themselves were E-tier.
He quickly pulled up his status window.
..
..
[Name: Arthur Lucian Vesper]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 21]
[Class: None]
[Level: None]
[Skills:
Photographic Memory (Max Level)
Swordsmanship (E)
Logical Analysis (E)
Dimensional Storage (D)
Plot Savant ]
[Inventory:
Simple cotton clothes, Fake Noble Seal (Raven Pendant), Rusty Sword, First Aid Kit, Paper Bills, Copper Coins, Bow and Arrows, Spear, Daggers.]
"Hmm…" Arthur placed his sword back into Dimensional Storage , then called for his maid. Following his usual routine, he cleaned himself up and had breakfast. While sitting at the table, he turned to the baronet's son.
"Gather some men. We're going hunting in the forest."