◈22. The Pope Who Drinks Potions
Hearing me say that I had come to make a rare and special potion, the priests looked puzzled.
“A rare and special potion…?”
“Yeah. One that disappeared a long time ago… You might know it by its common name—Elixir.”
The Elixir—a legendary potion, a miracle in liquid form.
Its formula had been lost 200 years ago, and it only remained in records.
Even after hearing such an extraordinary claim, however, the priests reacted in the most underwhelming way possible.
“Ah, I see.”
“…….”
Normally, they should’ve been freaking out.
Something like, “An Elixir?! But that’s a legendary potion that only exists in stories!”
But because Delsi had calmed them down with her skill, they just nodded as if I had told them the most mundane news in the world.
Instead of panicking, one of them calmly asked,
“But to my knowledge, the Elixir’s formula has already been lost. The last known bottle was used by the imperial family 162 years ago… At this point, not only is there no one left who can make it, but no one has even seen it in person.”
“Yes, you’re right. It’s an ancient technique. So… why don’t we ask someone from ancient times? Not a person, but a spirit.”
I turned and called out,
“Rubin! Come out!”
The moment I summoned him, Rubin, who had been sleeping inside my bracelet, popped out.
Stretching his limbs, he let out a satisfied yawn and wagged his tail.
“Heh, you needed me again, Nike?”
“Yeah. This time, I really need you. You’ll get to play a big role.”
“Ooh! What do I need to do?”
“It’s simple. I just need to use your output function for a bit.”
Saying that, I clapped my hands once—clap!
Then, I gave a command.
“Output: Elixir Recipe.”
The moment I spoke, Rubin froze in place.
At the same time, his black eyes began flickering with a blue light.
According to the manual, that steadily blinking glow was a signal that the output was starting.
【Beginning output: Elixir Recipe】
—Output in progress: Elixir Recipe (0/1)
—Estimated time: 30 seconds
A message window appeared above Rubin’s head.
And then, a thin sheet of paper slowly began materializing in midair.
The output process had begun.
Just like retrieving an item from an inventory, the paper was seemingly being summoned from another dimension.
‘That’s pretty amazing.’
Fascinated, I watched the process unfold for exactly 30 seconds.
【Output complete】
—Output complete: Elixir Recipe (1/1)
The completion message appeared above Rubin’s head just as the paper fluttered down.
I caught it midair and immediately started reading through it.
‘Hmmm… So that’s how it’s made with these ingredients… None of them are completely impossible to obtain. There are one or two that might be hard to find, though, but nothing totally out of reach.’
The priests were peeking over curiously, so I handed them the recipe.
They quickly scanned through the list of ingredients.
Meanwhile, Rubin, who had just regained consciousness, blinked in confusion.
“Huh? What just happened? I think I blacked out for a moment.”
“I used your output function to print the Elixir recipe.”
“…Elixir? I had a function like that? Why don’t I remember it?”
“Because your body is a new model. The new body must’ve come with functions you didn’t have before.”
“Ah…!”
Realization dawned on him, and he wagged his tail enthusiastically.
“So that’s how it is… I should really check what other new functions I have starting today. If it weren’t for you, Nike, I never would’ve known I had an output feature like this… If I had found out sooner, I could’ve made you an Elixir right away when you got hurt…”
Rubin’s ears drooped as he spoke, his voice filled with regret.
I reached out and gently patted his head in reassurance.
“I only remembered today, so don’t beat yourself up over it. Besides, stand tall—you’re the MVP this time. Your lie to Luciana earlier was… a little sloppy, but this? This was amazing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Not just amazing—incredibly amazing. Thanks to you, we can now recreate a legendary potion that was thought to be lost forever. You’ve made a contribution to humanity worthy of praise.”
Being as simple-minded as ever, Rubin’s ears perked up at the praise, his earlier guilt vanishing without a trace.
Meanwhile, Delsi and the priests had finished reading through the Elixir recipe.
The oldest-looking priest in the group—the one who had been called Ronny earlier—finally looked up from the parchment and hesitantly asked,
“We’ve reviewed it thoroughly, but… Are you certain this is truly the Elixir’s formula?”
“Hmm?”
“It’s just… The ingredients listed here seem far too ordinary. It’s difficult to believe that an Elixir could be made with such basic medicinal herbs…”
It seemed they found it hard to trust that the legendary Elixir was composed of such mundane components.
On top of that, the recipe had been printed in just 30 seconds by Rubin, which probably made it even less convincing.
I offered them a simple solution.
“Then let’s test it. Bring all the ingredients listed in the recipe.”
The priests exchanged uncertain glances but ultimately did as I asked, gathering the necessary materials one by one.
Once everything was prepared, Ronny cleared his throat and spoke again.
“Hmm… I do hope this proves worthwhile. Some of these ingredients are incredibly rare. Take this yellow herb, for example—it may look ordinary, but it’s actually quite difficult to obtain. It’s typically used for high-grade potions—”
“Don’t worry about wasting it. We’re attempting something far greater than just a high-grade potion.”
Whether we succeeded or failed, simply attempting to create an Elixir would be a significant step forward.
Even if we failed, the field of potion-making would still advance as a result.
After glancing around at the gathered priests, my eyes landed on a brown-haired female priest standing toward the back.
“You. You have a potion-making skill, right? And it’s an S-rank skill too. Come here and try synthesizing the Elixir using these materials.”
“…?! How did you know my skill rank?”
“I have a good eye for these things.”
Of course, I had actually checked her status window, but I wasn’t about to explain that.
It wasn’t unusual for the Pope to possess divine insight, so no one questioned it.
Either way, the priest I had chosen—who possessed an S-rank potion-making skill—stepped forward toward the ingredients.
She swallowed hard as she eyed the expensive materials laid out on the table.
“Are you sure it’s okay for me to use these…?”
Even with an S-rank potion-making skill, there was always a chance of failure when crafting complex potions.
The probability of success was far higher than with lower-ranked skills, but still—she was understandably nervous.
If she failed, these costly ingredients would be wasted.
Wanting to ease her anxiety, I decided to enlist Delsi’s help again.
“Delsi, give her a little magical encouragement.”
Hearing my request, Delsi nodded and stepped toward the priest.
Taking both of her hands, she spoke gently.
“Believe in your experience, your skills, and your potential. If you do that, you’ll surely succeed.”
“High Priestess…”
The moment Delsi’s words reached her, the nervous tension clouding the priest’s face disappeared completely.
Now standing before the table with newfound confidence, she closed her eyes in concentration.
Then, activating her S-rank potion-making skill—
「Life Essence Born at My Fingertips (S)」
‘Will it work?!’
As the skill activated, the prepared ingredients began shifting and transforming.
Something misty and fluid emerged from them, wrapped in a soft white glow.
The glowing substance was repeatedly purified, split apart, and fused together in various ways—
Slowly, steadily evolving into something entirely new.
As we stood, unable to tear our eyes away from the wondrous sight—
“It’s complete!”
The priest exclaimed as she carefully poured the newly synthesized liquid into a glass vial.
If the skill had failed, the ingredients would have simply disappeared, leaving nothing behind.
Unlike lower-tier potion crafting, failed attempts at making an Elixir wouldn’t result in some mid-tier potion instead.
In other words—
‘It worked! This is the Elixir!’
I stared at the vial in the priest’s hands.
Inside, a shimmering liquid swirled gently, glowing with a mystical radiance.
The thought that just a single sip of this could bring a dying person back to life was almost surreal.
And I wasn’t the only one lost in awe.
The other priests murmured among themselves.
“Could that really be… the Elixir?”
“This is absurd. There’s no way such a legendary potion could be created so easily…”
“We need to verify it immediately.”
Even though they were still under the effects of Delsi’s calming skill, they were visibly shaken.
That was how overwhelming it was to have the potion of legends right before their eyes.
So, I decided to demonstrate the Elixir’s effects firsthand.
After all, given the current state of my body, if I didn’t drink it soon, I might just drop dead at any moment.
“Alright, pay close attention. You’re about to witness the first Elixir consumption of this century.”
With those words, I lifted the vial and slowly poured the Elixir into my mouth.
The liquid was cool against my tongue as it slid down my throat and into my stomach.
‘Huh…? It just tastes like plain water. No distinct scent, no special flavor… It’s so ordinary. Does this thing even—’
The moment doubt crossed my mind—
An indescribable, otherworldly energy surged through me.
It was unlike anything I had ever felt before—something I had never even imagined.
The power absorbed through my stomach rapidly coursed through my veins, spreading to the very tips of my fingers, toes, eyes, and even the deepest corners of my brain.
Not only did all the pain vanish instantly, but my vision became sharper—crisper, clearer.
It even felt like my brain had awakened, as though my very consciousness had been refined.
‘…I guess the brain is technically part of the body.’
Things I hadn’t noticed before—things I had seen but failed to register—were suddenly becoming clear.
Forgotten memories resurfaced, and I could grasp concepts I hadn’t been able to understand before.
My perception, memory, and reasoning abilities…
All of them were sharply enhanced.
So much so that I could actively feel the difference.
“This… is the power of the Elixir.”
Dazed, I glanced around.
I had only taken a single sip, yet the entire world looked different.
Just to confirm, I opened my status window.
‘As expected, even my skills have changed.’
There were two main skills I frequently used.
First, my buff and attack skill—「Blasphemy (S)」
Second, my purification and defense skill—「Holy Inviolability Pact (S)」
Both were highly useful, but they had always suffered from one major flaw: their short duration.
But now, after drinking the Elixir, I could feel that my natural divine power threshold had expanded.
And sure enough—my skill durations had increased.
‘Two-hour durations…?’
Originally, 「Holy Inviolability Pact (S)」lasted for only 20 minutes, while 「Blasphemy (S)」 lasted for 30.
That meant if I couldn’t end a battle within 20 minutes, I would quickly find myself at a disadvantage.
But now, thanks to my increased divine power, both skills would remain active for two whole hours.
In other words, my already powerful body would now be continuously strengthened by skill buffs for two full hours.
‘…Wait, shouldn’t a Pope have healing-focused skills? Why do only my ‘combat’ skills keep getting upgraded?’
Most of my other skills were still locked due to low Karma, and yet…
Somehow, only my battle-oriented abilities were improving.
Was this really okay for a Pope?
Or maybe, now that my overall abilities had increased, any new skills I unlocked would also have two-hour durations?
As I got lost in thought, Ronny, the priest beside me, suddenly called out.
“Y-Your Holiness… Just now… That was the power of the Elixir, wasn’t it…?”
Right.
I had completely forgotten to explain its effects to them.
Casually, I nodded at Ronny’s question.
“Oh, yeah. The potion works perfectly.”
Then, I fully unleashed my divine power, demonstrating the fact that my body had been completely restored.
The sacred energy radiating from me was so overwhelming that the priests—
One by one—
Began turning deathly pale.
