Soth was absolutely right—besides carrying the Arcane Spring potion that counteracts the poisonous mist, Leon also had an alchemical potion that could amplify the toxic fog.
This was the real reason Leon dared to venture alone into Venomfog Gorge; he knew that as long as he stood on this land, he would remain invincible.
Right now, Venomfog Gorge wasn’t particularly famous…
For example, many in Seaview City couldn’t understand why Soth’s Viper’s Nest would occupy such a resource-poor territory.
In fact, the only person in Seaview City who truly understood Soth was Leon.
Leon knew that in less than a century, Venomfog Gorge would become the focal point of countless factions. It all started when a mercenary company discovered a temple left behind by the Third Dynasty deep in the gorge. With just a fraction of the wealth brought out from the temple, that company rose to become one of the kingdom’s top mercenary groups.
Later, for reasons unknown, word got out…
Suddenly, all the major powers in the kingdom swarmed into Venomfog Gorge like sharks scenting blood.
In Leon’s memory, there were at least three wars with over ten thousand combatants, and the blood spilled nearly dyed every inch of Venomfog Gorge red.
The Arcane Spring potion Leon produced earlier, and the Sundown Elixir still in his pocket, both debuted in one of those wars. The Sundown Elixir triggered a true massacre—over ten thousand corpses were left behind in Venomfog Gorge, and a top kingdom faction was wiped out in that battle.
That war became a classic example of alchemy, referenced by alchemists for years to come.
It was in those alchemists’ notes that Leon found the formulas for the Arcane Spring and Sundown Elixir.
Now, hearing Soth’s words, Leon realized the Sundown Elixir probably wouldn’t be needed.
Still, it was necessary to placate Soth.
After all, what Leon truly wanted wasn’t the temple’s wealth, but the chance to quickly acquire five Mana Harnesses.
Besides, whether Soth could get his hands on the temple’s treasure was uncertain. Unless he had the luck of that future mercenary company, he’d need help from a Title Archmage-level powerhouse—only then would Soth have a chance to lay eyes on that long-desired temple…
Of course, Leon would never reveal any of this to Soth.
“Still, I know how hard you’ve worked to maintain Venomfog Gorge, Chief Soth. You wouldn’t allow outsiders to come and go freely, so how about this: our Gilded Rose caravan will only open a route through the southern part of Venomfog Gorge, and only for three months. After three months, even if the Silvermoon Mercenary Company hasn’t retaken Razor Rift, we’ll find another way.”
“The south?” Soth’s face finally softened a little at this.
If they were only passing through the southern part of Venomfog Gorge, that was acceptable. After all, the diary recorded the temple as being in the north, and with Gilded Rose in the south, unless they sprouted wings, there was no way they’d interfere with his plans.
“Alright then, three months.” Soth agreed, though he still felt shortchanged and gritted his teeth. “But I want ten bottles of that alchemical potion!”
“No problem. Just come by the Gilded Rose tomorrow to pick them up.”
Soth was efficient in his dealings. By the time Leon left the cabin, five alchemy apprentices were already waiting for him. Soth also informed Leon that he’d sent someone to deliver the batch of alchemical goods, and they’d reach Razor Rift before nightfall.
Leon exchanged a few words with the apprentices, sent them back, and then told Soth he wanted to scout the southern part of Venomfog Gorge for a suitable route.
Of course, Soth didn’t dare stop him. What a joke—he might have the Arcane Spring potion in hand, but the alchemical potion that could strengthen the toxic mist was still in the pocket of that young Grand Mage…
Watching Leon’s figure disappear into the distance, Soth clenched his teeth and made up his mind. No matter what it took, he had to recruit some talented alchemists. Otherwise, the poisonous mist in Venomfog Gorge would always be a noose around Viper’s Nest’s neck, keeping them under the thumb of that young Grand Mage forever.
Whatever Soth was thinking, Leon had no idea.
Truth be told, even if Leon knew, he wouldn’t care. Whether it was the Arcane Spring or the Sundown Elixir, they were just tools. For a mage, the only thing worth relying on was magic itself. Once Leon possessed five Mana Harnesses, even without the Sundown Elixir, he was confident he could wipe out everyone in Viper’s Nest—including Bell, the Grand Mage he now regarded with caution—in under an hour.
Once he was out of sight of the Viper’s Nest watchtower, Leon pulled out a bottle of Arcane Spring from his pocket and drank it down. Earlier, he’d told Soth that a single bottle, placed in a ventilated area, could protect hundreds of people from the poisonous mist for three days.
But that only applied in areas where the mist was thin…
If you wanted to go as deep into Venomfog Gorge as Leon, you’d have to drink the Arcane Spring potion first.
In this era, no one understood Venomfog Gorge better than Leon.
Not even Soth, who’d been exploring Venomfog Gorge for ten years, could compare.
At least, Soth didn’t yet know that once you stepped into the depths of Venomfog Gorge, the concentration of the mist became truly terrifying—utterly annihilating all life. Except for the magical beasts that fed on the toxic fog, not even a single weed could survive there.
Even the Arcane Spring potion in Leon’s hand, which would one day be known as the Venomfog Gorge pass, could only last about ten minutes per bottle.
Fortunately, Leon had come prepared this time.
He had more than a dozen bottles of Arcane Spring in his pocket…
Which meant Leon could explore the depths of Venomfog Gorge for about an hour and a half.
As soon as he drank a bottle of Arcane Spring, a faint green mist began to swirl around Leon. It looked thin, but it never dissipated, clinging to him no matter how he moved.
By now, Leon had walked far to the south of Venomfog Gorge. The red mist around him grew thicker and thicker—so dense it was nearly impenetrable.
But as soon as Leon drank the Arcane Spring, the red mist around him melted away like snow in sunlight.
No mistake—it was really melting…
The moment the red and green mists touched, they instantly turned into a hazy vapor and dispersed.
Protected by the green mist, Leon continued deeper into Venomfog Gorge…
"It should be somewhere around here…" After drinking his third bottle of Arcane Spring, Leon stopped walking.
The notes left by those peak-era alchemists were vague about Venomfog Gorge—no maps, not even accurate routes. All Leon could do was rely on their descriptions, guessing as he went. At least his supply of Arcane Spring was ample; if anything went wrong, he could always retreat the way he came.
After drinking another Arcane Spring, the red mist cleared again, revealing blood-red soil ahead, almost completely barren—as if someone had watered it with blood.
"There should be a cave around here…" Leon roughly estimated the distance but didn’t rush to search for the cave mentioned in the notes. Instead, he murmured a few incantations, quickly casting Haste, Featherfall, Poison Resistance, Stone Skin, and other buffs on himself.
Sure enough, the moment Leon activated his Icefire Shield, a faint sound came from beneath his feet, and a vivid red blossomed at his feet—like a giant crimson flower suddenly blooming.
Luckily, Leon was well prepared; almost as soon as he heard the sound, he sprang into action.
This was when the true power of the Mana Harness became clear…
With the Mana Harness integrated, the effect of Haste was more than double that of a standard spell—comparable to the magical prowess of an ordinary Grand Mage.
Under the boost of this superior Haste, Leon moved like the wind. Before the crimson bloom could fully unfurl, he’d already dashed ten meters away, then leapt—Featherfall instantly freed him from the earth’s pull, sending him soaring into the air.
At the same time, his instant-cast magical prowess activated, and a massive fireball formed in Leon’s palm.
He unleashed an Instant Fireblast—there was a deafening boom, and all of Venomfog Gorge seemed to shake.
“Ahn!”
A shrill scream rang out below. Leon glanced down and saw, just as the notes had warned, the Corrupted Bloom.
The Corrupted Bloom wasn’t truly a flower, but a magical beast that only resembled one. It usually lurked underground in Venomfog Gorge, lying dormant for months or even years. But the moment it caught the scent of fresh blood and flesh, it would burst forth, opening its blood-red, petal-like maw to swallow its prey whole.
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Someone on the forum said I didn’t roll around yesterday, so today I’ll definitely go wild.
That’s right, you guessed it!
Rolling in the snow begging for recommendations and favorites!!!!