Chapter 446 - The Golden l.u.s.t Poison
"Watson, if you say you can do it, show us how you made that potion. Do not worry. I will a.s.sist you in paying for the materials required for that potion, whatever it may be."
When Augustus heard Watson"s promise, his expression became increasingly sinister.
He was afraid that if Watson disagreed, he would face King Landhar III"s punishment. Regardless of who it was, forcing Watson to develop a difficult-to-achieve potion would be a difficult task. Watson was also the kingdom"s strongest genius. Even if King Landhar III imprisoned Watson, he might be released after a while.
It would have been different if Watson had made the promise in front of so many people. Watson could not go back on his word. If he broke his word, it would be a slap in the face to both himself and King Landhar III. King Landhar III might increase the punishment in his rage, and Watson"s penalty might even change from imprisonment to death.
Augustus also had another reason—let Watson develop the potion on the spot, avoiding the possibility of Watson seeking a.s.sistance from others. In other words, he had effectively blocked Watson"s only exit.
"Are you certain, Augustus, that you want to bear the entire cost of my refining the potion?"
To Augustus" surprise, Watson remained expressionless after hearing his words. Instead, he made a strange expression as he spoke.
His heart thumped as a result of that reaction. He had a nagging feeling something terrible was going to happen to him. However, because he had already said it, there was no turning back. All he could do was straighten his back and nod. "That is right. I will cover the costs! I am a Campbell. I can afford a single potion. However, I advise you not to play tricks and deliberately obtain some difficult-to-find herbs to delay time."
Even if Watson purposefully raised the potion price, he could still bear the exorbitant cost. At most, he could get those medicinal herbs and sell them. However, if Watson were unable to produce the potion, he would perish.
"My request is simple. I will not purposefully make things difficult for Young Master Augustus by asking for rare medicinal herbs! I am only interested in one ingredient, and that is gold coins. I will need about ten billion gold coins to create a potion that will increase the Dragon Clan"s fertility rate." Watson gestured with his fingers.
"Ten billion gold coins? Watson, are you serious?" Augustus" face darkened.
He had never heard of a potion that cost so much money. In addition, what potion was made with gold coins? Watson stated that all he needed was gold coins. Did he want to turn gold coins into potions? Watson must have been purposefully making things difficult for him.
The others also shook their heads. When they learned that Watson could concoct a potion, they had high hopes. After all, Watson was the strongest genius in the kingdom, so it was not surprising that he could deliver some outstanding performances, but their hopes were dashed. Even if Augustus could produce ten billion gold coins, Watson would not be able to convert the money into a potion.
Even if Watson melted a large number of gold coins to make the potion, who would dare to drink it?
Even Rose and Stella could not help but shake their heads at that point.
"I know a few potions that can boost fertility, but they only work on humans and have negligible effects. They can"t possibly work on dragons. What are our options?" Rose muttered angrily.
Watson did not blame her for losing the Blessings of the G.o.ds and Demons potion. He gave her the formula instead. Rose had regarded Watson as her benefactor. She also saw hope in the formula Watson gave her. If Watson was imprisoned, she could no longer produce the same potion as the formula required water from the Spring of Life. The formula would be useless in her hands.
"It has not been easy for the Abedor family to rise to power, and the kingdom"s potion-making industry has the potential to thrive. Will all of it end before it begins?" Stella had a glum expression on her face as well. She gave Augustus a ferocious stare before sighing. "Augustus has always had a proud and domineering reputation. I used to think it was normal for a genius to have a bad temper. That guy appears to be a jerk now! Watson is the same. If he could not make the potion, he should have admitted to it instead of agreeing to it. If he failed, he might suffer. more than imprisonment."
Even the Abedor family could not think of a way. Watson, who had obtained the previous formula from the ancient ruins, was unlikely to do any better.
"A naive youth! Despite his reputation as a genius, he is a childish idiot! It is a good thing he can"t refine the potion. Initially, I was opposed to His Majesty"s plan to get more Dragon Knights. Allowing the students to train with the Dragon Knights will only weaken us."
A Dragon Knight snorted coldly when he saw Watson demanding ten billion gold coins.
"Julius, you appear to harbor a great deal of resentment toward that genius. I am curious how he irritated you," another Dragon Knight asked.
When questioned, the Knight"s expression changed; after a brief pause, he said, "My mount, a thunder-clawed dragon, was killed a few days ago by a platinum-tier elite in the kingdom. Watson was responsible for it! They say that my dragon was cooked and eaten by him and his friends!"
Dragons were very important to the Dragon Knights. Losing a dragon was no different than losing a soldier. Julius was in a similar situation. He was the Dragon Knights" vice-captain. His thunder-clawed dragon was powerful, and he was always proud of that fact.
Not only was he in danger of being expelled from the Dragon Knights since he had lost his dragon, but the loss of his long-lost companion also saddened him. A normal person would be sad if their dog died, let alone a dragon who had shared life-and-death situations with him. He despised Watson even more. He would have rushed forward and strangled him to death with his own hands if it had not been for the Dragon Knights" dignity.
"So Watson killed your dragon. No wonder you glared at him the moment you walked in! Still, Watson is the kingdom"s proclaimed genius. Do not be too upset if he ate your dragon. It is not a good idea to be enemies with a genius."
After his companion realized what was going on, he consoled Julius, whose face was tense as he snorted coldly. "The kingdom"s most powerful genius? He will soon become a corpse if he can"t complete the potion."
While everyone else was thinking that, Watson"s face remained calm as he pointed his fingers at Augustus and asked, "Augustus, my conditions are not difficult, right? It is nothing more than gold coins. You can find them throughout the kingdom. Or are you saying you lied when you said you would cover the entire cost of the potion? Lying in front of His Majesty is not acceptable."
"Who said I was lying, Watson? I can cover the expenses, but your terms are ridiculous. What potion is created with gold coins?"
Augustus could not stop himself from retorting. Watson said, "What you do not know does not imply that it does not exist. To achieve the desired effect, the potion purifies anything with medicinal properties. Gold, as a precious metal, has medicinal qualities too! Perhaps you can make the potion without my help?"
"Watson, don"t waste time. Ten billion gold coins is an excessive amount. I don"t have that amount at the moment! Since you mentioned using gold coins to make the potion, I will give you a thousand gold coins for now. Let"s see if you can concoct any potion. Then we will know if you are telling the truth."
"No, when I say ten billion gold coins, I mean ten billion gold coins. Not even a single gold coin less! If I get even one less, it will be your fault if you cannot create a potion."
"Your fault, Watson!"
Augustus was so enraged that his lips quivered when he saw Watson waving his hand and saying such things.
"Okay, let"s stop arguing. Since Augustus can"t pay the ten billion gold coins, I will pay for it! If Watson successfully refines a potion that appeases the Dragon Clan, the Campbell family will owe me ten billion gold coins. If Watson can"t complete the task, then I will double the punishment. That should suffice, right?" King Landhar III spoke.
Then, Watson and Augustus both nodded in agreement.
King Landhar III waved his hand as soon as his voice fell silent. Guards immediately ran toward the palace. An army led by Hoen appeared in front of the Royal Academy, escorting a plethora of carriages. The carriage"s curtain was lifted when they arrived at the academy, revealing the gold coins inside.
All of the carriages were br.i.m.m.i.n.g with gold. The golden light reflected the sunlight, blinding nearly everyone"s vision.
Although those were ten billion gold coins, King Landhar III acted as if nothing had happened. He did not think that wealth was important at that point in time. The number of gold coins astounded the people of the Holy Dragon Kingdom and the three women from the Dragon Clan. They could not stop themselves from swallowing their saliva.
"All of the gold coins you requested are here, Your Majesty. Ten billion gold coins, not one less."
Hoen approached King Landhar III and knelt on one knee.
"Good job."
King Landhar III nodded, and then he looked at Watson. "Watson, the gold coins you requested have arrived. You can begin now."
"Watson, you are so done." Augustus sneered at the other youth. Watson must have requested ten billion gold coins on purpose to make things difficult for him and force him to retreat. However, King Landhar III had already sent for the money, and it was too late for Watson to back down.
The crowd shook their heads as well. They did not believe Watson could use those gold coins to refine a potion.
Ignoring Augustus and the other people on the field, Watson approached the carriages and nodded. "Not bad; it really is ten billion gold coins. I can use them to refine the potion for the dragons."
Watson walked unhesitatingly to a carriage and removed a gold coin from it. Then, in his palm, a black sticky substance appeared and gradually wrapped around the gold coin.
"What is Watson up to?" someone was perplexed by the scene.
People around him shook their heads. "I am not sure. I don"t know about the black substance oozing from Watson"s body. But it makes me feel uneasy. He can"t be fusing that black substance with the gold coin to cause some strange reaction, right?"
Augustus crossed his arms and said calmly, "Watson is really unwilling to give up. He still desires a final battle! Okay, I will sit back and watch his clown act."
No matter what Watson did, he would be unable to turn the gold coin into a potion that met the Dragon Clan"s requirements.
The majority of people agreed with that point. When King Landhar III saw the black liquid oozing from Watson"s body, he was taken aback. "That thing gives me a familiar feeling," he muttered to himself, his eyes wide with disbelief. "It is very similar to the G.o.d"s Remains that I gave to Samuel. It should be in Samuel"s body. How did Watson get it?"
Watson wrapped the gold coin in the black substance and said, "Fusion system, activate."
Whoos.h.!.+
A bright light flashed, and the gold coin and the black substance instantly fused, forming a ball of golden liquid.
[Congratulations, Master, on successfully fusing the gold coin and the l.u.s.t Poison to create a Golden l.u.s.t Poison.]
The information about the golden liquid appeared in Watson"s eyes as the system notification sounded in his ear.
[Platinum-tier poison: Golden l.u.s.t Poison]
[Effects: the instinct to give birth (after taking it, you will lose all other consciousness and only have the instinct to give birth), unlimited reproduction (continuously giving birth to offsprings that have your bloodline. Every time you give birth to an offspring, your strength will be consumed. The effect lasts for one day).]
[Side-effects: Backlash (after taking that medicine, your mind will be tainted, and your intelligence will drop).]
"Not bad. That is exactly what I am looking for."
Watson smiled contentedly as he held the golden potion in his hand.
The l.u.s.t Poison was refined from Asmodeus" bodily fluids, the monster known to have the great sin of l.u.s.t. It was created by the G.o.d of Poison, who had combined various poisons to make it. As h.e.l.l"s watchdog, Asmodeus possessed the natural ability to charm. Creatures charmed by Asmodeus would succ.u.mb to their mating instinct. Asmodeus was a monster that could mate with various other monsters, including plants, stones, and other non-living creatures, to give birth to offspring all year round, which was why it was known as the Beast of l.u.s.t.
Watson, who had fused the G.o.d"s Remains, had naturally mastered it as well. That poison was extremely dangerous to humans, but it did have the potential to increase their reproductive ability. It was entirely in line with King Landhar III"s requirements for the potion he wanted. Initially, he had asked the Severed Fingers Gang to prepare some medicinal herbs that could increase the human"s reproductive rate. He had intended to purify and fuse them to get them to have an effect on the dragons.
However, Augustus had tried to harm him, so there was no need for him to stand on ceremony.
With that in mind, he turned around and said, "Your Majesty, the potion has been created."
Augustus yelled angrily, "What exactly do you mean, Watson? Didn"t you say it would cost ten billion gold coins to create the potion, and nothing less would suffice? And you said it would work? I am not sure if that potion will work. It will be a waste of everyone"s time if it does not work." Watson only used one coin to make the potion. He did not even require so many gold coins. He knew that Watson was seeking vengeance on him.
"Augustus is right. We need to find someone to test the potion to see if it works or not. You will be the one to put it to the test."
Watson used his combat aura to grab the potion and bring it to Augustus. Augustus" expression changed. "What if it"s poisonous, Watson? Do you really want to use me for the experiment? What if I die? Why don"t you test it? You created a potion that boosts fertility. You want me to find someone to test it out right away after I take it? Are you serious?"
Watson explained calmly, "I am not joking. You will understand the potion"s effect when you drink it. I make the potion in a very intuitive manner. That is something I am very certain of. Furthermore, the experiment is only for those who do not believe me. Let me ask you now, Augustus, do you believe what I said?"
Augustus" eyes twitched. He knew what Watson meant. He could not doubt Watson if he said he believed it, and Watson would pa.s.s the test. If he said he did not believe it, he would be the one to put it to the test.
"Fine, how do I test it?" Augustus s.n.a.t.c.hed the golden potion from Watson and popped it into his mouth. He did not believe Watson would be so bold as to poison him in front of the King and the students of the Royal Academy. Furthermore, his body had already been transformed into a collection of platinum-tier weapons. Even the most lethal poison could not harm him.
Augustus" expression changed as the Golden l.u.s.t Poison entered his body. He felt as if the world around him had become hazy, as if a layer of pink gauze had covered it. Beautiful female figures flashed through his mind. Immediately after that, an unexplainable fire appeared in his lower abdomen, prompting him to vent.
"What is going on?"
Augustus had lost the joy of being a man due to the body transformation, but his body appeared to have returned to its pre-transformation state at that moment. Even the vile Watson in front of him looked attractive.
"Watson, I took your potion. Where"s the intuitive performance that you mentioned? Why haven"t I noticed it?" Augustus sneered at Watson, despite his discomfort.
"Do not worry; the effect will kick in soon." Watson appeared at ease. "It is almost time," he said after reciting three numbers.
Augustus, who had a stern look on his face, suddenly looked painful and broke out in cold sweat after hearing Watson"s voice. Then, out of nowhere, a large hole exploded from his chest to his lower abdomen, and an egg the size of a human head flew outward.
"What in the world is that?"
Augustus went into a trance as he stared at the crack in his lower abdomen. Why was there an egg in his stomach?
More than ten eggs flew out of his stomach while he was in a daze. He was laying eggs like Emperor Cluck.. Soon, countless eggs piled up around him.