Chapter 228

Chapter 228
Chapter 228: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Do you perhaps recall this specific entry inside the Silling Shop inventory?

『Dwarf King’s Drink』

-Consuming just a single glass of this brew will temporarily morph you into the legendary Dwarf King.

-Naturally, *hic*, won’t every crafted piece receive an enhancement?

-70,000 Shilling

Indeed.

This stood out as one of the commodities I weighed carefully alongside the ‘foam mold’.

On the surface, the description seemed heavily tied to upgrades, yet the true brilliance of the article lay in its gift of transformation.

The Dwarf King!

The ancient forefather of every single dwarf, blessed with craftsmanship so legendary that his legacy endured through centuries of folklore and ancient fables!

Employing this piece granted someone the ability to channel his might, fleeting though the duration might be.

And that exact treasure now rested securely within Lion’s grip.

He had purchased it the instant he stepped back into the estate following the completion of his sonkkeut attribute conditioning.

“It’s heavy.”

An immense timber mug, wide enough that it would spill over for an average-built man, let alone a dwarf.

Lion hoisted the vessel and gazed upward at the firmament.

He had originally ventured out around early twilight as the daylight faded, yet the hours had slipped away until only the late-night moon cast its radiant glow.

“Drinking at the stroke of midnight.”

If Rixchel happened to catch him in this state, panic would surely ensue, prompting Lion to hustle straight into the labyrinth.

Furthermore, the circumstance left him with no alternative.

‘…Rixchel will grasp the situation. Hopefully.’

Lion extracted the crystal from his tunic pocket.

Despite the various tumults that had transpired, the surface remained immaculate, devoid of even the tiniest blemish.

*Sigh*.

Lion flashed a broad grin as the teachings of the fairy tale whispered by his sonkkeut echoed in his mind.

“The resonance of a rare spirit combined with the Dwarf King.”

Fortunately, Nature, who perfectly matched the profile of a ‘rare spirit’, stood by his side, resolving half the dilemma.

‘The real hurdle is that I am no true Dwarf King.’

Had it been a standard commodity, no complications would arise.

In such a case, he would merely retreat immediately, swallow the Dwarf King’s Drink, and commence his forging.

Yet, acquiring goods from the Silling Shop demanded a meticulous read of the fine print.

‘And this particular entry features a rather peculiar clause…’

Unlike standard catalog entries, the directions for the Dwarf King’s Drink contained an odd stipulation.

Namely, the drinker would experience profound intoxication.

If the title and contents implied this outcome… it naturally guaranteed a state of utter drunkenness.

‘Under those conditions, swallowing recovery draughts would become impossible.’

Picture wielding the techniques and execution prowess of the Dwarf King while in that kind of state.

“…Something is bound to shatter, regardless of the outcome.”

Even if the fabrication succeeded, retaining an intact physical form while unconscious remained a gamble.

Consequently, he had sought out preliminary training in the fundamentals.

At the very least, this ensured a baseline of synchronization while under the influence.

Fortunately, thanks to his lifestyle-oriented specializations and the rigorous crafting routines he had maintained until now, he grasped the basics with surprising speed.

Naturally, the sheer hardness of this gem—surpassing ordinary raw minerals—presented a distinct obstacle.

“Since you are here with me.”

“Ppippi.”

Fortunately, Nature, possessing prior expertise with comparable gemstones, hovered right beside him.

“You can pull this off, correct?”

Nature wordlessly folded her wings and offered an affirmative thumbs-up gesture.

‘How did she even manage that?’

Am I already feeling the effects of the alcohol?

Regardless, Lion had finalized all preparations.

At this point, he simply needed to execute the manual’s directives step by step.

The inaugural instruction directed…

1. Pour the liquor into the chalice until it spills over, and consume ten full cups.

As anticipated, this guaranteed a descent into total inebriation.

Downing ten massive mugs presented quite a daunting task, yet he had already spent entire nights consuming draughts for material farming, so he convinced himself he would survive.

Moreover, the beverage in question.

“I happen to have the ideal substitute on hand.”

Lion marched straight toward the pomegranate wine keg.

A generous amount of liquor remained even after the ruby infusion process, making it a prime candidate for recycling.

‘Besides, the flavor profile is exceptional.’

Ever since experiencing the Mushberry Fizz, he had developed a genuine fondness for sweet concoctions.

Lion drew the wine from the oak cask until the mug overflowed.

The deep crimson liquid spilled over the rim, dampening his fingertips.

Without hesitation, he tilted his head back and drained it.

“Poooh!”

Fortunately, the sweet taste meant he wouldn’t struggle with nausea.

Lion polished off two cups. Three cups. Five cups…

‘Wait a minute? Has the alcohol potency always been this potent?’

Seven cups. And finally, the tenth cup.

His throat burned with warmth, and his head swam with dizziness as his stomach filled to the brim with liquor.

“Hic. Next…”

Before slipping entirely into unconscious intoxication, Lion hurriedly scanned the subsequent instructions.

2. Once you reach absolute intoxication, consciousness may fade temporarily, but harbor no fear. You have merely transformed into the supreme artisan.
3. Following that, your physical form will take care of the rest.
4. However, we accept zero liability for any hazards arising post-intoxication.
5. Forge the artifact of your dreams! Provided it is something the Dwarf King could fashion! Provided all conditions are met! Anything will come to fruition!
6. Enjoy the process! *Hic*! Though your memory of it will vanish.

As he finished reading, Lion’s body gave out entirely.

*Thump*.

It mirrored his face-plant into the turf the previous day, though thankfully, he avoided injury this time around.

Simultaneously, a gradual physical metamorphosis overtook Lion.

His limbs compressed in length while his hands and feet expanded.

Fortunately, his facial features preserved his original likeness, sparing him a chest-length beard sprouting overnight.

That came as a tremendous relief.

“Ugh…”

Lion, thoroughly intoxicated or perhaps already battling the onset of a brutal hangover, groaned and attempted to push himself upright.

His perspective was lower, his extremities felt heavier, and his senses were hyper-tuned… but.

*Wobble*.

“Whoa. The terrain is spinning…”

The experience deviated somewhat from his expectations as outlined in the manual.

Even so, he clung to his initial objective and gripped the crystal tightly.

At that exact second.

A cluster of specialized tools manifested around Lion.

The unique branding etched into each instrument confirmed they belonged to the Dwarf King.

Then, with a swift *swish*.

Lion’s drooping head tilted upward.

The sole departure from his normal demeanor lay in the profound depth of experience and charisma shining within his eyes.

“Let’s see what we have here…”

Lion, now operating as an intoxicated avatar of the Dwarf King, hummed a tune and inspected the Cosmic Crystal cradled in his palm.

Despite his vision swaying erratically from the alcohol, the gemstone remained crystal clear.

“To think I would lay eyes upon a gem of this caliber once more… Ah yes. This matches your intended design.”

Lion muttered under his breath, offered a nod, and pivoted toward Nature.

“Nature.”

“Pee.”

Following a brief moment of wariness, Nature responded to her moniker by fluttering over to perch upon Lion’s shoulder.

From the beginning until now, Lion remained the sole individual who addressed her as Nature.

This indicated that while the essence of the Dwarf King had temporarily possessed him, his core identity remained intact.

“Do you recall our collaborative efforts from earlier?”

“Pee.”

“Splendid. Please execute it just like before.”

Lion believed his articulation was perfectly clear, yet Nature let out a soft sigh.

The young master’s tongue was likely numbed by the liquor, reducing his speech to a mere mumble.

Even so, bridging the gap through their shared history, Nature interpreted Lion’s intent flawlessly and began channeling her innate energy.

The power of a crisp gale blended seamlessly with the sharp, piercing force of water.

Because the task demanded immense output executed with pinpoint accuracy, they inadvertently drew heavily upon the master’s internal mana reserves.

“Yes. That is precisely it.”

Fortunately, perhaps due to the expanded capacity of Lion’s mana reservoir, the strain remained manageable.

Thus, their joint masterpiece began taking physical form.

Nature harnessed the wind’s velocity to accelerate the cutter’s rotation, simultaneously sharpening the water element to maximize the blade’s slicing efficiency.

Lion pressed the Cosmic Crystal directly against the cutter apparatus, bypassing the need for a preliminary sketch.

Even amidst a haze of drunkenness, his execution grew preternaturally precise the moment his focus turned to creation.

Moments later, the initial shaping phase commenced.

The most astonishing aspect was…

*Swoosh*.

The gemstone, resistant to the efforts of the continent’s most seasoned master dwarves, parted as effortlessly as soft clay.

“The inaugural crystal, *hic*! Highlighting its inherent deep transparency is the optimal approach, wouldn’t you agree?”

He meticulously trimmed the mineral into a rectangular silhouette before introducing facets along the flanks.

He exercised extreme care to preserve symmetry while avoiding an overly aggressive edge.

The core objective was ensuring the cut maximized light refraction, drawing the eye toward the pristine, luminous interior while allowing a gentle radiance to diffuse outward!

Indeed! A finish so breathtaking that secondary processing into jewelry accessories became entirely redundant.

A flash of pure artisan madness ignited within Lion’s eyes.

“Hahaha. This sensation! This absolute feedback!”

The thrill of executing every step with flawless precision flooded him with euphoria, sending a surge of adrenaline and dopamine through his alcohol-warmed brain.

Following the final polishing phase, he verified the refraction angles and proportions using the illumination provided by Nature and the moonlight.

“Hoo!”

Radiating satisfaction, he laid the gemstone onto a velvety cloth.

A notification chime signaling a successful completion rang out somewhere in the background, though Lion remained entirely oblivious to it in his current state.

The immediate priority involved determining how to shape the remaining two crystals to highlight their distinct advantages.

His deliberation was brief.

Lion plunged back into the crafting process.

He labored relentlessly until dawn broke, the alcohol wore off, and his mana reserves hit absolute zero!

The saving grace was…

“Heh heh, hahaha… It is finished. Completely done…!”

He had successfully finalized every single item well within the established timeframe.

Lion, groaning under the weight of a monumental hangover, carefully deposited the gems into his pocket before staggering out of the labyrinth.

And then…

*Thump*.

Collapsing after consuming an entire crate’s worth of high-potency liquor was an inevitable outcome.

The minor complication arose from the fact that a sizable assembly of onlookers witnessed his collapse.

“…”

Chief among them stood Rixchel, who had been anxiously awaiting his older brother’s emergence from the labyrinth.

“Elvia.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“In my capacity as Deputy Family Head, I instruct you to escort my brother back to his quarters and ensure he remains confined there until a full recovery is achieved.”

“Understood.”

Elvia accepted the directive without hesitation.

Later that afternoon.

Lion fluttered his eyelids open, bracing himself for an agonizing migraine.

Having ingested enough fruit wine to knock out an ox, a punishing hangover was practically guaranteed.

It might even eclipse the misery he suffered during Easter…

“Huh…”

Lion’s eyes flew wide open as he realized his head felt remarkably clear.

Zero hangover symptoms?

‘Did the pomegranate wine possess hidden medicinal properties?’

It certainly did not.

Flustered, Lion pushed himself upright in bed, only to freeze when…

“Good afternoon, Brother.”

He immediately flopped flat on his back again upon locking eyes with Rixchel, who sat at a nearby desk attending to paperwork.

‘Oh, gods. I am dead…’

A simple hangover could easily be neutralized with a recovery potion, but how was he supposed to talk his way out of this?

Lion scrambled to piece together his memories from the moment he started drinking.

6. Enjoy the process! *Hic*! Though your memory of it will vanish.

True to the warning, his recollection was an absolute blank.

…I surely didn’t pull any utterly embarrassing stunts in front of my younger sibling, did I?