Chương 81

Four heavily armored royal guards struggled through the kitchen doors of the Marquis estate. They were sweating and panting, carrying a massive steel tray. Resting on the tray was a giant block of magical blue ice. Frozen inside was the severed head of the Obsidian Drake. It was pitch-black, covered in jagged horns, and radiated a terrifying, heavy pressure. The guards set the tray down on the stone floor with a loud clatter and immediately took several steps back.

"T-The delivery from the vault, Marquis," the lead guard stammered, eyeing the dead monster nervously.

"Perfect. Thanks, guys," Rudra grinned. He was already wearing a plain white apron over his black trench coat.

"You can head back. We need some room to work." The guards didn't need to be told twice. They practically sprinted out of the kitchen. Elysia walked over, inspecting the block of ice. She pulled out a set of glass vials filled with glowing green and red liquids.

"The ice has preserved the physical structure, but the cells are completely dormant," Elysia explained. Her professional alchemist side was fully engaged.

"If you just boil it, you will only get standard monster meat. I need to shock the draconic tissue back to life. Then, you have exactly ten seconds to extract the marrow and cook it before the vitality escapes into the air."

"Ten seconds. Got it," Rudra nodded. He didn't grab a butcher knife. Normal kitchen tools weren't going to cut through a drake's skull. He reached over and picked up the heavy, bone-crafted Staff of the Fire Lord. He tapped the Protean Crafting Cauldron. The unique metal shifted and morphed, expanding into a massive, wide-mouthed boiling pot. He filled it with clean water, threw in a block of butter and a handful of wild mountain onions, and cranked the stove heat to maximum.

"Kratos, stay back," Rudra warned. The half-gold, half-black divine beast was sitting near the counter, drooling heavily at the sight of the giant lizard head. Kratos let out a complaining whine but obediently backed up.

"Ready?" Elysia asked.

"Do it." Elysia poured a vial of red liquid directly onto the ice. The magical frost hissed and instantly melted into steam. The massive black head of the Obsidian Drake slumped onto the steel tray. Elysia quickly pressed her glowing hands against the drake's temples. She pushed raw alchemical mana straight into the monster's brain. The dead drake's eyes snapped open. They glowed with a fierce, angry red light. The jaw actually twitched, trying to snap shut.

"The cells are active! Now!" Elysia shouted, jumping back. Rudra didn't hesitate. He activated Sage's Eye. His vision shifted. The thick, dark scales of the drake became slightly transparent, revealing bright, pulsing red lines of mana running directly through the center of the skull. He gripped his staff with both hands. He didn't use a delicate carving technique. He just treated the drake head like an armored monster.

"Crushing Strike!" Rudra brought the heavy staff down as hard as he could. KABOOM! The heavy ironwood smashed perfectly into the center of the pulsing mana lines. The blunt force cracked the insanely tough skull wide open like a walnut. Rudra dropped the staff, plunged his bare hands into the cracked bone, and ripped out a massive, glowing chunk of dark red marrow. It pulsed with raw, violent heat. He tossed it straight into the boiling Protean Cauldron.

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"Seal it!" Rudra yelled. Elysia threw a handful of crushed river-kelp into the pot. The green alchemical powder instantly bound to the boiling marrow, trapping the draconic vitality inside the water. Rudra grabbed his wooden spatula. He stirred the heavy, bubbling broth furiously. He tossed in a heavy pinch of Epic Fire-Crystal Salt to balance the raw, metallic taste of the drake bone. The kitchen filled with a thick, spicy steam that smelled like roasted garlic and absolute power.

[The synergy between Advanced Cooking and Intermediate Alchemy is resonating!] [The 'Protean Crafting Cauldron' reduces production time by 10%!] Rudra stirred until his arms burned. The broth turned a deep, shimmering black with swirls of bright gold. It looked like liquid iron, but it smelled incredible. A blinding platinum light erupted from the cauldron, completely illuminating the kitchen. [You have successfully created 'Obsidian Drake Vitality Broth'!] [Rating: Unique] [A true miracle born from raw violence and precise alchemy. The dormant cells of a terrible drake have been completely revitalized and perfectly bound into a consumable broth.] [Effect: Permanently regenerates all damaged internal organs and lost limbs. Cures all poisons. Permanently increases Maximum Health by 2, 000 and Strength by 50.] [A Unique-rated dish was produced! All stats have permanently risen by +12. Reputation throughout the continent has risen by +300.] Rudra leaned back, wiping the sweat off his forehead. He stared at the glowing prompt.

"Unique," Rudra breathed out, a massive grin spreading across his face. Elysia looked into the pot. Her silver eyes were wide.

"We actually did it. We brought a piece of a drake back to life just to make soup." Rudra scooped a large serving of the shimmering black liquid into a thick stone bowl.

"Let's go deliver the cure." The King's bedchamber was completely silent. Princess Seraphine, the First Prince, and the Royal Chief Mage stood anxiously around the large bed. The King looked terrible. His breathing was shallow, and his face was a sickly, pale grey. The heavy doors pushed open. Rudra walked in, carrying the stone bowl. Elysia walked right behind him. The moment the bowl entered the room, the Chief Mage gasped and took a huge step backward.

The sheer, overwhelming draconic pressure rolling off the soup made the air feel incredibly heavy. The royal guards by the door nervously gripped their swords.

"Is that..." Seraphine whispered, staring at the black broth.

"Obsidian Drake Vitality Broth," Rudra said calmly. He walked right up to the bed.

"It's a little spicy, but it will do the job." Seraphine quickly helped her father sit up, propping pillows behind his back. The King looked at Rudra with tired, cloudy eyes.

"I trust you, Marquis," the King rasped. Rudra brought the stone bowl to the King's lips. The King took a slow sip. For a second, nothing happened. Then, the King's eyes snapped wide open. A massive, phantom roar of an Obsidian Drake echoed through the quiet bedroom. The King grabbed the bowl with both hands and practically chugged the rest of the boiling hot broth. He dropped the bowl onto the blankets and gripped his chest. A fierce, pulsing red light completely enveloped the King's body.

The horrible, pale grey color vanished from his skin, instantly replaced by a vibrant, healthy flush. The deep, rattling wheeze in his lungs stopped. He took a massive, deep breath of clean air. He didn't look frail anymore. He looked ten years younger. The scarred tissue inside his chest rapidly knit itself back together, reinforced by pure drake marrow. [The King's destroyed organs have been completely regenerated!] [The King of the Murray Kingdom has fully recovered his health!] [Quest 'A King's True Cure' has been cleared!] [For performing a miraculous deed of saving a ruler, your Divine Power increases by 200.] [Affinity with the Murray Royal Family has reached the maximum.] [You are now viewed as the greatest benefactor in the kingdom's history.] The King threw his blankets off and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood up on his own two feet. He didn't stumble. He stood perfectly straight, his shoulders broad and strong.

Seraphine covered her mouth, tears of pure relief spilling down her cheeks. The First Prince let out a loud, joyful laugh and immediately dropped to one knee.

"Father," Seraphine cried, rushing forward to hug him. The King hugged his daughter tight. He looked down at his own hands, clenching them into tight fists. He looked over at Rudra, his eyes filled with absolute, unwavering gratitude.

"You did not just save my life, Marquis Rudra," the King said, his voice deep and booming with renewed authority.

"You saved this entire kingdom from collapsing into chaos. I do not know how I can ever repay a debt of this magnitude." Rudra just smiled under his mask. He grabbed his heavy bone staff and leaned on it comfortably.

"You don't owe me anything, Your Majesty," Rudra said practically.

"But if you really want to help, you could send a few empty cargo wagons to my estate tomorrow morning." The King blinked, completely thrown off by the simple request.

"Wagons? For what?"

"We're moving to the Stormbreak Region," Rudra grinned.