Chapter 157: Ent-draught

Kael looked with anticipation as Treebeard placed the Ent-draught on the stone table before him. Facing a stone table as tall as his height, Kael declined Treebeard's offer to lift him onto the table to drink. Instead, he waved his wand to conjure three high stools, allowing himself, Gandalf, and Arwen to reach the table. As for Treebeard, he declined Kael's offer to conjure a chair for him. He first soaked his two large feet in a stone basin where stream water flowed, as if absorbing moisture, then leisurely drained his giant bowl of drink in one long draught. Kael also sat on the high chair, leaning against the edge of the stone table, formally tasting a large bowl of Ent-draught. He cupped the large bowl with both hands and took a sip. The drink tasted like water with an indescribable faint fragrance that reminded him of evening breezes blowing through forests. The Ent-draught's flavor was rather bland, but Kael's attention was focused on the changes in his body. The drink carried magical power full of vitality. After drinking it, starting from his toes and slowly rising upward, his entire body from limbs to scalp felt energized. Even his hair stood up. But what delighted Kael even more was that under this vitality's influence, his internal organs were slowly becoming stronger, his bones harder, his muscles more compact and resilient. Even his magical power was visibly increasing! He'd struck gold! Kael's eyes were full of joy. This wasn't just a drink. It was divine medicine! A panacea that comprehensively enhanced physical attributes! Kael eagerly gulped down the remaining Ent-draught. After the large bowl, his stomach felt somewhat full. The Ent-draught's effects continued strengthening his body, making him somewhat drowsy. Arwen beside him noticed Kael's changes and inquired with concern, "Kael, what's wrong?" Kael shook his head. "I'm fine; it's just the drink's effects are quite strong, making me sleepy." But seeing Arwen, who had also drunk Ent-draught but showed little change, and Gandalf, who was slowly savoring it sip by sip like wine, Kael could only marvel silently. It seemed Ent-draught had different effects on different people. For those with powerful physical attributes like Arwen and Gandalf, the drink's effects weren't very obvious. Only for him, a fragile mage, were the effects greatest. Gandalf, seeing Kael fighting off sleepiness, smiled. "Kael, rest for a while. You'll be fine after sleeping." Treebeard also generously offered his bed for Kael to sleep in. Kael thanked Treebeard. As drowsiness continuously assailed him, he couldn't be bothered to use Transfiguration to make the bed more comfortable. He directly collapsed onto the hay pile, instantly letting sleep swallow his consciousness and falling into deep slumber. After an unknown period, Kael finally awakened from his dreams. Though Treebeard's bed was simple and primitive, it wasn't dirty. The hay and bark beneath him carried the fresh scent of grass and wood, as if resting in a forest. "You're awake!" Arwen, who had been watching by the bedside, immediately noticed and showed delight, concernedly approaching to ask, "How do you feel now?" "I feel... great!" Upon waking, Kael felt refreshed and clear-minded, his body seemingly filled with inexhaustible strength. "By the way, how long did I sleep? What time is it now?" "It's the second day now. You've slept for a full twelve hours," Arwen answered with smiling eyes. "That long!" Kael was surprised. Then he looked around and found no sign of Gandalf and Treebeard. "Where are Gandalf and Treebeard?" "They're both outside, waiting for you to wake up." Hearing this, Kael immediately got down from the stone bed. But just as he stood up, Kael discovered changes in his body. He seemed to have grown taller? And not just taller. His body had become strong and powerful, his arm muscles more firm and defined. Even his magical power had increased significantly! Equivalent to a year of meditation effects. Kael's face instantly filled with joy. Though he had been mentally prepared, obtaining such gains still made him overjoyed. Just then, he noticed the check-in system had given a notification at some point, though he obviously hadn't responded while sleeping. Hogwarts Check-in System: Located at Fangorn Forest, check in? "Check in!" Kael thought silently. Check-in successful. Congratulations on obtaining Severus Snape's Potions notes! Looking at the thick notebook that appeared before him, Kael was somewhat curious. Could this be the Half-Blood Prince's notebook that Harry Potter found? But upon detailed examination, he found it wasn't exactly that. Rather, this notebook recorded all of Snape's Potions research notes from enrollment to death! Moreover, besides Potions knowledge, it also recorded several spells Snape created: Muffliato, Langlock, Toenail-Growing Hex, Levicorpus and Liberacorpus, and Sectumsempra. Kael was extremely delighted. This was a Potions master's research notes! It not only recorded Snape's improvements to numerous potions, such as simplifying preparation steps and substituting better materials, but also annotated many insights about potions and deep-level analysis and research of medicinal properties. With this, even someone of mediocre talent could have a place in the Potions world. Kael treasured this notebook like a precious gem. With notes from Potions master Snape, plus Herbology master Professor Sprout's botanical knowledge, he could completely find substitute potion materials in Middle-earth and create those miraculous potions. Such as Baruffio's Brain Elixir to enhance intelligence, Felix Felicis for luck, and even the Elixir of Life! Though Kael was attempting to evolve his Animagus into a phoenix to gain phoenix immortality, he hadn't given up pursuing the Philosopher's Stone. The Philosopher's Stone didn't directly grant immortality but served as a main ingredient for the Elixir of Life, combined with other magical materials to create a potion for regular consumption to achieve immortality. Of course, the Stone's immortality had flaws. Though it prevented death, it couldn't stop bodily aging. So though Nicolas Flamel and his wife lived over 600 years relying on the Stone, their bodies were extremely old and frail, their bones so brittle that even handshakes risked fractures. This was why Flamel ultimately abandoned the Stone and chose to embrace death. But Kael believed this wasn't unsolvable. The Philosopher's Stone couldn't keep the body eternally healthy and vital, but potions might. Among potions were those that made people younger and vitality potions that filled people with energy. If he had Snape-level Potions mastery, he might research a potion to maintain youth. Then the Philosopher's Stone plus youth potion would be a form of immortality. Now with double good fortune, enhanced physical attributes, and potion notes, Kael's face beamed with smiles. Arwen, unaware of the system check-in, saw Kael smiling so happily and asked puzzledly, "Growing taller makes you this happy?" Kael came back to himself and bragged with a brilliant smile. "Of course growing taller is worth celebrating! I've grown a full five inches, thirteen centimeters. I'm now a whole head taller than you!" Kael's original height was already 1.85 meters, quite tall among ordinary humans. But compared to Elves, it wasn't noteworthy, as Elves were typically tall, generally around 1.8 to 2 meters. Like Lady Galadriel, who stood 6 feet 4 inches tall, or 1.93 meters. Though Arwen wasn't as tall as her grandmother Galadriel, she was still 1.8 meters tall. Standing together with Kael, he was only 5 centimeters taller than her, which was quite pressuring. But now Kael was 1.98 meters tall, a whole head taller than Arwen. This gave him confidence standing beside her. As a man, regardless of height, one always cared about being tall. Arwen watched Kael somewhat childishly comparing heights with her, her eyes gentle with starlight, smiling tenderly. "Alright, grown-up Mr. Kael, we should go outside. Treebeard and Gandalf are waiting for us." Then they left Wellinghall and came to the flat ground outside. Gandalf and Treebeard sat under a dome formed by encircling trees. Gandalf smoked his pipe in quiet meditation while Treebeard half-reclined with his feet soaking in a stream, as if dazing or recalling ancient memories. Seeing this, Kael and Arwen slowed their steps and reduced their sound. But both Gandalf and Treebeard noticed them and turned to look. Gandalf exhaled smoke, looked Kael up and down, and joked cheerfully, "Seems you've grown quite a bit. This old man will have to look up to you from now on!" "I grew 5 inches!" Kael didn't hide his happy mood. Then he turned to Treebeard and thanked him solemnly. "Mr. Treebeard, thank you for the Ent-draught. It benefited me greatly!" "This is a plant growth potion I made that can make trees grow rapidly. Please accept it!" He took out a growth potion bottle and placed it before Treebeard. Otherwise, if he were alone, not being attacked would be polite enough. Treebeard curiously took the potion bottle. He could sense the potion's attraction to plants and carefully opened it, dripping a drop on a small tree beside him. The small tree instantly grew rapidly, becoming a large tree in moments. Treebeard's eyes lit up as he put away the bottle, his gaze toward Kael becoming friendly. "I like this gift very much!" "Wizard, do you have more such potions? I can trade with you. Exchange my brewed Ent-draught for them." Treebeard made another request. Hearing this, Kael was delighted. He had deeply experienced Ent-draught's effects. Not only did it have powerful refreshing and nourishing effects, making one renewed and energetic, but it could also promote bodily growth. He naturally wanted such things, but previously he had benefited from Gandalf's presence. Drinking one bowl was already lucky, wanting more was impossible. Now that Treebeard was willing to trade Ent-draught for growth potion, he was naturally very willing. So he used his remaining growth potion bottle to trade for a jar of Ent-draught from Treebeard, equivalent to three times what Kael had drunk before. Moreover, Treebeard promised that if Kael made more growth potions in the future, he could still come trade for Ent-draught. Of course, Ent-draught was limited in quantity with long brewing periods, so unlimited trading wasn't possible.