Otherworldly Medicine King

Chapter 7: The Cauldron Awakens, a Prodigy Rises

A soft fragrance lingered in the air. It was sweet, warm, and faintly playful, the kind that did not announce itself but slowly wrapped around the senses. It felt intentional, as if the scent itself was alive and moving. Beneath the muted orange glow of a bedside lamp, shadows drifted lazily across the walls. They swayed in rhythm with the low music playing in the background, slow and steady, like breathing.

The woman danced.

She did not rush. She did not exaggerate her movements. She simply moved, confident and unhurried, as if the room belonged to her alone. Her figure was full yet elegant, every motion smooth and deliberate. Her slender waist twisted in gentle arcs, fluid and natural, like water following its own path. A thin layer of pink gauze clung lightly to her body, hiding just enough to stir curiosity. With each step, her outline softened and sharpened again, blurring for a moment before returning, like a dream that refused to fully settle.

The music softened further. It slowed, stretched, and grew lazy. Notes drifted through the room like warm air, sinking into skin and breath alike. Time itself seemed to slow.

Nolan King leaned back against the headboard, watching without restraint.

He remembered her clearly. The woman he had met at a bar a few nights ago. Bold and unapologetic. She laughed easily, spoke freely, and never once pretended to be anything she was not. When she looked at him, there was no hesitation in her eyes, only certainty. As if she already knew how the night would unfold.

Now she danced for him alone.

When Nolan reached out, his hand hovering near her chest in a teasing, testing gesture, she did not pull away. Instead, she laughed softly. The sound was low and sweet, like honey warmed by sunlight. She stepped closer, closing the space between them without asking permission.

One smooth motion was all it took.

She lifted a long leg and swung it over his thighs, settling onto him with complete confidence. There was no pause, no second thought. It was as if hesitation had never existed in her world.

Her body pressed against his, warm and close. Soft curves brushed his chest again and again. She moved slowly, deliberately, following the rhythm of the music as though it guided her every breath. A faint, breathy sound escaped her lips at just the right moment. Too perfect to be accidental.

“What a little enchantress,” Nolan murmured, his voice rough. “Trying to charm a man to death without even asking for payment.”

Her scent, her warmth, the heat of her body so near his own all blended together into something intoxicating. Desire surged fast and fierce, washing away any remaining sense of reason.

With a low growl, Nolan pushed her backward onto the bed. Instinct took over, threatening to drown thought entirely.

Then something changed.

The body beneath him flickered.

Just for a moment. Like a reflection disturbed by a ripple.

And then it vanished.

The woman was gone, as if she had never existed at all.

In her place lay a young woman dressed in a simple cloth skirt. Her long hair was pinned up with a plain wooden hairpin. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips slightly parted, and her wide eyes shimmered with shock and confusion as she stared up at him.

“Nolan?”

The single word struck him like lightning.

“Luna?”

Nolan recoiled as if burned. He rolled off the bed and sprang to his feet, heart pounding violently in his chest.

The world fractured.

Warm lamplight faded into pale morning brightness. Music vanished, replaced by silence. Shadows stretched across familiar walls as sunlight filtered through the window.

He stood in his own bedroom.

Inside the family residence.

For several seconds, Nolan could only stand there, breathing hard, struggling to piece reality together.

“So…” He rubbed his face and let out a slow breath. “Just a dream.”

A bitter smile touched his lips. The past few days had been relentless. A strange world, constant danger, no time to rest. His mind must have finally cracked under the strain.

Just as his breathing began to steady, a clear sound rang inside his head.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

A cold, mechanical voice followed, emotionless and precise.

“Pet Purple Illusory Incense has successfully advanced to First Rank.

Pet storage expanded to four slots.

Shared combat skill Flower Burst acquired.

Shared auxiliary skill Phantom Body of the Medicine Cauldron acquired.”

Nolan froze.

“Ravena leveled up?”

With a single thought, his awareness turned inward. His consciousness sank deep into the core of his body, settling within the spiritual center where his essence gathered.

Where there had once been nothing but a dormant seed, a small sprout now stood tall. Three thin root tendrils wrapped firmly around the spiritual core, anchoring it in place. A slender stem supported a single leaf, vibrant green with a faint trace of purple along its edge.

The leaf swayed gently, almost proudly, as if responding to his attention.

Nolan smiled before he realized it. “Not bad.”

Two days earlier, Ravena had absorbed an overwhelming amount of medicinal power and fallen into a deep sleep. Nolan had worried that it was too much, that the little creature might harm itself.

Instead, it had awakened stronger.

First Rank.

Only after his excitement faded did the rest of the information sink in.

By the standards of the demon game he once knew, First Rank was roughly equivalent to level ten. Skills unlocked at this stage usually ranged between levels ten and twenty.

For apothecaries, this stage typically granted four abilities. Healing techniques. Energy gathering. Body reinforcement. And a single basic offensive strike.

But Phantom Body of the Medicine Cauldron did not belong to that list.

It was an alchemy-based ability.

Once activated, it allowed the pet to transform into a medicine cauldron capable of refining herbs. In the game, such a skill would drain health and mana over time.

Nolan shook his head lightly. “So the combat rules really did not carry over.”

This world was not governed by visible numbers or status bars. He had no health meter. No mana pool. Skills that depended on those concepts meant nothing here.

Alchemy, however, was different.

A cheerful chirping sensation echoed in his mind as new information surfaced.

Phantom Body of the Medicine Cauldron allowed Ravena to transform into a medicine cauldron to assist with alchemy.

The transformation lasted thirty minutes.

The cooldown period was twelve hours.

“Twelve hours,” Nolan muttered. “So twice a day.”

On this continent, the skill no longer consumed health or mana. Instead, it drained Ravena’s vitality, the medicinal energy stored within it. Without nourishment, the transformation would fail.

Nolan then turned his attention to the combat skill.

Flower Burst was the initial form of a legendary high-tier ability known for its devastating power. It required perfect coordination between master and pet.

Nolan inhaled sharply.

He remembered that name.

Anyone who had played the demon game seriously knew it. Entire teams had been wiped out by its full form. Boss battles had turned into nightmares because of it.

Flower Burst was only the beginning stage.

Even so, its potential was terrifying.

Unfortunately, this was no longer a game. There were no icons to tap, no instant mastery. He would have to train. Cultivate. Learn to move and fight as one with Ravena.

As he considered which ability to focus on first, another realization struck him.

The pet storage.

Four slots.

That was rare. In the game, most pets only had three. Four-slot storage was reserved for near-mythical creatures.

At his command, a hazy white space unfolded within his awareness. At its center floated a transparent storage area measuring roughly four cubic meters.

“One slot per cubic meter,” he murmured.

Anything non-living that fit could be stored.

His gaze fell on a white cloth bundle containing his gold needles.

He focused.

The bundle vanished from the table.

A moment later, it reappeared neatly inside the storage space.

Nolan grinned. “This is basically a spatial ring.”

As far as he could tell, nothing like this existed on the continent. Transporting items would be effortless. Stealing them would be even easier.

“That feels a little sinful,” he muttered with a chuckle, moving the bundle in and out several times.

That was a mistake.

Less than a minute later, dizziness slammed into him. His vision blurred, and he collapsed onto the bed, gasping for breath.

Mental strain was no joke.

Only after circulating his cultivation technique did the fog lift.

By dawn, his strength had returned.

Without hesitation, Nolan activated Phantom Body of the Medicine Cauldron.

Ravena transformed.

Into a cauldron.

Tiny. No larger than two fingers.

And it appeared inside his body.

Nolan stared, speechless.

The small green cauldron, etched with faint purple patterns, rested within his spiritual center. Where Ravena had once been, only a clump of dark green residue remained.

“How am I supposed to refine medicine with that?”

An indignant response echoed in his mind.

You are weak. I am only First Rank. This is already impressive.

Nolan sighed. “Right. My fault.”

Another thought followed immediately.

Eat the herbs.

His expression twisted.

Refining medicine inside his own body was deeply unsettling.

But unless he became strong enough to project the cauldron outward, or Ravena reached Sixth Rank, there was no other option.

Then his eyes brightened.

“Rejuvenation Dew.”

He owed someone a bottle anyway.

And if it failed, he could always trade formulas.

Time was running out.

With only twenty-five minutes left, Nolan sprinted toward the medicine hall.

Chaos followed.

He forgot to get dressed.

Luna, sweeping the courtyard, froze as he ran past wearing nothing but his underpants.

When he returned moments later, face burning red, she nearly laughed out loud.

By the time he finally left properly dressed, half the household had noticed.

At the entrance to the hall, even the elders stared.

When Nolan casually revealed his cultivation level, the shock was immediate.

He smiled faintly.

Keeping a low profile was pointless now.

If he wanted to protect himself, and Luna, he needed to stand out.

A genius drew attention.

A genius among geniuses commanded respect.

And Nolan King intended to become exactly that.

The cauldron had awakened.

And so had the prodigy.