“What?” Dustin became worried when the furnace exploded. He was so close to success. Why? Why had the furnace exploded? Had all his previous efforts gone to waste now?
“No… That’s impossible!” Dustin shook his head, sweat dripping uncontrollably. He was unwilling to believe he failed and refused to accept this outcome. He began to comb around the debris of the exploded furnace. He went through every piece and every fragment.
He searched through them like a wolf, searching for its prey, hungry and wild. Suddenly, he paused. Under all the debris and residue, he saw a hint of gold.
The shiny gold color shone through the residue surrounding it like a ray of light in the dark. It was eye-catching. After a brief pause, Dustin slowly reached out to dust the residue around it away.
Bit by bit, inch by inch, he removed every piece of debris and residue from it with his heart in his mouth. Finally, a perfect gold pill appeared before his very eyes.
The gold pill was crystal clear, and it shone beautifully. It sparkled like pure gold and had a pleasant, refreshing scent.
“It’s… it’s done?” Dustin’s eyes widened in surprise.
“It’s done! It’s done! I did it!” He laughed excitedly. He had been devastated when the furnace exploded. Fortunately, he had succeeded in making the Longevitum. All the effort he had put in to collect all the herbs had not been wasted.
“Gregory!” Dustin kicked the door open and held the Longevitum with both hands preciously. He walked out with a spring in his step. “Check this out!”
Gregory, who was downing several drinks, turned back to look at Dustin when he heard that. He gaped. “Damn! You did it? I thought the medicine was fake!”
Though it was recorded in the manuscript that the Longevitum could cure a person of Celestial Decay, it was just a myth. Who knew if it was true? Who knew if it was producible?
So, he had little hope since the start. But now, looking at the golden pill in Dustin’s hands, he started to get excited.
“Now that we have the Longevitum, you should be cured of the Celestial Decay in no time. Try it.” Dustin handed Gregory the pill.
“Let’s not rush things. Such a momentous event must be celebrated with something nice.”
Gregory rubbed his hands together gleefully before rushing to the garden behind the medical center. With a hoe in hand, he began digging in one of the corners of the garden.
After some time, he dug out three tightly-sealed bottles. Those were his treasured vodka that he had kept hidden away. He couldn’t even bring himself to drink them without a good reason.
But today was a day that was worthy of them. “My precious, you have all waited long, haven’t you?” Gregory chuckled in delight as he carried them.
The moment he opened the bottles, a strong aroma of alcohol filled the room. Gregory took a deep breath, getting lost in the aroma.
“Come everyone, I’m in an amazing mood today! I’ll share my vodka with all of you!”
As Gregory spoke, he set three tiny shot glasses on the table. Then, he carefully poured a little vodka into each glass, afraid to waste even a single drop. Dustin frowned. Why was he serving them so little? Was he afraid that they’d be poisoned by the vodka?
“Go on, don’t be shy. Drink up!” Gregory spoke like he was being generous. But after pouring them the three tiny glasses, he picked up the entire bottle and began chugging on the remaining alcohol.