"Phantom Rebirth: The Last White Raven’s Path to the Ultimate Assassin"

Returning to the Mountain Castle

The chilling night air rushed past Seraphis as she stepped through the shadows, her form flickering between the folds of reality. The moment her boots touched the stone floor of her hidden mountain castle, a sense of purpose settled over her.

She had the ingredients.

Now came the true test: creating artificial dragon blood.

Without wasting a second, she moved swiftly through the dark corridors, her footsteps silent. The grand entrance of the underground library loomed ahead, its enchanted obsidian doors recognizing her presence. They rumbled open, revealing endless rows of books, towering shelves of forbidden knowledge, and the scent of old parchment and alchemical reagents.

She strode toward her private laboratory, a secluded chamber deep within the library, where only she could access the most dangerous experiments.

Tonight, she would attempt something that had never been done before.

And she would not stop until she succeeded.

Setting the Stage for the Experiment

Seraphis moved methodically, setting up everything she would need.

Essential Materials:
✔ Aetherial Essence – A shimmering silver liquid that absorbed mana.
✔ Primordial Beast Core – A dark, pulsating orb containing boundless energy.
✔ Nightshade Lotus – A rare plant that could bind magical elements together.
✔ Her Own Blood – The foundation for the artificial dragon blood.

She laid them out on the alchemy table, each ingredient glowing faintly with its own energy.

She took a deep breath, then drew an ancient transmutation circle onto the table using enchanted chalk. The symbols glowed a soft blue, reacting to her mana.

"Three attempts. No mistakes."

She rolled up her sleeves, revealing the faint scars of past experiments, and began.

First Attempt – Failure

Step 1: Mixing the Base Components

She started with her own blood, carefully extracting it with a mana-infused silver syringe and pouring it into a crystal mixing bowl. The dark red liquid pulsed, almost alive.

Next, she ground down the Primordial Beast Core into a fine black powder, adding it slowly to the blood. The mixture sizzled, mana energy reacting violently.

Step 2: Infusing the Blood with Aetherial Essence

She poured a few drops of Aetherial Essence into the mixture. Immediately, the blood absorbed the liquid, the entire bowl glowing brightly.

The reaction was unstable.

The mixture began expanding uncontrollably, mana crackling in the air.

"Too much absorption—!"

BOOM!

The bowl shattered, sending the half-formed blood splattering across the table.

Seraphis sighed. Failure.

She cleaned the mess, recalculating the mana ratios.

"Second attempt. Let’s adjust the infusion process."

Second Attempt – Failure

Step 1: Adjusting the Mana Flow

This time, she started by diluting the Aetherial Essence with a stabilizing agent—ground phoenix feather ash.

When she mixed it into the blood-core solution, the reaction was smoother.

Step 2: Stabilizing the Transformation

She carefully added the Nightshade Lotus extract, which helped bind the elements together.

For a moment, it seemed to be working.

The mixture swirled in the bowl, turning a deep crimson with golden streaks.

Seraphis held her breath as she cast the final stabilization spell—

The mixture solidified.

"No…!"

The blood had hardened into stone-like chunks, completely unusable.

She exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples.

"One more chance. The balance has to be perfect."

Third Attempt – Success

Seraphis closed her eyes, gathering her thoughts. She refined her approach, taking everything she had learned from the past two failures.

"I need to think like a dragon. Their blood isn’t just raw power—it’s controlled chaos."

She prepared one last attempt, making several crucial adjustments.

Step 1: The Perfect Foundation

She extracted her blood, but this time, she infused it with mana first, allowing it to adapt before mixing.

The pulsating crimson liquid was now stronger, more stable.

Next, she added a precisely measured amount of Primordial Beast Core powder, stirring counterclockwise to maintain stability.

The mixture began to glow—but did not react violently.

"So far, so good."

Step 2: Mana Infusion Timing

Instead of adding the Aetherial Essence all at once, she dripped it in slowly, controlling the flow.

This prevented over-absorption, allowing the mixture to adjust gradually.

The blood did not explode this time.

Instead, it darkened into a rich, gold-flecked crimson, swirling with latent mana.

Seraphis smiled.

"Almost there."

Step 3: The Final Fusion

The last ingredient: Nightshade Lotus extract.

This time, she poured it through a fine silver filter, allowing only the purest drops to mix in.

As soon as the first drop touched the liquid, the mixture shivered, magic resonating through the air.

A faint dragon’s roar echoed within the chamber.

The blood shifted colors, glowing an intense molten gold, then settling into a deep crimson laced with ethereal blue veins.

Seraphis watched, her heartbeat matching the pulsing rhythm of the newly created Artificial Dragon Blood.

It was alive.

It was stable.

And it was perfect.

Final Testing – The First Drop

With steady hands, she dipped a silver needle into the artificial blood and pricked her finger.

The moment it entered her veins, her body reacted instantly.

🔥 A surge of power flooded through her.
⚡ Her mana channels expanded, absorbing energy faster than ever.
💀 Her vision sharpened, her body felt invincible.

"It works."

She clenched her fist, feeling the raw power coursing through her bloodstream.

She had done it.

She had created Artificial Dragon Blood.

And now, her true journey could begin.