Potions ｢回復薬, pōshon｣ or Recovery Medicine ｢回復薬, kaifukuyaku｣ are a type of medicine widely used in the series. They are made from extracting the essence of Hipokute herbs. These magical panaceas heal injuries instantly, with varying effectiveness depending on their potency, making them crucial in a world where physical conflicts happen often.
Dwargon used to be the leading manufacturer of potions, but Tempest has since taken that title after they developed the technology and infrastructure to mass-produce them, making it one of their major exports.
Types
Potions are categorized into three types according to their potency. Lower level potions can be created by diluting superior ones, and using magicule-rich water for dilution can double the yield.
Low Potion
Low Potions ｢下位回復薬, rō pōshon, lit. "Low-Rank Recovery Medicine"｣ are the cheapest and least potent potions around, able to heal minor to moderate injuries. These potions can be produced by diluting High Potions five times and cost four silver coins each when sold in retail.
High Potion
High Potions ｢上位回復薬, hai pōshon, lit. "High-Rank Recovery Medicine"｣ have the potency somewhere in the middle, able to heal major injuries with the exception of lost limbs. They can be produced by diluting Full Potions 20 times, or attaining a 98% essence extraction from hipokute herbs. This is the highest tier of potion the dwarves could produce prior to the rise of Tempest. They cost 35 silver coins each in retail.
Full Potion
Full Potions ｢完全回復薬, furu pōshon, lit. "Perfect Recovery Medicine"｣ are the most potent among potion and sometimes called Elixir ｢蘇生薬, erikusā, lit. "Revival Medicine"｣, able to heal fatal injuries and restore lost limbs, even if the limb in question was lost long ago and became a stump. They can even restore damaged weapons made of magisteel and its evolutions. They are created by attaining an extraction rate of 99% from Hipokute herbs, a feat unheard of before Rimuru Tempest and Vesta developed the process. For unknown reasons, the 1% difference in extraction efficiency results in a difference of 20 times in healing potency.
For a time, it was unknown that potion extraction in a vacuum environment was the key to breaking the 1% barrier. Producing one of these without the aid of skills would take one full day. These potions are not sold openly on the market, and would cost at least 5 gold coins each when purchased through special means.
Usage & Limitations
Potions can be drank or applied directly on wounds to take effect. Upon application, wounds are healed instantly without leaving even a scar. Full Potions are able to read the consumer's original body structure and reconstruct lost limbs out of magicules, irrespective of the time they were lost. Almost all living organisms can be healed using potions, and Full Potions can even regenerate damaged weapons made of magisteel and its evolutions.
However, since potions are magicule-based, they cannot heal people with a resistance to them like Hinata Sakaguchi, whose constitution automatically purifies magicules upon contact. In Extra: Rimuru's Glamorous Life as a Teacher, Part 1, it was established that potions promote rapid cell growth, even malignant ones, hence people with malignant tumor might die when potions are used on them. Likewise, since potions simply restore tissue damage, they cannot fully cure diseases; the pathogen causing the disease remains, with the potion simply restoring the strength of the sick body. Another issue is that potions don't work quite as well for high-level magical beings, whose magicule capacities go way beyond what a single potion can replenish.[1] If an attack imbued with the space element causes an injury, the element needs to be removed first for any potion to take effect.
Trivia
- Tempest, as of the events of Human-Monster Interaction, is able to produce 1 full potion per day, equivalent to 20 high potions or 100 low potions. Though it needs to be noted that the process involves using magicule-rich water.
- Rimuru also stated that they could have likely increased daily output by 3 times, meaning 3 full potions a day, equivalent to 60 high potions or 300 low potions. That has yet to be put into practice though, due to no pressing need.
- Rimuru often coats the potions in a thin layer of magicules, allowing them to be thrown as Healing Potion in Magicule Coating for a direct application.[2]
- In Seven Deadly Sins Grand Cross [Slime] Rimuru Tempest uses it to heal allies and grant debuff immunity for 2 turns.