Genius and madness are often a matter of opinion or perspective and Hector Vale wasn't sure what he'd call this so called plan of their's. It had been two and a half days of working around the clock with a Smith, glass blower and an alchemist of all things, the latter charging three fundamental coins for his services and materials. With every thing combined they only had a single fundamental coin and a handful of mortal gold but they were ready to begin.
Hector watched as expert Pryor and the alchemist fiddled with the "dialysis machine" as the expert Pryor called it. The arcane device had a tube connecting on both ends of a set of glass viles of different sizes and shapes. It was explained to him that alchemist Tang would be monitoring, heating and preforming alchemy directly on the blood of their noble "volunteer" Markus. Expert Pryor had picked him after examination of their "slaves, subordinates or warriors" he thought not really sure what to think of them, regardless expert Pryor determined that Markus was most suitable through some method unknown to Hector.
Markus performed a harsh exercise routine lifting weights, running laps around the warehouse and doing his best to endure the strikes of the stick welding "warriors" expert Pryor instructed to motivate him. They had been at this for the last three hours, he had been told that being at his physical limit would make the man's survival chances increased drastically but Hector couldn't help but pity the young man.
Markus's life had never been easy or fair having grown up on the streets of Blackrock port doing anything and everything he could to survive and get ahead in life. When the black turtle sect had gotten into skirmishes with an alliance of rural cultivation families bordering Blackrock port Markus though that had finally changed. They had put out a recruitment notice and Markus applied like every other street tuff. Getting to their main compound they were swiftly informed that they would be fighting for ten spots between the roughly sixty of them, what they weren't informed of was the losers would be sold off into slavery. Fighting valiantly Markus knocked out or threw multiple opponents before getting ganged up on in the chaotic battle royal.
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Waking up in chains Markus despaired that his one and only change to become a cultivator was utterly crushed as he would likely be sold to the mines, docks or some other fate and that fear seemed to have been a reality. Two men, one a well dressed bookish type in a suit likely more expensive than his life and a scraggly man with well worn clothes purchased them and took them to their warehouse. Despite his fears they were all feed better than Markus had eaten in years, clothes and shown to a room with makeshift beds. A day later the scraggly man referred to as expert Pryor poked, prodded and eyeballed them before single him out.
" congrats, you've been selected" the strange man said "for what" Markus replied confused and hesitant. " to be the captain of the our battle team, you're going to be a cultivator kid" Markus still couldn't believe expert Pryor's words completely but he was following his instructions to the letter preforming every action and barely feeling the crack of wooden rods across his body as compared to a a life of slavery a little pain was nothing. "I'll do whatever it takes to become a cultivator" he promised himself as he continued to push himself through the gauntlet of wooden rods over and over again as he ran laps.
Hayden Pryor worked with the alchemist to set up the equipment next to the ice bath the Smith had set up. It was a large metal tub with a second smaller tub housing a spot for the frost orb as Hayden had started calling it since item #01304 wasn't as easy on the tongue. A manual pump system was set up to continually pump the energy infused water into the main tub Markus would occupy. To keep him alive and warm the alchemist Tang would heat and infuse his blood with healing herbs, nutrients and stimulants, if every went to plan it would act like an ice bath on earth repairing and strengthening Markus body while slowly letting him absorb the frost orbs power. "I'm sure it will work" Hayden said trying to convince himself of his own brilliance.