They walked through a dryer section of the woods where some of the snow had melted. A cool breeze passed by them from the setting sun. Prise leaned down and picked up a bundle of weeds.
Ezra coughed into his hand. “I picked up a lot of herbs already.”
Prise turned around, her eyes wide.
“Can I see?” she said.
Ezra shrugged and pulled out the herbs that he got from a few days ago. Her eyes widened and she snatched them out of his hand before she picked through them. After a few seconds, she nodded.
“The cold has helped it keep its potency. This’ll be useful, you should hold onto these,” she said.
Ezra nodded. Good to know.
She handed the herbs back to Ezra and crouched down to inspect the ground.
“So, have you made any progress in Herbalism?” she said.
Ezra clicked his tongue. “No.”
Prise pulled out two things from a pouch on her belt and set it on the ground. It was a bowl and beside it was a thick stone cylinder. A pestle, if he wasn’t mistaken.
“Come on, let me show you how to brew a basic potion,” she said.
Ezra clenched his jaw and then sighed. He might as well get some experience with a master… despite his thoughts on the matter.
He sat beside her. She pulled out one of the herbs she’d collected a few moments together and placed it into the bowl.
Ezra put his hand in his chin and watched her movements.
“[Inspect] this herb,” she said. “So that you’ll know how to do this without me.”
Ezra shrugged and did as she asked.
Item: Verdleaf Herb
Rarity: Common
Type: Consumable
A small, vibrant green herb with serrated edges and a soft minty scent. When crushed and applied to minor wounds, the Verdleaf Herb accelerates healing slightly, closing small cuts and soothing bruises. While not powerful enough for serious injuries, it’s a staple in any adventurer’s pack for a quick recovery after a scrape.
“This isn’t very powerful on its own,” she said. “But we can combine it with an amplifier to boost the power.”
She pulled a yellow petal out of her pocket and put it into the bowl along with the Verdleaf Herb. Ezra used [Inspect] to see what she put into the bowl.
Item: Sunblossom Petal
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Reagent
The radiant petal of the Sunblossom flower, glowing faintly with a warm golden light. Known for its energizing properties, it serves as a key reagent in many potions, acting as a catalyst to enhance and amplify the effects of other herbs. When combined with healing ingredients like Verdleaf Herb, the Sunblossom Petal draws out and magnifies their restorative properties, making it an essential component in the crafting of more potent remedies.
She grabbed the pestle and ground the two plants together, a casual expression on her face. Her hands were smooth and relaxed, indicating she’d done it hundreds of times before. After they’d been ground up, she picked up some snow and dropped it into the mixture. She held her finger out and a candle wisp of flame appeared on the tip.
The snow melted quickly. She used the pestle and stirred the mixture while continuing to apply heat from the side.
Ezra watched all this, internally noting down her movements. He tried not to focus on the fact that he was now being taught by a girl who’d almost killed him a week ago.
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“This is pretty simple stuff,” she said. “I doubt I’ll have time to teach you the advanced things, but you should be able to get pretty far with the notebook I gave you. If you become interested in pursuing Herbalism further, then I’ll write another notebook.”
Ezra adjusted his seating position. “How did you become a herbalist anyway? It feels a bit surprising.”
“The matrilineal line of my family used to be witches.” She stopped stirring and put the stone grinder to the side. “Much of their knowledge has been lost over time, but our knowledge of [Herbalism] remains fairly strong, and we have a few recipes no one else got their hands on.”
Ezra hummed. “Interesting. Witches are a thing here, huh?”
She chuckled. “You know, you’re probably the first man in 200 years to have access to this kind of information. You should be proud.”
“Information like the White Mint poison?”
She froze and the flame on the tip of her finger flickered out.
“Yes, that’s a recipe exclusive to my family, as far as I know,” she said.
The mixture in the bowl had changed from a light green to a dark red.
Prise put the flame back on. Overhead, a bird chirped. After another minute of silence, she pulled her finger away and grabbed a rag along with a vial from her belt. She used the rag to grab the hot bowl and poured it into the vial, then handed it to Ezra.
Ezra used [Inspect].
Recipe: Minor Healing Potion
Rarity: Common
Crafting Difficulty: Easy
A basic potion brewed from common herbs, often crafted by novice alchemists to heal minor wounds. The refreshing taste and mild potency make it a reliable tool for adventurers looking for quick recovery during battles or long journeys.
Ezra frowned. “It doesn’t mention how much HP it heals.”
“It depends on the severity of the wound, not the amount of HP,” Prise said. “So—“
Ezra summoned Filamenta to his hand and drew her tip across his arm in a harsh line, ripping and tearing the flesh.
Prise gasped and stumbled backward. “What are you doing!?”
“Testing the potion, of course,” he said.
He took a sip of the potion. In mere seconds, the wound started knitting itself together—even faster than [Stitch Wounds] could do it. Soon enough, his wound was healed.
“Gods above,” Prise said. “You scare me, Ezra.”
Ezra glanced at Prise’s vulnerable body.
It would be easy to kill her, out here. No one had seen them leave together. He could always claim he got bored of following her around. They’d assume that she died from the boss monster or something.
Her hands twitched and she folded her arms around her stomach. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
She was probably more useful to him alive, especially given her future position as guildmaster. He stood to his feet. Prise followed a second after and packed away her tools in her belt.
“Well,” he muttered. “Thanks for the lesson.”
Prise turned and gave him a nod. “Anytime.”
He could see that she was glancing at his hands. She probably knew full well what he’d thought of doing, but was too polite to say anything about it.
They walked back to the camp.
----------------------------------------
That night in his tent, Ezra checked his skill tree and checked on a certain ability he’d been eyeing.
[Weave Flesh] - Lv. 1
An advanced form of Stitch Wounds, this skill allows the caster to mend deeper injuries by weaving stronger, more resilient magical threads into damaged flesh. The threads reinforce the body’s natural healing process, knitting muscles, tendons, and even minor bone fractures. These threads are highly flexible and durable, making them more effective in combat and high-stress situations.
Reduces pain and prevents infection.
Threads last longer and withstand more physical strain, making the healing more durable.
Healing speed further increases with Wisdom or Dexterity stats.
Cooldown: 45 seconds
[Requirements: 20 WIS, Stitch Wounds Lv. 20 ]
[Cost: 5 Ability Points]
[Buy]
Ezra rubbed his chin. He had Stitch Wounds at Lv. 15. That meant it would be a mere 5 more levels before he could afford [Weave Flesh].
He needed to sleep, right?
Didn’t he?
…
[Stitch Wounds] - Lv. 15 > [Stitch Wounds] - Lv. 20
He bought the new skill. Filamenta appeared in his hand and he ripped a bloody wound across his arm.
Threads sewed in his arm. They were thicker than normal, and he could feel the healing effects more personally. Looked like it was effective.
He gave a tug on his arm and the strings didn’t snap. This would be suitable for combat. A handy ability.
Ezra turned in for the night.
[Please select your class immediately! If you don’t select it within the next 33 days, the system will be forced to disconnect to prevent your death!]
----------------------------------------
Ezra checked his radar.
They were getting closer. It wouldn’t be much longer till they ran into the Snow King.
Maybe another day, if that?
He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around. Pete stood there, a natural expression on his face.
“I have a question,” Pete said.
“What’s that?” Ezra said.
Pete sighed and looked down. “Would you be willing to give me a hand? I… there’s a problem with my fighting style.”
Ezra could already guess. “You hesitate.”
Pete looked at the snowy ground. “I do.”
“What do you want me to do about it?”
“You’re an expert in this kind of stuff, right?” Pete said. “I was hoping you could give me a hand.”
Ezra shrugged. Why not?
After two more hours of walking, they agreed to take a break. During this time, Ezra and Pete wandered away from the main group. Not too far—they were still in easy shouting distance, but enough to give them some room.
Ezra crossed his arms. “First, let’s see what you can do.”