Orrin skipped dinner, too engrossed in reading the books on alchemy and distilling alcohol. The books confirmed the starter prices for profession skills were on the higher side, usually between eight to fifteen ability points. [Alchemy] cost twelve AP and [Brew] cost ten AP. Both skills were customizable, with their respective books discussing the need for a mentor or teacher to show the budding [Alchemist] or [Distiller] the best way down any particular path. Actual details were sparse. Reading between the lines, Orrin figured that profession skills were kept secret. Likely to control the supply and demand for produced products.

[Brew] was only the starting point. [Distill] and [Focused Fermentation] were mentioned as two paths for more specific specialization. Multiple cooking adjacent spells were needed and the alcohol book discussed the costs and benefits of using engineered containers of different makes for beer, wine, or liquor.

[Alchemy] had more applications than Orrin had originally thought. While [Potions] were mentioned, the book noted various guilds to approach if interested in other uses. The skill had applications in farming, engineering, building materials, blacksmithing, tanning, and more.

Orrin put his head down on the table. There were elements of what he needed in both skills but his knowledge was lacking. He knew some basic high school chemistry and biology but not enough to make acid. From what he gathered; he could make low-grade liquor easily. Turning it into something that would eat through metal was a different story.

He still needed to deal with the collar’s little quirk of exploding as well. In the alchemy book, Orrin found a potion that gave him hope. A recipe for a warmth potion promised to stave off cold and block some types of ice magic. If Orrin could reverse engineer the spell and change it to a cold potion, he might be able to block some damage from the exploding collar when he eventually ripped it off.

The problem was that would take time and there was no guarantee it would work.

I need to convince Graem to take it off, Orrin thought, his finger hooked into the collar. To the few people left in the library this late, it would appear as if he was playing with his necklace. Or I have to chance it, use [Merge], and hope poison is close enough to acids for it to work.

Putting the books back on the return cart, Orrin returned to his room only to stop at the corner before his hallway.

Someone was sitting on the floor beside his door.

Orrin prepared to cast [Camouflage] when he realized it was Ellis. He relaxed as he approached the boy.

Ellis jumped up as Orrin rounded the corner with a smile across his face. “Casimir! I’m so happy you’re okay. I heard you had some trouble in the dungeon but I couldn’t find you today. Did you hear that it was Willa who hired someone to destroy your things for rejecting her advances? It’s all anyone is talking about. The rumor is that her aunt is ostracizing her and demanding the entire family do the same.”

Orrin closed his eyes in frustration. Another enemy was exactly what he did not need. “Did you wait long? Sorry. I was in the library.”

Ellis moved to the side so Orrin could open his door. “Not too long. I wanted to make sure you were safe. I heard from one girl at lunch that your party died in the dungeon but I knew that couldn’t be true. A lot of people were worried though. You were missing and so is Rhys Tonsa. He was in your party too, right?”

“I think Rhys went home. I haven’t seen him since I left the dungeon.” Orrin didn’t lie but he wasn’t about to get into the entire conspiracy with Ellis. He unlocked his door but used [Map] to make sure nobody was waiting on the other side. A new habit for sure, but one that he was learning was necessary. “How are you? Is everything fine with your backer now that the real culprit has been caught?”

Ellis flinched but kept the smile plastered on his face. “Yes, everything is fine. I was even granted another semester’s tuition for the trouble. I mean, I’ll still have to take some classes outside my area, but it’s a great deal.”

Orrin pushed his door open and stood in the doorway of his room. “That’s great, Ellis. Did you need anything else? I’m going to turn in.”

Ellis shuffled his feet. “No that’s it. I’m glad you made it through the dungeon. See you tomorrow for breakfast?”

Orrin agreed and closed the door with Ellis bouncing around outside. The boy’s elation at being seen as innocent was obvious but something was still bothering him.

It’s not your problem, Orrin told himself. I can’t fix everything.

He sat down on the foot of his bed and pulled up [Merge].

“But I can be prepared just in case.”

Merge: [Water Reservoir] and [Toxic Touch]?

Compatibility: 30% to 100%

Chance of original spell loss: 0% to 35%

Variations: 2

Cooldown: 2 hours to 6 days

Review Choices

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Using [Merge] cost nothing more than a few days of the skill’s cooldown. The chance of losing [Toxic Touch] scared him but he couldn’t use it anyway with the collar keeping the skill locked down. He figured Annabella kept the spell sealed so Orrin wouldn’t have an easy way to accidentally kill himself.

Orrin held his breath. And here I am making myself a new way to do just that.

He scrolled to his second option and clicked yes.

[Create Poison] – Learn basic poisons

Original spell [Toxic Touch] retained.

Orrin let out a sigh of relief. He beat the odds. Pulling up the new skill, he studied the new interface.

[Create Poison]:

(Known Recipes)

(Craft)

His new skill was set up similar to how [Brew] was supposed to appear. He clicked (Known Recipes) expecting nothing and was pleasantly surprised.

(Known Recipes)

Slow Poison – A weak poison that must be ingested. Causes the victim to become Dizzy. See Ingredients. (10 MP)

Weak Poison – A weak poison that must be ingested. Causes the victim to become Fatigued. See ingredients. (10 MP)

Orrin clicked the list that included a few different plant names. If he was right, all he had to do was use the System’s (Craft) selection while having the ingredients nearby and he’d have a poison. He needed a glass jar to contain the poison in as well. He was going to need to go shopping.

Orrin saw another blinking exclamation point near the bottom of the screen and mentally selected it.

New Subskills Unlocked for [Create Poison]:

[Create Corrosive] – Learn basic corrosives. 4 AP

[Create Poison] – Learn advanced poisons (0/100). 5 AP

[Create Solvent] – Learn basic solvents. 4 AP

[Create Toxin] – Learn basic toxins. 4 AP

Orrin stared at the list in front of him and nearly let out a cry of joy.

A ray of sunlight snuck through the curtains that Orrin forgot to close all the way, brushing his face with warmth. Orrin shoved his head under his pillow and grumbled into his mattress.

He’d stayed up entirely too late after buying [Create Corrosive] and playing with his new skill. The (Craft) skill was more than simply pushing the ingredients together. He could mix and match different ingredients to make his own poisons or corrosives. Although without any materials to work with, Orrin was working simply on theory.

Without the needed plants, bases, chemicals, or metals needed for his poisons, he couldn’t do much. Orrin even checked the Store and while he could buy the ingredients for ability points, there wasn’t a Big Book of Poisons that he could purchase. While sucked, because the [Create Corrosive] subskill he’d purchased came with only one option.

Acid – Create basic acid. (10 MP)

Orrin rolled out of bed and began his daily routine. After getting dressed and using the bathroom, he made his way to breakfast. He had no intention of going to his Magical History class and left the grounds with a piece of toasted bread with berries in it. Stopping along the way for a coffee, Orrin stood in front of an apothecary.

He picked the store that was most off the beaten path of the main stores but not down a dark alley he might get mugged in.

I need to walk the line between respectable establishments that will have what I need but not so respectable they don’t have the more questionable items I want. That was his thought process but in truth, he was still worried. A few of the items used in his poisons were downright scary sounding. He didn’t want to make any poisons but even the Acid needed something called Unspoiled Sheep Bile.

For all his worry, the old man behind the counter didn’t look up from a book as Orrin grabbed handfuls of leaves and placed them in the wicker basket he’d picked up from the entrance. When Orrin asked for Sheep Bile and Ogre Tears, the shopkeeper closed his book with a sigh and returned from the back room with small bottles of cloudy liquids. Orrin double-checked with [Analyze] to make sure he wasn’t getting swindled but everything ended up being… boringly normal. A few more bottles and glass vials from a shelf and Orrin left two gold pieces lighter.

He made his way back to the school. Nobody cared that he skipped his morning class. Graem hadn’t been by to see him and Annabella’s lack of messaging to him was now beyond suspicious.

Laying the ingredients out in his room, Orrin anticlimactically made his first Acid. He held the clear liquid up in a flask no bigger than his pointer finger and let the mid-day light shine through it.

Orrin cast [Ward] on himself, along with a few other spells, and held his breath. Tipping the acid on the collar, he suppressed a scream as the liquid dribbled off the edge and caught his neck.

After a round of healing himself, Orrin yanked on the metal but the collar stayed where it was.

It was all a waste of time.

Orrin went to Surviving Spell Attacks to distract himself. Professor Hugh went over more mathematical equations but Orrin’s head wasn’t in class. He hadn’t felt this depressed since his dad disappeared on them.

He fumbled his spells during the practical aspect of the class and left with a few bruises from being knocked across the room. Without [Calm Mind], Orrin wasn’t sure he’d have made it through dinner. Ellis tried to talk with him but after moving his food around on his plate, Orrin went back to bed.

The bright light of the morning was the world laughing at him. He’d tossed all night and barely slept. Every time he almost fell asleep, Orrin would wake with a new thought and search the Store, one of his spells, and even once he returned to the training world with Styx to ask a question. The watery teacher gave no help.

Orrin still wore the same clothes as yesterday. He decided it was time to go to Graem. He took the few items he’d collected from around the room and stuffed them into his [Dimension Hole]. I’m not coming back.

It was still early enough that only a few people were in the halls and Orrin made it to Graem’s room quickly. Opening the door, he walked in unannounced. He slammed the door shut behind him, uncaring why it was unlocked in the first place.

“Graem, I’m done. Take this thing off me right now. I did what she wanted and helpsed with Rhys but I can’t be here ano—”

Orrin tripped over Graem’s body on the floor. A trail of vomit leaked out of his mouth and the man was not breathing.

Orrin’s brain froze. He’d seen death multiple times in this world but mostly from monsters or actual attacks. Graem’s immediate appearance screamed overdose and the man’s history would back that up, if not for their conversation only days ago. If Graem was dead, Annabella would be coming after him next. She wasn’t responding to his messages, which meant she was coming. He needed to escape.

“Graem? Are you still sulking? I need your help with one of the vendors. He’s trying to raise the contract prices. Are you in there?” Wren’s voice preceded the heavy knocking. “Let me in, you idiot.”

Orrin noticed the lock had relatched when he shut the door. The only thing standing between him and the dead teacher’s sister was an inch of metal.