Chapter 27: A Note, A Recipe Book, and an Insight

The next day, I had a spring in my step on the way to “Papers & Powers”. It is amazing what a good, twelve hours of sleep on a belly full of meat and carbohydrates can do for a person. On the way, I stopped off to get a pair of sticky buns for my breakfast. I had intended to give the second one to Master Alric, just to be nice, but found myself licking the goo off of my fingers and empty hands when I walked up to the door. I mentally clicked my only spell, [apprenticeship unlock], and the handle turned by itself, the door swinging open with the jingle of the overhead bell.

I was a little surprised by that. It usually just unlocks, and then I have to open it myself. It must be the [level] increase that made the difference. Lately, Master Alric had already opened up the shop by the time I got here ever since I made [level] 2, marking a surprisingly long run of beating me to the punch. I wonder what changed to make him so punctual. I still needed to work on additional [spell]s, somehow. I was falling behind in that area, with only one [spell] to seven [skill]s, one of which had evolved multiple times. I pulled up my lists to check on them.

*[Folder]->[Skill]->

1. [Translation; superior]

2. [Ink; poor]->[Ink; common]->[Ink; good]

3. [Torchlight; common]

4. [Aether-sight; common]

(The ability to peer into the Void and see the energies of creation)

5. [Over-charge; common]

(The ability to [mana] fill cells to the point of no return, then one step more)

[Folder]->[Skill (2)]->

1. [Heat-blast; common]

2. [ink; good](V)

3. [Open]

4. [Open]

5. [Open]

[Folder]->[Spell]->

1. [Apprenticeship Unlock; common]->[Apprenticeship Unlock; good]

(As the official Apprentice to Master [Scrivener] Alric, allowing entry to any space locked by the named Master. Apprenticeship token required.)

2. [Open]

3. [Open]

Well, how about that? The [spell] had advanced without me noticing. The same had happened with my original ink [skill], too, so it was only the completely new ones that gave a notification. But still, why had the [spell] advanced when I hadn’t been using it very often of late? If it was because of the [level] increase, all of them should have advanced. That would have been a major cheat, I felt. Mother of Trees knows I would take it, if true—just look at my latest [Title], [Cheat!]. Bless her roots.

I don’t know, maybe it has something to do with greater efficiency on my part, using less [mana] more potently. I also noted that [ink; good](V) had skipped over the common qualifier, so I was getting better. Except, it did rob me of an extra evolution to count towards my progress increase. It was typical for progress to get harder the further you advance, I guess. Too bad I didn’t have my tablet with dozens of litRPG novels to compare it to, he-he. I do think that my [System] had evolved from those concepts, tailoring itself to a pre-determined vision I already held in my mind. Tess’s [System] manifested itself a little different from mine, though I could tell I had influenced it, too, from my descriptions to her.

The shop was empty, as I expected, so I headed to the small part I could call my own. A note waited for me on my worktable.

'Book, since you have advanced your second ink to good quality, I want you to work on a new one. Go through the recipe folder I have left for you, and find one that resonates with you. Be sure to take into account what the ink is best used for, and what direction it will take your studies in. Do not try anything too advanced, remember that a solid foundation will take you further over the course of time. Basic utilities should not be shunned for something flashy, all things extend from their building blocks, as you know.

I will be indisposed for the day, maybe some of tomorrow. Keep the shop closed to the public and work on your training until I return. I trust you.

Master Alric Tavoryn'

OK, that was new. My Master had never left me to my own devices, before. And that last line touched something deep inside of me, a feeling that I had not felt since the abduction. The 'as you know' line hinted at him knowing what I had done with the basic [heat] scroll. I had received neither praise nor ire from him, so it was a head-scratcher. Also, what did indisposed mean?

Sure enough, a large folder marked ‘Basic Ink Recipes’ sat on my work table next to the note Master Alric had left for me. I picked it up and started flipping through the pages. Keeping the words of the note in mind, I stuck to the front portion of the collection.

“OK, what do we have,” I spoke out loud. “Basic ink variations; stable, volatile, enhancing, protecting.” I already had a handle on the stable variety used in [torchlight] and the volatile for [heat]. I wondered why Master Alric had never put names to the inks he had taught me already, leaving me to add the (P) and (V) tags in my mind, and thus on the [Skill]s folder sub-list. Did he think it was obvious, the differences? Or was he not used to teaching an apprentice? At his age, he had to have had other apprentices, right? My new friends seemed a bit surprised at my position. I’d have to ask Magali about it, sometime. Later tonight, I will see about using the customization feature to re-label and re-organize my folder lists.

“Alright, I’ve always been a completionist on video games, so enhancing it is.” I had a lot of practice conversing with myself, too much probably.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

‘Enhancing inks seek to reinforce the intent poured into them,’ the recipe read. ‘It starts with the base ink ingredients, just as all basic inks do. Include the paraffin for steady effects, or vermiculite for a quick-acting, intense reaction. Warning: Do not use both additives, the result being a contradiction with an unfavorable outcome.’

Nope, not ominous. Guess who was bound to try it at some point? Future Book, that’s who. Without explicit details of what would happen, the curiosity cat would inevitably seize me. The only unknown was how much those claws were going to rake me. Not knowing the consequences was how I evolved [heat] into [heat-blast]. Rule breaking was the mother of invention, from the Wright brothers' defiance of gravity to a certain hypertension medication’s transition to the little blue pill that changed the world. Not that I would know anything about that, it was common knowledge, OK? (smirk)

A list of possible ingredient additives followed the warning. There were notes added to each in a hand different from the original, presumably Master Alric’s. My visit to Paytin’s workplace got me thinking along the lines of a [barrier] shield. It had both a base utility aspect as well an obvious use in combat scrolls.

Basic ingredients for [barrier] enhancements:

Dire Swamp Ooze enzyme

A protective coating that makes the gross slimes hard to damage, speaking from personal experience. Cheap and easy to source, if disgusting. Best for economy.

(Protective coating)

Modified platinum powder

A pain in the ass to grind down fine enough. A great job for an apprentice like me, or so says Master Bane. The price depends on market availability. [Smith]s use it to strengthen their alloys, so it makes sense to use it here. Not my favorite, after the blisters from using my mortar and pestle for too many hours.

(Straight up strengthens)

Poison Tree Sloth saliva

Dangerous stuff, if you get in on your skin. My hand lagged seconds behind my directions, moving in slow motion This from only one drop touching the back of my left hand! Extremely disorienting to observe. Expensive, but, with caution, it has the highest potential. The poison slows whatever it comes in contact with, even energized [mana], so the Sloth can gnaw on their prey while avoiding incoming damage. This slowing reduces impacts significantly. Always use it if you can get your hands on it, just be sure to use gloves!

(Nulls impacts)

Wyvern caul fat

Master Bane’s favorite. Relatively easy to source from adventurers, the mountains beyond Oakheart are full of the tiny dragonlings. A bit harder to take down than the slimes, but more favored for simple experience. And less gross. The little devils prey on any creature unfortunate enough to get in sight of the wyvern. They even devour Elementals, like the Oozes, the protective lining absorbing and storing the energy for quick access, giving it back in the next attack what it took from the previous victory. Good for using outside energy to power a [barrier]. Roughly the same cost as Ooze enzymes, harder to kill but easier to separate from the carcass than squeezing out the enzymes, so it balances out. Nobody in their right mind likes squeezing slime.

(Powers itself, and has a chance of reflecting)

Parchment variants for best results:

Temporal Lizard Hide

Extremely hard to find, which makes it extremely expensive to buy. Master Bane never used it, so I haven’t had the chance to try it for myself. Would like to, someday. Maybe when I am a famous, well-to-do Master in my own right. It is hard to even find the properties it adds to the end result. My master won’t talk to me about it much, so there must be some history there. Maybe I can ask old man Wordsworth about it. They fought in the first Chaos War together. The only reason Master Bane took me on as his apprentice is the possibility of a second war on the horizon. Maybe then I can make a name for myself like he did.

(Unknown)

Petrified Tree Bat Wing

Easy, cheap, and adequate. Nothing remarkable.

(Reliable, sturdy, flexible with intent)

Albino Centipede Carapace

Brittle and easy to crack. How it is made into parchment at all confounds me. It is a good balance, like the wyvern caul fat. Harder to make than other parchments, but more fragile, which drives down the demand and correspondingly the price.

(Powerful until it cracks, making it a great initial deterrent but it weakens quickly if repeatably stuck in the same spot)

Koi Fish Skin

This is my preferred variance. The multi-colored fish skins give it a dramatic flair that I like. Nothing wrong with looking good, appearances can make a difference, in my opinion. That same flair is why my Master dislikes it, even though it compares favorably to the petrified tree bat wings. To him, plain is professional, and ornate is grandiose and arrogant. My father would have a fit if he saw the plain robes Master Bane made me wear. I even went out and bought my own, from my friend Harms who hooked me up with his father. I am not allowed to wear it, however.

(Malleable coverage and as flexible as wing with infused intent, dramatically flashy on execution, and fun)

‘Ingredients can be combined for varying results, basic ratios are notated in appendix C. Combining parchment variances is much more complicated, only capable through the efforts of a Master Parcheminier.’

‘Expensive as the Mother of Trees bark!’ was scrawled in a bold hand next to the last part. I had no doubt it was true. The only way I could think of producing it would be to weave individual fibers of different hides into a grand tapestry. Of course, it was not my area of expertise, so I really had no idea.

I learned about more than the Why’s, How’s, Do’s, and Dont’s of ingredients and parchment variances while pouring through Alric’s apprentice notes, however. I also gleaned a bit of insight into the man, himself. It helped to explain both the miserly and extravagance that competed in his nature. I gathered he came from money and prestige, but set it aside to learn from the best. He also had a sense of humor! Or used to, anyway. Had something happened to change him, possibly this Chaos War he mentioned in passing, or was he trying to emulate his own Master when teaching me? And he had some good friends, whom I found myself befriending their offspring. I seemed to be following in his footsteps.

Nothing wrong with that.

Clu-thud!

WTF? The noise came from overhead, sounding like a heavy object striking the floor of Master Alric’s upstairs residence.

Crash!

I put the book down and rushed to investigate. It would be my first time setting foot in his private apartment, and I hoped my [Apprenticeship Unlock] would work on the heavy door.