Valena continued stirring the contents of the alchemy cauldron in preparation for adding the next mixture into the boiling liquid. Harold Greene stood not far away, quietly watching her progress with the same dejected countenance he had worn ever since the Ruler had sentenced him to servitude just over a week ago. He had initially been very resistant to revealing anything at all about his family’s alchemical recipes, but time within the Lord’s Palace had worn him down quickly.
She had ‘caught’ him more than once looking for ways to escape the tall, stone walls of this fortress and had given him an appropriate punishment each time. He spent too long in the bathroom? Clearly, that was a sign he was plotting an escape. He took a walk outside or looked out over the courtyard? Obviously he was tracking the guard patrols so he could evade them. These were just some of the many infractions that were deserving of a public flogging. Of course, she didn’t want to harm his ability to be productive during the working hours. So, she ensured that he was scheduled to be disciplined in the evenings for whatever arbitrary reason she’d decided, and then every morning his poor condition was restored with some medicinals.
Each punishment made him more and more receptive to the idea of selling his family’s secrets in return for his eventual freedom. She expected that his will would break in a few months if this continued, but yesterday he unexpectedly relented and agreed to show her a lesser version of the elixir. She was glad to know he was even weaker willed than she anticipated.
Obviously, she was wary of him trying to poison her while they worked in the lab, so she did everything she could to make that prospect both extremely difficult and undesirable for him to pull off. First, she didn’t permit him to touch any of the ingredients or alchemy tools himself. She managed this by having him stand in an area where he was out of arm's reach from anything that could be used for alchemy. Second, she made sure to strip him of all of his protective gear and clearly showed him that she had a filtering mask and various neutralizers on her person. This ensured that he knew any attempt to make her mix something toxic would only serve to kill him, rather than her. Lastly, he was only allowed to instruct her on what concoctions to create and in what order to mix them together to form the desired elixir. Any other speaking or form of conversation was forbidden–that was just for her own sanity. Mortals were terribly dull to speak to, in her experience.
“It’s time to add the next ingredient–the star-seed infused solution.” Harold said.
Valena nodded and picked up the tall vial that contained murky yellow liquid.
“Pour it in slowly while mixing in this pattern: 10 slow swirls clockwise, five moderately fast swirls counterclockwise…”
As Valena followed Harold’s directions, the contents of the cauldron started to roil more and more violently with each motion. Seeing no reaction from Harold whatsoever, even as the half formed elixir nearly overboiled in the cauldron, she continued obeying his words. Such an alchemical reaction wasn’t unusual, after all, especially when working with such volatile materials. This was well within her expectations.
“Now quickly cut off the heat, pour in the silvervine extract, and cover the cauldron with the lid. After exactly 10 seconds, lift the lid.”
Again, Valena did as she was instructed.
It was no wonder that this elixir hadn’t been discovered by a proper alchemist cultivator such as herself earlier. These techniques were truly imprecise and odd. She decided once she got the mortal to give her the full details of the other recipes she would make the creation process more conventional. She bet that the resulting potion would be even more potent once someone of her upbringing and stature improved upon its flaws.
Once the 10 seconds were up, Valena lifted the lid.
----------------------------------------
Harold hid his excitement as the arrogant cultivator followed each step of his instructions perfectly. When he came up with this desperate gambit he was certain that the chances for success were slim at best, but her hubris–as was the case with so many cultivators–would be her downfall. No one ever expected mortals to fight back. She had given him the perfect conditions to pull this off, too.
Due to her desire to keep information about his family’s recipe all to herself, she had sent every other aide away from this area and closed them inside the alchemy vault. This particular lab, as the name suggested, was like a vault–complete with thick metal shielding on all walls and a fortified, enchanted door–since incorrectly formulated alchemicals could be destructive. Once his plan was put into motion, no one would be able to come to help her in a timely manner. He didn’t even think anyone would hear her if she screamed.
Then, she insisted on preparing every compound, solution, and ingredient herself. This was to ensure both that he didn’t have the opportunity to sneak anything past her, and that everything would be of the ‘highest grade’. Begrudgingly, he admitted to himself that although she made the distinct choice not to use the finest of ingredients, her refining technique was excellent and everything she crafted was of pristine quality.
What he was having her create was indeed one of his family’s recipes, but not the cultivation potion she had expected. This was not the first time an uppity cultivator tried to pry these secrets from the top alchemists of his bloodline, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. While a mortal couldn’t hope to compete with a cultivator in terms of raw power, cultivators were usually only slightly more resistant to poisons and toxins on account of their Resilience. And, as far as he knew, they felt pain the same as anyone.
As Valena lifted the lid, an explosion of rancid, green smoke burst forth from the cauldron and rapidly filled the room. She jerked backwards and shut her eyes tightly as the foul vapors struck her, and Harold could see tears begin pouring down her cheeks as her body attempted to rinse the painful substance from her eyes. Rather than try to escape from the green cloud himself, he ran directly into it so he could grab some of the next ‘ingredients’ that he had Valena prepare for the ‘elixir’. As expected, he was also affected by the caustic smoke, but he kept his composure. Unlike Valena–who was in a complete panic and was frantically attempting to cover her face with a cleansing mask–Harold knew that as painful as this smoke was, it was far from deadly.
He poured the remaining ‘elixir ingredients’ into an empty flask, then swirled the contents. He was extremely careful not to let even a single drop of this new solution touch him as he mixed it. Unlike the smokescreen, this was incredibly deadly.
Once the poison shifted color from a clear brown to an opaque black over the next couple of seconds, he knew it was ready. According to his recipe book, this concoction could quickly kill all but the hardiest of cultivators but almost completely lost its potency within the span of five minutes if left unused–making it an impractical choice for most situations. For this scenario, though, it was exactly what he needed.
He took aim at the woman who had just now finished settling the mask straps over her ears, and flung the deadly liquid in a wide arc to ensure that even if she moved from her current position at least some of the spray would hit her. He needn’t have worried himself. She didn’t even see the attack coming since her eyes were still closed tight.
Once he visually confirmed the liquid had landed on his enemy, Harold immediately turned around and dumped the final prepared reagent into the smoking cauldron to neutralize the reaction–placing the lid back on top of the container for good measure. Then, he turned his attention back to Valena as the remaining dregs of green mist were sucked away by the lab’s built-in ventilation system.
Spoiler :
Valena’s face and neck were liberally splattered with the new poison, and in the short time he was turned away her flesh had already begun to bubble and rot. The primal scream of agony she released was unlike anything Harold had ever heard before, and the sound of it sent a shiver of disgust through his body. He watched with progressive horror as she tried to brush the liquid away from her face with her hands to no avail. When that failed, the pain made her so desperate for relief that she began to claw away affected sections of her body with her own nails. It was hopeless. She only succeeded in spreading the wretched poison to previously untouched areas, which then also began to blacken and slough off.
Over the next several minutes, the rot consumed the cultivator’s neck, face, and hands inch by torturous inch. At one point, Valena’s throat melted inwards until nothing but a bloody chasm remained. Harold was certain that her suffering would finally come to an end… but she still didn’t die. Instead, she fell to the ground, writhing with gurgling screams.
Harold vomited. This was far more graphic than the recipe implied. He knew he had to do something. Yes, he had attacked her with what was supposed to be a fast-acting, deadly poison, but he wasn’t a monster.
While it was true that many people had accused him of being cruel throughout his life, he never found that to be an accurate description. He simply prioritized rationality and practicality over things like compassion. Logically, he understood and accepted that he would need to kill Valena (and maybe a few others) to survive and escape the Lord’s Palace. This was a price he was more than willing to pay and live with in exchange for his freedom. However, this kind of gruesome death was not what he had intended.
He grabbed the nearest heavy object–the oversized grinding mortar–and brought it down atop her head with as much force as he could muster.
*Thunk*
The stone impacted wetly as it hammered into what was left of her face. Valena hardly reacted to the stimuli as she was already in such excruciating pain.
*Thunk-unch*
Harold gagged as he felt bone slightly give way with the second blow. Valena’s movements blessedly started to slow and weaken, and he knew one more solid strike would do it. He closed his eyes as he raised the mortar a final time.
*Crunch*
Valena fell still and silent. Dead at last.
Hidden Quest: Cull the Weak (Part 1 of 2) [COMPLETED]
Just as cream rises to the top, so too must the worthy cultivator ascend the tower. You have killed a cultivator of greater rank in solo combat. For this feat, you have been awarded a new mark: Vortex (Static). Changes have been made to your status page.
Hidden Quest: Cull the Weak (Part 2 of 2) [IN-PROGRESS]
Time Limit: 30 days
Enter any ascension obelisk and begin your climb. WARNING: Failure to ascend within the time limit will result in severe restrictions to your cultivation advancement and system access.
Congratulations, you have slain a cultivator of equal or greater rank!
Spire qi collection has been suspended. You have been granted first access to cultivate their refined energy as a reward for your victory. Temporary neutrally attuned nexus will dissipate in one week if not absorbed, if you go further than 15 feet from the source after beginning cultivation, or once all qi has been processed.
Dormant cultivation base detected! Previous core quest ‘Unlock Your Potential – Part 1’ refused at age 16… Overridden!
Core Quest: Unlock Your Potential - Part 1 [COMPLETE]
Congratulations, you have discovered a temporary purified nexus (Uncommon)! Truly the gods smile upon you this day. For the extraordinary feat of slaying a Peak Copper cultivator in solo combat while still mortal, you have been granted additional rewards. Your cultivation will be unlocked and you will advance to the rank of Low Copper.
Core Quest: Unlock Your Potential – Part 2 [COMPLETE]
Congratulations, you have begun your ascent to immortality! Once your conversion to a Low Copper cultivator is finished, you will gain access to the following features:
1. Status page
2. A regenerating qi pool
3. The ability to open meridians
4. The ability to utilize qi arts
5. The ability to form spirit bonds
Harold was utterly shocked as he read each notification. He hadn’t received a system message since he refused the first chain in the core quests 20 years ago. Originally, his parents had talked him out of trying to become a cultivator since it was so dangerous and he was the most promising alchemist in the family. This had been the most logical choice at the time, seeing as it was more appealing to live as a mortal and prosper in the family business instead of dying in the wilderness. Unfortunately, a series of misunderstandings, framings, and outright sabotages brought his family to ruin and made the Greene name synonymous with pariahs in his hometown–hence his eventual arrival in the slums of this small city.
Now that he had lost practically everything–his enchanted cauldron, his freedom, and his reputation yet again–becoming a cultivator didn’t seem so outrageous of a risk anymore. According to these notifications, he’d even get the first rank as a quest reward. Despite the stench of blood, death, and putrid gasses, he felt the smallest of smiles touch his lips.
Harold closed the notifications down and felt a wave of exhaustion come over him. His eyes began to shut despite his best attempts to stay awake, and he stumbled over to a clean section of the floor to lay down. As his consciousness drifted off to sleep, a final notification appeared in his mind's eye.
System-assisted cultivation in progress: Mortal -> Low Copper.
----------------------------------------
Samantha sprinted through the city center with single-minded determination, refusing to stop for anything. As Tiny had described, this entire area was in disarray due to the basilisk infestation. The streets were littered with fallen cultivators and mortals, some merely paralyzed, others dead. It pained her to leave them all behind, but the best thing she could do to assist them was to help the City Lord win his battle quickly. She had no antidote to the paralyzing agent that stunned these people, but she could free up the most powerful fighter in the city to beat back the incursion.
During her brief travels she was attacked multiple times by basilisks–the annoying, flying creatures were everywhere as she passed through the well-traveled roads. Basilisks were primarily ambush hunters. They laid in wait in trees or other sources of high ground, then pounced or glided down from their perches upon unsuspecting prey. Thankfully, this approach was a terrible match up for Samantha’s abilities. [Prey’s Awareness] made the stealth tactics of the descending basilisks almost useless against her, and she found that they were surprisingly fragile considering how much damage they had caused so far. She avoided as many of them as she could, but still ended up needing to cut down a handful of them.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
As she neared the City Lord’s Palace, she made the decision to skip the formalities at the front gate. She was certain that although there was an active spirit beast incursion, the primary entrance wouldn’t be left undefended. She didn’t have the time or patience to explain to the guards why she was there and convince them to let her inside. Once the tall walls surrounding the palace came into view, she activated [Translucence] to avoid being immediately spotted, then [Cloud Step]ped over and let herself into the grounds.
Samantha landed quickly and quietly on the other side of the wall and scanned the area for potential threats. The courtyard of the Lord’s Palace had the most beautiful landscaping she had ever seen. The immaculately trimmed grass didn’t seem to hide even a single weed despite the sprawling area it covered. Flowers, fruit trees, and exotic plants were aesthetically placed so that no matter where you looked, the scenery would not be out of place even in a fine painting. Arguably even more alluring than the landscaping, however, was the architecture.
There were several structures here within the walls of the Lord’s Palace, and all of them were worthy of admiration. Golden pillars, marble steps, glittering stained glass windows, elegant statues… any artistic feat of craftsmanship she could imagine was showcased by at least one building in the area. Neat, tidy walking paths laid with colorful cobbles linked all the buildings together in a web-like pattern, and all of them convened at the enormous, ornate building in the center of everything: the Lord’s Palace itself. As impressive as the veritable fortress was, it was oddly not the one that stood out the most to her.
When Samantha laid her eyes on the familiar building–and the obelisk next to it–her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.
The Registrar’s Hall looked almost structurally identical to the fake hall in the city center–the only difference being that it was made of some black material that seemed to suck in the light around it rather than obsidian and marble. The ascension obelisk beside it, on the other hand, looked exactly like the one that she had seen in her third-eye vision when she first became a cultivator. It was 20 feet tall, vaguely rectangular in shape, and came to a point at the top like a pyramid. The material of the obelisk was the same as the Registrar’s Hall, which gave both structures a distinctly alien look when compared to every other building. She desperately wanted to go inside to complete her core quest and try to learn more about the hidden quest, but she forced herself to stay on task. She had a higher priority right now.
Samantha didn’t know which of the buildings the alchemy lab would be located in, but trusted her gut and went with the one that had the most plant life around it. She hoped that this signaled that there was some sort of herb garden being grown, which was as good a place as any to start looking for signs of alchemy. As she snuck closer, she realized that this building was the most isolated of all the buildings and furthest from the Palace. This was even more encouraging to her. It would make sense to put the alchemy lab (which could have odd smells coming from it or possibly explode if a mistake was made) far away from everything else. Fortunately, it seemed that most of the cultivators and guards that were assigned to patrol the palace grounds were dispatched to help the citizens, which made staying hidden much easier.
At first, she maintained [Translucence] and snuck inside while keeping close to walls and other forms of cover, just in case. She found out quickly, however, that the extra caution was unnecessary. Immediately upon entering the building there was a large open space with several alchemy stations. At the back of the building was a thick, seven foot tall metal door and doorframe expertly set into the wall, such that any gaps or openings were hardly visible.
The entire place was empty of staff or guards.
Samantha made her way over to the mysterious door and, upon further inspection, found herself unsure how to open it. Every square inch of the door down to the hinges was covered with qi enchantments, yet there was no visible handle for her to grab. It was only after a bit of searching around the vicinity that she found what she needed. On the wall to the left of the door about 10 feet away was a vertical lever in the upward position. Directly above the lever was a label plaque that read ‘Closed’, and hanging on the handle itself was a handwritten sign that read: ‘Alchemy vault in use. Do NOT disturb. -Court Alchemist Valena’.
Samantha pushed the sign out of the way and saw a matching plaque below the lever that said ‘Open’, and decided that was all the confirmation that she needed to take action. She pulled the lever down until it pointed towards the ‘Open’ label and was promptly rewarded with the sounds of smoothly sliding metal. Shortly after the sounds stopped, the door silently swung open and Samantha was greeted with the slight but unmistakable stench of death, blood, and rot.
She carefully peeked into the now-open doorway and saw two people lying prone in different corners of the room–a low copper man, and a dead woman (if the dried pool of blood beneath her was any indication). Samantha approached the man first, spear tip forward, and pushed him over on his back.
Her eyes widened when she saw the man’s face, and actually recognized him. She never expected to see Harold Greene again, especially as a fellow cultivator. He was breathing shallowly, unconscious, and spattered with old blood, but otherwise seemed uninjured. Questions about his new cultivator status and his presence in this unusual situation swirled in her mind, but she put them off for a later time. She wasn’t here for him.
Samantha went over to the woman who she suspected was Valena and confirmed that the woman was indeed dead. The lack of throat could possibly be a result of some horrible alchemical reaction gone wrong, but the smashed in head and the bloody mortar bowl beside her left no room for speculation that foul play was at hand. She looked suspiciously at the only other person in the room–a mortal who had suddenly become a cultivator–and had an idea about what had happened. She just had no clue how he’d managed it.
She was unsure what to do now. She had been hoping to interrogate Valena or perhaps force her to produce the antidote for the spirit beast enraging powder she’d created… but with the woman dead? She might be able to find the antidote hidden on Valena’s person somewhere, but doubted that it would be nicely labeled ‘Cure for Spirit Beast Plague’ for her. Samantha balked slightly at the idea of rifling through the mangled remains of a dead woman, but pushed through the discomfort. This body wasn’t going to get any fresher.
She sifted through every hidden crevice and pocket of Valena’s robes that she could find, and even tore out some linings and sections she found oddly tailored. By the end of her search, Samantha had gathered a cloth with a distinct, medicinal scent, six finger-sized glass vials that contained various liquids and powders, a box that contained two-dozen or so small glass vials, and a pouch that contained around two gold in assorted coins as well as what appeared to be a healing pill. To her dismay, none of the containers were labeled.
While she could [Inspect] each individual vial to hopefully identify the antidote, that approach would cost her around 30 qi. She was loath to expend that much energy unless it was absolutely necessary, considering she’d need the qi for when she returned to the chaotic environment outside the Lord’s Palace.
Samantha began sniffing each vial to try and reduce the number of potions she’d need to [Inspect]. She figured if there was something she recognized she could set it aside or find some use for it. She didn’t expect much at the start, but about halfway through the process she did find a familiar scent that gave her a new idea. She walked over to the unconscious man with the identified vial in hand, stooped down to pop the cork, and held the open container under his nose–just as Ol’ Man Whisper had done to wake her when she was pretending to be asleep.
Harold woke with a jolt, “Aagh!”
He skittered away from the smelly vial and wiped at his watering eyes, but Samantha didn’t wait for him to fully recover his senses, “I’ll make this brief. Beasts enraged by an unknown alchemical powder are attacking the city. Just beyond the palace grounds are rampaging Firestorm Bears, Basilisks, and worse, and I was coming to see Alchemist Valena for an antidote. Seeing as you’ve murdered her, you’re now going to help me instead.”
Harold Greene stood up, disoriented from his rude awakening. He looked at her first with fear and concern, then squinted at her for a moment before his expression soured, “Hey! I know you–you’re that courier from the slums. You’re not supposed to be in here. I bet you’d be in just as much trouble as I am if the guards caught you.”
“I don’t think trespassing is even remotely on the same level as murdering the Head Alchemist of the Lord’s court–especially when I’ve been sent by the Lord himself for aid.” She retorted, bending the truth slightly to try and give herself more authority. She also conveniently left out the fact that Valena’s reputation was probably ruined and Harold might even be lauded for killing her.
Harold scoffed incredulously, “You? A courier–not even out of her teens–who was running through the slums for coppers a month ago, was personally sent by the Lord of this city? You need to learn to tell more believable lies.”
Samantha noted that he didn’t bother denying that he murdered Valena, or seem disturbed by the accusation.
“Regardless of if you believe me or not, the facts don’t change. I need you to find a solution to the raging spirit beast problem, whether that means helping me yourself or sending me to someone who can. This is a matter of life and death.” she explained as calmly as she could.
“Why should I? What has this wretched city ever done for me? I say let it–and everyone in it–burn.” he snarled.
Samantha lost her temper. The last day had just been one horrible event after the other, and she was tired of every single thing being oh so difficult. Deciding to try her hand at a different type of intimidation, she blasted Harold with the full force of her Low Bronze aura.
His knees gave way beneath him under the power of her killing intent, but he looked up at her with defiance in his eyes. He laughed.
“In the last week I have been framed for a mistake I didn’t commit, made into a slave, and been mocked, beaten, and healed just so I could be mocked and beaten again! You don’t frighten me. In fact, I should frighten you–you saw what happened to the last person who tried to terrorize me.” he jerked his head towards Valena’s body.
Samantha’s fit of anger chilled at hearing these words. This was yet another consequence of her actions. If she had not stolen his elixir and blown up his lab, would he have ended up in this place? Would Valena still have been alive? Her concentration–and her killing intent–wavered.
Harold felt her change in demeanor and mistook it for wariness or fear, rather than a sudden onset of guilt. He pushed through her weakened aura and stood again, looking down on her. He was not a very tall or large man, but he was still bigger than her. He attempted to step into her space in his own bid of intimidation, but Samantha had already regained control of her emotions.
This wasn’t going anywhere quickly, and she was limited in both time and options. She sighed, “Let’s be honest with each other. Neither of us are scared of the other and we’re both in a tough spot. We can either stand around like idiots wasting time or come to an agreement.”
“Oh? I have all the time in the world. Who in their right mind would believe that I, a mortal, were capable of killing a cultivator like Valena? Especially with another, more powerful cultivator here as a convenient scapegoat. You even said you were sent to find her.” he said smugly.
“That would work, except for one tiny problem on your part. Lift up your shirt and look at your stomach–that’s all the proof anyone is going to need.” she said, equally smugly.
He lifted his eyebrow at her skeptically, but she could see his curiosity got the better of him after a moment. He raised up the hem of his shirt and took in the sight of his vortex mark and gasped.
“What is this?!” He vigorously rubbed at the intricate ring around his navel with his hand as if it were drawn with ink that would smudge away, before giving up and looking back to her.
“That, Harold, is a Vortex mark. It is an indisputable sign that you have killed a cultivator, and even if you manage to avoid forced ascension for your crime, you still need to ascend to the second floor within 30 days or it will shatter and leave your cultivation base crippled. I don’t even know what would happen for someone with as low a rank as you… you might end up weaker than your mortal self was… or dead.” she said nonchalantly, “Now that you understand that your plan to blame someone else is impossible, let’s talk negotiations. What do you want?”
“Get me out of Yivesh!” he demanded, his face somewhat pale now.
“Not possible.” Samantha denied immediately, “I already told you, the city is overrun. If you’re just going to waste my time I’ll break your legs so you can’t escape and leave you here for the guards to find. Lives will certainly be lost because of the delay, but it’d still be faster than trying to compromise with you.”
Harold’s face reddened with frustration and he ground his teeth. His eyes scanned her face, her posture, the room, looking for something that could get him out of this mess. He seemed at a loss for words.
Samantha decided to offer him a solution, “Your life on this floor is over. You’re a marked man who will either be forced to ascend for your crimes, or probably die alone in the wilderness if you try to escape.” She paused, not liking what she was about to say next, “Here’s my suggestion–and I’m only going to offer this once–I was planning to ascend to the next floor in a few days anyway. If you hide in the Registrar’s Hall and wait for me, after this crisis is dealt with I will gather my supplies and come get you. I will ascend with you, protect you to the best of my abilities until we reach the second floor, and give you a portion of my supplies before we part ways.”
“How is that any better than being exiled there?” he protested.
“You’d rather be forced into the unknown with no supplies and no help?” Samantha asked.
She could see him struggling with the decision, and decided to hurry up the process herself.
“My offer is expiring in 3… 2…” she counted.
“Fine!” he blurted out unhappily, “You bargain like a demon.”
She ignored his comment and continued to push her original agenda, “Great! Now that that’s settled, can you tell me which one of those–if any–will cure the spirit beasts?”
Samantha pointed to the pile of vials she collected from Valena.
Harold went over to the vials and set aside the box first, “These are basic neutralizing agents. None of them will be what you need.”
He then picked out two of the 6 finger sized vials and set them next to the box, “I recognize these as well. They won’t help. These last four I’m unsure about. I’d need a sample of the original contaminant to be certain if any of them are what you’re looking for.”
Her heart dropped for a moment. She refused to believe that she had come all of this way, wasted all this time, just to fail at the last step. She needed to think. Could she go back to the shopping square and retrieve some of the powder? Most likely not. Considering the destruction the Bronze’s were causing, it would be a miracle to find specks of red powder in the piles of dust and debris.
She paced back and forth, and ran her hands through her hair once in an attempt to disperse the frustrated energy. It felt unusually dusty and gritty to the touch, and then [Hyperfocus] connected the dots for her. She, and everyone else in the square, had been covered in the substance when Ol’ Man Whisper attacked them.
She checked her hands and saw the red dust covered a part of them, and then began to notice small pockets of red hidden in the folds of her robes. There was hope.
“How much do you need? I was hit with the stuff earlier–it’s this red dust that’s all over me.” She explained quickly, pulling a pinch of crimson out of a pocket and placing it on the table in front of Harold.
He looked at her appraisingly, then began gathering the red dust into a small tray. Once he’d collected what he needed, he started arranging his tools and Samantha began pacing nervously again. What if Valena hadn’t carried the antidote with her?
“Your pacing is making me nervous. Go make yourself useful and find my family’s recipe book. It’s a large, leather bound tome that’s encoded so others can’t read it. Valena was studying it obsessively, so it’s gotta be around here somewhere. I’ll call you back when I’ve figured this out.” Harold ordered.
Samantha grunted in annoyance, then left to do as he asked. She figured it was better than waiting around doing nothing. She wondered if this was a ploy to get her out of the room so he could make a poison to kill her like he’d killed Valena, but discarded the thought. She was his best option to live, and even if he did try to attack her with poison she’d be expecting it and could move much faster than he could.
Samantha went through every desk, shelf, cubby, and alchemy table she could find. Some of them had interesting things in them like finished elixirs, but she left them alone. She didn’t know what the potions did, and wasn’t here to steal.
Eventually, she forced open a closet that was locked and found a book that matched Harold’s description. As she looked through the incomprehensible text, she heard Harold call out to her.
“I’ve found your antidote!”
Samantha ran back to the lab and exchanged items with Harold, “I think I found your book.”
“So you did! As for this–it needs to be introduced into the Spirit Beast’s bloodstream. Cut them with a weapon coated with the antidote, or pour some of it into an open wound, however you need to get it done.”
Samantha gingerly stored the container of white, milky liquid in an inner pocket of her armor, praying that during her travel back it would not be lost or damaged. “Will you give me your oath as a cultivator that you aren’t deceiving me about this antidote?”
He snorted derisively, “Pretty words is all it takes to reassure you? Sure. I’ll give you my ‘oath’.”
A Low Copper cultivator has offered you an oath (Oathbreaker Marks: 0). Violating this vow will result in the promiser receiving a permanent Oathbreaker Mark.
Accept? Y/N
“Wait–what?” Harold said dumbfounded, looking at his own notification.
She accepted the oath with an only slightly smug grin.
While he processed the fact that a cultivator’s oath was more than just words, she turned to leave. As she departed, she called out, “I recommend taking anything useful that you can find and hiding. If someone tries to harass you, you can tell them that you intend to ascend. That will give you some protection since ascension is a right granted by the system, but I don’t know the limitations since I haven’t tried it myself. If you go that route you might need to ascend before I get back.”
Harold stared after her for a moment, but quickly shifted priorities and began gathering various ingredients from the shelves behind him. Samantha left the man, then the palace, behind. She set her course for the shopping square, hoping that she wasn’t too late to help.