"That's, um..." Fendrel's mind raced. "My assistant. She helps with... preparations."
The three adventurers exchanged knowing looks. The archer elbowed the third member, a woman who'd remained silent until now. "Is that what they're calling it these days?"
"Bet she helps with lots of 'preparations,'" the wiry woman muttered. They shared knowing looks and snickers.
Heat crawled up Fendrel's neck as he bent over the herbs, focusing on examining each specimen with exaggerated care. His hands shook slightly as he sorted through the bundle, desperately avoiding eye contact with the "assistant" whose knife he could still feel ghosting across his throat.
Fendrel fumbled through his storage cabinet, retrieving three basic healing potions. His fingers brushed past empty vials and half-finished brews until he found his coin pouch.
"These should cover our arrangement." He placed the potions and a small stack of silver on the workbench. "The herbs look... acceptable."
The burly man scooped up the payment, counting each coin with deliberate slowness. "Pleasure doing business." He pocketed the money and potions, then turned to the woman in the chair. "Always nice meeting new... colleagues."
Fendrel rushed them toward the exit, nearly pushing the archer through the doorway. "Yes, yes, thank you for your services. Good evening."
The door hadn't fully closed before the woman sprang from the chair. She ripped off the work robe and hurled it at his face.
"Your assistant?" Her voice dripped venom. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"I had to say something-"
"So you decided to paint me as some common whore in your pathetic excuse for an alchemist's shop?" She advanced on him, forcing him back against his workbench. "Those types talk. Word spreads."
"I didn't mean-"
She grabbed his collar, slamming him against the wall. "I can't afford rumors. If anyone connects my face to this place, to your little poison operation..." Her fingers tightened. "My identity would be compromised. Everything I've built, destroyed because you couldn't handle a simple transaction."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
"Sorry doesn't fix this." She released him with a disgusted shove. "If those adventurers breathe a word about me to the wrong people, I'll make sure you regret it. Deeply."
Fendrel rubbed his throat. "They assumed what they wanted to see. No one will believe-"
"Shut up." She pressed her fingertips to her temples. "Just shut up and get to work on those poisons. And pray those idiots keep their mouths shut."
----------------------------------------
Fendrel's fingers traced the worn edges of his notes, the pages filled with crossed-out formulas and failed experiments. His workbench, usually a mess of scattered ingredients, now displayed a methodical arrangement of components. The morning light filtered through grimy windows, casting long shadows across bottles of varying shapes and sizes.
His head throbbed from lack of sleep, but the memory of countless failure notifications still burned bright in his mind. Each attempt at modifying the Bitterroot tonic had led nowhere. The dried herbs crumbled differently, the essences separated, or the whole mixture turned an alarming shade of purple before congealing into useless sludge.
He flipped through his notes, past dozens of variations:
"Attempt #17: Replaced Dralk with Silkslither fibers - mixture combusted"
"Attempt #23: Added crystallized widowvine - promising reaction but unstable"
"Attempt #31: Increased nightshade ratio - complete failure"
The cabal's down payment had funded his desperate experimentation, letting him acquire enough ingredients he'd never dared work with before. The adventurers' herb haul provided the raw materials needed for his endless attempts.
His eyes drifted to the two fresh vials of Widowvine Antioxidant Tonic on his bench - his first successful batch. After countless failures, that success notification had felt almost surreal.
[NEW RECIPE DISCOVERY]: Widowvine Antioxidant Tonic
[Widowvine Antioxidant Tonic]
* Crystalized widowvine sap, 8 drops
* Nightshade essence, 12 drops
* Witherbloom Mushrooms 10 grams
* Swampbriar vines 15 grams
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[NEW RECIPE SAVED]: Widowvine Antioxidant Tonic brewed successfully. Residual amount: 50%.
[CLASS STATUS]: Alchemy skill leveled up. New recipes unlocked.
[PARASITE STATUS]: Xytril Nematode leveled up. Required substance: Xytherium Poison, 2x Silkslither Toxin, Nightwraith Distillate. Next dose required in 56 hours.
[CRAFTING SUCCESS]: Widowvine Antioxidant Tonic brewed successfully. Residual amount: 0%.
Last thing he remembered was staring at the text before his head spun and he barely managed to crawl towards his straw bed before blacking out for seven hours or so.
But now, fully conscious, the pressure gnawed at him again. The interface message about his parasite's level up sent chills down his spine. Not only had the Xytril Nematode's leveled up again, it added new requirement.
Fendrel's hands shook as he reached for the new Tonic. His fingers brushed against the smooth glass of the vial. At least he had this small victory - if it worked as intended.
But his own survival hung by an increasingly complex thread. He'd have to make the Distillate somehow.
"Fucking distillate, you need cold extract process for this. I don't have equipment to do that crap here."
Fendrel stared at the vials of the antidote their contents shimmering with an opalescent gleam. His creation would save a life - assuming the Blackthorns used it for its intended purpose.
A few years ago, he'd dreamed of opening an apothecary, helping the sick and injured. Now here he sat, brewing poisons to stay alive while dealing with shadowy figures who wanted to use his skills for their own purposes .
The Blackthorns would hopefully pay for this success. He could buy the equipment he needed to do the new brewing process. The coin would help him survive another week, maybe two.
Fendrel corked the last vial of poison, his mind already racing to the next project. The purple liquid caught the candlelight, deadly and beautiful. He set it carefully in his storage cabinet, then pulled out his notebook.
"If I'm making these poisons, I should have a way to stop them," he muttered, sketching out a rough formula. His Bitterroot Tonic served as a foundation for the antioxidant, but what if he could replicate the process for the other toxins and poisons he had in his codex now?
He arranged his ingredients methodically - dried Petaline herbs, purified water, and crushed Bluecap mushrooms for the base healing potion. Next to them, he placed components with neutralizing properties.
The interface flickered as he began mixing:
[CRAFTING FAILURE]: Mixture unstable. Recipe failed.
[CRAFTING FAILURE]: Incorrect ratios detected. Recipe failed.
Fendrel cursed, dumping another failed attempt. But before he could start again, new text appeared:
[NEW RECIPE PROPOSED (Xytril Nematode)]: Nightshade Reinforcer
He blinked at the screen. "Reinforcer? You mean poison resistance builder?" His hand unconsciously touched his chest where the parasite resided. "Why would you want that?"
The recipe called for common ingredients - nothing toxic or lethal. Just herbs, roots, and extracts in precise measurements. Though the quantities were substantial, he had enough surplus from recent purchases.
"Well, let's see what you're up to," he said, measuring out the components. His hands moved with practiced precision, combining ingredients according to the interface's instructions.
The mixture turned a clear amber color, giving off a subtle floral scent. Nothing like the usual noxious fumes he worked with.
[CRAFTING SUCCESS]: Nightshade Reinforcer brewed successfully. Residual amount: 0%. Doses 10/10
[NEW RECIPE SAVED]: Nightshade Reinforcer
[UNIQUE RECIPE DISCOVERED]: Congratulation. You have discovered unique recipe for Alchemist class.
Fendrel's eyes widened. His hands gripped the workbench. A unique recipe, did I really just make unique product? Not just another common potion or poison, but something truly special.
"This is pretty good right? This should be worth shit ton of money right?"
The brief moment of pride shattered as new messages flashed across his vision:
[CLASS STATUS]: Alchemy skill leveled up. New recipes unlocked.
[PARASITE STATUS]: Xytril Nematode leveled up. Required substance: 2x Xytherium Poison, 3x Silkslither Toxin, Nightwraith Distillate, Bitterroot Tonic. Next dose required in 48 hours.
[CODEX UPDATED]
Fendrel's legs gave out. He collapsed into his workbench chair, arms wrapped tight around his trembling body. His breath came in short gasps.
"This fucking parasite... it's not trying to survive, it wants me dead." Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. "How am I supposed to keep up with this demand on daily basis. How long until I can't keep up?"
The list of required substances burned in his vision. Not only did the Silkslither Toxin just triple. Nightwraith Distillate was bad enough, but now he needs to get the fricking Tonic as well? Potions are expensive enough, Tonics are completely on different level.
His eyes darted to his level. Eight. The number mocked him.
[STATUS]
NAME: Fendrel Solinar
CLASS: Alchemist LEVEL: 7 -> 8
RACE: Human
SYMBIOSIS: Xytril Nematode LEVEL: 4 -> 5
"This isn't right." He gripped the edge of his desk, steadying himself. "Nobody gains levels this fast. Not in alchemy. Not in any other non combat class."
The realization chilled his body. The parasite wasn't just feeding on the poisons - it was accelerating his class progression by giving him rare poisons and toxins to brew. Two more levels and he'd hit advancement. A milestone most alchemists spent years reaching.
"Fuck." His eyes traced the recipes in his codex. Poison after poison after poison. "At this rate, my specialization is going to be something seriously fucked up. Forget about regulated classes, this is leading to straight death sentence class."
Class advancement aligned with what you crafted most. The more toxins he made, the deeper down that path he'd go. Once locked in, there'd be no changing it.
Fendrel scrolled up his recipe book.
[CODEX]
Basic Healing Brew
Basic Healing Potion
Intermediate Healing Potion
Basic Mana recovery Potion
Nightshade Reinforcer
Bitterroot Tonic
Widowvine Antioxidant Tonic
Xytherium Poison
Silkslither Toxin
Witherbloom Infusion Toxin
Nightwraith Distillate
The size of the list surprised him, not checking the codex since yesterday made it look like huge improvement from the original list. "I have to start making more of the healing and mana recovery potions"
Anything to balance out the darkness of his recent work.
"Have to fix this." He pulled ingredients from his shelves with shaking hands. "Can't let this thing turn me into some twisted poison master. Need to make something that doesn't get me killed in the process."
"I need to go shopping again."