Hell's Glitch (initial draft)

I_K 1.12 The Worm Den

Chapter 12

The Worm Den

I left Dagmel and Ilyona behind to continue whatever they were doing before I'd arrived. Before I left her, I let Ilyona know that I'd seek her out for training later, when I found a proper medium to cast her spellcraftes. An invisibility crafte sounded way too good to pass up. It didn't take me long to gather the remaining ingredients for Constoble's recipe along with some interesting new items including one that let me create a Soul Beacon wherever. I returned all the materials to the surprised mage and he looked at me expectantly with no words exchanged between us. I opened my alchemy book and turned to the transmutation I wanted him to unlock.

He shook his head and said, "No."

"Excuse me."

"You're not ready for that one and besides, you'll need another to complete my next recipe."

"Did we not agree that you were to unlock the novice level Alchemies that I chose."

"Yes, but for this one, I'm choosing for you."

I kept my mouth shut, but knew I was glaring at him. I couldn't completely control my emotions, not when someone was pissing me off this much.

"I'll roll with it, this time, but you don't want to pull anything like that again. I pray you don't do that."

"I see talking with that holy idiot Dagmel has made you suddenly pious."

At least me and Constoble had something in common, Dagmel was an idiot.

"What makes you think I met him?"

"Have I not already told you that nature provides all the answers you need?"

"Clever. Is it a problem that I talked to him?"

"Don't forget that dullard of a girl who claims to be a scholar. It is none of my business who you talk to, but I wish not to associate with them or anyone else. Keep your soirees away from me and this place, or we will do business no longer."

"I hear you loud and clear. Now, you have another recipe for me?"

"This one," he said pointing near the end of his table. I opened up the scroll and found a sizeable list of needed materials. The recipe was for a draught that granted a small buff to SP regeneration. I noticed my own natural SP regen occurred at something like two points every three seconds when moving, and two points per second when standing still. I was curious if the buffs stacked at all, but felt doubtful.

"If you want to get the proper amount of ingredients for this recipe, you'll have to change which glyphs you have active."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You'll need to use your alchemy to grow many of these ingredients as there's not enough present in the forest. For others, you have to break down some animal carcasses. That is why these two will be the Alchemies for you."

He unlocked the glyphs for Plant Growth and a new transmutation called Breakdown. I read the description for the latter.

Breakdown

Alchemy

Turn dead enemy corpses into precious material using the body's natural humors.

The proof of alchemy's long history lies with this very transmutation, for before men became immortal, they had finite lifespans and left behind whole bodies after death. It was common to enshrine leaders, but those of more common birth were broken down upon death and used by the shaman to feed the soil to nourish a new generation. It was a known duty and an honor amongst the earliest men. That is until Phoenix cursed mankind with immortality by changing the very makeup of their bodies and souls.