Chapter 13: The Alchemist of the Void (Part 1)
Location: The Arken Estate, Ren's Loft (The Hayloft).
Time: Midnight.
Status: Under Siege (Vargo's Mercenaries patrolling outside).
Ren sat in the center of the loft. The windows were boarded up to prevent the mercenaries below from seeing the strange light emanating from his hands.
He wasn't holding a weapon. He was holding a glass jar filled with water and a handful of the Moon-Shade Mushrooms he had harvested earlier.
"Alchemy," Ren whispered, "is not magic. It is cooking with consequences."
He closed his eyes and entered the Archive.
Location: The Bibliotheca of Infinity (Mental Space).
Row 2: The Hall of Alchemy.
This section of the library was different. Instead of shelves of books, there were shelves of jars, dried herbs, and bubbling retorts. The air smelled of sulfur and peppermint.
Ren stood before a massive brass cauldron in the center of the aisle.
[ System: Alchemy Station Active. ]
[ Current Skill: Pestilence Sense. ]
[ Available Ingredients in Reality: Moon-Shade Mushroom, Bear Bile, Water, Mana-Grass. ]
Ren opened a book titled: [The Brewer's Guide to Dirty Fighting].
"I need money," Ren said to Grim, who was floating nearby wearing tiny goggles. "And I need a weapon against Vargo's men. They are heavy infantry. High defense. Low mobility."
He flipped the pages.
Recipe 1: Healing Potion (Requires Holy Water). No.
Recipe 2: Berserker Brew (Requires Ogre Blood). No.
Recipe 3: The Sweat of the Sloth.
Ren paused.
[ Recipe: The Sweat of the Sloth ]
[ Effect: A colorless, odorless liquid. When exposed to air, it vaporizes. Anyone who inhales it suffers -50% Stamina Regeneration and extreme lethargy. ]
[ Ingredients: Moon-Shade Mushroom (Base), Bear Bile (Stabilizer), Mana-Grass (Catalyst). ]
"A debuff gas," Ren smiled. "If I deploy this in the courtyard, Vargo's elite mercenaries will be too tired to lift their swords."
"But I also need a product to sell. Something addictive but legal."
He flipped to another page.
[ Recipe: Vitality Gum ]
[ Effect: A chewable resin that restores 10 Fatigue instantly. ]
[ Ingredients: Tree Sap + Mana-Grass + Sugar. ]
"Energy bars," Ren realized. "Soldiers, laborers, and students would kill for this."
"Grim, prepare the simulation."
Ren spent the next four hours in the mental space, practicing the brew. In the Archive, failure just meant the simulation reset. He exploded the cauldron ten times. He melted his eyebrows off twice.
But on the thirteenth try...
[ Success. ]
[ Mastery Gained: Basic Alchemy (Level 1). ]
Location: Reality.
Time: 4:00 AM.
Ren opened his eyes. He poured the water, crushed mushrooms, and a drop of bear bile into a metal pot he had stolen from the kitchen.
He used [Mana Weaving] to heat the pot precisely, controlling the flame with his mana rather than fire.
Bubble. Hiss.
The liquid turned a clear, viscous grey.
[ Item Created: Sweat of the Sloth (Concentrate). ]
[ Rank: E ]
[ Quantity: 3 Vials. ]
He corked the vials carefully.
Then he made the gum. He took pine resin from the firewood pile, mixed it with chopped Mana-Grass (which grew like weeds near the forest edge), and crystallized it.
[ Item Created: Void-Chew (Prototype). ]
[ Quantity: 20 pieces. ]
Ren popped a piece in his mouth.
It tasted like pine needles and electricity.
Zing.
His fatigue vanished. His eyes snapped open.
[ Stamina Restored: +15. ]
[ Side Effect: Mild Jitters. ]
"It works," Ren grinned. "Now, to distribute it."
Location: The Servant's Mess Hall.
Time: 7:00 AM (Breakfast).
The atmosphere in the mess hall was grim. The presence of Vargo's Black Serpent mercenaries outside had terrified the staff. Everyone ate their watery porridge in silence.
Ren walked in. He looked like just another tired stable boy.
He sat next to a young footman named Tom (the one he had saved from the horse in Chapter 3).
Tom looked exhausted. "I was on night shift," Tom groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Those mercenaries made me polish their armor all night. I can barely keep my eyes open."
"Here," Ren slid a small, green cube of resin across the table.
Tom looked at it. "What is it?"
"Herbal candy," Ren whispered. "My grandmother's recipe. Wakes you right up."
Tom hesitated, then popped it in his mouth.
He chewed.
His eyes widened. He sat up straight. The bags under his eyes seemed to vanish.
"Woah," Tom whispered. "That... that kicks like a mule! What is in that?"
"Herbs," Ren winked. "I have more. But ingredients are expensive."
Tom reached into his pocket and pulled out two copper coins. "I'll take three. I have a double shift tomorrow."
Ren took the coins.
"Tell your friends," Ren whispered. "But don't let the mercenaries see."
By noon, Ren had sold all 20 pieces. He had 40 copper coins.
It wasn't much. But the rumor was spreading. There was a new stimulant in the house. And in a house under siege, energy was more valuable than gold.
Location: The Main Courtyard.
Time: 2:00 PM.
Ren was sweeping the cobblestones near the main gate. He was watching the mercenaries.
There were ten of them. They were disciplined. They stood in pairs at key chokepoints: The Gate, The Manor Entrance, The Stables, and The Kitchens.
They are locking us down, Ren analyzed. They want to control the food and the exit.
A mercenary captain—a brute named Kruger—was harassing a maid near the well.
"Come on, darling," Kruger leered, grabbing her arm. "Pour me some water. And maybe pour some wine later in my tent?"
The maid, Sarah, was trembling. "Please, sir, I have to work..."
"Work for me," Kruger pulled her closer.
Ren stopped sweeping.
He checked his pocket. He had one vial of Sweat of the Sloth.
He couldn't attack Kruger openly. Kruger was Level 20. And if Ren attacked, Vargo would burn the estate.
But accidents happen.
Ren activated [The Index].
[ Borrowed Skill: Flash Step (Cooldown Ready). ]
He picked up a pebble.
He waited for Kruger to lean in.
Ren threw the pebble. Not at Kruger. At the horse tied to the post behind him.
Thwack.
The horse—a nervous mare—kicked out.
CRACK.
The hoof hit the water bucket sitting on the well's edge. The bucket flew into the air, splashing water all over Kruger.
"GAH!" Kruger shouted, letting go of the maid. "Stupid beast!"
While Kruger was wiping the water from his eyes, Ren moved.
[ Flash Step. ]
He appeared behind Kruger for a fraction of a second.
He uncorked the vial of Sweat of the Sloth. He didn't pour it on Kruger. He poured it onto the heating vent of Kruger's heavy plate armor—the slits on the back meant to let heat escape.
Ren vanished back to his broom before anyone blinked.
Kruger shook himself off. "Damn horse! I'll turn you into glue!"
He turned around. He saw Ren sweeping ten feet away.
"You! Boy!" Kruger shouted. "Dry this armor!"
Ren ran over with a rag. "Yes, sir! Right away, sir!"
As Ren wiped the armor, the heat from Kruger's body warmed the metal. The Sweat of the Sloth liquid inside the vents vaporized.
Odorless. Colorless.
Kruger inhaled it.
"Hurry up," Kruger grunted. He took a deep breath.
Then he blinked. He yawned.
His knees wobbled.
"Why... am I... so tired?" Kruger mumbled. His eyelids drooped. The massive two-handed sword on his back felt like it weighed a ton.
"Sir?" Ren asked innocently.
"I need... a nap," Kruger slurred. He stumbled away, leaving the maid alone. He walked to a bench and collapsed, snoring loudly within seconds.
The other mercenaries laughed. "Lightweight! Can't handle the heat!"
Sarah the maid looked at Ren. She saw the glint in his grey eyes.
"Thank you," she mouthed silently.
Ren nodded and went back to sweeping.
[ System Alert ]
[ Alchemy Field Test: Successful. ]
[ Mastery Gained. ]
Ren smiled. He had neutralized the enemy captain without drawing a weapon.
But then, he felt a vibration in his pocket.
The Shadow Pavilion Card.
It was glowing.
He pulled it out, shielding it with his body. Text was appearing on the card surface.
[ Urgent Auction Update ]
[ New Lot Added: "The Blood of the Vane." ]
[ Seller: Anonymous. ]
Ren froze.
Blood of the Vane.
His mother's bloodline.
Someone was selling information about his family. Or worse... they had found another survivor.
Ren crushed the broom handle in his grip.
"Kaelith," Ren whispered. "We need to go to the city tonight."
End of Chapter 13 - Part 1
Summary of Events:
Crafting: Ren enters the Alchemy Hall in the Archive. He creates [Void-Chew] (Stamina Gum) and [Sweat of the Sloth] (Fatigue Gas).
Economics: Ren starts selling the gum to the servants, building a small fortune and gaining influence among the staff.
Sabotage: Ren uses the Fatigue Gas to neutralize Captain Kruger (Vargo's Mercenary Leader) when he harasses a maid, making it look like exhaustion.
The Hook: The Shadow Pavilion Invitation updates. A new auction lot is listed: "The Blood of the Vane."
The Stakes: This directly threatens Ren's identity and secrets. He decides to infiltrate the auction.