With a 140,000-gold bill from Mr. Sanderson looming over his head and only 40,000 gold to spare after current expenses, Sorin had no choice but to dive back into concocting tinctures for the Kepler Clan. Elder Calvin was only too happy to help him in this regard, as he was currently the only apothecary in Delphi who could concoct ruby-grade unsealing tinctures with a decent chance of suc...
2024-04-17 22:52:54 +0000 UTC View PostUpon returning to the Kepler Clan, Elder Nolan immediately whisked Sorin into yet another council deliberation. This one went just as Sorin expected. Elder Samson suggested they throw Sorin under the cart and attempt to mitigate as much damage to the family as possible, while Elder Nolan fiercely defended Sorin.
This time, Elder Adrian from the Sovinger Branch supported Elder...
2024-04-16 14:29:00 +0000 UTC View PostDespite wanting to rest for a good while and the limits of his third-forging cultivation, Sorin had more pressing matters to attend to. Namely the Medical Association's Inquiry. Elder Nolan whisked him away from his residence the day after his return and promptly escorted him to the government-style building that the self-regulating body occupied.
During their walk, Sorin inf...
2024-04-15 15:53:52 +0000 UTC View PostThe book turned out to be a lot less sinister than Sorin had come to expect. He wasn't sure whether to be worried about that because something about the book was just a little too reassuring and seemed to make him want to keep reading or whether to thank the capricious fox for his mercy.
The chapter was less a cultivation art than an explanation for the existence of the Evils of Pandora. ...
2024-04-12 22:58:19 +0000 UTC View PostWith the death of the three-star floor boss, it didn't take long for the remainder of the cores to get snatched up. As for the entrance into the second level of the catacombs that appeared after the floor boss's death, the corruption there was so potent that even the three God Seeds didn't dare enter.
Administrator Pollen was there to greet the surviving heroes upon their ret...
2024-04-11 21:11:59 +0000 UTC View PostOnly shadowy patches of distorted energy now separated Sorin's spiritual self from his physical body, which was rapidly deteriorating under the influence of Violence and an overactive Divine Bone Rot that was quickly chipping away at the bronze runes on his bones.
He now realized how deep of a schemer Melinoë was. She'd clearly been targeting him from the beginning and had lured h...
2024-04-10 20:54:55 +0000 UTC View Post
Having obtained the archer's agreement and distrusting Melinoë, the White Tower Group, and the Hargrave Clan, Sorin once again hopped onto the creature's tentacled back. By now, half its tentacles had been burned away by spells and poison, though they were rapidly regenerating as the creature breathed in the madness suffusing the core region.
Sorin dodged tentacle aft...
2024-04-09 12:57:28 +0000 UTC View PostOne. Sorin's dagger, aided by a thin aura of tarnished gold, barely penetrated the three-star horror's rubbery flesh. A carefully calculated dose of poison entered its flesh via the Hand of the Medicine God and Veridian Spell Blade, quickly spreading through its blood and nervous system. Potent acitoxins, necrotoxins, and manatoxins dispersed, melting and rotting its flesh ...
2024-04-08 21:54:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe golden barrier separating the core region from the rest of the catacombs was formed of millions of interlocking runic plates that covered the core of the city like a dome. Many of these plates had evidently tarnished over time due to the catacombs' excessive corruption, leading to conflicting arrangements disrupting the potent containment field.
At least a demigod had set...
2024-04-05 23:13:12 +0000 UTC View PostI'm not sure what happened, but somehow, I missed the post yesterday. I'm sorry for this.
Two chapters today.
--
As predicted, the demons they encountered only grew stronger. After felling four demons apiece, Gareth convened their two groups to continue the hunt more safely.
Many of their team members opposed this at first, but all complaints stopped once they fo...
2024-04-05 23:11:09 +0000 UTC View PostThe elites in their location turned out to be unusually concentrated for the outskirts, but it wasn't long until they ran out of prey to kill. After collecting eighteen Cores of Corruption, their team had no choice but to travel inward, where they were met with an unpleasant surprise.
"Other groups have already been here," announced Gareth after inspecting a remnant battlefie...
2024-04-03 20:52:02 +0000 UTC View PostUpon entering the catacombs, they realized that their team had been separated from the other parties. The strange portal remained, and the Shrine of Delphi could be seen on the other side. It was clear that they could return whenever they wished, though Daphne quickly clarified that it would collapse once used.
The second thing they realized was that their location was eerily famil...
2024-04-02 18:40:51 +0000 UTC View Post"Melinoë," Sorin muttered. Something about the name bothered him. And yet, even with his eidetic memory, he couldn't recall ever hearing it before. "You're saying that name like I should know it. And it does sound familiar, even if I can't tell why that might be."
"When you get a chance, you should discuss the name with your family's historian...
2024-03-28 14:33:03 +0000 UTC View Post
The Shrine of Delphi was located five miles outside the city proper, on a heavily sloped section of Mount Parnassus overlooking the coastal city. Trees and vegetation were plentiful, especially considering the soil's relative infertility. Moreover, it was a pure wilderness with undomesticated wild animals that were completely free of corruption.
In their party, on...
2024-03-28 14:31:32 +0000 UTC View PostThree days before the Shrine Descent, Sorin received a letter from Haley that included a private-class ticket for the afternoon's arena matches. Since refusing Haley wasn't an option, Sorin reluctantly headed to the sweaty and crowded entertainment venue. Thanks to his two-star apothecary medallion, mortals and cultivators alike gave him a wide berth.
The arena was a massive one that...
2024-03-28 14:22:27 +0000 UTC View PostThe leatherworker returned half an hour later smelling of dust and mildew, carrying a cloth-covered bundle that he treated with utmost reverence. At his waist, he also carried a high-grade bag of holding; he swiftly dumped the contents onto a side table before turning his attention back to the bundle.
Crystals, pieces of scrap leather with powerful auras, demon cores, and blood—a...
2024-03-27 16:45:47 +0000 UTC View PostI hope you all love this recurring character as much as I do.
--
With less than a month remaining before the Shrine Descent, Sorin switched gears and began wholeheartedly preparing for their expedition. Practicing spells was a mind-numbing and time-consuming process; to date, he'd reached initial mastery in Patient Viper's Analysis and Veridian Spell Sword. Five Poison Apocalypse p...
2024-03-26 13:13:06 +0000 UTC View PostThe mood in the room was divided into three main camps. The alchemists were naturally quite smug at Sorin's disqualification from the examination, as he was seen as a powerful competitor. Half of the apothecaries were satisfied, as his disqualification might mean an easing in the medical portion of the examination, while the other half was frustrated with the overall treatment of apothec...
2024-03-25 19:31:57 +0000 UTC View PostAlchemist Warner was very different from Apothecary Hawthorn. He looked to be a pleasant man with a gentle demeanor, though even without Elder Calvin's warning, his smile would have tripped several of Sorin's internal alarms.
Most important, however, was Sorin's gut feeling about the man. There was no doubt about it: Alchemist Warner meant him harm.
"The concoctio...
2024-03-22 12:32:58 +0000 UTC View PostThe Alchemy Division of the Kepler Medical Institute was a lavishly decorated place that stood in stark contrast to the spartan hospital and the Apothecary Division in the basement of the same building. The reason for this was quite simple: The Alchemy Division was funded and operated by the Alchemists Guild and not the Kepler Clan.
Conversely, keeping a simple and sanitary atmosph...
2024-03-21 12:16:53 +0000 UTC View PostWith the apothecary examination looming up ahead and the Shrine Descent coming in fast, Sorin decided it was finally time to confront a pressing issue he'd been delaying: the Divine Bone Rot. His tests had confirmed that while the rot wasn't definitely poison, it did respond to poison; it was just that his personal poisons weren't powerful enough to neutralize the rot before it ...
2024-03-20 19:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostOutmatched and unable to resist, Sorin and Lorimer complied with the cloaked cultivator's request and followed them into a dark alley. Sorin half-expected that to be the end of them, but to his pleasant surprise, the alley quickly opened into a quiet street filled with down-to-earth establishments like pawn shops, loan offices, cheap restaurants, and even cheaper bars.
The stre...
2024-03-19 12:23:51 +0000 UTC View PostThe next spell they replaced was Antimage's Blade. Given Sorin's ability to penetrate defenses and access a good weapon, they settled on Veridian Spell Sword, a weapon enchantment spell that allowed for efficient poison application through melee weapons.
Normally, the spell required both a poisonous medium to draw spell runes with and poison mana to cast. Luckily, Sorin's blood...
2024-03-18 21:04:22 +0000 UTC View PostThe apothecary examination was still a month away, giving Sorin more than enough time to brush up on the latest herbology research and shadow a few more cases in the hospital. He, therefore, decided to visit the Mages Guild like Lawrence suggested and learn a few new spells.
The Mages Guild's modus operandi was the exact opposite of the Kepler Medical Institute's, which favored...
2024-03-15 12:47:41 +0000 UTC View PostThe Fox's Trap was a classy pub that specialized in wine from local vineyards and beer from local frields. It served mostly Bone-Forging cultivators, which were plentiful in Delphi, and had a wide assortment of two-star drinks on the menu. Firebreather Wine, Hanged Man Ice Wine, and Torch Bearer's Drought were among the most popular.
Their fish and chips were renowned across th...
2024-03-14 14:24:31 +0000 UTC View PostElder Maric's office was in the Ancestral Manor's Intelligence Bureau instead of the Security Office, as one might expect. The Intelligence Bureau was a chaotic place filled with a loose assortment of papers and information jades, as well as communication devices, monitoring devices, and devices to block either communications or monitoring. Stealthy experts entered and left the Intel...
2024-03-13 14:01:31 +0000 UTC View PostThe confidential library's time limit of three hours per day wasn't much. Sorin, therefore, decided to 'learn' the A-Tier Blood Soul Nurturing Art first. The art was commonly used in the Kepler Clan apothecary group and had B-Tier and C-Tier equivalents.
During his remaining time, he alternated between the public and restricted libraries, updating and compiling knowledge until ...
2024-03-12 13:49:59 +0000 UTC View PostTen thousand threads of virulent poison poured out of the tablet and infiltrated Sorin's body. They filled his blood, his bones, and his flesh before working their way into his spirit and wrapping it tightly with poisonous shackles.
Sorin knew the moment the oath was completed that breaking the rules of the apothecary division would be extremely dangerous for even the inheritor...
2024-03-11 12:54:55 +0000 UTC View PostThe Kepler Medical Institute and Kepler Public Hospital were adjoining buildings located not far away from the New Castle area where Sorin resided. Sorin and Lorimer—Sorin had kept the rat secret from the Kepler Clan until he cleared him with Security—had a sumptuous breakfast before completing the half-hour walk to the academy.
It was a brisk spring day. The rain from the ...
2024-03-08 14:25:28 +0000 UTC View PostSorin was naturally unaware of the discussion that transpired outside the room or the significance of what was occurring. For all he knew, it was only natural that a divine book would be able to transfer large quantities of knowledge directly into his mind and spirit. After all, he already had the Ten Thousand Poison Canon and the Kepler Clan's secret research notes tucked away in hi...
2024-03-07 13:18:21 +0000 UTC View Post