Chapter 2.3: High Pressure Refining

Chapter 2.3: High Pressure Refining

Theo tried hard to push the intrusive thoughts out of his mind. Not even the endless list of new abilities gave him relief. He stood outside of Mianas house, staring into the sheets of rain for what felt like hours. Tresk sent telepathic communications several times, but he ignored them for the time being. A clap of thunder from the south woke him from his stupor. He blinked away the rain, looking over the town that he helped upgrade.

I have some information, Theo said, sending a message to Tresk.

He explained how sensitive the information was. Despite her sporadic behavior, the woman could be trusted with a secret. Hed told her many things in the past that he knew she would take to the grave. She responded attentively, voicing her concerns where appropriate and listening to others. He could feel her emotions in his chest, somewhere near his [Tarahek Core].

This changes nothing, Tresk said. If someone wants you here, thats fine. But were making our own fortune. They cant have youyoure mine.

I knew youd have a positive spin on this, Theo said.

He wanted to be more upset about the situation, but he wasnt. It changed nothing in the wider world and still placed them at the center of a conflict he wanted nothing to do with. Power was the only thing that mattered. Fenians words echoed through his mind then, a quirk of his [Wisdom] giving him near perfect recall.

Power draws power.

It was some saying from a long-forgotten empire named Zalabar, if the Elf could be trusted. Broken Tusk had been given the reins to power, and it would draw others to it. As mayor, he would need to be ready to face whatever power came to wash over them. He needed to turn the tide. Whatever that meant.

Theo returned to the lab, bypassing Azrugs questions and closing the door behind him. A new skill appeared in his available skills window. He had scrolled through the endless barrage of skills in the past, but this was the first one with a level requirement. He inspected the skill.

[High Pressure Refining]

Alchemy Skill

UncommonThe debut release of this chapter happened at Ñòv€l-B1n.

Requires: [Drogramath Alchemy Core] level 10

Pressure has an interesting effect on essences. This skill allows you to safely operate a pressure vessel. Learning how a pressure vessel works is up to you.

Effect:

Allows the user to operate an alchemical pressure vessel safely.

Gives the user access to refined essence identification.

+1 Intelligence

He learned to wait before selecting things by this point. The intelligence boost would be appreciated, but it was a single point. The real gem of the skill was exactly what he expected from hitting level 10. It gave access to an additional step of essence refinement. Before taking the plunge, he opened his copy of Basic Drogramathi Alchemy and flipped through the pages. Most of it was still in riddles, but one section stood out. Half of the poems were now replaced with something the alchemist could understand. This section detailed the [High Pressure Refining] skill, confirming his suspicions.

According to whatever Demon had penned this book, [High Pressure Refining] was a necessary skill. It allowed the alchemist to remove the impurities from the essence distillation method. He breathed a sigh of relief as he went over the instructions. They were detailed. Unlike the massive amount of guesswork hed done in the past, he now had explicit instructions on how to perform the process. Each reagent produced at least 3 properties. When distilled into an essence, that essence contained impurities, which amounted to the other properties. When put under extreme pressure and in the presence of a catalyst, these additional impurities were removed.

The result would produce a different essence than the base form. The book detailed them as refined essences and was complete with a list of sample recipes based on essence properties. This was more information than he could have hoped for. Theo had to wonder if Fenian knew the value of this book. His brush with the Archmage clarified that information was worth a fortune. Whatever price he paid for this book wasnt enough. It was priceless.

Theo bought the skill, equipping it in his [Drogramath Alchemy Core] without hesitation. The only thing he needed to worry about now was leveling his herbalism core to 10. Once he had that, hed have a free core slot. It would sit empty for some time, just like Tresks. She was still looking for the perfect core to fit her build, but she was coming up empty. The traders visits to the town had become more frequent, along with adventurers, but that brought her no closer to making a decision.

Broken Tusk had become accustomed to their mayor not making appearances. Theo spent all his time working on breaking the barrier, and now that it had fallen, he didnt know what to do with himself. He went downstairs, surprised he didnt notice the ringing of the bell upstairs. Azrug was with a customer, selling the wares the alchemist produced. He clapped his hand over the shopkeepers shoulder before leaving the store, heading back out into the rain. He went south, intent on checking on Perg.

Her tanner had undergone a transformation in recent days. She demolished the old, hand-built building in favor of a seed core tannery. From Theos experience, this enhanced the effects of whatever craft was performed inside. With her [Tanner Core], she could produce impossibly supple leathers. Even when the alchemist used his specialized process, it seemed to pale when compared to her work. The door was open, but he knocked on the frame.

Come on, Perg said from within. Theo entered.

He found her over a shallow pit, pouring some of his alchemical mixture over unprocessed hides. Theo watched with pride as the mixture stripped away the hair in an instant, reflecting a years worth of work the old way. Perg Grott was a hearty woman, like most of the Half-Ogres in Broken Tusk, as tall as him and muscular beyond reason. Most citizens in the town favored dumping their stats into [Strength], as they were mostly laborers. She had dull red skin like most Half-Ogres, long black hair, and gray eyes. There was always something lurking behind her eyes, though. As though she knew more than she let on.

Finally got it to 10, Theo said.

Oh, I saw the explosion, she said, grinning. Congratulations. I also saw the wizard. Those are dangerous folk.

Hes a drunk, Theo said, watching the women work.

Thats worse, Perg said. Can I expect to see you around more, now that youre past the barrier?

I think so, Theo said, smiling. Ill be working on the town a lot more.

Dont forget my tanning potions, Perg said, furrowing her brow.

No, not really, Uharis said, straightening himself up. Im hungry. And tired, perhaps. Still a little hungover, yes. Not angry.

Theo tried to get sight of the sun through the haze above, but he couldnt. His rumbling stomach told him dinner time was close enough.

Want to join us for dinner? Theo asked.

Uharis perked up, suddenly. His eyes went wide to bulging and he nodded, patting his stomach. Id like that.

Theo beckoned for the strange Elf to follow him south to the Newt and Demon. He sent a mental message to Tresk to meet them there, and she agreed.

Well talk about your dungeon access, Theo said. I might have you experiment on the other dungeons, though. The one in the swamp seems unstable.

Thats what I was trying to say! Uharis bellowed. I may be able to stabilize it.

Theo stopped on the cobbles, turning to face the Archmage. May be able to. What is that? A low chance of success? High chance?

Extremely high, Uharis said, folding his arms. He was suddenly serious in a way Theo hadnt seen him before. Outlander, Ill tell you this much. Youre right to be cautious. Tampering with dungeons is dangerous. I give you my word, as the Archmage of the Order of the Burning Eye, that I will not harm your dungeon.

Uharis hoisted the icon from his chain in the air, pulling the chain hard against his neck. I swear it on the Burning Eye.

Motes of light poured from the icon, dancing across the wet ground. Theo was going to let him tamper with the dungeon, anyway. He was close enough to upgrading the town that he could mount his defensive artifices if things went wrong. The alchemist smiled, placing a hand on the Elfs shoulder.

That means more than you know, Theo said. The order has been nothing but nice to me. If Sulvan thinks youre cool, youre cool.

Cool, Uharis repeated, wiggling his eyebrows. Outworlder slang, no doubt.

Theo smiled, leading the way for the Archmage to follow. They made their way into the Newt and Demon, the smell of cooking meat obvious from the shop downstairs. Uharis rubbed his hands together as they ascended the stairs, finding Azrug, Tresk, and Luras crowded around the [Flame Artifice].

Steak for everyone, Tresk said, giggling and flipping the contents of her wide copper pan.

Uharis blustered, pushing his way to the fire and shaking his head. No salt. No butterthis place really is savage.

He yanked the pan from her hands and withdrew several items from his inventory. Tresk objected, but silenced herself as he took the items out. The Archmage sprinkled salt, cut a fat knob of butter, and started moving the pan back and forth on the flame. The group watched as he worked his magic over the fire. Before long, and without prompting, he found five plates and dished the food out.

Thank you for the butter, magic Elf, Tresk said, tearing a large section of her steak out with her teeth.

Oh, this is good, Azrug said, slumping in his seat. Really good.

Theo cut himself a section of his steak and took a bite. It had been a while since hed had the amazing combination of salted steak with butter. He really needed to find a way to get both things in the town. The group ate through their meal with light conversation. Uharis revealed more about himself, but was slightly cagey about it all. Tresk claimed thats just how wizards were.

You have a free core slot, Uharis said, nodding to Tresk.

I do, she said, perking up.

Well, Assassin and Tracker are good bases, Uharis said, nodding. Ah, well. This is a service I provide for the scholar cultsquite expensive. But, if youll hear me, I'll give you a good suggestion.

Tresk leaned over, her eyes wide. Tell me, wizard man.

Combine a rare rogue core, with a rare Illusion Hedgemage core. Youll find yourself with a [Shadowdancer Core], at epic rarity. With Shadowdancer, youll have many options for stealth. More than you have now, even. Theres a passive ability you can buy that grants you a bonus to all stealth abilities. Increased damage, reduced cooldowns. Its quite a sight to watch a Shadowdancer work.

Tresk was on the edge of her seat. It was the most attention Theo had ever seen her pay to anyone, even him. While she might not remember the information, the alchemists memory was nearly perfect. He could remember it easily.

Youre giving that information for free? Azrug asked, blustering.

Yes, my normal fee is quite expensive. Who thinks of combining those two cores, right? The scholars guard the information closely. The Outlander gave me permission to study the dungeon. And were all friends here, Uharis said.

Yeah, friends, Tresk said, her eyes wide.

To a new friendship, Uharis said, smiling. And disobeying the high inquisitor of the Order of the Burning Eye!

Theo grimace, only managing a weak smile. They stayed there for some time, only just before the sun set. Azrug left first, followed by Luras, who seemed completely absorbed in the steak. When the Archmage left, he went intending to find a room at the Marsh Wolf Tavern.

Tresk pressed her forehead against Theos before they made their way to bed. The [Tarahek Core] was on the verge of hitting level 10, and he couldnt wait to see what theyd get. The pair drifted off to sleep at the same time, enveloped in a sense of comfort brought by breaking the barrier.