Pandora Unchained - B1C66: Third Encounter

Sorin spent the next few days that followed amassing gold by concocting the more lucrative poisons on the apothecary request board. He managed to earn 3,500 gold before realizing that this was the limit of easy money to be earned.

With all the lucrative missions out of the way, there's only the recurring one-star mission issued by the governor's manor, thought Sorin. The poison is a simple one that alchemists probably wouldn't mind concocting. But with the low margins, I'll only be able to make 150-200 gold per day.

Compared to his previous situation as a quasi-one-star physician, Sorin was swimming in gold. The problem wasn't that he couldn't earn money but that he couldn't earn it quickly enough.

Having collected the necessary funds, Sorin purchased some minor poisons and began actively growing what would become his ninth poison. He settled on stone melt instead of bone melt, mainly because damage to one's bones was tricky to deal with and could impact his ability to become a bone-forging cultivator.

The initial concoction required 15 simple poisons worth 500 gold in total. Sorin used these poisons to form a 'seed' that he then proceeded to nourish with increasingly powerful poisons.

Unfortunately, it was when Sorin had just finished the seed that he received a piece of critical news: the demon tide was starting, and the first of many skirmishes had taken place. All adventuring were to report for mandatory patrols. Only cultivators serving as craftsmen or logistics personnel were exempted.

Those in critical roles are also exempt, but that's left entirely to the discretion of the governor's manor, thought Sorin. Fortunately, serving as an apothecary will allow me to avoid the first waves and finish nourishing my ninth poison. He didn't want to abandon his friends, but he similarly couldn't give up on his cultivation. Moreover, his research into the stent procedure was showing promise; only concocting would give him enough time to develop the procedure.

Sorin, therefore got busy concocting Lung Rot Powder and Scorching Bramble Ash. He made a request for a large batch of ingredients from the Alchemists Guild. He informed them that he would be participating in the war as an apothecary for the time being.

As expected, he soon received a letter from the guild leader instructing him that he need not report to the Adventurers Guild for duty. The condition was that he submit a minimum of 750 grams of either poison every day.

Sorin quickly did the math and found these conditions acceptable. Concocting 750 grams will take me about eight hours per day. I'll also be able to earn 150 gold per day, 15 of which will go to Lorimer. The hard-working rat was getting increasingly demanding about the quality of the demon cores in his diet and was therefore quite happy to serve as a beast flame to facilitate this.

Meanwhile, feeding the stone melt poison will only require 2 hours per day. That will leave me with 2-4 hours of research time in the Mages Guild. Ultimately, the stenting procedure was a spell-like application of mana. By spending the income that he earned crafting poisons, he would be able to secure a tutor to help him craft a framework compatible with poison mana.

Having made his decision, Sorin sent a letter to Stephan through the guild courier informing him of his future activities. He received a reply later that day stating that the team had no problems with this as long as he convened with them before the demon tide grew more violent.

Relieved, Sorin began feeding the stone melt poison in earnest and crafted a bit of extra scorching bramble ash in case he encountered any mishaps in the laboratory that would prevent him from meeting his quota.

Three days later, he squeezed out time to hire a tutor. The man was a retired adventurer who handled neutral mana and was, therefore, experienced in a variety of spell forms. They scrapped the initial stenting framework and built a more suitable model from the ground up.

On the fourth day, Sorin reached initial success in growing his ninth poison. The stone melt poison reached the middle one-star grade and showed no signs of stalling. On the fifth day, it reached the peak of the middle grade, and it would only be a matter of time until it reached the highest grade.

On the fifth day, Sorin finally managed to extricate himself from other duties and tie up a loose end. He made his way to the temple just outside the Bloodwood Outpost. Despite the corpses and blood that were piling up outside the city as the guards and adventurers repelled wave after wave of demons, the path to the cathedral remained clear and untainted.

There were many beggars, homeless people, and refugees residing in a small tent village near the temple. Small fires burned in each camp as the refugees took turns cooking thin stews that were distributed amongst the poor and the helpless, courtesy of the Temple of Hope, the Governor's Manor, and the guilds and associations.

Out of habit, Sorin cast the Ophidian Eye spell and inspected their conditions. He confirmed Lawrence's report on Marcus's behavior and corroborated the patient data they'd found in the clinic. The vibrant mana signatures he saw on each of them would only be seen in perfectly healthy people, relatively free of corruption.

There was an oddness he couldn't quite place in these people, but time was pressing. He made his way over to the side temple used by adventurers, where he was quickly ushered to a private altar, complete with white wishing fire and freshly cut kindling.

Sorin reverently placed his offering, the Core of Violence, on the altar, and lit up the kindling with white fire. Like the two times before, Sorin found himself in a dark space. Nine black chains with a hint of gold whipped in the night sky, only joining together at their point of origin, the nine-tailed fox that went by the name of Hope.

"We meet again, Sorin Abberjay Kepler," whispered the fox from its elevated position. "And this time, you've brought along a proper offering. How delightful. Have you decided on what you wish to pursue? Will it be power? Information? The games you humans play never bore me."

It took some time for Sorin to get used to the stifling sensation of the dark space. The nature of the temple corrupted as surely as entering Bloodwood Forest would. In this case, it kindled the deepest and most desperate desires hidden away in one's heart.

In Sorin's case, it was a bubbling desire for vengeance against those who wronged him, along with an insatiable curiosity for the truth behind the death of his parents and the Abberjay branch's fall from grace.

Hope was a strange and counter-intuitive feeling. It filled a person with energy and allowed them to break free from their predicaments. At the same time, it was suffocating, for it could only be felt alongside despair.

Sorin, therefore, reigned in emotions and banished his deeper desires. He hadn't come here for the truth, nor had he come here for power. He'd come here for knowledge that only a deity could grant.

"I am too weak for vengeance and can only accommodate so much power," said Sorin. "But I have faith that you, the Lord of Hope and the Light of the Desperate, can answer a question that's been bothering me for quite some time."

The fox snorted. "Do you really think that flattery will change the way an Evil conducts his business?"

"Not at all," said Sorin. "I wanted to clarify that, unlike before, I don't want straight answers. I don't want a specific boon. What I want... is Hope.

"There are shackles that bind humanity. They are divine chains that prevent us from unlocking our fullest potential. My request is this: I wish for a way to break through those limits. I wish for a hint at how to break these shackles, something the ancient gods of Pandora had forbidden."

The fox chuckled. "Do you think you're the only one who's ever wished for such a thing, Sorin Abberjay Kepler? Tens of thousands have made a similar wish, yet after all these years, no one has ever succeeded.

"I would never dare ask for certainty," said Sorin. "But I have gazed upon these golden shackles and found them most repugnant. My solemn wish for humanity is limitless potential."

Several tense seconds passed while the fox considered his request. "Very well, Sorin Abberjay Kepler," said the fox. "I will grant you your wish, though I guarantee that you will regret making it." He then sent Sorin flying out of the dark space and back into his body, which was still kneeling and piously praying.

Sorin felt weak like he hadn't eaten for days. His spirit was drained to the point that he would be unable to wield mana without resting for an hour. The fire on the altar was just going out, with not even ashes remaining of the Core of Violence.

When the last of the wish flames burnt out, a small bottle appeared on the altar. It contained a single black pill that filled even Sorin with revulsion. Attached to the pill was a note.

Violent Awakening Pill, Sorin read. Poison taboo pill. Consumable. The consumer of this pill will experience a significant increase in mana potency and physical strength equivalent to roughly a half cultivation realm. Effect duration: 5-10 minutes.

Sorin frowned as he continued reading the description.

Using this pill will result in the corruption of one's mana attribute with the violence aspect. Invasive corruption is inevitable. Should the user survive the contamination, their life order will change. They will no longer be considered human but a fully-fledged demon instead.

"This…. What nonsense is this?" said Sorin after reading the bottle. "Is this a joke? I asked for a way to break humanity's shackles, not for a way to leave one's humanity behind and become a demon." This wasn't a pill to be casually consumed. The least terrible consequence for doing so was death. Demonification was naturally the most terrifying outcome, as the accompanying madness would lead one to turn on their companions.

Sorin sighed as he picked up the pill bottle. No matter what, it's still worth something. Selling it is likely prohibited, but it can be a form of insurance. Having made his decision, he stored the it'lle and left the temple to complete his last-minute preparations.