Skill-Eater: Prison World Saga-Chapter 18: Senior Alchemist
Ten minutes later, Edge was standing outside the gate leading to the alchemists’ ward. Since he was a cored member of the town in good standing, the guards waved him in after confirming his identity and warning him not to go anywhere other than the main storefront located a few blocks ahead.
He walked past a group of people wearing lab coats who were sitting at a bench, eating lunch while debating various theories. There were laborers pulling handcarts, making deliveries to the dozens of operations scattered throughout the gated community. The scents of smoke and chemicals hung heavy in the air, and he could hear the pounding of hammers and the rip of saws in the distance.
He soon found himself gazing up at the alchemists’ store—a sprawling three-story building made of green stone that reminded him of jade. The ground level was all a single storefront, filled with shelves and tables displaying a wide range of goods. A dozen people were shopping inside, conferring with the staff while browsing the various wares. All of them were cored and were likely guards or hunters, judging from their gear.
“Can I help you?” An eager man in an expensive white suit walked over to Edge. “I’d be happy to answer any questions you have or explain how something works.”
“I would like to take a closer look at several items. But before we get to that, do you have somewhere private where I could consult with one of your senior members? I have a matter to discuss that requires some discretion.”
After checking with the manager on duty, the man left through a door in the back. He returned several minutes later, followed by the oldest tourist that Edge had ever seen. He was at least sixty years old in his puppet body, with long gray hair and a full mustache and beard.
“Well now. What’s all the fuss about?” The man turned to regard Edge with sea green eyes that seemed to see straight through him.
“I’m sorry to bother you.” Edge bowed. “But I need to have something alchemical identified, and I don’t want to share the details with anyone besides yourself. I would be happy to pay you for your time and appreciate you going out of your way to facilitate my request.”
“As long as you buy something on the way out, I won’t charge you for the service if there isn’t a skill involved. Consider it a welcoming gift for a prospective customer.”
Edge thanked the senior alchemist and followed him through a door, down a long hallway, and into a small chamber with two comfortable armchairs and a table running between them. The moment that the door closed, a humming whine filled the air, as a magitech privacy device shielded the room from prying eyes and scrying skills.
They both took a seat, then Edge reached into his bag and pulled out the potion he’d had taken from Warren during the final seconds of their fight. It was a bright pink concoction that occasionally let out a flash—like a small storm was trapped within the crystal vial.
“I found this while walking through the plains, near what must have been an intense battle. I thought about drinking it when I was in trouble, but then I decided that it would be prudent to know exactly what it was first.”
The man’s eyebrows rose when he saw what Edge had placed on the table. “You’re lucky that you didn’t,” he replied. “You would have been dead within minutes. This isn’t a potion, it’s a weapon-enhancement oil. Once you spread it along the surface of the killing tool, it will grant the weapon a powerful electrical attack for a few minutes or several good hits. Whichever happens first.
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“Anything you strike will receive a nasty shock.” The alchemist gestured for emphasis. “As will you, if you place it on a conductive surface, although your naginata should be fine. There’s enough in the vial for three separate coatings, given the size of that blade.”
Edge let out a sigh of relief that he hadn’t inadvertently poisoned himself by drinking the mixture during the fight with the garax. His anxiety shot right back up when the alchemist continued speaking.
“We don’t normally sell that variety of oil. We brew it by custom order only. The only one we made recently was for Warren the bounty hunter, who we believe met an untimely end not long ago.” He turned to look Edge straight in the eyes. “You didn’t kill him, did you? You look strong, but not that strong.”
“No, sir.” Edge tried his best to radiate sincerity. “I wouldn’t have the guts to take on an opponent of Warren’s caliber.”
“Pity,” the man replied. “Warren was a right bastard, and I would have offered you my sincere thanks. I would be happy to buy the oil from you if you don’t plan on using it.”
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“No. I think I’ll keep it. I’m sure that it will come in handy sooner or later.” Edge put the vial in his pack. “Thank you for your time. Like I promised, I’ll make sure to purchase something before I leave.”
He wasn’t sure that the alchemist bought his story, but the man seemed willing to keep any suspicions to himself. “Come see me again if you need something special. I’ll give you a discount. My name is Melchior.” With that, the alchemist deactivated the privacy device, opened the door, and walked Edge back into the shop.
He waved goodbye to Melchior, then turned his attention to his next objective, buying something interesting that he couldn’t get anywhere else. With that goal in mind, Edge had the attendant talk him through a selection of the wares on display.
The alchemists crafted a selection of incredibly useful, incredibly expensive products. They would have been out of his price range before. But with the bounty he’d collected for killing Warren, combined with the rewards and resources the crew had made from their last mission, he could afford them now. Not that he intended to waste a single Credit.
In the end, he decided to buy three potions and a medicinal pill. The first potion was a deep bronze color, and it would increase his Perception by a fair amount for about five minutes. Edge planned to use it while hunting elusive prey or if he found himself in a dangerous situation and needed an extra advantage.
The second vial was sky blue. It would boost his Speed and Control to a lesser extent for three and a half minutes. The third was a purple so deep that it was nearly black. It was similar to the blue potion, except it enhanced Power and Durability. Each concoction would stay fresh for a few months and came in a shatterproof crystal vial.
He didn’t have a potion bandolier like Warren’s, but the vials were small enough to fit into his belt pouches. It was reassuring to have them within easy reach. Edge had a few new aces up his sleeves if he needed a boost in a pinch.
With his potions situated, he turned his attention to his final purchase. The medicinal pill was a small green sphere that could counteract a long list of poisons and venoms. Since he didn’t have a skill that could cure such ailments, it was a form of insurance that would let him breathe a little easier in the field.
He spent a few more minutes browsing, looking for spellshots without revealing his interest. Edge really wanted to pick up more rounds for his new spellslinger, but that plan was a bust. He didn’t see any spellshots on display and wasn’t sure that the alchemists sold them. Either way, they were bound to be out of his price range and asking about them today would arouse suspicions that he was desperately seeking to avoid.
Oh well. I’ll worry about it when I have more creds to spend. After securing the pill in his toolbelt, Edge left the alchemists’ ward and continued with his day. It was time to pick up his new gear from the Forge, and then head into the field with his friends.
