Most of what they expected to be within the giant serpent’s body was there. Blood, guts, muscles, even the beast core. A palm-sized brown and yellow orb that gently hummed with internal energy.
Beast Core (Mortal)
Attuned Element: Wood
Purity: 78%
A beast core from a Mortal grade spirit beast. This creature was attuned to the Wood element, as such, the properties of the element have been imbued into the core. Can be consumed for a minor boost to Internal Energy Control. Beastkin or ones specializing in beastly martial techniques have an increased effect from consuming beast cores.
But what neither expected to be within the snake, alongside its beast core. It was a large yellow crystal that held nearly twice the internal energy its beast core had. It felt charged with static, making Chun’s hair stand on end when he touched it, much to Sariah’s confusion and enjoyment. Though he still managed to identify it.
Elemental Crystal (Mortal)
Attuned Element: Wood
Purity: 92%
An elemental crystal imbued with aspects of the Wood element. Formed in the body of a unique Ironwood Titan Serpent to refine its internal energy flow. Due to its high purity, this elemental crystal is able to be refined into a Spirit grade elemental crystal under the right condition. Failure to refine the crystal may reduce its purity or destroy it entirely.
All things considered, he wasn't overly surprised by what the crystal ultimately was. But he was surprised by the fact he could refine it to a higher grade. Granted, he had no idea how to actually do that. Not that he was sure he wanted to. He didn't know what exactly he would get out of it. The serpent had used it to refine its internal energy, so could he do the same? But he didn't know if it would even work for him. Perhaps it was specific to spirit beasts.
Not being able to answer any questions he wanted answers to, he just tossed the crystal into his storage ring. He made a note to ask someone about it. Maybe Ms. Kanta would know.
Now, though, Chun and Sariah had returned to the port. They had washed themselves and healed their visible wounds, before stopping by a restaurant for food.
They'd wandered through the stables again on their way back, this time not seeing Li Xai. Though Chun simply assumed he was off-shift now. It had been several hours since they were last there, after all.
“So what do we do now, Master?” Sariah asked as she practically inhaled a stew filled with meat of something neither her nor Chun decided to ask about.
“Alchemy.” Chun stated simply as he dug into his own meal, a bowl of noodles in a sweet broth. “Have you forgotten about the Internal Condensing Pills already?”
A few seconds of nothing but the sound of Sariah devouring food told Chun she had indeed forgotten, or wasn’t listening. Both were equally as likely.
Mentally checking his storage ring, Chun saw that he had a total of 27 beast cores, including the one from the serpent. If he remembered correctly, making one Internal Condensing Pill- assuming it succeeded- took around two hours. Which wasn't very long, all things considered. But Chun intended on making a few variants with his saliva, which typically elongated the process by an hour or so. Regardless, his first few concoctions would be simple and by-the-book.
***
Internal Condensing Pill
Purity: 55%
A pill used to condense the internal energy flow of a living being, refining it. Aides in progressing one through the martial stages and repairing damaged or strained internal veins. Low purity Internal Condensing Pills may have an opposite effect.
His first concoction was a success, surprisingly. The alchemy manual had stated that the pill was one of the harder within the book to actually make. It gave tips on how to successfully craft it, obviously, but even so it was considered difficult.
Chun, on the other hand, had crafted one of decent purity on his first try.
Rolling around the dull purple pill in his hand, he could see the internal energy within it almost like honey within a small glass orb. The purple color was likely due to the fact he'd used one of the normal umbra wolf beast cores for its base. He imagined higher purity beast cores would produce higher purity pills, but, according to the manual, that made them harder to make. Not that that seemed to be much of a problem for Chun.
Chun turned to his bed, where Sariah lay sprawled out on it. Her armor was off, as were most of her clothes beneath, except for her bra and briefs. He offered the pill to Sariah. “Hey Sariah, eat this.”
The woman didn't even hesitate as she leaned over the side of the bed and took the pill in her hand and ate it without so much as looking at it.
Chun focused his attention on the woman's internal veins he'd accidentally strained during sex. He practically saw the veins begin to constrict and repair in real time. It was more potent then when Sariah had eaten a raw beast core before. Though it still hadn't quite recovered her fully. Though Chun imagined he could still go a few extra rounds with the woman before she needed to eat another pill.
Regardless, he shook away the thoughts- as tempting as they were- and spoke. “Do you feel any different?”
The large woman nodded. “It is oddly warm. It feels like my blood has thinned. It seems to flow more easily. Though there is still an oddness to it. Come to think of it,” she got off the bed to stand near Chun and look down at herself. “While fighting the serpent I attempted to use a technique I had once when we fought. Though my internal energy did not respond. Now though,” Sariah’s body began to pulse with internal energy in a similar way it had during their fight in the tournament.
Sariah’s face took on a strained look as the pulse flickered and faded. “I still cannot keep it up for long.”
“But the pill worked. Which is good,” Chun stated as he tapped his storage ring to produce another bundle of ingredients. “It means I can make more.”
Over the next few hours, Chun made two more Internal Condensing Pills. One was similar to the one Sariah had eaten, but the second was his first attempt at putting his saliva into the concoction.
Condensing Pill of the Awakened Hybrid
Purity: 31%
A basic Internal Condensing Pill enhanced with the essence of the Awakened Hybrid. As such, only beings strongly bound to spirits, beasts, or demons can safely consume it. Being strongly bound to all three have a greatly increased effect when consuming this pill. Due to this pill’s low purity, it has a slightly reduced effect.
It wasn’t anything he wasn’t expecting. Though he was somewhat disappointed it wasn’t as much a success as the Ox Pill had been. That one had practically evolved to enhance several things at once. He wondered if this pill was similar, even if it didn’t say so. There was only one way to find out.
Condensing Pill of the Awakened Hybrid consumed
Progress to next martial stage: +12%
Internal Energy Control: +15%
It had worked better than he expected. He could feel his internal veins tighten as the pill’s essence soaked into his body. A mix of red, blue, and green internal energy flooding his body. It soaked not only into his energy veins, but his heart and bloodstream as well.
Chun looked to his storage ring, mentally probing its contents to see what he had left. He had yet to use the cores from either the Ironwood Titan Serpent, or the umber wolf alpha. Including those two cores, he still had a total of 24 beast cores left. More than enough to get him to the third martial stage, and likely the fourth, assuming the condensation of internal energy needed wasn't that much higher.
Though then a thought struck him. Maybe it would be easier to give Sariah the pills, dual-cultivate with her like he had before, and increase his martial stage that way. It would strain her energy veins again, but that's what the beast cores were for.
Then a second thought struck him. He'd made a few rather powerful enemies as of late. They hadn't tried to kill him yet, at least that he was aware of, but he wouldn't doubt that they would soon. In fact, it wasn't far-fetched to assume they would likely attack people he knew to get to him.
Ms. Kanta was likely too important a person for them to reasonably attack. But Ms. Pairu and the entirety of the Studded Pearl, was not.
So that gave him an idea.
He looked back to the sleeping form of Sariah sprawled on his bed then to the alchemy equipment before him.
“Just one more pills. And let's make it a good one.” He told himself as he produced the alpha’s core from his ring.
***
“What even is this?” Baek Choel asked as he rolled around the purple pill in his hands.
The morning after concocting several pills, Chun had gone to the Studded Pearl to offer a gift to its sole guard. Val, the receptionist had waved him in without paying him much mind. And he had tried (and mostly failed) to not ogle at a few of the curvier women they had staffed. Ultimately, Chun still made his way to Baek, tucking away the discomfort in his pants.
“An internal condensing pill. I made it last night with some beast cores I'd recently gotten.” Chun explained.
The two now sat at a table in the corner of the lobby. A few drinks had been set on the table by the staff on seeing Chun arrive. Though Chun wasn't quite sure what warranted it.
Baek raised a brow. “Is that why you've been absent so much? Pairu said you'd been away for a few days. We weren't really expecting you back so soon.”
“I'm not back yet, I still have some things to sort out. But gathering beast cores and making those,” he gestured to the pill. “Is part of it. That's one of the more potent ones I've made. It should push you pretty solidly into the second martial stage.”
As he spoke, he recalled the description of the pill in his mind after he'd made it.
Internal Condensing Pill
Purity: 91%
A pill used to condense the internal energy flow of a living being, refining it. Aides in progressing one through the martial stages and repairing damaged or strained internal veins. Low purity Internal Condensing Pills may have an opposite effect. Due to this pill’s high purity, consuming the pill has a greatly enhanced effect.
There had only been one line of difference, but so far, it was the highest purity pill he'd made. And he was only considered a ‘beginner’ by the system’s standards. Then again, the Internal Condensing Pill was rather simple in the grand scheme of what alchemy was possible.
“Are you sure it's… good?” Baek asked as he held the pill up to his eyes. “Didn't you start alchemy like… two days ago?”
Chun nearly scoffed at the man, but he doubted the guard had ever really seen many alchemy pills. “Trust me, it's high quality. Just eat it.”
“Right now?” Baek asked.
Chun nodded. He didn't really see a reason against it.
Baek took one more sceptical look at the pill, then Chun. He debated for half a second if this was some sort of joke or not, but ultimately decided it wasn't of any real harm, even if the pill was useless. And Chun wasn't the type of person to poison someone he'd been working with the past two years. Even if they were only really coworkers.
As the pill fell down his throat and settled in his stomach, Chun immediately felt its effects. His internal veins that he'd never bothered to truly refine after reaching the first martial stage flared. For a split second he was worried the pill was some sort of poison. Then the energy began to condense and refine itself from the excess of internal energy that now flooded his body. He even began to glow a dull purple for a split second as the effect hit its peak before gradually fading.
As the pill’s effects faded fully, Baek looked down at his body. “I hit the cusp of the second stage just like that from one pill?” He asked in astonishment. He stood up to get a better look at his body. Though visibly it hadn't changed at all. “What the hell was in that pill?”
“Well the important part was the beast core of an alpha umber wolf.” Chun stated as he tried to not focus on the several staff and patrons that now looked at them. “Also, could you sit down and not make a scene?”
Baek cleared his throat and sat down. Though he still looked at his arms, likely testing the flow of energy within them. “So why did you give me this? Couldn't you have used it?”
Chun shrugged. “I have simpler ways to run through the martial stages. As for why I gave it to you,” Chun lowered his voice slightly. “Do you remember the woman who came to visit me two days ago?”
Baek nodded. “She did seem odd. But she mentioned you by name, so Pairu let her pass. I'd asked her why she was so lenient on the woman, but Pairu insisted you could handle whatever happened.”
Chun held back the question of how Pairu expected him to handle the woman if things were to get violent- not that he couldn't- but he decided to save that question for the woman herself.
“She was a messenger from the Black Tiger Gang. She wanted to recruit me- more or less- to the gang. I am due to meet up with the leader of the gang in two days to discuss some sort of deal with them. Though that isn't everything,” Chun took a quick glance around the lobby where most had gone back to their work and revelry. “I have likely gained the attention of the Laughing Mask gang, and Iron Spider gang. The Iron Spider's specifically,”
“Will be angered by the fact you killed Heiyin.” Baek finished Chun’s thought. He now saw where this conversation was going. “They know where you work. And you need someone other than yourself to protect this place while you're out doing heaven-knows-what?”
Chun nodded. “You won't be alone. I have an ally who will help you, and will be arriving later today to give you some equipment. Consider it a gift from me to you, it wasn't cheap.”
He had sent Sariah to the market when he left for the Studded Pearl with a total of 150 imperial coins to buy treasures for Baek. He had told her to get a combination of alchemical pills to improve one's strength and durability, light armor, and treasures that would overall give Baek a power boost. He'd need everything he could get if the other gangs were going to send an attack.
“What makes you think I can beat them? I'm sure I could kill someone like Heiyin if I needed to. But I don't know any techniques, and I'm not exactly the pinnacle of a martial artist.” Baek stated.
“You're also the only person who guards this place. Plus, like I said, you'll have help. In a worse case scenario just minimize casualties.” Chun stated.
Baek crossed his arms and tapped his foot in thought. “Just what have you gotten us into?” He mumbled, mostly to himself. “Fine, I'll protect this place like I've been hired. But you owe me.”
Chun smiled as he stood up. “For what? Doing your job?” He asked Bael jokingly. “But thank you,” he bowed slightly. “You've taken quite the weight off my shoulders.”