Chapter 3: The First Meal
757 Words
The taste of the failed mana crystal lingered in Kaelen’s mouth—a metallic tang of rust and ozone. It was vile. It was poison. But it was food.
He sat up, his back against the cold stone wall of the Inner Sanctum. The door was shut, but he could feel the residual heat from the ritual circle. The parasite in his arm was quiet now, sated. The gnawing hunger that had threatened to consume his soul was temporarily silenced.
[Alchemic Codex Updated]
[Host: Kaelen Voss]
[Status: Stable (Barely)]
[Parasite: Vyre Larva (Stage 1: Hatchling)]
[Ability Unlocked: Basic Alchemic Conversion]
Kaelen focused on the last line. Basic Alchemic Conversion. What did that mean?
As if reading his thoughts, a series of diagrams and formulas appeared in his mind. It wasn't language. It was pure information. He saw the failed crystal he had just eaten. He saw its chaotic energy. And he saw how the parasite had broken it down, filtered out the toxins, and converted the rest into a usable fuel.
It was a filter. A biological alchemy engine.
He looked around the lab. It was a mess of shattered glass, spilled chemicals, and discarded failures. To a normal mage, this was trash. To Kaelen, it was a buffet.
He spotted a vial of thick, green sludge. It was labeled "Failed Potion: Acidic Corrosion." The label was charred.
Kaelen picked it up. The glass was warm to the touch. He popped the cork and sniffed. The smell made his eyes water and his nose burn. It was highly corrosive.
He drank it.
The liquid burned his throat, but the pain was different from the Mana Burns. This was a chemical burn, a physical one. The parasite reacted instantly. He felt a surge of energy as the acid was broken down.
[Consumption Successful: Failed Potion (Acidic Corrosion)]
[Parasite Evolution: +0.1%]
[New Trait Acquired: Minor Acid Secretion]
Kaelen looked at his right hand. He concentrated, willing the new trait to activate. A bead of clear, viscous fluid formed on the tip of his index finger. It dripped onto the stone floor, and a puff of white smoke rose up, followed by a sharp hiss. The stone sizzled and dissolved, leaving a small, shallow pit.
A weapon. A tool.
Kaelen’s lips curled into a humorless smile. Thorne thought he had created a victim. A battery. He had created a monster.
The door to the lab creaked open.
"Hey! Scrubber!" It was Elian, the apprentice from earlier. He stood in the doorway, his face twisted in a sneer. "Master Thorne said you were to be disposed of. What are you still doing here?"
Kaelen didn't answer. He stood up slowly, his movements smooth and deliberate. He didn't wipe the acid from his finger.
"Did you hear me, you filthy—"
Elian stopped. He noticed the vial in Kaelen's hand. He noticed the sizzling spot on the floor. And he noticed Kaelen's eyes. They were cold. Empty.
"What did you do?" Elian demanded, his voice losing some of its confidence. "What is that stuff?"
Kaelen took a step forward. "I'm cleaning," he said, his voice flat. "Just like you told me to."
Elian reached for his wand. "Stay back! I'll have you flogged for this!"
Kaelen moved. He was fast. Not supernaturally fast, but fast enough. He crossed the distance between them in two strides. He grabbed Elian's wrist, the one holding the wand, and squeezed.
Crack.
Elian screamed. His wrist broke. The wand clattered to the floor.
Kaelen didn't stop. He raised his other hand, the one with the acid on it, and pressed it against Elian's cheek.
Hissss.
Elian's scream turned into a gurgle of pure terror. The acid burned through his skin, melting flesh and muscle. The smell of cooked meat filled the air.
Kaelen held him there for a second, looking into the apprentice's eyes. He saw fear. He saw pain. He felt nothing.
Then, he let go. Elian collapsed to the floor, clutching his face, sobbing.
"Clean yourself up," Kaelen said. "You're making a mess."
He stepped over the whimpering apprentice and walked out of the lab. He had a new goal now. He needed more "residue." He needed to grow stronger. And he needed to find a way out of this tower.
The Alchemic Codex flickered in his vision.
[New Quest: Scavenge the Waste Pits]
[Objective: Consume 10 units of Mana Residue from the Tower's disposal area.]
[Reward: Enhanced Physical Strength]
Kaelen headed for the stairs. Down. Always down. To the garbage. To the power.
- Writer
