Pandora Unchained - a Cultivation Progression Fantasy

The apothecary examination was still a month away, giving Sorin more than enough time to brush up on the latest herbology research and shadow a few more cases in the hospital. He, therefore, decided to visit the Mages Guild like Lawrence suggested and learn a few new spells.

The Mages Guild's modus operandi was the exact opposite of the Kepler Medical Institute's, which favored an austere and sanitary style. Ostentatious arches, impossible walls, and spell circuitry showing exactly how the building's energy was harnessed and utilized were just the more visible ways the guild used to show off—that, and copious amounts of free coffee.

It was well-known that overconsuming coffee could cause adrenal fatigue in mortals and either vital fatigue or mana fatigue in cultivators. The problem was that they just didn't care. Virtually everyone in the guild was overconsuming the free beverages. Sorin didn't go out of his way to point this out, however, because chronic coffee drinkers, including Sorin, did not like to be told they were overdoing it.

The first thing he did was go to the membership desk, where, to no one's surprise, he was told he'd have to update his membership for a low fee of 1000 gold pieces. Luckily, this included free two-star coffee, and unlike the frail mages in the building, he could drink nigh-unlimited amounts without suffering from an overdose. What's more, Lorimer was also pretty much immune to its negative effects. It was a steal of a deal, so Sorin was in the minority of members who didn't feel cheated.

An hour later, Daphne found him in the library browsing through eye techniques. "Looking for a replacement for your Ophidian Eye spell?" asked Daphne.

Sorin nodded. "It's outlived its purpose. I can see meridians just fine, but they aren't enough. At the Bone-Forging level, I need to see a target's bones to poison them properly.

"Then there's the fact that the spell is underpowered. I can't even make out a two-star demon's internal organs, and that's where most of their mana accumulates."

"That makes sense," said Daphne. "When I arrived at the Mages Guild in Delphi, the first thing I did was learn an advanced version of detect magic. I then tweaked it to better detect spell runes.

"Are we going for B-Tier like last time, or do you want to try something a little more conservative? Two-star spells are more difficult and time-consuming to master."

"Actually, I got lucky and learned a skill," said Sorin. "As long as it's a poison-based spell, I should be able to handle up to A-Tier."

Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Whatever foundation you built up at the one-star level won't be enough. Given how slowly you learned Spear in a Haystack, it could take you months to learn such a spell."

"I'm sure," said Sorin. "In the worst case, I'll return whatever book I rent and borrow something cheaper."

Daphne was an efficient shopper. After deciding on A-Tier spells that utilized poison mana, she quickly found six spells that fit the bill.

"So many?" exclaimed Sorin. "Aren't poison spells pretty rare?"

Daphne looked at him strangely. "We're in Delphi, Sorin. This place has loads of spells in its main elements: fire, light, life, and most importantly, poison."

"And why exactly is poison at the top of the list?" asked Sorin. "Aren't you a big fan of fire?"

Daphne sighed. "It's not about my preferences, but the preferences of local cultivators. Delphi has a large number of poison-wielding clans and inheritances. Your clan is one of them. Because of this, the average spell level is much higher than normal. It's almost the opposite situation as Fort Bloodwood, where the poison spells were cheap because demand was so low.

"Look over there." She pointed at a mage proudly wearing dark green robes. He wore a friendly expression and was talking with his fellow mages. It was clear that he was quite popular. "He's a plague mage, Sorin. A sought-after specialty in adventuring parties throughout the continent. With a well-balanced party, they can out-damage even fire cultivators, assuming their poisons are given time to take effect.

"In Delphi, the most popular element for mages isn't fire, but poison. Even Guild Master Hargrave is a poison cultivator."

Sorin winced when he heard his mother's maternal clan mentioned. Though he knew they were influential for a poison clan, he hadn't expected the same principles to apply to normal mages. "That's… mindboggling," said Sorin, shaking his head. "And completely inconsistent with everything I've experienced."

Daphne didn't disagree. "The situation with the Alchemists Guild and the Medical Association is actually the exception rather than the rule."

"Aren't people afraid of poison users?" asked Sorin. "I asked Lawrence and Gareth to look into it. According to them, the average person is rather fearful of anyone who cultivates that kind of mana."

"Isn't that kind of the point?" asked Daphne, confused. "We're mages, Sorin, not doctors. If the public fears you, it must be because you're good at killing things. Plus, having a plague mage in your party would probably grease a lot of wheels since no one would ever want to upset one."

Her logic was sound. Her words were convincing. Yet Sorin had trouble believing his ears because these were the same arguments that the Medical Association used to discriminate against poison users.

"Let's ignore the reputation issue for now," said Sorin. "There are six spells here. Are there any big differences?"

"There are huge differences," said Daphne. "I focused on inspection-type spells, but not all spells are created equal. You have an eye skill, don't you?"

"I do," confirmed Sorin. "It's a spiritual attack that causes paralysis."

"Then that disqualifies these two," said Daphne, picking out two spells entitled Henrick's Serpentine Gaze and Under Their Skin. "These spells are efficient but too intrusive. They can get a very accurate picture of a person's inner workings, including their bones, but it's a little heavy-handed. As a result, Cobra's Glare might accidentally trigger. Not a big deal when dealing with opponents, but it's not something you want happening to your friends, am I right?"

"Is there maybe a spell with multiple levels of focus?" asked Sorin.

"That would be these two," said Daphne, pulling out two spells titled Ophidian Inspection and Patient Viper's Analysis. "Ophidian inspection is especially sensitive to mana. The first level allows the caster to see rough spell shapes as they manifest, as well as a target's mana circulation system and internal organs. The second level requires five seconds of constant inspection to make out increasing details. Eventually, it'll be possible to make out specific runes and spell forms, as well as identify key bone runes.

"There's also a third level, which enables the user to inspect and decode spell formations. This is more for mages who want to dabble in barrier-breaking."

Sorin was keen on many of these effects, but he picked up Patient Viper's Analysis and flipped through the introduction. "A completely internal technique," he read. "The first level allows one to make out the target's mana circulation system, internal organs, and bones. The second level takes five seconds of continuous inspection and allows one to identify the target's main bone runes and key weaknesses. The third level takes ten seconds of constant inspection on a poisoned target and will reveal the target's muscles, circulatory system, and detailed bone runes."

He picked out the book and checked the price. "Holy mother of—are you serious? Twenty thousand gold coins a month? They're thieves, Daphne. The entire guild. And you said poison spells were a bargain?"

"You're the one who wanted an A-Tier spell," grumbled Daphne. "Now, are you going to try it or not? Remember, if you open it, you pay for it."

Though it pained Sorin to do so, he pried open the cover. His membership jade immediately vibrated to inform him that he'd incurred a debt of 20,000 gold that needed to be paid within 24 hours. Otherwise, interest would accrue at 10% per week, a usurious rate.

"This better work," said Sorin, reading the first page. It laid out the structure of the spell and would be a good indication of how long it would take to learn it.

Fortunately, it was as he predicted it. The spell runes in the book lit up in his mind and instantly transformed into wriggling serpentine runes in his spiritual sea. Thanks to their simplified forms, he was able to start piecing them together.

"How was it?" asked Daphne.

"It only took me about an hour to learn the first three pages," said Sorin.

"Really?" asked Daphne. "That's… amazing. You're learning spells much faster than before. You said you had a fortuitous encounter?"

"I learned a skill," said Sorin with a wink. "And it's a good one."

"Well, at this rate, it should only take you a week to achieve preliminary mastery," said Daphne. "You said you wanted to cram a few spells in this month?"

"Ideally," said Sorin.

"Then I think I can find you a couple more to work on," said Daphne. "Assuming it's in your budget."