"Here is our part of the deal." Said the teacher while handing a small ring over to Daniel.
Daniel immediately caught the ring in mid-air, and after checking its content, and verifying that there were in fact a hundred thousand perfect crystals like promised, he stood still in quiet for a few seconds.
Then, against the teacher's expectations, he threw the ring back at him without saying anything.
The teacher grabbed the ring in mid-air, and controlled if Daniel had touched or added anything in it.
It was only after he noticed that every single perfect crystal was still there, that he turned to look at Daniel with doubt, and said "Don't worry, we have already planned to have a master of fire demonstrate fire essence to you.. We don't require you to give us the perfect treasure yet."
He was somewhat convinced that Daniel had refused half of the payment, because he hadn't received all of it at once. But then, he quickly changed his guess after throwing the ring back at Daniel.
This time, the ring didn't even reach Daniel's hand before being pushed back towards the teacher, which asked with a slight frown "What is the meaning of this?"
"The payment is not the problem.." Responded Daniel with a plain tone, and a faint smile.
While still frowning, the teacher said "What is the problem then?"
"The price was a hundred thousand perfect crystals and the demonstration of a perfect comprehension of fire essence.." Said Daniel before being interrupted.
"As I've said, we have already made plans to honor the rest of the de.."
"..before." Added Daniel with a louder tone than the teacher's, which reacted by suddenly shutting up.
The teacher wasn't an idiot. He had had to mediate between the various families within the academy and the poisonous rose numerous times in the years he had spent working there. So, when Daniel mentioned what the conditions were 'before', he immediately caught up with the meaning of his words.
"May I ask for the reason for your change of heart, Mr. Hiel?" He then asked with an amiable tone. He now needed to gather enough intel which he could bring back to his contact to the poisonous rose.
The smile on Daniel's face became wider, as he responded by saying "But of course.. I have changed my mind due to what happened right after agreeing on the terms of our previous deal. I have been poisoned, and I need ingredients which only a group like the poisonous rose is sure to possess.."
"Poisoned? By who?" Asked the teacher with feigned ignorance.
"I don't know.. I was lucky to have my friend by my side. He recognized the poison and used the appropriate antidote to cure me. He also told me that I would need to produce a better cure by myself if I don't want to depend on his temporary pills.." Responded Daniel with an apologetic tone.
The reason why Daniel had explained the matter this way, was because Serf's family already knew that the two of them were friends. By saying that he did not know who the culprit was, and that the poison was a common one which he happened to already have a temporary cure for, Serf would not be treated by his family as a traitor.
"It is more than understandable. Please, what are your new conditions?"
Daniel became pensive for a few moments, then said "My friend told me that I need three different types of snake-like poisonous beasts.. I am able to find two types by myself.. But I need help with the third. You can detract its price by the hundred thousand perfect crystals.. Would that be okay?"
"I will deliver your new proposal." Said the teacher with a polite nod of his head. "What is the item you require?"
"I was told to ask for the saliva of a two hundred years old green-skinned snake."
A hint of surprise appeared on the teacher's face, then, it disappeared just as fast as it had appeared. "Very well. If it's not a problem, let's meet here again in two hours, I'll have the response by then." He said before turning away, and leaving.
-----
Back into the platinum-badged dormitory.
"HAHAHAHA! My brother is an idiot.. He has never been good with poisons.." Said Serf's sister after laughing hysterically. "He doesn't even know that the poison of a two hundred years old green-skinned snake would turn his friend's organs into mist.. HAHA!"
In a corner of the room, was the teacher which stood quietly in wait for an answer. It was getting late, and the annoying young mistress he had gotten used to deal with was making him waste too much time, so, he said "What is the answer, young lady? Should I accept the deal for your family or not?"
The girl ignored the irritated tone of the teacher, and instead, said with a smile brighter than ever "I don't think that there would be anything more appropriate than to allow my idiot of a brother to create a faulty pill for him.. And kill him with it once and for all.. Tell him that we accept."
Of course, the teacher had no idea what version of the poison was the one used to create the black pills which Serf had given to Daniel. He only knew that the poison requested by Daniel, was one of its main ingredients.
"The date given to you by the mistress is coming to an end.. Maybe we should complete the deal soon." He added before leaving.
In response, the girl said "Here.. take two thousand perfect crystals out of the final price.." She then threw a small yellowish vial to the teacher, which immediately put it into the spatial ring which contained the money, and made the adjustments requested by the young mistress.
He then turned towards the door, and left in silence.
-----
"Here's what you wanted." Said Serf while giving a small bottle with white fluid into it.
Daniel observed the bottle for a few moments, then said "Thanks.. How much do I owe you?"
"Don't worry about it.. I don't mind doing favours to a friend." responded Serf while waving his hand in a dismissive tone.
At the same time, in a mansion in the core of the city, a small moving shadow was making its way into a large building. This shadow, was the dark elemental sent by Daniel.
The place was heavily guarded, and numerous guards patrolled the surroundings at precise intervals. Luckily it was now late evening, and the place had started to darken, giving numerous chances to the dark elemental to infiltrate the building unnoticed.
Once in, the dark elemental took the shape of a smoky thread, and made its way into the hall.
It then made use of the various less bright parts of the corridors and rooms to make is way into the kitchen, the dining room, and finally, into the library.
After entering the library, it started to remember Daniel's instructions, and then, after no longer than a minute, the dark elemental moved towards one of the libraries placed on the walls, turned into a flat sheet of darkness, and slipped underneath the library.
When he reappeared on the other side, he was in a dark and small room.
Inside this room, were various metallic cage, inside which were just as many dead people. Each with different degrees of injuries and damage to their body.
On the table, were many advanced alchemical ingredients, as well as two dozens small labeled bottles. On each of these bottles, was a different type of liquid.
A small portion of the shadow-like entity started to go through the various labels, as a faint voice could be heard reverberate faintly into the empty room.
"Where are you.. Where are you..Here!" It then said before taking the bottle, and making his way out of the mansion.
-----
"Mr. Hiel, my superior accepted your request, and allowed me to give you, in exchange of a perfect fire treasure, ninety-eight thousand perfect crystals, a demonstration of perfect fire essence comprehension, and finally, the poison of a two hundred years old green-skinned snake." Said the teacher with a polite tone.
"Excellent.." Responded Daniel after receiving the small ring directly from the teacher's hands.
Inside it, was a slightly smaller amount of perfect crystals, and a small vial which he hadn't seen before.
"When will I be able to assist to the demonstration of a perfect fire comprehension?" Asked Daniel with curiosity. He wanted to make sure that he would obtain all he asked, especially the poison and the demonstration of fire essence.
"We have already planned it for tomorrow morning at noon. You only have to visit a company called 'Hellblazer company', and present this token. You will then be guided to one of the masters of fire, which will spend the rest of the day by demonstrating fire essence to you." Responded the teacher while handing a small token over to Daniel.
This token was made out of stone, but the stone wasn't smooth. Intead, it had many cracks, inside which large red veins could be seen. It also emanated a warm feeling.
Daniel had no reason not to believe the teacher, so he honored his side of the deal, and gave him a spatial ring which contained one of the two perfect fire treasures in his possession.
He then left quietly after bidding farewell.
As he was walking back to his room, a small shadow appeared by his side.
"Master Hiel.. I have what you've asked." Said the dark elemental while uncovering a small bottle filled with black liquid.
"Thanks, go back now, I'll respect my end of the deal later." Responded Daniel after grabbing the small bottle, and walking off in the direction of his room. He didn't know who would be listening to him, so he decided not stop and talk to the dark elemental.
During the walk to his room, Daniel used his surrounding awareness to orientate himself, while his mind, was focused on a couple of windows that had appeared after he had received the bottle which contained the third and find ingredient from the dark elemental.
____________________________
*No Time For Poisons*
Second objective complete.
____________________________
*Primary Quest started (Chain): No Time For Poisons*
-Description: Find a cure of the Poison of the Night Blue Thorn.
Third objective set: Obtain the scales of an ancient red carp, and the thorns of an indigo puffer fish.
Reward: Unnamed cure for the Poison of the Night Blue Thorn / (Optional) Partial Poison Immunity / The Poisonous Rose Reputation +75%
Time limit: 25 days
____________________________
The reason why Daniel had received no reward for the second objective of the quest, was because, in order to obtain the three items in the shortest amount of time possible, he had had to make use of all of the information that the system had given to him.
After asking his options to Sewah, he had learned that he would have been able to obtain the various items in three different methods. One was the social approach, one was the stealthy approach, and the third, was the market approach.
In the end, he had decided to take the best parts of each approach to maximize the result.
To let Serf purchase one of the three items, to let the dark elemental steal the second, and finally, to trade the third with Serf's family.
The tactic had been successful, and he had been able to obtain each poison in a very short amount of time, but unfortunately, that also meant that he could not complete either of the three approaches, and therefore, obtained none of the rewards.
Now, according to what Serf had said about the creation of the pills, Daniel was only down to the last two ingredients.
The scales of an ancient fish called red carp, a beast at the sixth stage of cultivation, and the thorns of an indigo puffer fish, an highly deadly second stage fish which lived in large shoals.