This area seemed to be the home of the colossal Sentient Splotches. We had killed two so far and were currently fighting a third.

From the first, Megan got a [Concentrated Fulguris Extract]. The second yielded two extracts, one each for Megan and Nitana—there might be a bonus drop when doing this quest with a party. Too bad Kezo and I didn’t get any, given the level gap penalty. This third Blighted Sentient Splotch should complete my collection quest, and then I could introduce the party to Mad Brewer Bawu. They could probably enter Bawu’s hidden bases if they were with me.

“It’s stomach’s grumbling!” Nitana warned us.

“I’m so tired of all the disgusting monsters here,” Megan said, retreating to the cave opening.

“Come back!” I called. “We can kill it before it vomits.”

“I don’t like that sentence,” she replied, turning around to reluctantly rejoin the fight.

The Sentient Splotch only had a sliver of health left as it towered over us, gazing up at the ceiling. It pulled its mouth open again, retching and heaving, priming itself to explode. Green liquid pooled in its ballooning stomach. Its health continued going down. We gasped when its abdomen contracted, pushing the fluid up.

“We’re not going to make it!” Megan cried out, but she didn’t flee.

“We are!” Kezo roared. “Give it everything you’ve got!”

“For the ancestors!” I shouted, barely able to say it straight while laughing. Part of me wanted Megan’s forecast to be accurate. While not desirable, it’d be hilarious if we ended up getting splashed by the vomit waterfall. “Come on, shout your battle cries!”

“For my dog!” Nitana laughed with me. “Let’s have a shower!”

We had a clear view of the glowing liquid rising the Sentient Splotch’s gullet. “I’m logging out if we don’t—” Megan started to say. Then Essence and Gli burst out of the mountain of blubber as the boss deflated.

“We did it.” I only half-heartedly celebrated. Similar to jumping off cliffs to test fall damage, I also wanted to try bathing in the Blighted boss monster’s vomit at least once. That doesn’t sound right…

“Aw, too bad,” Nitana said, echoing my thoughts. “I should’ve stopped attacking.” Megan shot a stream of fire in Nitana’s direction. Of course, that didn’t damage Nitana. “I’m just messing with you,” she told Megan, hurling a small fireball at her.

“Teamwork does the job.” Kezo trotted to us with a thumbs up at the ready. “How many extracts did it drop?”

“One for me,” Megan said.

“Ditto,” Nitana said.

“That’s one extra,” I said. “And plenty of Toxic Goop too.” After we killed the first Sentient Splotch, my party mates gave me the [Toxic Goop] they had farmed, and I already surpassed the four hundred that Bawu required. This should be due to Healer Gula’s delivery quest drawing extra monsters to us. It was fine to have more materials because Bawu would likely ask me to collect more anyway. “Follow me to Bawu.”

“This better be worth fighting the ugly and icky monsters,” Megan said. “Or I’ll have much complaining to do!”

“If this NPC can point us to new areas, it’ll be huge,” Kezo said. “But I get you. The designs of the Blighted monsters are the most disgusting I’ve encountered so far. And the smells. I’ve met terrifying monsters, in a formidable and badass sense, but not intentionally—”

“Vomit-inducing?” Nitana supplied with a grin.

“Maybe the devs want us to turn into the Sentient Splotch?” I asked. That got a chuckle out of everyone. “I suppose you’d expect to find those monster designs in undead areas. The Blighted don’t fit the theme of Mardukryon mountain.”

“That’s because this Bawu person makes them, right?” Megan asked. “Kinda made? Accidentally made, whatever.”

“I’m not sure about the entire story, but it seemed like dangerous chemicals leaked to the many creatures Bawu has imprisoned as test subjects, turning them into Blighted versions.”

“She must have plenty of huge cages to house all these monsters. Probably like a dozen big caves packed tight or something.”

“Don’t think too much about it,” Nitana said. “It’s just like the ice monkeys. They’ll endlessly come because that’s the story of Herald’s quest. Game logic. Appearances of the monsters aside, I really like farming them. I’ve already leveled up, along with a couple of Ocadule skills.”

“Samesies!” Megan trotted next to me and bent down, cupping her hands on her mouth as if to whisper, but spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, “Herald, maybe you can delay completing your quest?”

“I second that,” Nitana said, coming up to my other side. “Like, I can’t think of any place for our level where we can get Essence and Gli at this super-duper fast. I know this doesn’t give you much Essence and Gli—the level gap penalty and all—but we can make it up to you by leeching you after this.

“Sure, I’m fine with it,” I said. “I’ll also help you kill monsters. Just give me the Toxic Goop you’ll get. You don’t need to repay me. Megan gave me plenty of Hoarfrost materials—this is my payment. Just don’t forget I have a deadline. The one I told you about the Hunter-Warriors raiding this place?”

“Just tell us when you want to finish the quest,” Nitana said.

“Yay!” Megan shot sparks from her wands—her favorite trick. Looking over her shoulder at Kezo behind us, she said, “Oh! Kezo, is it okay with you? We were supposed to—"

“No problem at all,” he said. “It’s for making our party stronger. We can push our original plans to tomorrow."

"On the morrow!” Nitana and I said at the same time.

“Impressive,” Mad Brewer Bawu slowly clapped her hands. “Your progress in learning how to make Frigid Yew Salve is about half as fast as mine when I was a youngling. Very impressive.”

I furrowed my brows. “That doesn’t sound like praise.” Sizable Essence and Gli was the reward, along with five hundred thousand Artas—quite a sizeable value. It didn’t seem like Bawu was going to give me any items.

“Which one is this?” Megan whispered. “The evil one or—”

“She’s obviously the evil one,” Nitana interjected.

“Don’t disturb Herald,” Kezo said. “The sooner he can get the next quest, the quicker you’ll be able to return to leveling.”

“Yeah, Nitana’s noisy,” said Megan.

Nitana elbowed her best friend. “What are you—?” I cleared my throat. Nitana grinned. “Sorry, Herald. Carry on with your dialogue.”

“Healer Gula believes you’re focused on rebuilding the Arcane Brewers Lodge,” I told Bawu. “And she also gave you this.” I presented her with another box of [Swineling Meat Pie]. This wasn’t Gula’s idea—she was busy making her masterpiece cure-all potion—but I pretended it was so Bawu would appreciate my efforts trying to mend their relationship. Bawu thinking highly of me—a difficult task—would make extracting her secrets easier. I didn’t have much time to build our relationship.

“Splendid!” Bawu said. As before, a Mandrake Borple took my gift to Bawu. Not sure if the ‘splendid’ was for successfully tricking her sister or for the box of her favorite pasty. “Making the Frigid Yew Salve in front of my sister should remind her that even as an Arcane Brewer, I was better at healing than her.”

I raised both brows in surprise. Was this Bawu’s real intention? To antagonize her sister? But Gula seemed so happy when I made the [Frigid Yew Salve]. “I didn’t know there was a competition between you two,” I said.

“Competition? No competition at all. My sister can’t hope to reach my level.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if you worked together? In fact, I asked Healer Gula to teach me about making healing potions too.”

“And did she?”

“What?”

“Did she teach you?”

“Not yet. She’s busy with something.” If Bawu knew what Gula was trying to make, it’d reinforce Bawu’s thinking of their sibling rivalry.

She folded her arms and smugly looked at me. “Gula must be moping. Making excuses. She can hide her true feeling from others, but not me, even if I don’t see her.”

I explained, “Gula told me she’d teach me after she’s done with her project. That doesn’t mean she’s jealous of you. I’m sure this is all just—”

“I’m far busier than her.” Bawu stretched her arms, gesturing to her laboratory. “And I found the time to entertain an ignorant youngling like you.”

“She sounds really mean,” Megan whispered. “I want to meet the other persona.”

Nitana said, “Me too.”

I tuned them out, weighing Bawu’s words in my mind. This was Evil Grandma Bawu. She’d have a warped view of her sister. She might be messing around with me. And what if Healer Gula was indeed jealous of Bawu? Gula had done nothing but good things in my experience—not the nonsense Good Grandma Bawu comes up with. Gula even gave me her amulet to prevent Bawu from detecting my Ancestral Flame, saving me from becoming a test subject.

From what I could tell, Gula looked up to Bawu and was saddened by her sharp turn left to become a mad scientist. Trying to replicate Bawu’s creation was a sign of respect, not jealousy. And recreating such a powerful potion naturally preoccupied Gula. Nothing wrong with making me wait before making me an apprentice—to be more accurate, test me before taking me in as a student.

That was what Gula said. I’m sure she’ll accept me… Right?

I didn’t bother arguing with Bawu about her sister. Moving on, I submitted the [Toxic Goop] and [Concentrated Fulguris Extract] we gathered.

[ Increased: Player Level to 19! ]

One more level before stepping on my goal of twenty. I invested my free attribute points in Vigor and used my new Lesser Skill Point on [Greater Pyro Shell].

Lvl. 8 Greater Pyro Shell: Glorious blessings of the ancestors coat you with a formidable barrier of protective flames that boosts your defenses and absorbs (72% of incoming damage) up to the amount of Ancestral Shroud/Energy spent to summon it added by (31% of Armor). When the barrier expires or is depleted, the damage it has absorbed is dealt to nearby enemies.

Grants: +325 Armor, +12% Armor

Cost: 27% of Max Ancestral Shroud for Mardukryon; 20% of Max Energy for other Races

Duration: 23 Seconds

Cooldown: 6 Seconds

“You’re far more helpful than Gula was as a youngling,” Bawu said, cackling like an evil witch in a children’s cartoon show. “Bringing what I need just in time for the next stage of my project? You deserve a bountiful reward.” She appeared to be in a good mood, munching on [Swineling Meat Pie].

[ Received: Magic Slag Cauldron, Black Marble Mortar and Pestle, Bezoar Crucible, (100) Poison Bottle ]

“Yep, those are bountiful rewards,” I sarcastically said. Bawu was merely giving me her old alchemical equipment. I had seen the [Magic Slag Cauldron] and [Black Marble Mortar and Pestle] at Arakmad’s store. [Bezoar Crucible]? I had no idea what that was for. And more empty bottles to fill with [Morabodry].

“My work cannot stop now,” Bawu said. “I need you to collect more ingredients. This may be the last time I’ll stoop so low as to ask help from a foolish youngling.”

“Hey, Herald’s helping you,” Megan said. “Don’t you—"

“I’ll do it,” I loudly said over Megan. “But before that, can we ask you about something, Brewer Bawu? Those creatures of yours… where did you find them?