Chapter 54: Alchemy (2/2)

Aldrich first regrouped in the variant forest

"Boss! Thought you were a goner!" Fisk put his laptop down as he saw Aldrich appear in their clearing Fler'Gan, Stella, and the nooken up but still groggy Valera walked behind hi out with the two e pincers in the air and waved them side to side in a small 'dance' they did with fellow crabs, and the Geistits arms in the air

When the Geist saw Aldrich, it stopped and stood at attention, clapping its hands excitedly

"Can't you sense whether I'm alive or not?" said Aldrich

"Well, yeah, but that don't mean I don't worry, y'know," said Fisk "Plus, alive doesn't ht)," said the Geist

"I appreciate all the concern How have things been on this end?" said Aldrich

Fisk shrugged "Nothing h" He pointed to Ada beside him on a fallen tree trunk "I booted up Dark Sins, and they totally ade boss rush, they had their eyes glued on my screen, I tell ya!"

"Really now?" Aldrich looked at Adam and Elaine with hope, at their rotted, lifeless faces and eyes, trying to see if so was there

"Lesser undead may have some remnant behaviors from their past lives, but they are not like arisen undead There are noAnd even if they were arisen, they would no longer truly be the same," said Fler'Gan

"Hey, don't rain on his parade now, those were his friends," said Stella as she bulared at Stella as he rubbed his side painfully "It is better that the Elder knows this for certain"

"I know," said Aldrich "I've always known Hht I was the hopeful type But I've known enough disappointment not to trust in hope in any case"

Aldrich waved Fler'Gan forwards "About e discussed-,"

"Of course" Fler'Ganand closed his eyes while raising his hands In front of his palhout the car ride back to the forest, Aldrich and Fler'Gan had talked about setting up his alcherow eventually grow to a point that the pocket dimension it created could house the lab

At which point, Aldrich couldthem in and out when needed Like this, Fler'Gan could experiment at minimal risk as as more secure than an entirely separate dimension?

But until then, Aldrich needed Fler'Gan alcheht at the Red Circle

"Crazy cool, all this ic stuff," said Fisk as he watched

"Yeah," said Stella

Valera came to Aldrich's side, and he rested her on the tree trunk, sitting beside her

"Master…I did not do anything e, did I?" said Valera as she blushed furiously "I re, I-,"

"No," said Aldrich siret, at least"

Valera sighed in relief "Thank the many Gods"

She tentatively reached out and squeezed Aldrich's hand Aldrich did the same

Fler'Gan chanted "[Create Base]"

In front of Fler'Gan, blue outlines, almost like they were drawn, of tables, beakers, tubes, forceps, knives, forceps, and dozens of other alche into solid matter

The end result was three worktables One table filled with beakers and tubes and pots for chelass chambers within which reactions could be safely carried out And the last table that was thetools for dissections and, as Fler'Gan called it, 'live experimentations'

"To see my laboratory once more, and to think of all the new specimens I may dissect and dissolve! Ah, how this elderly heart beats!" Fler'Gan raised his hands in the air like a uy's passion, but should we be, uh, worried that we'll be a part of his experiments?" said Fisk

"Tell me about it," said Stella

"Not for now," said Aldrich

"…For now?" said Fisk, but Aldrich ignored him and went up to Fler'Gan to talk business

By now, Aldrich's Grave Ward had snuck into the Red Circle and gotten a look at Casier, as well There were several places in the Red Circle that were iuarded by forcefields, but Casi by how Casiuards at the minimum, he was a careful man He would underestimate Aldrich and Valera because they had no AC count, but Aldrich could not rely coht?" said Aldrich

"You desire a potion that can control the minds of up to ten able bodied men The potion must also be as tasteless as possible" Fler'Gan nodded He went to his chemical table and retrieved a vat filled with liquid His stoth wor, spiked tentacles

These were Pupae Mind Eaters reproduced by capturing live beings and forcing theest pupae Pupae would then travel to their host's brain and latch on, creating a cascading effect that would brainwash them and also turn them into Mind Eaters

Fler'Gan wiped off sli inside, inspecting their quality "I can only produce three pupae a e, and they are a little withered, but this will be enough I will be done processing my pupae into potion form in five hours"

Aldrich checked his watch It was now barely noon

"What ti with Casimir?" said Aldrich

"Uh-," Fisk scrambled to his laptop, utterly distracted by Fler'Gan's siht"

"Good," said Aldrich "More than enough ti Aldrich's vengeance against Seth Solar now began