The stinging sensation Jason now associated with magical healing started seeping into him, especially his head and injured arm. It was worse than what he had experienced before, whether because of the nature of the injuries or the potency of the potion. It didn’t bother him; compared to the pain he was already in, this was nothing more than a tickle.

You have used a recovery potion, restoring health, stamina and mana.

Until the remnant magic fully dissipates, consuming further health, stamina or mana potions will result in toxic side-effects.

By using a potion above your current rank the effect is increased, but the residual magic will take longer to dissipate.

Jason lay on the floor taking exhausted breaths. His head was still full of cotton wool, but the constant throbbing was gone. His arm didn’t seem to be broken anymore. The pain was gone and mobility was restored, but the arm still felt delicate and weak. In the periphery of his vision was a trio of small icons slowly shading over. When he focused on them, they grew larger for him to examine. They were all squares with a picture of a potion on each, one red, one yellow and one blue. They were mostly greyed-out, but the grey was slowly dropping off as a timer underneath each counted down, with just under ten minutes remaining.

“Cooldown timers. That’s fancy.”

He pushed himself to his feet, much easier now than back in the well.

“Alright,” he told himself. “Damaged, but operational. So, what next?”

He shone the light around until he found the dead body of the wizard, and walked over to look closer. There was an eerie stillness to it that only came from death.

“I’m sorry,” he told it. “I think you might have had it coming, but I didn’t want it to go that way.”

He knelt down and closed its eyes.

• Would you like to loot [Builder Cultist]?

“What’s a builder cultist?”

7. Spoils

7

Spoils

• Would you like to loot [Builder Cultist]?

The idea of rifling through the pockets of a corpse filled Jason with disgust. Would the system just loot the body like it did with monsters? Corpse-robbing was a nasty business, but Jason had no idea what kind of place he was in, or how to leave it without being eaten. He was going need every advantage he could get his hands on. He thought about the snake back in the tunnel.

“It won’t skin him, will it?”

He took a step back.

“Alright,” he said. “Loot the body.”

[Landemere Vane’s Key Ring] has been added to your inventory.

[Robes of the Astral Verdict] have been added to your inventory.

4 [Gold Spirit Coins] have been added to your inventory.

16 [Silver Spirit Coins] have been added to your inventory.

138 [Bronze Spirit Coins] have been added to your inventory.

437 [Iron Spirit Coins] have been added to your inventory.

228 [Lesser Spirit Coins] have been added to your inventory.