Although Lixin still wondered what a Reinteat was, his curiosity was temporarily put aside when he realized he was learning two Dextrim skills. He had briefly speculated about what he would need to do to unlock the other half of the Herba book, but he never thought it would be this easy.

Don't misunderstand him, he didn't mind that it was. However, he thought that since he had chosen the Atropa tea style it would be difficult for him to gain access to Dextrim. He thought that he would have to complete at least some kind of active quest.

Probably one that had something to do with healing. Especially since Dextrim seemed designed for supportive skills.

'Wait...' Lixin felt like facepalming all of a sudden. He was a moron. 'That was the point of the leaf gathering. I already embarked on a healing quest.'

Mentally rolling his eyes at himself, he focused his attention on the skills he would learn from Peter. "What Dextrim recipes will you teach me?" Lixin eagerly asked the NPC.

"You will know in a bit," Peter told him, before gesturing toward his nearly full cup. "Why don't you first finish your tea. I had Chris make it special for you."

Nodding, Lixin continued drinking the tea. After a couple of sips, he asked, "What kind is it? It tastes divine."

"It's Black Oolong Tea," he explained. "I know I put a lot of pressure on you to get the leaves quickly, but this drink will help lower your stress levels."

Lixin was amazed by this tidbit of information - he had never heard that tea could benefit mental health. "Thanks so much," he replied. "I think it has already proven useful."

Peter just smiled at his words. "I'm glad I could help in some way."

When Peter noticed Lixin had finished his Oolong tea, the NPC flipped a switch on the side of the desk that he hadn't noticed was there. It's understandable that he didn't see it given how distracted he was by the food when he entered the room.

Before he could wonder what the switch did, the office door opened and a young man entered. The man was wearing a brown uniform with a green apron on top. He appeared well-mannered and friendly.

Once he was close to the desk he greeted Lixin who smiled in return before giving a subtle bow to Peter awaiting orders.

"Gregory, can you put away these dishes?" Peter asked nicely, but Lixin could pick up a hint of something in his tone when he said this, but he didn't know what it was.

The worker nodded politely before gathering up the items and leaving. Lixin was surprised that the worker didn't even blink when he saw him. This indicated that Peter's staff were used to seeing additional people in their boss' office. This made complete sense as the NPC would need people he trusted around him to continue helping people without the higher-ups getting involved.

~

After the worker left the room, Peter got up from his seat and walked to the door connected to the hidden room. Once he was there, he turned to look at Lixin and motioned for him to follow.

As he walked down the stairs leading to the secret room, Lixin couldn't help but notice how good he felt compared to the last time. He no longer felt as though there was a thirty-pound weight pressing down on his body or the annoyance from those pesky notifications popping up every other second.

It was a wonderful feeling. But he made sure to make a mental note to stop by a general store the next time he was out to stock up on some food. He would need to buy some ready-made items until he had the necessary equipment to prepare meals for himself.

In no time flat they were back in the lair. After closing the door they had entered from, Peter escorted him to the side room where he had treated his friend's wife.

The aesthetic was similar to the outer chamber, although it was neater. Instead of herbs and notes stuck to the wall, there were pictures of pressed flowers.

Furthermore, Lixin noticed two work tables with a strange-looking contraption, and behind them was a large cabinet. There was also a wooden bed off to the side that appeared as if it had just been remade, along with a comfortable chair.

The room was pleasant but felt a little sterile. He preferred the way the outer room looked. Although it had chaotic energy there was a sense of cohesiveness.

“Hey there, don’t just stand there! Come over here and join me," Peter said jocularly.

That was when Lixin realized the NPC was waiting at one of the workstations for him. A bit embarrassed by his preoccupation, he approached the man.

Upon arriving, Lixin smiled bashfully and apologized, "I'm sorry about that. I wasn't expecting the room to look like this."

"No need to be sorry, my lad," Peter chuckled. "People have made that same comment to me before.”

The NPC's response only increased Lixin's interest. Why was this room so different from the others?

As though reading Lixin's mind, Peter replied, "I know what you're thinking. The reason I maintain this room like this is because I treat people here. So this place needs to be kept clean to avoid bacteria."

"Ah, I see," Lixin finally understood. At the same time, he felt slightly foolish. He should have thought of that himself.

"The second and most crucial reason is this," Peter said, pointing to the contraption Lixin saw when he first walked in. "This is called a Reinteat. It has been passed down through generations and is the only item that can be used to create Herba tea."

'So this is what a Reinteat was,' Lixin mused as he stared at the contraption in wonder.

At first glance, it resembled a scale but was completely different from anyone he had ever seen. Instead of the usual pans, two medium-sized glass squares were in their place.

They were hung from delicate white strings that were connected to an iridescent metal beam. The foundation consisted of an hourglass containing luminous flaxen sand that flowed upwards. There were a number of buttons on the frame adorned with strange symbols.

Upon further inspection, he saw that each square's surface was engraved in what appeared to be a mysterious language. The symbols were completely different on each box making it easy for him to tell them apart.

What made them stand out, even more, was that one of the boxes had tiny holes at its top. Though what the purpose for them was he could not fathom.

"The process of creating loose leaf mixtures is a delicate one. You have to be careful that no foreign elements of any kind get mixed in with it or the results will be disastrous."

Lixin had a feeling Peter was talking from experience. He could totally imagine the man blowing something up when he was younger. But that does raise a question: what was the cauldron in the other room used for then?

Asking the NPC exactly that, Peter explained that it was used to boil the ingredients before putting them in the Reinteat. His ancestors told him that if he didn't wash the tea mixture would be faulty because of the impurities present in it.

Lixin's eyes shone with understanding, and he murmured, "Ah, I see." He understood that boiling the tea components would assist to eradicate any bacteria, dirt, or other contaminants in the concoction, potentially increasing the output of the skill damage.

~

Author Says

MomoCatt: I wonder what kind of recipes he will teach you.

Lixin: Well, since this is a game probably the easiest ones.

Momocatt: Makes sense. Here, drink some ginger tea. It will help you stay focused.

Lixin: Thanks, I will need it.