"It's been an entire cycle," Ilex thought as he stretched his legs, waking up on the hard floor of Fort Luminar’s armory building. HQ had assigned him a few extra missions, but they had all kept him within the vicinity of Fort Luminar.

Stepping out of the armory and taking in Valteria’s beautiful night sky, Ilex felt a growing excitement stirring within him. Lumary was the lum, he would embark on a journey to Serpent's Pools, determined to unravel the secrets of the valtivenoms and their unique use of valtite. As an acid mage, he was fascinated by the insights these creatures could offer, potentially enhancing his acid spells.

As Ilex set off from Fort Luminar, which earned its name due to its position to the left of Arcasium, he began his journey nightward; the darker side of Valteria, in the opposite direction of Arcasium.

The trek was quiet and uneventful, but that didn't bother Ilex. In truth, not much ever did. He was always working toward his goals without letting them consume him.

At the halfway point, he carefully steered Luminar to avoid the dreaded Harmonic Lake. This notorious body of water was feared by many, for those who strayed too close were plagued with unbearable headaches that would haunt them for lums.

Sols slipped by and Ilex realized that he had a long way to go before reaching Serpent's Pools. Even if he didn't stop to rest, he would spend most of a lum traversing the distance between Fort Luminar and his final destination. Luckily, he hardly encountered any beasts. The few he did find were merely stray yastrils that had wandered too far from their habitat in Harmonic Lake.

As he trudged across the purple sands, the notorious venom ferns finally came into view. These plants were relatively harmless; their leaves excreted only mild toxins that could cause irritation upon contact. However, the venom ferns were endemic to Serpent’s Pools. It was said that the valtivenoms were immune to the toxins of the venom ferns, but anyone else would suffer discomfort. Nonetheless, this all meant that Ilex was close to his destination.

Ilex noticed the terrain morphing into a venomous swamp, the landscape gradually became rockier and murkier. The faint scent of minerals and dry vegetation transmuted into a heavy, damp aroma that hung in the ambience, reminiscent of stagnant water and decomposing vegetation.

He inspected the area with his SpectraSight V-Scanners, the same kind that Mandrix had. The Olfactory Core must be nearby, or at least that was what the mission brief said.

Despite the weight of his private mission, he couldn't forget the responsibilities that bound him to the government. As a Decimator, he enjoyed a greater degree of freedom than the average citizen of Arcasium, but his allegiance to the directorate remained.

Ilex Viez cautiously explored the Serpent's Pools, acutely aware of the potential dangers lurking around every corner. The vast and treacherous desert landscape stretched out before him, filled with venomous pools and towering rock formations that cast ominous shadows across the barren land.

The few plants that managed to thrive in this inhospitable land were as dangerous as the creatures that called it home. He knew that the valtivenoms resided within the hollows and crevices of the geological structures that surrounded him, using their impressive flight abilities to navigate the terrain with ease.

But Ilex was ready for them. Visiting Serpent’s Pools had been his dream and he had spent the last cycle perfecting his craft, his acid; creating new concoctions and practicing his spells. Ilex browsed through his spellbook one last time before continuing.

Page 7: Acidic Infusion - The infusion of basic acid with additional properties, yielding unique effects. Capable of generating numbness for temporary paralysis or volatility for controlled explosions on impact when utilized correctly.

Page 13: Corrosive Barrier - An acid-manipulated shield providing protection to the caster or allies. The barrier corrodes and weakens enemy weaponry on contact, decreasing their effectiveness or leading to potential breakage.

Page 21: Acidic Terrain - The use of acid to modify the environment by spreading a corrosive layer across surfaces. A strategic maneuver to impede enemy movement due to contact damage, create slippery traps, or dissolve path obstacles.

Page 22: Viscous Tendrils - The creation of semi-solid acid tendrils, controllable for various purposes. Can be used for enemy entrapment causing corrosive damage, remote object manipulation, or to traverse gaps like a grappling hook.

Page 49: Acidic Clone - The formation of a temporary acid clone with basic action capabilities under the caster's control. The clone serves as a diversion or surprise attack mechanism and erupts into a corrosive splash upon destruction, damaging nearby adversaries.

Satisfied, he closed his spellbook and let out a sigh. He then continued his search for the Olfactory Core and the answers he sought.

As he ventured deeper into the valtivenom's territory, venomous pools began to appear everywhere. Dozens of petravipers - small, semi-camouflaged snakes with mildly paralyzing bites - scurried about. These creatures usually hid in crevices, so their sudden scattering suggested the presence of a xenopete nearby.

Sure enough, as he rounded the base of a massive cliff, he spotted a group of three xenopetes. These large creatures had segmented bodies, curved tails tipped with venomous stingers, two large pincers, and hard exoskeletons. Contrary to the petravipers, the xenopetes' venom was extremely potent, surpassing even that of a lesser valtivenom.

Remaining hidden, Ilex conjured a small acid spell, shaping it like the tip of an arrow. He aimed at one of the xenopetes and released the spell, hoping to gauge the creatures' reactions without revealing his position. The acid arrow found its mark in the creature’s eye, melting the xenopete's face into a slurry of orange gore. The faceless, scorpion-like monster fell to the ground, its innards spilling from its thorax. Ilex noted with satisfaction that the xenopetes were vulnerable to his newest acid mix.

His plan, however, did not go unnoticed. The two remaining xenopetes charged, heading straight for Ilex. Desperate, he unleashed a barrage of acid arrows, spraying them in all directions. One xenopete was struck down, but the other evaded the attacks and fired a venomous stream from his stinger at Ilex.

With no time to think, Ilex reacted on instinct, firing a beam of acid to clash with the venom. The venomous attack overpowered his acid and landed on his shoulder, burning it on impact. Ilex winced in pain, but his acid seemed to have diluted the venom's potency, as the damage wasn't as severe as he'd feared.

The last xenopete was only a few feet away, his stinger pointed at Ilex. Formulating a plan, Ilex decided to use the creature's momentum to his advantage. Pretending to be too injured to move, he dropped to his knees, preparing to cast Acid Geyser. Timing it perfectly, Ilex leaped away just as the xenopete struck, unleashing the Acid Geyser and eliminating the threat.

Ilex surveyed the scene to ensure there weren’t any more threats. The skin on his shoulder had been seared away, leaving a raw, exposed wound that pulsated with every heartbeat. Though weakened, he could sense the venom's insidious creep through his veins.

Having gone through so much trouble to reach Serpent’s Pools, Ilex wasn't ready to end his journey just yet. Deciding to push through the pain, he continued his exploration. Consuming a vitality potion alleviated most of his pain, though a lingering sting in his shoulder remained. Unfazed, he moved towards the lifeless body of the second xenopete he had killed.

Using a futuristic trowel-like device, far more advanced than any typical gardening tool, he carefully removed the exoskeleton from the stinger and scooped out the venom. With a press of a button, the device then sucked the venom into a tube.

With utmost precision, Ilex summoned a bead of his signature acid, letting it float in mid-air just above the palm of his hand. He then directed the floating acid toward the venom-filled tube. The acid was carefully infused with the venom, their colors swirling together in an eerie dance, forming a cocktail of deadly potency. The final mixture simmered with a low, glowing intensity. Perfect.

The acid and venom seemed perfectly balanced within the vial. With his other hand, Ilex summoned another bead of acid; this one was darker and more bubbly. He added a single drop, and the concoction began to boil. As the relentless acid surrounded the venom, pushing it to the top of the vial, the mixture burned with a hiss.

Ilex put on his Spectrasight V-Scanners and pressed one of its small buttons while looking at the vial in his hand.

‘BEEP’ Experimental Mixture Detected. Calculating properties…

2/4 Ilexic Acid (Flicker), 1/4 Tartaric Erosionate (Flicker), 1/4 Xenopede Venom Fusion (Trace) - Unrecorded type of acid detected. Acid properties have altered and amplified due to xenopede venom infusion. Registering mixture...

Fantastic, I’ll add this to page 75.

Ilex pressed forward, and within a swift sol, his SpectraSight V-Scanners guided him straight to the Olfactory Core, bringing his secondary objective tantalizingly close. A venomous pool required careful circumvention, followed by an ascent up a small cliff. The climb wasn't challenging - the so-called rocks in Serpent's Pools, altered by the venomous swamp, bore an unusual malleability. They weren't as squishy as mud, or get your foot stuck, but stepping on them created a soft, inward bend, akin to the give of rubber. Yet unlike rubber, these rocks did not spring back to their original form.

Upon pressing onto a rock that gave a bit too much under his weight, Ilex exhaled in relief. Grateful that his body had amassed sufficient valtite energy, he knew he was shielded from this hazardous environment that disrupted even the molecular integrity of rocks. The typical aestari, he mused, would die within a sol of setting foot here.

After peaking over the cliff, he had eyes on it.

‘BEEP’ Acquiring information…

[Olfactory Core] - This core enhances the wielder's sense of smell, allowing them to detect traces of valtite in the air with unparalleled precision. Not only can they discern the presence of valtite, but they can also identify its distinct properties.

The Olfactory Core sat unceremoniously between two rocks, but retrieving it would require quite the effort. A swarm of valtivenom soldiers stood between him and his goal. Yet, excitement crept up on him. These were two valtivenom soldiers, he couldn’t wait to see how his acid would react to their venom. It wasn’t surprising though, valtivenoms tend to congregate around valtite rich areas. Driven by a relentless hunger, they sought to consume as much of the valtite essence as possible.

There were also two lesser Valtivenoms feasting on Valtite fragments near a poisonous pool. The serpentine, winged creatures had chitinous exoskeletons adorned with bioluminescent markings and their haunting eyes emitted an eerie glow. Ilex knew that observing them while they consumed Valtite would be invaluable for understanding their abilities, but he wanted to study their venom more, and he had the Olfactory Core to retrieve.

From his vantage point, Ilex stealthily conjured a swirling, noxious cloud overhead. Oblivious to the looming threat, the unsuspecting valtivenoms continued munching on their Valtite fragments.

Just as the first drops of acid began to drizzle down from the cloud, he quickly infused the area with a thick, choking mist of acid. The Mist of Hell, he called it. He held his breath, observing from the shadows.

His plan was simple: blind and suffocate them, drench them in acid, and snatch the Olfactory Core in the ensuing chaos.