Jack was the most famous poison brewer in Omphalos. His toxins were renowned for being unrivalled in terms of toxicity and solubility.
When he was young, he was the scion of a prominent family in the Water Dominion. However, he had never tried to cultivate Water Energy. Instead, he had been too preoccupied with the art of brewing. When the balance of power shifted in his large family, his parents were killed and he was hunted down. Only with great difficulty did he manage to escape.
Carrying all the hatred in his heart, he survived and planned to use the acidic poisonous fumes he synthesised to wipe out all six hundred plus members of this family. In a single night, he reduced them all to a bloody fluid, leaving not a single one of them alive.
Before this, he was completely unknown, but immediately afterwards his name sent shockwaves through the Water Dominion. From then on, the authorities of the Dominion spared no effort to hunt him down, dead or alive. Being quite weak himself, he had no choice but to hide and disguise himself as he left the Dominion for the Fringe.
Along the way, he continued to hone his poison-brewing skills, killing many of the Enforcers that came his way and becoming public enemy number one. However, his carelessness caused him to accidentally poison his left hand. If he hadn't reacted quickly enough to amputate it in time, he would have been reduced to a pile of ones.
As a top fugitive, he would definitely be wiped out if he dared to leave the Fringe. But in the Fringe, he could brew as much poison as he wanted. He'd made a lot of progress in the last few years, but it wasn't enough for self-preservation, as he wasn't competent in combat at all. If his enemy managed to get close to him, he would be killed before he even had a chance to use the poison.
By now, many refugees had left the Fringe, although Jack knew it would be suicide for him to do so. All he could do was stay and hope to survive the troubled times ahead. Dying was the last thing he wanted, and when he realised that the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy was the only establishment left in Omphalos, it became his new safe haven. He didn't care if they had anything to do with his poisons or not. All he did was visit them to get news about the situation on the fringe.
Apart from Jack, there were many other poisoners who couldn't hold their own in a fight, but were still experts in their field. Some of them weren't just weak, they were disabled in one way or another, and the Sovereigns didn't care much for them, leaving them to their own fate.
"What are we going to do, Master Jack?" asked Kohler, a fellow poison brewer who was adept at infusing weapons with poison, in the courtyard of the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy.
Although Jack looked like a middle-aged man with his long beard, frizzy hair and unkempt clothes, he liked to be addressed as 'Master'. It made him feel far more important than his current rank.
"How should I know?" Jack shot him a look and turned back to the dozen others dressed more or less like him. "The Sovereigns can't even protect themselves, so they wouldn't bother with us. This is the only place that hasn't closed down yet, so I hope they can protect us one way or another. Sigh... The Godhunter Alliance is really very cruel. They kill people as if it's a daily pastime for them. I've heard that they get bored if they don't kill a few people every day. If they rule Omphalos, I doubt any of us will survive.
"What are we going to do..." another said with a long sigh.
"Let's just wait it out. Hopefully Celestial Pearl will be able to find a safe place for us to stay. I doubt we'll be able to stay in Omphalos much longer," Jack said, leaning lazily against a pillar. He was as worried as the others, but his past experience allowed him to cope a little better.
As they spoke, Akley stretched lazily as he approached them. When he arrived, everyone in the courtyard approached anxiously, asking about the goings-on in the Fringe. Akley loved the feeling of people flocking to him in fear. Smiling, he waited for them to calm down before turning to Jack. "Oh, Master Jack, you're here too? Haha, I thought you were making a lot of noise about our establishment being a scam and not providing quality products."
Jack seemed a little embarrassed. He remained silent and didn't say anything. When Omphalos was still at peace, he complained that the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy's concoctions were too mediocre to justify the high price. To him, it was nothing more than an outright scam.
Akley smiled at the reaction. Turning to the others, he said, "Tyre fled without a fight and has been missing ever since. Logue was defeated and lost many subordinates, so he had no choice but to flee Osteoburg. Ossora has betrayed the Fringe and joined Isaiah, while Wasir has joined the House of Han to form the last line of defence against the Godhunter Alliance. Though the Fringe is a great place, only the House of Han will be able to protect it.
His words caused many of them to drop their jaws in shock. Akley's assertion that the two most powerful Sovereigns, Logue and Tyre, would be immediately defeated was far beyond their expectations. Ossora's betrayal was also a huge blow to their face. The news was desperate.
But Akley dropped another bombshell, telling them how Han Shuo and Wasir had joined forces to deal the Godhunter Alliance a severe blow. It burned away all their despair in an instant and rekindled their hope. Even though some of them were sceptical, they wanted to believe that the news was true.
""What are you getting at, Akley?" Kohler said, noticing the subtext in his words.
Chuckling, Akley said, "Even if the Sovereigns don't care about all of you, the House of Han appreciates your talents and skills in these unique fields. On behalf of the House of Han, I have the right to accept your application to join Celestial Pearl Pharmacy. As long as you are with us, the House of Han will ensure your safety. The Godhunter Alliance will not be allowed to touch you!"
They all knew what this meant. The moment they joined, they would lose their freedom and serve the House of Han instead of being allowed to do as they pleased. Still, no price was too high if it meant they could survive.
Akley was in no hurry to hurry them. He smiled and waited for these amazing poison brewers to make their decision, but he wouldn't have to wait long. A few seconds later, someone took the initiative and said, "I'm ready to join. I've heard for a long time that you treat your own pretty well. Joining Celestial Pearl is the same as becoming a member of the House of Han. I can't ask for anything more."
Once the first deal was sealed, the rest fell into place. Even Kohler agreed to Akley's offer after some consideration. Only Jack, the former scion, hesitated. The Sovereigns had long noticed the power of the poisons he brewed and had sent people to recruit him, but he refused all their offers. Perhaps his refusal had offended the Sovereigns, causing them to leave without taking him. Someone as proud as he would certainly find it much harder to give up his autonomy than someone like Kohler.
After everyone else had agreed to join, Akley smiled and turned to Jack. "Master Jack, my lord has told me that he respects your mastery of the craft and has asked me to make you a special offer. As long as you are willing to join us, you will be put in charge of all matters relating to poisons. My lord has also promised to restore your lost arm.
The moment he heard that his arm could be restored, he lost his cool and shouted, "What?! The restoration of an amputated limb is a matter of legend! Only the most powerful Gods of the Edict of Life can do such a thing! Does your master have such an ability?" While Jack was an expert in poisons, the art of healing was beyond him.
"Of course. Our Lord's achievements in the field of healing are far beyond what you can imagine. He said he could easily restore your arm, and he will - as long as you join us. So what will it be, Jack?" Akley knew the deal was as good as sealed.
As expected, Jack nodded without much thought. "Alright. I'd like to see what wonders His Lordship can do to restore my amputated arm!"
Now that Jack had joined them, practically all the unaffiliated talents in Omphalos were serving the House of Han. Celestial Pearl Pharmacy would be able to stand on its own in Elysium even without Han Shuo's explicit support.