# 6: My First Mutagen.
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During my stay in the cottage, I was experimenting with the signs a little bit, they're affected by the blank essence as well and this lets me use them in various ways that weren't possible before.
Recently I managed to get some speed boost with Quen drawn on my clothes nullifying the air friction and drawn Aard signs bottom of my boots.
With this, I could imitate the mana burst from Nasuverse. I didn't think about getting something to help with transportation at the moment since running is training as well I might buy a car but later when I can legally buy one.
Getting to the mountain where others tracked down the salamander I followed the map I have to a cave.
The entrance of the cave is spewing green smoke so I put a magic air filter magic around my face it's for protection but the dangerous stuff is not breathing the gas. It's the cuts you could get from the beasts and the gas getting into those cuts.
I moved in the cave there wasn't anyone coming back from the contract it's one of the reasons I got it, was it stupid to try it myself, yes it was but will it give me a good first mutagen, hell yeah I hope.
Getting inside I see the creature and I could understand why no one came back this isn't a poison salamander.
This is a type of snake but I'm not sure which one I only know that it has poison and a human head. I need to check later.
It's not a lamia for sure, those are at least cute when they are not trying to kill you.
I decided to pull a Joestar move and live, fighting something you don't know about is an early ticket to grave especially when you're not OP yet but it seems to have sensed me and attacked me.
Ducking under the tail that came my way, I ran up to it and used Aard on my boots to jump to its face, pulling my sword out, I slashed its left eye, blinding it. Falling to the ground I rolled away from a tail slam.
When I got up I saw it taking a big breath, I guess it has some type of breath attack in return I cast Quen in case it's acid and send a wide arc of Igni.
Turns out it was a breath attack and it's flammable...
It ignited the whole cave. When the fire went out I saw that its other eye got charred and it's attacking the surroundings randomly.
Since the whole cave is hot due to burning it can't sense me from heat(I am assuming snakes have that sort of thing), taking this to my advantage I ran up to it's back and stabbed it from the back of its head and watched it fall, after making sure it ain't coming back to life I sat down.
Now that the adrenaline wore off I sat down and thought about the fight. If I had known its poison is flammable I would have just burn it from outside.
Also the I want to find and kill the idiot that mistook this for a salamander.
After resting for an hour and collecting whatever I could from the body scales, leather whatever I can dismantle(Eyes are damaged but you never know its value), and some genetic materials for my mutagens, I made my way back and get this dude appraised for value.
[Poisonous Naga is a beast that equal to a high-class devil that has an advantage with its flammable poison and magic defenses of its body advised using magic after wounding it. Its poison tends to be flammable and usually used to make explosives rather than used as a poison.] My medallion gave me the answer to what type of monster this was.
Seeing that it doesn't differ much from my requirements I decided that this guy will turn into mutagens.
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Way back to the city was peaceful, I ran by the cottage again and found they placed someone that can fight this time around.
I stopped there for a day and talked with the new forest fairy she was a nice host. Afterward, I made my way back to the city.
Getting inside the guild I found an employee that can handle my business. After all, the Contract was for Poison Salamander.
"Hmm, it's a Poisonous Naga, no wonder people never made it back, well the eyes are damaged so you won't get full payment for it but thanks for taking care of it. You don't have to worry about the contract we'll handle it. I will be coming with your payment right away."
"Thanks" After getting paid I started walking back home I missed my family.
Setting up my distillery I checked the ingredients for the mutagen and set it on its going to take some days to take results and I will stay at home during that time.
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It's been a week since I set up the distillery and my mutagen is ready, putting down the book in my hand I took the mutagen.
I also readied a flushing potion just in case I get some adverse mutations. The potion erases any mutation done in a week afterward they can't be removed without some serious work.
Now I am looking at a rather long needle, I am either going to get a cool ability like that breath attack or a passive thing like increased toxicity resistance or my hair will turn green.... no pressure.
Stabbing the needle I feel like my skin is burning away when I look at my hands it's indeed getting redder and I feel like I am going to pass out.
I already expected overheating due to my body adapting so I prepared an ice bath, jumping in I immediately felt better.
I see my skin is peeling off in layers like an onion. I guess I got the magic resistant skin, feeling its aura I can tell it's not much but I can shrug off minor spells now.
While I was feeling refreshed in my ice bath(I am wearing shorts) Beth barged into the room and saw my skin peeling."Mom, big brother is turning into an onion!"
"WHAT!?" I guess I should have locked the door...