^^ The Rook ^^
100 XP Gained by Party: 20 XP Gained!
20 XP Gained from Wild Boar Lvl 5 (x2)!
(Progress Lvl 3: 2010/2000-> Lvl 4)
Level Up! Congratulations Sam, Lvl 4 Alchemist!
Abilities Unlocked: Improved Arcane Tinkering!
(Progress Lvl 4: 10/4000-> Lvl 5)
Improved Arcane Tinkering: Turn crystal into Glow-Stone, Animate Small Clockwork, Set Arcane/Elemental Trap, Crafting Options Unlocked!
"What's wrong? You don't looked pleased with the Lvl Up?" Hellen asked, sitting on my couch with the others.
"I am, but... it says 'Crafting Options Unlocked', but it doesn't tell me what I Unlocked... maybe I have to experiment on my own and craft stuff without a Formula, like I've been doing already?" I hummed, turning my attention to the list of items in the Loot Bag.
Loot Bag—
Rot Troll Heart,
Rot Troll Bones(20),
Rot Troll Bone Marrow(20),
Rot Troll Hand (2),
Rot Troll Head,
Red-Cap Mushroom (95),
Red Willow Herbs (85),
White Willow Herbs (65),
Green Willow Herbs (55),
Blue Willow Herbs (50),
Spotted Mushroom (70),
Acid Shroom (135).
"Maybe it's just a Boost to HP? Warriors get levels like that all the time, where they don't get new abilities, right Kenny?" She asked, nudging the man next to her gently.
"Yeah, we only get new abilities every third level, though we do have the highest Health, Defense, and Damage Modifiers in the Game, so it balances." He shrugged, returning to his chess match with Uric, which apparently decided whether or not Uric would buy the Bow he wanted; I had only just realized the two of them were brothers, and that's why Kenny felt the need to lecture Uric on wasting money.
"Well Alchemists have the Lowest Health, Defense, and Damage modifiers, so I'd hope I'd get more skills in return." I sighed, and looked at the two massive slimes that were now sitting in my moat, hidden from view below the tall Spikes that had already speared several animals and monsters who had tried to get towards the house. Sadly, I didn't get any XP from them, but the slimes could still eat them and gain their Skills, so that was nice. "Alright, I'll go get started on my Crafting, you guys can stay here or go to town and get some drinks, or whatever else you want to do, it'll be several hours until I'm finished." They waved and passed around a few canteens of root beer, (there was no alcohol in this game, unfortunately,) apparently deciding to stay here and wait while I got to work.
First, I had the Acid Slime carve a small base-ball sized hole from the bottom of the Pit into the Basement, right next to the Everchest, and both the two large slime began depositing all the Loot that had been gathered from the Dungeon.
Glow-Stone (500),
Bog-Wood (250),
Dried Peat-Brick (250),
Dehydrated Peat Moss (18,000).
"Oof... I guess I did take a 2000ft square lot and dig up the top five feet..." I shrugged, and pulled out 200 of the Glow-Stone, setting the new sack next to my Loot Bag on my desk and starting my work.
—
Basic Healing Potion (20$ x75) =1,500$
Catalyst (150$ x50) =7,500$
Poison (100$ x50) =5000$
"Alright, a little less than the original estimate because of the Taxes and my Success Rate of 95%, but it still came to 14,000$ total, of which 2,800$ each is your Take." I set four bags full of gold coins in front of everyone, collapsing into my armchair and cracking my neck and back, stiff from leaning over the work table for several hours.
"14K$? Daaayum..." Uric immediately started counting the money onto the table, studiously ignoring Hellen's enraged hiss at his disrespect and continued lack of tact. He counted all four bags, did the math of the cost of the potions, and nodded easily. "Alright, it checks out. I don't mean to be Rude, but you can appreciate my suspension of belief at your claim that you could turn 100$ of Herbs into 15,000$ in potions, a 150x increase."
"I'm not offended at your disbelief, though the severe Disrespect shown in counting money onto my coffee table is mildly galling..." I raised an eyebrow at him archly.
"Ah... right, sorry." He blushed slightly before sitting down, carefully and smartly placing himself outside of the reach of Hellen's Claws.
She spared him a glare, then took the sacks of money and began passing them out after sending hers into her inventory and instantly Cashing it, according to the small Gold Coin symbol that appeared over her head briefly. "Well, that is literally the most profitable Dungeon I've ever completed, and that doesn't even begin to compare in difficulty to a Dragon's Hoard, which is a close second. And while I'm not playing this game for money, extra spending money is never something I'd turn down; if you're alright with joining our Party and going to one of these lower-level Herb Dungeons maybe once a month, -we mostly go to less-profitable, higher-level dungeons, farming XP not Gold,- I vote to allow you to join our Party."
"I... maybe twice a month? Until I'm high enough level to do it myself? 2,500$ a month is barely halfway enough to pay my rent..." I scratched my head slowly, at little embarrassed to be begging for their help.
"Alright, two times a month isn't a problem for me; Kenny, Gerson, Uric? Your votes?" She nodded and looked at the others.
"She more than held her own, and according to Gerson she one-shotted a Lvl 5 Boss; I like money, but I also already have a job and I don't have any Bills yet, so it's not really important to me, except to buy stupid stuff. Maybe once I move out it will matter more. I vote yes, and before you say it, no, it's not because she's cute." Uric pointed at his brother accusingly, halting a snide remark on his elder brother's lips.
Kenny smirked. "Alright, fine, but if you flirt with her, at all, I will personally sic Ma on you, Uric. Other than that, I agree; she kicked some ass today, even if it wasn't overtly impressive, -no offense,- and I'm happy to add another member to the group. Gerson? Or, Jack?" He ignored the grumbled complaints from his brother, turning to the silent man.
Jack nodded silently, and wrote in the Chat. 'Either one, guys. But yes, Sam impressed me a bit, less in combat and more with how prepared she was, which is always nice to have in the Party. And she's snarky. And while I'm not hurting for Cash, with my IRL job, a little more is always welcome to allow me to relax a bit. I haven't been to a Spa in Months, and that's all I'll be doing tomorrow.' -Jack.
"Aww, you're Sweet." I smiled, cracking my back again and laying across the leather chair. The room was originally meant to be a Greenhouse, but apparently that wasn't allowed, in this game. You couldn't Farm any Herbs that had actual Value, though you could buy Ferns and Succulents and Spices to make your house more homey or to make your food taste better. (Virtual Spices for Virtual Food. Hmph.)
"Alright, then! Welcome to our Party, Sam!" Hellen smiled as an Invite appeared in my view.
Party of Hellen, Uric, Kenny, and Jack has sent you an Invite! Accept? Y/N
I selected the Yes option, and winced at the explosion of confetti and loud fanfare in my ears. "F&$k that's loud!"
Kenny nodded, wiggling his pinky in one ear to get rid of the ringing. "Yeah, it is... now, we've got twelve hours left in the day, what shall we do? There's a Level 7 Swamp Dungeon that we've already cleared three times, two Level 6's that are water-dungeons, -the best type,- and one Level 9 Earth-Golem dungeon that's pretty easy with two Lvl 13 Warhammer users like me and Jack. You might get the most good out of that one, and we might Level Up to 14 in that one?"
"She's Level 4, Kenny." Hellen chided him sternly, then shook her head. "And besides, we've got dinner with your parents at 8:30, and that gives us either 6 more hours here or 2 hours out there; I, personally, need to do my hair and take a shower, which means we need to leave soon... oh! I knew I forgot something!!! Can you make me one of those little Watches? I forget what time it is in here all the time!!!" She grinned and turned towards me while he sighed and began to sign out.
"A Watch? Sure." I pulled out some Pure Iron and shaped it into Clockwork over about a minute, then Animated it with a Spark. Once it started ticking, I tossed it to her. "I don't mind making stuff for you; potions, arrows, trinkets, but I'll need the Materials to make them, in return. Whether that's by way of extra shares of any Material Loot or Bought Ingredients is for you to decide. Fair?" I asked sternly, looking at all of them.
She smiled happily, sending the Watch into her Inventory. "Of course, that's perfectly fair! What do I owe you?"
"Just some Pig Iron, or Pure Iron if you have it." I opened my inventory and started sorting, sending everything I didn't need into my Everchest, to clear up some space.
"Really? Alright, easily done... there! Now, goodbye Jack, Sam, I'll see you on Monday!" She sent me 20 units of pig iron, then signed out with a bright glow of gold light, followed by Kenny and Uric.
Jack looked over to me, one hand hovering over his screen. 'Do you need anything from me before I Log Out?' -Jack.
"No, dear, I'm just going to go Requisition a Magic Item to hold my Slimes, nothing too riveting. Thank you for asking." I shook my head and smiled at him kindly.
He nodded and quickly pressed the screen, signing out with a flash of light.
"Hmph. Cutie pie is Embarrassed... how adorable." I smiled and grabbed my sword, sheathing it on my hip and stepping outside, towards the City.
—
"Ah, Hello!!! How may I help you this fine evening, sister?" A Cambion NPC was my current conversation partner, his long white horns contrasting perfectly with his ebony skin and hair as they circled around his head like a crown of bones.
"I bought an Everchest here yesterday, do you remember?" I leaned against the counter, examining the various potions within the glass below.
"Of course, I remember every purchase made in this shop! Are you dissatisfied with your Purchase?" His happy expression fell into a concerned pout, and I held in a giggle.
"Not at all! I'm quite pleased; so pleased, in fact, that I've come back to ask for a Custom Item!" I smiled at him, settling my elbows on the counter and my chin on my hands.
His expression returned to happiness instantly. "Is that so?!? I am always happy to fulfill the requests of return customers!!! What would you like me to make?"
"I need something similar to an Everchest... a bottle that can hold an infinite amount of liquid, while remaining Equipped? See, while I have this little guy Equipped, he gives me night vision and immunity to poison... but I need something to keep him safe, and there's another one that's much too big, but it's very useful... could you help me?" I asked, showing him the Poison Slime.
He blinked slowly, and tilted his head, examining the creature carefully. "So... you require a container that can hold an infinite amount of Slime, but remain Equipped, instead of Stored? A portable, open-ended Everchest?"
"That sounds about right, yes." I nodded.
He continued to blink slowly, his code quantifying my request, and after about a minute he nodded carefully. "That sounds almost possible, but it will be very pricey, and not exactly what you asked for; you are essentially asking for an Inventory Management Item that will allow you to have multiple things Equipped, without actually wearing them, which is against the Core Rules of the Game... the best I can do is make the 'Ever-Bottle' to hold your slimes, and you will select one of them to be 'equipped' at a time, while remaining within the bottle."
"That isn't exactly what I asked for, but I suppose there's only so much you can do... how much?" I asked calmly, betraying no emotion besides boredom. My Charisma Stat was pretty massive because of my original Stats and the Modifiers of my Armor, (which I noticed looked similar to the NPC Alchemist's, though more ornate and with protective leather at important points,) but it didn't help if I didn't say things to get his Code running.
His eyes did the slow blink again, and after about three seconds he answered with a wide smile and a wink. "That will be 350 gold pieces, sister! I'll waive the Tax this time, seeing as I couldn't fully satisfy your request!"
"Why thank you, that's very kind, brother! While you're at it, can I buy Formulae, here? I have Spotted Mushrooms, but I have no idea what to React them with!" I placed the gold on the counter and gave him my most winningest smile, waiting while he loaded the response.
"I am sorry, sister, but our Formulae are proprietary; not even fellow Alchemists are allowed to be privy to them! I will return shortly with your Requested Item." He took the gold and bowed his head before slipping into the back room swiftly.
I examined the potions and magic items in the display cases while I waited, browsing the Materials and building possible potion combinations in my head. "Glow-Stone, Wildflowers, Frog's Tongue... mixture of Calcium, Carbon, and Magical Granite, possible uses include making Glowing Chalk? Perhaps useful for Magic Circles?" I looked up as the door opened, and the cambion returned, holding a small mahogany box.
"It wasn't easy, but I succeeded, sister!!! Your Request." He set the box down with a grand gesture, opening the lid to reveal the Item.
The Item was shaped like a fancy take on a Rook, (the Chess Piece,) with a base slightly wider than the neck and flat so as to stay upright on a flat surface; the interior bottle was held safely in place with a spiral cage and frame of unidentified scarlet metal which attached to the base and bottle at two solid metal points, preventing an impact on the glass from any angle. All in all, the interior bottle stood about four inches tall and one inch wide, while the base widened to about two inches at the bottom.
Item: The Alchemist's Rook; Holds an infinite quantity of a Maximum of Twelve different Fluids (kept separate at all times,) and allows any one Servant kept within to be considered 'Equipped'. The weight of this Item is always 5 pounds. When placed into a Player's Inventory, this Item takes up 12 Units of Space. Requires Alchemist Class to Equip.
I grinned and Equipped the item immediately, settling it on my Belt where my hand would naturally rest, and nodded. "Let's test it out..." I pulled out all six of my slimes, the ones that could fit in my Belt, and carefully poured them into the bottle, one by one. The first one seemed to fill the bottle half-way from the outside, but then the second went in without issue, changing only the color of the fluid within, and all six were comfortably settled within in moments, resulting in a technicolor lava-lamp type effect on the outside of the glass. "Moment of Truth?" I selected the Healing Slime from the Item-Inventory, and then checked my 'Active Skills'.
Active Skills: Novice Healing, Forager, Dark-Vision, Regenerate.
I laughed happily, leaving the slime selected. "Perfect, as always! Now, could I trouble you to upgrade these Daggers to a Level 4 Sharp?" I placed my three daggers on the Counter, moving on to the next item on my list.
He nodded instantly, barely even glancing at them. "I can, yes; that will be 33 gold pieces, sister!" I passed over the money instantly, and watched as he stepped into the back room and came back in less than five minutes. "Your Request, sister. Will there be anything else today?"
"Yes, one last thing; this Sword. Can you enchant it with an acid, if I provide the acid? Rot Troll Blood, Specifically." I placed the acid on the counter, then the sword.
He hummed, examining the sword and then the acid, then shook his head. "I could enchant this, but you would not be able to wield it; the enchantment for Alchemists would disallow a further enchantment. For a warrior, I could enchant it to give off this acid, but for an Alchemist... it simply isn't possible."
"I see... then can you Upgrade it to a Lvl 4 Duelist?" I sighed, mildly disappointed.
"I can, yes, that will be 22 gold pieces!" He nodded happily. I passed over the money once more, and waited while he enchanted; within three minutes, he was back with the sword and handing it over. "Will there be anything else, sister?"
"Only one last thing; can you Identify the Properties of an Herb I've collected?" I placed a Blue Willow Herb on the counter between us, sheathing the sword.
"I can identify anything, yes; are you sure you would like me to Identify this Item? That will be 5 gold per Rarity Level?" He clarified, holding a hand over the herb, a small blue-leafed plant.
"Yes." I set twenty gold on the counter, showing him I had enough money even if it was a Rarity 4, (Very Rare).
He nodded and then touched the Herb, causing a Screen to appear in front of my face.
Blue Willow Herb, Rarity 4: Value; 5 Gold.
Properties: This Herb replenishes the natural Stamina of any Creature who consumes it, as well as instilling them with the Vitality of Ten Warriors. (Str +10, Con +10, 1 Hour.)
I slowly slid the twenty gold over, and pocketed the Herb while the wheels turned in my head swiftly. After a moment, I placed another 20 gold down, and placed a Spotted Mushroom on the counter. "What about this one?"
—
Spotted Mushroom, Rarity 4: Value; 3 Gold.
Properties: This Fungus contains an extremely potent Hallucinogen, causing in those who consume it a disorienting, yet pleasant hallucination followed by horrible vertigo; it can be Refined and with other Herbs to lessen the after effects, or worsen them. (Causes Euphoria and Hallucinations for 1 Hour; Perception = 0 for the duration.
Red-Cap Mushroom, Rarity 4: Value; 5 Gold.
Properties: This Fungus contains a Deadly Toxin, which can be Refined with other poisonous Herbs to deadly effect; on its own, it sends those who consume it into an unstoppable rampage, wherein they cannot tell Friend from Foe, and will attack anything in their path until they are dead or the poison runs its course. (Causes Rage for 1 hour.)
Acid Shroom, Rarity 5: Value; 5 Gold.
Properties: This Fungus grows from the Corpse of a Troll, and serves as an equal and opposite to the Caustic Qualities of the Trolls' Anatomy. Can be Refined into a potent Base. (Counteracts and Neutralizes Acids equally or less-powerful than Rot Troll Blood.)
Bog-Wood, Rarity 1: Value; 1 Copper.
Properties: Dungeon Wood; Sturdy, good for Traps, capable of growing literally anywhere.