Chapter 3: Theo, The Alchemist

Chapter 3: Theo, The Alchemist

The interior of the lab wasnt much better than the outside. There was a suspicious lack of dust that made Theo think Luras had been by to clean. He doubted that the brusk woman, Miana, would have done so. It was fairly small, twenty paces by ten and crowded with tables and equipment. A door to the right led off somewhere, a place he assumed was a bedroom. The scent inside was musky, and he doubted that opening a window would help.

Did you clean up in here? Theo asked.

I did, Luras said. I organized what books I could find scattered around, Luras said, pointing to a neatly packed bookshelf near the back of the room. Your bedroom is in through there.

Theo spent some time walking around, inspecting all the equipment. Near the back corner of the lab was a copper still, something that he thought fortunate because of his distillery specialty. The thing that caught his eye was a strange-looking piece of machinery in the opposite corner. When he inspected it he let out a laugh.

[Glassware Artifice]

[Alchemy Equipment]

Epic

Created by ????

Feed the Glassware Artifice any [Mote], think about the glassware you need, and it will be produced!

The machine was a large box with a slot to accept a circular object in the front, and a spout near the bottom. It didnt seem large enough to spit out anything larger than a small phial. It was made of bronze, as far as Theo could tell.

This looks rare, Theo said, scoffing.

It is, Luras said. Most of the text is obscured for me. I dont have any alchemy specialization, but any artifice is rare.

I just feed it motes, and it spits out glassware, Theo said.

Thats fortunate. We have a lot of concentrated magic near the river, and in the swamp. If it accepts any motes, youll have an easy time generating whatever glassware you need.

Right What should I do now? Theo asked.

Every book on that shelf is about alchemy, Luras said. I suggest you start reading. There are candles in your bedroom. Ill be around later to drop off some supplies.

I cant thank you enough, Theo said, chuckling.

Youll thank me plenty when you make potions, Luras said, grinning.

The pair exchanged more pleasantries before the Half-Ogre departed, leaving Theo with a sense of unease. He didnt know what he did to deserve such a great start in a new life. He could have been thrown into many crappy situations, but this was amazing. Even with the threat of a hefty debt, rent to pay, and food to buy, he was in a much better situation than he was on Earth.

The books on the shelf varied drastically in topics. There were advanced topics he couldnt hope to understand, but also basic tomes regarding swamp plants and a general guide on alchemy. He picked up a book titled Essential Alchemy and started reading. The text was written in a language he shouldnt have understood. The blocky characters made up groups that were read as syllables, similar to Korean back on Earth. But he could understand every word, and even felt some insight on the topics.

While Essential Alchemy focused on the classical preparation of alchemical ingredients, Theo knew that most of it didnt apply to him. The milling of herbs and creation of poultices was a thing relegated to standard alchemists. Even the creation of potions was done in a fashion that seemed antithetical to innate knowledge that lingered in his mind. He settled in for hours, reading at speeds he could never hope to achieve in his old world, even if he wasnt much of a reader back then.

Mid-afternoon struck when he finished thumbing through the first book, and he settled in with the next. Wild Plants of the Swamplands was a much more productive tome, revealing the traits of many common reagents in the marsh. According to the book, the swamps wouldnt produce the common healing leaves of the highlands to the north. Hed rely on a plant called [Spiny Swamp Thistle] to produce healing ingredients. The method of processing these ingredients was elusive, as Essential Alchemy had a very brief section on distillation.

Only after reading for several hours did Theo notice that something appeared in the upper-left of his vision. A set of three bars, red, blue, and yellow, floated and followed his sight. The yellow bar lost a bit of its length, and he concluded that the rigorous study had depleted some of his stamina. He went searching in the bedroom for something to write on when he realized that the important information from the books didnt leave his mind. It wasnt a photographic recall of what he read, but the high-level concepts stuck with ease.

Theo found a short knife among a pile of things in the bedroom, inspecting it before tucking it into his belt.

[Copper Alchemy Knife]

[Alchemy Equipment]Witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through Ñôv€l--B1n.

Common

Basic copper knife. The copper in this blade wont react with any reagents.

He was confident that he could identify the ingredients in the wild without a problem and set off. The thick marsh to the west seemed like a more dangerous place than the river to the east. He wasnt walking for long before he spotted a cluster of trees, and the spiked leaves of a Swamp Thistle. Theo knelt near the plant for a moment, remembering the warnings that the book gave him. The Swamp Thistles leaves werent poisonous, but theyd easily draw blood. The spines on the leaves made that idea obvious, but the stalk of the plant was safe to touch. He bent it over, drawing his knife and cutting it there to discard the dangerous leaves.

The gnarled roots of the Spiny Swamp Thistle were fat and oozing a red liquid. Theo smiled to himself before regretting not bringing along a bag to store the ingredients. He reflected on the fact that he found the thistle so easy, quickly concluding that there were simply no alchemists in the town. The muddy hills were his to harvest, and he found a bounty. He pulled his shirt off, already threadbare and full of holes, to hold the roots.

[Drogramath Herbalist Core] receivedexperience (1%).

[Theo Spencer] receivedexperience (0.5%).

During his digging, he located several fat orbs of pulsating green energy the size of ping-pong balls. Upon inspection, he learned that they were the motes he needed for glassware.

[Earth Mote]

[Mote]

Common

The most common mote. A mote of pure earth magic, condensed by magical forces. [Earth Motes] can be found anywhere in the world.

When the sun was getting low, threatening dusk, he returned to his lab to inspect his roots.

[Spiny Swamp Thistle Root]

[Alchemy Ingredient]

That sucks.

I was pretty alright with the whole arrangement, Theo said. I was just enjoying each day that came. This transition is a welcome change.

I lost my mother recently, Luras said.

Sorry to hear that.

Its nothing compared to an entire world, I guess.

Its a lot worse than an entire world, Theo said.

They sat in silence for some time before Luras brought up a new topic. He talked about his interests outside of hunting, and the people in Broken Tusk. The farmers were the real backbone of the town, being the only people besides the hunters who produced resources for them to sell.

Alchemy is going to be big, Luras said, nodding to himself. You seem like a really calm personI like calm peoplebut youll make a massive impact on this place. We have dungeons to the east, west, and north. Adventurers pass through often. Once they hear about a potion shop, theyll come in droves. It would be nice to have the first pick of the stuff you produce.

A relationship of convenience? I can appreciate that, Theo said, smiling. At least youre honest.

The condenser on the [Copper Still] sputtered a few times, the last drop falling into the flask below. Luras and Theo cleared away the fire to inspect the product. It was a clear pink substance, and the alchemist understood it was approximately five units of liquid, whatever units were. Pressing his fingers against the flask, he got a pop-up describing what hed produced.

[Healing Essence]

[Essence]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Poor Quality

5 units (liquid)

Concentrated essence of healing, used to create healing potions.

[Drogramath Alchemy Core] receivedexperience (5%).

[Theo Spencer] receivedexperience (2%).

It worked! Theo shouted, holding his hand out for a high-five.

Luras narrowed his eyes, raising an eyebrow.

Slap your hand against mine, Theo said, a stupid grin hanging on his face.

Luras obliged, hitting Theos hand with force and sending him tumbling to the ground. This didnt diminish the alchemists good moodhed just made an essence.

Not a potion, though, Luras said.

Theo ran to the shelf of books, retrieving one and bringing it back. Essential Alchemy had a small section on distillation, but it had the basics. Essences were the basis of distillation alchemy, but they did nothing alone. An alchemist needed to combine essences, water, and a catalyst to create a potion. Catalysts came in many forms, but the one listed in the book was [Copper Shavings], which he remembered seeing in the drawer in the lab. He ran off to retrieve a pinch of the flecks, setting it down on the page of the book before approaching the [Glassware Artifice].

Theo judged the contents of the potion hed make to be about 2 units after the reaction, something he didnt know how he knew. He retrieved the [Earth Mote], shoving into the artifice and closing his eyes to imagine a narrow vial with a glass stopper on top. The things would fit perfectly together, preventing any of the valuable liquid from leaking out. The machine vibrated, the aperture on the front expanding to eject a glass vial.

Perfect! Theo shouted. Luras watched as the alchemist returned to the flask of essence, grinning the entire time.

He found a narrow glass tube among the endless glassware strewn on the tables, something that he could easily use to measure out quantities. With 1 unit of the [Healing Essence], 1 unit of [Purified Water], and exactly 2 flecks of the [Copper Shavings], he filled his new vial. The reaction was immediate and violent. A plume of smoke exploded out from the top of the vial, filling the room with a flowery scent. Theo proudly stoppered the vial, appreciating the dark red, bubbling liquid and handing it over to his new friend.

[Drogramath Alchemy Core] receivedexperience (5%).

[Theo Spencer] receivedexperience (2%).

[Lesser Healing Potion]

[Potion]

Common

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Poor Quality

A lesser healing potion. Drink to restore health.

Effect:

Instantly restores 20 health points.

A surprised look washed over Luras face. He took the potion from Theo and held it up to the candlelight, letting out a whistle. You actually did it. I was certain you were going to blow us up.

Its poor quality, but thats my first potion! Theo said, wagging his tail and pumping his fist. Im an alchemist!