Chapter 2.29: Don''t Panic

    Theo paced in his lab, withdrawing and rejecting another reagent from his inventory. He had gone through all of his stores without luck. His intuition whispered vaguely that the things hed looked at werent what he needed. Rifling through the scatter of cabinets within the lab, the alchemist found something that would fit the bill. Tresk had a small store of [Swamp Onions] in a drawer, all in different states of decay. He picked one up and examined it for the first time in a long time.

    [Swamp Onion]

    [Alchemy Ingredient] [Food]

    Uncommon

    Swamp Onions grow near the mossy embankments common in the marsh. They blend in with local flora, and can be extremely difficult to spot.

    Properties:

    [Stench] ???? ????

    Something about the [Stench] property spoke to him. Theo scooped the entire cache of onions into his inventory, transporting them to his first fermentation barrel. He added the vegetables and an [Earth Mote], returning the lid and standing back with satisfaction. As he stood there, a strange system window popped into the center of his vision. He hadnt seen it before, but laughed when he read the text.

    [Aarok]: This is a test of Broken Tusks new message system. Dont panic.

    The best way to keep people from panicking was to tell them not to do so. The timers on all three stills clicked off, the hissing of the condensers trailing off after a moment. Theo cleaned them out with his [Cleansing Scrub] and moved to check his stores, only to find a mostly-empty [Dimensional Storage Crate]. Hed been neglecting his herb gathering, and the adventurers guild still hadnt filled his [Fire Salamander Egg] order. He stood, taking another deep breath of the strange mingle of scents before going downstairs. It was an opportunity to experiment with the local flora some more.

    Fenian caught his attention before he had time to escape.

    Theo, these monsters are dropping good equipment, Fenian said, smiling. Have you dug through these piles yet?

    The alchemist had paid little attention to the piles at all. They were things that got in his way when he was trying to get up to the lab, but now he realized he should have been digging through them.

    I have seen no alchemy-specific gear, Azrug said, shrugging. Its all combat stuff.v3l.B11n.

    Well, look at the man, Fenian said, gesturing to Theo. Hes as likely to fall over as take a sure step. Are you wearing pants under there? A shirt?

    Theo pulled at the hem of his robe, pulling it up to reveal the threadbare shirt and slacks he got when he arrived in Broken Tusk. Fenian tutted with disappointment, searching through a pile of clothes to produce a pair of slacks and a shirt. They were both made of a white, cotton-like material, but were of the same design as his current set.

    Put those on No! Not in here, you savage, Fenian said, cackling. Inspect them, first.

    [Pants of the Dexterous]

    [Cloth Pants]

    Rare

    Scaling

    Magical pants, granting the user a bonus to dexterity.

    Effect:

    +2 Dexterity

    [Shirt of the Dexterous]

    [Cloth Shirt]

    Rare

    Scaling

    Magical shirt, granting the user a bonus to dexterity.

    Effect:

    +1 Dexterity

    Theos mind went back to his fumbling sprint back in the gravel yard, minutes ago. He was at the base score for [Dexterity], allowing him to move well enough without constantly tripping. If it was any lower than 5, he was sure hed stumble with every step. The alchemist retreated to the lab to change, feeling a rush flood through his body. At 8 dexterity, he felt only marginally more nimble. The thresholds for stats that he knew about were at 10 and 20, but a +3 increase was more than nothing. He returned down the stairs, smiling.

    I should have thought about that, Theo said.

    Me too, Azrug said.

    Well, Im going to make my rounds through town, Fenian said. Ill see you before I depart, Theo.

    Alright. Take it easy, Theo said.

    Fenian paused at the door, turning to grin. I dont think I will.

    Azrug laughed, shaking his head. He turned to Theo once the trader was gone. At least the monster wave was easy.

    Theo didnt know if it was easy, but it went as planned. Xolsas words played through his mind, but he wanted to ignore them for now. He knew there was something wrong with the dungeon, that much was obvious. The adventurers reports said it had slowed its growth, but by how much? In the alchemists mind, the key was to keep moving forward. There was no sense in dwelling on something he couldnt change, let alone something so out of his reach.

    Well be even better prepared for the next one, Theo said.

    Aarok showed me his fancy new title, Azrug said, shuffling his feet. Can I have a title?

    Im going to give everyone a title for their station, but I havent done it yet, Theo said. The military aspect is the important part, for now.

    Were going to need to clear the cave, first, Theo said. Lets go back to town while Tresk works.

    Good idea, Sarna said, scampering fearfully to his side.

    Theo summoned his mayors screen, tabbing over to the tactical screen. As they walked the hills, he inspected the options. He could issue a call to arms for the adventurers, pinning a place on the map to summon them.

    How many other adventurers do you need? Theo asked.

    Two? Maybe? Better send three, Tresk said.

    Theo clicked on a few buttons, selecting a dropdown that requested 3 adventurers from the town. There were a ton of options, including creating a quest with the adventurers guild, setting a bounty on the monsters, and other useful things. He sent the message out just as they returned through the southern gate. Before they reached Sarnas house, he spotted 3 adventurers sprinting over the cobbled streets.

    So, Theo said, setting young Gasem down near their house. Do you want to be a smelter, or a miner?

    Are those monsters going to come back once you clear the cave? Sarna asked.

    I doubt it, Theo said. I think once I set the seed core, they wont respawn.

    Then it doesnt matter to me, Sarna said. If Im meant to work, I just need somewhere to put my kid during the day.

    Theos brow furrowed. He hadnt considered child care for his new arrivals. No one popped into his mind for the job and he let out a heavy sigh.

    Well, thats another problem to solve, Theo said. I need to check interest within the town. To see if anyone wants childcare for their children.

    Childcare? Sarna asked, raising an eyebrow. Gasem busied himself with a slimy rock, immediately shoving it in his mouth.

    The concept of daycare didnt exist in this world, but he should have guessed that. If they followed the medieval concepts, which seemed to be the theme, there would be wet nurses. It was impossible to be sure, but it brought up another question for the town. Was this meant to be some haven where everyone could drop their kids off at a daycare for free? Or should he let them all simply sort themselves out. Education was another question lingering in his mind. Did it really matter to make children smarter if they could just place points in [Intelligence] when they got their cores? Theos mind swirled with too many questions, leading him back to his original thought. He needed to take a survey.

    Well, that leads me to a question, Theo said. Would you like to drop Gasem off at daycare? A place where someone else would watch him so you could work?

    Sarna thought for a long moment. She pressed her index finger into her chin and hummed.

    I suppose that would be nice, Sarna said. Ive never heard of such a thing, though.

    Right. Im going to ask around to the other people with kids. See what they think, Theo said.

    Sarna shrugged. It would be nice to have a break, she said in a small voice.

    Theo clapped his hand on her shoulder and smiled. I have some experimentation to do, but well talk to the others about it.

    Theo and Sarna exchanged their good-byes, and he inspected the 2 new reagents hed harvested. The first was a cluster of flowers, pulsing with a gentle blue light. They didnt look poisonous, and the alchemists senses said they were fine to taste, so he did. It had almost no flavor, what little that came through tasting slightly like rosewater.

    [Properties Discovery!]

    Youve discovered an additional effect from the [Mages Bane] by eating it.

    [Absorb Magic] discovered.

    [Mages Bane]

    [Alchemy Ingredient]

    Rare

    A flower with anti-magic properties.

    Properties:

    [Resist Magic] [Absorb Magic] ????

    This was a reagent that could be useful, or useless. Without a potion to judge it by, he wouldnt be able to tell. Theo also couldnt predict what kind of essence modifier this would produce. The alchemist shrugged, producing the other reagent and turning it over in his fingers. It looked like a hard blueberry, almost the color of stone. As he took a bit, the flavor of chipped rocks flooded through his mouth, making him gag. He swallowed the dusty thing, receiving a message for his efforts.

    [Properties Discovery!]

    Youve discovered an additional effect from the [Roc Berries] by eating it.

    [Retreat] discovered.

    [Roc Berries]

    [Alchemy Ingredient] [Food]

    Uncommon

    A berry that grows in mossy hills.

    Properties:

    [Feather] [Retreat] ????

    Even though the [Rock Berries] were listed as food, they tasted far worse than the [Mages Bane]. The properties that came with the berries were almost impenetrable. Theo couldnt even think of what either would do, but shrugged it off.

    To Theos surprise, he received reports about the adventurers progress in the cave. It gave him updates on how many monsters theyd kill, but not what the monsters were or how many remained. He was counting on the system informing him when it was clear, though. Then, he could give the signal to Tresk that theyd taken care of everything within.

    Theo returned to the lab and checked his fermentation, finding that it was almost done. He made several notes in Basic Drogramath Alchemy before cleaning his stills and prepping them for another run. Today was a day he could enjoy. One filled with alchemy and progress.