Chapter 2.52: Alchemical Gardens

Chapter 2.52: Alchemical Gardens

Well, theyre intent on sending a delegation, Azrug said, laughing. That new sawmill will put a fire under their butts, though.

Theo had just arrived back at the Newt and Demon. His intentions to upgrade the building immediately were parried by the silver-tongued shopkeeper. Rivers and Daub wanted to send representatives from their merchants guild to Broken Tusk to inspect their infrastructure, and Azrug wanted the alchemist as far from it as possible.

Youre good at talking to Broken Tuskers, but those high-riding jerks at Rivers and Daub are going to get a rise out of you, Azrug said.

Theo knit his brow, a strange sensation washing over him. The shopkeeper was right, but that didnt make him feel any better. He would sit in the meeting with his hands in his lap as Azrug and Alise did all the talking. A side of him wanted to take part, but another didnt care. Somehow, he could sense Zaralis new barrels upstairs, and perhaps the woman herself. Unlike her, he couldnt sweep his mind over an area to determine if other people occupied a space.

Youre the boss, Theo said. I have one question. Youre not level 10. Can you contend with those people? They have to be high, right?

Im almost 10, Azrug said, puffing up. With more real-world trading experience than most of those blowhards. They have their trade guild to hide behind, making tiny, laughable deals. I move merchandise. I make coin. Their jaws are going to drop open when they see our books.

The difference between Broken Tusk and other towns was amazing. With their unique confluence of events, they produced more raw materials than others. They also had access to monster waves, seemingly on demand. Then there was the alchemical wares Theo himself produced, bolstering an already lively economy. The only problem they had was the use of those materials, although the trickle-down effect was already noticeable. Instead of sitting on his money like a noble lord, the alchemist distributed it right back into the town without hesitation and he had no plans to stop.

Theos image of the world was developing quickly. Combined with his fading naivete, this positioned him as a dangerous man in the southlands. Not by raising some mercenary band or level his sword on the horizon, but by the absolute way he was poised to capture trade. There was no mistake in his mind that it was a hostile takeover. No one could compete with their output aside from Qavell itself, and that wouldnt last forever.

The trade deal is yours, Theo said, waving a dismissive hand. He ran his hand through his hair, tracing the line of his horns. I have another question, though.

Yeah?

How far are you willing to go with me? Theo asked. Into the title of Duke? How about the title of King? Emperor? How far does the road stretch before us with our trading empire?

Azrug leaned in, a wicked grin spreading across his face. Iaredin. The entire world, if we want. Lean on your friends and well make it happen.

Theo let out a heavy sigh. That was his plan. He wanted to take the mud ball and transform it into an unstoppable force of trade, focusing on defensive doctrines of war rather than offensive ones. Every investment he made went toward production or defense, and Aarok had a similar mind for the matter. With a few carriages like Fenians, there wouldnt be anything to stop them from hitting those far-flung places in the world. Until then, the alchemists goal was to create a shipping empire. Trade ships were well within their reach, compared to magical means of conveyance. He let those thoughts slide away for now, filing them to a deep part in his mind.

Good, Theo said after a long pause. It will be you that spearheads all our deals. I imagine the experience points you get from it will be massive.

I hope, Azrug said.

Theo excused himself without another word, heading into the lab. He found Zarali, as he expected, adjusting the contents of the lab. She flashed him a smile and gestured to the newly arranged contents.

Do you like it? she asked.

Theo didnt really care where his things were in the lab. The stills remained where they were, under the chimney to avoid too many vapors building with the lab. But she had changed everything else. 4 fermentation barrels were arranged to the cardinals, their new runes flashing with purple energy. The alchemist could see she wanted him to inquire about the changes, so he obliged.

New barrels? he asked, boiling his intent down to the basis of need.

Yes, new barrels, Zarali said, scoffing as though he offended her deeply. Youre a fool probing in the dark. You lucked out with the wood. Ogre Cypress is the perfect vessel for fermentation. And you were smart enough to use infused copper, which I would have thought youd never guess.

They just needed some fancy drawings on them, Theo said, smiling. He could read the Drogramathi script on the barrels, but they were nonsense.

Indeed. You can read them, yes? she asked, switching from Low Qavelli to Old Drogramathi.

Theo didnt like Drogramaths language when he arrived in Broken Tusk, but it was growing on him. It was full of guttural stops and hard sounds that fell on the ear like a broken drum.

Naturally, Theo said, responding in the Dronons native tongue. I dont understand them, though.

Because youre not a [Drogramath Enchanter], like me, Zarali said. Ill put it simply. They funnel Drogramaths energy in accordance with Black Geometry.

Black Geometry? Theo asked, letting out a sharp laugh. That sounds goofy.

Its a horrible name, Zarali said. But it just means theres math you need to understand. Spacing and direction matter.

Theo moved to a barrel, inspecting it.

[Enchanted Alchemy Fermentation Barrel]

[Alchemy Equipment] [Enchanted]

Epic

Created By: Sledge

Modified By: Zarali

A 200 unit capacity barrel capable of fermenting any reagents placed inside. Placing a mote with the mash is required for the process to take effect. Additional motes and mana may be required over the course of the fermentation.

Effects:

Creates a fermentation reaction when reagents are placed inside with a mote.

Speed of fermentation is greatly increased, depending on the strength of the mote.

Enchantments:

Siphon Power

Distribute Power

Crafting Speed

Crafting Effectiveness

Alignment: Drogramath

So Zarali was holding on to a few secrets. She was a priestess and an enchanter. Theo should have assumed she had more classes than she let on. At level 30, shed have at least 5 classes available to her. Uharis claimed there was a way to get new core slots that didnt involve leveling, but that seemed like information someone would hold on to without the will to share.

What Im understanding is that youre powerful, Theo said. I imagine adding so many enchantments is difficult.

It is, Zarali said, running her fingers over the barrel. But theres a supply of gems and a Half-Ogre willing to part with them for a pittance.

Thank you, Theo said, never one to be unappreciate of such a powerful gift. Is enchanting a hobby, or what?

I suppose, Zarali said, furrowing her brow. Why do you ask?

The obvious reason, Theo said. You could make a lot of money doing that here. What are the limitations of the enchantments? What can you enchant?

Well, I cant enchant seed core buildings, Zarali said, scratching her head. Other than that, quality of material is paramount. Since the barrel was crafting with relatively suitable material, it was easy.

Why would you want to? Theo asked.

Ah, I have some information I can deploy as a last resort, Zarali said. Something they did. That they dont know I know they did, her voice lowered to a whisper, something illegal.

No theatrics, Azrug said, shaking his head. But youre more than welcome. Theyll want to see the [Drogramath Enchanter] for themselves.

Follow Azrugs lead, Theo said, placing his hand on the womans shoulder.

Right. Well need to work this out, little trader, Zarali said. Downstairs.

Azrugs eyes went wide. His body went stiff, turning on the spot as though he was an automaton. He then marched down the stairs without another word.

Run this through the still, then the refinery, Zarali said in Old Drogramathi. Then we can talk about modifiers.

The woman went down the stairs, following Azrug into the lab. Theo took time to check his supplies, finding them mostly empty. He and his sister had chatted for so long, the fermentation barrel was done. The alchemist set it inside the still, applying the appropriate time and left it to work while he sorted the garden out. As he finished up with the stills, he heard Azrug shout from downstairs. By the time the alchemist made it down into the shop, he stormed out the front. Zarali had a smile on her face.

Im going into the garden, Theo said. I dont want to know what you told him.

Youll find out, Zarali said, flashing a wider smile.

The greenhouse had an incredible capacity from the start. His current crop of 50 plants would fit easily, but he wanted to confirm a theory. Since the information screen for the [Alchemical Garden] came up in its own window, different from the main building, and had a level indicator it should take [Monster Cores]. The alchemist tested, feeding it a single high-level core, receiving a notification from the system. It accepted the core, gaining several levels immediately. Another core brought it to level 5, causing the building to shift to each direction he selected. He considered the upgrade options that popped up.

[Sun Orbs]

A series of [Sun Orbs] appear floating inside of the greenhouse. The orbs will adjust to provide the perfect light source for whatever plants are in the greenhouse.

[Recycled Earth]

Plants that grow within the greenhouse consume half the nutrients in the soil.

[Weed Killer]

Weeds will never grow within the greenhouse.

It was typical that the first upgrades for a building werent great. These were all good, just not great. Theo thought for a moment about the options. [Weed Killer] wasnt very useful, as there didnt seem to be many weeds plaguing his crops. [Recycled Earth] was decent, allowing him to apply his alchemical mixture half as often, but [Sun Orbs] was the winner. With [Sun Orbs], he could guarantee that each plant was growing with the exact light source it needed. He didnt need to worry that he was killing his plants because of bad placement, which hed seen with the [Water Lily] test. He selected that option, feeding more cores and expanding the building.

By the time the greenhouse reached level 10, it was larger by 10 paces in every direction. The troughs of dirt inside had expanded to match, increasing the capacity of the garden significantly. He inspected the new upgrade options.

[Recycled Earth]

Plants that grow within the greenhouse consume half the nutrients in the soil.

[Weed Killer]

Weeds will never grow within the greenhouse.

[Drogramath Empowerment]

Latent energy, aligned with Drogramath, will be drawn from the air to enhance your plants. Energy density affects growth rate, cultivation yield, and nutrient usage.

[Drogramath Empowerment] was the clear winner for this one. If it scaled with the energy in the air, the results would be absurd. Hed also learned that aligned expansions were usually great, especially if the person owning the building held the same alignment. Theo inspected the building after applying the upgrade, nodding with satisfaction.

[Alchemical Garden]

[The Newt and Demon]

Building Attachment

Owners: Belgar (Theo Spencer), Tresk

Faction: [Broken Tusk]

Level: 10 (15%)

Expansions:

[Sun Orbs]

[Drogramath Empowerment]

As the day waned, Theo transferred his makeshift garden into the greenhouse. The plants seemed to perk up immediately, growing visibly before his eyes. His new greenhouse was large enough to hold 20 of each plant in each row, with 10 rows total. At full cultivation, that meant each row would yield 200 units of each reagent. The [Spiny Swamp Thistle] was ready for experimentation, something he had put off for the day. For now, he let them settle into the new soil.

Theo finished in the garden, finding both the lab and the shop empty, and inspected his newly crafted essence.

[Decay]

[Essence Modifier]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Alignment Effects:

1:1 refinement in pressure vessels

Increased purity from refinement

500 units (liquid)

Add to a completed potion to add the Decay modifier. Decay applies necrotic effects to offensive potions.

He took it back to the pressure vessel, receiving a message from Tresk that she was headed home. Both of them cleaned up with [Cleansing Scrub] before heading out for dinner. Xam served another interesting dish that night, something the alchemist had never seen before. She created small, pea-sized balls of Zee bread that tasted salty and sweet at the same time. Resting atop a bed of the Zee-peas was a wolf steak cut into fine strips. The flavors mixed incredibly well and the alchemist was tempted to ask for seconds.

After some conversation with fellow Broken Tuskers, Theo and Tresk retired for the night. They found their way back to their room and fell into bed. The alchemist did his best to dismiss the encroaching feeling of anxiety that came from tomorrows trade deal. He fell asleep after considering Azrugs aptitude on all things trade, leaving it to the young man to sort things out.