Chapter 9
Well, well, I'm back in the laboratory. At long last, I can finally tackle 【Alchemy】. Man, that took forever. I'm only one day behind in real time, but here, I'm four whole days behind. Among the players who chose 【Alchemy】 as their first Skill, I might be the lowest-level one. It makes me sad just thinking about it.
Other people are other people, and I'm me. There were circumstances I couldn't help, so I'll just accept that it couldn't be helped. Now then, time for alchemy!
Let's start with the simplest potion, one made from Yal Herb. First, grind the Yal Herb carefully until it becomes a paste. Then gradually add water and slowly dilute it. The water, of course, was collected in the forest. It's not sewer water.
Once it reaches a consistency that isn't too watery, the 【Compounding】 method is to distill it and slowly cool it at room temperature. With 【Alchemy】, however, things are different. The process is the same up until making the paste, but with 【Alchemy】, magic extracts the medicinal components from everything else, and mixing them with water refines a healing potion. And this is the healing potion that process produced.
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Beginner Healing Potion Quality: Acceptable Rarity: C (Common)
The least effective healing potion. Restores 10% of your Health over one minute.
It works whether drunk or applied.
※ Undead Race users take damage when using this item. Please be careful.
Alchemy Scrap Quality: Junk Rarity: C (Common)
The garbage left behind after using Alchemy. Almost none of the medicinal ingredients remain.
It has no particular use, but it could serve as fertilizer for a field.
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It was finished in no time. It comes in a small vial, but there were so many empty bottles in the laboratory that I took one. Things are meant to be used, after all.
Even so, this healing potion is exactly the same as the one distributed with my starting equipment. It wasn't because I was particularly clumsy or skilled. That's just how the system works.
【Compounding】 and 【Alchemy】 each have their own strengths and weaknesses. First, 【Compounding】 can draw out the full potential of the materials if you work patiently and carefully, but its procedures are complicated, and even a small mistake can cause the product's quality to change dramatically. It apparently requires real-life dexterity and concentration.
By contrast, 【Alchemy】's advantage is how simple its procedures are. Its disadvantage is that its products end up a step below those made by someone proficient in 【Compounding】. It's not that you can't make good things, but apparently, the only way to do so is to raise your level.
【Compounding】, which might let me make high-performance luxury potions, and 【Alchemy】, which lets me mass-produce things with ease. There are potions that can only be made with a Skill evolved from 【Compounding】, and techniques that can only be performed with 【Alchemy】. They each have their own clearly defined niche.
Another bit of Alchemy Scrap is herb pulp left over after squeezing out the herbs. People say it can fertilize fields, but I doubt I'll ever own a field, so in my case, it'll fertilize my inventory.
Now then, I'll resume working while hoping I can raise the quality even a little. I might as well use up all the Yal Herb I have.
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Your 【Pharmacology】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Alchemy】 Skill level has increased.
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Yep, I just kept alchemizing. Both Pharmacology and Alchemy reached level 3.
I made exactly one of ‘Good’ quality. Its healing amount only rose from 10% to 12%, so it isn't particularly powerful.
However, up to this point, this has been nothing more than an experience-farming exercise for me. As the description said, healing potions offer me no benefits whatsoever. The fact that I reached level 3 is what really matters.
"From here on, it's poison alchemy."
Right. I can start compounding Dol Herb and Mapi Herb at level 3. And once I reach level 5, I'll be able to use the countless rat incisors I have, too. I'll put my back into it.
First, turn Dol Herb into a paste the same way as Yal Herb. The key here is to grind it as-is, without adding water.
Next is Yal Herb. Apparently, drying it increases its efficacy. But I currently have no way to dry it, so as a desperate workaround, I use a Fireball created with 【Fire Magic】 and warm it from a distance. Since I had to be careful not to set it on fire, it took quite a bit of concentration.
Once dried, it became so brittle that it crumbled at the slightest pressure. I ground that down further into a fine, loose powder. After adding it to the Dol Herb paste, I mixed it thoroughly to prevent unevenness.
That covers the preparation before running the alchemy process. All that's left is to extract it. Then, once I put it in an empty bottle... done.
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Weak Poison Quality: Acceptable Rarity: C (Common)
A poison with weak toxicity. It is generally applied to daggers or arrows.
Deals 1% slip damage every 10 seconds for one minute.
There is a small chance of inflicting paralysis for 10 seconds.
Alchemy Scrap Quality: Junk Rarity: C (Common)
The garbage left behind after using Alchemy. Almost none of the poison remains.
It has no particular use, but it could serve as fertilizer for a field.
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Hmm, underwhelming! It might be viable for a boss fight? In a normal battle, all I can do is pray for the paralysis to trigger. At this rate, it's nothing more than a useless, lurid purple liquid.
Also, the description for the Alchemy Scrap has changed in a subtle way. It's only one character, but still. This game is oddly meticulous about details.
The poison's performance was disappointing, but I'll keep going. I'll continue making poison. The reason I need to hurry is simple: I need to unlock rat incisors! Level 5, here I come!
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Your 【Mana Control】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Fire Magic】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Pharmacology】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Alchemy】 Skill level has increased.
You learned the Drying and Synthesis spells.
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Okay, I've reached level 5, but let me say one thing. Why am I only getting Drying now!?
I had just gone through all that trouble... I worked hard enough to raise my 【Mana Control】 and 【Fire Magic】 levels, too... I'll think of it as good experience and forget about it. Yeah.
And Synthesis, too. Let's see... a technique for fusing identical items and improving their quality, huh. Interesting.
The things I have in absurd quantities are rat incisors and hides. Magic stones come next, I suppose. Synthesizing these to raise their quality could be worthwhile. I could also try synthesizing herbs and poisonous herbs, and even healing potions and poisons. The more I can do, the more I want to do. It's a welcome dilemma.
In any case, now that I've reached level 5, I'll start making poison with rat incisors as planned. Now, will it work?
First, dry and grind the rat incisors. Oh, 【Alchemy】's Drying is easy. And fast, too—very convenient. Since they're brittle now, just like Mapi Herb, it doesn't take long to turn them into a fine powder. Once they've become powder, the incisor-related step is complete.
Next, it's time for the Weak Poison made from Dol and Mapi Herbs. I add the powdered incisors to it and mix everything thoroughly. The color deepened and changed to a dark purple. Now, if I extract the unnecessary components... done.
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Poison Quality: Poor Rarity: R (Rare)
A poison made by combining various toxins. It is generally applied to daggers or arrows.
Deals 2% slip damage every 10 seconds for one minute.
There is a high chance of inflicting paralysis for 5 seconds.
The amount of bleeding damage increases slightly.
※ When applied to an arrow, it has ten uses.
If administered all at once, each effect is tripled.
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Wow, this is what it does at Poor quality? Against an enemy with no resistances, this is an incredibly useful poison. Still, Undead-type monsters like me are unaffected because of 【Status Effect Immunity】, and monsters with some kind of resistance are bound to appear anyway, so I guess it isn't broken.
So rat incisors grant a bonus to bleeding damage? Rats spread diseases, and their bites can fester and even cause tetanus. I suppose the game translates that into bleeding.
And what about this warning? Tripling the effects sounds pretty broken. Poison damage becomes 6%, its duration three minutes; paralysis lasts 15 seconds; and the increased bleeding damage is appealing. But there's no way anyone could actually force all of that down someone else's throat. This stuff isn't just pitch-black; it has an incredibly pungent smell, too. Obviously, it's meant to be used on a weapon prepared with poison or as a poisoned arrow. Though I can't use a bow and arrow.
Now for the next thing. I'll try Synthesis this time. The material will be... rat hides, I think. I have so many of them that I want to reduce the pile, even if only a little.
To use Synthesis, I just need to gather the materials in one place? Easy. I'll start with two...
"Synthesis... Huh?"
Oh? It failed? Why? I followed the instructions...
This is exactly when I should borrow wisdom from those who came before me. I'll reread 'The Basics of Alchemy.' I don't remember seeing anything about Synthesis, but maybe I skimmed over it.
...There it is. I see—the reason Synthesis failed was that I didn't use enough. So turning them into something higher quality isn't that easy.
Then three... failure. Four... that doesn't work either. Oh, this is a pain! I'll throw in ten all at once!
O-ohhh? I thought the rat hides had started glowing, but they've turned into one large hide. Let's appraise it right away.
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Large Rat Hide Quality: Acceptable Rarity: C (Common)
A large rat hide.
It's large, so it has many uses, but it isn't popular as a material.
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The item name changed, and its quality went up, too? Even so, people still avoid it... If you asked me whether I could wear clothes made from rat hide, I'd say no, so I suppose it can't be helped.
Next, then. I'll try using magic stones. I have fewer of them than rat materials, but if I run short, I can always hunt slugs.
I'll try using ten from the start this time, too. This game seems to use decimal counting as its basis, not just for levels.
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Magic Stone Quality: Poor Rarity: C (Common)
A stone generated inside a monster's body.
It absorbs and stores the magic power in its surroundings.
Absorption efficiency is proportional to Quality, and maximum mana capacity is proportional to Rarity.
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Oh, this one improved in quality, too. A straightforward change.
And ten really does seem to be the right number. After that, I tried using between five and nine rat hides, but every attempt failed, and the same was true of magic stones. I don't know how it will work from here on, but I'll remember that Synthesis generally takes ten items.
Speaking of ten, I actually have ten or more Beginner Healing Potions and Poisons... Should I try it? Yeah, let's give it a shot!
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Your 【Mana Control】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Pharmacology】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Alchemy】 Skill level has increased.
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Oh, a level-up. That was fast. I suppose that's only natural, since I've been working through difficult things one after another. And here are the Healing Potion and Poison I made through Synthesis.
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Intermediate Healing Potion Quality: Poor Rarity: C (Common)
A healing potion with a decent effect. Restores 18% of your Health over one minute.
It works whether drunk or applied.
※ Undead Race users take damage when using this item. Please be careful.
Poison Quality: Acceptable Rarity: R (Rare)
A poison made by combining various toxins. It is generally applied to arrows.
Deals 3% slip damage every 10 seconds for one minute.
There is a high chance of inflicting paralysis for 7 seconds.
The amount of bleeding damage increases.
※ When applied to an arrow, it has ten uses.
If administered all at once, each effect is tripled.
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Okay, can I give you the conclusion first? Healing potions aren't cost-effective! Their item rank has gone up, sure. They're intermediate now, sure. But the amount they heal isn't worth it, and what the heck does ‘Poor’ quality mean?
As for the poison... well, it passes, I guess? Is it worth the enhancement from using ten? ...Maybe? Its performance is the sort people would rate differently. It feels like it could be a last resort in an emergency, but also like it couldn't quite manage that.
Whoa, is it already this late!? I lost track of time while working with such concentration. This won't do. I have to go to work early tomorrow, so after logging out, having dinner, and taking a bath, I need to go to bed. As usual, I'll leave the lamp on and log out while sitting in the chair in my private room.
Well then, good night.