The interior of the lab wasn’t 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 didn’t 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 don’t have any alchemy specialization, but any artifice is rare.”

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

“That’s fortunate. We have a lot of concentrated magic near the river, and in the swamp. If it accepts any motes, you’ll 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. I’ll be around later to drop off some supplies.”

“I can’t thank you enough,” Theo said, chuckling.

“You’ll 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 didn’t 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 couldn’t 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 shouldn’t 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 didn’t 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 wasn’t 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 wouldn’t produce the common healing leaves of the highlands to the north. He’d 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 didn’t leave his mind. It wasn’t 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]

Common

Basic copper knife. The copper in this blade won’t 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 wasn’t 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 Thistle’s leaves weren’t poisonous, but they’d 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] received experience (1%).

[Theo Spencer] received experience (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]

Common

The root of a Spiny Swamp Thistle.

Properties:

[Healing] ???? ????

Theo stood there, staring at what he’d collected for some time. His mind raced at the best way to process the roots, but there were gaps in the knowledge that sat innately in his mind. “Essential Alchemy” contained a lot of information regarding the processing of leaves, and the creation of dilute potions, but nothing about how to create essences. He popped the lid off the [Copper Still] and nodded, appreciating that the last owner cleaned it before abandoning the lab. His mind went back to Earth, and a friend that died years ago from the famine. Before everything went to hell, he tried his hand at creating liquor at home.

The memory was a distant thing, and the entire process wouldn’t return to Theo. He understood that whiskey was made with some kind of mash, a combination of the fermented ingredients and water, before running it through the still. The job of the still was to concentrate the ingredients, bringing out as much alcohol as possible. Theo collected a wooden bucket from his supplies and found a barrel of [Purified Water] near the [Copper Still].

[Purified Water]

[Common Item]

Common

Water that has been purified. Perfect for stable alchemical reactions.

The discovery of the water was fortunate, as his current plan was simply to use the water from the skin that Luras gave him. Theo dumped his haul of [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root] into the bucket, found the nearest heavy wooden object, and started smashing them. The thought of cutting the roots up entered his mind, but was quickly dismissed by his innate knowledge. It made sense when he thought about it. If his plan was to extract as much of the [Healing] property from the root, he’d need to smash it up to get at that red liquid inside. His stamina drained as he smashed away, finally getting the mass of roots into a chunky paste.

A knock sounded at the door, startling him. “Hello?”

Luras’ massive frame came through the door, a surprised look on his face. “Wow, you’re already getting at it?”

The Half-Ogre held a bag in his hand, hoisting it up onto a table and coming to inspect the mash.

“Yeah, the books were helpful, but there are a lot of gaps,” Theo said. “Hey, I can remember most of what I read. Isn’t that cool?”

“You have high [Wisdom], so it’s not surprising,” Luras said. “You’ll eventually be able to remember everything you read, if you get it high enough. It also affects your thinking speed.”

“That’s awesome,” Theo said, suddenly feeling his stomach growling. “I hope you brought food.”

Luras smiled, retrieving long strips of dried meat from the bag and handing one to Theo. The alchemist didn’t hesitate, biting into the tough meat and swallowing it with a little chewing. It was lightly salted with the taste of wild game. He didn’t dare ask what creature produced the meat, simply happy to have something to eat. He gulped at his waterskin, devouring the food without sharing a word with his new friend. After a while, the Half-Ogre cast him another grin.

“Thanks, man,” Theo said. “Oh, did you find a mirror?”

Luras produced another item from the bag—a small piece of polished metal. Theo took it, happy to inspect himself. In his eyes, he was a demon. The horns swooped over his head, following the path of his slicked-back black hair. His eyes were almost glowing violet without pupils. Even as he smiled, he winced at his fangs.

“I look like a monster,” Theo said.

Luras shrugged. “You look like a Dronon.”

With tremendous effort, Theo waved his tail from side to side. “I wonder if this thing does anything for my balance.”

Luras laughed at that. “It’s like watching a child learn.”

“I feel like a child,” Theo said. “I’m going to need some new clothes, too.”

Luras produced clothes from the bag, and Theo frowned. There was a black linen robe, a loose-fitting shirt, and a pair of slacks. The thing that the alchemist was most interested in was the pair of leather gloves, remembering the sharp spines of the thistle.

“Again, I expect repayment in the form of potions,” Luras said.

“Right. About that,” Theo said, putting off swapping his clothes for the time being. He was still standing without a shirt and slacks filled with holes. “I think I have a good idea for how this works.”

The [Copper Still] sat under a flue in the ceiling, meant to vent the smoke of a fire outside. Theo wished that there was a magical solution to heating his still, but he’d take what he could get. He smashed the roots a few more times before dumping them into the still, using a ladle to wash the rest of it out of the bucket. He added the [Purified Water] to match the level of the roots before returning the lid and positioning the condenser over a fat glass flask. Luras watched as he worked. The alchemist darted around the lab to collect the flask, wood for the fire, and a few books from the shelf.

“Do you know how to make a fire?” Theo asked sheepishly.

Luras silently collected the wood, taking a quartered log and scraping off tinder with a knife. The section underneath the [Copper Still] protected the floor from the heat. It was made of perfectly hewn flagstones, arranged underneath in a decorative pattern. The hunter broke the logs down further, arranging them underneath and applying sparks with a flint and his knife. After only a few moments, a small fire crackled underneath.

“Like that?” Luras said, grinning.

“I have a lot to learn,” Theo said, laughing. “Right… that’s going to take an hour or two. I’m going to get changed.”

“Alright.”

Theo retreated to his room, far too modest to change in front of his new friend. Behind his closed door, he inspected himself further, finding that all the sensitive anatomy was where it should be, and donned his new clothes. The shirt and pants were extremely comfortable compared to his burlap rags, and there was even a pair of moccasins made of the most supple leather he’d ever felt. He felt like a wizard after pulling the robe over his shoulders. There was even a spot in his slacks for his tail.

“How do I look?” Theo asked, holding his arms wide in the alchemy lab.

Luras had lit a few candles, setting them in lanterns around the room as dusk fell over Broken Tusk. He regarded the alchemist with a discerning eye, smiling after a moment. “Like someone wearing second-hand clothes. The still is making noise.”

Theo ran across the lab, leaning in to listen to the sound. The contents were boiling a little too vigorously. He instructed the Half-Ogre to reduce the intensity of the flames, bringing it to a low simmer. He didn’t want the roots to burn against the bottom of the pot, fouling the extract. The pair found seats around the bubbling still, watching as a few drops of liquid fell into the flask.

“Do you miss your family?” Luras asked.

“I had little family left,” Theo said with a shrug. “Most people were already dead in my world.”

“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.”

“It’s nothing compared to an entire world, I guess.”

“It’s 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 person—I like calm people—but you’ll 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, they’ll 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 you’re 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 he’d 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] received experience (5%).

[Theo Spencer] received experience (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 Theo’s hand with force and sending him tumbling to the ground. This didn’t diminish the alchemist’s good mood—he’d 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 he’d make to be about 2 units after the reaction, something he didn’t 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] received experience (5%).

[Theo Spencer] received experience (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.”

“It’s poor quality, but that’s my first potion!” Theo said, wagging his tail and pumping his fist. “I’m an alchemist!”