"Phew… That should be enough for today."
Karion's day was spent dungeon crawling, collecting anything he could get his hands on within the first two floors. Although his lack of health and mana left him impeded the first time he faced Dire Wolves, he hesitated diving further alone, knowing that if he were to be too rash, he would surely die. His evening was spent brewing as many potions as his resources allowed him to. His immersion in potions had lasted until the moon began to rise.
{Fatigue Potion; Rank F} x24
{Mana Potion; Rank E} x8
{Strength Potion; Rank E} x4
[No matter how much I make, the quality stays the same. Synthesis isn't my ability, but I'm positive I can rule out inexperience.]
Karion knew from Appraisal that his potions would reflect the quality of materials given, but his doubt came from people who have the synthesis ability from their studies. If potions were given a rank, it means better potions could be created. If experience alone was enough to improve, he was certain that many alchemists would have been able to create high-quality potions with lower-quality materials.
Lying on his bed, he had a depressed sigh
[I have three days left…]
-
"1,320 bryas. You want me to wrap up some vials again?" The clerk from the apothecary began placing Karion's potions in a different crate.
"Yes, please. Ah, but only five batches."
"Sure thing," the clerk said, placing 30 vials wrapped together with thin rope on the counter, "I'll just take what you owe from what you sold. Thanks for your patronage."
Exiting the store, Karion made a quick calculation in his mind, his expression growing weaker.
[I have a little more than three thousand bryas…]
Stopping in the middle of the street, his face grimaced. Instead of heading towards the inn or dungeon, he made his way back to where he had first arrived in Qirsley.
When arriving at the barracks, a guard stood outside, ensuring nobody without reason to enter the building. Karion walked up to the man after cleaning his expression.
"Excuse me, sir? I have a question relating to… bounties."
The soldier glanced at Karion, observing his equipment before replying, "Sure, what do you need to know?"
"How would you be able to identify them if I were to subjugate them? And, are there any in Qirsley?"
"Take their cards with you. Of course, if you manage to tie them up, and bring them back, you're free to do so. But not everyone has that luxury to capture them, while they're trying to kill you," the soldier raised his arm, pointing in Strayice's direction, "As for how many around Qirsley, it's hard to say. Past Qirsley's walls, you'll find the slums, there must be quite a few."
"Has the Order not done anything?"
"The Order can't do anything. The slums are a lawless district. Those who fall on tough times can either travel abroad or go to the slums. Even if we did have the jurisdiction, where would we even start? Asking around every person there would not only be a waste of time, but a waste of resources."
The soldier shook his head, "It's nice you're thinking of them, but the walls are what's already done. If they get past, then we'll do more."
[If that's the case… I suppose it'll make it easier for me. If the law doesn't make an appearance, I shouldn't need to worry about structural damage. Not that I intend to destroy anything…]
"What are the cards you talk about?"
The soldier stared at him for a moment, "THE cards… The ones everyone has. You have one too don't you?"
Taking out the card he received from the adventurers guild, he showed it to the soldier, "You mean, these?"
"That's the one. Criminals being, criminals, you won't be able to get their cards unless they're dead," the soldier shrugged.
-
Spending his time in the dungeon, Karion slashed through enemies left and right. With time being something he's short of, he left as soon as his main questions were answered, but that soon left him with more mysteries.
[Identity Cards leave your name, your class, and your affiliation… Why would criminals hold onto them?]
The day slowly drew to a close, the late afternoon bringing in a chill. At the inn, Karion dumped his spoils on the bed and began his routine of synthesizing.
{Fatigue Potion; Rank F} x15
{Mana Potion; Rank E} x7
{Strength Potion; Rank E} x3
Before continuing his work, Karion hesitated.
[The clerk told me that I could use either water or slime fluid… Is there a difference in quality? Even if I asked her, she said herself that she doesn't know much…]
Heading downstairs to speak with the owner, Karion asked if there was any place he could draw water from. The owner gave a surprised look before pointing him towards a communal well behind the inn along with giving him a basin.
Ignoring the owner's odd gestures, Karion collected water before returning to his room.
With nothing else to use as a container, Karion dumped the remaining vials of slime out his window to replace with water.
Karion used the previews while browsing over what could be made. To his surprise, the second section of the synthesizing panel revealed a different item every time.
{Fatigue Potion; Rank E} x2
{Mana Potion; Rank D} 2
{Strength Potion; Rank D} x1
[They're greater!]
While the fatigue potion remained the same color, he noticed the mana and strength had a brighter shade of their respective colors. His excitement was brief, consumed with confusion, [Since slimes are monsters, wouldn't potions made from them be more potent? Just how do these potions work…]
-
The next day, he sold his wares to the clerk, "You… you're really talented, aren't you."
"Thank you, ahaha…"
"The low-quality ones come to about 1,010 bryas. The medium quality ones will be 210."
[210..?]
"Are the fatigue potions included in the medium-quality ones?"
"Huh? Of course not, fatigue potions are the same quality, no matter what method of brewing you use."
"Eh…?"
The clerk held up two of Karion's vials. One was a mana potion of low quality, and the other was of medium quality, "The color of potions grow clearer as their quality increases. As you can see here," she continued while pointing to the fatigue potions, "Their colors stay the same, as is with all negative potions."
[This world… can only identify potions by their colors…?]
"Did you want me to wrap another five vials?"
"Ah, yes please…"
-
Returning to the inn, he contemplated the values of the potions. He had his ability of appraisal, so the difference between high and low-quality potions couldn't be clearer to him, but it wasn't the same for the world.
[I make barely a thousand bryas a day… I won't be able to reach 70,000 at this rate, much less 90,000…]
[Two days…]
As he lay on his bed, his expression grew distant. He knew the answer, but his problem remained. Karion understood that criminals were bad, but no matter how many times he tried to convince himself, a wave of fear drowned him.
[Two days…]
With the deadline drawing closer, the thoughts in his dread began to shift, as if trying to cope in a way that would adapt his circumstances.
[Two days. Only two days, and I don't have to do this again…]
"….."
The following day, he rushed to the dungeon, exerting himself harsher than usual, going as far as shouting to attract the attention of monsters. Returning to the inn, he created medium-grade potions, setting aside five of each. Noticing the sun beginning to set, Karion collected his potions, hastily making his way to Qirsley's gates.
Arriving at the entrance of Qirsley, a soldier stopped him,
"Hey, doors close in a few minutes. If you set out now, we won't open them again till dawn."
Karion took a deep breath, "It's fine. I got somewhere to be."
Karion walked past the soldier, exiting Qirsley. He ignored the soldier's shouts of caution, hastily making his way to the slums.