“Thank you.”
Quest: Potions for ingredients
You have successfully turned the ingredients given to you by the vendor Faruk and turned them into the specified Potions.
Rewards: 32,000 Experience
Pick up to 3,000 gold worth of ingredients
He dismissed the quest screen that appeared in his vision and moved around the store to pick out various ingredients before he brought them back to the counter.
The vendor looked at the ingredients with interest; they were all rather simple ingredients and in large numbers. If it had been another potion maker, then he might have pointed out that they might want to get some other ingredients. However, he had not seen someone with Jung Lee’s skill before and held onto his words.
“This comes to around twenty-seven hundred gold, leaving you with a credit of two hundred and thirty-four gold remaining.” The vendor smiled.
“Thank you.” Jung Lee put the items into a pouch of holding that was on his belt.
“Please come by whenever you need ingredients, Mister Jung!” the vendor said.
Jung Lee nodded slightly to the vendor before he left the store. He patted his pouch, smiling to himself. He could create impressive potions that could boost a person’s abilities for a short while or could poison Level 500 creatures. However, all of these were potions that took up many expensive ingredients and took a long time to create.
What Jung Lee needed right now was gold so that he could pursue his passion in potion making. He had bought simple and low-cost ingredients of just a few kinds. His reasoning was simple. Using his skills, he could use the ingredients to make a number of simple but useful potions, ones that most people could afford—minor healing, Stamina and Mana regeneration. The ingredients for a single potion might be worth two gold, but he could sell them for nearly twelve in Terra!
With the ingredients he had purchased, he could sell all of his potions for nearly sixteen thousand gold. He could repeat the process for similar kinds of potions and increase his profits. It was true that potion makers were some of the richest people in all of Emerilia!
“Most people would be depressed or annoyed with how long it will take for them to gain the money they need to pursue their passion.” Jekoni looked at Jung Lee as he floated in the air.
“Having been locked up in the Six Affinities Temple for so long, it feels good to be challenged once again. To have little to nothing and fight for my passion.” Jung Lee’s eyes shone.
“The final product is only a reflection of the path that one has taken to reach it.” Jekoni smiled.
“Right! Now let’s go and make some potions!” Jung Lee laughed as they hurried off toward the Stone Raiders’ towers, their home and where Jung Lee’s laboratory was located.
It was a number of hours until Jung Lee left his room-turned-laboratory. He had a big smile on his face even as his eyes looked tired. He didn’t need to sleep for nearly a week at a time, but still, working on the potions was not simple. It took care and hard work. Even though these had been simple potions, Jung Lee had poured his heart and soul into them. Potion making was his passion, after all.
He quickly moved through the tower and to the areas where the healers and the hospital for Terra was located through one of the soul gem constructs that crisscrossed the underground city.
“Hi, I’m looking for Jules.” Jung Lee moved to one of the healers who stood around in the hallways.
“She’s a pretty busy lady. What’s your name and affiliation?” The healers came from all over Emerilia and not all of them were Stone Raiders. In a city as big as Terra, they needed more than just the Stone Raider guild members to fill all the positions needed to keep the city running.
There were now nearly four thousand Stone Raider guild members. Most of them were fighters and the types to go out and do quests. Only a few of them were part of the trading organizations or the groups that looked after Terra and the guild’s matters.
Most of the healers, when there wasn’t a massive battle going on, were with their parties on their own adventures.
“Jung Lee, Party Zero, I guess.” He smiled.
“Party Zero? And I’m the king of the Edon Kingdom.”
“Watch your tone, lady.” Jekoni appeared out of midair. “Jules is up three floors.” With that, Jekoni disappeared again.
The healer frowned and gave Jung Lee an annoyed glance.
“Sorry about Jekoni,” Jung Lee said. He was in too good of a mood to ruin it as he quickly moved away and toward a set of stairs. He got three floors up and spread out his senses as he sent a message to Jules.
She sent him back a way point. With a relieved smile, he quickly moved to their meeting point.
“Okay and watch out—that break is still healing. It will take a week to get back to its full strength,” Jules said, talking to a person she was guiding out of an examination room.
“Thanks, Doc.” The large orc smiled, looking at his arm in a cast and sling.
“Ah, the famous Mister Jung Lee. Deia said that I should be expecting you.” Jules smiled. It was clear that she was tired but she had a sort of irascible energy about her that seemed to come out, making Jung Lee feel welcomed.
“Jules, I’ve heard a great number of things about you as well.” Jung Lee bowed his head slightly, a wide smile on his face.
“Please, let’s go to my office.” Jules waved for him to join her as they started to walk through the hospital’s halls. “Deia said that you are a potion maker.”
“Yes, well, I was. I haven’t done it for a while and I’m looking forward to once again turning my hands toward it.” Jung Lee smiled.
“Your face seems familiar, as if I saw it somewhere before. Are you a streamer?”
Jung Lee chuckled. “No, I’m not a streamer. I’m a person from Emerilia but you might remember me from the Six Affinities Temple.”
Within Terra there was little fear that the Jukal would be able to record what people were doing. Dave and Party Zero didn’t trust this security that much, which was why they talked in party chat or within Pandora’s box and similarly “stealthed” areas that the Jukal wouldn’t be able to access.
“The Six Affinities Temple,” Jules said, a thoughtful look on her face. “The guy on the throne looked similar.” Jules glanced at Jung Lee again. “Can’t be, though.”
“It can be if Party Zero helps you out.” Jung Lee laughed slightly. Still, when he thought about it, their rescue and the way in which they had helped him to regain control over his various Free Affinity spirits that were vying to take over his soul, he was reminded of how impossible it all seemed.
Jules looked at him with a shocked expression. “That must have been one hell of a time,” Jules said with feeling.
Jung Lee felt a familiar weight in the back of his mind, a fear that he had carried with him since he had gained his freedom—that it would once again be ripped away from him and he would be stuck, with no one around, helpless once again.
“It was hell,” Jung Lee said. His normally joyful face dimmed slightly as his eyes seemed to lose their luster. “But now I’m free and I can once again pursue my passions.”
Once again, the smiling and eager Jung Lee reappeared.
Jules laughed and patted Jung Lee on the back. “I know that sometimes people bottle up the hardest crap and try to just shrug it off. Sometimes we can’t. Feel free to come and talk to me if you need to, or talk to someone about it. Those demons on your shoulders can grow.” Jules’s eyes held Jung Lee’s.
Maybe it would be good to talk to someone about it all. “Thank you,” Jung Lee said.
“No worries. Now about these potions—what are you thinking of doing or creating, I guess?” Jules laughed as they reached her office. She opened the office and guided him inside. There was a desk and two seats in front of it; she took one of the seats in front.
Jung Lee sat in the one opposite. “I am able to make a number of high-level potions. I can also help in the traini
ng of others to make lower-grade potions. After being trapped for so long, this was my deepest regret—not that I would die but that I would take with me a number of potions and different ways to make potions to my grave. Now that I have been given this second life, I do not wish to waste it and hope to pass this knowledge on,” Jung Lee said. “I was told that you would be the best person to talk about getting supplies for alchemy and also pass on my knowledge.”
“Well, as for passing on the information, then going to the Mirror of Communication school would be for the best. You would gain tokens from the various guilds and groups that you can redeem for various items. As for making potions—well, the Stone Raiders are always burning through them. We have multiple quests and orders open for potions. If you can demonstrate your skills, then we can open up our vaults of ingredients to you. If you want any ingredients we don’t have in the vaults, then Florence can acquire them. If it’s for the guild, we will take on the cost. But if it’s for personal experimentation, you can get them at a reduced price. She still operates out of Verlun and she has a number of rare and interesting items that she sells there. If you were willing to offer your services or came into an agreement with her for making potions, I think she would be happy to pay you in gold or ingredients.” Jules tapped her chin in thought.
“That would be great!” Jung Lee said. Not only would he be able to work on his more ambitious potions that he had thought up while he had been stuck in the Six Affinities Temple, if Florence was to use his services then he could make many different kinds of potions.
“If you could send me in the direction of Florence, that would be great,” Jung Lee said.
“I’ll let her know that you’re on your way.”
“Thank you.” Jung Lee smiled. While he was in Verlun, he could also sell the potions he had made last night.
They quickly said their good-byes and Jung Lee headed for the teleport pad that would take him to Verlun.
***
The mother looked out over the castle that she and Gilez had made; below she could hear the noises of celebration.
They had escaped their imprisonment and Gilez, with her hunting parties, had been able to kill many powerful creatures and drain them of their blood essence.
The mother and her children couldn’t eat normal food and drink. However, if they consumed a lot of blood essence, then it moved from feeling euphoric to making them drunk. It was similar to drugs that humans used on Earth.
The mother frowned as Durnst moved to return to the castle. Alarms started to ring out.
“Mother, the other entity is a pack of hell fiends!” Durnst said through their party chat. “Their leader is a woman who took interest in me. She and her family members put me under their spell for nearly a week. I was unable to escape her power until she started to play games that would lead to my death. I was able to escape her shackles. None of the others were strong enough to control me. However, they have strong Fire attacks and are good at fighting with their spears!”
“The rest of you, be ready to receive the hell fiends! Cast protections against being dominated!” The mother’s voice was cold as she rose off the balcony she was in, slowly descending in front of her castle. The shadows behind her dissipated to reveal her children casting spells. Their eyes were red, ready to meet the oncoming threat.
“They also command a large host of people who have made contracts on their souls for items that the fiends have promised,” Durnst added.
The mother felt her heart clench. It is one thing to destroy those who attacked my son, but if we are forced to fight against the people of Emerilia, what will be the result?
Her eyes glowed in anger. No matter who it was, if they dared to attack her family then she would destroy them. She didn’t want to make enemies of the Emerilian people; however, she would if she had to.
***
After completing the worm queen quest and the disappearances of the people in Ecora, the Strabon kingdom immediately seized the caravan filled with worms. The people who had been under the control of the worm queen collapsed into a coma as the worms in their bodies died off. A few hours later, they awoke with memories of what they had done but in a haze.
All of them had been bent to the queen’s will and weren’t accountable for their actions. The sewer worker Party Zero had captured repeatedly apologized and thanked Deia, Induca, Lox, and Gurren. He had been under the most influence.
Now they were in the city-state Imend, part of the Orun Free States. They had accepted another quest. There had been talks of gatherings and powerful good-looking people starting to build up an army out of the weaker members of the town.
Deia looked to the quest window.
Quest: A Rebellion Rising
Handsome and beautiful people who seem to come from another plane have been seen gathering the poor and weaker people of Imend. The Lord Governor of the city has become apprehensive and has asked you to look into it.
Find out what the goal of these people are.
Inform the Lord Governor of their plans.
Failure:
All of the party dies without completing the quest
Allow the city Imend to fall
Kill citizens of Imend
Rewards: Experience
15,000 Gold
The gold wasn’t all that much but they were here more to have fun than to earn gold. All of Party Zero were rather wealthy themselves. They had little need for more wealth and poured all of it into Pandora’s box.
Induca stopped her head, whipping to the side as her eyes thinned. “There’s a massive battle going on underground!”
The rest of the party looked to one another.
“Sounds like my kind of party!” Gurren laughed.
Deia’s eyes glowed with Mana. Her sight passed through buildings as she saw the massive flares of power that emanated from a huge area underneath a hill outside of the city-state.
The scale of the cavern was massive. The Mana from the battle lit up the interior, showing a massive open area with various underground vegetation and a massive castle against one wall. On one side, a half-dozen people unleashed fire and melee attacks, staying in the rear of a five-hundred-person-strong-group that were wildly attacking a group of nearly one hundred who were using Dark magic.
Deia’s understanding of magic had come to the level where at a glance she could identify the different spells that were being used in a fight.
The half-dozen attackers with the army were unleashing Fire spells as well as manipulation spells. They were also redirecting attacks. Any truly powerful magic, they reflected back to the casters.
The defenders attacked these leaders but tried to restrain rather than kill the soldiers in the army.
“Let’s go and check it out.” Deia had confidence in their forces that they would be able to at least flee if they needed to.
Induca and Deia took to the skies, their bodies covered in flames. White lines appeared on Gurren and Lox’s armor as they chased after the other two.
People looked in shock. Their minor display of power was enough for most of those in the surrounding area to get a good idea of their power.
***
The mother let out an enraged scream as she fought off another attempt by the hell fiends to take command over her.
“Come, pet, don’t worry. It is all a matter of time before you come under my command. Once you do, I’ll let you kill each and every one of your fellows off.” A woman wearing an armored dress laughed joyously, enjoying the mother’s struggle.
The mother had powerful spells at her disposal but the hell fiends had the ability to return the magical attacks sent at them back to the casters.
A number of the mother’s children had been injured so badly that they had been brought to the brink of death.
The only way to deal with the hell fiends was in close combat. But they had their army of nearly five hundred clustered around them. Their abilities with their own melee weapons and their controlling attack
s were actually stronger the closer they were to their victim.
A number of her children were fighting in bodies of stone and metal that had wrapped around them, throwing out shadows and materials to secure the soldiers of the hell fiends’ army.
I don’t want to kill them off, but under the control of the hell fiends there is little that I can do.
The hell fiends could only charm someone for a day and then it would run out for a few hours before they could charm them again. Their army wasn’t charmed but instead filled with hope at the promises that the hell fiends had made with them.
It truly was a hellish battle with only the mother and her side getting abused. If it wasn’t for the five-hundred-strong army, then they could directly deal with the hell fiends without worry.
The mother looked upward in alarm as something disturbed her senses. Someone is coming down?
She wasn’t the only one to look as the female leading the hell fiends looked upward.
The ceiling melted, revealing a hole that extended up to the surface. Standing in midair, there were two women and two massive suits of armor with white lines on them.
“Greetings! My name is Zeli, leader of this group of hell fiends. We’re always looking for more people to join our cause,” the leader of the hell fiends said as the fighting came to a pause.
“Quickly—recover your strength,” the mother said over her family’s chat. They all hurriedly took their blood essence gems, their strength and their bodies recovering quickly. They didn’t know whether the four had come to help or harm them.
“If we can’t win in the next battle, be ready to flee. We will meet at our old home,” the mother continued.
“Are you the group that has been inviting the people from Imend to join your cause?” one of the women in midair asked casually.
Beyond All Expectations (Emerilia Book 8) Page 36