by J. J. Thorn
"Sure, Ren, no issue with all that,” Zane added. “Your parents sound great, frankly. And your Uncle Tom sounds pretty strong, but you also explained that you were hunting an F-Rank monster. He probably didn't think he needed any. Plus, they're super expensive, just like the Inventory stuff we were talking about. Potions are way more common, but they still take a lot of time and money to make."
"And besides, didn't you read about it when you were growing up?" Trevor asked.
"I guess it came up, but I never thought much about it. Potions that would heal you sounded cool, but I always liked when the hero would just avoid getting hurt by being faster or stronger. And besides, we have people like Cassie who can literally heal our wounds. Why would I need a health potion?"
"I am great! Worship me and my future powers." Cassie stood up and waved like she was visiting royalty.
"Oh, sit down you blow-hard,” Britta moaned. “You couldn't heal my big toe right now." The rest of us laughed as she sat back down.
"Terrence, I think you're mistaking the value of potions,” Noah said. “Those are just stories. I mean, sure, some people can heal, but most don’t have someone on their team who does that. And having a potion that heals you without using any Internal Energy is more useful than you realize. Most healers can't heal everything. Potions—good potions— can also heal a lot faster than most healers can."
"And that's disregarding other potion types as well," Zane added.
"Exactly. In class, we're spending a lot of time talking about what's possible. Many families actually own the recipes to some of the potions that everyone uses. Still, some of them are available to everyone. Either way, there's potions for a bunch of things. Another popular one is a potion that restores some of your Energy. There's a few different versions of that one, and it's easy to make. Well, relative to all the others."
Noah gave a small shrug. The rest of the table nodded in agreement.
"In class,” he continued, “they told us about a potion that would increase your Energy by a set amount. Apparently, that's owned by one of the noble families, so it's costly. But even then, could you imagine having something that automatically gives you more Energy?"
"Those seem pretty cool. I'd never really considered it."
"Honestly, I don't think you need to put much thought into it. It's pretty expensive. I'm going to need to apprentice under someone for a while to get the hang of it. Prep only helps us understand the basics.”
"My dad actually sells to a couple alchemists,” Britta added. “He says they're some of his best customers."
"My parents use a type of potion to actually slow down bleeding or help cure some illnesses, among others." Cassie's parents were doctors. They had the same Affinity as she did but hadn't gone into Dungeoneering.
"There's hundreds,” Noah said. “And more are being found every year. Usually, just different variations of the same thing, but every ten years, someone figures out a new formula that does something really cool."
"Or kills someone," Zane interjected.
"Well, yes,” Noah conceded. “That's a use for potions as well. There are hundreds of different poisons out there, all used for different things. It's actually one of the cheaper types of poisons you can buy. Still, most reputable alchemists try to stay away from that stuff..."
"If that's less expensive, why don't all alchemists do that?" I asked, trying to get more out of Noah on the subject.
"Who wants to buy from some shady guy selling poisons?” Trevor made a face at his brother. “You never know if he'll stab you in the back with his own product."
"Most alchemists sell some poisons,” Noah admitted. “But they avoid it because of the, ugh, perception about the people who sell them... But anyway, there's a bunch of different potion types. Potions to make your skin a little harder so you can take a hit better. Potions that cause explosions. Potions that create a smokescreen so you can get away. We even heard about a potion that can increase your current Rank percentage..."
"That's a myth.” Ron shook his head. “We've talked about it, man. Definite myth." It was strange hearing him talk. He was generally quiet when the girls were around and only spoke up when it was just us guys.
"It's not a myth!” Noah shot back. “It's just that no one has had concrete proof of one for years!"
Rob and Trevor started to laugh and mock Noah until Zane started to speak.
"It's not a myth. I never saw it myself, but my dad sold one last year. It sold for like five hundred gold to some noble. I never got to see it, but they exist. From what I heard him say, it only increased your Rank a little bit if you were Rank 2, but still, nobles will do anything to help their kid get ahead."
Trevor and Rob stared in disbelief at Zane. He would always throw out these things like it was no big deal. His life before Prep had been so different, it was sometimes hard to believe it was real.
While Noah and I had talked about potions, the rest listened as they ate their food. Jen, Cassie, and Britta didn't speak much, also eager to hear more about the profession's crafting side. They had grown up in Krader, but their parents' careers didn't match anything the twins were hoping to become.
"But I still don't get why it would be so expensive. If you know what goes into it, can't you just buy those, then make it?"
"I'll get this one Noah, you eat.” Zane cocked a smile at me. “Ren, it's the same as the Inventory Satchel. Time and money. First off, just like any crafted product, it takes time to actually make the potion. And buying the ingredients themselves cost a lot. People like Britta's dad need to get paid a decent amount for the ingredients, then the alchemist needs to sell it for a reasonable price to make anything back.
“And like we said, there are different types of the same potion. Some poisons might be cheap because the monster is easy to kill and straightforward to harvest, so the risk is less. This might set you back one gold, probably less. Still, that same potion might only work on low-ranking monsters and regular no-Affinity people, effectively making it useless against anything more significant. Healing potions are the same. They're usually made from a bunch of different ingredients, and the best ones need you to kill higher-ranked monsters."
"And even then, it still might fail," Noah added. "Alchemy is a lot of trial and error. You could spend days working on even the simplest potion, going through ingredients super fast, and still get nothing out of it. And then you’ve spent all this money on hopefully one or two good potions that you can actually sell. That's where a mentor comes in. They'll help me become more consistent. I help them make the easy potions while they take the risk of having someone new to train."
"Wow. That sounds crazy. Are you sure you don't want to just come kill monsters with us? That sounds like a lot of work..." I was half-joking, half-serious.
Noah looked at me, considering the idea for a moment. "Never. Even if I wasn't terrified of fighting in general, I wouldn't have it any other way. This whole talk has only made me more excited! I can't believe it! I'm going to be an alchemist! It's hard, but nothing worth doing is easy." He smiled again and started eating the rest of his food.
"Me too. I couldn't see myself doing anything other than smithing,” Trevor said. “It isn't as complicated as alchemy, but it takes a lot of time and money to pump out the right products. You should talk to an enchanter someday, Ren. They can spend years trying to make something outstanding, going through failure after failure. But when they finally make the right thing, they can sell it for hundreds of gold. Crafting is an art, as well as a profession."
I stopped asking questions and allowed everyone to either finish their food or discuss something else.
We left the Dining hall and spent the rest of the night talking over our classes and congratulating Noah further. I learned a lot that night about the crafting side of Dungeoneering. Inventory Satchels and potions seemed like such a vital part of it, but I knew I wouldn't be able to afford anything for a while.
We also spent a bit of time talking a
bout armor and weapons, since both Trevor and Ron were looking to become blacksmiths, but I already knew a lot of that stuff because of my dad.
I was also really happy for Noah.
It wasn't every day that you found the thing you loved.
His purpose.
Chapter 3 – No. Sentient. Monsters.
"You've all spent weeks scouring through the Monster Guide. And in that time, you've each had to present on dozens of monsters. Now, before we continue some of those presentations, who can tell me, what isn’t in the Guide?"
It was Tuesday afternoon, and I was listening to Professor Drower in Monster Behaviour class. Last night had been a lot of fun hanging out with everyone. We chose to forgo training for the evening and spent the rest of the night having fun. Over time, we learned a few card games that we sometimes used to pass the time and joke around.
Now, after an exhausting class with Professor Gaunt in the morning, I was glad to be in Monster Behaviour.
This class was always interesting.
"And when I say what is not in the Guide, I mean what isn't listed when you look for a monster. Maybe there's something you were researching and found that the book didn't provide any information on. Or perhaps you really wanted to know something, but the book didn't provide enough detail. Can anyone think of anything?"
I thought immediately about the sentient monster research we had to do for some of our presentations. We had talked about sentient monsters quite a bit since then, but I still hadn't figured out why they weren't labeled in the Guide. With everything going on, I had completely forgotten to ask the professor in class.
I joined a few other students as we raised our hands before Professor Drower started picking students.
"Maps of the monster's location,” someone said. “Either in a Dungeon or in the wild. It gives a general location, but never anything specific."
"Yes, that’s very true. The Guide provides some location details but nothing specific like its migratory patterns. Wild monsters move around so often that the book does not commonly reference this type of information. Instead, it tries to give you some general information.
“Dungeon monsters are also difficult to track. The Guide might mention that they can be found in the Dungeon, but this isn't a Dungeon Guide. It can't spend too long explaining where and when a monster appears in every Dungeon. This would be near impossible to manage, especially considering that Dungeons are not static environments. This is not the Guide's purpose. Fair point though, thank you. Anything else?"
"What monster parts might be valuable or useful?"
"Another good point. Once again, the book might mention a few details on this, based on the monster, but it is meant to be general information only. Market prices change too often for the book to be accurate. While some monster parts remain popular, that is not guaranteed. So instead, the Guide leaves it out. For better information on that, I encourage you to check books by merchants or books on general trade. Thank you."
He pointed at me.
"Whether or not the monster is sentient," I said.
"Ah! Yes, a very controversial topic. Ever since class started, we have discussed several sentient monsters. Dragons, Goblins, and Azara were mentioned often, as were Ents and Elves, among others. We have no trouble accepting that these monsters are sentient, but why are they not explicitly labelled as such? We could discuss that matter for several classes, but I'll keep it brief by letting you know my opinion on the matter.
“In general, Sentient Monsters give people the idea that Monsters are more than they appear to be. One Sentient Monster is an anomaly, several is a pattern. If people begin to see several Sentient Monsters popping up, it makes them second guess their own livelihoods. Our own sentience.
“We view Monsters as savage beasts that must be killed and harvested for our own uses. But what of Sentient Monsters? Do we have the right to kill something that can craft products better than humans? Raise children in the same way we do? Build civilizations to rival our own?
“If we, as humans, accept that fact. Because it is a fact. Where do we draw the line between them and us? There are some kingdoms where Sentient Monsters are treated the same, or better, than humans. There, they walk together as friends and loved ones, working together to build each other up. I hope that one day our kingdom can make a similar transition. Personally, rather than adding something in the Guide to say that they are 'Sentient', I believe Sentient 'monsters' should be excluded from the Guide altogether.
“But that is not my decision, and because of the controversial nature of what I'm saying, we'll leave it at that."
The professor paused, letting some of what he said to register with the class.
"Either way, they remain in the Guide today and for the foreseeable future. As it stands, the Kingdom and the Guild treat Sentients like any other monster, so we must look elsewhere for this information. But thank you for bringing this up, Terrence. Now, anyone else?"
Some of what the professor mentioned made me think back to what I'd learned in Ethics class. The idea that the way someone looked or acted made them better or worse than another group.
We had spent a lot of time discussing those ideas, and the professor's words on Sentients really resonated with me.
I wouldn't want to treat someone differently for not having an Affinity, so why should I treat someone differently because they were born as something else? As long as they don't try to hurt me or those I love, who am I to decide?
The rest of the class piled on with more things that the Guide didn’t discuss.
"Group dynamics."
"Symbiotic relationships between monsters."
"Known methods to kill the monster."
"Likelihood of orbs dropping from that monster."
"If it has appeared as a Dungeon Boss."
Eventually, Professor Drower stopped the discussion and had some students complete their presentations from the previous week.
Throughout, I heard about a few new monsters like the 'Teemer,' an insectile creature that stuck to the trees of forests. They blended into the surroundings and actually weren't very dangerous to Dungeoneers. Or the Werm, a large worm-like monster that showed up in a variety of sizes. Some were known to even appear as Dungeon Alphas but otherwise appeared in sandy and dry terrains. These, on the other hand, had killed thousands.
The professor gave us our assignments for the following week, three monsters that are a delicacy within the Prost Kingdom, and dismissed the class.
I made a note to myself before I left class to go start my research.
No. Sentient. Monsters.
* * * * *
When I was younger, mom and dad would get angry at me for fighting with Elise. Elise was fast for her age, sure, but I was also at least twice her size. It would make for some one-sided fights, but like any brother and sister, it still happened.
As I watched Jen fight, I realized that size made very little difference in a fight between Affinity users.
"Get her, Jen!" I yelled.
"Crush her, Britta!" Zane yelled from beside me.
It was Thursday morning, and the four of us were training in the Field C building. For today's training, we decided to spar against each other without weapons. The way to win was to either pin down your opponent or get them to give up.
I knew they started doing this because it was the only type of fight I might have a chance at winning. My sword skills were improving, but I was still nowhere near Zane or Jen. The sparring was for my benefit, but everyone enjoyed it, and we were quite evenly matched.
Zane and Jen had proposed unarmed fights as a way to pit us against each other, without the advantage that better sword or shield skills would give them.
I looked at the two current combatants, Jen and Britta.
Jen was not a large person. Especially compared to Britta. Her long, black hair was pulled up into a ponytail as she continued to sweat. Britta looked less tired but was still breathing heavily. Her hair was also
pulled back and was now wavy from all her sweat. Her shirt had no sleeves, allowing her to showcase her impressive muscles.
‘View Weight’. I used my Rank 1 Skill on the two girls.
110 pounds.
165 pounds!
Jen was shorter but was much quicker on her feet than any of us. Conversely, Britta wasn't as fast but was taller, stronger, and had better endurance than the rest of us.
When we started the fights, I always worried about Jen and her ability to take any of us on. In a one-on-one with a sword, she would win hands down, but I couldn't imagine her overpowering any of us.
Man, was I wrong!
Over the last couple of months, the amount I could lift had increased substantially as we continued to train and work out almost every day. General training acted as a benchmark to beat week after week. Professor Gaunt would put us through our paces, for sure, but every week we could run a little bit faster or last a little bit longer. As our bodies became used to the Internal Energy, we noticed that physical activities got a little easier. As a result, we had to challenge ourselves even more, with faster runs or heavier weights.
Jen showcased this best as she threw Britta over her shoulder for a second time.
She was a small person, but she worked as hard, if not harder, than anyone else at Prep.
Britta may have been more robust overall, but Jen's quickness allowed her to position herself better to throw Britta off balance.
The fights reminded me of my time with Elise because of their size difference. Still, unlike my squabbles with Elise, Britta's size advantage didn't help her win. Instead, Jen would use her smaller size to dart around and find the right moment to throw her over her shoulder and end the fight.
Sure, Britta would still win sometimes, but those times came less often as we continued to work together.
"Damn it, Shorty, now you're winning seven to three. You keep getting me with that over-the-shoulder move! I've gottta watch out for that." Britta had just lost another fight and was now lying flat on her back.
"You'll get me next time." Jen stood up and helped Britta stand.