Chapter 80: V2 Four

Specimen Mimic-Faux: Day six of mana crystal consumption. 

Un-morphed weight: Forty six kilos. 

Un-morphed radius: Two feet. 

Note: Specimen M-Faux continues to grow at a steady rate with the daily consumption of medium mana crystals, and has now reached a comparable size to specimen M-Doreen, which consumed the low grade cores over twelve days.    

Experiment - Maze E4.

Time: 3:06 

Note: Having merged with the leather ball, specimen M-Faux was placed inside maze layout four. The specimen spent three minutes and six seconds navigating the maze before reaching the mana crystal placed at the maze exit. This is comparatively faster than M-Doreen who exited the maze at ten minutes and fifty-two seconds. 

Experiment - unmorphed problem solving.

Time: 1.37 Crystal: Medium grade

Note: M-Faux was given a choice of a low grade mana crystal set out in the open, and a medium grade crystal that was surrounded by fire. As with the experiment with M-Doreen, an open container of water was placed beside the fire, which could be knocked over to extinguish the flames. When placed into the room with both mana crystals, M-Faux approached the medium grade crystal, stopping when it sensed the flames surrounding the crystal. M-Faux then proceeded to circle the crystal, searching for a break in the flames. During this exploration, M-Faux was observed to send a feeler towards the lower grade crystal, and water container, after which the specimen ceased all movement for twenty-seven seconds. M-Faux then proceeded to use a feeler to draw the water container closer to the flames before tipping the contents out, and retrieving the medium grade crystal. In comparison, M-Doreen, upon sensing the flames immediately forwent the prize of a medium grade crystal in favor of the easily attained low grade. 

“Even without the tests, it’s clear Faux is the smarter of the two mimics.” I told the crow who was perched on the rim of a nearby cauldron. 

Caw.

A high-pitched shriek drew my attention quickly away from the crow, and I spun around just in time to see Faux who’d morphed into a leather ball go rolling across the room with Leo chasing after it. The leather ball shot towards a nearby shelf and quickly disappeared from sight as it rolled into the fox-sized tunnel concealed on the lowest level of the shelf. As Leo darted into the tunnel after the ball, I grimaced, sending out a mental order for the pair to take care not to destroy anything in Markion’s forge, which was located on the other side of the tunnel. 

Closing the book I’d been using to record the mimic research in, I stood from my chair and set the book on a nearby shelf. With a flutter of wings, Zosimos left the shelf he was perched on, coming to land on my shoulder as I walked to a nearby workbench.

 Three retorts bubbled away on the bench, and the scent of sour milk could be smelt around the retorts. Each retort was filled with crushed Juzam fruit, and while unpleasant on the nose, the fruit was a key component in creating LeoP-1. Found growing around the base of the Juzam desert cactus, the tiny pink fruits were only produced every two years according to the book ‘Plants and Fungi of Salvia’, and even Rainy, my dryad teammate, was struggling to increase the cactus fruit cycle. The fruits currently being distilled in the retorts, were the last of what I’d managed to acquire through a resources quest posted in the gathering hall. A single fruit would only produce enough Juzam oil for five doses of LeoP-1, and wasn’t even the rarest component in the mixture. 

The hardest component to attain for the LeoP-1 was a dark blue mushroom, known as Arcanium fungi. I’d first discovered the blue mushroom in the dungeon growing along the walls of a pit trap where my team was harvesting mana crystals. After searching through all my books, and buying information from the Whispers guild, all I’d learnt was the mushrooms were known to grow in mana dense locations. Those who’d attempted to experiment with the mushrooms discovered they would on consumption cause one's mana core to be completely drained. The Whispers also informed me that the ‘mana draining’ poison was used in the city prisons, on players or citizens who committed crimes and were caught by the city guards. Each mushroom could be sold to the city for ten gold a piece, and were highly sought after for this alone. 

Clearly, no-one thought to experiment further than the discovery of the mana draining effects, because if they had, I suspected the mushrooms would cost a lot more than a mere ten gold. If the stalk of the mushroom was distilled, and then infused with dried sumac, the Arcanium fungi would allow a person to increase the rate at which they restored their depleted mana by almost five percent for a period of ten minutes. Adding a small amount of this mixture to the LeoP-1 formula increased the potency of the Leosaur venom immunogens, and played a big part in the faster rate of recovery seen in the subjects treated with LeoP-1. 

While the Arcanium fungi oils effectiveness towards increasing the rate of mana absorption was minor, I suspected it was the first step in recreating the greater mana potions seen in other worlds, something that was yet to be seen in Kaledon. Mana recovery was vital for magic users, and if I could create a potion that could increase recovery, it would be a game changer for those who used magic in battle. 

“I pray to thee…priestess… guidance.” 

A slight tingling in the back of my mind, followed by the whisper soft sound of a voice praying caused me to put the retort I was refilling with Juzam fruit pulp back down on its stand with a sigh. 

Focusing on the voice, I listened to the young man as he prayed, seeking guidance for how he should use a plant he’d found. A moss that was bright yellow, and gave off a static charge when touched? Could it be spark moss? 

“Where has thee found this moss of electric nature?” I queried the disciple, wishing I could somehow transport myself to where he was so I could see the moss myself. 

“High Priestess, I am in the mountains east of Airus, near a town called Fenlin.” 

Fenlin, where is that? Rushing over to my bookshelf, I pulled out a scroll showing a map of the continent. Unlike my personal map, which would only show the locations I’d personally traveled, this map was given to me by Darius and showed the locations of most known cities and towns. 

There, south east of Airus, near the base of the mountain range. I need that moss! I thought, as I paced back and forth, pondering my options. 

“Is there a quest or something I can do to get recipes…” The disciple asked hesitantly.

“A quest! Why didn’t I think of that!” I exclaimed out loud, then flushed as the crow perched on the nearby bench gave a low, condescending caw. 

“Collect five jars of spark moss, oh disciple, and bring them to the city of Airus within three days.” I told the man, fighting back the urge to dance with excitement. 

In three days, there would be four Eternia hunting teams leaving the Airus guild hall to travel to Sēkrit, bringing with them various supplies for the encampment. I could have the disciple deliver the spark moss to them, and in exchange I’d ‘reward’ him with one of the three recipes in my possession that used the moss. 

As the disciples' presence faded away, I pondered the idea of issuing a few more ‘quests’, but quickly dismissed the thought. If I sent a bunch of people on fetch quests, they’d eventually want more, and bigger rewards, which I couldn’t offer. Sure, I could give them recipes, or verbal guidance, but that would take up a lot of my personal time. It wasn’t like I could just send the written recipe to them, or could I? 

“Tris! Can I give out rewards? Like poof it to disciples, like I can the blessings?” I mentally called out, picturing the god in my mind to direct my thoughts to him. 

After waiting for almost a minute with no reply, I rolled my eyes, with a sigh. 

 “Oh, great and glorious one, I call to thee…” 

“Only a priestess of great power can achieve that which you speak of, and you, my vulpine priestess are not such a priestess.”  

Outraged, and more than a little offended, I stuck my middle finger up at the ceiling while mentally picturing the gods beard on fire.  

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“If you want a great and powerful priestess, then make one! Let someone else deal with all this crap if you’re not going to let me get any good perks from it. ” I snapped, glaring at the ceiling of my lab, but not truly seeing it, as an image of the old god sitting at a wooden desk with an open book in front of him filled my mind.

“Such is not possible, to do so would mean giving up a portion of my personal power to host them. I do not feel inclined to share my processing power with another.” 

“Wait, so you made me your high priestess because you didn’t want to share? But, didn’t you already create an artificial being before to act as guide? The one who..” I hesitated, unwilling to allow thoughts of the artificial being the god created in the likeness of my mother to enter my mind. 

“Yes, and I have since reclaimed much of the processing power granted to that being, as their new form does not require it.” 

“So, just give it back and make them High Priestess in their new form.” 

“Would you willingly give away a part of your knowledge? Willingly lower your intelligence and grant it to another?”

“Er…” 

An annoyed sigh filled my mind in response to my clear hesitation. A sudden wave of searing hot pain hit me, and I let out an agonized scream as the god's raw power flowed through my core. As quickly as it came, the power left, leaving me a sweaty and shaky mess on the floor.

“You may give out three quests per week, and can only do so for those you personally guide.Know that each quest reward you give shall draw upon your mana, so have caution in what you select, anything of a strong magical nature would be beyond your strength.” 

“Only three? Thats basically nothing compared to the number of disciples I have!” 

“Perhaps, in time, I shall increase it, but at this time I believe it would prove burdensome to your mental state. I’d rather not anger Celeste anymore than I already have where you are concerned. ” 

“Celeste was angry at you? Over me? Why?” I questioned, eyes going wide at the god's mention of the goddess of mental health. 

“Tris…. Hello? Tris?” 

Grumbling insults under my breath at the god who’d mentally hung up on me, I stood on trembling legs and decided to test out my new quest giving ability. 

Focusing on the golden sparks floating around in the metaphysical space in my head, I pulled forwards the one that connected to Kip, my dwarven teammate, and transmutation disciple. 

“Kip!” I mentally screamed into the dwarf's head, grinning when I heard him mentally swear at me in response.

“I, your amazing and glorious high priestess, bestow upon you a quest! Make an offering to me of two low grade mana stones, and a reward you will receive.”

“You made me drop my balls!” He responded, ignoring my declaration.

“Really? I thought Rainy cut those off last week when you said her chest was flat enough to use as a washboard.” 

“Nah, she just tried to draw and quarter me with her vines.” 

Laughing, I shook my head at the image of the pink haired Dryad using her vines to rip the dwarf's arms and legs off.

“Make an offering to me of two mana crystals, and I’ll give you a reward.” I mentally told the dwarf who scoffed, into my head in response. 

“I ain’t just giving you two mana crystals for some unknown ‘reward’, told you before Foxy, you want my crystals, they’re fifty gold each.” 

“Fine, I’ll give my first official high priestess quest to someone else than.” I huffed and tossed the dwarfs' mental presence back into the far corner of my mind. 

“Sadie…” I called softly, reaching out mentally for the youngest and most promising of the alchemy disciples. 

Minutes later, I held a vial that contained a pink liquid that gave off a much brighter glow than the luminous liquid I’d first produced. In return, I sent the girl a copy of my research notes for the daylight salve for vampires, along with a list of experiments to perform in order to potentially improve the effectiveness of the salve. 

I’d also informed both Sadie and Helvara that with their completion of the luminous liquid research project, I was promoting them both officially to apprentice alchemists. Their first task as apprentices, being to work on the daylight salve, which Darius informed me was a high priority item to complete. I’d long ago given the original recipe to the guild leader, who’d sold it to the Whispers guild, most of whom were vampires, but he was insistent I create an improved version of the salve. 

Our guild was once known as being home to the best crafters in the previous virtual world it resided in, and Darius was adamant we reclaim that title again in Kaledon. So far, my brother was supposedly the only blacksmith who could craft rare quality items, and all our other crafters were all known for being the best amongst those who currently occupied the world. The only area our guild lacked was in alchemy, with the Dreadmere guild’s Ge Hong still somehow clinging to his reputation as the best and most famous alchemist in Kaledon. 

That phony, who called himself an alchemist, seemed to have a talent for fooling people into believing his lies. Even though I released a book containing the recipes created by Egenor Barothlas, the famous alchemist whose recipes that fraud was claiming as his own, Ge Hong managed to turn things around by claiming he’d been the one to distribute the book. Ge Hong claimed people got the wrong idea about his recipes, thinking he’d created them, so to set the record straight and aid his fellow alchemists he released the book. 

To say I was furious at the discovery that Ge Hong stole credit for the book I’d created and distributed would be an understatement. However, there was no way to prove who authored the book, as I’d gone to great lengths to conceal that knowledge. Unlike the other books I’d written which were marked with the golden Kitsune insignia, that acted as a form of magical copyright for my creations, ‘The works of Egenor Barothlas, Master Alchemist of Calisium’ was left blank of any mention as to the author. This had been done with the intention of secretly outing Ge Hong as a phony, yet instead it only saw his reputation grow even more. 

“Such a disgrace has no place on the path of Natural philosophy. Ge Hong is unworthy of the title of alchemist!” I yelled into the empty lab, smacking my hand down onto the stone workbench. A turbulent searing heat filled me as thoughts of the fraud alchemist filled my head, and I mentally cursed the man who’d become the bane of my new existence, even though we’d never met.