Chapter 28: Alchemy

"Sir, welcome to our establishment. It brings us a great honor to welcome you here. Please, take these two gold for the trouble we have caused today. You will never be required to pay. It would be an insult to the great sir Alexander." The man promptly rushed from the counter towards the back room after handing the two gold.

Clark felt that he had just been brought in to yet another world. He didn't know why the chubby man had so readily given him a whole two gold coins as an apology. It was ridiculous when the small fire crystals cost copped coins!

A shuffling sound caught Clark's attention while he had stood in awe of the gold in his hands. "So this is the new messenger. That old fart hasn't sent anyone else in a long time. That little girl he used to send was full of nervous energy. Now we have a dress up fan." The skeletal figure that came out was a man that seemed much older than his voice.

"I am here to retrieve a package for Alexander." Clark could only reply with this. He wasn't sure what to say hearing Clara referred to as someone full of nervous energy. From what Clark had seen, she was strong and full of confidence.

"Right to business. Young people nowadays need to learn hope to enjoy the scent of roses. Don't rush here and there. Come, the package is in the back. You will help me with my current formula." The skeletal hand waved Clark forward. The chubby man lifted a slot in the counter letting Clark come through.

"Ignore my grandson. He's a shrewd business man and has helped me a lot. But he isn't too fast when it comes to recognizing my special customers. I seem to have a few too many compared to when I opened this place." The dry laughter made Clark realize that this was the very founder of the goblin potion shop.

"You will be helping me gather the herbs I need while making a poison bleeding potion. There are a few people venturing in to the swamps to fight that king viper. A bunch of fools to be honest, but when the king viper attracts many females…well, the scales are valuable." The man shook his head. He thought that the spirit tamers were being greedy going after such a dangerous nest of beasts.

"Those are the vipers that have a poison crystal in their mouths right? They are very good materials for any reptilian type monster. It can help them develop potent poisons of their own while keeping the defenses of the beast intact." Clark remembered reading about the king viper beast in his younger years. He had begged his parents for these kinds of books. He had to learn how to survive in this new world.

"You seem to have done some research. Good. you have one leg up on that little girl. She had no idea what I was talking about when I was using a siren's scale to make a regeneration potion." A few clicks of his tongue and the old man opened a door showing off a brilliant alchemy lab.

Herbs lined the walls and shelves. They all had specific items around them to keep them perfectly intact and ready for use. It was a blacksmith's joy to invent special rune carved equipment to perfectly protect herbs and other materials. The importance of potions to a blacksmith was the same as living. Blacksmiths often faced dangerous working conditions to experiment with unique materials, therefore, they were prone to deathly injuries.

"Stop dawdling and grab the herbs I point out. If you grab the wrong herb then I will be keeping portions of the package. Don't mind my spirit beast. He will help too." The old man lifted himself on to a chair in front of a large cauldron. It was already heated and bubbling with unknown potion base materials.

At first, Clark was sure he would fail. But as he waited to hear the old man talk he remembered. He remembered he had the system's analysis that could tell materials from each other. That could give him secret input as to what he should use. It didn't make him an expert but it did make him quick to find what he needed.

Since this was the case, Clark willed the system to begin scanning through the herbs and materials in the room. It could see everything through his eyes and that would give him the advantage.

'Analysis has begun. The host may inquire about the location of surrounding materials.'

This was all Clark needed from the system. "Rag weed. Two bundles."

Clark darted from his spot by the door and jumped to the third shelf up where he grabbed two bundles of dried twigs and leaves. The old man smirked seeing that Clark had not allowed himself to hesitate.

"Ground cherry bark"

"Juvenile bristle root"

Alabaster fog leaf"

"Green turnip ash"

Clark heard the requests and moved with as much speed as possible. He knew that time was a massive factor in any potion making process. It was also an opportunity for him to improve his ghostly steps. Just because he had derived the technique did not mean he owned it yet. It was not one with his being so he could not make it shine the way it should shine as a unique technique would.

"Dried green caterpillar. Three. Cloud hawk beast crystal. Both at the same time in to the cauldron." The two materials were on the opposite side of the room. Clark couldn't grab both at the same time. But he wasn't alone.

"Devi, crystal!" Clark and Devi split up and grabbed both materials. Devi's sudden cackling made the old man raise an eyebrow. When the crystal floated over and fell in to the cauldron in tandem with Clark dropping the three dried green caterpillars, the old man smirked.

"Not just for looks. I see now. A good student indeed. Now, watch me closely. This is where a beast and tamer become one." The goblin stood up revealing its lanky body. A single green and red wood staff within its hand.

Energy began to become dense in the room while the goblin swung it staff side to side. The old man hold his hands over the potion adding small bits of a single herb as the energy flowed in to the potion. Having a tamed beast that could enhance and purify potions truly set an alchemist at a higher level.

The sudden burst of energy caused the dark cauldron to change in to a green potion. It was emanating a strong herbaceous scent that made Calrk's mind feel clear. "And that is how you purify a potion using herbs and the skills of your spirit beast. You might be unable to create potions but you can mix your skills easily. Take that as advice from an old man with plenty of years on his belt."

Clark watched as the old man bottles and strained the potions. Before long Clark watched him assemble about sixty potions in to multiple boxes. After the old man handed them to Clark, he stored them away in his spatial ring. "Now get on with it. You have stayed here too long. I know that old fart sent you to multiple places."