Chapter 30: Expansion x Experimentation

I gave the gaggle of fallen angels a simple task for them to do. I gave them a catalogue and blueprint for how the basement should look as well as the furniture I wanted inside of it. I gave them around 10,000,000 Yen for the task, money wasn't really a problem for me since Azazel was willing to pay in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per decent potion I crafted.

Since the fallen were busy buying the things I wanted I started cooking breakfast for Asia and I. You only have so much time in a day so I haven't been cooking all too much, once I make my homunculi I will have much more time so maybe then.

As I was cooking up a storm in the kitchen, I am talking eggs and sausages, whipping out seasonings, like a baller. When I noticed Asia come into the room.

"Takumi-san? Why are cooking breakfast?" My eye shifted to Asia who wore casual clothes that fit her frame rather nicely. I smiled lightly at her.

"Good morning, Kala-chan had a task to do so I am currently handling cooking breakfast. Sit down it will be ready in just a second." Asia was about to refute when she smelled the air and gulped, quietly sitting down.

While Kala-chan was a decent cook it was nothing to the sheer cungus of my cooking.

A beat later I finally prepared everything and set it down in front of us, waiting for Asia to take a bite, and when she did she blushed and moaned in pleasure.

"Takumi-san this is so good! You are a very great cook!" She said, hurryingly eating my food as I watched her eat.

I don't even think I want to eat anymore, just watching her makes me feel like I have diabetus.

Regardless I started digging into my own breakfast, food is fuel for the engine that drives forward Alchemy.

"By the way, Asia, are you interested in gardening? You see, I was thinking of creating a garden but I don't really trust those stooges with anything alive and was wondering if you would be willing to help with it."

Hearing my words Asia's eyes shone as she was visibly happy at the prospect of being able to potentially contribute something.

"Yes! Gardening is one of my hobbies actually. I kept a garden back at the church, I would love to help you Takumi-san! I can also heal the plants and help them grow with my Twilight Healing!"

Wait a second. Do you hear what I hear?

Yep, that definitely sounds like profit.

If I can homegrow special ingredients and have Asia raise them I could revolutionize my Alchemy by leaps and bounds! Asia, you saint!

Putting the empty plates away I placed my hands on Asia's shoulders.

"Asia, I could kiss you right now." I stared into her eyes Asia blushed up a storm. I wasn't kidding, Asia was a golden goose in my lap. 

"O-okay."

...Huh?

Wait what?

I mean what?

I was just trying to be funny. But seeing her cute expression with slight expectation said that I should forget about that go for it.

I placed my hand under her chin and tilted her head up slightly as I claimed her lips while wrapping my other arm around her. I gently kissed her, slipping in only a little tongue before separating, leaving Asia bright-faced.

"Haha, you are so cute when you are embarrassed, Asia. Wait for me a bit I will prepare the gardens." Hearing my words Asia nodded meekly with her face still aflame.

Man, she is adorable.

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I spent some time of my day preparing the garden. Azazel had already bought out the houses around my house so I was able to expand my garden a bit. And using Terra Catalyst I did some terraforming.

Basically min-maxing the mineral content, ground toughness, etc of my garden the best I could, planting some seeds I bought I from Azazel and some experimental seeds of my own.

Asia would unknowingly run these experiments for me. For example, what happens when you water an apple tree with pinnacle-grade novice health potions? What about mana potions or stamina potions? That was the thought behind it at least.

After I was done I gave the enthusiastic Asia the job of maintaining my garden and helping my plants grow with the instructions provided. It should keep her busy and give her something to do. If I remember correctly she wanted to go to school in the original so I should look into that sometime.

Now, I was setting up my basement, Raynare and the gang had gathered whatever I wanted rather quickly. So I set up my basement, it had a few rooms set up to my liking.

Homunculous Lab: I already started on Homunculi production, this large room was for creating the homunculi I wanted. I put the exorcist corpses in the corner since those would be the ones I would convert into homunculi later.

Enchantment Room: This room was designing, creating and storing enchanted items, I am planning on focusing more on enchanting once I get done with the homunculi.

Library/Records: This room contained all of my insane scribblings, half-mad theories, and actual entire books of theories I had written, there were too many at this point to just randomly have on my floor so I made a library for it.

Alchemy Room: This is where the magic happens. It had all of my alchemy equipment there, including the ingredients stacked up on the shelves and all potions sorted.

Dungeon: This is where I will keep my dear test subjects. Stray devils already lost all their rights and such and would have died if I hadn't taken them in so they can't really complain about anything I would do to them.

Speaking of the dungeon, I got a call from Serafall, notifying me that she caught me a stray devil. So I quickly went back into my living room to see her teleporting in with a stray devil.

The stray devil she brought me was actually relatively unmutated compared to I think her name was Viser. Her arms were replaced with those of a feline with dark fur, she also had horns and a rather large scaly tail. She was bound by chains and given to me.

According to Serafall, she stabbed her master in the dead of night failing to kill her master before fleeing. She killed 18 humans before being found by a high-class devil on vacation. 

I took her with me, apparently the chains were supposed to restrict the usage of magic in the target by preventing them from regenerating mana. Of course, I kept her in her chains as I bound her in my dungeons. She was actually rather physically strong so I had to enchant some chains with reinforcement. Then I started experimenting on her before Rias and the bunch came of course.

First of all, the Absorption Line.

I started trying to absorb her lifespan and found out something interesting.

I could suck out their lifespan, but not use their lifespan, more specifically when I try to absorb their lifespan I absorb their lifeforce which robs them of their vitality, reducing their lifespan. And as it seems, their Lifeforce is not particularly that groundbreaking. Looks like the absurd lifespan of the Devils seems to come from something else.

Maybe it's like my traits? Both my vitality and traits impact my lifespan, but even while my vitality is meagre I can get a trait like immortality and live forever. 

Anyway, next I tested the effects of my more dubious potions on her, like paralysis, sleep, heat etc. The goal was to figure out the effectiveness and to what extent they would keep a stray devil down.

There was also a... worse purpose.

I moved the Devil to one of the large tables of my dungeon and bound her there, also putting her under Intermediate Ranked Anesthesia. Then I brought out my tools.

I spent my time dissecting her, finding out how the cat limbs connected to the human limbs, how their bones were structured, changes in the muscular structure due to the abnormal limbs, and the makeup of her horns. 

Of course, I did not have too much time to explore her body before I had to take her back to her cell since Rias and her Peerage had finally caught Viser.

I had to make up some bullshit to Rias about why I needed Viser which boiled down to harvesting her for potion materials which she readily agreed to.

I will say, Rias is one ruthless girl.

She did not even bat an eye when I said I would use her for human experimentation. I guess that's a devil for you.

Now though, there is just one problem. 

Viser is big as fuck. Like big big as fuck. I had to first suck out all of her mana and stamina using absorption line then wrap her up with it before making a tunnel down to my dungeon with Terra catalyst to fit her, and then made an even larger cell before depositing her. I don't regret taking her though.

With how amalgamated she was she was like a walking bank of discoveries for me to uncover. But now there was an additional challenge.

I need someone to take care of them. I don't have time to cater for their needs and can't be bothered to make sure they don't keep trying to escape.

But I know someone who would be a very effective warden.

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"You want me to look after your prisoners? Why?" Raynare scoffed slightly but still remained somewhat obedient when I brought up the topic. What better warden for Devils than a Fallen Angel right?

She was still rebellious but I actually knew how to finally completely earn her loyalty. She was a follower, she would finally bend the knee once I showed her the carrot I told her about.

I grasped her chin gently, making her look at me.

"Because I am not doing it and you would be a wonderful warden Raynare. Besides, you are a very good girl, aren't you? In fact, I think you have been good enough for me to reward you." I pulled out a ring from my pocket and slipped it onto the pinky of the curious Raynare before her eyes went from disgust to utter shock.

I could understand her since she must have felt her vitality increase the moment she put on the ring enchanted with Vitality - minor. This proved to her that I was not shitting her.

I could make her strong, must be the thought running rampant in her head at the moment. As she smiled manically at me.

"U-um, master what is this ring?" Master now huh?

"This Raynare, is your gift for pleasing me and being such a good girl. And if you continue being such a good girl for me, who knows? I may just reward you further. But the question is. Will you really be mine Raynare? Because I can't give these things out to those who aren't mine you know." 

She nodded with fervour as if hopped up on drugs.

"Yes! Of course, I will be your good girl Master! I will even take care of these devils for you! So please make sure to reward your maid!" As she said that I slipped a collar around her unresisting neck.

"Then let this be the sign of your devotion. But first, I think I want to put your skills to the test."

Immediately getting my intent Raynare nodded with enthusiasm as she licked her lips, having done a complete 180 after realizing that I was where the money was at.

"Of course master~ I will show you my skill is unparalleled."

Hearing that I led her to my bedroom.

Honestly, she was almost too easy.

A/N: We are finally beginning the biological side of Alchemy, Human(noid?) experimentation has started now that Takumi has subjects and time. With this, his scope of alchemy will expand further than ever before. It is only a matter of time before the Homunculi workforce emerges.

Also, Raynare is very easy. As long as you can make her stronger she is one of the easiest girls. That means one fallen down, two more to go.

What do you guys think about the developments in this chapter? Did you like them? What about the scene between Asia and Takumi as well Raynare and Takumi? I would love to know.

Also, the plot will be moving along soon.

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