Chapter 3: Experimentation

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Statistics:

Vitality: 10 (A measure of how much vitality you possess, dictates your perseverance and health)

Mana: 10 (A measure of how much mana you possess, dictates your maximum mana capacity and how fast you recover your magical power)

Endurance: 10 (A measure of your durability and stamina, dictates how much punishment you can take and how long you can perform activities without running out of stamina)

Strength: 10 (A measure of your physical might, dictates how much force you can exert with your body)

Agility: 10 (A measure of your speed and finesse, dictates how fast you can move, react and sense)

Magic Power: 10 (A measure of your magical prowess, dictates the power behind your spells and magical abilities)

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Specialization: 

[Alchemy]

All Alchemy skills improve 50% faster, all Alchemy skills are 25% stronger.

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Abilities:

[Inspect]

Inspects the target, providing relevant information to the user. The level of inspection can be increased with skills and knowledge.

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Skills:

[Alchemy(Novice) Lv.1]

Your skill in creating potions and other alchemical products.

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I looked over my status. I think this sacred gear is the best one I could have gotten excluding the Longinus. And in my opinion. While I may not know that much about sacred gears mine seems like quite a unique one from what I learned about it.

How did I learn about it you may ask? Quite simple really.

This sacred gear started me with the ability inspect. Its function is quite simple. For example, if I use it on this desk for example.

[Wooden Desk]

-A wooden desk, it is fairly sturdy and durable.

I get information about it, just like how one would get information about it upon a closer inspection. Using abilities the sacred gear gives me is quite simple, it feels like I have a mental trigger that I can use to activate it just by willing to do it.

But then I thought, if it's my sacred gear that is supplying me with this data, I figured after a few minutes of experimentation that...

Why couldn't it supply data to me about itself?

So I used inspect on one of the game windows. 

[Iter Melius]

-A sacred gear made for the purpose of assisting its wielder in improving their abilities through the conversion of karma. It is capable of granting abilities to its user under certain circumstances while also assisting them in creating their own skills and improving them. Its usage is customised to work with the wielder.

While it had no user manual this was about as close to one as I could get, and I was taking it. Would it have killed the man upstairs to add at least a tutorial to this thing though? Or maybe he tried and that's why he died.

Anyways.

Now that I knew at least somewhat how my system(that's what I am going to call it, Iter Melius sounds like a mouthful) worked it was time to finally start making plans. 

I took my notepad out and started listing my immediate goals.

1- Basic Fitness: First of all, I needed to get my body stronger. Frankly, my body is pretty shit at the moment, which was disheartening considering all the effort I spent into maintaining my body in my previous life went to waste but no use crying over spilt milk. You can't build a tower on mud, you need a solid foundation and that foundation starts with a healthy body.

2- Alchemy for Dummies: I need to learn how to use my alchemy, how it works and most importantly how to abuse its mechanics. 

3- You are wizard(hopefully): Figure out how to cast magic, alakazam and all that stuff. 

Alright, let's get started immediately. Right now, I already know how to use alchemy, or I guess I have a sense for it. 

When I got the Alchemy skill I also got knowledge on how to create potions too, like the information was downloaded into my brain. And best of all.

This method fo alchemy was similar to Skyrim.

Well at least in terms of its mechanics anyway, the process is still fairly different. The foundation to potion creation of the inherent {Alchemical Value} of every material.

What was this alchemical value you ask? It is what I decided to name the most important foundation of potion creation. Everything, well almost everything has a degree of alchemical value and it also has its own alchemical properties too.

For example, with a little experimentation, I discovered that a red apple(from the fridge) has the property of {Health Restoration} but its potency compared to something like let's say ginseng is lacking because its alchemical value is rather low.

Putting that aside for now I needed a base of operations. Or my own Alchemists Lab. I cannot call myself a true alchemist if do not even have a proper lab after all. For that I chose the basement, fairly empty, spacious and out of view in case something explodes.

I moved a wooden desk and a few other materials needed to start my work there such as fruits, several water bottles, empty notepads, pens, cutlery and a knife. 

Using my newfound knowledge of alchemy I started painstakingly carving a complex magic circle into the wooden desk with the knife. This would be the alchemy circle responsible for refining the alchemical property of the ingredient so that it would be useable.

Another for actually combining the ingredient with the base material(often referred to as water), sure my life would be way easier and more convenient with actual equipment but this will work as well, I just have to make do with plastic bottles.

Then I started my first attempt at making a potion, making sure to note down the details as I went about it too. First was refining my ingredient of choice, an apple using my magical power. 

My sacred gear also gave me an instinctual sense of on how to use my mana, I pulled on the energy within myself and used it on the magic circle as started lighting up, and through the connection with the magic circle I started refining the property I knew the apple had while breaking the apple down to its alchemical property. 

I could feel it drain my mana, stamina and patience but I persevered.

The last step was mixing the apple into the water aka. the base material using the magic circle. And voila!

My first try at making a potion was a success!

Yes, it was rather lacklustre being a {Minor Healing Potion} that could probably only heal a few small cuts over a minute. But it was quite a decent first try for someone who didnt know magic existed hours ago.

I looked at the light red potion in my hands. I did it, I created a potion. It took half of my mana and an hour to figure it out but I did it. This little juice in my hand was proof of my ability.

It feels good . 

Now that I have proven that I can in fact can do what the system shows me its now time to test things. Experiment a little to find out what the boundaries to this thing are.

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Alright, it has been a few hours now.

I am definitely going to have stomach problems.

You see, you can discover the alchemical property of an ingredient by tasting it too. And I spent a bit of time... eating things.

For example, a handful of flour.

I had to swallow too. No being a little baby and only licking it. A whole handful of flour down the gullet. And a whole raw egg(WITH the shell). And a pinecone. And a-

You get it, I ate some things my body does NOT condone eating. I am probably going to shit my guts out later but it's gonna be worth it.

With some examples of ingredient effects(all of which I have noted down) and a little speculation on what ingredients can have which ingredients I started doing some more alchemy. In the span of several hours, I was able to create 4 more potions. Which also increased the level of my Alchemy too.

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[Alchemy(Novice) Lv.1] has levelled up!

[Alchemy(Novice) Lv.1] -> [Alchemy(Novice) Lv.2]

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Anyway, through a little experimentation, I was able to create these potions.

[Minor Healing Potion II] 

-A minor healing potion created by a beginner alchemist. It can heal minor wounds within a short period of time.

Again. This one was made with milk and tomato this time so it was slightly more effective and a lighter pinkish color. I call this recipe Health Potion ver. II The second revision of the health potion. I will probably keep improving upon the formula. Replacing water with milk seems more useful for health potions.

But now though, this potion was a step in the right direction.

[Minor Stamina and slowness Potion I]

-A minor Stamina and slowness potion created by a beginner alchemist. When drunk restores stamina and slows the drinker down.

This kids, is what happens when you make a potion and don't fully know what aspects you are working with. I used honey and flour, which caused it to have to slowness aspect as a side effect, if I was a better alchemist I could probably stop that from happening but for now it isn't. Regardless, stamina is definitely a step in the right direction.

And then I managed to get it right.

[Minor Stamina regeneration potion I]

-A minor Stamina potion created by a beginner alchemist. When drunk increases the stamina regeneration rate of the user.

I made sure to note down the recipe for this success. I knew I was going in the right direction with honey, just had the wrong aspect, since I also knew that regenerating my mana took a bit of time as well I decided to not risk it and muddle the pot by adding something else. 

And the last one was a hit as well, I decided to take no risks with this one as I had already learned the aspect from eating a whole tea bag of green tea.

[Minor Health Regeneration potion I]

-A minor Health Regeneration potion created by a beginner alchemist. When drunk increases the rate at which the user recovers from injuries.

Now then, why was I aiming for these two specific potions?

Well, it is because I am awfully curious about how stamina and health regeneration will affect physical training is all.

Ohhh yeahhh, it's all coming together.

*GRUUUUUMMMBBLLLEEEE*

Oh yeah, it has been a WHILE since I last ate actual food and not handfuls of ingredients and all of this alchemizing and mana spending has made me nearly starve.

...I better eat something before I drop dead. 

A/N: Takumi's approach is very methodical and experimental. First, he finds out the boundaries and limits. Then he tries to exploit whatever he can within those limits. Takumi is a munchkin type of gamer. This is him figuring out what he can and cannot do currently.

What did you think about this chapter?

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