[Portable Camp Management System with Mini Lab. Item rank: SS. Item quality: Extraordinary. Whenever you’re ready to settle down while on a journey, this is what you’re looking for. Comes with an automatic campfire starter, you can spawn as many chairs as you need, you may spawn a cabin with multiple rooms if the space is there, or multiple royal grade tents. Automatic heating and cooling included. It also comes with basic sentry golems capable of taking out A-ranked demonic beasts and stunning S-ranked beasts. If you’re camping in a zone with SS, SSS, or above ranked beasts, then you’re probably in a land of chaos or not in this world. In that case, don’t camp or sleep. Warning, this is not a replacement for a home. It will be considered a clan zone. Opal, Yukihara, or Aku can serve as its spirit host. Not that you should need one. This is a gift from Wanda.]
I wasted no time activating the camp pyramid. We didn’t have to give it space, the object flew into a clearing on its own and rapidly glowed. Within seconds, a large cabin, a premade area for the presumable campfire, and golems similar to Onix appeared, only made of metal.
The lab building manifested next to it. A large outhouse appeared even further away from it, also guarded by golems.
Cheetara was freaking the fuck out, maybe in a good way, while everything manifested. Eventually she calmed down, walked over to our new camp, and sniffed at it. She patted it a couple of times, then turned to me with a confirmation meow, as if saying, “It’s safe.”
“This is amazing,” Kelvin said in awe.
“Hell yeah it is. Come on, let’s go see what we got,” I said, leading everyone inside. Sure enough, there were plenty of rooms and they were labeled with our names.
Opal and Yukihara flew around us as we toured the building. It included an indoor and outdoor eating area, perfect for adjusting plans around the weather. A small kitchen with an oven, a kettle, and food storage box greeted us partway through the walk. Lamps were powered by mana, that I could tell, though I wasn’t sure where the mana came from. Then again, I’d have to guess where the mana used to make the camp self-assemble itself, manifested too.
Lastly, there were, of course, bathrooms, each with tubs. Sure, we’d have to fill them up ourselves and our personal water supply wouldn’t do the trick. Fortunately for us, we were magicians with creative minds, whether it was Milia commanding the earth or Kelvin filling the tub with ice and Lucas melting it. Opal and Mandi also wanted to take a shot at creating something to assist. I told them we didn’t have the time, but they were welcome to brainstorm anyway. Just not all night.
That night, we sat around the campfire, and I explained to them how my homeland did things. Everyone wanted to try marshmallows, s’mores, and even roasted sausages afterward. Unfortunately, sausages in this world were a luxury food. Imagine spending gold on sausages! Exactly. It was a crime against humanity.
We did have prepared food in the storage rings, but nothing beat roasting meat, vegetables for Milia and Iris, and other things over a fire while talking with friends and loved ones. Everyone likely caught on to how I often excluded specific details of my homeland, its name, and location.
“Hey, Alexander, I never got around to asking, but about leaving Mazu behind,” I began, but the kid waved off my concern.
“He wanted to stay,” Alexander said. “Not that it means much, since I can just summon him using a treasure.”
I nodded, everything in that regard making sense now. He and the fox normally seemed inseparable, even more so after he revealed his past life. Apparently Mazu didn’t know. However, it didn’t change much. The fox was quite old, and Alexander was still a kid in its eyes.
The rest of the night passed peacefully, everyone bathing and then sleeping in their rooms, excited for the second journey day. I woke up first, dressed in a comfortable shirt and trousers, brushed up and used a flask of water to rinse away the mouth washing oil. Afterward, I wasted no time getting my happy ass into the mini lab.
While Harmony was expected to be my assistant, teenagers were still teenagers. They slept in. I did at that age too.
So why did I walk in to see the apprentice practicing her mana pill making? She even had on her safety goggles. I almost wanted to clap at the initiative.
“I guess I’ll need to reevaluate my assessment about teenagers and sleeping in,” I said.
“I wouldn’t make much of an assistant if I didn’t put in the effort,” Harmony replied.
I requested the system to give her contribution points. To my surprise, it replied.
[Harmony received 5 contribution points.]
I checked the current contribution board to verify. The system was certainly not bullshitting me.
[Harmony Rue. Magician rank: 12th realm of the Novice. Apprentice rank: S. Points: 14. Affinity: earth, wind, and fire mana.
Mandi Wingston. Mortal. Apprentice rank: S. Points: 7. Affinity: n/a. (Potential: fire.)
Lucas Fireborn. Magician rank: 10th realm of the Beginnings. Apprentice rank: S. Points: 6. Affinity: fire and earth mana.
Alexander Demonblade. Magician rank: 2nd realm of the Mortal. (Partially unsealed.) Apprentice rank: S. Points: 6. Affinity: water and wind mana.]
Cheetara, who walked in at the time, hopped onto my shoulder, nestling against my face.
“Good morning to you too, Cheetara,” I said, smiling. She meowed at Harmony.
“Good morning, Cutie,” she greeted cheerfully. Her eyes had the sparkles of someone looking at something adorable. Which likely mimicked mine, because holy shit was Cheetara adorable. Listen, a grown man can be proud of his Kamehameha-firing cat, okay.
Shortly afterward, Wolverine entered the lab.
“I think it’s time for breakfast,” I said as I knelt, pulling the sunlight wolf into a hug. Wolverine barked in agreement, licking my cheek.
“Who wants roast? I’m going to reheat mine, of course.”
I ended up preparing breakfast for everyone before rejoining Harmony back in the lab.
“Let’s start by making the potion of clarity,” I said as I set up my chemistry set. “Thanks to the water breathing potion, I was able to swim down and get the missing ingredients.”
[Potion of Clarity. Consuming a medium bottle of this will clear your mind and increase the chances of you gaining insight. Warning: this is a highly valuable potion. Magicians will likely do whatever it takes to extract this recipe from you.]
[To create this, you will need 5 Underwater Emblem herbs, 1 mix of Blood Lightning potion, 1 bottle of purified water, Underwater Emblem berries, and 10 pieces of random edible herbs. Mix it with pure water then allow to sit for at least a day.]
“Potion of clarity?” Harmony asked. “Does it really give you some kind of wisdom?”
“I’m thinking it will make your head clear when you’re trying to come up with the answer for a complex problem,” I said. “But you never know with magical potions. Don’t expect anything too grand, it is a simple-level potion.”
Harmony frowned. “I still feel so inadequate after hearing about higher level potions.”
“Don’t. We all have to start learning somewhere.” I placed a few medium-sized beakers and small vials into position on the table. The lab had other tools, which I’d make use of, including the cauldrons. I’d use my magic cauldron for the main course, however, such as the potion we planned to create.
[Nature’s Heart Magic Cauldron. Item rank: S. Item quality: Superior. Owner: Nate Sullivan. A cauldron capable of handling and reshaping even the most stubborn ingredients. This is also perfect for pill creation. Effects may rise beyond expectations for the items used in here.]
For a brief moment, I considered lending the magic cauldron to Harmony for pill creation but decided against it. She needed a ton of practice, more advanced books, perhaps even demonstrations from a few teachers before even considering utilizing the luxury of a magic cauldron.
Even for me, it was overboard to create a health potion in it.
“Even I’m still learning beyond the simple level,” I told her. “It’s not something one needs to do, given how good high quality simple potions are. Like the potion of shadows. Complex or even advanced potions have specific challenges I’d like to conquer. Also, we kind of need the angel summoning potion to kill the Axem. Without it, we’re fucked.”
Harmony nodded. “Well, I believe in you.”
“You do?” I asked.
“I do,” Harmony replied, a finality in her voice.
I chuckled. “No pressure at all.” I turned to look at her. “One of these days, I hope to live up to your faith in me. I sure as shit don’t want it misplaced.”
Harmony laughed.
After we made the mixture, I sealed it into a few bottles and placed ‘must sit for a day’ labels on them. Kelvin walked in as I was cleaning my magic cauldron, preparing for camp pack up. He nodded while examining the lab and the layout of the potions.
“All of this manifested from that gift of Wanda,” he said, mostly to himself. “Oh, I came in here to tell you that Opal can merge with the camp somehow. And by that look, you’re already aware.”
I laughed. “I’m not sure how it helps, but she can. Let’s just ask her what she’s doing. Opal!”
She flew into the lab, crashing into me. “The call of me being needed. At last! It is my time to shine! The great, smartest pixie of them all. Rank means nothing, I say! Nothing! They laughed at me, they mocked me, but look at me now.” She cleared her throat, calmly brushed herself off and spoke as if she hadn’t just gone on a maniacal tirade. “How may I assist, Sir Nate?”
She landed on Harmony’s shoulder. The teenager gave her a small, kind smile.
“You could become the—”
“Yes, I’d love to be the spirit host,” Opal interrupted, her hyperactive nature almost making her seem as if she’d spontaneously combust.
“Okay, but what do you actually do as a spirit host?” I asked.
“I saw you merge into the building last night,” Kelvin pointed out.
“Spirit hosts can magically protect the place and see far outside, up to some… many fields away,” Opal explained. “This is also a massive mana cultivating opportunity, if Wanda’s gift deemed the occasion a journey. Which it does. By the end of the trip, I’ll be a C-ranked pixie. I won’t be as weak and helpless anymore, and I’ll be able to supercharge some of Mandi’s gadgets. Maybe spell a few if I can rank higher. The possibilities are… well, I don’t know if they’re endless, but I need this. Please let me be the spirit host.”
“Yeah, have at it,” I said.
[You have officially accepted Opal as the camp’s spirit host. Magical defenses now enabled. All golems can now pierce through magic. They are also unaffected by magic intended to harm, control, or deactivate them or the camp.]
The pixie crashed into me with a tiny hug.
“This so makes up for when Mandi forgot to bring my bathtub and I almost drowned last night,” Opal said.
“You did not almost drown,” Mandi said as she entered. “You naturally float. Not that your magic would allow you to drown, anyway.”
Opal stuck her tongue out at the redhead. Mandi rolled her eyes. A glare-off commenced. They still ended up leaving the lab together, engaged in a conversation about their current project.
Harmony and Kelvin finally understood the shock in my eyes when I read the prompt to them. I should’ve done this the previous night, but ended up forgetting due to tiredness and the feelings of journeying in an unknown world. For the first time, I’d truly see something beyond Kyushu. There, I’d establish ties to my business that would make the shop competitive enough to reach maybe the top one hundred. Getting to the top five or even ten seemed far off for now, but that was to be expected. Not many knew I existed. They’d never understand the insanity of an SSS-quality potion. Hell, I barely understood it, and I’d been making these things like a one-man factory.
After cleaning up the lab, storing the ‘fermenting’ potions of clarity in a bag, we stepped out of the campsite. A prompt revealed itself to confirm this.
[Would you like to deactivate the camp?]
I selected yes. In a quick flash of mana and light, the camp reverted to its small pyramid form and floated over to me. I zapped it back into the storage ring like a trainer recalling its Pokémon. Not that a laser appeared from the ring. Items simply vanished upon a mental command and with a little mana. No, I hadn’t deduced the internal mechanics. Maybe someday I’d run into a magical engineer, assuming they existed.
“Let’s get going,” I said.
We climbed on our mounts and took off, following the map. The temperatures below were already somewhat cool. They sunk when we took to the sky. If not for Beakwing’s anti-wind magic, we’d probably be decked down in furs or other winter clothing.
I reread the contract the harpies gave Milia, searching for any hidden tricks and wondering if I should’ve listened to my big sister about going to law school. Before she smacked me in the back of the head for being a smartass and refusing. The contract was heavily worded in our favor. It was also very simple, almost worrying. Why were they heavily cut off from trade? No, it wasn’t that.
The harpies either never tried asking other towns instead of the Lord Ruler, or were asking the wrong ones. I verified this with Mandi.
“Hey Mandi, you guys get a lot of visits to your city, adventurers and even beastkin. What about harpies? Did they ever ask for trade?”
Mandi shook her head. “Harpies never visited us. They either communicate needs to the capital or, on occasion, travel to the big cities. At least according to Mother. Other than that, I don’t know much about them. Honestly forgot there was a harpy village just northeast of us.”
Another two hours passed. Beakwing lowered his altitude, revealing a large, beautiful lake beneath us, surrounded by a small rocky shore, and a forest of pink and blue trees. Below were motes of orange lights flying around and the shapes of people. They were likely out on a trip, fishing or hunting, or traveling. I didn’t see any nearby towns or villages.
“That’s just incredible,” I said, awed.
“It truly is a beautiful sight,” Milia said, smiling.
“Hey Nate, why do you want to be a potion maker?”
I turned to look at Chenzu. He was watching the sight below. He looked at me with one of his rare serious expressions. This wasn’t the lute-playing bard, but someone with bottled curiosity.
“You’ve got plenty of other talents and incredible magic is one of those. This isn’t just potential; you fought the Lord Ruler himself and came back to us without a scratch on you. You reached the realm of Saint and actually became a saint. Now we sleep comfortably in your saint aura. You become a force when you stop holding back. So why not just… take advantage of that? Why potions? You could truly be a hero.” He froze, eyes wide. “I mean no offense, my friend.”
I waved off his apology. “No offense taken. Your curiosity is perfectly valid. It’s not the first time someone’s asked me similar things. Call it… having little fucks to give about becoming some hero. Call it openly defying the heavens and daring them to complain. Listen, the world is a big place. In fact, this kingdom is probably quite big. Is crying for a hero the one answer to everyone’s problems? Ramon and the others don’t seem to think so, based on their actions. This world… this kingdom runs on a strange principle that’s kind of foreign to me. It’s something I dubbed ‘might is right.’”
Everyone stared at me with various emotions from concern to uncertainty, to curiosity.
“Might is right is a damning system, but it is something the people of this land only know. Where even the most unqualified sorts get placed into a position of power just because they can fling a fireball. To answer your question, I choose to be a potion maker simply because I want to. I can still help people in my way without trying to take on some unrealistic massive role, like the hero. The church is messed up for that, by the way. Forcing them into becoming the hero’s party, further playing a political game, seizing power any way they can.”
“Don’t let them hear you say that,” Mandi said. “Or Nuwa.”
I shrugged. “As long as I can maintain a life of peace, help those around me, the church won’t ever have to worry about me.”
“The problem is,” Milia said, “you… attract interesting people and events.”
“Does that include you?” I asked, feeling the smug smile curl across my face. Everyone laughed.
Milia gave me a quick kiss. “Perhaps.”
Abruptly, I heard beeps in my head. Knowing what they were, I pulled out the dungeon detector, a pocket watch-like device. The crystal was yellow, indicating we were within ten miles of one. It rapidly started to turn red.
“Beakwing, slow down. Aim for the dungeon.”
Talking on Milia’s ring, I relayed the same thing to Kelvin and the others.
The image of the brochure appeared in my mind.
[B-ranked dungeon detected.]
[Brochure: Ingredients within: Lilyfire plants and Quad Snapper herbs, present on second floor. No Rust Apples detected. Rust Apples can be found around the city of Whirl-Waters. Beware of the hyper flame moo-mookeys that love Rust Apples.]
The fuck was a…? I decided I didn’t want to know.
“I hope you don’t mind a quick stop at a B-ranked dungeon,” I said. “ It won’t take long. There are two important ingredients I need.”
Harmony’s eyes lit up. “A B-ranked dungeon. Can we come too? Please.”
[Brochure: it is not recommended to leave non-spirit beast companions outside waiting for you. It could attract a moledragon.]
“Well, my magical brochure just warned me not to leave you out here, which I wasn’t anyway,” I said. “We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere.”
“Yes!” Harmony said, giddy.
“But remember the rules,” I said. “This isn’t a place to try to go all reckless. Don’t think I won’t turn Beakwing around and drop you off at home.”
Mandi laughed. “You sound like Mother when she’s fussing at us. She threatens to turn the carriage around and drop us at home. I was maybe eight years of age back then.”
Alexander laughed first, before I scratched the back of my head, feeling awkward.
“You know what I mean,” I said, but Milia’s knowing smile had already captured me. I’d probably be teased for this again.
