Alana P.O.V

This night has taken a turn I hadn’t really expected it to. Everyone was starting to worry with Ajax and the Collectors taking an extra two days to return. The only hope we held onto was that they planned on only going to the first floor and that the team was highly overqualified. Meaning their delay was most likely just something extra they had to do and not bad news.

Judy was my best friend and partner so I ended up spending a lot of time with her family and she with mine. My relationship with Ajax was the most complicated, we didn’t work out as lovers but were great friends. Not only that but I couldn’t help and compare him with my own brother who despite being older ended up just begging us for a job as a merchant once the village was destroyed and his easy life as dad's successor came to an end.

Now that he returned alive he not only casually mentioned taking part in clearing the second floor but also having gained quite a lot of mana cores for it. Despite this he just gave them to his brother to feed his bond. As a merchant I knew that the investment was well worth it, a bond like the shadow cat would pay back investments hand over fist, especially those made while she was still growing. But the disconnect came with the fact that it wasn’t his bond, not many people would be willing to invest that much in something they wouldn’t directly benefit from.

But as it turned out that was only the beginning of the night. I am truly considering talking to an alchemist so that I have something to regulate my heart rate when Ajax is around. The news of his having a man pool of 1900 was shocking. That he was going for an even spread of stats meant his Intellect and Wisdom were around the same. I knew Ajax had somehow invested a lot of effort and sacrificed early strength to increase his stats but this was a lot more than I expected.

The final straw came when he off-handedly mentioned he wanted us to move some high-leveled water from an elemental. Considering that it came from the second floor it wouldn’t be higher than level forty-nine, which would make it some of the lowest quality that could be gained.

Its low quality however also came with a nearly non-existent supply. Elementals don’t gain any form of sapiance and are as alive as a plant until high into the seventies or early eighties. This feature of theirs makes dungeons not use them, they would only fit as boss enemies but they could also just be ignored and bypassed if they were chosen. In a city like Lessis this water wouldn’t be worth even as much as the mana cores he already gifted to the feline purring in his lap.

This water’s true value came from the opportunity it provided to alchemists to speed level the skills of their apprentices. As a crafting path alchemy was different from all the others. From levels one to thirty it was easy leveling as materials were plentiful. From levels sixty to one hundred the same could also be said, truly talented alchemists managed to gain the forty levels in less than five years. But the levels from thirty to sixty could take anywhere from a decade to a century depending on how much of the water you could gain. Those without access to it being forced to grind levels on inefficient potions.

A half barrel is enough for at least on full level, maybe two if they are closer to thirty. Just selling this, even at a premium, would help us gain a connection to a master alchemist. Just as we were running out of steam expanding into the bigger cities and up on the social ladder we now have a way to stick our foot in the door.

End of P.O.V.

Ajax watched as the two merchants eyed the barrel like the chicken that could lay golden eggs. They spent the next few minutes trying to explain the why and how this would be a great boon for them. He was happy that he could help.

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“Now , how would I go about getting some stat-increasing potions?” Ajax asked.

“This depends.” Judy said. “First of all on what stats you are trying to increase, and then from what level.”

“Seeing as lower is cheaper, I would be looking to increase my physical stats, that way I can just put most of my leveling stats into vitality and mental ones.” I say. “Right now all three are about equal around the 150 mark.”

This remark caused a lot more raised eyebrows as they now had all the information they needed to know I had more than twice the number of stats someone my level usually did.

“The cheapest way to do this would be to buy Potions of Body Strengthening.” Judy said after thinking for a moment. “Since they raise Dexterity Endurance and Strength together it makes them some of the worst selling ones.”

“How come, I would have thought mages would just have the chance to use potions instead of stats to get their physical stats to a higher level while keeping their free points for their mental ones.” Ajax also knew that mages were also heavily invested into by the rich so this would drive prices higher.

“That’s true but potions only work in intervals. If you want to raise a stat of say 60, you need to use a potion that increases along the line of 50 - 100. The Potions of Body Strengthening are indeed very expensive because mages tend to use them after they reach high enough diminishing returns on just pushing their bodies.” She agreed. “But the number of mages looking at physical stats around 150-200 is very low.”

“Physical fighters on the other hand are too specialized, you won’t usually find some that have all three within 50 points of one another so they buy more target potions despite them being pricier.” Alana said. “ That and they also would more likely buy the 0 - 50 mental ones and save points that way.”

“We can start looking into getting some for you but I suggest you hold off on taking them until you move on from this city.” Alana said. “Since you will be stuck on the second floor, and you are strong enough to clear it, taking the potions will just make it harder for you to gain Experience. We’ll look to get you no more than 75 stat points worth as well. That way even if you earn some achievements they’ll still work for you.”

“Alright.” Ajax agreed. Happy that he already sorted out everything with the loot from his first delve he started to relax.

The rest of the family wasn’t having any of it and started questioning him on what he faced in the second floor of the dungeon. The story drew the appropriate ooh’s and aah’s but following the discussion of the loot everyone saw the elemental's appearance coming.

Mention of the pear however drew a lot of interest from both the two merchants as well as Kate. It was late into the evening when he finally finished his retelling of the delve and everyone headed to sleep for the night.

The following morning saw him following Alana and Judy to grab the mana crystal he will be filling up. The storehouse they led him to was much smaller than the ones he remembered seeing back when he was ten and came for the first time to the city. It also made sense seeing as they weren’t quite as established as the organization they worked for back then.

He was also given the stink eye by a few of the employees upon receiving the crystal. They were all also quick to apologize for their rudeness when they learned that he was only borrowing it and his relation to Judy. Apparently that had thought he was someone extorting something out of their bosses.

Considering how he was dressed, and the non deferential attitude both girls had towards him he could see why they would think that. After all, they had spent this morning getting him his crystal and arranging for his new armor to be worked on while pushing all their other meetings back.

Getting everything sorted, and filling out the few forms he needed to say he was an adventurer selling his loot through the two took most of the morning. After a hearty lunch, something he had missed while delving as they only ate for breakfast and dinner, he headed towards the Healing Union.

“I’m here to see Kate.” he said to the receptionist, sticking to the plan they had come up with the night before.

“She hasn’t put you on the list for visiting.” she responded after looking through the papers on her desk.

“I was hoping this would be a surprise.” he said as he showed the mana crystal they were going to use.

“And who are you?” she asked, though he could see she was looking for an excuse to let him in.

“I’m Tom’s brother.” That was all it took for him to be waived in.

“Hi Kate.” he approached her as she waited at the table with some of the other healers in training in between patients.

“Ajax, what are you doing here?” she asked, her surprise looked so genuine he wondered if she had any acting skills.

“Thought I’ll bring you a gift after my first successful delve.” he said as he tossed her the mana crystal.