When we got to town, I stopped at one of the cooking places we generously called “restaurants” and had my meat prepared in different ways. After a lot of haggling, I paid with 25% of the meat, plus some currency units for spices and other things. It was going to take a few days but then food wouldn't be a problem for me for quite some time to come.

After that, I met with the alchemists, who were already used to looking at me as Santa Claus, and unloaded the herbs I had found, as well as the tusks of the wild pigs. We talked briefly and they showed me their new inventions.

There were quite a few potions that could heal minor wounds, raise the strength or speed of the user for a short time, increase concentration, make nails and hair healthier - something I thought was funny at first, but once I found out that the potions could be used by animals, including my summon, I was overjoyed.

"My bear's fur might get a little tougher and its claws sharper," I thought, and immediately ordered several pieces.

The alchemist had also made some magical talismans. There were a few protective talismans, and few that could unleash basic magical attacks when activated by mana. They were very mana intensive and slow to make, so their prices weren't cheap.

It was important to mention that most craftering professions were able to get not a bad amount of currency units, just by using their crafting skills.

Overall, the alchemists had a very good business, as many people brought them reagents and they sold their various products. With the profits, they bought various alchemical books and tools, as well as other necessities for their crafting group.

I bought quite a few potions as I had a large amount of accumulated credit. I then met George and told him about my adventures. I then had to repeat it all to a group of representatives of what was becoming the camp's army.

"I don't think these goblins are an immediate danger." one of them said after hearing my story.

"But we don't know how many similar villages there are, or rather, if or when they are going to attack us in the middle of the night. We can't afford that risk."

"That's another reason to focus on the camp wall. As well as organizing the government structures and the army." I remarked, not for the first time.

“Everyone knows that, Meridin, but it's not that easy,” said George.

The conversation then continued and more people joined us. The reports about the orcs had not changed much in the time that had passed - every day their representatives attacked the zombie city, slaughtering some of them and moving into the inner parts of the city.

In addition, several expert groups had begun to monitor and record the estimated population and density of zombies, and we had determined that the number of zombies was perhaps decreasing.

Conversations turned to how zombies are an important strategic resource. They gave us the currency units that were so important for us, in order to develop our forces. Killing them indiscriminately, as well as interference from outside forces, was not a good thing for us.

After a while, I decided to let our elected leaders think about the big picture and hurried off to the zombie town. I didn't like the idea of them running out someday, and I wanted to kill as many of them as I could before that happened.

I spent the rest of the day hunting zombies and when I got back to camp in the evening I was greeted by one of George's helpers. I agreed to follow them, and when we met, he began to convince me to help him gather more people among our acquaintances to attack the orcs. The idea was to ambush them, so that none of them would come back alive to report what had happened. The only question was whether to attack them before or after they entered the inner city.

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"I think the best option is to let them go inside the city where the zombies are stronger and attack them while they're busy with some tougher fight." I said after hearing him out.

"Great idea, Meridin. Perhaps you too will come with your summons and keep a watch on the orcs from afar. That way our battle group can go undetected and we can surprise attack them in the back. Yes indeed, great idea." nodded George wisely.

"Really great idea," I thought. "Why do I get the feeling that someone else has already come to it and decided that I would be the perfect scout."

After that, all that was left was to meet with the leaders of the various fighting groups that were the core of the human army. This was going to be our first major operation and there was a lot to prepare.

Later in the evening when the meetings were over, I met with Tori Vikta and we spent some time together.

"Stay longer," she said as I prepared to leave.

"I've still got plenty of time before it's time to sleep. With the help of my special summons, I only need three or four hours of sleep a day. That's why I stay up later than the others every night and practice my skills."

Eventually I let myself be persuaded to stay for another half hour. When I finally left Tori's tent, I made my way over to the alchemists' workstations while whistling merrily to myself. There I found Mr. Dellucci, with whom I already had an appointment.

When he saw me, he motioned for me to wait, and after he finished his work, he had me sit at a huge table filled with various diaries, journals and reference books on alchemy.

"These will be our future alchemy textbooks," he began. "Open on page forty-two… Here on this diagram, on you can see how the rough energy of the reagents, from the second circle, in the elixir of the Silver Moon is... let's call it 'softened' by the magical formation of Ir-La-Ther, and then you can begin modeling it."

I then spent several hours with various alchemists exploring this arcane art. I managed to make some very basic talismans, a few weaker potions, extracted necrotic poisons from zombie parts, and other interesting procedures. Also, I became familiar with a few simpler magical formations, and their principles of laying, operating, and control.

Late in the evening, when nearly everyone had fallen asleep, I - with reddened eyes, made my way to my tent, where I summoned my creatures and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

…

"The young man is doing well." said Mr. Giovanni as he sipped from the alchemical potion that restored some of his spirit and reduced his need for sleep.

"That's right old friend." replied Joseppe who also sipped the potion, "If he stops zombie hunting and concentrates on alchemy he'll make an excellent student."

"Maybe someday he will. We don't know much about the mysteries of this new science anyway." said the old inventor, in a slightly dreamy voice. "What I wouldn't give to have those books back on Earth, and some magical energy of course.. I could have accomplished such things."

"You will accomplish them, you will accomplish them. By the time we get out of here, you'll be a bottomless well full of knowledge and skill." nodded Joseppe and moved to pour himself more of the magic potion.

"Haha, don't try to flatter me." replied Mr. Dellucci, pulling the bowl with the potion to his side. "We mustn't overdo it with the potions. Otherwise, the body gets exhausted and thoughts have a hard time finding their way through а tired brain. - The old alchemist smiled before finally putting the potion away and sealing it.

A little later the two friends parted, each busy with his own thoughts. One headed for his tent, the other for the newly built brewery.

“In two days, the first alcohol will be ready.” Joseppe softly murmured, lovingly stroking his invention.

***

The Titans of Ganymede Eight possessed six arms and immense physical strength. Their bodies were several meters tall, and their strength was immense. The most important thing was that they already had contact with the magical powers of the universe. This was how they were able to use their brute strength to become the dominant race in a planet filled with so many beasts, the strongest among which would be worthy rivals for even the dinosaurs on Earth. That's why most bets were made on their dominance in these games, and so they were able to gain considerable support.

***

The next morning, our battlegroup remained at the ready, and I even had time to give my usual lectures on mana control. I also met up with a few fellow summoners and together we did various summoning rituals and exchanged knowledge.

Two hours later, perhaps an hour before the sun reached its zenith, our observers spotted the orcs. We hastened to organize ourselves into groups, and it was not long before we left the city.