The potions had finally stopped brewing, and Eric let out a sigh of relief. This was a long process especially for him, he went from no knowledge of Alchemy to knowing how to brew a rare potion, and he assumed that health potions would also be rarer considering the age of the planet he now found himself on.
"I need to get to work on saving these Gnomosapiens, but I am mentally exhausted from brewing these potions. I suppose it's not as bad as the stories I have read, where the person who gets transported to another world has information forcefully inserted into their heads." Shuddering at the thought while getting up off of his ass to find the Mole sensei as he started to call him. Only in his head though. He really didn't want to insult the weird old man that could snap him like a twig.
Completing the potions didn't net him the recipes though, apparently he had to finish the quest to get those otherwise there wouldn't be any incentive for him to finish. Thems the breaks he sighed dejectedly. You can't get everything for free. Chalking it up as wishful thinking he noticed the old man hobbling up to him. This irritated him slightly he saw the wrinkly bastard jump 2 meters by bouncing from wall to wall of his doorstep, but now he still wants to play the frail old man card.
"Tsk." He clicks his tongue in irritation, but knows he can do nothing about it at the moment so he bites back his anger for another time, maybe he'd find some enemies to take his frustrations out on.
'Look at me less than a week on this strange game like world, and I already act, and think like I didn't just come from civilized society. HA! If you could call the hell that Earth had become civilized, it was a longshot at best.' Standing up brushing the dirt from his bum he figures that he might as well meet the faker halfway, after all getting into his good graces had netted him the alchemy skill maybe he'd be willing to show him a few more things. Both men came to a standstill within a meter of the other, and stood in complete silence. As Eric was about to break the silence however the old man decided that now was the time to interrupt him.
"Hey wha...."
"Patience young one all will be revealed in time, but now is unfortunately not the time for rest we have to start distributing this potion to the rest of my kind. Life is not all fun, and games, but there will be time for play after we save the others, maybe this old geezer would be willing to help you a little more on sharpening your skills in this harsh world. After all that's all you have muttered under your breathe for the last hour or so." His harsh whisper like voice seemed to radiate his amusement at Eric's stunned face of indignation.
"These old ears work better than my age would let on young one, remember to never judge a person by their age." This was all that was said as he hands Eric some hollowed out tree branches that were made into makeshift flasks for the potion.
AHAHAHAH... That old naked mole rat of man just told you! I can't believe you didn't realize you were muttering under your breath.
"You know what weird box person I have no time for your shit, my life is hard enough as it is right now I'd appreciate some help more than anything, but I feel like I have to do everything on my own, while you sit somewhere spitting absolute bullshit every other time you contact me." Getting that off his chest Eric began the arduous task of trying to find these gnomes, and play doctor.
Three hours, it took him three hours to track down his first gnomosapien, as it turns out the weird curse they seemed to be suffering turned them into tree dwellers instead of subterranean. Slapping himself on the forehead Eric sat down next to a large pillar of Quartz that extended deep into the shimmering pool of mana water. Sweat running down his face like he was just out in a rainstorm, but this thought made him wish he had a rainstorm now. Almost as if responding to his wishes the pillar behind him began to emit a soft glow pulsing slowly at first, and growing in pace rapidly as the seconds ticked by. Surprised Eric jumps up to examine the now vibrantly glowing crystal as it began to syphon some of the water from the pool.
A look of immense confusion was spread on his face until rain began to fall. One drop became two, and so on as a terrential downpour ensued. Doing a little happy dance he enjoyed the rain briefly before examing the pillar he had been leaned against during his brief respite. Tiny almost imperceptible grooves were etched shallowly into the surface of the clear stone. Appearing purposeful in nature these could be nothing other than some type of runic language.
+5 ING. You have discovered an Ancient Quartz Channeling Pillar. This Ancient pillar of grand design was etched long ago by an already forgotten species more advanced than any alive on the planet. How this Archaic masterpiece was designed died with those who first carved its massive surface. The runes themselves appear to be a manifestation of sentient beings will allowing mana to slightly bend the fabric of reality.
Smiling he checked the water once more with his skill to determine if he could glean more information than he had before. His smile consumed his face when he read out the full properties of the water, which included the ability to absorb the best properties of substances meant to help those who can't help themselves. Knowing it was a long shot Eric decided to risk it all on trying to cure all of these critters at once before his quest timer ran out.
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"Whelp here goes nothing, either this works, or I'll have start killing creatures who are only violent because of a god's curse. I really don't want to have to do that, but experience is really important in this new world, and I am not even remotely sure if I can respawn or not. Dying once is enough for me thank you!"
Channeling some of his mana into the makeshift bottles of potion he wanted to form a bond for the potion to have a greater chance of being absorbed by the mana laced water, and this was the only idea he really had achieve some kind of resonance between the two liquids. Crossing his fingers after he offloaded half of his mana into the wooden jars he began to empty them into the little lake of magic water hoping for the best possible outcome. The gigantic crystal monolith began to light up once more only this time more rapidly than before, as quickly as it came it was over as the falling rain began to take on a slight pink hue. Screaming out in elation, and pure mental exhaustion a feeling of contentment washed over every fiber of his being. He had never truly felt this fulfilled in a long time, he'd hopefully helped alot of innocent gnomes revert back to sane sentient beings, and he would now get the recipes for health potions, which would only help him in the future. Who knew what sort of danger might come his way in this crazy place.
Before he could move a muscle a screen popped into being in his face to alert him, but this one was odd it was almost gold in color, and he knew this was an automated message, and not one from the pretentious prick behind the scenes.
Congratulations for showcasing your knowledge of alchemy on a mass scale, and using unknown technology to save an entire race from sinking deeper into madness you have been offered a legendary class for your efforts. Whether you accept or not is up to you. You have been granted the class [Crystal Alchemist]
Before accepting the class he tried to gain more info on the classes abilities, but was only met with nothing. Disappointment at the vague riddles the boxy had thrown his way this time Eric was unsure of what to do. One one hand it seemed like the chance of a lifetime. A legendary grade class wasn't exactly something most people got to brag about back on Earth, Except maybe in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. As if he had a 24 hour camera plastered to Eric's forehead boxy made his triumphant return to the stage to give him some advice that would rid Eric of all indecision.
You do know that you can multiclass right? When the system was designed classes were made more of guidelines for participants rather than absolute paths.
This made him smile, but he couldn't help but feel a little resentmant towards his host, especially since nothing was ever mentioned to him about classes in the first place. "Now that I think about I never received a tutorial when I was dumped here what the hell is up with that boxy?"
Well you aren't really supposed to be here to begin with you see the planet is really only in the alpha stages of developement. A tutorial would be a good idea though, mind if I steal that one? Of course you don't good man! Wait you are still a man right? I have trouble telling the genders of mortals apart.
Ready to give Boxy a piece of his mind was ground to an abrupt halt when the ground started to shake, and black ooze began to leak from the cracks. Not one to turn down a boon, especially after finding out he wouldn't be bound to only one class. 'Who in their right mind would turn down a Legendary class if it doesn't have to be your only one!' Without thinking too much more he accepts the class. A rush of information fills his skull as a few recipes, and knowledge of local plants begin to overflow into his subconscious mind. Straining to not pass out from shock he trys to filter out the information dump for now he had bigger problems. The ground began to shake as birds flew from the trees, the fissures in the soil began to expand at a rapid pace as a newly formed tar pit began to bubble in front of him.
A sigh of relief barely escapes his lips when the viscous pool of black bubbleing liquid grows to 10 feet tall. A wide bring mouth slowly forms a vast expanse where the creatures eyes would be. The massive body undulates rippling its entire body flinging parts of itself in the process. Where the black liquid fell began to wither, and age rapidly. Keeping his eyes on his new opponent Eric doesn't even glance in the direction of the now ever present hissing of melting plant life.
'If I get hit by the nasty thing I don't think I'll live to see tomorrow." He gulps swallowing all of his fear in an attempt to steel his nerves for the nasty fight to come. The creature stops its creepy body wave as its blackhole of a mouth forms a smile, and an ear piercing shriek fills the air causing Eric to drop to his knees in an attempt to cover his ears from the immense pain that now filled his body. A sickly green tongue slithers out of the creatures mouth like a snake on the hunt, green acid colored slime drips menacingly from the monsters now open orafice soaking the ground in its saliva causing even more decay to spread.
Pulling the rest of its body out of the original pit it broke free from it takes the tar beast a few moments to figure out how to move. Two tree trunk sized arms sprout from the creatures body like an erupting volcano, fists the size of boulder adorning the end of its arms. It reaches for the nearest tree to test its strength ripping the tree from the ground without resistence as if picking up a small stick off the ground. The twenty foot tall tree became a makeshift club for it, swinging wildy with abandon the creatures grin grows even more feral as it turns to make its way towards Eric.