Chapter Ten: The Third Quest Complete!
"Rise… and welcome to our emerging territory."
Kaiden's spirits were high, so he welcomed Luther warmly, then led him inside the Alchemist's Workshop — curiosity filling him about this "magical" building.
But contrary to his expectations…
The workshop was nothing like the magical space he had imagined. It looked far more like a fully equipped science laboratory.
A large metal table was scattered with glass vials of various sizes alongside multiple testing instruments. To the side stood heavy furnaces and distillation apparatuses, along with thick protective gear, a rudimentary mask, and work gloves.
There was even a small testing chamber, and cages of various sizes for animals were distributed throughout the space.
Kaiden turned to Luther and asked the question that had been occupying his mind:
"So… what kind of potions can you make, Luther?"
Luther answered respectfully:
"My lord, I am still at the Apprentice Alchemist stage, so I can only produce the most basic Common-tier potions — such as a Stamina Recovery Potion, a Temporary Strength Potion, a Health Recovery Potion… and other fundamental ones, provided the resources are available."
Kaiden nodded, then asked directly:
"Good… and what resources are required to make these potions?"
Luther answered without hesitation:
"Most potions are based primarily on herbs, and they typically require the blood of Common-tier monsters as a catalyst — or even parts of their bodies. For example, to produce a Stamina Potion, I would need green Thanos tree leaves and triple-root mountain clover, along with Common monster blood as a catalyst."
Kaiden listened with interest, thinking to himself:
Monster bodies are a treasure in their own right… but are these herbs available on the World Market?
He glanced at Luther, who was waiting for a response, then set his thoughts aside and said:
"As for monster blood — my soldiers killed a black snake and two eagles of the Common tier today. You'll find them at Joel the Butcher's workshop nearby. As for the herbs… give me a list of everything you need, and I'll try to secure them soon."
The moment Luther heard the names of the monsters, his eyes widened and his voice rose with involuntary excitement:
"My lord! If the monster was a snake, it most likely contains a venom sac and a bile gland! Depending on its size, I could produce a considerable number of poison potions, as well as detoxification potions from the bile — and even grant those who drink them a small permanent increase in poison resistance! As for the eagle, using its blood as a catalyst, I can produce potions that reduce body weight, temporarily increasing the user's speed!"
Kaiden was taken aback. This alchemist was… remarkably useful, and he was still only an apprentice. He couldn't even begin to imagine how valuable he would become at higher levels.
Afterward, Kaiden held a lengthy discussion with Luther about the required herbs, then listed them on the World Market across ten separate pages — one page per herb type — with an exchange offer of one unit of meat per unit of herb.
This time there was no instant depletion as there had been before.
But Kaiden was in no rush — he knew the market would need time to respond.
He sent Luther to Joel the Butcher to inform him of the materials he needed, then stepped out of the Alchemist's Workshop.
The moment he exited, he spotted the cook Sidra making her way toward him.
When she reached him, she gave a slight bow and said respectfully:
"My lord, lunch is ready."
Kaiden was mildly surprised and looked up at the sky…
Midday had arrived without him noticing.
He ordered one of the villagers to summon everyone — except Golan's team and Laura's team, who were to remain at their combat positions. Food would be sent to them.
As for himself, he walked with Sidra toward the nearby tavern.
Upon arriving, Kaiden took a seat at one of the tables, and the territory's residents began filing in by group.
Resource gatherers, craftsmen…
Luther and Joel arrived together, deep in conversation. The blacksmith Hook and the carpenter Masmar came in alongside the woodcutters, with a group of stone gatherers trailing behind them.
Each group greeted him respectfully, and he returned their greetings with warmth.
This simple exchange filled Kaiden with pride, and his eyes brimmed with ambition.
Just two days ago, he had been an ordinary orphan — someone unremarkable whom no one cared about. And now he had land of his own, and had become a respected leader.
For the first time, he felt he understood… why politicians fought bloody battles to reach power.
He exhaled quietly, then pulled himself from his thoughts and asked for the tables to be pushed together to form a shared dining table.
As for himself, he used the time to review their information interfaces.
The blacksmith and the carpenter had reached Level Two, while the butcher had reached Level Three — most likely due to the sheer volume of his workload.
Even the ordinary villagers had reached Levels Two and Three.
Kaiden smiled. This was a good problem to have.
Everyone's progress was remarkable — but Origin Points were becoming a challenge.
He currently held 18 Origin Points, and would need 12 of them for the upgrade… which wouldn't leave him much.
Even so, Kaiden wasn't worried.
His new monster-hunting strategy was more than capable of solving a large part of that problem.
Just then, the enticing aroma of food pulled him back to the present.
He looked at the table and found that Sidra had already begun serving the meal with the villagers' help.
The main dish was a rich, hearty stew filled with large chunks of meat.
And despite the absence of any side dishes, Kaiden ate with great appetite.
The cooking was excellent — the meat so tender it nearly melted in the mouth, and the broth perfectly balanced in saltiness and richness.
He finished two full bowls on his own, then patted his recently acquired muscular stomach with a deep sense of satisfaction.
After the meal, everyone returned to their work.
As for Kaiden, he began walking slowly to aid his digestion, thinking over the ideal location for building the Arrow Tower.
But he couldn't find a spot that fully satisfied him…
So he decided to put the matter off for now.
After all, he still had five and a half days to decide.
And at that very moment —
The notification he had been awaiting more than anything else chimed.
[System Notification:
Your forces under Golan's command have slain a Common-tier "Prairie Lizard" monster.
Reward: ×4 Origin Points + Residential Hut Blueprint ×1
Rewards have been deposited into the Lord's inventory.]
It was followed by another notification from his talent:
[Quest "Second Kill!" Completed!
Reward dispatched to the Lord's inventory:
Random Elite Soldiers ×3]
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— End of Chapter Ten —