BXBX NOVEL Chapter 366 365: Complete Restock
Kat PoV
The alchemist gave me my two and a half dozen potions after around an hour of work, and it was during her short breaks that I asked her about other kinds of potions, if she could perhaps think of any I could need for long travels.
Tilting her head, the pale skinned woman thought for a few moments before asking me about where I was going, only to give me a wry smile as I simply said "North."
"Hmm... well, maybe some kind of heat resistance for those deserts - if you\'re going that far north, that is - or perhaps some scent replacers? Not a potion, but handy little things for the forest northwards; lots of monsters and vicious tribal people live in those forests, so that could be an option."
Leaning forwards curiously, I asked "Vicious tribal people? How so? Vicious like the Arese, or worse?"
Chuckling, she lounged back in the wooden chair she had and said "Worse. I know the Arese; I\'m originally from Polaris. The Arese are civilized, good people. As long as you don\'t piss them off or try to do something to them, the Arese very rarely do anything to anyone else. I think the worst I ever heard of them was a woman claiming a few assaulted her, but it was proven that they had only flirted with her and that she had disliked them for a long time anyways...
Oh, but the tribes! Okay, there are a few that I know of inside the forests. Most are... neutrally bad. They don\'t go out of their way to hunt or kill people, but they don\'t need a valid reason to either. Those also tend to be the larger tribes; the Ilikomptet, Quetzals, and Pantharians. They\'re Snow Giants, Harpies, and Pantherkin respectively. Each specializes in something different, but each rules a large part of the forest.
Now, the tribes to look out for; Ligana, Horusia, and Moriartran tribes. Snakekin, Hawkkin, and Oni respectively. The Ligana kidnap travelers and force them into becoming breeders. Horusia tend to use travelers as both breeders and experiments for their various weapons, while the Moriartran simply butcher anyone they come across. So... be careful out there, Miss. Those forests are occupied by some very tough, ruthless, and strong tribes, and that\'s not even counting the fact that the entire forest is laden with monsters and caves..."
Nodding, I stared at her as she gave me a wry smile, saying "Well, that\'s about as much as I know of the forest. It\'s... a really, really dangerous place, Miss. Especially for women, but... if you\'re going there anyways, then I would suggest those scent replacers. It\'ll help quite a bit...."
"What do you need for those? Can I find the ingredients down in The Mine?"
"Yup. Mana Water, Blue Gel, Green Gel, Glowing Red Gel, Blank Ruby Dust, and Yorka Stems. Blank Rubys are small opaque red gemstones that grow on floor four, and Yorka Stems are long green stems about three feet high that grow in the caverns of floor five. This won\'t be a potion, but a pill that I\'ll be placing inside a separate concoction, which I\'ll be making while I wait for you to return. Each pill will cost you ten Silvers though, since pills are much harder to make then potions..."
"Alright. I\'ll be back here tomorrow then."
Leaving behind The Mine, I went back to the run down houses where I had gotten rid of two nuisances, smirking a little as I saw the same group of homeless people sitting besides their fire, warming themselves up.
Some still looked at me as I made my way past them, but most ignored me, uncaring now as they had likely forgotten about me.
Entering, I \'locked\' the door with a simple spell and moved towards the closet, where I had stored my goods.
I would need to sell of the enchanted weapons tomorrow for the coin, and then I would delve back down into The Mine to get the rest of what I need, as well as some more experience.
Afterwards, I would purchase the last supplies I think I might need before resting for the night once more, only to depart before dawn and make my way into the forest.
It was a large land area, with seemingly no shortcuts or quicker areas to go through, so I would need to put my head down and trudge forwards, uncaring of all of the tribes around me as best I could.
If I wanted to be much safer for that journey, I could remain here and grind out a little more experience and Shop Points to get myself a little boost, but I was also agitated the longer I thought about being separated from Jahi, Anput, and Leone.
Seeing the alchemist work today made me feel much worse then when I had been placating my lust on my own; it made me realized how much I missed the small things related to each.
Jahi and her books as she lounged on the couch, softly humming to herself whenever she found something interesting inside the book.
Anput and her excitable movements as she forged a new blade, only to test it out moments later in the backyard, forcing us to create more targets for her to use.
Leone and her study of the arcane, how she would sit at her desk or the kitchen table for hours on end as she poured over her own research and a tome, trying to make a breakthrough in any of the many fields she was determined to study.
Those small things, like how Jahi hummed, Anput and her tails movements, and Leone and her pursed lips and raised brows as she scribbled things down made me feel cold, as I had no idea if they were still doing those things with me gone.
I was entirely aware of how much they all relied on me, and I had... admittedly, changed myself to become that rock for each of them, so that they would never be able to leave me.
Twisted desires to retain the love of my various fiancees could be backfiring right now, and it pained me to think that, but... I wouldn\'t change anything.
When I returned, I was going to continue to be that rock that they relied so heavily on, because I placated my aching heart whenever I thought that those impressive, gorgeous women might grow bored of me.
Something I knew impossible, but something I had once thought impossible before, in a life long since ended.