Maria felt a sense of dejection. She felt very unfortunate. "It was too hard to gain that level yet easy to lose!" She returned to the alchemist tower to turn in her quest to Albion.
[Quest Completed.]
[You leveled up.]
[You earned +5 Affinity points]
[Albion has more confidence in you.]
"Say, Blumock. I see that you are a very resourceful person. You have what it takes to be an alchemist. Do you want to be my apprentice?"
[Ting.]
[Do you want to learn Alchemy? Y/N]
What a turn of events for Maria! Just as she was feeling so miserable, auspicious news suddenly appeared. She instantly felt happy and almost jumped. "Yes!" There was now progress in her game.
[You have acquired and new skill window.]
[Alchemy - Tier 1]
[You can now make low-level potions and pills.]
"As my apprentice, you can now gather materials to create your low tier potions and pills. The recipes are available in the scriptoria on the second floor of the tower. The cauldron to make your potions is on the third floor. The alchemist tower will also buy your extra potions and pills at a reasonable price, slightly higher than when you sell them in the market. If you are diligent enough in making your own potions, someday you may be able to make mid-tier potions and pills."
"Thank you, Master Albion. I will do my best to level my alchemy skill with your guidance," she said politely, bowing her head. "I just have a question."
"Speak."
"How can I store the materials I will gather in the future? Currently, my inventory is not letting me store items other than bound items. As an alchemist apprentice, it will be hard for me to collect if I can't store them."
Albion raised his brow. "I do not know about the inventory you speak of, but as an alchemist, you could naturally gather and keep things, as long as they are ingredients and items for alchemy."
"Oh? That's great news! A perk for being an alchemist! But what about other things that are not related to alchemy?"
"Perhaps you haven't heard about spatial bags."
"Spatial bags? Where can I buy them and how much?" she asked eagerly.
"There is a traveling merchant in town, I do not know her exact location, and when she will appear. If you are lucky enough to find her, you can ask if she has one of those spatial bags. As for the price, expect it to be expensive. I had some transactions with her before and she's a reliable merchant. Tell her I sent you if she refused to meet you. Her name is Marion." Albion turned away after speaking that concluded the conversation.
"Thank you, Master." She bowed to the elderly.
Maria checked her money. 5 silver and 35 copper. She has accumulated only this much from some quests and killing mobs. She knew this would not be enough to purchase a spatial bag. A spatial bag would be expensive. "Aaargh! Why am I so poor?!" She decided to go to the second floor of the alchemy tower and located recipes for low-level potions and pills to learn. Once she studied them, the information was stored in her alchemy skill window.
Visiting shops and asking merchants in Argos, Maria could not find the whereabouts of Marion. The other shopkeepers had not heard of her name either. She was either being discreet or really unpopular. "Tsk! How troublesome." (In real life, she might be called a smuggler if she was being too cautious like this.) "How can I gather drops if I don't have a bag? Aaargh!!!!" she shouted out of frustration. She decided to grind instead. She checked the map in the town hall.
"Oh? There is an abyss inside Argos?" She memorized the map and ventured to the abyss entrance. There was a guard standing in front of the passage. His level was not showing but he looked strong as well. Abyss was the best place to grind. It was easy to level up if you were capable of killing the mobs. That was why Maria was determined to come here. She would grind and level up fast.
She was about to enter the abyss when the guard halted her. "Based on your level, you will just die inside the abyss. Turn back."
"But I need to grind."
"Nope. You are currently weak. You can only enter if you are strong enough."
Maria made a face. Her idea was rejected again. "Everyone started as a weakling. You don't have to hurt my pride..." She walked away, sighed, and sat down on the edge of the fountain in the center of the town. She felt defeated. "Tsk! I am so helpless and pathetic! Aaaaaarghhh!!!!" She was like a crazy person shouting gibberish by the fountain.
"How can I help you?" someone asked her.
She was stunned. She looked at the little girl with a huge bag. "Umm, who are you?" she asked while looking at the girl's hand to confirm that she was an NPC.
"My name is Ashtan. I am a porter," the girl smiled awkwardly. She was looking for a client but could not find any for a few days now. That was why she approached this person shouting by the fountain. Although she looked weak and crazy, she was a potential patron.
If Maria knew what this NPC was thinking, she would feel being looked down again. "A porter? You mean you can carry things?"
"Yes. That's my job. You can hire me if you want."
"But you are smaller than me, your bag is bigger than you. How can I let you carry my things?" Then she remembered something, and she blushed. She does not have enough money. "I am afraid, I could not afford a porter."
"How much do you have?"
"Umm...5 silver and 35 coppers."
Ashtan didn't say anything right away. She was contemplating. There wouldn't be any gain from this person. But there were no other players to hire her. "What are the things I need to carry?"
"Are you saying yes? Can I hire you with the money I have?" she asked excitedly. "I need someone to carry the drops of the monster that I would kill from grinding."
Ashtan studied Maria. The drops that she's talking about would be of poor quality since she's weak. "You can pay me with potions."
"Potions? What kind of potions?" Maria's face lightened up.
"Do you have potions to recover mana?"
"Not right now."
Ashtan's face became sullen. "Then, goodbye!" She was ready to walk away when she heard the weak person speak again.
"But I can make some for you...."
Ashtan's stopped, her expression suddenly became hopeful. "Are you an alchemist?"
"Yes. I am Master Albion's apprentice." Master Albion was famous in Argos so there was no need for further introduction.
"Master Albion accepted an apprentice?" Her eyes widened.
[You earned +2 Affinity points.]
"Then, can you make mana recovery potions for me?" asked Ashtan.
"Yes. But I need to get some ingredients first." (Wait-- why does this sound like a quest but is not working as a quest? I have to pry some more.)
[You earned +3 Affinity points.]
"Could it be-- do you need an alchemist to cure you?" asked Maria. She was liking the development of the conversation based on the earned affinity points, but she also needed a quest! Mana recovery potions are different from MP potions so she was thinking that maybe someone could not recover his or her mana and needed help.
Ashtan looked upset and sad. "It is not for me, but for my father. He was unable to recover his mana after an incident six months ago. That is why I am now working as a porter. I need money to buy mana recovery potions for him. Even if I am small, I am strong so you can rely on me to carry things for you!"
[Ting.]
[New Quest: Make mana recovery potions for Ashtan's father. Do you accept it? Y/N]
(Aha! I knew it!) Of course, she said yes.
[Quest Accepted]
"I need 20 mana recovery potions for my father. If you can give it to me, I will accompany you and carry things for you for free," she suddenly blushed and apologized for her early demeanor.
Maria nodded. (Twenty potions are a lot, but she is telling me she will work for free. What a scammer. Pfft!) She reviewed the ingredients for mana recovery potions and memorized them. Maria created a party before they exited the eastern gate. She would need Ashtan's help to gather ingredients for her to create potions.