Dagon spent the rest of his day in the practice yard. He only practiced with the sword and worked out, there was no sparring today. He wanted to master the feeling of his dual swords until they were apart of his body.
When morning came, Dagon got to work on the roots. This time, he boiled 10 of them. He figured the amount he needed to take would at least double.
It wasn't until 10 roots later that he received another message.
[Stamina has risen to 17]
Dagon checked his stats right after, as a thought popped into his head.
[Dagon]
[Level: 1]
[Health: 14/14]
[Stamina: 17] [Strength: 12]
[Magic: 16] [Agility: 8]
[One-handed sword proficiency: 35%]
[Longbow proficiency: 55%]
Stamina was now his highest stat. "I guess my constant training has really helped," Dagon thought. "I wonder if I can find some things to help with my other stats."
With that thought in mind, Dagon packed up and left his room. He stopped to see Mary first on the way out.
"Here's 30 dextria roots," he said as he laid them on the counter.
"Thank you, they usually sell for half a silver a piece, so how does 30 copper a piece sound?"
Dagon was set on money at the moment, and he'd gotten his money's worth out of this hunt already, so the price was well enough.
"That'll do, just put it toward my rent please," he said with a smile.
Dagon left the guild and headed towards the shops. He wanted to find the potion master to ask some questions.
The store wasn't very busy when he arrived. After a couple minutes of waiting, he got to the front desk.
"Excuse me sir, I was wondering if you were the potion master here?"
"Yes, sir. The name's Targen, how can I help you?"
"Well, I recently found out about dextria root on my last mission, and I was looking to see if there were any other herbs or roots like it. Specifically anything for agility?"
Targen thought for a moment before replying.
"There are plenty of ingredients that have similar properties. The problem is finding them. Most aren't as easily collected as the dextria root. I'm always looking for new supply though, so I'd be happy to point you in the right direction for a cut of the goods." The man smiled with greed in his eyes, as if he'd just found a golden hen.
"I guess that'll work, as long as I can find what I'm looking for, I'd be happy to share some."
"Excellent, let me make a guide for you."
Targen left the counter after he spoke. Dagon waited at the counter for a few minutes before he returned.
"Here you go. This is all the information I have on the subject. It contains the different plants in the region that help with stat growth. The description of each ingredient is given, along with what they look like and where to find them."
Dagon took the book and thanked Targen before leaving the shop. This could potentially be a long journey, so he thought it'd be wise to bring the party along.
Raj and Lily visited the guild once a day. Usually for lunch with Dagon in between his training sessions.
When the three were together, Dagon proposed his idea.
"I've got an idea guys. I spoke to the potions master this morning, and got a guide of plants and herbs with magical properties. There won't be much money to be made on this trip, besides any beasts we hunt, but it could be immensely beneficial to our growth."
Dagon looked at his companions as he spoke. Their faces showed they were in deep thought as they considered the idea.
Lily was the first to speak up.
"I think it's a great idea. We already have plenty of money for the time being, so leveling up should be our first priority."
A thought stuck Dagon as she finished.
"By the way, how do you level up? My stats have risen exponentially, but I'm still level 1," he said.
Lily replied again, "It goes by your stats. Similar to a rank up, except all stats must be level 10 or higher to reach level 2."
"Ahh okay, that makes sense I guess. Well then, I'm only lacking in agility then. Another reason to find these herbs and continue my training. Besides the herbs, I think this would be a good training mission for us. Raj and I can spar and workout throughout the trip, and Lily can practice her magic. I'm sure we'll need some healing after sparring anyway."
"I'm in," Raj replied as he finished thinking it through.
"It's a deal then. Can you guys be ready by tomorrow morning?"
The two nodded their heads, eager to set foot on this new adventure.
"Good, I'll study the guide tonight and get a plan in motion. We'll meet here in the morning then."
The group went their separate ways to get ready for the upcoming trip.
Dagon went to the market to purchase some supplies. They'd be able to hunt for food along the way, but it was a good idea to pack some food and water into the storage ring just in case.
He was used to camping out now, but he still purchased some camping gear anyway. A tent and some rolled up beds were enough. He'd already purchased the cauldron from Jack, so he had everything they needed for a comfortable stay in the woods.
When Dagon got back to the room he studied the guide. A good chunk of the ingredients listed were rare and difficult to find. It wasn't the best idea to prioritize them, so he saved them for later. It'd be better to check those areas on their way to more easily found ingredients.
Their first stop would be the forest of Umbria. Along with the dextria roots, the haste flower could also be found there. The haste flower wasn't as commonly found, but it wasn't a rare ingredient.
They were white flowers with blue dots on the pedals. These were just what he needed, as they increased agility. Luckily, the guide also had a detailed description on how to use each ingredient. The waiting time for each stat point increase was 5 days, unlike the 24 hour wait time of the dextria root.
After planning their adventure, Dagon headed to bed. He was excited for the first big adventure of his new world.
The party met at the guild as the sun rose over the horizon. Unlike his last trip to the forest, they hired a carriage. They would have a lot of walking to do throughout this trip, so it was better to catch a ride when they could.
After a couple hours, they arrived at the edge of the forest.
With his 2 companions at his back, Dagon could afford to be less caution this time around.
He quickly led them to where he'd found the dextria trees last time. It didn't take them long to find another. Raj and Dagon quickly hacked away at the exposed roots before moving on.
The group continued on until nightfall, finding a total of 83 roots along the way. With the 22 he had on him, they now had a grand total of 105.
They stopped to make camp in the woods after the long day of gathering.
Once the tent was up and the fire was going, Dagon set off to find some food. Raj and Lily stayed behind to boil the roots as Dagon showed them.
After half an hour, Dagon came back with a couple rabbits. The roots would fill most of his appetite, as he expected to eat at least 20 this time, so this was mostly for Raj and Lily.
The group at the roots when Dagon returned. It took Raj 3 roots, and Lily 2, before their stamina rose. Dagon needed 24 before he received his own rise in stamina.
He realized then that 20 would be his limit with the dextria roots, but he'd stop at 19 for now. If he ate the 100 roots recruited for level 20, that is if the trend continued, the group would have to spend a couple more days searching for them. He was ready to move on.
He made sure the remind Raj and Lily not to consume any more for 24 hours before letting them sleep.
Camping in the woods was convenient, but the danger it posed was serious. Raj and Dagon would have to take turns on watch whenever this was the case, so he took the first one while the roots digested.
When morning came, the group got back to work. They planned to hit a few more trees before moving on.
It was midday before they stopped. They'd traveled another mile into the forest, and the surroundings had changed once again.
This was the deepest part of the forest, the very center. According to the guide, this was also the location of the haste flower.
They'd amassed another 95 roots today, giving them a total of 171. More than enough for their own use, plus the potion masters cut.
The group slowed down as they entered this part of the forest. None of them had ever been this deep before. No one knew what was waiting for them in these woods, so it was better to be cautious.
Dagon led the pack looking out for any possible danger. Lily was in the middle searching for the haste flower, as Raj followed behind to ensure nothing was following them.
They continued like this for a couple hours without seeing any sign of the haste flower.
Dagon knew they couldn't camp out here, so he proposed an idea.
"It'll be dark in a couple hours, so we should head back, but I'd like to take a different way. This way we can search more ground on our way out of the this part of the woods."
Raj and Lily agreed, none of them wanted to stay in this part of the forest. The air was different here, it gave them all an eerie feeling they'd love to be rid of.
Dagon turned left as they headed out of the deep woods. After an hour of walking, Lily stopped. She pointed to the left, and the group turned to look what she was pointing at.
About 50 feet away, right underneath a large tree, were flowers. White flowers to be exact. They couldn't see any blue dots at this distance, but it was worth inspecting.
The group made their way over. It wasn't until they were 30 feet away that they could spot the blue dots on the pedals of the flowers.
"Jackpot," Dagon whispered to his group.