NOVEL WEB 30: Alchemy Experiments and Economic Plans
JadeBea has been experimenting with alchemy.
At first she did so with the hope of making the Breakthrough Elixir, but it soon became clear that she has a long way to go until she will even have a chance.
The first issue is her inexperience with alchemy. The knowledge and instincts given by the Learning Charge certainly helps, but it doesn't tell her anything about how to create a new recipe with substitute ingredients. That will an actual understanding of how the art of alchemy works, which takes time.
This isn't a simple mini game. Alchemy is a complicated science with underlying rules that need to be understood. From what she's observed so far, combined with online discussions, she thinks it might even rival real world chemistry.
Another problem is equipment. The sect provides basic metal cauldrons, but that's it. The original recipe requires a cauldron made of a much stronger material, heated using a fire that has properties not usually attributed to fire. She doesn't have any of this at the moment, and no clear way to obtain them.
The final problem is ingredients. The ones she currently has access to aren't powerful enough. They are certainly a good variety, enough for her to experiment and learn the basics, but the fake ingredients she needs to replicate are more powerful, and that power is essential to ensure the alchemic structure doesn't break apart.
This doesn't mean her efforts have been entirely fruitless. So far she has made some pills that give the user a temporary boost in a certain area, with a severe cost in another area.
There's the Sturdy Shell pill that increases your defence but makes your limbs too heavy to move, the Adamant Sweep pill that increases strength at the cost of dulling your perception, and the Unguarded Offense pill that increases your perception but makes your natural defences worse.
JadeBea is aware of the references and the fact they don't actually fit properly, but the names weren't thought up by her. It was her sister who insisted on them.
Speaking of whom...
"Hey sis! I found a new herb you might be interested in!" SaphBea enters without a care for what she might be interrupting.
"Make sure to have it set up in the farm before bringing it to me." JadeBea reminds her sister.
"Already done so. GrowGirl and Flora gave me the go ahead to let you go all mad science on it." SaphBea grins, holding out a bundle of the herb in question.
"Does it have a strong Qi signature?" JadeBea asks, though she takes it and checks herself at the same time.
"Not especially, but it has a very different Qi flavour compared to what we currently have, if that is the right word." SaphBea says. "So anything you can do with it?"
"I will have to run some tests first." JadeBea puts the herb down. "So how have you been?"
"You know you can just ask me IRL right? We're always together after all." SaphBea smirks.
"But I enjoy talking to you when you're like this." JadeBea says
"I know, this avatar is amazing." SaphBea twirls around then does her best cutesy pose. "But to answer, I've been having a great time. I've mostly just been running around and exploring, but TaunTan took me to fight some Barkeater Beetles. I felt invincible, nothing they did could even scratch me."
"Well you are at the ninth stage. Barkeater Beetles are recommended for lower levels." JadeBea says. "Speaking of your cultivation, have you bought the Cleanse Other Technique yet? I'm sure Tia will be happy if you could remove a few more of her impurities."
"I want to, but it's really expensive, and I spent all my SP on the Personal Storage Technique." SaphBea says. "You're lucky you could share the technique costs with CoDestiny and PCliver."
"Then I can just buy it for you." JadeBea offers.
"That sorta feels like cheating." SaphBea replies. "And I don't want to be a burden on you."
"I can assure you it isn't a problem. I have more SP than I know what to do with it." JadeBea says. "I've been making a lot of unassigned vessels, each one gives me 300 SP. Take away the cost of 100 SP for the people hunting the Beast Cores, and I'm still making absurd amounts. A few newer Players even asked me to teach them how to make unassigned vessels on their own."
"Did you agree?" SaphBea asks.
"I sorta had to." JadeBea admits. "We've got so many Beast Cores coming in that I can't refine them all on my own."
DaRule and Rose have been discussing how trade will work between the Player Sect and the Blossom Alliance. Thankfully construction of the trade hall/guild house has reached the point where they can talk in a private room.
"This is certainly a diverse list of items your willing to trade." DaRule looks through the papers he had been given. "But do you really have the authority to arrange all this?"
"I may not be a member of the mighty Petal Sect, but the Stem Sect is still technically their equal, officially speaking at least." Rose says. "I just so happen to be an economist tasked with ensuring the proper flow of goods, so as long as the resourses are only of the Qi-Refining realm, I have already been given the right to act at my own discretion."
"So we would need to talk with someone else if we want to obtain anything more powerful." DaRule concludes.
"Even if you did they'd be unlikely to agree." Rose informs him. "It's generally agreed that you shouldn't trade many lesser resourses for a greater one if the other party doesn't have the cultivation to match what you're giving them. Whatever you give them will likely be stolen later, or backfire on the user for reaching above their capabilities."
"What if we obtained things of the Foundation Building realm? Would you be willing to trade with us for something equivalent?" He asks.
"That would be fine, as it means you have the strength or luck to obtain such an item in the first place." Rose agrees. "But doing so will be difficult, and I will offer you no aid as I don't want you 'Players' to obtain too much strength so quickly."
"That's fine. It at least gives us a long term goal to work towards." DaRule nods. "About the prices listed though, they're all in terms of Spirit Stones. Is that normal for these trades?"
"Yes, Spirit Stones are the standard currency for cultivators." Rose confirms. "You should easily be able to obtain them with your ability to recharge empty Spirit Stones. You can see I even listed 10 empty Spirit Stones as costing a fully charged one."
"That will certainly work for us as they're very easy to fill." DaRule takes out one of the Stones she had gifted him earlier, except now it's fully recharged. "Does the alliance have so many empty Spirit Stones?"
"We have enough for now." Rose says. "And we can offer to buy them from other cultivators at an exchange rate of 11 to 1. Plenty of cultivators will be eager to accept this as empty Spirit Stones are mostly dead weight."
"That would give you a reasonable profit margin." DaRule nods. "I'm worried that Players will consider Spirit Stones as their primary currency instead of Sect Points, which will get forgotten due to a lack of uses. This should be especially worrying for you as Sect Points are meant to be how you locals incentivise us into acting in your favour."
"Thanks for reminding me. We'll have to introduce some important things that can only be bought with Sect Points." Rose considers this. "Perhaps a tax for land ownership, or for getting a business license that allows you to trade outside the tainted forest?"
"Those might work, but I doubt will be enough. Perhaps we could introduce an additional SP cost whenever someone trades with a local." DaRule says. "I'll have to discuss it with Sect Master Stone next time I see him."
"So, who do you want to invite as the first Player to visit your sect?" Rean asks Lily as the share a meal together.
"Well Tia is insistent that it be PCliver, but I wanted to hear your opinion." Lily responds.
"I'd say he's an excellent choice. He's the one I was going to recommend if you couldn't make up your mind." Rean says.
"But isn't it a problem for him to be gone for so long?" Lily asks. "He seems to have taken a leadership position, so the rest of your disciples may not do well without him."
"That wont be an an issue." Rean assures her. "PCliver may be the public face of his group, but I've noticed that DaRule is the one who does most of the important managerial work. PCliver is more interested in the diplomatic side of leadership, so this trip will actually be very beneficial for him."
"That's good to know. Are you hoping for him to make important connections?" Lily asks.
"Not at the moment, remember the purpose of this is for him to have the intended experience all my disciples will have when they visit in the future, so you need to ensure he isn't treated so favourably that you couldn't do the same for a large group." Rean explains. "Speaking of, do you have any idea what tasks he is likely to be given?"
"I talked it over with my Sect Master in the little time I had." Lily says. "The tasks he suggested are acting as an additional escort for traders, protecting villages in danger of magical beasts and gathering resources."
"Those all sound like fine suggestions." Rean agrees. "Though I will advise him to spend some time within your sect before risking his life with those task."
"You believe he would be in particular danger?" Lily questions, but then realises what he must be talking about. "The Desolate Sect! If they hear about him visiting then they'll do whatever they can to cause a rift between our sects!"
"You don't have to worry about that." Rean smiles. "I have a plan that I expect Knot Weed will have no way of accounting for."
AN: I'm a bit stuck in terms of good solutions to make Players highly value Sect Points. Any suggestions? It needs to be something they won't complain about, effects all Player roughly equally, and can act as a long term solution.