Chapter 68 - Alchemy and Fame

Ash frowned at Luna for a few moments before curiously asking, "How does it help with skill growth?"

Luna was silent as she contemplated how to answer, "From what I've been able to gather, it just makes it easier to grasp skills a little faster and helps the growth of skills that require repeated use, like your magic control. It's something Lady Prudentia created to foster the growth of the Godsborn, though the Earthborn of this world benefit from it as well."

Ash nodded slightly, understanding well that if growth of the skills they chose was too slow, Earthborn would become bored and eventually take their leave. There had to be some sort of tangible progress to keep them around since the world was presented to them as a game. The gods were also likely being careful about how they crafted such things, as they would want to be careful not to alienate the Earthborn.

If a Godsborn was able to master something that took decades for an Earthborn to master, it would make people frustrated. The gods had to strike a balance and that likely meant that unless one was dabbling in a skill they were already familiar with their progress would eventually stop.

Such a system, if it was what they had implemented, would also keep resources such as the Star Ash from ever coming into high demand. Precious few people could work with the magical tree and the gods needed it to stay that way to keep the world safe.

Ash and Luna parted ways in front of the temple and Ash made her way inside alone as Luna disappeared. She still did not like the unsettling feeling of Luna's magic being gone from the world she was conscious in.

She barely noted the temple's reaction to her presence, though she did take note of the number of people that were starting to bow their heads in her direction. Taking a deep breath, she approached one such priestess who seemed startled that Ash wanted to speak with her. Her robes, though, told the unicorn that the woman was relatively highly ranked within the temple.

"Do you happen to know where I might find priestess Nia or paladin Ro?"

The priestess' startled demeanor changed very little, though Ash had a sneaking suspicion her thoughts on the situation were much the same as those that viewed all of the members of Ro's party as love interests for him. She eventually shook her head slightly, "I fear they are both off duty today and I do not know where they might be. I can find someone suitable to keep you company, daughter of Sidus."

Ash barely kept herself from snorting at the way she phrased it and her tone, another indicator that she'd mistaken Ash's relationship with the two and turned away, "No need. Have a good morning, priestess."

She left the temple entirely, making her way to the Crafter's Guild where she received some recommendations for shops that could help her get started in alchemy. She walked past at least two of them, solely because of how crowded they were before checking out the third. It was a little place called Starsong that was, much like Arfved's shop, run by someone that worshiped Sidus.

She was somewhat surprised when a fox-eared man greeted her from behind the counter. He was what was commonly referred to as a Vulpine, a race created by Prudentia that tended to love knowledge and learning. Unlike their forged races, the main race of each god was not bound to them by magic and thus often worshipped whoever they pleased. Vulpine, though, had become a rare sight in her world, recluses that hoarded knowledge and looked desperately for a way to rebalance the magic of the world without the Starborn.

He smiled gently, folding his hands on the counter, "Might I inquire as to what you're looking for this fine morning?"

Having gotten over her surprise rather quickly, she told him what she was there for and soon had the beginner's kit he sold safely stored in her inventory and paid for using some of the funds she'd gotten from the dungeon the other day.

She turned and made her way back towards the temple at a sedate pace though she noticed rather swiftly that she seemed to be drawing quite a lot of attention. Eventually, as she paused at a small stand and purchased something to eat and drink someone approached her.

Judging by the rather ostentatious robes they wore, dyed red presumably to evoke thoughts of flames, the person was one of the Godsborn.

"Teach me," were the first words out of their mouth. Ash might have let it pass, but their requests was followed by neither polite words, nor an introduction.

Keeping her response just as short as their request, Ash turned her attention to her drink and took a small sip, savoring the flavors of the herbal tea before answering, "No," she turned towards the temple and began walking off.

"You're clearly some type of prodigy mage," the person followed after her, "Every player has been discussing your casting. Teaching more people will make it easier for us all to do quests, you know, to help these people," they waved vaguely at the surrounding city.

Ash took a delicate bite of the skewer of roasted meat she'd purchased while they rambled, chewing it and swallowing before speaking, "It would be best for you to develop your own methods in casting. Mine will not help you," she responded simply.

"Or you've found a way to cheat the system and don't want to share it because you might get banned," the person grumbled.

Ash sighed, "Multicasting is simple if you have the ability to grasp it," she said after another sip of her drink, "You simply split your focus and weave both spells at the same time, manually."

"That's not possible," they responded, sounding shocked, "The spells are all gibberish, a whole new language that people are still puzzling out the rules of. You can't possibly know the whole language already."

She shrugged slightly as they approached the temple, already spying Yarrow and Gardenia heading towards it as well. More of note were the paladins near the entrance that had spied her and the person following her, their heads close together as they tried to determine whether or not to step in.

"I have told you how I multicast. That is all the instruction I am willing to give. As I said before, it would be best for you to develop methods that suit yourself. That is the joy of not being pinned down to a singular thing, of not being bound by doing things by the exact same rules of everyone else," she took another bite of her food, waving at Yarrow and Gardenia with the skewer even as the paladins near the door started making their way down the steps, "It is also the challenge. There is no guide. There is no singular right way to do something. Forge your own path or follow someone else's but I have told you all the information I am willing to part with. My friends are here and your behavior seems to have worried the paladins of this particular temple of Sidus."

Startled, the person jumped slightly and looked around them, realizing that they'd followed Ash out of the city center. Seeing the approaching paladins, they turned and fled rather than dealing with whatever trouble might come their way. The knowledge Ash guarded was not valuable enough to risk a sanction that would keep them from being able to play.

Gardenia stepped up as Ash took another delicate sip of her drink, a small smile on her face, "I see you have already begun to develop your own ways to deal with the sudden surge of fame from Lord Lucrum's broadcast."

Ash nodded slightly, "Some people need a certain type of intimidation to get the hint. I'm not fond of flinging spells in city limits. Buildings tend to be surprisingly fragile."

Yarrow gave her a disbelieving look but shook his head slightly, reminding himself that Ash's strength was a fraction of what it was in her own world, "Luna asked us to escort you to Gold Arches," he said instead.