Chapter 18

"Phoebe, you're finally out! How'd it go?" As long as she finished a few potions, we should be able to make enough money to train the pets before the deadline.

"I finished all three types of potions. Unfortunately, while I did get enough to make two of each potion I only succeeded once with the Healing Potion. But, I do have two stamina potions and magic potion," She responded happily.

"So… does that mean you finished your quest?" I decided to ask as I was curious about her spell tome.

"Actually as soon as a potion succeeds its put in our inventory; so until I take them out, it doesn't count it,"

"Okay, what are you waiting for? Take them out!" I encouraged her.

"Okay, we can put them up for sale while I take them out," She then looked off somewhere and after a few moments she continued, "It's done, they should all be up for sale on display".

Suddenly, Phoebe disappeared into thin air. I couldn't help getting excited… another person was gonna be able to help out in the shop. I wonder who Phoebe will pick; or what.

After waiting for a few minutes, Phoebe appeared with a smile on her face and a blue book in her hands.

'So I guess it's true… she has a water attribute,' I had thought about it a lot, and I had come up with many reasons but, the one I was most sure of left me feeling upset and ashamed. "Phoebe, when we got tested for our magic attribute, why did yours turn grey? If I'm right, it didn't, did it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Please Phoebe"

"Uhh fine, I didn't want you to be alone, and when I saw the way that girl just changed her mind about you immediately I knew you'd be alone without me. So ya, my crystal turned blue but, I lied to you and our parents so I could be with you," She looked down and started fumbling with her shirt.

"But, you could have had a good life without me. Why do it? Why be treated the way we did, just for me?" I never considered myself a depressed person, but when I found out my sister was treated like trash for years because of me, I couldn't help but feel terrible.

"It's not your fault, I love you and honestly it was worth it. The world is this way, and without that lie, I never would have seen everyones real side. Now I know what society needs the most, and I'm ready to try my hardest and fix it," Her nervous look had turned firm.

"I'll always be there to support you," I decided to end this conversation here. Phoebe had a surprising way of turning the situation around. But, remembering all the people who had kicked us down and called us trash, filled me with rage. So on a change of subject, "What did you pick for your employee,"

"You still haven't noticed?" She asked playfully as she slowly stepped to the side, revealing a young girl, with bright red hair and a pale clear face.

"?"

Upon noticing my puzzled face, Phoebe decided to explain, "This is Vixey, she's a Kitsune,"

"Kitsune?"

"Well honestly, when I chose her, I thought she was just a cute girl. After all, I could just have whoever I pick, read the book to learn how to make potions. But, when I picked her, she turned into a fox. Then I got to see a description of her, which described her as a sly intelligent species, which can disguise themselves as human,"

"Well at least that should make her even better for brewing potions. Plus, if your not brewing potions, she can help out in the shop with customers, or even training the pets," I then remembered I had received a quest after finishing the first one, "Did you get any quest after completing the first?

"I have to somehow improve Bagheera's grade while also leveling Iglif to level 5. In reward I get a mystery box and upgraded inventory space,"

"Hmm… I'm not to sure myself. But, for now lets check the price of the potions,"

We walked to the front of the store and placed behind the counter on a shelf attached to the wall were the three types of potions. First was the Stamina Potion of the Novice, followed by the Magic Potion of the Novice, and finally, the Healing Potion of the Apprentice.

Under each potion was a brief description followed by a price. The stamina potion stated, it could help you recover 4 points of stamina (A well rounded novice, at level 10 has 11 points of stamina). Below that the price listed was 50 gold. The magic potion could recover 25 points of mana and was also priced at 50 gold. Finally, the Health potion recovers 50 points of health; half the health of a level 10 novice could be recovered instantly. It's listing price was 125 gold.

"Potion Brewing really is a money maker," I couldn't help sighing at Phoebe's great choice. "Okay, in the morning we'll open the store and hopefully get a bit of money. I'll try to finish one of my quests while figuring out how to improve Bagheera's grade," The quest I was talking about was training the two pets, which I couldn't help stressing about. Tomorrow was gonna be a busy day.

"Wait!" Phoebe exclaimed loudly.

"What is it?" I couldn't help the trepidation forming in my bones; after all, who yells wait all of a sudden.

"These potions are listed and described in a way in which we have stats… so, doesn't that mean we have levels," She had an incredulous expression on her face.

"Stats?"

{Alaric:

Breed: Human

Level: 3

Stats:

Health: 30

Mana: 60

Stamina: 3

Agility: 3

Speed: 3

Strength: 3

Intelligence: 3

Available Stat Points: 2

Skills:

Mana Control, Inspection, Beast Contract, Green Thumb}

"So I can improve myself, just like I can improve my pets!" I was so excited I directly placed my two stat points into strength, after all who didn't want to be strong. "Wait… does that mean Freyja, my wolf, is smarter than me?" I looked at Freyja, who had been following me silently, with my mouth aghast. She just tilted her head in response.

{Stat points start from a base of one for every species as soon as it begins cultivation. So while your intelligence is listed at three, it's in relation to a normal human; meaning 3 times greater than a normal human. If a Dragon has a strength of 1, it's still strong enough to kill a human with a single step. Finally, your stats are directly in relation to you. So while most humans are pretty similar, if you see someone with a base intelligence stat of 1, it doesn't mean their stupid, because that 1 intelligence point can have a value of 3 for a human who's less intelligent. This can have drastic changes through level progression, as a human gains 1 intelligence stat per level that can have a high or low value in relation to the person receiving it}

"Okay, not that I fully understand what that means, but why is my mana at 60? I noticed all my stats at 3 or 30, for health, so why is my mana twice that,"

{Host Alaric has an affinity for all elements, as such your mana control is stronger than most. This results in you having twice the mana of your average human with the same level}

"Phoebe what do your stats look like?"

"I'm level 4 at all my stats are at either 4 or 40. I decided to place one point into stamina and two into intelligence,"

"Okay let's go get some rest and open the store early tomorrow… hopefully, we can make a bit of money,"