[F1-Shop] Navarre Lab of Alchemic Research [Currently Closed]

[Azide 0]

"God damn it," he muttered, raising his arms to his face. He'd managed to block the brunt of the explosion, but it'd made a mess all over the lab. "I don't care what anyone says, but that got old a looong time ago." Still, he wouldn't take back his earlier comment. A yield of four crystals was a good haul- especially with three of those four being of higher quality.

But there was still one more trial left to go for the day. "So let's get to it," he said, rubbing his hands together.

ID: 13309

CD: 1 (+1) = 2 (Fail)

-1 Mat

+1 (+1) = +2 Exp

[Azide 0]

The beaker exploded a second time in a row, and he quickly changed his mind about accepting any results that would come. "God, I didn't actually mean it!" He'd only felt that way because there was a very decent chance that he would get at least one more crystallization from his last two syntheses- but somehow, he'd managed to defy all odds and fail spectacularly.

He picked the shards of glass from his coat and tossed them aside, where they shattered upon hitting the floor. He shook his head and sighed, then went to go grab his broom and dustpan. "Maybe tomorrow."

ID: 13311

CD: 1 (+1) = 2 (Fail)

-1 Mat

+1 (+1) = +2 Exp

[Rebekah 0]

Rebekah arrived to drop a notice that she would like a potion that would increase her luckiness (+2 LD) in the future. She rang the bell, and stood near the counter, hoping that it would not be long until the shop owner would be listening to her request.

[Azide 0]

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard the creaking of a heavy iron door, followed by the ring of a bell. He lifted his head from the desk and rubbed at his weary eyes. "I must've dozed off for a moment. How long was I out for?" As his vision cleared and steadied, he saw that it was Rebekah who had woken him.

He blinked a few times without a word before sitting up in his chair. Even still, his posture remained somewhat slouched. "Oh, hey Rebekah, good to see you here." Azide gave a slack smile; he wasn't feeling quite awake yet, but if nothing else, he tried. A weak slide of his hand across the empty space in front of him raised the in-game menu, while a few taps and scrolls brought him to his inventory.

A few final sluggish movements of his finger against the screen caused a second screen to project itself before her. He'd offered her a trade request which amounted to the following:

x3

Name: Health Crystal III

Item Type: Crystal

Quality: Perfect

Effects: +3 HP Recovery

Description: A flawless healing crystal synthesized at the Navarre Lab of Alchemic Research. Instantly heals +15 HP.

x6

Name: Health Crystal II

Item Type: Crystal

Quality: Rare

Effects: +2 HP Recovery

Description: A higher quality healing crystal synthesized at the Navarre Lab of Alchemic Research. Instantly heals +10 HP.

x3

Name: Health Crystal I

Item Type: Crystal

Quality: Uncommon

Effects: +1 HP Recovery

Description: A basic healing crystal synthesized at the Navarre Lab of Alchemic Research. Instantly heals 5 HP.

x1

Name: Mass Health Crystal

Type: Crystal

Quality: Perfect

Effects: +1 Mass HP Recovery

Description: A healing crystal synthesized at the Navarre Lab of Alchemic Research. One dose is enough to heal an entire party. Instantly heals 5 HP to party, regardless of size.

He raised his arm to cover his mouth as he suppressed a yawn. "You'll need five battle-ready slots to make use of them, of course. I won't be charging you or Crozeph for them, but I do request that you return whatever's left after we finish up with the boss."

[Azide 0]

Azide clapped his hands together. "Can I manage another day of crafting? I haven't been this consistent in ages," he thought. Alchemy was a useful tool- he hadn't changed his mind on that. It was arguably tied with cooking in terms of potential, but the slightly more science-y aspects of it had sent him into its arms, rather than the latter's. "But enough of that. It's probably better if I just get to work."

He walked past Rebekah and began to set up his the tools of his trade, glancing back to make sure that she wasn't taking anything while he was working. After opening the cupboards and drawers, he set down seven flasks onto the countertop, then pulled out a jar of fine powder along with a jug of green-ish liquid.

In the first of the seven flasks, he measured out a very specific amount of each into a small beaker before pouring them one after another into the glass container. The mixture bubbled and fizzed, but no crystallization came about. It was of 'good' quality, but for him? Useless. He brushed the container aside.

ID: 13474

CD: 4 (+1) = 5 (Good)

-1 Mat

+2 (+1) = +3 Exp

[Azide 0]

He repeated the same process, attempting to be a little more careful this time around (if that were possible), even though in the back of his mind he'd already decided that this was nothing more than a roll of virtual dice. "It doesn't really matter what I do," he thought. "The game has already decided how my product will end up as soon as I begin the crafting process. It's all just sheer luck."

He swirled the mixture delicately with his glass dowel, and for a moment it seemed to shimmer, but it faded. Perhaps he'd been close- but close was as good as a complete failure, in effect. The solution had not crystalized. It was no good.

ID: 13475

CD: 6 (+1) = 7 (Good)

-1 Mat

+2 (+1) = +3 Exp

[Azide 0]

His eyes fluttered open and he strained to look around. "Did I fall asleep in the lab" he wondered. Next to him, he could see two solutions floating about in flasks, while five empty pieces of glassware followed- untouched. Azide lifted his head from the countertop and rubbed at his eyes, before quickly remember that he was still wearing his lab gloves.

Without a moment wasted, he leapt out of his chair and splashed his face with water from the faucet, making sure to wash away any possible contamination. "Ugh," he voiced as he turned the valve. The water slowed to a trickle, then stopped altogether. From the looks of it, he'd managed to fall asleep in the middle of his trials. This wouldn't do at all- but on the other hand, he'd already prepped for five of his seven for the day.

He spooned an exceedingly precise amount into the next flask, and followed it up with a gentle pour from his jug. A little less than half a minute's worth of stirring, he was pleased to see a crystal form in the container. "And not just any crystal either..." he observed, holding the flask up to the light. "It's perfect..."

ID: 13514

CD: 12 (Perfect)

-1 Mat

+8 (+1) = +9 Exp

[Azide 0]

In spite of his previous success, he reminded himself that every perfect crystal was just a fluke. There was no sort of pattern to this- he knew it'd be made entirely clear, if he were to chart out the results of all of his sessions. "I certainly have the records required for a project like that," he thought, glancing at the notepad he'd been using to record his progress. "But there's no point- it's all just random anyways."

The only real progress that had been made was slightly improved odds that came with leveling up in his profession, along with the boost afforded to him by his crafting gloves.

He shook his head, then added the constituent components for a hopeful crystal to his next flask. As they mixed, the solution turned cloudy, and he shoved it aside.

ID: 13516

CD: 3 (+1) = 4 (Bad)

-1 Mat

+1 (+1) = +2 Exp

[Azide 0]

His third trial of the day only served to reinforce his notion that this was all due to luck. Despite a lack of change to his methods, he'd managed to produce a high quality crystal using the very same technique which had given him nothing only moments prior. "I completely loathe how arbitrary this system is," he thought, plucking the crystal from the liquid. He shook it off, then wiped it clean. "But these always look quite beautiful," he mumbled.

They were plenty useful, too.

ID: 13519

CD: 10 (+1) = 11 (Rare)

-1 Mat

+5 (+1) = +6 Exp

[Azide 0]

To his fourth flask, he added the measured powder, followed by a careful splash of liquid. It was very much the same old same old, and he it'd all grown very repetitive quite a while back. "If it weren't such a useful profession, I'd be tempted to quit altogether," he thought, although he did find the writings on the subject were rather interesting. "In fact, they're more interesting than the process- which is sort of a let down."

He watched as the mixture bubbled, and as it swirled in its glass container, the solution precipitated a flawless green crystal.

ID: 13520

CD: 12 (Perfect)

-1 Mat

+8 (+1) = +9 Exp

[Azide 0]

The chaotic roller coaster of probability continued to rear its ugly head, showing no favor toward his success or his failure. As if to keep the universe in check, his next mixture had failed to crystalize, and he shoved it aside just as he'd down with the other unsuccessful attempts. "I have no interest in what doesn't work."

He fetched two more flasks from the back room, taking a brief intermission due to having used the last two in the previous day's work. "Two more chances to get whatever might be useful. After that, I'll only have enough materials left for two more trials."

ID: 13521

CD: 2 (+1) = 3 (Bad)

-1 Mat

+1 (+1) = +2 Exp

[Azide 0]

He tore another sheet from his paper towel dispenser and used it to wipe clean the lip of his two new flasks. In truth, they'd never been touched up until this point, and he didn't want any dust inside to cause any impurities. "But considering how luck based this all is, maybe I'm overthinking this. It might look like chemistry on the surface, but they're nothing at all alike." A slight sense of bitterness nipped away at his mind every time he reminded himself of the sobering fact.

Azide added his components to the first of the final two flasks, and swirled it around gently while gripping the neck of the glass container. The solute dissolved into the green-ish liquid without much difficulty, and he was pleased to see yet another crystallization. He nodded in approval as he removed the crystal with a pair of tweezers. "Once again... perfect."

ID: 13523

CD: 12 (Perfect)

-1 Mat

+8 (+1) = +9 Exp

[Azide 0]

"Last trial of the day," he thought, sprinkling the powder into the flask. Shortly after, he drizzled the green-ish liquid from his jug, then stirred the solute until it dissolved uniformly. After an uncertain amount of time, the solution precipitated a crystal- and he was more than pleased to see it.

Azide plucked the crystal from the flask and examined it. "Not just a crystal, but a high quality one at that. That makes five crystallizations today of seven- all of which are high quality or better." He nodded with approval and set the last crystal of the day onto his shelf, then began to clean up.

"They say that luck is taking statistics personally- but it seems as if the numbers were on my side- if just for a day." He smiled. Even drudgery had its more glamorous moments, he supposed.

ID: 13571

CD: 10 (+1) = 11 (Rare)

-1 Mat

+5 (+1) = +6 Exp

[Azide 0]

"Down to my last few materials," he thought, glancing at his nearly-barren cupboards. "I reckon this is enough for two more trials- at least before I have to make another supply run." He sighed. Truth be told, he wasn't sure when he'd gather enough motivation to go foraging for more supplies.

But rather than mope around, he decided instead to get to work. Setting aside two flasks, he poured half of his remaining powder into the first, followed by half of the liquid that remained in the jar. As the solute began to dissolve, he helped speed up the process by stirring and swirling the mixture around. But rather than crystallize, the solution instead turned murky and clouded. "Unacceptable quality."

ID: 13602

CD: 2 (+1) = 3 (Bad)

-1 Mat

+1 (+1) = +2 Exp

[Azide 0]

With one last portion of reactants remaining, he accepted that the results did not favor the creation of anything significant, though he also wouldn't let that deter him. Instead, he simply held no expectations at all- not for success, nor failure.

As he stirred the mixture together, he set it onto the counter and waited for the solution to finish dissolving. It swirled around, and he was pleasantly surprised to see signs of precipitation, which evolved to feelings of silent victory as he realized the flawlessness of the product that resulted.

He poured the leftover liquid down the drain and tipped the crystal from out of its glass container "Not a bad way to wrap things up, all things considered."

ID: 13603

CD: 11 (+1) = 12 (Perfect)

-1 Mat

+8 (+1) = +9 Exp

[Azide 0]

"I have to say, I never thought I'd be working on a weapon inside of this shop," he thought. Sure, he couldn't make one of his own, and he couldn't really alter the metal itself- such techniques were beyond his skills as an alchemist. "That being said," he began, pull aside a perfect voucher, "I can at least alter its properties."

A smile reached his lips, and he held the thin piece of paper up into the air. It dissolved into particles, and soon the blade of Quantum Slicer became bathed in a glowing white light. He gripped its handle, then ran the length of the blade over a line of metals he'd placed against the countertop. He was careful to make ensure that it only passed over them in a single, consistent direction. The motion was repeated ad nauseum, until the glowing faded altogether, and his arm grew numb.

With his other arm, he lifted the newly adjusted rapier and held it up to catch the light that flooded through the windows of his shop. "Perfect."

Name: Charged Quantum Slicer

Item Type: One-Handed Rapier

Quality: Perfect

Enhancements: +2 Damage, +1 Bleed

Description: A rapier with an edge said to be sharp even on a sub-atomic level, making slashing a viable option. It was later modified, so that its magnetized blade would literally draw iron-rich blood from its targets.

[Azide 0]

He pulled out two of the flasks he'd set aside on previous days. The mixtures inside were clouded, and of unacceptable quality. But they hadn't been completely failures, and it was possible for him to separate them into their original constituents... with a bit of luck.

"I've gotten this to work before," he thought. "In real life, it'd be simple using chemistry. I'd just do a bit of stoichiometry and then perform a simple substitution reaction and strain the precipitate to separate it from the liquid mixture." But in Aincrad, it was more or less a matter of luck. He'd calculated it based off of his previous attempts, and the figure ended up being suspiciously close to around 25% or so- not a natural looking number, so he assumed it to be hard-coded into the game.

Miraculously, his first attempt was successful as he repeated the exact steps that he'd described.

ID: 13708

LD: 16 (Material salvaged)

+1 Mat

[Azide 0]

He opened the door to Navarre Labs and hung his coat on a nearby rack. From out of its inner pocket, Lucifer slithered out and coiled itself against his arm. "That Oikawa sure is an upstanding guy, isn't he?" he asked, bringing his harm a little closer.

The verdant serpent looked at him with its wide, unblinking eyes. It offered a flick of its tongue in response, then moved its head to look at the flasks scattered around the lab.

"Ah," he voiced, recognizing their contents. "You're interested in the low quality potions I've been saving around?" he asked. He'd wrapped up the clouded potions and set them aside- he had no use for them, other than for salvage materials.

[Azide 0]

He moved one of these clouded potions to one of the central countertops, then set down a heavy book to its left. It hit the table with a deep thud, and he licked a finger before flipping purposefully through the text. His finger ran across the sentences and eventually, it came to a stop. He nodded, and Lucifer repeated the gesture from its spot on the table.

Azide pulled out his drawer and located the appropriate reactant, then added the powder to the clouded solution. He gave it a stir, but failed to separate the mixture into his original constituents. "Damn it," he muttered. He shook his head, and his fingers curled inwards against the counter. Lucifer again imitated the gesture.

ID: 13719

LD: 6 (Failed to salvage)

[Rebekah 0]

Rebekah had arrived back at the shop once again, "Here are your health pots, that you gave me earlier, but I would like a few damage x3 potions. The more the merrier, if possible."

4 x Health Crystal II (+10 HP) - Rare --> (+20 HP)

3 x Health Crystal III (+15 HP) - Perfect --> (+25 HP)

 

Edited September 23, 2015 by Rebekah