Midsummer Feast

“Have you found out anything about the ability to create bombs, Opiom?”

Merie had just logged in and left Pois for “her duties”, leaving the training till later or some other day. Even though she would go through the studies, so did it’d to wait. She was honestly fuming because of the fucking idiots in school, who once again had tried to make a fool out of her by shoving accusations, of Merie being homosexual, up her ass as far so she could taste them.

She wanted someone to suffer through the hell she wished to put those idiots through. She wanted to destroy something. Honestly, anything would be fine as long as she felt better afterwards.

After a couple of minutes so did Merie get an answer, “Sorry. My friend still doesn’t want to say anything since he’s expecting me to put it to bad use. But you do sound stressed, so may I ask what’s going on, girl?” How could Opiom see that through a simple message? NO! Merie didn’t care. If Opiom didn’t know anything about it, so would Merie find another way to let some steam out.

She only spent a few minutes trying to plan something out before she got an idea. Not as violent as she wanted, but sure it would fit the bill. So she started to gather a bunch of herbs whose effects were unknown this far. Searching for a comfortable place to sit and started to grind down the herbs, making sure to grind them properly to get the most potent effect.

The grinding itself had a slightly calming effect on her, but even better was that she would have a use of the paste if she hadn’t calmed down when she was done. Sure she could go to a city with a water reservoir and throw the herbs in the water, hopefully poisoning the water and scare the crap out of some players in the process. It sounded like a good idea on paper, but she couldn’t know how it would end before she could see the result. And even if it would turn out to not be out of any use, so could she probably still see the effects of the herbs afterward. Which only was a win-win situation for her.

And it didn’t go as she wanted at all…

Merie had been able to throw the herbs in the water reservoir, but she’d also been seen and caught. And was now forced to sit and listen to an asshole’s scorn, just what she didn’t need. But on the bright side, so wasn’t she suspected of trying to kill them, instead so had it been seen as a mean prank. “If you want to try out herbs, so do I suggest you do that on your friends or yourself, Girl.” “I’m sorry.” She rapidly lied through her teeth, hoping it would end with that. “If this had been in the real world, so would the police have picked you up, and you would’ve been forced to pay a hefty price.” He wasn’t wrong, but it was just because it was in the game that she did it. None would get hurt in reality because she let out some steam. Which also was why she could go wild there, PKing and doing other immoral acts. The knight, a man in full plate armour, sighed and facepalmed himself, “You should be glad it was me catching you. Otherwise so would you’ve got a far worse headache than you probably would want.” Honestly, so hadn’t Merie expected to get a headache at all from it. If it’d gone as she wanted so would she’d gotten away with it. “I’ll let you go this time, and I hope you’ve learned your lesson and won’t try this again.” The man turned as he spoke, barely finishing before walking in the opposite direction from Merie. And Merie didn’t waste a second before she got up and set off in her own direction, glad it hadn’t lasted for any longer.

The anger from earlier had mostly settled, and she was feeling much better and ready to continue her studies with Pois. Hoping that wouldn’t last for too long, even though she felt good that she’d learned a couple of different potions. But it was still not what she’d hoped for from the beginning.

Back in the small village and setting off toward Pois, killing monsters she happened to cross roads with. She also happened to come across a few herbs she hadn’t any other information than the name, thanks to Flora, but that she maybe could ask Pois about.

Reaching the clearing, seeing the girl sitting and watching the waterfalls. “I’m back, Pois!” Merie didn’t want to surprise her, thinking that she didn’t deserve it. Pois turned after hearing Merie’s voice, looking surprised at first, which soon turned joyful. “I didn’t expect you to come back, Merie.” That thing again? Merie had already said she would return until Pois thought the studies were done. “Well. I’m back again, and I’ve handled my businesses for the moment. But will need to leave later on again.” Still, she didn’t have all the time in the world to spend on the game, so she would need to end when it was time for dinner and her real studies.

Pois didn’t seem to mind it the slightest, questioning Merie about some herbs and then returning to potion crafting and how to best prepare the herbs. “If you grind up the herbs good enough and slowly dry them with Heat, so will you get a powder, which can increase the effects even more.” Pois seemed to know a couple of different ways to make the most out of the herbs, and to help even more so did Pois “teach” Merie the skill Heat. Honestly, so did Merie only get a pop-up telling her she now could use that skill.

“Shouldn’t it be possible to mix the herbs for a potion, dry them and then just use the powder to heal someone?” It was a sudden thought striking Merie, so she just had to ask. “It’s possible, but potions will not have the same strength in powder form as when it’s mixed with water.” Pois might have taken Merie’s question at face value. But Merie’s thoughts ran deeper than with just potions.

If she just could find a bunch of poisonous herbs and make them into a powder, so could it maybe be something she could use as a weapon. As long as she could find a way to use it without inhaling it herself.

“Is there a way to make potions you can throw on someone, where the liquid itself heals them even when it’s not drunk?” Thinking of it, so would it be the same thing as status-potions. “There is, but neither that is a good way of using a potion.” The girl’s positive answer was just what Merie needed to hear, and she rapidly asked Pois to teach her how to make that kind of potions. Explaining it away as that she wished to help other Wanderers when it was necessary. An explanation Pois accepted as she gestured for Merie to follow her to get the necessary material.

In difference from the normal kind of potions, so did the throwing potion needed to contain a grind up bug, which wasn’t difficult to find. But that kind of potion required to be handled with care as it would explode on impact.

The days went fast as Merie spent her time in the game studying under Pois, soon reaching the end time. “I wouldn’t mind spending more time with you, but I feel that I need to set out and study more before you passes me.” Pois avoided looking straight at Merie as she spoke. “But I’m really glad you wished to study with me, and I look forward to see if you’ve learned anything new when we meet again, Merie.” “I’m grateful you decided to take your time to teach me, Pois. And I’m also looking forward to meeting you again.” It wasn’t fully a lie that Merie looked forward to it, but it was only in the means of learning something new. And most of all, so would she want to learn about herbs with different poisonous effects. But she could guess that she might need to find that out herself.

Merie headed toward the small village as they went separate ways, just so she could use the teleport to reach her next destination. A grand forest, which was said to be a favourite area for alchemists, and like, to gather material. Maybe she could meet someone there who she could trick to teach her which herbs were poisonous.

She was surprised by the signals from the chat, rapidly opening the menu and checking. “We’re thinking about spreading panic in a city by randomly striking down players and NPCs. Who’s with us, for now and for a while forward.” Merie wouldn’t been surprised if Opiom had been the one sending the message because she could come up with the dumbest ideas, but the one sending the message had been Cleara. “It doesn’t sound worth it, so I’ll pass. But I will probably join our next hunt.” Merie honestly didn’t think it would be worth the risks. And especially not since Cleara honestly was considering attacking NPCs too. Which only would land them in more hot water than necessary.

“I’ll join if we can blow up a street or two, but I’ll never single out NPCs, as players are more fun to shove things up their asses.” “ANARCHY IN ROCKING WORLD AND SATAN SAVE THE PLAYERS!” Opiom just couldn’t have left it with just an answer, but in the end so was Opiom just herself.

“I see, I think, and I won’t join.” “We agreed to not killing NPCs, so I should suggest we all follow that rule. But you do you, so feel free to be an ass if you want.” Anlie had a slightly different way of expressing herself, a far more mature one. And, according to Merie, the best possible way. “You all sound like a bunch of idiots and cowards.” And Cleara clearly showed what kind of person she was, but it wasn’t as Merie would pay it too much attention.

Merie rapidly opened a private chat with Anlie, asking her if she would want to join her for a visit to the grand forest and see if they could find any interesting herbs. Continuing walking as she expected Anlie to take a while before answering as the signals from the party chat rang wildly. “Are you asking me to guard your cute lil’ ass, Merie?” The signals were still singing loudly as Anlie answered, meaning it could be Opiom talking with Cleara. “If that’s how you read it, so yes please.” Merie hadn’t meant it like that, but she could accept Anlie reading it like that. Only because it was her saying it. “Then I’ll come along and hold you cute rear safe. It sounds more fun than listening to Opiom fucking with the two assholes. So should we meet in the small nearby village on the mountain?” It wasn’t where Merie had thought they would meet, but she was fine with the suggestion as long they could meet up, and Anlie agreed to keep her safer.

The village they were meeting in was just a bunch of small cottages surrounded by forest and mountains. There was even a tiny amount of snow covering the ground. Quite a nice area, which got even better as Anlie arrived there. Anlie was wearing a full plate, blueish, armour, a sword and a shield. The armour wasn’t as bulky as the one she used during the hunts, so she wouldn’t be able to run over monsters as she ran over players. But Merie was sure Anlie still be of great help, not to mention good company.