The Achievement Junkie - 638 Is the Poison Ready?

When the sun began to rise, Jack and Eliza were already knocking on Dragas’s door. They quickly entered to find the couple sharing Moranti’s small tub. Dragas sighed and climbed out while adorning herself in a new robe. “You’re early…”

“Because we have stuff to talk about,” Jack replied with an awkward smile.

“Then let’s get the bath over with first. You wanted to see the new plants, right?”

Jack nodded and began disrobing. Dragas and Eliza were faster than ever together, having already prepared the bath a few times and knowing exactly where to find each ingredient within the jungle of flora and fauna. As usual, Jack took all twenty minutes to absorb the minerals within the bath thanks to the increased dosage but Jack felt much more soothed after his fifth time experiencing it.

While he and Moranti were getting dressed, Jack asked out loud, “So, where are they?”

“Follow us,” Dragas answered, showing her daughter toward one of the outer corners of the giant courtyard. Moranti and Jack found them as Dragas held up her hand. “You all need to stay back. Get too close and you may die.”

“That’s reassuring…” Jack joked, watching Dragas carefully.

The Dryad Goddess continued going forward, approaching half a dozen new plants that Jack and Eliza had never seen before. Those six plants were a variety of colors but were quite similar in appearance. Each was a different shade of green, some lighter and some darker. They had a few flowers beginning to bloom but each plant’s flower was very vibrant in color, spanning the entire rainbow. Hanging from those blooming flowers were slightly opened seed pods, all of which contained black seeds.

“They’ve already grown this much?”

“Jack, never question your mother’s ability as a caretaker,” Dragas stated. “Each plant, when shown the optimal care and given the right amount of energy, can flourish beyond your imagination. These are still saplings, though, so don’t think they’ve matured so soon.”

“Saplings… I guess that makes sense…” Jack sighed, scratching his head. “Which one shows the most promise?”

“All will survive but three of them won’t develop any poison at all.”

“None?!”

Shaking her head, Dragas explained, “There are many ways to create new poisons, but his way is the most practical. Creating poison via bio-genetic cultivation is the only way to create what you want.”

“And what’s wrong with that? Wouldn’t that be a perfect deterrent against Halmut?” reasoned Dragas. “Then we’ll guarantee victory much sooner.”

“So, what about the other three?” asked Jack.

“All have developed a new type of poison that I’ve never seen before. One is starting to stand out but all three may end up creating a toxin strong enough for our objectives.”

“Good… then how long until they’re ready?”

“One week.”

“That long? But I thought your care was too good to doubt?” complained Jack.

“That’s just how nature works,” refuted Dragas. “Would you rather try your luck without me? It would take you months to a year to do what I’m doing.”

“I… I’m very grateful for your help, Mother.”

“Thank you, Son!” Dragas finished petting her newest creations and walked back to the others. “Is there anything else you need?”

“Yes… Moranti, can you help me with making personal weapons?” Jack smiled to the God of Space.

“You want to do that now? Will you have time?” questioned Moranti.

“I’ve already hired the best mortal blacksmith as my assistant and now I just need someone to help me with how to properly add divine energy to the weapon,” Jack explained. “I thought you’d be the perfect person to ask, considering your scythe.”

“Ohhh… but what about the design process? That alone can take months or years.”

Jack nodded, taking out a small stack of papers. “First, I’m upgrading a legendary weapon into a pseudo-personal weapon. After that, I’ll just update these schematics from legendary to divine. That should be possible, right?”

“But–”

“My newest skill should make up for some time and help make things go smoothly, too.”

Moranti and the others blinked. The God of Space showed a slight smile and asked, “What skill?”

“Weaponsmithing.”

“You mean–”

“Last night I paid a visit to Kaldor’s father, Gasnon. He’s a world-renowned weaponsmith among mortals. He let me try smithing and I gained the new skill. After upgrading it, I think everyone with a pact or pledge should be more than capable of making their own weapons,” stated Jack, surprising them all.

Squinting and smiling at the same time, Moranti asked, “How good is the skill?”

“Out of ten levels, it’s already lv. 8,” Jack proudly announced. “So I’m sure I’m good enough to at least make something as good as yours, right?”

Laughing, Moranti agreed, “So long as you’ve got the materials and a blueprint, I think you might actually pull it off!”

Dragas added, “Most of us are average at best with making our weapons. We rely on how compatible they are to us and how they amplify our strengths by design. But your skill is practically cheating. Then again, what else is new?”

As everyone chuckled, Jack looked back to Moranti. “Mind tagging along? That’s where I’m heading now.”

“Sure. Dragas will be busy teaching Eliza anyway, so I’ve got nothing more to do.”

The two men vanished in a flurry of spatial energy, leaving Dragas and Eliza to continue Eliza’s herbology education.

When both Jack and Moranti reappeared inside Gasnon’s personal smithy, the weaponsmith almost had a heart attack and dropped a hammer on his foot. Gasnon growled, “If you can do that, then warn me next time!”

“Sorry, just had to bring some more help,” replied Jack. “With him, I’ll be able to properly make the weapons.”