Chapter 238: [Appraisal]
“Is this a Demon Beast from the Rebuild Valley?” Karn asked, observing intently.
In the rental house’s first floor, there were Retze and Karn. Dean and Chris were busy with work, having spent lavishly in the Fortress City, so they were off hunting Demon Beasts deep in the Forest for a few days. It seemed they planned to be away for three days and then return to relax for two.
“I don’t know the name of the place, but it’s west of Es.”
“That would be Rebuild. It’s the land of black rocks, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You must be from another continent. There’s no way I would know that,” Retze remarked. I thought he knew everything, but it seemed he had his gaps in knowledge too.
“That land was formed long ago by a volcanic eruption, even before my country existed. It’s said that it was once the seabed. The remnants of sea Demon Beasts are there, and deeper still, the Magic Stones from the land coral Demon Beasts are used in royal weddings.”
“Interesting,” Karn replied, as it appeared to fall within his area of expertise.
“So, how do we dismantle this?”
Looking at the coral, I wondered if it could be treated as such. The mystery lay with the sea anemone!
“I don’t know. Poison is often used for assassination, though,” Retze said, revealing his limited knowledge.
“I’ve never seen this shell before. Is it a subspecies of sea anemone? If so, the poison and stinging threads could sell for a high price.” Retze, wearing thick leather gloves, flipped over the item and examined it closely.
“Are we really using poison?”
“It can be used as poison, but it also serves as a catalyst for dyeing metals and making medicines—if it’s the same as the sea anemone. The stinging threads are valuable for treating warts and growths.”
“Oh!”
“Now, how do we dismantle it?”
“Do you have two empty bottles?” Retze asked, and I handed them over.
Retze filled one bottle with saltwater and poured about five milliliters of oil into the other.
He extracted the oval stinging cells from within the sea anemone’s tentacles, gently pinching out a transparent stinging thread about five centimeters long and dropping it into the saltwater.
The stinging thread, as its name suggested, resembled a thread with a needle at the end, but once submerged in saltwater, it straightened out. It was quite fascinating.
Next, he let the poison ooze from the hole where the stinging thread had been into the bottle with oil. The poison sank, forming a beautiful layer after a while.
“Yep. Just like the sea anemone described in the book, it straightened out perfectly,” Retze said, lifting the bottle with the stinging thread to eye level for a closer look.
Real sea anemones are small, and their stinging threads are nearly invisible. This one was large because it was a Demon Beast.
“Wow.”
“Don’t get too excited. Just because the dismantling method is the same doesn’t mean the effects will be,” Retze warned.
“We’ll need to request verification from the Apothecary Guild. If the effects differ, we might have to conduct further experiments to see if it can be utilized for something,” I noted.
“Got it. So, we ask the Apothecary for help,” I said, realizing I hadn’t approached them since I learned to make healing potions.
“We need to be cautious about how we utilize poison and medicine,” Retze added, and I agreed.
“Is there no one with [Appraisal] in this era?” Karn inquired. Well, there is one right here.
“There is someone who can appraise things they’ve previously learned about. There are also specialists for fire attributes. As far as I’ve heard, the last person who could appraise everything without conditions was one of the Heroes from the Age of Wind.”
“It seems the Spirits’ blessings have weakened considerably in this era,” Karn observed.
“Right now, the Spirits seem to cluster together as retainers, only lending their power to specific places or people. Conversely, there are some that are exceptionally strong in one attribute,” I explained.
“I see, so [Appraisal] isn’t comprehensive but rather attribute-specific.”
“Well, I thought it was quiet, but you’re making quite the face,” Retze said, catching me off guard.
“…Do you have [Appraisal]? Wild Hero,” Retze asked, narrowing his eyes at me.
“If I had it, I wouldn’t need to ask others, would I?” Karn replied, bringing his cup to his lips.
“…”
Retze continued to stare at me in silence.
“I was just thinking how convenient it would be to identify the poisonous mushrooms in the Forest,” I admitted, succumbing to Retze’s glare.
“You forgot to use it for anything other than food, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
I had tried using it on the sea anemone, and while it didn’t yield results as detailed as food items, I did get some information.
Speaking of which, I had also learned what the Kinka Grass was effective for, though I hadn’t figured out how to make it. After learning to concoct potions at the Apothecary Guild, my appraisal results had become more detailed.
“Aren’t you prioritizing the appraisal of Demon Beasts? That could be a matter of life and death,” Karn said, looking exasperated.
When I wanted [Appraisal], it was because distinguishing food items was a matter of survival. If I had been able to identify mushrooms back then, I could have gained more nutrition and perhaps found other edible items. It was a pressing concern!
“Here, let’s check the answers.”
Retze snapped me back to reality.
“The poison is a toxin and its antidote, a catalyst for dyeing metals black and preventing rust. The stinging thread is a poison needle, a medical needle. The shell enriches the soil.”
I recited the results that came to mind after using [Appraisal].
—The shell enriches the soil?
“…”
Huh?
“You look puzzled, but it’s just like the sea anemone from the ocean. The catalyst will be used by blacksmiths and jewelers, but it won’t sell as poison. The Apothecary Guild is your best bet for selling it. If you’re dealing with poison, you should also ask them how to make the antidote.”
“Understood.”
I nodded obediently.
If I were to accidentally touch or ingest the poison while handling it, I would normally need an antidote. I had [Healing], but once I learned it, the appraisal results would likely come up, so I should take care of it.
The abilities I possess are [Magic Talent], [Martial Talent], [Production Talent], [Healing], [All Cooking], [Storage], [Teleportation], [Exploration], [Appraisal], [Mental Resistance], [Language], [Liberation], [Severance], and [Hero Slayer].
I had never used [Hero Slayer], but all the Gods who protect me and the Spirits around me lend their assistance. Each has their strengths and weaknesses, but they all contribute.
Even the retainers of the Gods that once existed are still willing to help. So, hearing that there are territories among retainers feels strange. I have contracts that transcend those boundaries.
Could it be that [Liberation] is having an effect?