One to put out root, on supplies.

I was going to need a lot of area for what I had planned. A lot. Plus, between my worm and human shapes, I'd been cooped up for what felt like forever-it would feel nice to actually spread out. And so, I wandered through camp, heading towards the edge. As we did, I got to see a good deal of what they had here. It was far more than just a sea of barracks-armies needed a lot of work to maintain them. The sizzle of somebody cooking, the ringing of the forge, the twang and clash of people practicing and drilling for readiness. These sounds only got more evident as we got into the outer edges-where things that needed a lot of space were. Stables, cartmenders, and some other crafters whose exact workings I couldn't quite make out. The smell of their crude chemical means hung in the air as I started discussing with the fellow alchemist. "Alright. I know you work with flasks and chemicals. However, you can't make these out of nothing. So, how do you get your supplies?"

He took a bit to start-apparently one to make sure his thoughts are in order. "Ah-well, for the basics of my duties, I tend to receive them along with my salary and rations. Mostly things for simple healing poultices-I can make a batch in my sleep at this point. For anything exceptional...there's the bazaar. Why-something you need?" He asked, his curiosity naturally drawing him along. So I obliged easily enough. "Yes-but first, another question: Bazaar? Here?" He nodded along to give his explanation. "Yeah. We get our salaries, but can't exactly go very far-so some bottom feeders saw an opportunity to make money. Same crap as elsewhere-just at sharp markup! But, I guess it's better than nothing." Perfect. Assuming they were willing to work in barter-or that I could somehow convert the product of my body to money, that means that I would probably be able to get what I need.

"Good. I'm going to need a lot of things that explode. As much as you can get from them. I don't have anything to trade for them now-but I can create these." I begin using Fruiting Body several times in a row-letting each one holding a different major alchemical substance I got from my Internal Alchemy, and few for the more minor ones my Package gave me. Hey-if there was anything that might have some trade value, it was those. A poorly timed levelup for that skill left the last one a bit bigger, and probably more usable, than the rest-but still similar enough to pass it off as just some natural variation. "Each contains something my body can make in its meat-the fourth is paralyzing, so don't eat it. Even if you can't sell it raw, an alembic to distill should let you make something we can trade from them. Also-I've learned I can sometimes adapt to produce new things if fed them-so if you can spare some to try, would be appreciated. That's it for now."

Having said my piece and found a nice, open spot, I finally set myself down-feeling a pleasant sensation as my roots entrench themselves into the ground and open up my body. For all I may have given the shaman some busywork, I can tell some things about the ground already. Rocky, relatively thin dirt layer over hard stone. It's no wonder I'm the only vegetation around, it's not just the fact anything would have been trampled flat with all the hustle and bustle. Need to be hardy to grow here. Fortunately, I am nothing if not hardy. With my body opened up, I begin stripping Ichika of her clothes as I start to play with her body. Her initial revulsion at my touch appears to be gone after days of exposure to it-though she shows no enthusiasm as I rub at her. If anything, she just seems resigned to her fate-after having several days of thinking this was coming.