Rex was standing in front of a table in his newly completed house. He was staring intently at the drawing in front of his face. His sandy blonde hair was messy as if he hadn't slept. His green eyes were currently bloodshot, and he was starring at the drawing on the paper with a mad look.

 

“Normally, when designing an engine, you are limited by what you can use to power it.” Rex muttered.

 

An agonized look appeared on his face, as he stared at it.

 

“I have a different problem though. I have so many options in front of me, I don't know what to choose...” Rex said in agony.

 

Every inch of the walls and even the back of the door was covered in blueprints. Rex had installed metal cabinets to store chemicals and various shelves, but it was all covered in blueprints.

 

It had been a month since Kira, and he built this house. Kera had exceeded his expectations, and he was sent a large number of silver coins to deface. Kira was almost finished training the sisters to replace her at the exchange. The ore was flowing in better numbers, finally.

 

“I need to get her away from them, as soon as possible...” Rex muttered.

 

Kira had become fascinated by the concept of the wife. It was like age wasn't a barrier for her. She didn't have any of the parts that mattered, but the sisters had told her all the tricks of the trade. Coming home to her naked in just an apron, she was confused why she was supposed to do it. Then complained she was cold. For reference, succubi don't develop any sexual traits until maturity. Rex had to carefully explain to the little girl, to her bright blush.

 

Hence, Rex had locked himself in his lab and began researching engines.

 

The concept of creating rotational force was simple. The issue he ran into, is that enchanting removed so many restraints for him, that now he felt too unrestrained in approach. The issue he was running into was a limitation of enchanting.

 

“You can't adjust it, no one would want an oven that only goes to 500 degrees with no adjustment options.” Rex muttered.

 

This was also a limitation of his mathematical formulas, he wasn't able to determine something with no inherent magical output. What he needed was an enchantment that could limit the flow of mana to something. He needed a magical clutch and had hit a roadblock, with how to implement and develop it.

 

“The symbols are too close to allow a dial to be effective. Whatever I just need something simple for now.” Rex muttered.

 

This all started, because he needed ice. So many reactions are so much more dangerous when the temperature isn't controlled properly. To generate hydrochloric acid, he needed ice to condense it. He was trying to reduce the amount of mana the enchantment consumed.

 

Currently, the jars he made to make succubus juice, cost him 2 mid-sized stones a month to operate. They were like batteries or fuel. This thought caused him to come to a stop completely.

 

“I'm trying to use magic to refine hydrochloric acid, why can't I do the reverse.” Rex grabbed a magic stone and began to examine it closely.

 

He opened a drawer and pulled out a container filled with various materials numbered 1-10. He opened the container labeled 2 and began scraping it over the magic stone. Seeing the gypsum failed to scratch it, he knew the magic stone was harder than it. Trying out number 4 instead, he found the magic stone was scratched by fluorite. This was a hardness test, but he was just confirming his hypothesis.

 

“It's calcite, probably similar in composition to shell, or bone. I want to remove everything, but the mana. I wouldn't run my car on crude oil after all. Let's see what refining you will yield me.” Rex said as he smiled at the stone.

 

-

 

Rex was frowning as he looked at a beaker, inside was clear fluid. It was about 4 drops worth of fluid. This was the water content in the magic stone. He had reacted and dissolved everything, This was 30 stones worth of research, as he had to do trial and error, to figure out how to get to this point. It was just giving him a problem...

 

“I can't see mana. Do I still even have it in here? Maybe, I lost it at the first step of shattering the stone into a powder. I doubt the bath of dilute sulfuric acid helped, as it dissolved the powder near instantly.” Rex mumbled. “It wouldn't dissolve in water after all.”

 

Then after stripping away the chemicals formed, and some evaporation and straining, this is what he was left with.

 

“By volume, this would be about 2%, which matches the water content in bones. I wonder if this changes based on species, that might change the refining process.” Rex was mumbling to himself when he heard a bell ring.

 

When the door was installed, he placed a bell above it. It was just a dull thunk sound. It was as boring, and unobtrusive, as possible. It would be terrible to be startled by the little girl if here were stirring nitroglycerin or any other dangerous reaction. Instantly a thought occurred to him.

 

“Kira, come here.” Rex said in excitement.

 

She walked over with a curious look on her face. Just tilting her head in place of a question.

 

“What do you see in this?” Rex said holding the beaker in front of her eyes.

 

“It looks like a small sun.” She said plainly.

 

Rex quickly reached over and pulled out an empty beaker. It was the result of removing the water. Eagerly holding it, before the girl shook her head no.

 

Rex assumed it was suspended in the water, as he had seen this property in steel as well. The issue facing Rex now was how to use it. Looking at an inscription plate he used to make bleach, he hesitated on just pouring it on.

 

This feels like dumping gasoline on a fire, I should be fine if I attach it to a long stick...

 

“Let's go outside Kira.” He said as the little girl followed behind him.

 

He grabbed the bleach generator, as he walked outside with it. They set it in the backyard, they were in a volcanic crater anyway.

 

“Kira, I need a long stick!” Rex said.

 

Being in a volcanic crater, where was he going to find one of those?

 

Kira looked at him strangely, walking to the side of the house. She came back carrying a long thick rod they used for the ceiling. Rex couldn't fly, so he hadn't interacted with them.

 

“Good job, Kira!” Rex said as he began securing it to the end of the stick using a strip torn from his clothes.

 

Looking at the bleach generator in front of him, Rex began to carefully maneuver the stick. He was about 15 yards back, and carefully approaching it.

 

Science!

 

As he got the beaker above the bleach generator's enchanted lid, it began to wobble slightly.

 

Hmm, the slightest movement is causing it to shake...

 

Rex decided he need to stabilize himself or he would pour it all on accident. Getting down, he used his knee to stabilize the long pole, and it stopped shaking as bad.

 

He carefully got it in position and began to tilt the beaker. When it was almost sideways the cloth slipped, causing it to fall onto the lid.

 

Crack!

 

The weak glass shattered on the steel lid. Rex stood up and quickly dragged Kira back. Watching for the slightest change. It took less than 5 seconds.

 

ZzzzzzZZZZZaaaaaPPPP!!! Booooom!!!

 

A blinding flash of light was issued causing Rex to turn around, he heard the sound of lightning, then a boom. He turned as he heard steam issuing, and turned to look at the aftermath.

 

The bleach generator had exploded. The only trace of its existence was a scorch mark on the ground.

 

“Is that going to be the new weapon of the succubi? Are we going to be shooting lightning at our enemies?!” Kira had been watching the whole thing, and she seemed very excited.

 

“No, that was an accident.” Rex said plainly.

 

He could assume that he had overloaded the enchantment. Like throwing gasoline in a fire instead of wood.

 

Additives, I just need to figure out the additives!

 

He assumed the medium that the mana was stored in would change how quickly it could be used. The scientific process was all about bumbling anyway. Eventually, a breakthrough would present itself.

 

“Has your mother reported about the progress of stage 2 yet?” Rex asked the little girl?

 

Kira immediately adopted a business expression. She began to stoically report...

 

-

 

Ivangor had been targeted, as he would buy all the weapons the succubi had hoarded. Then what they needed to do was turn that silver, into even more silver. The trick to that was to turn it all onto copper.

 

Inside a busy marketplace, a young elf woman was browsing an elven clothing store. She selected 2 dresses from the racks. There were many types of fabric to choose from and came in a wide variety of colors. It was only a mid-value item, she walked to the counter, and stood before another elf.

 

The elf wore a very brightly colored robe over his frame. He had several bright golden rings on his ears, encrusted with gems.

 

He was overweight, which gave him a babyface.

 

The young elven woman placed the dress on the counter. She then reached into a bag at her waist and pulled out a large silver coin. The elf at the counter looked troubled, as he began to make changes.

 

“Normally, it is 10 coppers to a silver, but I can only give you 5 due to the bullion shortage.” He said with a sorry expression.

 

“This damn bullion shortage, it's all I hear about, as I get ripped off my change! Fine I will take it!” The elven lady said exasperated.

 

A month ago copper had begun becoming scarce in the region. Due to the competition between all of the elf lords, none of them would assist. If the trend continued, then copper would be more valuable than silver soon! It was truly outrageous.

 

Looking at the elves till the elven woman saw the pitiful amount of copper. The woman received her change, placing the silver in her purse, and the copper in her pocket. She smiled at the overweight elf, before leaving the store. On the crowded street, she walked quickly.

 

She saw another elf in the distance and the two locked eyes. The woman who bought the dress quickly signaled the number 4 to the other woman. Passing her the purse as she walked by. Exchanges had been happening like this, all over the city.

 

The woman walked by a corner, discarding the dress in the trash. She continued walking into a small workshop that sold fine cutlery. It had a smelter in the back for working fine metals. She walked past the elven man at the counter. She walked into a small viewing room into the back, and rhythmically tapped on the wall. She heard something drop, and fall, and tapped out a response.

 

Click!

 

The section of the wall opened revealing another elven woman with a cheerful expression.

 

“Good Job, Sister!” She said as she gave the newcomer a salute with her tail.

 

The elven woman returned the salute, revealing her tail, and horns.

 

Since Mistress Kira had taken leadership of the succubi, from her mother Kera, this had become a new trend. Kira was pushing for strict doctrines and etiquette. It was something new for the succubi, but she had delivered substantial results when it came to dealing with Ivangor was brilliant. She had used his love of weapons to trick him into selling off their junk. Then thoroughly enraged him by making it look like an attack was staged, right as he turned his back.

 

An operative nearby saw him come charging back, holding all 32 of his swords still. His guards were furiously chasing after him, and witnesses had seen the beastmen leaving with the bags. When he asked around further, he realized they were in the building when he was shopping. It happened right under his nose!

 

The operative saw him fall to his knees in disbelief, he began laughing like a madman. He then punched the ground and shattered the flagstone.

 

“Good, Very good beastmen! I see you only treat this King, as something to wipe your ass with!” His face was bright red, and all his veins were sticking out.

 

This would go into the succubi history books they had begun writing, per Kira's instruction of course. She was trying to spread the idea that we must treat the weird creature as her side as one of us. She said he was her great teacher and the future consort of the succubi. This was also a very new concept to them. She seemed fiercely possessive of the creature and often was said to leave the exchange to do surveillance on him.

 

Walking into a secret room, she saw Kera, looking over a paper at a desk. She was doing a very careful count. Behind her stood a thick metal door.

 

“Count?” She asked glancing up briefly.

 

“43, the market was dry.” The succubus responded.

 

“Well done, Dora. Go ahead, and take the next 3 days off to complete a hunt. Make sure to clean up.” Kera reminded as she took note of the coin, and added it to a basket.

 

Kera added them lazily to a bucket under her but heard it crash to the floor. She cursed as she reached down, and picked up a bucket that was full of copper coins. She walked behind her and used a key to open the door. It swung open slowly and took a lot of force. Behind it was a large room that 6 people could have laid across comfortably head to foot.

 

Inside was two piles of copper. One was rather small and was all shiny new elven coins. Behind it was a massive mountain of slightly rusty beastman coins. The elven coins had more copper content and were slightly more valuable. Both stacks of coins were the same though. They just recast the coins, and chemically aged them.

 

They had also extracted the additives and made ingots, and now we're stocking raw elf coins. Ivangor's contributions had truly aided the succubi in their efforts.

 

-

 

A glass jar was suspended on a wireframe keeping it off the table. It looked like it was to stop any sudden impacts. Inside was a drop of clear fluid, however, it was currently rolling right up the side of the bottle, causing the bottle to shake in its frame.

 

“It's hitting the imperfections in the glass...” Rex said as he had been observing this for a while.

 

“What is it! It's so bright!” Kira said she wasn't able to look at it directly.

 

“I wanted to see if I could combine the extract of two magic stones. Then I refined the water away, but I thought that this couldn't be the limit. So I carefully figured out a chemical process and made a map of the chemical changes I did to extract it. Everything was okay up to here.” Rex said.

 

“I extracted the mana from the remaining 30 magic stones we had. Then I condensed the fluid into what you see, but it stopped behaving like water. Now it is like that, I became frightened when the equipment started to move around the table.” Rex continued.

 

“Since I couldn't see anything, I had no idea this was happening inside.” Rex said. “But I must say, I can't even begin to fathom just how much energy is inside that small droplet.”

 

Kira had been smelling something burning for a while. She looked over and saw a small kiln in front of the door. She had seen him mix some powder, and feed it down the long neck of the kettle. It looked like a sealed kettle with a long neck. The neck was pointing down into a tub of water and boiling fiercely. Yellowish globs of paste were falling out of the kettle into the water. They were gathering into a large glob at the bottom.

 

“You've been making that stuff since we started, refining the magic stones last week, what is it?” She asked with curiosity.

 

Rex always knew how to make the most interesting things.

 

“In 1669 a German alchemist discovered atomic number 15. It comes in two major forms, red and white. Red phosphorous is used in matches, and is harmless.” Rex started explaining. “The white version though is quite fun.”

 

He took out some long tweezers and broke off a small piece, it was like a hard wax. He placed the wet putty on a piece of paper and placed it on the ground in front of the kiln.

 

“My favorite chemicals, are always the most excited ones. The ones who can't wait to share this excitement.” Rex said.

 

Almost as if on queue the paper burst into thick flames and released thick smoke. Rex was already far away as he watched.

 

“White phosphorus will ignite under oxygen, it is quite a dangerous chemical. The smoke is very thick and will poison you. Phosphate jaw will cause your jaw to rot off. I doubt it would affect you, as you have dealt with much worse chemicals.” Rex said.

 

“Bones possess 1% phosphorous. I used the bones of all the sharks before we started dumping them into the march. They were all over the beach. I used them to make phosphoric acid then just turned it into mono ammonium phosphate. Then I just added it to some calcium hydroxide with some charcoal to a retort.” He finished explaining.

 

“Why is it called white if it isn't white?” Kira asked.

 

“It decays to red phosphorus naturally, and that gives it this color. Completely pure, it is white.” Rex explained patiently.

 

Some of the stuff he makes is scary, he was able to make magic stones into a clear liquid.

 

“What are you planning to do with that drop in the glass,” Kira asked, it had been a week since he started it.

 

“Now that I have purified it to this stage, I need to run tests and begin testing dilution. I can only count on your eyes for this, unfortunately.” Rex sighed.

 

-

 

An angry elf was starring at a cat beastman. She had black fur and was wearing the typical beastmen rags.

 

The weaker races of the beastmen were treated as slaves and food for the stronger races. The men had a warrior culture, and treated money with disdain, as something not for warriors. Thus the females, and slaves did most of the shopping. They would handle this carefully, as mistakes meant being meat.

 

The woman was trading in copper bars for silver. This was a money changer, although the beastmen and elves were commonly at war, trade was still fairly necessary. The resources were very scarce, and this was just a law of survival.

 

But she is trading 2 for 1!

 

Copper had skyrocketed in price, they were forced to buy any they could, and recently today a beastmen trading convoy had shown up. Right now he was being cleaned out of his silver, it was a robbery. This wasn't a big concern though at the moment.

 

You stupid filthy animal, I am going to hold onto this, and sell it for double!

 

The cat beastmen looked relieved to be holding 10 silver bars, and have her burden significantly reduced. The cat quickly walked out of the exchange and was given lots of dirty looks. The cat walked to a large wagon being pulled by a large type of goat. Several other beastmen were on the wagon in similar forms.

 

The cat walked to the back, where her compatriot opened up the blanket, and reached down, and started taking the bars from the other beastmen. The beastmen in the wagon added them to their haul, inside the wagon was filled with various silver.

 

The succubi had found a convoy of beastmen coming to trade and relieved them of everything. The poor, and rich beastmen all looked the same, and you never knew who was above them. The elves had learned attacking these slaves was a mistake as it almost always warranted a response.

 

Rex was using the social structures of the 2 races to create a bog, he wanted them to be in a fierce battle, and he would constantly add oxygen to it. The beastmen had just taken Dawnell port and had yet to assemble any real boats yet. Rex wanted to continue this trend, by redirecting their attention to the land.

 

“We have enough in this haul, let's leave it to the other groups, and go to the rendezvous point.” The driver stated, she was a monkey beastmen, but the males and females looked the same.

 

The succubi all agreed, turning the wagon around using some side streets. The important thing was just for them to see the beastmen leaving with all their silver after all. Once they carefully analyzed it and realized it was all their own money they would rage to the heavens.

 

“When Queen Ashanda finds out the beastmen are the ones who wrecked her economy, it will put the other neutral elves in an awkward position.” The cat beastmen said.

 

“Mistress Kira's plan must be carried out carefully.” The other beastmen riding in the back said as she shifted the blanket around.

 

The goal was to make the silver visible when they passed the guard checkpoint. The guards would probably charge a fee but they didn't care. This was only 1 of 5 carts after all.

 

-

 

“I think I will call it Ether.” Rex said as he admired the fluid in his hands.

 

The work of a week was the thin oily fluid in a beaker. It was a mixture of ethanol and paraffin oil. It evaporated when it was used, but he could control the flow of this to control enchantments.

 

“Should I call it Rexoline instead? No, I never really cared for that.” He mumbled.

 

He poured the beaker into the gallon jug. He had, had to carefully dilute that water, he realized that thing, may have reached the level of a nuke. Kira couldn't even look at it directly, or she got a splitting headache.

 

“Ah, this is so fun.” Rex said smiling to himself as he hummed.

 

He had fuel and a refining method. Now he could begin using engines, and wouldn't need to pump the bellows!

 

The prisoners had begun clearing the forest, selling alcohol was the trick. The cheese also sold pretty well, it went great with the distilled wine. At least that is what the prisoners said. The issue was controlling them was still a bit difficult, it was the mines.

 

The succubi didn't want to go into mines. The charm was like a field that emitted from their body and the mines could block it. If you used a corner with a pickaxe it was deadly.

 

“I will need to use a slave to control them.” This was his only real hope.

 

He needed a warrior the prisoners would respect. Rex was just too young to do it himself, and he didn't want to be a dictator as that would affect his image with the slaves.

 

Now that the fuel was done, he could use a flow valve to control an engine. He planned to make a large freezer, and then he could have Kira make hydrochloric acid. The reaction was dangerous, and her smooth succubus skin was very corrosion resistant.

 

“I don't think they have pores, I doubt their body needs anything but life essence, so why take anything in?” Rex muttered.

 

It only makes sense evolution would eliminate unnecessary weaknesses. He was interested in the ancestor of the succubi, he imagined it had to be quite a strange creature.

 

Kira walked in ringing the bell, she was covered from head to tail in clay.

 

“I finished the new kiln, it is now just curing.” She reported, calmly.

 

“Good job, Kira!” Rex said as he reached out and patted her shoulder, seeing the little girl puff up in pride.

 

They were making a much larger kiln to aid production. The main reason for this new home was to make bigger equipment.

 

“Let me know when it is finished, and we will do our first project. How is the ore stockpile?” Rex asked.

 

“Were in a great shape, Mom also sent the gold you wanted.” Kira reported.

 

“Wonderful we're going to make an ice maker.” Rex reported to her.

 

“What's ice?” She asked.

 

“I'll show you when we finish.” Rex said smiling at the little girl.

 

“Okay!” Kira chirped smiling back.