After turning Neeks into a cum dump, Reina was rewarded with a fountain of centaur ejaculate. Konnar had come so much that the harpy's pussy was still leaking hours later. She hadn't released Neeks from the apparatus yet, and left her there a gibbering and twitching mess from being fucked by the biggest cock of her life. A small price to pay for gallons of centaur cum.

Konnar returned to work sufficiently satisfied, having fucked to his heart's content and from receiving a large batch of orc-cum infused elixirs of strength. Now Reina had a new substance to work with and couldn't be happier.

"It's a good thing you came over when you did, Neeks. Couldn't have extracted all that jizz without you. Neeks? Neeks!" She scratched her head at the lack of a response.

The harpy's shallow breathing was the only indication that she was still alive.

Reina kneeled between Neeks' legs, her thighs and cunt still dripping with white ejaculate. The pussy that had been pried open had since recovered to a small and tight hole, but continued to twitch like something was stimulating it.

"If you won't wake up, I guess I'll just have a little bit more fun myself." Reina licked Neeks' engorged clit, causing her whole body to writhe.

"Aaauuugghhh! Oh, Reina… wait! I'm still… sensitive— I'm cumming…! Nnngh— aaahhh!" Neeks screamed so erotically, Reina was afraid people passing by would mistake this for a brothel and not an alchemist's atelier.

However, decorum didn't stop Reina from getting turned on by Neeks' sweet moans. She released her friend from the breeding stock and carried her to bed for another round.

Putting off alchemy work in service of devotion to the goddess couldn't hurt.

As it turned out, centaur ejaculate possessed incredible properties that extended the duration of a stamina drought. Further testing also revealed their resilience to poison also somehow carried over, a minor bonus that might not see very much use, but it was there nonetheless. Stamina droughts normally last between one to two hours depending on the quality of ingredients, but adding centaur cum doubled the duration. Sleep would become an afterthought.

Unfortunately, Reina's stock took a hit. The sephalothane leaves which hung from a net above the cauldron for ease of access were running low. She had been using them to brew a lot of restoration potions lately. That damned Rodelle called on the favor too soon after building the breeding stock. Just how often were those guys getting hurt that they needed so much anyway?

Rodelle's company wasn't the only one. Ever since the Second Crimson War ended, folks have been aching to explore beyond the continent of Talmora, chartering expeditions into unknown lands, digging up ruins crawling with dangers. That meant no shortage of people getting hurt, and consequently more people needing an alchemist's trade to provide them the consumable means to survive.

"Ah, well. I'll just send another requisition back to Grathir along with my latest report," Reina murmured to herself.

Over by the oven, Neeks was baking a pie and humming an upbeat tune. She had on a chef's hat which Reina was sure must have been stolen from. A sweet aroma quickly filled the atelier, which she was more than okay with if the scent lingered.

"Just a few more minutes," Neeks said, watching the oven intently.

A group of three entered the atelier. Two elven men and a human woman, all of whom appeared equipped to slay monsters rather than going on a hike. They bore the emblem of a fang crushing a bone on their leather cuirass, which meant they were Hokkari bannerkin. Each had a short sword sheathed at their waists and a crossbow on their backs.

One elf, whose skin was as dark as obsidian and had leaf stems woven into his light brown dreadlocks, approached me while the other two were distracted by the sweet smell of bastil fruit pie.

"An alchemist in Vessyra is news to me. I'm Thane, my companions— Aura and Kaska. We're hunters under the Hokkari bannerlord Hectis," the leader of the trio introduced themselves to Reina and bowed.

Bannerlord Hectis was one of several bannerlords who marched on the Eternal City of Thanreas during the war five years ago. A brutish centauri warrior who commanded his bannerkin with strength and respect. He and others, alongside witches and human rebels, toppled a tyrannical witch bent on plunging the world into a hellscape.

"What can I do for members of the Hokkari?" Reina asked, shaking Thane's hand.

"We're in need of elixirs that might help us subdue an alraune. It has taken residence at a waterfall several kilometers west of Vessyra and is causing issues with some travelers," Thane explained.

Reina's interest was piqued. An alraune this close to Vessyra? Those were dryad aberrations, unnatural creatures that didn't belong in this world and created from a taboo combination of magic and alchemy. If left alone, they could upset and destroy the forest's natural wildlife hierarchy. This was a one time golden opportunity she couldn't pass up.

Alraunes possessed secretions that couldn't be found naturally in this world, a treasure trove of new ingredients and substances awaited. If they could subdue and capture it, Reina would have access to a steady supply of exceptionally rare reagents.

"I can provide you what you need," Reina began with a grin,"on the condition that you bring us with."

"Aw, come on. The pie just finished baking!" Neeks complained.

The group of five departed from Vessyra on foot into the gargantuan forests of outer Talmora. It had been given many names over the years. From each bannerlord came a new name, but only one stuck out across the centuries— the Forest of Giants, Emerwick.

It was believed that thousands of years ago, enormous creatures accidentally carried seeds from Emerwick into inner Talmora. When those beasts perished or shook off the seeds, it sowed the forests of what was known today in Parthun as the Weeping Expanse.

While Reina hadn't yet seen the majesty that was Emerwick's younger sister forest, she could imagine just how grand it might be from the sights before her. Roots gnarled over each other on the surface to create hills and ravines. Thick branches created a whole new layer above the forest floor, with creatures curiously peering down from the canopy.

Reina walked into Kaska's back and rubbed her nose in agony. The elven hunter knelt down to inspect unnatural markings in the ground, like something had been dragged through.

"We're getting closer to the waterfall. If you listen carefully, you can hear the crashing waters. The alraune must be nearby. Stay on your guard," he said.

"Alraunes can be incredibly dangerous. Are you sure about this?" Thane asked Reina for the tenth time.

"Absolutely. Besides, we'll be fine as long as we drink the potions I gave you." She sighed

"Will these really help us?" Aura asked, holding one of the vials to her face. "Not that I don't trust alchemists. I've just never had a need to drink an elixir or potion before."

"Believe me, you will want to down those faster than a stein of beer. The elixir of strength and stamina droughts will easily let you overpower the alraune," Reina answered confidently.

She was eager to see them in action. With Neeks here, it should be a piece of cake since she was already versed in combat. Throw alchemy into the mix to boost their physical strength and stamina and these four should be unstoppable.

"Did you tell them these were made with centaur and orc cum?" Neeks asked.

Silence.

Dead silence.

Thane, Aura, and Kaska turned their eyes to Reina, then to the vials in their hands.

"On second thought, maybe we'll take our chances without imbibing these," Thane said.

"No, hold on!" Reina drank the elixir and drought at the same time and immediately felt significantly stronger. "Yes, ejaculate is part of the ingredients, but it really will make you stronger!"

The three of them grimaced. Reina was going to have to do something extreme to get them to follow through. Of course, no one was going to drink something when they heard it was jizzed into. She would need to give Neeks a stern talking to later.

"Look, I'm just a regular elf. But after drinking them…" Reina punched the side of a tree, sending bark and splinters flying everywhere. The power in the attack surprised even herself. She hardly felt the impact yet her fist passed through the tree trunk like it was paper.

"It's not that we don't trust you, but… semen?" Aura gagged.

As the leader, Thane was the first to take the plunge. He pinched his nose and drank both vials in a single gulp. 

"At the end of the day, we need to take care of the alraune one way or another." He picked up a head-sized stone from the ground and crushed it with both hands.

Aura and Kaska followed suit but had to chase down the potions with water.

The group reached the threshold of the treeline. A 30-foot tall waterfall poured water into a pond which forked into two rivers. Plenty of animal bones were found near the water's edge and several wagons were in disrepair, likely dragged away by the alraune some time ago. However, no signs of the creature herself other than the mess.

"What do you think, Neeks?" Reina asked her friend, who was scanning the area with the focus of a predator.

She shook her head, stumped at the disappearance of their quarry. The trio of hunters, who were trained for battle and tracking, were also clueless. Reina began to wonder if she should have concocted a potion to enhance their senses rather than strength. Not that it mattered here when they were so far out in the forests.

As the group fanned out across the clearing, Reina wanted to inspect the wagons. Something soft under her foot exploded into a puff of powder, causing her to cough uncontrollably and wave away the pinkish cloud.

"Nnh… What the…"

A steady stream of grain-like particles trickled down from the trees above her. There, hidden behind the branches and leaves, was an incredibly large flower bulb dangling upside down. Vibrant red and purple petals unwound, blossoming to reveal a beautiful emerald-skinned woman with hair like veiny leaves.

"Guys… I found the alraune…" Reina said, just as vines fell all around and entangled them.