After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World

Not everything was going swell, however. For one, some new pharmacists had been trying out some new potions but had failed.

Like every other creative profession in Alterra, alchemists/pharmacists were all given a certain quota or a minimum output/achievement per day, which was based slightly below the Alterran average per tier (which was much higher than those outside, by the way).

For the rest of the time, they could do their personal pet projects, which could get funded by the territory, though they’d need approval from Althea and the other heads of the Research Center, like Eugene and Winona.

They had to submit detailed proposals that included their methodology, the feasibility of it all, as well as the advantages and/or profitability when it was done.

If they were using territory resources, of course, then a good portion of the proceeds would be given to the territory. They could also purchase or rent out the laboratories if they did not want to have to pay shares, but the pay was expensive, monetary and contribution points-wise, so no one had done it so far. No one really wanted to do so, so far.

For now, most pet projects were being funded by the territory, and everyone did like to know that the territory was their backing in their research, rather than feeling they were on their own.

It was also safer and required less capital and risk, so the scientists and innovators could focus on exploration rather than worry it’d bankrupt them.

Penelope—who was among the ’slaves’ rescued from Voumi—was a biology student and a very good one, and was one of the people with a personal project. 1 She had just awakened as a system pharmacist and had yet to receive an inheritance, but seniors saw potential in her idea and decided to partner up with her.

”Well, the final product is supposed to help me increase my muscle mass, but...yeah,” she mumbled, eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the data. Her partner for this project was Gus, one of the senior members and a system pharmacist.1

”Well, it seems like it does have some effect, though?” he asked, looking over the graphs.

”My assessment skill just mentions increasing mass temporarily. Who are we going to test it on?”

”Hmmm... what about beasts?”

”What if it made them stronger?”

”Then try on weak beasts so that our guards could still handle them.”

”Hmn sounds fair.”

Like this, they agreed on their next step for experimentation. Like every other resource, they could borrow from the territory; they had the option of getting the subjects through the Center or finding some on their own.

The disclaimers and waivers were quite detailed, of course.

In their case, they’d need volunteers. ”I’ll keep it in my space for now,” Penelope said before finally leaving work.

After she left, she decided to go around and buy random street food as a reward to himself for working so hard. She had been working on this since almost as soon as she was hired in the Center.

The inspiration? Women were just physically weaker than men, and she had seen it so closely back in Voumi. She had many friends—many of whom were dead now—who wished they could gain physical strength to pummel the men who made them suffer.

She had been stuck for a while, but she wasn’t too discouraged. It was a normal part of the process, after all. What she needed to do now was relax and recalibrate her mind.

”Ahhh~ barbecue, my love,” she said, buying a few sticks from a random stall.

It had been days since he had gone out of the research center. She lived, slept, ate, and shat in there. The food in the Research Center was tasty and healthy (nutritionists plan the menu), but she wanted different tastes today.

However, today, she was determined to clear her mind. She missed her junk food!

She even got a bit of light alcohol in her system while she ate.

It was then that the adorable fluffy canine mascot family passed by. They would often go around in groups, and today was her lucky day, because a few puppies were there!

The thought was fairly universal among the passerbys. Even the aborigines had been swept by the atmosphere, swooning and cooing under the adorable smiles of the puppers.

”Mochii! Look here baby!”

”Peanut so cute!”

”Fifi!! KISS BIG SISTERRR!”

”SNUGGLES, MY BOY! COME ERE COME ERE!”

”Cuddles! Kyaaa~”

”Boop! Aww! You’ll get left behind!” Boop liked to boop everyone with his nose and he was a step behind the others. Penelope kneeled down and raised her hand in hopes of getting blessed by the boop.

And she did.

Penelope blinked and felt soft at the baby. She grabbed a handful of jerky in her space (she bought a lot earlier to snack on back in the lab), not realizing she also grabbed something else.

”Arf!” the baby pupper squeaked, eating the food deliciously with his bum up and his tail wagging wildly.

Cute...

He watched the puppy eat the jerky, but then he saw a bit of unusual-colored liquid there.

He narrowed his eyes, feeling that it looked familiar. Only when it was already half drunk and the jerkies half eaten did he see the bottle was mostly poured out, and now the puppy was licking the small pond of it!

”Huh... wait...”

Nothing happened at first, and it seemed like the pupper wasn’t affected at all. It wouldn’t have been so obvious if it weren’t for the fact that the puppies were wearing cute vests.

Rip

The puppy vest was stretched and soon, the sound of ripping echoed.

They watched as the pupper slowly grew in size. From a Terran-sized dog, then to his father’s size, and then the size of a door, and then even larger.

It stopped when the puppy had grown to around 3 meters tall, as high as one storey.

Penelope gulped.

”Uh oh...”

....

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A/N: ’Clifford the Big Dog’ idea is a castle request by AlyxAtlas~ xDD I know it took a long time to squeeze in (has it been a year lol) but HERE IT IS! haahahahhaha

Penelope was one of the girls Otto saved. She was in the carriage with Misha One of the first Alterran Pharmacists, next to Althea