Chapter 68

00068 Vivian La Classideres ==========================================================

It didn't take long to reach the alchemist's workshop, just as Vivian had said. After crawling out of the passage, we entered another tunnel, which looked quite different from the ones we had seen so far. After passing through this tunnel and moving further inside, the alchemist's workshop came into view.

The workshop was filled with numerous sights. Scattered documents and records, monster corpses, and vials containing liquids that emitted strange smoke. In one corner, two cocoons tightly wrapped in white thread were placed. They seemed to be the two users captured earlier.

Vivian asked me to wait a moment and gently placed me on the floor. Since begging for her life, Vivian had been cautious with every move. Soon, she began bustling around, showing me the workshop. After rummaging around for a while, she started piling things in front of me, one by one. She was so busy that I thought, "Anyone would think she's really working hard."

Finally, she dropped an old, square box, and I began to seriously wonder if she was really going to let me live.

Lifting her long legs to wipe the sweat from her face, Vivian cautiously observed me before speaking. She was a quick mood changer, so I couldn't be sure when she might turn on me again. After being on full alert, I listened to her.

"Phew. I've brought everything out. There are more things, but I doubt you'd like them. Anyway, I've brought out everything that might be useful by human standards. I hope you like them."

Seeing her giggle, I shook my head. She was once a renowned alchemist, so how did she become so intellectually regressed? Moreover, looking at the current relationship between me and the monster, it was completely reversed. Technically, I was an intruder or a thief, yet she was offering me items.

Well, when it comes to the desire to live, nothing else matters. After accepting this awkward situation, I picked up the large leather bag on the far left. It was quite heavy, and the lumps inside suggested it was full. The quantity was satisfactory. I untied the sealing string and opened the bag to look inside. This was...

"Gems...right?"

"Yohoho. Yes. Humans generally like gems, right? I used to be human, and I loved shiny things back then. Anyway, I've picked only the best quality ones. Just this bag alone should be enough to live on for a while, right? How about it? Do you like them?"

"Hmm."

Vivian couldn't shake off her unease and kept glancing at my face while speaking. Seeing her passionately explain the value of the gems, I slowly nodded. She wasn't wrong. The gems in the bag were indeed of great value.

I swallowed and slowly nodded again. The bag was filled with gems that emitted a dazzling light. Just a glance revealed amethysts, aquamarines, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, opals, and topazes. They were clearly top-quality, judging by their brilliant shine.

In the Hall Plane, gems are popular not just as decorations but also among mages, as they provide various useful benefits related to their profession. The face of Kim Hanbyeol, a Secret Class gem mage, came to mind. Showing this bag to her, who likely consumes a lot of gems, would have been very helpful.

However, I immediately erased Hanbyeol from my mind. In the end, she had brought her own misfortune upon herself. While I understood her feelings, if the future didn't change, the dissolution of the Golden Lion Clan was a foregone conclusion.

Seeing my satisfied smile, Vivian's face brightened.

"Good. I feel bad about taking them."

"Hehe. No, it's fine. Nothing is more precious than life. Besides, I don't really need them anyway."

She's really obsessed with her life. Anyway, I put the gem bag aside and picked up another leather bag next to it. Lifting it in the air, it jingled, suggesting it was full of gold coins. The bag was also quite full. Looking inside, I saw shiny gold coins as expected.

"Hmm. Gold coins. About 200 gold, I guess. Are these all the gold coins you have?"

While fiddling with the leather bag and tossing it back and forth, I estimated the amount. It wasn't a small amount, but compared to the gems, it was a bit disappointing. Sensing my disappointment, Vivian fidgeted uncomfortably. Finally, she spoke in a deflated voice.

"Sorry. It's exactly 204 gold, 27 silver, and 306 bronze... I wasn't really greedy for gold coins. But I gathered all I could... Sob. That's all I have. I'm really sorry. I'm really sorry. If I had known, I would have saved more... Please forgive me."

While speaking, Vivian began to sniffle and a tear rolled down her face. Shocked, I hurriedly comforted the spider in front of me.

"No, no. It's fine. It's really fine. Come on, don't cry. Lift your head."

The intruder comforting the dungeon owner, who was bowing and begging for forgiveness, was a rare sight even in the Hall Plane. Suddenly becoming a ruthless thief, I wiped my sweat and comforted Vivian.

Vivian nodded, wiped her tears with her legs, and... Ah. I still can't get used to this. Placing the bag next to the gems, Vivian pointed to the next bag with a determined look. It was about three to four times larger than the previous gem and gold coin bags, almost a bag-sized pouch.

"Here, here! I'm sure you'll like this one!"

"Uh, uh. Sure, sure. I'll look now. Thank you, really."

"Yep. Go ahead. Hehe."

Trying to open the bag herself, Vivian pouted when she saw her legs. I easily opened the bag she pushed towards me and immediately checked the contents. Her confidence made me curious about what was inside.

The bag contained numerous vials of liquids in various colors. They seemed to be potions she had made herself. Looking at the neatly arranged potions, I immediately activated my Third Eye. As I stared at the bag, I heard Vivian clear her throat.

"Ahem. See those potions? Hmm! Let me tell you what kinds there are."

"Advanced healing potions... Hmm. No top-tier ones, which is a bit disappointing. I can see mana recovery potions... Poison. This one might be useful. Antidote. Yes, if there's poison, there should be an antidote. Oh? This is an explosive potion? This is good. And... What? This is an aphrodisiac?"

Muttering the information I confirmed with my Third Eye, Vivian's voice trailed off. Lifting my head to meet her strange gaze, I saw a spider looking at me with a shocked expression. Why is she looking at me like that? Still, she had brought out some good items, so I was quite satisfied. I spoke to her in a gentle voice.

"Why?"

"Are you an alchemist? I thought you were a swordsman?"

"Huh? No, I'm not an alchemist. Why do you ask?"

"Uh, no, I mean... No. Yes. Nothing..."

Seeing her close her eyes tightly, I tilted my head. Ah, maybe... She was about to proudly explain, but I beat her to it, making her feel intimidated. Feeling a bit guilty, I swallowed and patted her leg to encourage her. Then, I calculated the three bags I had received so far.

Gold coins weren't really significant. I had brought 1000 gold as spare. The gem bag and potion set could be considered a jackpot. The gem bag could be saved to recruit a talented mage later or used to make various weapons. The potions were self-explanatory; there would be countless uses in the Hall Plane. With a willing heart, I reached for the last old box.

The prospect of a box instead of a bag filled me with pleasant anticipation. As I brought the old box in front of my eyes, Vivian's eyes sparkled. Although she seemed a bit anxious, the emotion she showed this time could be interpreted as pride. After exchanging a glance with her, I immediately opened the box. Inside was an old book. This is...

"Congratulations. You have discovered a Rare Class. After reading this book and acquiring it, you can become a Chimera Alchemist."

A message floated in the air. Before I could read it, another message appeared.

"The Chimera Alchemist can be considered an upper tier of the Mage class. You can create chimeras directly, and if linked with a summoning circle, you can summon beings from other dimensions. If there is a user who has learned magic circle magic or summoning, it is recommended to inherit this class."

"Your current class is the highest-tier Secret Class, Sword Specialist, in the Swordsman series. You can acquire the book, but due to the judgment of inherent, special, and latent abilities, efficiency will decrease to less than 70%. However, with a magic power rating of 96 points, you can recover 20% of the decrease. However, acquisition is not recommended."

"Wow..."

"That book is a summary of the alchemy I learned during my time as an alchemist and after I became like this. I'm sure mages would drool over it?"

"..."

"Umm... You don't like it?"

Staring at the air, Vivian spoke in a small voice. I shook my head slightly and picked up the book with trembling hands. These rare and secret classes, which I couldn't find no matter how hard I searched in the first cycle, were now appearing. A sense of futility and excitement filled my body.

The Chimera Alchemist didn't appear in the first cycle. I remember hearing that the dungeon owner was not captured and escaped, and it seemed that Vivian had taken this book with her. While I couldn't be sure until I read it after acquiring it, just the fact that it was a rare class was a huge find. Feeling the frustration and hardship of the past melt away, I spoke with an excited voice.

"No, I like it. More than the gems and potions, I like this book the most. A book that contains the essence of alchemy. This will be very useful."

"R-Really? Hehe. You're a strange male. Hehehe. To like it so much."

Seeming pleased to have her achievements recognized, Vivian twisted her body and showed a shy expression. I smiled and carefully put the book away. I would definitely take this book, no matter what. Of course, I didn't plan to discard the other items. Seeing this, Vivian continued in a soft voice.

"Anyway, are you satisfied? You'll let me live, right?"

I was about to say "Yes," but I closed my mouth. Honestly, I didn't really want to kill her now. This was enough, but I felt there was something more to get. After thinking for a moment, I snapped my fingers. There was something that felt off, and I realized there was one more thing to get.

============================ Author's Note ============================

Hello, I'm Ro Yujin. I plan to write continuously today. I will post the next chapter right away. Before moving on to the next chapter, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a recommendation and a comment. It would only take 30 seconds... (☞☜)

Lilifl will continue in the next chapter.