Chapter 70

00070 Viviane La Classiderus

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After watching Viviane's body show for a while, I soon lost interest. First, it wasn't my part-time job, and second, I had something more interesting in my arms. It was the core I had stolen from Viviane. If it could boost my stats, I was willing to go to hell. With a thrilling feeling, I put my hand into my pocket. I intended to check the information of the acquired core with my Third Eye.

"Ugh... Gah! Ah!"

She let out a scream, twisting her body in pain. Ignoring her suffering pained me, but I could forget it as soon as I felt a hard sphere in my hand.

It was unlikely to be a mana stone, but there was always a chance. It must have been stored for quite some time and gone through various processes during her transformation into a spider. Expecting some decent results, I activated my Third Eye.

[Ancient Alchemist Viviane's Core]

* This is the core of the ancient alchemist Viviane, who lived as a spider for over a hundred years. It is a top-grade mana stone that played a central role in her transformation into a spider. Over time, it has developed effects similar to the inner core of a spirit, having undergone numerous flows of mana within her body. However...

The part about the inner core was good, but my expression gradually turned to disappointment as I read on. After reading the entire description, I sighed and put the mana core back into my pocket.

There was a mention of stat point increases. It said that when consumed, it could raise one's mana ability by 1 to 4 points, depending on the user's mana ability. However, there was a condition. It was aimed at users with mana below 70. For users above that, it could only smooth or stabilize mana flow. In other words, it was only useful for healing in my case.

Still, it was a valuable item that I could give to Hyun or Yujung or sell for a good price. It was a bit disappointing, but there was no rule that I had to consume it myself.

While pondering how to deal with the items obtained from this dungeon, I realized that Viviane's screams had stopped. I lifted my head, wondering if she had died.

After removing the core that maintained her spider body, it was obvious that her internal systems would go haywire. She had lost a century's worth of power in an instant. For a user, it was like having mana but losing the organs to manifest it.

I looked forward and saw...

"Whoa."

I was so surprised that I gasped. There was no spider in front of me. The only person there was a young woman with long, jet-black hair, sitting on the ground. She glared at me with sharp eyes, and I instinctively knew who she was.

"Viviane?"

"Why did you call me, you bastard?"

"..."

"If you called me, say something."

I stared at the human form of Viviane for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Viviane? Is this your human form?"

"Can't you see? You pretended to know everything."

Viviane replied with a sharp tone, and I let out a sigh.

"Hmm. I didn't expect you to return to human form."

"Hmph."

I examined Viviane's body more closely. She covered her chest, annoyed by my gaze. Only then did I realize she was naked, but what I was looking for was not her breasts. I walked over and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Scum."

She continued to insult me, but I ignored it. Viviane was right. I had thought she wouldn't die just from removing the core, but there seemed to be more to it. Seeing her incomplete human form after the extraction, I fell into deep thought.

Crack. Crack.

Unconsciously, I gripped her shoulder, and her skin began to peel off like a shed. I reflexively let go. Under the peeled skin, red flesh was visible. It was not a good sign. Viviane was dying.

"It hurts..."

The skin where I had touched her was cracked like a road after an earthquake. She was in constant pain, both inside and out. Feeling awkward, I spoke to her. After all, this was partly my fault.

"Surprising. Just removing a core and you revert to human form... and you look like you're about to die. What did you do?"

"Hmph. It's not my problem. And do I have to explain everything to you?"

"Fair enough."

I nodded lightly, and Viviane turned her head, blowing a raspberry. Her tightly closed mouth clearly said she didn't want to talk to me anymore. I nodded a couple of times and turned around.

"Take care, then."

"...Wait, I think I might tell you."

As I took a step, Viviane quickly grabbed my collar. I smiled faintly and chuckled.

"You're quite cute. Hehe."

"Hehe. Cute? Hehe. Even though I was quite popular... in my human days, that's not the point."

Viviane smiled awkwardly but then frowned and pouted. I waited for her to speak, as if to say, "If you have something to say, say it." Meeting my gaze, Viviane blushed and spoke in a shy voice.

"D-Do you really want to hear it that badly?"

"No."

"Huh. I see... Hey! Don't go!"

After I answered "No" and turned to leave, Viviane shouted. I stopped again and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Why? I'm leaving now."

"What about me?"

Frustrated, Viviane pounded her chest. Her breasts jiggled, and I noticed they were full B-cups. Hmm. Her face and her chest alternated in my view, and she bit her lip, covering her chest again.

"None of my business."

"It is! I can care!"

"No, I don't want to."

I flatly refused, and Viviane, with a teary face, crawled over and grabbed my pants. Oh, she really does everything.

"Please, help me. Ugh."

"What? Saving you was enough. That's it."

"What, what? Hey! You don't even know what's happening to my body after you carelessly removed the core, do you? Can't you see my skin is cracking? For you, it's just a matter of leaving, but for me, it's not! Thanks to you, I've lost not only my original power but also the life force I accumulated after transforming into a spider! My insides are in chaos. What are you going to do about it?"

Pretending to be surprised, I widened my eyes and asked.

"What, what? So it's my fault that you..."

"Yeah, you idiot! If this continues, I'll turn to ashes and die within five days!"

"Alright. Viviane, thank you for everything you've given and helped me with. Goodbye."

"That's not what I meant. Ugh... Please..."

Seeing Viviane burst into tears again, I replied coldly.

"You gave it to me. Let's not make things awkward. I want to end this cleanly."

Viviane mumbled incoherently through her tears. Feeling a bit sorry, I spoke more gently.

"There is a way to fix it, though..."

"What, what is it?"

Hearing my mutter (which I intended for her to hear), Viviane perked up and asked. She straightened her posture and her eyes shone, showing a strong will to live. I was curious about why, but I decided to put it aside for now. First, I needed to check Viviane's information. I activated my Third Eye and looked at her.

<Resident Information (Native Status)>

* Converting resident information to user information.

1. Name: Viviane La Classiderus

2. Class: Chimera Alchemist (Rare: Chimera Alchemist Master)

3. Nation: Espinion (Currently a destroyed city/nation)

4. Clan: -

5. True Name · Nationality: Ancient Alchemist · Jet-black Hunting Spider · Hole Plain

6. Gender: Female (24 · 128[?])

7. Height · Weight: 165.5cm · 48.8kg

8. Alignment: Chaos · Neutral

[Strength 48] [Endurance 25(-25)] [Agility 56] [Health 20(-25)] [Mana 42(-50)] [Luck 49(-25)]

* Due to the forced extraction of the core that controlled her body transformation, her internal systems are in chaos. The chaos is ongoing. She cannot use her abilities as a Chimera Alchemist.

* She has returned to human form, but the process was forced and unknown. She has suffered a significant internal shock, and some of her stats are continuously decreasing.

* She has severe injuries that require immediate treatment. If left untreated, she may die soon. Even a major healing spell cannot cure her internal injuries. While it can save her life, it will likely leave severe aftereffects.

* Using more than one elixir can completely heal her, both internally and externally.

After reading all the information carefully, I looked up, and Viviane was staring at me, swallowing hard. However, I didn't answer immediately. Frustrated by my silence, her lips moved several times. I turned my head slightly to avoid her gaze.

"Thinking about it, it doesn't seem possible. I must have said something unnecessary. Let's just forget it."

"Hey. That's not right. At least finish what you started."

"...No."

Saving Viviane was simple. I had two elixirs stored in the user-exclusive warehouse in the city. Using one of them would do the trick. However, I didn't prepare them for nothing. They belonged to someone else. While she might be quite helpful if healed, it felt a bit wasteful.

As I turned to leave, Viviane grabbed me again, pleading. I kicked her away and silently walked down the corridor. From behind, I heard her heart-wrenching sobs.

"I want to live... I want to live! You! Human! How can you be so cruel? Thinking about everything you've done to me... I... I..."

"You twisted my neck, split my waist, and let monsters rape me. You don't think about what you've done?"

"I am the master here. I have the right to defend myself and punish intruders. I can also hold you accountable for slaughtering my subordinates."

Viviane's lips trembled as she spoke firmly. I sighed. While her words weren't wrong, humans are selfish creatures. But I didn't have time for pointless arguments. For some reason, I felt uneasy about leaving her like this, so I turned around again.

I wasn't playing around; I was genuinely considering recruiting Viviane. The moment she met my cold gaze, she flinched and bowed her head.

"S-Sorry. I was too harsh. I was wrong."

Viviane kept apologizing. Honestly, she wasn't in a position to be angry. Putting aside the idea of her being an enemy, I considered the possibility of her becoming an ally, and a wave of sympathy washed over me.

A moment of awkward silence passed, and I spoke quietly.

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

Hello, I'm Ro Yujin. Before I start the afterword, Viviane?

Viviane: "Yes, readers. Thank you so much. I was originally set to die in chapters 68 and 69, but thanks to your comments, I've been saved. I'll work really hard from now on."

Kim Suhyun: "Hehehe."

Viviane: "What's so funny! I'm upset!"

Kim Suhyun: "Nothing. It's nothing."

Originally, I planned for Viviane to return to her original form in chapter 70, but I forgot to save her. Adding an extra process took 1-2 more chapters. But I think it's necessary, so please bear with me a bit longer. :)

There is another chapter, but I don't think I can post it today. I'm quitting my job today, and I have a lot of handover work to do. I won't have much time to write today, and it's still in the rough draft stage, so it needs editing.

Still, I'll try to write and gauge things as I go. Your support yesterday gave me a lot of strength. I'm truly grateful. I'll work even harder to improve.

『 Reader Comments 』

1. SkyLoveK: Congratulations on the top spot! I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'll strive to provide even better content. (__)

2. hohokoya1: Wow, you're gilding my work. I'm blushing... (__ )*. I'll work hard to meet your expectations. I always enjoy reading your comments.

3. DragonYinYang: Drum! Drum!! Drum!!! Drum!!!! Drum!!!!!

4. HumanLife: Hehehe. Poor Viviane. She might become the group's designated pitiful character... ㅜ.ㅠ

5. Einz: The answer is a woman in her 20s! Hahaha.

6. rhkdel2: Huh. I saved Viviane! I saved her! Of course, we don't know what will happen yet...

7. Toranoanal: Haha. It's been a while since I've seen your comment. I guess I was subconsciously waiting for your comment. Your comment made me think a lot. Whether to make her a pet, a summon, release her to help later, or kill her. After much thought, I chose humanization as it seemed most helpful for Suhyun's current situation. I feel a bit guilty. ㅜ.ㅠ The part about the imbalance is correct. And your afterword made me laugh. Hahaha. I'll be more careful from now on. :)

8. Demodex: I was surprised by the sudden surge in recommendations, and it was from you. Thank you. I'll use this as motivation to work even harder.

9. Refill: This always happens when I try to write. It's a place with many good people, so I can't just hand over the work in a day... I just cry. ㅜ.ㅠ

10. Hong Seung-sik: This is the last comment! Viviane must be very grateful to you. Hahaha. Look forward to the next chapter!

I always read all the comments repeatedly. Don't be too disappointed if you're not mentioned in the replies. If you have any specific questions, feel free to send me a message! (More comments and recommendations, please! ☞☜)

That's all for today. I hope you always read my work with a comfortable mind.

I welcome original works, recommendations, comments, reviews, and questions at any time.