abcnovels
Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Chapter 37: Crazy Mage vs. Airheaded Alchemist (2)
After descending the stairs in darkness for a while, I came upon a large secret room.
Despite being completely sealed, the air was fresh and invigorating.
There were no windows or ventilation, yet the temperature remained cool and dust-free.
Along the edges, illuminated by a white light, were various herbs and potions, many of which were clearly rare.
The bald man brewed a cup of tea in the corner and then sat down on a chair in the center of the room.
“I am Altein.”
I sat down opposite him and replied,
“Alright, Baldy Al. What did you want with me?”
Altein sighed and said,
“…You’ve lost your mind. Are you aware that your body is of a special constitution?”
This time, I remained silent. I wanted to hear what he had to say before making a judgement. Altein took a sip of tea and continued,
“It’s quite unique. Intriguing enough to pique my curiosity. Of course, it’s not just because you suffered from Severed Meridians.”
“Who told you I suffered from Severed Meridians?”
Altein scoffed.
“Told me? I didn’t need anyone to tell me. It’s obvious at a glance. When blocked meridians are opened, their size changes.”
I stared at Altein for a moment, trying to gauge his intentions. Even if the size of the meridians changed, it would be a subtle difference, difficult to distinguish. He figured it out just by looking once?
“That’s hard to believe.”
“Hmph, I haven’t been settled here for long. I first saw you not too long ago, so who could have told me? You’re such an arrogant brat. If it were like the old days… Never mind. Whether you believe me or not isn’t important.”
His fluctuating mental state made him seem more relatable.
This shady bald guy was either one of two things: a truly skilled individual who thought nothing of such a feat, or just plain crazy.
“Overcoming Severed Meridians is interesting, but that alone wouldn’t pique my interest. What was truly fascinating was the day you returned beaten to a pulp. At first, I thought you were just filled with turbid energy, but I was wrong. It was a phenomenon I had never seen before.”
The day I returned beaten to a pulp must have been the day I was first reincarnated.
“What phenomenon are you talking about?”
“Your body was clearly a wreck, unable to move a finger, yet it had a strange resilience. At first, it felt similar to the barriers of those unlucky Baekga bastards, but upon closer inspection, it was different. Haha. I never imagined I’d find something interesting in this backwater village. The world is truly amazing.”
“… … .”
“I spent a week investigating, but I made no progress, so I let it go. As I said, it was just simple curiosity. Do you have any idea what it might be?”
Listening to him, I had a rough idea.
The body and mind are not separate entities.
When the body reaches its limit, the mind collapses, and when the mind reaches its limit, the body collapses.
Strangely enough,
The day I was brutally beaten by the Corpse Eye,
Even though my body was a wreck and I should have passed out from the beating, my mind remained clear.
It was because some damn strange voice in my head prevented me from losing consciousness.
And this is a fact that no one but me knows.
The moment Altein pointed this out, I stopped doubting his abilities. I don’t know what he does, but he’s not your average old man.
Lost in thought, I heard Altein say,
“Seeing you today, I’m certain. You’ve changed again in those few months. Of course, I’m not talking about your face…”
As soon as he mentioned my face, I couldn’t help but interrupt him.
“What about my face?”
“Haha, doesn’t it look like a corpse? You look years older than the last time I saw you.”
Suddenly, I thought of the water buffalo calf and the wary Torun, and looked at Altein with a desperate expression.
“Is there a way to treat it?”
I fell into despair as Altein shook his head.
“When the body is overexerted in a short period of time, the face is usually the first to collapse. There’s no way to treat it. Just get a few days of good sleep, and it will naturally resolve itself.”
From despair, I found hope. That’s why despair and hope are so closely intertwined.
Anyway, there was a reason why I looked older.
I vaguely remembered Kazen mentioning that the area under my eyes was dark…
It seemed that the battle with Hector had taken a toll on my body.
Altein smiled and continued,
“I wasn’t talking about your face. Even with a body that has overcome Severed Meridians, such explosive growth in such a short time is impossible. So…”
“… … .”
“Would you mind if I examined your body a little further? It’s not a bad offer.”
At this point, I was certain. It was pure curiosity stemming from madness. How could I be so sure? Because crazy people have a way of understanding each other.
I suddenly stood up and started examining the herbs and reagents on the wall.
As expected, there were many rare ones. Not just rare, but also those with strong toxicity that were difficult to handle.
“Are you interested in herbs? Haha.”
My gaze settled on a plant with particularly white leaves.
“That’s White Grass. When properly combined with reagents, it can help restore vitality.”
“Are you an alchemist?”
“I can tell you the formula if you want.”
I shook my head and looked at Altein.
“I should be the one teaching you alchemy.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve learned alchemy in vain, quack. You can’t even distinguish Snow Flower Grass from White Grass.”
“What?”
I heard a gasp. I looked up to see Altein staring at me with wide eyes.
It was no wonder. White Grass was precious, but it couldn’t compare to Snow Flower Grass.
Even the “Final Expedition,” which gathered the most extraordinary individuals, had only a few stalks of Snow Flower Grass.
I met Altein’s gaze and asked,
“What are you doing here? What kind of old man are you to have Snow Flower Grass?”
After a long silence, Altein suddenly threw back his head and burst into laughter.
“Cackle, cackle, cackle. This is amusing. Truly amusing.”
“Ehahahahahaha.”
I couldn’t lose, so I laughed just as strangely. Laughter is contagious, but this time I laughed on purpose. We laughed like madmen for a while, then stopped abruptly at the same time.
“Consider yourself lucky, boy. If I hadn’t thoroughly examined your body before, I would have killed you now. You could easily disguise your face. What are you? Where did you come from to know about Snow Flower Grass?”
“I asked you first.”
“…Haha, let’s just say I’m an old man who wanders around and lives in hiding.”
“Why are you living in hiding?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Why not?”
“Haha, you’re hiding something too, aren’t you?”
“Are you suggesting another game of hide-and-seek?”
“You have no manners.”
The conversation between the crazy mage and the airheaded alchemist was going nowhere.
But no matter what, I had no intention of doing what Altein wanted.
“I can’t entrust my body to an airheaded alchemist. Are we going to fight to the death?”
Altein laughed and shook his head.
“It’s a hassle to move my hard-earned nest again. I’m getting old, you know.”
Altein stood up and started climbing the stairs.
“We’ll have another chance to talk.”
“Alright. Now that you mention it, I didn’t really want to fight to the death either. I respect my elders. In that spirit, I’ll take the White Grass.”
As soon as I picked up the Snow Flower Grass, a chilly atmosphere descended.
“Such a temper…”
I quickly put down the Snow Flower Grass and followed Altein. When we reached the first floor, Altein saw me off.
“Come back if you change your mind.”
“Hey, let’s reconcile first. Don’t you agree, Healer Altein?”
Understanding my meaning, Altein immediately changed his tone.
“Haha. Then please take care, Master.”
“That’s not reconciliation. You’ve been speaking informally to me this whole time.”
I passed by Altein, who was looking at me with a bewildered expression, and headed to the side.
I grabbed a nearby bag, quickly scooped up a handful of potions from the wall, and walked past Altein.
“You must have owed me money. Consider this as payment.”
Feeling uncomfortable under his sticky gaze, I kindly closed the door for him and left.
.
.
.
As I stepped outside, the bright crimson lights of the entertainment district enveloped my vision once again.
Unlike usual, the atmosphere wasn’t boisterous. There were hardly any foreigners on the streets.
I sighed.
I remembered where I had seen Altein’s unpleasant gaze before.
It was the same look the elders gave me.
A somewhat yearning gaze.
Damn it.
I don’t know why I keep attracting old people. I don’t want to receive such looks from them.
I sighed and passed through the main street of the eastern district. It was strangely quiet. The streets, which should have been filled with drunk foreigners and courtesans, were almost empty.
“… … .”
When I reached the blacksmith’s shop after passing through the main street, I finally sensed someone’s presence. A bearded man with a tired face came out from inside.
“Are you looking for something? I haven’t seen you before… Ruin?”
“It’s been a while.”
I spoke to the bearded man warmly, feeling a bit sorry for him. I also addressed him formally out of respect for a craftsman.
The bearded man’s gaze wasn’t kind, but I didn’t feel offended.
This place was quite close to Samael’s, so he must have seen the pathetic Ruin of the past often.
“It’s a small world. What brings you here?”
“I’d like to see a spear.”
The bearded man let out a strange laugh and gestured to one side. He didn’t seem interested in talking to me.
I looked around and picked up a heavy spear with a thick shaft and a wide blade. The bearded man let out another mocking laugh.
“Are you going to use it?”
“No. How much is it?”
“3 gold.”
As soon as I handed over the money, the bearded man disappeared back into the blacksmith’s shop. I watched him from a distance for a while until the forge fire went out.
“… … .”
Only after the forge fire was completely extinguished did darkness envelop the street.
I sneaked into the blacksmith’s shop like a cat burglar, hung the pouch of gold coins on the doorknob, and slipped away.
It contained all the money I had received from Kant for the mana stones, but I didn’t feel too bad about it.
I ended the long day and returned to the family estate.
* * *
Morning dawned on Mount Khaoto.
I woke up slowly, bathed in bright sunlight. It was the first time in a while that I had slept soundly without any thoughts. I deliberately stayed in bed longer because of what Altein had said.
As soon as I entered the living room, Lihan appeared with a tired face.
“You’re awake, Master. I didn’t wake you up because you were sleeping soundly.”
“Well done.”
Lihan then gave me a few reports.
Hector and the Red Tower mages had returned to the tower,
and Kazen and the butler were away on business.
“Where did they go?”
“Well, the head of the family didn’t specify their destination, so I’m not sure.”
“I understand. Go and do your work. You must be busy without the butler.”
I had a rough idea. It must be because of Urgon. Kazen probably went to ask for help in person since it couldn’t be resolved through letters.
Lihan disappeared again, and I yawned as I stepped out into the yard.
The scenery of Mount Khaoto unfolded before my eyes.
Swoosh—
The refreshing scent of pine filled my nostrils, and a cool breeze brushed against my cheeks.
The vast Samael estate.
The training ground, etched with countless footprints.
They say humans are creatures of adaptation.
Now, the wide open view had its own charm.
The lush green forest embraced Samael, and the towering cliffs stood tall behind it.
Samael had changed, but Mount Khaoto remained the same as it was 300 years ago.
“One! Two! Three! Four!”
I heard a chant in the distance.
The apprentices were running down the mountainside in formation.
I watched them for a moment, mesmerized by the sight against the backdrop of Mount Khaoto’s scent and scenery.
I was reminded that the Samael of old was no more. But somehow, the apprentices’ chanting sounded no different from the sorcerers of that era.
‘Hmm.’
The apprentices descended the mountain and started washing themselves in the stream at the edge of the training ground.
I glanced at the towering cliffs in the distance and slowly approached the apprentices.
If they had built a solid foundation, it was time to start the real preparation.
“Oh? Is the commander here?”
The apprentices noticed me and gathered one by one.
I paired them up, facing each other, and said to the bewildered apprentices,
“We’re starting a duel.”
———