Chapter 255 - Suspicious Behavior (Thank you for your support, Lance!)

The cloaked guy left without saying anything and then Glacien resumed her hunt in the labyrinth while Alisandra woke up and began to make a fuss since she was hungry. It looked like I would never have a moment of peace from now on.

‘I need to make more tools for my laboratory… If I want to make my own recipes for potions, I need to analyze all the parts of all the materials that I came across. As long as it is something that isn’t nasty, I should consider using it.’

I already had Observe, with a microscope. Perhaps I could check the smaller parts of most things to see their basic nature. That should be a good start.

It seemed a bit too late to start in the path of alchemy, but it was fun, so it was alright. It also would help me in the battles, and I have been looking for some kind of support role to cover that kind of thing once I obtained the power to create my arrows with mana.

Even Renna’s alchemy book had all kinds of recipes for potions, with all kinds of effects, so it would be fun and useful to have my own. The recipes that she had were: Health Restoration: Instantly restores a portion of lost health. Stamina Boost: Replenishes stamina to fight or run longer. Mana Restoration: Restores a portion of spent mana or energy used for magic. Antidote: Cures poison effects over time. Regeneration Elixir: Gradually restores health, mana, and stamina over several seconds.

There were also others for direct combat: Strength Elixir: Increases physical damage dealt for a limited time. Fortitude Potion: Reduces incoming physical damage. Agility Draught: Enhances speed and reflexes temporarily. Focus Tonic: Improves accuracy for ranged attacks or concentration for spell casting. Adrenaline Surge: Temporarily boosts all combat stats but causes fatigue afterward. There were many other types of effects for elemental magic, utility, and effects that affect the mind.

‘I had read some alchemy books back home, but we were mainly a family of warriors, so they didn’t know much about that topic. Renna should be a hundred years old, that would explain why she knows so much. Wait a minute, weren’t Clarice’s parents that were the alchemists?’

I probably shouldn’t dive too much in that area, though. I was mainly an engineer, after all. My real strength lies in crafting stuff that helps directly in fighting. Perhaps I can combine both, though. I had read all the alchemy book, but that still didn’t give me any hint on how to use the Mana cores the way I wanted. 

I had been thinking about the potential of using mana cores in a liquid form. The idea was interesting. Such a transformation could open up countless possibilities in my field of creation. Liquid mana cores would be far more versatile, making it easier to integrate their energy into interesting and complex mechanisms. It could revolutionize how creations powered by mana worked.

Still, I wasn’t naïve enough to think I was the first to consider this. Turning mana cores into a liquid state was likely a dream many others had tried to accomplish, especially those in advanced fields of magic or alchemy. Yet, despite all the effort and innovation that must have gone into the idea, no one had managed to pull it off, at least not to the extent that it was known or practical.

The fact that no one had succeeded made it both difficult and tempting. If I could figure out the secret, it would be a groundbreaking achievement. The challenge was immense, but the rewards could be even greater.

In any case, two days later. I couldn’t help but sigh since the progress of the improved wagon was a lot slower than I had imagined… I wanted speed, but I didn’t want to sacrifice durability, so the problem was my own greed.

When I took a break, I realized that Glacien was leaving the labyrinth covered in bruises. She also had some claw marks on her body.

“What have you done this time around?” 

“Awoo!”

I healed her and then she put the magic bag that she carried in front of me. I immediately was able to tell that it was completely filled. When I checked the interior, I was able to see to extra large frost lizard claws and some large bones as well.

“You went out and defeated the first boss by yourself…”

Glacien looked proud of herself, but that had been pretty dumb. It was clear that the first boss of this kind of labyrinth wasn’t as weak as the others. Hence why Glacien was so beaten up.

“I guess I can’t say much when it comes to recklessness. Just rest for a while before deciding to do something stupid again.”

“Awooo!”

While I said that, Glacien’s judgement was better than mine when it comes to danger. She was a beast, after all. She wouldn’t pick a fight that she knew that she couldn’t win…

“Da-da-da!”

Glacien sniffed Alisandra and then curled up around her cradle. I thought that Alisandra just said something akin to welcome back, but I couldn’t be certain. Glacien yawned and then began to sleep… All of a sudden, I felt pretty tired too. The famous mirror effect… of was it.

I stretched my body and then let my back rest against the wall of the wagon while I stared at the blue sky. It wasn’t going to snow today, given that the sky was crystal clear. I still felt relaxed while looking at the blue sky, even though it always made me feel weaker.

‘It feels like a nice day to laze around.’

It would be good if I could do that, but not doing anything only made me worry. I was worried about Clarice and the situation at her home. Nimir too… I could guess that he managed to reach the Kingdom of Felyndor, but the world was changing and I wondered how she would fare with those changes.

‘Meh, I will just work.’

In the end, I had to stay productive. It was the only way to keep the worries about situations beyond my control from overwhelming me. Letting my mind dwell on uncertainties and problems I couldn’t solve would only paralyze me, leaving me trapped in a cycle of anxiety and frustration.

By focusing on what I could do, on the tasks and goals within my reach, I found a sense of purpose and direction. At the very least, staying productive gave me the chance to change the things that were within my power. It wasn’t easy to push those larger worries aside, but I knew that dwelling on them wouldn’t help. The best I could do was channel my energy into meaningful actions, even if they seemed insignificant in the grand scheme of things. 

Two more days passed, and it looked like my guarding job would end without any issues… I tried to avoid thinking about that, even more so saying it Outloud in order not to jinx myself. Still, I knew that nothing in my life is ever so simple… I confirmed that on the morning of the sixth day of my job. Just when I was about to dash away from the area as soon as the week ended. However, I could see that guy approaching once again.

“Heya. How have you been doing, friend?”

“... Do you realize how suspicious you sound whenever you call me that?”

“Yes, however, I can’t think of any other way to act normally.”

“You must have had a weird life so far if this is your idea of normal.”

“Anyway, look at what I brought here.”

Aegis of Renewal (Epic)

Enchantment Slots: Self-Repair (Novice) - The shield restores 5 durability everyday. If damaged during combat, the repair effect is delayed for 5 hours after the last hit.

Defense: 50

Durability: 40/40

Stamina-Siphoning Fang (Epic)

Enchantment Slots:

Stamina Drain (Novice): Restores stamina equal to 10% of the damage dealt with each hit. Critical strikes drain 20% stamina from the target and transfer half to the wielder.

Attack: 18

Durability: 15/15

I furrowed my eyebrows when I used identification on the items that the cloaked guy brought me… considering that he hadn’t seen items with those effects, he sure found them fast.

The Aegis of Renewal was a medium-sized, circular shield with a robust design. Its surface was crafted from a combination of polished gold metal and reinforced obsidian, giving it a sturdy appearance. The outer rim was engraved with a soft glow blue, showing the self-repair enchantment at work.

At the center of the shield was a radiant, hexagonal crystal embedded into the metal. This crystal pulsed gently with light, emitting a faint hum that was both soothing and empowering. Fine, vine-like etchings radiate from the central crystal.

The Stamina-Siphoning Fang was a slim and terrifying looking dagger, designed with both elegance and lethality in mind. Its blade was slightly curved, ending in a wickedly sharp point. The metal of the blade has a glossy black finish, with faint green light etched along its length. 

The hilt was wrapped in dark leather with green stitching, ensuring a secure grip. A small emerald-like gem was embedded in the pommel, pulsating faintly with energy that flows to the wielder when stamina is drained.

“It is good to have friends in high places. I don’t think that I would have obtained these kinds of relics by myself. I can give them to you if you make a pair of daggers with these enchantments.”

“So, that is how it is, huh? I can’t make daggers with both effects. It would require daggers of the mythic rank.”

“We can make them if we defeat the final guardian of the labyrinth. With my help, this will be a cinch.”

“... How much did they tell you?”

It was becoming very clear that Vincent and Nimir had let some information about my enchanting skills slip. Otherwise, this guy wouldn’t have approached me with such a specific and ambitious request. Enchanting wasn’t exactly a casual craft that everyone was aware of, and the precision needed for something like this wasn’t common knowledge either.

The way he framed his request hinted that he already knew I was capable of. It wasn’t the kind of task someone would randomly assign to a novice or someone without a reputation for pulling off the extraordinary.

“Don’t get angry at her. She was just a kid back then who was just too honest for her own good.”