13 A Mage and an Alchemist

"Dammit!" I screamed in surprise as the Dark Orb hit the tunnel wall, close to my cover and ripping off part of the stone with a bang.

Looking to the side, I saw the Girl, Moonless, and Iron Shakespeare waiting for my orders.

"This guy is giving us a hard time." Kitab spoke.

"Only becaussse I want the Eclipssse Talisssman." I replied, peeking out of my cover and observing the Yellow Mage at the end of the tunnel.

Hm... The Mage will disappear, leaving only his clothes and some items behind if, I kill him, so I cannot use everything I have, but I can steal the talisman or get it by asking the right questions.

However, the Mage will not stand still while I speak, I will need to survive his blood magic to prove that I am worthy of possessing the talisman. Well, I think I had better get started.

"What isss your origin?!?" I shouted to the Mage from my cover.

"That doesn't matter; I'm just a pawn in the grand scheme of things!" The Yellow Mage shouted back, swinging his staff and conjuring another Dark Orb towards me.

I backed away again and let out an insult as the spell tore off another chunk of the wall.

"He doesn't seem in the mood to talk."

"Not now, Kitab!"

BBBZZZ!

A buzzing sound echoed through the tunnel. Looking at the Mage, I saw him casting Locust Swarm towards us with his left hand. The dark cloud of insects quickly approached, looking like a living shadow with hundreds of eyes shining within it.

"Iron Shakespeare, go ahead and burrrn those bugsss! Moonless go around and attack the Mage's legsss, but do not kill him! Girl, stay clossse to me with your dagger ready!"

Iron Shakespeare charged forward without wasting any time, turning the corner and leaping into the tunnel with his fists blazing.

The undead knight opened his arms and closed them in front of the cloud of insects, slamming his fists together and creating a flaming explosion, reducing the locusts to ashes.

Moonless was the second to act, bypassing Iron Shakespeare and leaping through the smoke cloud left by the previous attack, and charging towards the Mage with her fangs bared.

"Which God do you serrrve?!?" I asked my second question.

"I channel destruction, isn't that obvious?!?" The Mage responded, casting Pyromancy Trick and shooting a small fireball towards Moonless.

The wolf leaped to the side, yelping in pain as the flames singed her fur, but she did not appear seriously injured.

Then she returned to her attack, trying to advance towards the Mage, but being prevented from closing the distance due to the spells cast successively by her opponent.

"Gro-gorrroth?" I asked, knowing the correct answer.

"Correct! You are not completely misguided!" The Mage responded excitedly, beginning his dance.

I knew what he intended to do, cast Hurting. Moonless and Iron Shakespeare were close enough to have their limbs ripped off by the spell, but I did not allow it.

I concentrated and called out to the rats that ran across the dungeon, a few tense seconds passed as Iron Shakespeare and Moonless advanced towards the dancing Mage.

I saw the rats' point of view in my mind; they ran through the walls and tunnels, quickly approaching our location. Simultaneously, a magical circle appeared at the Mage's feet, representing Gro-Goroth's sigil.

The ghostly rats arrived at the last second, breaking through the wall next to the Mage and biting his left leg, shortly interrupting his dance.

The Mage screamed in pain as blood stained his yellow robes, but he endured the pain and danced, casting his spell. Fortunately, this small opening was enough for Moonless and Iron Shakespeare to close the distance.

Moonless bit the Mage's right leg, creating a gush of blood and causing him to scream in agony, as the sound of tearing flesh and the wolf's growls echoed through the tunnel.

The Mage stopped his dance, his legs too injured to perform such demanding movements. However, the Mage acted quickly, as Iron Shakespeare approached with heavy steps.

I took this moment to signal the Girl to follow me. We approached carefully, keeping a safe distance in this tight tunnel.

The Mage pointed his hand against the ground and cast Locust Swarm again, surrounding himself in a cloud of insects. I saw Moonless jumping out of the cloud as she shook herself, pushing away the insects.

Nevertheless, Iron Shakespeare did not care and advanced since the bugs could not get past his armor. The knight raised one of his flaming fists and struck it at the Mage's approximate location, creating a flaming explosion again.

I mentally screamed when I thought the Mage had died, but I sighed in relief when I noticed the lack of a body when the smoke cleared. The Mage had retreated deeper into the tunnel, raising his staff and slamming the butt of the object against the ground.

"Why ssserve Gro-Goroth?" I asked, continuing with my plan.

"Traits of Gro-Goroth are the strongest among the old gods. No other ancient being is so prominent in this era. Like all Mages, apprentices, and priests, I seek personal growth and greater powers. Gro-Goroth has the most to offer! And you can't please all the gods, can you?" The Mage replied.

Hum! I have been doing this since I entered this dungeon!

The tunnel walls opened, and four skeletons carrying mining equipment charged towards us. Iron Shakespeare punched the first skeleton into dust, but the second skeleton took advantage of this opening to pierce Iron Shakespeare's chest with his pickaxe.

The undead knight didn't care, as he was incapable of feeling pain, and smashed the second skeleton against the ground with the swing of his fist, and charged towards the Mage soon after, forcing him to cast spell after spell to keep him away.

Moonless busied herself with the third skeleton, leaving the fourth to me while the Mage prepared his spells, but he would run out of mind eventually.

"Girrrl, are you ready?" I asked the child next to me while holding Shark Teeth. The Girl nodded with determination and held her dagger with both hands, pointing it at the skeleton.

"Rememberrr what I taught you, aim for the legsss." I spoke before entering into combat with the skeleton.

The skeleton raised his pickaxe and lowered it immediately, aiming for my head, but I stepped to the side, dodging the blow that left a small hole in the ground, and cut the skeleton's left arm.

The Shark Teeth ripped out slivers of bone but did not destroy the arm, as it was forged to cut through soft flesh, not tough objects.

The Girl, on the other hand, had more luck in her attack, piercing the skeleton's knee directly at the joint, causing him to stagger back. I took advantage of this opening to attack the skeleton again, delivering a second blow and cutting off his left arm.

However, I jumped back right away, dodging a swing aimed at my right side.

The Girl removed her dagger from the skeleton's knee and ran to my side, watching as the skeleton walked with difficulty due to the weight of his weapon and injured leg.

Suddenly, the skeleton threw the pickaxe towards us, the Girl and I jumped in opposite directions, dodging the flying tool and allowing the pickaxe to pass between us, disappearing into the darkness of the tunnel right behind.

I charged towards the skeleton without wasting time, he tried to scratch me with his bony fingers, but my trench coat and armor were more than enough to block the weak attack.

I then struck the skeleton's neck, hitting his spine with an audible crack, but it was not enough to decapitate the undead, however, his skull almost fell off.

I stepped back, preparing for my next action, but a stone passed by my side and struck the skeleton's forehead, creating a hollow noise and finally separating the skull from the spine, making the bones to fall harmlessly to the ground.

Looking back, I saw the Girl with her arm outstretched and some rocks near her feet.

Hm... I had forgotten about that, the Girl may be weak in hand-to-hand combat in the game, but she is good at providing support with the use of items, especially throwing rocks.

I doubt rocks have the same high percentage of stunning the hit body part of an enemy, unless they are hit in the head, but it could be useful for distraction.

The Girl rushed to my side, carrying a handful of rocks in her arm, and stared at me with an expectant look as she jumped eagerly in her place.

"You did a gooood job!" I smiled at the Girl, patting her head. The Girl closed her eyes as she smiled in appreciation, but a bark interrupted our little moment.

"WOOF! WOOF!"

Looking towards the source of the noise, I saw Moonless sitting in front of me, sticking out her tongue and wagging her tail as she left the arms and legs of a skeleton in front of me.

"You did a goood job too, Moonlesss." I responded, stroking the wolf.

However, I soon changed my focus as the one enemy who still fought. The Yellow Mage alternated between Pyromancy Trick and Locust Swarm, keeping Iron Shakespeare away, but the fire was not that effective against the knight, and the locusts did not pass through the armor.

"Can you teaccch me about Gro-Goroth?!?" I asked the Mage, also ordering Iron Shakespeare to retreat before he suffered serious damage.

"I'm not at the level to impart knowledge on such a subject. Seek my master Nas'hrah of the East if you wish to learn more." The Yellow Mage spoke as he breathed heavily, his robes burned and bloody as sweat ran down his face.

Then he removed a yellow, decorated object from his robes, a talisman with the image of an eclipse.

"Here, if you survive my blood magic, show this talisman to my master and show great humility! He might listen to you!" The Mage exclaimed, putting away the talisman and preparing another spell.

The Mage raised his staff, closing his eyes and muttering magical words. Suddenly, an unearthly wind blew through the tunnel, ruffling the Mage's robes and blowing small objects away.

I had a bad feeling when I saw the sudden change in the environment. Moonless growled as the Girl grabbed my leg, hiding behind me, scared of what would come.

I ordered Iron Shakespeare to stand in front of us, serving as a shield, and commanded the rats, ordering them to attack the Mage's arms. I had to concentrate so that they did not devour the mage's arms; I did not want him to die before giving me the talisman.

The rats disabled the Mage's left arm first, reducing it to a bloody mess. Nevertheless, the Mage stood his ground, ignoring the rats' biting his right arm and finally casting his spell.

The Mage slammed his staff against the ground, letting out a cry of effort before sending a barrage of Dark Orbs our way. Iron Shakespeare placed his arms in front of his body, protecting himself from the attack. Moonless jumped behind the Iron Shakespeare, using him as a shield too.

I turned my back against the spells as I hugged the Girl, watching as she closed her eyes and trembled in my arms. Metallic booms echoed through the tunnel as the orbs hit Iron Shakespeare, each impact leaving a smoke cloud, slowly obscuring our vision.

Then the noises stopped as quickly as they came and the tunnel went silent. I waited a few seconds, prepared for whatever might happen, but nothing came.

The smoke cleared, and I realized that Iron Shakespeare was still standing and that Moonless and the Girl were okay. The Girl opened her eyes and looked around, confused, but sighed in relief when she saw me.

"Arrre you ok?" I asked the Girl and she nodded.

I released the Girl, smiling at the answer, and focused on the Mage who kneeled on the ground. I raised my Shark Teeth and approached with careful steps, Moonless growling beside me. I ordered her to stop before she jumped towards the Mage's neck.

The Mage breathed heavily, his head bowed as his staff rolled away from his injured hands. I saw the tip of the talisman sticking out of the Mage's robes; I quickly grabbed it before the Mage reacted.

"I'll keeep it ifff you don't mind." I said to the Mage, putting the talisman in my pocket.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" The Mage asked dismissively, without looking at me.

"I'm not going to kill you; I already got what I wanted."

"I failed Master Nas'hrah; I am not worthy to consider myself his student. Death is the only thing that remains for me."

"Well, the dungeon is full of dangers; feel free to wander around if you want to die that bad, as I don't intend to kill you. You can go and no one here will stop you."

The Mage raised his head and stared at me in silence for a few seconds, then mumbled something and the person beneath the robes disappeared, leaving the clothes scattered on the floor.

My eyes widened in surprise at this result, but I wasted no time in looting what he left behind and found a soul stone. I mentally celebrated and kept the stone in my pocket, now I just need to kill the Salmonsnake.

"Well guysss, it's time to move on… WOW! You look horrrible!" I exclaimed surprised when I saw Iron Shakespeare's condition.

Holes riddled Iron Shakespeare's armor, particularly on his arms and torso, revealing an abundance of bloody wounds, some even showing the bones and organs rotting beneath.

"Do you feeel any pain?" I asked but got no answer.

Sighing, I ignored the knight and removed the talisman from my pocket, analyzing its design. If I remember correctly, the Eclipse Talisman increases my magic defense and otherworldly damage, a great accessory.

I kept the talisman in the inside pocket of my trench coat and watched as my body glowed slightly before returning to normal. I believe the talisman took effect.

"Ssso, are you ready to continue?" I asked Girl and Moonless, receiving a nod and bark in response.

-XXXXXX-

If my cell phone is right, we have been walking through this maze of tunnels for an hour now. I sent the rats forward and observed the world through their eyes.

This helped me avoid monsters and alleys, only following the tunnels that led somewhere. I also made a point of drawing arrows on the wall with my marker, to know where we came from in case we needed to return, and to avoid going in circles.

Other than that, we had a relatively uneventful walk. Currently, the Girl sat on my shoulders, eating some dried meat while I talked to Kitab, and Iron Shakespeare lighted the way with Moonless beside him, munching on some rotten meat.

"Any idea when we'll get out of here, I'm getting bored!" Kitab exclaimed.

"I have no idea. The rrrats haven't found the exxxit yet." I shrugged.

"At least you have something to do, I, on the other hand, just stand here, looking at your ugly face."

"Hump! You are jealousss of my natural beauttty."

I interrupted my conversation with Kitab the moment the rats found something different. I walked along the path they took and saw a knight lying on top of a stone table with a blue barrier blocking a passage just behind.

Well, we just found one of Nosramus' hideouts. However, where is the alchemist?

I left that thought behind when Moonless barked at something behind us. Turning around, I faced the Specter Knight coming through the wall.

Know what? I will not waste my time!

"Iron Shakespeare, destroy the knight lying in the table!" I ordered, pointing to the knight in question.

Iron Shakespeare wasted no time in advancing towards the knight, I ran after the undead soon after, leaving the specter's range. The Old Knight slowly stood up, observing his surroundings. Only to see a punch approaching the center of his face, sending him flying into the wall.

Iron Shakespeare walked around the table and unleashed a barrage of punches on the knight, crushing him against the stone thanks to the Cave Mother soul increasing his strength, leaving behind a crushed ball of flesh and metal.

The Specter screamed in agony before disappearing into a cloud of blue particles, but I let out an insult as soon as I saw the Claymore crushed at Iron Shakespeare's feet. This weapon would have been useful in the future.

Stifling my despair with the joy of this easy victory, we entered Nosramus' laboratory with Moonless making marking territory on everything in sight. I placed the Girl on the floor and we both observed the apparatus and objects around the laboratory. It will be fine as long as we do not touch the chest.

I focused on the shelves full of books while the Girl observed the bottles filled with colored liquids, seeing her reflection distort like in a mirror house, not that she knows what one is.

You know, it is much easier to find useful books without spending coins if you search in the right places, considering that this is the real world and not a game. I called the rats as I removed the books from the shelf and ordered the animals to take them to our hideout.

Alchemillia I, II and III, Recipes of the 15th Century, Anathomia, Natural Doctrine I and II, The Brotherhood I and II and their original versions, Studies of Alll-mer I, Studies of Gro-goroth I, Studies of Sylvian I, The Tale of Pocketcat I and II, Poems of Love and Torment, Ma'havre, Magic of Blood & Flower I.

These books do not teach any type of magic, but they do contain useful knowledge. Now let us see if I can get something useful out of coins. I took a lucky coin out of my pocket and tossed it in the air.

"Headsss!"

The coin fell into my hand with the tail facing up before crumbling into dust. Damn it! I picked up another coin, this time a dime, and tossed it in the air.

"Headsss!"

The coin fell with the desired result before becoming dust too, and I spotted a paper sheet sticking out of one of the books, so I picked up the sheet and read its contents.

"Creation of Life I."

Hm… I do not know if it is useful. I need two more parts to get the spell and create the Kid Demon, but it is better to save the paper, it might be useful for later.

I opened Kitab and placed the instructions on top of the pages, watching as the paper sheet sank and the information appeared in the book. I also looted Nosramus' laboratory for potions and items.

Now, only the guaranteed Empty Scroll remained. I found the scroll in question on a table, so I opened my backpack and took a pen from my pencil case. I already knew what I would ask for, something I seriously need.

"O LORD, TEACH, HEALING WHISPERS."

The scroll floated as soon as I finished writing the words, drawing the attention of everyone present. Then, the scroll rotated as it glowed brightly, disappearing in a luminous flash.

I felt Kitab moving in my hand, I opened the book and read what he had to say.

"Congratulations, you have acquired a new spell! And a healing one, you made the right choice!"

"Healing Whispers: Whispers carried by the Old God Sylvian, heal wounds and bind injuries."

"Everyone, come clossser, please!"

Iron Shakespeare, Moonless, and the Girl did as I said and approached me, so I cast my new spell. I watched as the glowing purple letters surrounded us, healing any injuries we had before disappearing.

Iron Shakespeare benefited the most from this, being almost brand new except for his armor.

"We can continue our jourrrney now that we've gotten more itemsss and healed up."

"Are you leaving so soon? But I just picked some mushrooms for tea." A soft voice spoke from the entrance of the laboratory, surprising us all.

There was Nosramus, waving and smiling as he held a basket full of mushrooms. Nosramus was a tall, thin, and pale person, with long white hair, a serene expression, and wearing a simple gray robe.

However, the game description did not live up to its appearance. I could not tell if he was a man or a woman, even when I saw him up close and heard his voice. However, I could not deny his beauty, in other words… I would! Next question!

"Sorrry, but we stayed here longer than we should have; we have a long trrrip ahead." I replied politely, preparing to leave.

"Seriously? You didn't seem hurried in ransacking my laboratory." Nosramus replied, maintaining the same calm and gentle tone. However, I cringed at the obvious jab anyway.

"I can returrrn everything back if you want." I spoke, quickly apologizing.

"Did you go through my chest?" Nosramus asked with slight seriousness in his or her voice.

"No, it isss right there, completely untouccched." I replied, pointing to the chest in question.

"So you can keep those old books, I've read them countless times. I believe they will be of more use to you than to me." Nosramus smiled, entering his laboratory and approaching the wood stove.

I stepped away from Nosramus because of the strange feeling he gave me, and I am not talking about my sexuality. As if he was not here, as if his feet did not even touch the ground he walked on.

Nosramus was something ancient and otherworldly. However, I knew what he was, an Enlightened One, one of the members of the fellowship who realized the truth about the ascension to a New God and sought another solution, becoming something more.

"Why don't you two sit down? The tea will be ready soon." Nosramus spoke, pointing to the table where I found the scroll.

The Girl and I exchanged a hesitant look, but Moonless approaching Nosramus caught our attention. I prepared to call the wolf before she attacked the alchemist, but Moonless sat down next to Nosramus and allowed the Enlightened One to pet her head instead.

Shrugging, the Girl and I sat down in our respective seats, leaving Iron Shakespeare in a corner, and waiting for Nosramus to return.

"Hey, I have an important question for you, and I need you to answer it honestly." Kitab spoke.

"Asssk it." I replied.

"Would you fuck Nosramus?"

"WHAT?!?" I shouted, catching everyone's attention. I laughed nervously, looking away before returning to my conversation.

"So what's your answer?"

"What kind of quessstion is that?"

"You neither affirmed nor denied."

"Of courssse not, I refussse to answer that kind of question."

"Come on, I promise I won't judge. I am a book after all!"

"No!"

"Okay, but I would fuck Nosramus." Kitab responded, making me choke on my saliva at that statement.

"And how the hell would you do that?!? You arrre a book!" I asked in disbelief.

"Hey, no need to offend me! I don't go around saying you can't do something because you're human!"

"That's not the point! How arrre you going to fuck Nosramus?!?"

"Simple, getting a body!" Kitab said it as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

"And how do you intttend to do that?"

"By becoming a new god!"

"You want to become a new god jussst so you can fffuck someone?!?"

"Look into my eyes and see how serious I am!"

"You don't have eyesss, Kitab!"

"Come on, it won't be that bad! I have no concept of gender or sexuality, so I don't care who my partner is as long as it's within the law..."

Well, that is a relief!

"...And besides, I don't even know what I'll look like. You might end up liking it~~~" Kitab spoke suggestively.

"What arrre you insinuating?"

"You know exactly what I mean~~~"

"Hm... An interrresting prrroposal, tell me more about it." I replied, seriously considering what Kitab suggested. Maybe I will enjoy it, depending on what Kitab looks like.

I felt the Girl tugging on my shirtsleeve and saw her looking at me with concern.

"I am fine, Girrrl, just faced with a difficult decision."

Unfortunately or fortunately, it depends on your point of view. Nosramus placed a tea set on the table, handing a steaming cup to each of us before sitting down.

"How about we talk a little, dear guest from another world?" Nosramus spoke, sipping his tea.

END OF CHAPTER.