Elixir for Penelope

Luna described something about an Elixir. And since this is from an Otome game I know it exists, so I asked albeit harshly. 

"Luna, since this is a game there would be a place where we can get an elixir, rather than making one right?"

I asked because I knew, making an Elixir, even with this amount of mana would take time enough to make me hundred or thousands of low level potions.

{Yes…}

"Where?"

{...}

"Luna, tell me!" 

Words of desperation came out my mouth

{The Butch dungeon.}

The Butch Dungeon, everyone knows this notorious dungeon as it's one of the most brutal dungeons that exists out there. But the items that came out of there are simply worth it. 

It could give you a lot of fortune for discovering a single item there. A dungeon filled with blood and flesh in every corner. 

"Where is it?"

{The dungeon has 12 floors, you can find one in the 3rd on a secret spot after defeating the boss}

I ran to the storage of the Marquis, I apologize but I have to borrow an item here. I looked around and found the thing I'm looking for. 

A bag with spacial enchantment. It can hold a carriage's worth of materials. With this I ran out of the mansion, I told the head maid since the head Butler is busy. 

I ran towards the Butch Dungeon, which is just above the marquisate territory near the border. It was tons of kilometres, but I didn't get tired. 

I didn't even notice it but my eyes are sapphire with an outline of black in them when I look in the mirror. 

"What now?" I said slightly panting. I'm not tired after all that running. 

{For now, go ahead and defeat the dungeon bosses from floors 1 to 3}

Nobody is challenging the dungeon at the moment so all is good. I went straight ahead and ventured to the first floor. 

Scarecrows immediately were encountered. Their hands were made of sickles and blood was dripping from their hay bodies. 

"Move!"

But I'm in a hurry. I can't get immersed in this grotesque imagery. I dashed forward and with a thin layer of mana coating my blade I sliced the scarecrows in two. 

I proceeded in the dungeon more until I met the first boss monster on the floor. 

The moment I entered the boss room a Giant Zombie was waiting in the corner of the room, closing the door shut as if it were waiting for someone to enter. 

"tsk."

"Graaahh!"

It roared as if its vocal cord was being destroyed. I couldn't help but look in disdain. 

"Get out of my way!"

The giant zombie bashed its hand down, meeting the cold hard floor, its hand splattered blood like a brush full of paint fell on the floor. 

I dodged by stepping away, holding my sword and slashing horizontally, my emotions getting the best of me as mana covered in red hue went out of my sword to its knee like a beam. 

A beam of red hue just came out of my sword and hit the giant Zombie's knee.

{Isn't this?}

[Sword Aura, when vitality becomes tangible energy]

"Move!!!"

Several sword beams or Sword Aura hit the giant Zombie, the zombie is very fresh by the way so it's spilling fresh blood everywhere. 

The giant zombie collapsed and a massive stone door slid open as it showcased other stairs leading down. 

[Samuel? Samuel!]

{Shit He can't hear us}

Rage and a sense of urgency hit me. The madam is poisoned and is dying, these monsters are obstacles that needed to get out of the way. 

As the voices in my head got ignored I rushed down the stairs and started fighting the next set of monsters. 

I swung my sword as if it were like a part of my body, my heightened senses led me to the most optimum route as I listened to my intuition. 

I was in a trance-like state. I couldn't remember anything till I was in front of the 3rd-floor dungeon boss room and the two voices in my head weren't even in control. 

{Sammy can you hear us?!}

I looked at my arms which were rugged and my body was full of blood. My tailored Butler attire was covered in blood and tatters. 

"Hah…"

I sighed deeply, I don't even properly remember going here. 

"What's next Luna"

{...}

"Luna!"

{There is no development like this in the game… hah… the boss beyond this door is a Vampire, its weakness is at its abdomen because he keeps his heart there}

I then proceed to enter the dungeon boss room, what welcomed me is several torches that dimly lit the room. The door behind me closed as usual. 

My head then pointed to the dim corner of the room, as I felt a presence there. 

"Let me take a guess, you forgot to tell me something Luna"

{... The boss is a deviant}

"You really… give ME a headache, sometimes Luna."

A deviant is a simple term to describe a monster who has more intelligence than what they're known for. In other words, a monster with no set attacking pattern therefore making it harder to fight. 

"Ho ho ho… what's this?"

A dark figure fell down from the dusty ceiling and with a thud, made all the surrounding dust fly and made a momentary fog. 

"A child? Is this a sacrifice… or… something?"

His sentence was soon cut short as I displayed my animosity with aura. The vampire is visibly shitting his pants at this display. 

Perhaps he felt my power and knew he was in danger as his eyes visibly widened and started getting defensive. 

"W-wait! We can talk about this!"

"oh? So you're saying you have an elixir?"

My voice housed irritation and the vampire hearing this audibly gulped, I raised my sword as it was coated in the aura. 

"Wait wait! I do! I do have them!"

"Oh? 7 seconds, 7… 6… "

The vampire didn't even have the time to retaliate as when he heard the countdown he just cursed and went behind the shadows, just to come back with two purple bottles. 

I placed my spacial bag down and kicked it towards the vampire. He looked confused and then I said. 

"Even if you take the bag as long as you aren't at the bottom of the ocean, finding you won't be hard."

This sent chills down the Vampire's spine as it started putting the bottles and pushing them back to me. 

I stared at the bag and picked it up. The vampire was still on the corner. 

"With this I'm free…. Right..?"

His head started to slide off his neck as he talked. And as a vampire, he tried to put back his head on his neck but somehow, a thin layer of aura was constantly burning the sliced flesh, making him unable to regenerate. The vampire died on the floor as he was unable to do anything. 

{Sammy my goodness}

[Oh… ]

I didn't give him a chance, I don't care either. He was already sliced earlier, it was the pinnacle of a human feat to slice someone without them noticing. Especially if it's a vampire, even if it's weaker kin no less. 

{Sammy grab the treasure chest, you might need it later.}

The room became more lit as the surroundings became clearer to see. The room, which is the size of a plaza, has a treasure chest on the opposite end. 

As Luna advised, I walked towards it to open it but stopped midway as I felt something wrong. 

"This feeling…"

[A mimic]

{How'd you know…. Never mind, Open it on its back.}

[Huh?]

"Huh?"

{Trust me}

I walked behind the chest and opened it, the Mimic chomped forward but was confused, as there was no one there. 

Its large rows of sharp teeth could've killed me if I didn't do what Luna said, when it launched forward it was so fast that it created a flash of light with its teeth. 

Nonetheless, I did what I had to do and stabbed it. Till it stopped moving completely. 

{Okay now open it}

I have two bottles of elixir on the bag thanks to the vampire, now what is inside this chest? The moment I opened it I was surprised. 

It was a grimoire when I opened it, it entailed something strange, call it forbidden magic, written in great detail. 

{It's Sacrificial magic. It was banned on the whole continent because of how volatile it is. Kids could chant it and the next thing you know their friend is gone.}

"But why would I need this?"

{You don't need a living thing as a sacrifice.}

"...?"

{You have a lot of mana don't you? You could just use it as a sacrifice in an equal exchange could be made. For example, you sacrificed 3/4th of your mana in exchange you can unlock your full swordsman potential}

"Eh? Isn't that broken?"

{Don't be idle Sammy, Penelope is waiting.}

"ah… right"

{There's a circle on the edge of the room, you could instantly teleport to the entrance with that.}

I nodded and looked around, I couldn't find the circle with my eyes so I ran in circles hoping to step on it. It was a fast process since I managed to find it. 

—Vwoom. 

I got teleported to the Entrance and the moment I did I started running back to the Marquis estate. 

I could hear some gasps as I passed some people in villages. But I didn't stop just because of that. The moment I got to the Marquisate gates the guard looked at me with worry. 

"Old man."

"Samuel?! What happened to you?! You're steaming!"

He hurriedly opened the gates. 

"Tsk! You've been gone for da—"

Before he could even finish his sentence I ran inside the mansion and to the Madam's room and what lay before me was purely shocking. 

Madam Penelope was laying down on the bed, completely still, her pink hair was disheveled as if someone shook her. 

And her eyes, even if closed, looked so pale, Penelope was in the room. Lifeless. 

"Samuel?"

"Sammy?"

And the Head Butler and Ophelia called me with weak voices. 

They were in the hall looking at me with their moist cheeks, probably from crying. 

Was I… too late?