About an hour later, the two of them lay side by side beneath the soft morning light filtering through the window. Seren had ended up near the wall at some point, though she was still pressed close to Lucien, unconsciously clinging to him even in sleep. Aside from the occasional small stir or sleepy shift against him, she remained peaceful and still.
Around her shoulder, a faint black pattern briefly surfaced across her skin—a thin, branching mark resembling cracked obsidian veins spreading outward beneath the flesh—before slowly fading from sight once more.
Lucien glanced toward the transparent System window hovering at the edge of his vision.
[Purification Record]
Target: Seren Aldrekvel
Initial Corruption: 31.40%
Final Corruption: 23.55%
CP Gained: 78.5
XP Gained: 22
***
That puts me at 151 CP to work with, Lucien thought, a small smile forming in his face. More than enough to convert into SP and unlock both Shadow Tendril and Void Cloak.
Granted, he still hadn’t tested his natural stealth baseline yet, but now that he could unlock the skill directly, it hardly mattered anymore. It was still far more useful than Corruption Strike, especially since it suited his work as an assassin much better.
According to the System, the CP threshold I needed to be careful of was 85%, or 170 CP… he recalled. As long as I stayed below that, I wouldn't experience any abnormal symptoms.
With a quiet breath, he focused his thoughts. The CP pool shifted immediately, converting under his intent before the System responded.
[Skill Unlocked: Shadow Tendril]
[Skill Unlocked: Void Cloak]
A strange sensation spread through his body the moment it finished, instinctive knowledge settling directly into his mind.
Beside him, Seren let out a faint murmur.
Lucien turned slightly just as her eyes slowly opened, still hazy with sleep. She seemed confused for a second before realizing how closely she was holding onto him. Her face flushed faintly, and she quickly loosened her grip, pulling one hand back awkwardly.
"S-Sorry."
"For what?" Lucien chuckled, then continued without waiting for an answer. "If anything, I should probably be the one apologizing. It can't feel that great, doing something like this with someone you don't really know."
She shook her head lightly, her damp hair brushing against the pillow.
"I'm grateful you're here," she said after a brief pause, quietly gathering her thoughts. "Being with you gives me the comfort I really needed. I mean… for reducing the Corruption. And I know you're a decent person, so part of me feels guilty for using your body like some kind of treatment."
"You actually feel bad about that? We both agreed to this. Though… yeah, I get it."
Seren pressed her lips together a little, then murmured another quiet, "Thank you."
Lucien didn't linger on it and casually shifted the conversation instead.
"You said it made a noticeable difference. Do you really think your Corruption dropped that much?"
"Yes," she answered immediately, her tone more certain this time. "I can feel it clearly."
Lucien glanced at her with interest. "How so?"
"My head feels lighter," Seren said. "The headaches aren't as bad anymore, and my emotions feel… calmer."
Without much hesitation, Seren pulled the blanket aside, not seeming to care in the slightest that she was completely naked, her expression turning oddly serious as she examined herself like this was a routine check rather than… well, this.
"Even the physical symptoms have weakened," she continued quietly. "I don't think I'm still at Stage 1-C anymore. That's already a major improvement."
Lucien stayed quiet as he looked her over as well, hiding his surprise behind a calm expression.
The darkened veins beneath her skin had faded considerably, and the unhealthy ashen tint from earlier was nowhere near as severe. There were still faint traces around her wrists and temples, but compared to before, the difference was obvious.
Seren seemed to realize what she was doing and quickly pulled the blanket back over herself, her cheeks flushing red. Lucien quietly looked away, giving her a little space instead of teasing her about it.
“Does that discourage you at all?” Lucien asked after a moment. “The overall progress, I mean. It’s still pretty small.”
“…Not really.” Seren shook her head lightly beneath the blanket. “We barely spent that much time on the procedure.”
She fell quiet for a second, seemingly thinking something over before speaking again in the same calm tone.
“I’m also curious what would happen if we just slept together completely naked for an entire night without doing anything. Maybe skin-to-skin contact alone would still have some effect.”
"…You know, the way you analyze this like it's some kind of study is actually pretty interesting to listen to."
Her eyes widened slightly.
“Oh. I didn’t mean to—”
“Relax.” Lucien waved it off with a crooked smile. “Honestly, it’s probably better that you’re the one asking those questions. I don’t think I’ve got the nerve to bring them up myself.”
Seren lowered her gaze a little deeper into the blanket.
“…It’s still embarrassing to say out loud.”
“Everything we’ve done is embarrassing if you think about it,” he replied casually, glancing toward the window where dim morning light filtered through the miasma outside. “Speaking of embarrassing topics, how often do you want to do this until the Corruption’s gone? Or are you planning to stop here and try the Lifebringers instead?”
Seren adjusted the blanket around herself before answering.
“…We can do it every night, if you’re okay with that. As for the duration, we can figure it out as we go.”
“Then it’s settled.”
Lucien pushed the blanket off himself and climbed out of bed, stretching lightly as he rolled his shoulders.
“For now, how about we clean up and head out? Your father’s probably worried, and I’ve still got things I need to take care of.”
It was still morning. Thinking about the fact that he had only arrived in this world a little over an hour ago—and had already ended up in this situation—felt bizarre enough to make him want to laugh.
Seren gave a small nod from the bed, her expression calmer than before.
“Yeah… let’s do that.”
***
Edric was waiting in the living room, seated stiffly on the sofa with his hands clasped together. The moment the two of them came downstairs, freshly cleaned and dressed, he immediately stood up and looked straight at Seren, concern written all over his face.
“Are you alright?” he asked quickly. “I heard a lot of noise earlier. Was that part of the treatment? Was he too rough? Did anything feel wrong? Did you get hurt? And did it even work?”
“You do realize I’m still standing here, right?” Lucien muttered with a tired sigh.
Edric ignored him completely.
Seren gave a faint, reassuring smile.
“I’m fine. Lucien wasn’t rough at all. He was actually very gentle.” She paused briefly before adding, “And… I can feel that my Corruption’s gone down.”
“Then let’s confirm it with an alchemical test.”
“Alright. Let me get the tools first.”
As Seren headed toward the back room, Lucien leaned against the wall and folded his arms loosely.
Part of him wanted to leave already and head to the Twilight Covenant to check for available missions. Still, he figured it was better to stay until the results were confirmed. If he walked out now and something went wrong with the test, it would only damage his credibility with Edric.
And right now, credibility was the last thing he could afford to lose.
Edric turned to Lucien with an apologetic look, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
“Sorry about earlier. I was worried and ended up rambling.”
"Don't act like you don't know me," Lucien said with a sigh. "I was joking. I don't blame your reaction."
Edric gave an awkward laugh, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.
“Right. I just wanted to make sure you knew I didn’t mean anything by it.” He paused for a moment before adding, “While we’re waiting, do you want something to eat? And if the results turn out well, we should probably talk about your reward too.”
Lucien realized he still hadn’t eaten anything since morning and gave a light smile.
“Yeah, I’ll take you up on that.”
After that, he sat back to wait.
Seren returned not long afterward carrying a few materials in her arms. After the purification, she already looked much closer to her usual self—calm, composed, and noticeably healthier than before.
She had changed into a fitted blouse tucked neatly into a long skirt, simple but clean. Her dark hair was tied into a braid this time, which gave her a more refined look that somehow suited her surprisingly well.
Lucien’s gaze drifted toward the items in her hands.
…Is that a ceramic dish?
Seren placed it carefully on the table while setting down a thick clear bottle filled with an odd-looking liquid beside it.
“That’s all you need for the test?" Lucien asked curiously.
Seren nodded once as she sat down.
“Yes. The procedure itself is simple.”
As she spoke, she raised her left hand and pressed her thumb lightly against her index finger. A second later, several drops of blood fell into the ceramic dish with soft taps.
“You only need a few drops of blood… and this reagent solution.”
Seren picked up the thick bottle and carefully poured a small amount into the ceramic dish.
Since Lucien couldn’t actually measure his own Corruption level with his passive skill, he usually relied on a Weave Instrument owned by the Twilight Covenant with Herald of Dawn’s influence, the deity of Illuminators. He had tried alchemical testing once or twice before out of curiosity, but it had been a long time ago. However, he was certain that the process wasn’t looking quite like this.
“It’s a proprietary formula I’ve been refining for years,” Seren explained calmly as she watched the mixture. “The base includes moonbloom extract, crystallized silverwater, and two mineral compounds from my father’s inventory.”
I have absolutely no idea what any of that means, Lucien thought, keeping the reaction to himself.
For the record, Corruption itself originated from something known as the Abyssal Underplane, one of several Planes that had always existed alongside the Material Plane even before the Eclipse. Their influence used to seep through what people referred to as “cracks,” though Lucien still wasn’t entirely sure whether that term meant literal fractures in reality or just a metaphorical description.
These Planes were also the source of the Weavers’ power, the mages of this world. Before the Eclipse, however, their influence over the Material Plane had been relatively limited and rarely dangerous.
The cracks widened in Eclipse, allowing far more energy from the Abyssal Underplane to leak through into the world. That leaking influence eventually became known as miasma, the same corruptive force now spreading across the Material Plane of Aethos and turning both people and creatures into Hollowed beings.
“You know this already, but my primary specialization as a Journeyman Alchemist is Corruption Chemistry,” she continued, seemingly enjoying explaining it. “Most of my work revolves around Corruption testing, suppressants, anti-miasma compounds, and interaction research. Medical alchemy is only my secondary field, which is why you usually come to me for treatment supplies before the Eclipse.”
After about thirty seconds, the liquid in the ceramic dish slowly changed color before settling into a medium amber shade.
Seren’s eyes widened slightly.
“What does that mean?” Lucien asked, leaning forward a little.
“It means I’ve dropped to Stage 1-B.” Her voice stayed calm, but there was a faint excitement underneath it now. “Judging by the color intensity, I should be around twenty to twenty-five percent. Before this, it was deep amber leaning toward orange, which placed me firmly in Stage 1-C.”
She stared quietly at the dish for another second before letting out a slow breath. A small smile finally appeared on her face.
“…I actually went down.”