The woman’s face lit up with satisfaction because new joiners usually forget to pay respect to their seniors, but Emil didn’t.
Emil didn’t know that this little gesture by him would create a huge impact on her.
She glided toward the tall shelf beside the floor-to-ceiling window, where the fading light cast her frame into a soft shadow. Coming to a stop, she looked back over her shoulder and motioned for Emil to follow.
He instantly figured out what she meant and walked there. When he reached her, he stood just beside her, eyes fixed at the front.
A bunch of utensils, flasks, beakers, and other items were kept alongside them. His gaze lingered on them for a couple of seconds, then shifted to her.
She had already grabbed a flask in her hand, and the other hand was directed at Emil as if she were demanding something from him.
Emil didn’t waste any time; he slid his hand inside his pocket and pulled out the pouch, which contained dungeon scraps.
He gently placed the pouch in her hand and said softly, "These are the materials, senior."
A faint grin tugged the corner of his mouth as he continued, "I brought some extra just in case something goes wrong." He shrugged gently, and by his body language she picked up that he wasn’t under any pressure.
She clenched her fists lightly, her grasp tightening over the pouch’s firm leather. ’Oh!! I have never seen a newcomer act in such a manner... he surely is interesting.’
She turned towards the items. On the shelf there was a flask placed, containing pink liquid that was producing soft bubbles as seconds passed.
Just by looking at it, one could tell that it was hot, but there wasn’t any steam leaving through it.
Emil’s brow furrowed; he looked visibly confused, and his current state made her chuckle. Emil’s gaze swept across her face; a mischievous grin remained on her lips, but her complete concentration was fixed on the flask.
She grabbed the flask containing pink liquid and poured it into a new utensil; the utensil already carried a transparent liquid that looked almost identical to water.
Once both mixtures were perfectly aligned, she gently stirred them until they fused into a single solution. The liquid slowly shifted into a deep purple before she began adding the remaining ingredients.
She picked the items one by one from the pouch; first came the turn of [Goblin Skin]. When the material touched the liquid, bubbles formed instantly, dissolving the skin rapidly.
Then she dropped the [Goblin Tooth] into the mixture. The moment it touched the liquid, steam began to rise, making it obvious that the concoction had reached the right temperature. She immediately started stirring once again, ensuring the ingredient blended thoroughly into the liquid.
The grin on her face widened, and her eyes went darker as her chuckle suddenly turned into something suspicious.
Instinctively, Emil took a step back, directing both his hands forward to guard himself if something escalated. ’What’s going on... is she possessed or something?!’
She didn’t pay any attention to Emil and continued chuckling for a few minutes; then she said, "Give me your hand, newcomer."
Emil raised a brow in confusion at her sudden request, but he complied without questioning her.
Instantly, she slid her hand inside her robe’s pocket and grabbed a needle. Then, it gently poked Emil’s fingertip, which made Emil flinch because of the sudden pain.
His reflexes kicked in as he tried to snatch his hand back but failed because she had grabbed it firmly. A drop of blood flowed out through the cut. Just as the final drop began to separate from the tip, she swiftly slid the flask beneath it with practiced precision, catching the droplet the instant it fell. It landed inside with a soft plink, not a single drop wasted.
The moment it touched the liquid, she let go of Emil’s hand and started stirring the flask once again, mixing the blood with the rest.
"Sara, bring me a leather pouch, please."
Another woman who was working on another project in the opposite direction of the room looked up from the utensils. Her eyes were wrapped with mana; she wore the same robe as the other woman, indicating that both of them carried the same authority in here.
Her hair was short, only reaching her ears, and she had gray-colored eyes, which carried heavy dark circles below them, clearly proving that she had overworked herself.
’Uff... I can already see stress in her eyes, mate!! I knew that such people are hardworking, but she looks like she hasn’t slept in days.’ Emil said inwardly as he shook his head lightly.
Sara walked over to the wooden shelf and pulled open a concealed drawer built into the counter. Inside lay a neat row of finely crafted leather pouches. She picked up one of them before making her way back to the pair. Stopping in front of the woman, she held out the pouch and placed it in her hands.
"Can’t you do one thing by yourself? I was trying to complete my research, and thanks to you, Liya, now I’ve lost my concentration." Sara scoffed.
Both of her arms shot down in unison; her gesture clearly reflected anger as she continued, "Now I have to start it from scratch, or else the calculations will go wrong, and this entire chamber will blast."
But Liya didn’t care enough about her rants; she kept the pouch on the shelf and poured the liquid inside of it. But even before it could make contact with the leather, Emil got pushed back by Sara.
A strange sense of confusion flickered past Emil’s face; he opened his mouth to ask why she did that, but he got his answer practically.
The leather pouch suddenly burst apart with a sharp pop. Although the explosion wasn’t particularly powerful, it was enough to fill the chamber with thick smoke. An acrid odor spread through the air, so harsh that it stung their noses and throats, making it difficult to breathe.
Emil waved his hand in front of his face, coughing several times as he tried to clear the irritating fumes from his lungs. After a few moments, the smoke gradually began to clear. As the last particles drifted away, the leather pouch wasn’t to be seen anywhere because there was something entirely new placed there instead of it.