The pouch had turned into something horrific; Valera’s pouch seemed delicate. A faint glow of mana covered the rope that was used to tie the pouch; small petals were hung across its surface, making it look elegant.
But this pouch was different. Thick streams of blood seeped from its corners as though the leather were still alive. The thread binding its mouth wasn’t made of rope at all; it looked like braided flesh. Just beneath the knot hung a string of long, yellowed fangs tied together, swaying gently against the bloodstained leather.
Emil instantly gasped; his mind became completely foggy as he tried to think about its appearance but failed. His gaze turned towards Liya; the look in his eyes was demanding an answer for this atrocity.
Her grin widened; a chuckle resonated inside the chamber as she picked up the pouch. "Take the pouch, newcomer."
"It’s one of the finest-made pouches in our tower, not quality-wise, but the way it looks is just too astonishing." Her voice carried a strange sense of excitement.
Sara, who had already started working on her project, looked at Liya from the corner of her eye; a sigh left her mouth. "Liya, you’ve lost it again. Once again you’re behaving like a madman, and because of that every new member thinks that we both are some evil scientists."
Liya completely ignored her words as if she didn’t even hear them; the menacing grin still lingered over her face, which started making Emil slightly worried. Emil instinctively took a step back, but there wasn’t any space to stand freely because he was surrounded by multiple marble slabs, which were covered with utensils that seemed to be expensive.
Although Liya had been acting suspiciously, she quickly composed herself and returned to her usual calm demeanour. Her expression softened as she stepped towards Emil. Taking his hand, she gently opened his palm, placed the pouch in it, and curled his fingers around it before letting go.
"Here you go, newcomer," she said with a faint smile.
Emil’s face was covered with sweat, but when he noticed the strange gesture by Liya, he also composed himself because he would rather not act disrespectfully and cause further troubles inside the tower.
He gently bowed down, slid the pouch inside his pant pocket, and continued. "Thank you for making some time to make this subspace pouch for me, senior."
Emil turned towards the door; without wasting any more time in this chamber, he started walking as his steps remained steady so he didn’t notice that he was nervous. But even before he could cover half of the distance, Sara called out for him.
"Newcomer, do you mind doing something for me?" She spoke softly, keeping her eyes focused on her work.
A quick thought appeared in his mind. ’What? She wants me to do something for her? That definitely means that I’ll get another quest.’ The thought alone was enough to send excitement through his body, which made his skin experience goosebumps.
"Yes, senior? I don’t mind doing it for you, so can you please tell me what it is?" He asked.
She placed the flask on the table, swiftly crossed her arms, and the mana which was wrapped around her eyes gradually started to shrink, which ended up reflecting her beautiful grey eyes.
She slowly stepped forward; her steps seemed measured, but still her posture was completely relaxed. "There’s an apprentice of mine who certainly went to the city of Asteria."
A small pause before she continued. "It’s been an entire week since she left and didn’t come back yet, and that’s concerning because I only sent her there to fetch some materials for me, but she still hasn’t come back. You might think I sent her after something incredibly rare or difficult to obtain, but that’s not the case. The materials are common and usually are available in the City of Asteria, a city renowned as one of the kingdom’s largest trade hubs. Under normal circumstances, she should have been back within a day or two."
A strange sense of worry flickered past her face; her eyelids half-closed, and her relaxed posture stiffened. It was obvious for even Liya to think that Sara was worried about her apprentice, and why shouldn’t she be? A summoner is always under target wherever they go, and on top of that, she was an ’alchemist’.
The memories which appeared after Emil awakened in this body made him sure that ’alchemist’ was a subcategory in classes, which makes it easier for players to find their potential.
Alchemists were among the rarest sub-professions in the game, and every guild sought to recruit as many of them as possible. After all, they were the only ones capable of brewing potions, making them an indispensable asset to any organisation.
Emil’s gaze sharpened as he gently grabbed her shoulder; his grip remained firm. "Don’t worry, senior; I’ll visit Asteria and come back with her."
The remark made Sara’s face glow with unusual charm; a warm smile crept onto her lips. She leant towards Emil, grabbed both his hands and continued. "Thank you, newcomer."
"But don’t think I’m asking you to do it for free. Once you return, I’ll brew a special potion just for you."
Before anything could happen, the strange blue light flickered in front of Emil’s eyes once again.
═══════════════════
◇ SYSTEM ◇
═══════════════════
[Quest Received]
└ The Missing Apprentice
───────────────────
[Objectives]
• Travel to the City of Asteria
• Locate Sara’s missing apprentice
• Ensure her safe return to the Tower
───────────────────
[Quest Details]
Sara’s apprentice departed for Asteria a week ago to purchase common alchemical materials but has yet to return. Her prolonged absence suggests that something has gone terribly wrong.
───────────────────
[Rewards]
└ 10000 EXP
└ 35 Copper Leaves
└ Sara’s Special Potion (Random Effect)
└ +10 Favourability with Sara
═══════════════════
Emil read through each entry thoroughly, but there was only one thing that mattered to him the most. The copper leaves and the potion, both of them, were mouth-watering rewards. Just because of these, a strange sense of motivation burned through him.
Without saying anything, he turned towards the door and made his way there. Before leaving through it, he waved at both of them and exchanged greetings.