Myrina opened her eyes, greeted by a familiar ceiling. Was this the afterlife for warriors as mentioned before? She knew her body well enough that Idas couldn't have saved her without a miracle. Moreover, his insistence that it wasn't a miracle made her believe him. After all, the Gods hadn't punished him for denying their blessings, and he seemed like any ordinary person his age.
She examined her arm and other injured areas, finding only faint scars that were barely visible.
"The afterlife is rather underwhelming," she muttered.
Suddenly, Idas' face came out of nowhere, startling her. He smiled and said, "You've led an honorable life, and now you'll live in eternal bliss with the person you loved the most—the one you found handsome, smart, and charming."
For a moment, Myrina almost fell for his lies, but she quickly snapped back to reality and pushed Idas' face away. "Enough with your jokes. And next time you come up with some crazy idea, try being a bit more humble when describing yourself."
***
Relief washed over me as Myrina woke up, confirming the reality of my newfound class abilities. Creating a healing potion felt nothing short of miraculous, especially since I could easily substitute the main ingredients with others of similar effect. The key ingredient was infusing the potion with my own Spirit Energy.
Fortunately, even the basic low-class healing potions possessed remarkable recuperative abilities. In my case, quantity compensated for quality.
"Well, well, maybe you enjoy this lively side of me. That's why it manifested in the afterlife," I joked with Myrina, but she saw through my facade and stood up.
Before I could continue teasing her, my attention was drawn to the bubbling cauldron in the kitchen. I hurried over, performing two clockwise spins, and a translucent energy flowed from my hand into the cauldron. This energy, known as Spirit Energy or Mana, lacked a definitive name and tingled when used.
"How long was I unconscious?" Myrina asked, examining her previously poisoned arm, now fully healed without a trace of a scar.
"Three days," I replied after a momentary pause.
Her eyes widened, and she turned towards me, chuckling. "Heh, so you really did possess a miracle up your sleeve. I actually believed you when you said you weren't blessed. You're a skilled liar, no doubt about that. How did you counteract the poison?"
"Antidote potion," I explained. Infused with my Spirit Energy, it served as a general antidote effective against most poisons. Additionally, the healing potions aided Myrina, as her strong vitality also fought off the poison. Her previous encounter, three days ago, had exposed her to poison as well, possibly contributing to her developing some form of immunity.
Although I embarked on this class journey primarily to save Myrina, it had proven to be an extraordinary experience.
Class: Alchemist
Traits: [Transmigrator] [Talented Alchemist]
Level: 5
Strength: 0.9
Agility: 0.8
Constitution: 1
Spirit: 2 → 5
Luck: 4 → 5
Skills Page ≫
I clicked on the skills page.
-Active Skills:
Transmutation - Lvl 1/10 (new)
Brewing - Lvl 1/10 (new)
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
-Passive Skills:
Spear Mastery - Lvl 1/10
≪ Status Page
With the introduction of the new class, significant changes occurred, creating an environment reminiscent of the mad scientist archetype. Although my combat abilities remained largely unchanged, I gained the ability to heal.
Transmutation, while considered a combat ability, required extensive preparation, rendering it impractical in most combat situations due to its long charge-up time. Though it was potent for my level, its limited usefulness deterred me from relying on it during fights.
Combat was no longer a major concern for me since I no longer sought out dangerous monsters. Instead, I found traits to be quite advantageous.
[Talented Alchemist]
Despite the usual requirement of decades of dedication and the study of forbidden knowledge, you have managed to surpass your peers and achieve the esteemed title of Alchemist at a remarkably young age.
{+1 Spirit}
However, I had likely managed to become an Alchemist at a young age due to my previous life's knowledge. If my basic understanding of half-forgotten chemistry qualified as forbidden knowledge, it made sense given the primitive state of the world I found myself in.
"You're doing that creepy smile and staring into empty space again," Myrina sighed, casting a disgusted gaze my way.
"I was just lost in thought," I dismissed my status page.
"Do you have any idea how strange you look?" She shook her head, ready to unleash another insult. But she paused, smiled, and approached me.
The sunlight shimmered in her haunting purple eyes as she hugged me. "I'll say this once, so listen carefully. Thank you for saving me."
Our moment was interrupted by the bubbling cauldron in the kitchen, prompting me to excuse myself. "The second bubble means the potions are ready. Want to come and see what saved you?"
We hurried to the kitchen, where I stirred the concoction once counterclockwise. Then, taking the wooden spoon, I grabbed a bucket of sand and poured it into a roughly drawn circle adorned with peculiar symbols—the transmutation circle necessary to activate the Transmutation skill.
After pouring the sand, I touched the transmutation circle, causing the crude chalk lines to illuminate. The sand transformed, adopting a red hue as it coalesced into perfectly shaped glass potion bottles.
Immediately afterward, a slight migraine gnawed at my brain, signaling my depleted Spirit Energy and the need for rest. Magic powers were cool, but migraines were annoying to deal with.
"You can use Kar!" Myrina exclaimed.
Using a cloth to wipe the sweat from my brow, I inquired, "Kar? What's that?"
"It's the energy sorcerers and shamans harness," Myrina explained. "It enables the use of sorcery and rituals. Manipulating such energy is rare, and even on the Amazon Island, I only know of two people who possess this ability."
Taking a deep breath, I covered my hands with two cloths and cautiously gripped the cauldron. Potion brewing was a delicate process prone to mishaps, especially since my skill was only at Level 1. There was a high likelihood of the hot potion exploding when poured into the bottles, posing a significant danger.
Swallowing nervously, I prepared myself to step back if any danger arose. "Stay back, as they could explode," I warned Myrina before beginning to pour.
Carefully, I poured the potions into twenty bottles, relieved to find that none of them had any adverse side effects. I had a knack for luck-related endeavors, but I knew not to let my guard down. After securely corking the potion bottles, I couldn't help but worry about the possibility of failure in future brews.
"What are you going to do with them?" Myrina asked, her curiosity piqued.
"I will give them to the injured villagers. Some of them rely on healing potions for their recovery," I explained. Among the villagers were individuals with missing limbs or on the brink of death. These potions not only healed them but also kept them alive.
Myrina playfully nudged me. "I bet you're quite the celebrity."
My reaction must have been more telling than I intended, as she coughed to conceal her laughter. Normally, I preferred to keep a low profile, but I couldn't let anyone suffer or die because I wanted to hide my abilities. The less attention this garnered, the better.
"What about Archsh's corpse?" she asked. "I need some proof of my achievements when I return home."
"Don't worry, the corpse is intact," I reassured her.
Why would I waste any part of such a wondrous and anatomically baffling creature? Archsh had nine hearts, two of which I had pierced with my arrows, but it seemed unaffected. I had even extracted most of its venom.
She requested to see the corpse, so I led her outside my house. There, she marveled at the majestic spider's remains, which hadn't begun to decompose even three days after its demise due to its toxic insides deterring maggots.
Myrina boldly tore off its head and pincers, disregarding her lack of protection. Perhaps she had developed an immunity to the venom by now.
As I pondered other concerns, winter loomed on the horizon. With many adults dead or injured, the village faced the threat of starvation due to insufficient labor to complete the last harvests.
I had to devise a plan to save them. I hadn't rescued them only for them to perish from hunger a few months later.
How could I help a labor-depleted village?