𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘯. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘯!

Mikhail celebrated inwardly as he lay on the muddy ground. He, by some miracle, emerged unscathed except for the stinging pain in his legs.

“So, how long do you plan to lie there? We should head back inside.”

Von's voice brought him out of his thoughts, prompting him to accept the offered hand and make his way back inside.

The fire continued to burn, casting a bright orange glow throughout the cave as he walked by. His gaze shifted to the side, where he saw the statue. It looked as if it were standing guard over Von's possessions.

𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘩, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭... 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴?

After that thought, he remembered the other small 'friend'.

𝘚𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘢𝘬...

A soft sound caught his attention, and he turned to see the rat next to the fire. Despite the trail of blood and its wound, the rat was bravely trying to reach the flames. Its breathing was barely perceptible but it still was alive, evoking a strange sense of connection within Mikhail.

𝘔𝘺 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘐 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴! He thought to himself as he extended his hand to help the rat.

Squelch!

Before he could reach the rat, Von suddenly crushed it under his foot without a second thought. Then, he callously kicked the lifeless body out of the cave.

“Why... did you kill it?” Mikhail asked, a tinge of anger in his voice.

“It fulfilled its purpose as a tool and it was going to die anyway. This is a mercy.”

His words may have sounded cold, but Mikhail was aware of how the world worked.

The corpse outside caught his gaze, and he only nodded, putting his emotions aside so as not to dwell on the matter. He focused his attention on the main problem, trying to figure out the best way to find the listed metals.

The only thing he could think of was to ask Von. Although he was still unsure, he said, “Hey, do you know the best place to find special metals like gold or mithril?”

Von stared at him in confusion before replying, “like the metal your sword is made of?”

Mikhail's eyes widened.

He pointed at his sword, making sure he had heard correctly and received a nod. He carefully picked up the sword, examining it carefully.

At first glance, it was a simple well-made long sword, crafted from sky blue metal. However, now inside the dark cave he noticed how it seemed to emit its own pale glow, reminiscent of moonlight.

𝘚𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦! He thought.

𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭.

Von smiled in amusement, then asked nonchalantly, “Is this your first time seeing mithril? Surely you knew that when you bought it? A sword like that doesn't come cheap... I would know.”

“It was a gift from my father. But this is the first time I actually used it, as it was mostly there for decoration,” he lied effortlessly.

“I understand,” Von nodded before glancing at the manual. His eyes lit up with surprise as he inquired, “I don't suppose you're considering using it for bone merging, are you?”

𝘚𝘰 𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨?

“... You sure know a lot.”

Von let out a hearty chuckle and said excitedly, “Of course I do, kid! Divine Alchemy, the old art of transmuting mortals into higher beings. Ascension! However, one must become an actual Disciple to truly use it.”

Mikhail watched him in silence.

“I once harbored dreams of being a Disciple, but fate did not smile upon me. I am but the son of a failed slum alchemist. Unlike those who bask in the wealth of the esteemed Noble Families, I was paid with nothing but scorn and disdain.”

With a bitter edge to his voice, Von concluded his explanation and lapsed into contemplative silence.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“...”

“...A rich person visited a bar in my town once,” Mikhail said suddenly.

Von raised an eyebrow.

“How was it?”

“Terrible. He was an ass, expecting us to bow to him. It was as if he wished us all to proclaim, ‘Behold, the clouds part for his great arrival, bathing him in celestial light!ʼ Praise the Six!”

A small smile played upon Von's lips, so he continued.

“But then came the insults, each more degrading than the last. I wager you've never heard some of them,” Mikhail declared, his voice full of confidence.

Von chuckled, “Try me, kid.”

“Peasant.”

“Mud-dweller.”

“Beggar.”

“Bottom feeder.”

“Vagabond!”

“Subhuman creature.”

The two locked eyes for a moment before erupting into shared laughter like playful children.

Mikhail wiped away a tear, raising both hands and saying calmly, “It appears I've been bested.”

Von grinned mischievously. “A natural outcome, my friend.”

Mikhail rolled his eyes at Von's self-praise. He then seriously considered the earlier suggestion as the idea of trying to find a different metal didn't appeal to him.

𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩.

The only downside, in his opinion, was that he would lose a valuable weapon, but even so, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

After making his decision, he moved to retrieve the sword and manual.

“Kid? Is something wrong?”

Von was relaxing against the wall, cradling the small fae statue. Mikhail hesitated, glancing between his bag and the man, but decided it was best to ask for help.

Additionally, this was a matter that concerned his future. The thought of seeking advice from someone with actual knowledge and experience seemed prudent. He handed the manual to Von and picked up his mithril sword as well.

“Um, can you help me with the bone merging?”

Von appeared surprised, opening and closing his mouth a few times before exhaling heavily.

“I hope your not pitying me right now, kid. Nevertheless, I'm willing to assist. But be warned, if anything happens to go wrong, I bear no responsibility.”

Mikhail suppressed a smile and said casually, “Fine, but I will haunt you if I die.”

“I'll keep that in mind.”

Von nodded and began reading.

𝘏𝘮𝘮, 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦.

𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘷𝘦.

With that thought, he ate a nightingale and left the cave to gather wood. He had no trouble finding enough and soon built a large pile that would make a huge bonfire.

As Mikhail went to retrieve a tool to light it, he saw Von carving the array — exactly like how it was depicted in the manual.

“Not bad, Von. You didn't tell me you were so talented at drawing.”

Von remained silent, completely focused on his task. To respect the man's dedication, he took what he needed without further comment.

Mikhail also took the manual that had been set aside.

After lighting the fire, he returned to the cave to thoroughly review the information he had initially skimmed over.

***

After reading for a while, Mikhail gently closed his book and looked up to see Von dutifully heating the mithril. Then, reflecting on what he had just read, sat up to mull over it in interest.

Mikhail had discovered that Divine Alchemy contains three components: body, mind, and soul. As all of these aspects are essential, one can choose to compensate for a lack of skill or resources in one part of this trifecta by excelling in the others.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵!

Mikhail easily grasped the limited knowledge related to body in the manual, however the rest was not as straightforward. He understood that mind involved will and intent, but beyond that, it remained a mystery.

𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭?

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢?

Sighing, Mikhail concluded, “Whatever, at least the manual was helpful...”

“Hey kid, everything's prepared!”

After hearing Von's shout, Mikhail watched as he entered with the now glowing hot blade. He thrust it into the ground in the center of a large array.

Mikhail stood up and approached the sword. Von looked at him with a grim expression.

“Are you ready?”

“If I say no, can we not do this?”

“Sure, but you'll have to heat the sword yourself.”

A small smile played on Mikhail's lips as he bit his finger, allowing a few drops of blood to fall onto the blade.

Then, in a low, reverent tone, he recited the chant, “I call upon the benevolent world to grant me resilience to confront this Ordeal.

“Let this metal meld with my being so I may endure future hardships, and let it serve as the solid foundation for my refinement.

“Thus, with earnest plea I chant, bone merge.”

When he finished the chant, Mikhail focused on his legs, waiting for a sign. He decided to move from down to up, fearing he might damage his head.

𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘺. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭—𝘰𝘩!

At that moment, he felt warmth in his feet, slowly moving upwards. But just as he was about to relax, the soothing sensation rapidly became hotter, before becoming outright painful. He collapsed to the floor, clawing at the ground while screaming in agony.

𝘜𝘯𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘴!

“Kid! Are you okay? Say something!” Von rushed to help, rolling Mikhail onto his back.

He felt as if his bones were melting through muscle and sinew, each small movement accompanied by a wave of agonizing pain. However, the torment had only just passed his knees; his torso, arms, and head were still to go.

𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴! 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴! 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯...

Mikhail clung to those words in his mind and gradually, his lower body transformed, merging with the metal.

In an attempt to lessen the agony, he inhaled deeply, allowing the mist to sooth him. The pain slowly faded away and time melted away into a mindless blur. When his clarity returned he was met with Von’s concerned gaze as the older man offered him a few pieces of nightingale.

𝘐𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳?

At that moment, he realized that it was complete and let out a sigh of relief. Sitting up, he felt revitalized with a newfound sensation coursing through him.

Von who had been watching him coughed loudly.

“Welcome back to the land of the living, kid. Sooo... How do you feel?”

Mikhail was silent at first. His breath rasped in his throat, the sound harsh and uneven.

“Mentally, physically or spiritually?”