Passing rapidly through a grey cloud, Pef sought to find a silver lining for his misfortune.

'Being snarky with gods is not a healthy occupation.' he mused inward, with a wry but somewhat wiser voice.

*You have entered the Paracelsus Association Dungeon, via freefall. Gaia is amused.

Pef's eyebrow twitched a little at the notification.

"Glad to have been amusing." he muttered in a low voice.

However, there was a grey wearing person waiting for him as he came to land.

"Mister Pef. Follow me." the Grandmaster Alchemist said in a rather stern tone.

Pef nodded and sighed inward. Master Paracelsus knew of his adventure in Valhalla, no doubt about.

A minute later, they entered his office, an old looking room, lined with ancient bronze and crystal alchemic utensils and leather-bound books on the shelves near the walls, looking more like a museum than a real office.

"How was Asgard, Elder Pef?" Paracelsus asked with a polite and curious voice.

Pef glanced up at his grey-blue eyes, searching for further meaning. Only, those eyes were calm and inscrutable, like the winter sky.

"Well...some of it was magical and mythical. I even made a friend there, Lady Sif." Pef explained in a more relaxed tone.

Paracelsus sighed audibly, and tapped his old oak table. Suddenly a pair of tea cups were steaming on the table, smelling positively holy. "Try this green mountain tea. I got it from my old days in Tibet."

Pef obeyed and took a small sip.

*You have tasted Shangri La green tea, prepared by a demigod. You gain +1 Mind.

"... Good stuff." Pef whispered in his cup.

The old alchemist shook his head. "Our negotiations for using the Eternal Flame to concoct the Philosopher's Stone have been frozen. Odin himself said there's no more need. And to ask you why."

Pef blinked, first in confusion, then in realization. "... That's...Erm. I did touch it. The Eternal Flame. But it told me to attain demigod status before I can use it." he said in a bit of ashamed tone.

Paracelsus nodded to himself and sipped his tea. "I see. Perhaps you have gained some wisdom from this adventure, seeing as you lost your left eye in Asgard." the man said in a pained voice.

"I had no idea you were trying to obtain access to the flame!" Pef replied in an apologetic tone, trying to make himself smaller, and not pawing at the gouged eye, at all. Despite the urge to poke it with a finger.

"Yes. Perhaps a bit more communicating would have been more wise, from myself. No matter. Those Major potions were yours to begin with. And the Eternal Flame is sentient, in its own way. That you were allowed to touch it...perhaps it will work better this way." the old man mused in a softer voice, and twinkle in his eye.

"... So, we're good?" Pef asked to make sure, voice uncertain and a bit wary.

Paracelsus finished his tea in silence, perhaps considering his answer.

"The goal of Alchemy, and all alchemists, is to concoct the Philosopher Stone. I have personally been on this quest for 400 years, Mister Pef. Waiting a few more months or even years isn't a problem. But you have incurred a debt. I expect you to repay it, when you become able." the Alchemist Grandmaster said after a long time to think.

*The Gamer has received a new update on the Ascension quest.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

*Additional goals unveiled:

*Reach Demigod class.

*Obtain the Eternal Flame from Asgard's dungeon.

*Craft the Philosopher Stone, for the Alchemist Association or just yourself.

Pef nodded in reply. "I am growing quite fast, with the aid of your training dungeon, Master Paracelsus. Even reached Floor 62, so I expect to become a Legendary class shortly. But...for a demigod status...that won't be so easy."

"We'll talk again when your year is up, Elder. Try to avoid gods in the meantime. You got away easy, this time." the demigod said in a dismissive tone, and eyed his rune inscribed door.

"... Agreed, Master Paracelsus. It kinda hurts, even so." Pef replied calmly, and didn't fly away, instead walking out like a normal person.

As he left the room, the corner of the room shimmered and condensed into a human shape.

"Risky..." the man said a gruff tone.

The demigod glanced at his fellow alchemist. "Not at all, my friend. Your hand took a whole month to grow back. And our young Alchemist Elder wasn't even burned. Perhaps you should make other arrangements for your own protegee. Monaco perhaps or Andorra." Paracelsus decided with a tiny smirk.

A king or queen, in the end it didn't matter. He would win either way, only this way the gains might double.

"... Damn it. I have already invested plenty for the runic defenses of Vaduz Castle." the bearded man replied while clenching his left hand in phantom pain.

"It's the same for us, my old friend. Lise will make a great queen, I think." Paracelsus said in a careless tone, and took out another batch of Tibetan tea.

He should visit Dalai Lama again, before he had to die and reincarnate yet again. Perhaps time it to have a childhood together with the new Dalai Lama.

Von Mackberg sighed and picked up his own cup of tea. "Monaco is too high profile, right now. Andorra it is. I'll send an advance team to begin preparations."

"You do that. I'm leaving for Nepal today." Paracelsus said in a level voice, and vanished as his cup touched the old table.

Von Mackberg grit his teeth and held his left hand out in front of him. A black bone ring with a grinning skull decorated his index finger. "Yes, Master. It is the same for us."

With a shimmer of shadow, he too vanished in a teleport spell, going back to his old boring job as a Swiss bank director.

Someone had to keep an eye on all this money.

------------------

Meanwhile, Pef returned to his dorm room, and the loving embrace of his wives.

"It's been two weeks, Pef!" Lise exclaimed in outrage.

Pef blinked and glanced at Lucia. "Time flows differently in Valhalla." he explained sheeply.

Miya just grinned and hugged his side knowingly. "And there haven't been any...female distractions?"

"... Uh. I did meet Lady Sif. But only for a short time." he replied weakly.

They all giggled at that. "Silly husband. Is she a goddess at least?" Lucia said teasingly, while slowly dragging a finger down his chest, and groping his balls fondly.

"Lady Sif is Legendary class. Odin kicked me out when I tried to meet Goddess Freya." Pef said with a shrug.

Lise growled in annoyance and summoned her own temporal dungeon.

"Get naked, now!" she demanded in a horny voice, storing her own clothes in her inventory.

Pef grinned and obeyed.

His harem will need a bit of sweet loving to be sated, after two weeks of relativistic absence.