Ar'ci decided that we would begin our journey to Tlauven tomorrow morning. In the meantime, she sent Sting to gather some materials for her research, while I found myself lying in a hammock in a room filled with books.

Most of the books here were records of her studies research on various materials, their uses in daily life, and their applications in warfare.

As I look for book to read, my eyes landed on a book with an old, worn-out cover. The title had long faded, making it unreadable.

Curious, I picked it up and flipped it open. The moment I started reading, I realized it was a book about alchemy.

The subject piqued my interest, and before I knew it, hours had passed. I kept reading until the evening..

According to the book, mana could theoretically alter the fundamental building blocks of a material, transforming it into an entirely different substance. This was achieved by manipulating the vibration and behavior of its particles, adjusting them to mimic those of the desired material.

In other words, one could turn dirt into gold and vice versa using mana.

Unlike elemental magic, which allows the creation and control of elements at the cost of mana, This method required mana as a catalyst to reshape the matter itself. However, the process was extremely difficult because of the type of mana needed.

Natural mana, which exists in the environment, and common mana, which is inherent to living beings, were too large and unstable, causing particles to break apart upon contact. Dark mana, commonly in elves and demons, was even denser, making it completely unsuitable for precise manipulation.

But then there was light mana, the rare mana used by priests and healers. It was smaller, less dense, and theoretically the only form of mana refined enough to enable this kind of magic..

The problem is..

In over 300 years of research, no known lifeform had ever wielded light mana with enough precision to make this method viable. Even legendary heroes, paladins blessed with immense amounts of light mana had never been able to control it at such a microscopic level.

Four generations of heroes had come and gone, and still, this theory remained nothing more than speculation.

Without proof or practical application, This research is nothing but a waste of time.

This book is well written..

-- That book… I wrote it 100 years ago. -- Ar'ci's voice came out of nowhere. -- And it's the worst one I've ever written. --

- Not really. This book is actually pretty interesting. - I replied, flipping another page.

-- What do you know, kid? The method was untestable. There's no way to prove its application. It's like writing a fantasy novel, not to mention the method itself is a lazy type of alchemy. You can still change the composition of a material without that method by applying pressure, changing the temperature, or adding and subtracting substances which is real alchemy. --

Before I could respond, the door creaked open.

It was Sting.

-- Did you get all the materials I asked for? -- Ar'ci asked, turning her attention to him.

-- Yeah, but it was a pain dealing with that black-market merchant. He kept asking if it was really you who made the request. -- Sting sighed.

-- I told you, just say my name, and they'll hand it over. -- Ar'ci rolled her eyes.

Sting glanced at the bundle in his arms and frowned. -- What is this dust for anyway? --

-- This? It's Fairy Dust. -- Ar'ci replied casually.

Fairy Dust? So fairies exist in this world too? Was she planning to use it to fly like in Peter Pan?

- What's it for? - I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

Ar'ci smirked. -- Oh? You don't know? How about you, Sting? Any guesses? --

Sting scratched his head, clearly struggling to come up with an answer. -- Nope. No clue. --

Ar'ci raised an eyebrow, then suddenly burst into laughter. -- HAHAHAHA! You've been an adventurer for so many years, yet you don't even have the slightest idea? --

She leaned in, grinning.

Ar'ci then clapped his hands, and all the lamps suddenly went out. He lit a small candle and held it close to his face.

-- Let me tell you a story… About the Ghost of Tlauven. -- He smirked creepily. His face was naturally scary, but now he made it even scarier.

- Ghost of Tlauven? - I Asked, my grip tightening on the book.

Sting sat next to me.

Ar'ci seated himself on a wooden chair, opened a book, put on a pair of strange-looking glasses, and began to tell the story.

-- Long ago… Before the human kingdoms rose, there was a small village deep within the southern forests of Tlauven. In that village lived a beautiful and kind woman who worked as a servant for the village chief. The chief was a respected man, kind, generous, and well-admired by his people. Over time, he grew fond of the woman servant, eventually falling deeply in love with her.

The chief offered the woman a grand mansion, gold, and her own servants in exchange for becoming his wife. But she refused, because she already had a husband, a son, and a daughter. Even though the village chief despised those who rejected his generosity, he did not hate her. Instead, the opposite happened his love for her grew even stronger. Unlike his other wives, who craved wealth and power, this woman remained unmoved by riches. No matter how extravagant his offers became, she stood firm in her refusal.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Furious yet desperate, the chief summoned the woman's husband, her son, and her daughter. They arrived immediately, unaware of his true intentions.

First, he offered the husband ten female servants, gold, a mansion, and a vast stretch of land where he could establish his own village. To the son, he proposed marriage to his own daughter, along with wealth and servants. And for the daughter, he offered gold, fine gems, Fine clothing, and jewelries in exchange for the woman he loves.

But all three of them refused.

The village chief, now consumed by rage, ordered his warriors to sever the son's and the husband's arms and legs before throwing their torsos into the mountains for the beasts to devour.

Trembling in fear, the husband realized the chief's cruel intent. He grabbed his children and attempted to flee, but it was too late. His son and he were swiftly cut down, their bodies left to be a meal for the beast.

Day passes the woman called upon the village chief desperately asking for his help . Her cries echoed through the village, waking the people from their sleep.

Tears streamed down her face as she begged the chief for help. She told him she had been searching for her children since morning and her husband is nowhere to be seen , but they were nowhere to be found.

The village chief sympathize with the woman , nodding solemnly as if he shared her grief… but deep inside, he was laughing.

Then he led the woman into a sealed room while she cried. Then he executed his plan...he raped her.

The woman tried to resist, but the village chief pointed a dagger at her throat, ordering her to comply.

The woman fell silent, her body trembling as she endured the assault...

When it was over, the chief sat beside her, his expression calm, as if nothing had happened. He told her it was her fault, that if she had accepted his offer, none of this would have occurred. He stood up, rolling a dried leaf into a paper, lighting it before taking a slow drag as he sat near the door.

As the village chief smoked, the woman noticed a piece of familiar fabric on the floor. She stood up and picked it up. Then suddenly, her heart shattered when she realized that the piece of fabric was the same garment she had personally woven for her daughter.

Panic surged through her when she noticed another door, a small, concealed entrance at the far end of the room, she then approach the door.

The chief noticed and immediately warned her not to open the door. His voice was sharp, demanding.

But the woman ignored him. With shaking hands, she pushed the door open.

The sight before her was horrifying.

Her daughter lay inside naked, limbless. Her eyes and mouth had been sewn shut. Her small body was covered in deep bruises, evidence of suffering.

The chief approached her slowly, laughing and told the woman it was her fault for not accepting his initial offer.

The woman then exploded with anger. She attempted to steal the dagger from the village chief, but he resisted, punching her multiple times. In the struggle, the village chief accidentally tripped and stabbed himself with the dagger.

The woman was shocked, but a strange sense of happiness flooded her body. As the village chief crawled toward her, asking for help, she stood over him, looking down at the dying man. She then picked up the dagger and slid its blade across his neck, ending his life.

Approaching her daughter, the woman apologized as she ended her daughter's suffering.

With her daughter's lifeless body in her arms, the woman escaped the village chief domain then she buried her daughter body to the deep forest of Tlauven.

The woman returned home, hoping to find her husband and son waiting for her.

But when she arrived, the house was empty—nothing but silence and loneliness.

From that day on, she lost all sense of sanity, wandering naked through the village, desperately searching for her family.

Days later, the warriors arrested her, accusing her of murdering the village chief. Enraged, the villagers condemned her to death by fire.

Now, her restless spirit haunts the Southern Forest of Tlauven, stealing the sanity of travelers who mistake her for their lost loved ones. --

That was a long-ass story I almost fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Sting sat there shaking, his entire body trembling in terror.

- So what's the connection between the ghost of Tlauven and the fairy dust? - I asked

-- We need the fairy dust to keep our sanity intact while traveling through the Forest of Tlauven, by rubbing the fairy dust in your nose, you can resist the curse of the ghost -- Ar'ci explained.

-- That's just a made-up story. The Forest of Tlauven is home to creatures called Phantoms they're the ones responsible for driving people insane. --

-- Shut up, kid! Don't spoil it, -- Ar'ci snapped. Then, suddenly, her expression shifted. --WAIT—WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! -- she shouted in shock.

Sting and I both turned to the left. Sitting right next to him was a kid.

Sting let out a scream and suddenly passed out.

-- My name is Kayin. I'm the son of the greatest rogue, Sario! --