Chapter 7- Picked Up (5)
‘…Who is this?’
The face revealed as the cocoon opened.
It was a face he’d never seen before.
‘Doesn’t seem to be an assassin either.’
He reached out slightly to check the scalp.
The scalp tattoo that Black Dawn members would surely have. There was no trace of such a mark.
Just a bit bare instead.
‘Whew.’
Evan let out a big sigh of relief internally.
‘Not an assassin. Not an important figure either.’
Though Evan was experienced, he couldn’t remember every character.
He only remembered the important figures.
Fortunately, this man seemed to be neither an assassin nor an important figure.
‘Well, that’s probably why Lapis caught him.’
Lapis is only 10 years old now.
Even if they’re a future Sin, they’re still a child.
The probability of this being an important figure drastically decreases.
‘Still, better be careful just in case…’
Had to be cautious.
Definitely not because he was scared.
“Number 5. Hold him tight. Be careful not to crush his bones.”
Nod!
Golem Number 5, with a bulky body like the Hulk.
Firmly held the man with its thick arms.
“Number 4. Bring the potion from shelf 29.”
Golem Number 4 with its long arms moved and handed the potion to Evan.
[Mana-Dispersing Poison Potion.]
Mana-Dispersing Poison.
A poison with the ability to evaporate mana. A potion made by refining that.
Using it won’t endanger life.
The effects don’t last very long either.
Instead, the effects were amplified several times.
Made so no poison remains in the body.
‘Good thing I made this in advance.’
It was really difficult to make.
Took about 3 months, if I remember correctly.
Succeeded with just intuition and knowledge, without anyone’s help.
‘I’m not without talent.’
But if I were a genius?
Would have finished it within a month at most.
Lacking?
Such things don’t matter.
A talent-holder who fills in what’s lacking.
That’s what a genius is.
Wasn’t that how the actual player’s character was?
‘Would be nice to have a master.’
Evan is a self-taught alchemist.
No officially affiliated school or knowledge.
The results? They’re good.
The problem is the process.
If mistakes or problems occur by accident? I can’t fix them.
Knowledge and essence. I need a master to pass down these two things.
‘Should look for one after finishing this.’
If I offer enough money, wouldn’t at least one come?
Evan ended his wandering thoughts.
Handed the Mana-Dispersing Poison potion to Golem Number 3.
“Number 3. Inject this potion.”
Nod
Number 3 took the potion.
Something like a straw protruded and sucked up the potion into a syringe.
Tap, tap!
As if saying ‘Now, be careful~’, tapped the man’s arm, and.
Stab! Stuck the syringe into the man’s arm.
“…!!!”
The man writhed as if about to wake up immediately.
Evan stepped back slightly.
The Living Golem firmly stepped in front of Evan.
…Slump.
The man who had been writhing for a moment went limp.
Phew. Sigh of relief.
Lapis, who had been secretly taking out thread, quietly hid their arm.
“Number 4. Inject the recovery potion.”
Number 4 handed over the high-grade recovery potion.
Number 3 received it with a nod.
Like before, he filled the syringe with the potion and stab! stuck it into the arm.
Gulp, gulp!
“Ugh…”
His pale complexion began to return to normal.
The arm had not healed.
To regenerate missing body parts, at least a highest-grade potion was needed.
Unless it was concentrated like a diluted elixir, wounds couldn’t be completely healed.
The high-grade recovery potion used now was far from enough.
‘Should I attach an artificial arm?’
Golems had many uses in various ways.
It was possible to make arms or legs.
If this guy demands it as compensation for damages?
‘Well, that much…’
Worth giving if they’re not an enemy.
If they become an enemy…
‘Then, there’s really no choice.’
Have to use force just to survive.
Feeling needlessly tense, Gulp! I swallowed dry saliva.
After all the potion was injected,
About 3 minutes passed.
‘When he wakes up, I should pretend to be an uninvolved person.’
Must treat them respectfully.
Isn’t that common courtesy between people?
‘Please don’t notice.’
“Ugh, uugh…”
The man regained consciousness and opened his eyes.
His unfocused eyes met with Evan’s.
***
‘…Where is this?’
Blurry focus.
Hazy vision.
Shadow regained consciousness.
Realizing he was alive, he let out a sigh of relief.
‘…I was lucky.’
Who would have thought he’d survive that hell.
The threads that poured down like natural disasters.
Desperately trying to survive.
It was a miracle to have survived.
Although one arm was cut off…
‘This much is fine.’
He survived.
That was enough.
The arm could be reattached or regenerated later anyway.
‘…More importantly, where am I?’
Shadow spread his senses as much as possible.
His vision hadn’t returned yet.
His other senses were more reliable.
But perhaps due to depleted mana.
‘I can’t feel anything.’
Closely-
He tried to slightly turn his body.
It didn’t budge at all.
‘…Something has me firmly bound.’
If nothing else, this one fact was certain.
That he had been captured somewhere.
Phew!
‘…!’
Then, something was inserted into his arm.
Liquid enters his body through the inserted part.
Could it be truth serum?
His body naturally tensed up.
He also clenched his mouth. Ready to bite his tongue if necessary.
Even if he couldn’t die, at least he wouldn’t be able to speak.
‘…Am I being healed?’
Then, the pain began to subside.
He could feel the wounds on his body healing.
Recovery potion?
At least high-grade.
No poison or impurities could be detected.
Shadow was immune to all poisons.
He could at least identify potions that entered his body.
‘Using something this expensive on me?’
If it had poison in it, he could understand.
But just ‘healing’?
‘Who could it be?’
Shadow forced his eyes open.
Though far from recovered, he had no choice.
He needed to at least confirm if they were friend or foe.
Slowly…
A silhouette visible through blurry focus.
After blinking several times, his vision gradually became clearer.
“…!”
Shadow swallowed his shock.
A severely thin body.
Golem worn like armor.
Unkempt grown hair.
Yet a shining appearance that couldn’t be hidden at all.
‘Evan Alcart…?!’
The target Arthur Modriter ordered him to protect.
He was standing right in front of Shadow.
‘So, Evan Alcart was the one who captured me?’
Shadow’s expression hardened.
The possibility of finding him by chance? None.
Evan Alcart rarely even went outside.
The location where Shadow was attacked was deep in the forest.
It was such a remote place that it would be hard to find again without marking it beforehand.
And he was found and brought here by chance?
That’s nonsense.
‘If Evan Alcart is the culprit… everything makes sense.’
Recently, rumors began spreading in the territory.
Rumors that Evan Alcart had created a chimera.
If that was true?
Not only finding Shadow, But subduing him wouldn’t be strange either.
Chimera, a life form born solely for combat.
It could only be strong, being created by combining only the advantages of all kinds of life forms.
The extreme difficulty in making one didn’t matter.
Evan Alcart.
He was an alchemist who could even fix Aura hall.
‘It’s my disloyalty. To think I failed to properly grasp this fact…’
Shadow bit his lip slightly.
Why did Evan rarely go outside?
It must have been to secretly complete the chimera.
While also blocking information at the same time.
Swoosh-
Evan approached Shadow.
Is this how he dies?
Even if he lives, he’d probably become an experiment.
He might even be handled like a doll after becoming a chimera.
‘God. Please forgive my incompetence.’
Squeeze! Shadow closed his eyes.
“Are you alright?”
“…?”
Evan didn’t rip out Shadow’s heart.
In a monotone voice, he observed Shadow and continued speaking.
“You seem to be in a lot of pain. Please bear with it a little longer.”
“…?”
“I found you abandoned in the forest in a cocoon state and gave emergency treatment, but since it was just first aid, you’ll still be in pain.”
He’s not… killing me?
“I wanted to take you to the temple, but there was no way to confirm your identity. So I brought you to my room, please don’t be too tense.”
“…”
“Do you have any means to prove your identity? Once confirmed, I’ll have you transferred to the temple.”
Evan didn’t kill him or turn him into an experiment.
Rather, he was showing kindness. A subtle respect permeating his tone.
Shadow fell into confusion.
‘…Is he pretending not to be the culprit? Why?’
When everything’s already been exposed?
Shadow’s mind raced quickly.
There’s a prejudice that assassins are ignorant.
That’s exactly what it is – a prejudice.
Even an assassin needed to be quite intelligent.
Selecting good positions, finding the enemy’s weaknesses, gathering information.
There were many things that required using one’s head.
Shadow was the disciple of the Dark King.
Both his aptitude and skills as an assassin were excellent.
Finding out the enemy’s purpose was his specialty among specialties.
‘He’s purposely pretending not to be the culprit. Does this mean he doesn’t want this matter to be revealed?’
Or is it to test me?
A test even at this moment.
Goosebumps rose on my arms. It’s frightening.
How much is Evan seeing?
How much is he anticipating?
Surely Evan must know that Shadow’s master is Arthur.
It was quite a famous incident.
The Dark King’s disciple repenting and becoming Arthur’s servant.
Someone of Evan’s caliber couldn’t not know.
Therefore,
‘…Is this a warning?’
I’ll let it slide this time.
However, if you try such petty tricks one more time, I won’t let it go – something like that…
My mouth went dry.
‘…I almost crossed a major line.’
What would have happened if he had?
Well. He couldn’t be certain.
All he knew was that Evan could make golems and potions.
That couldn’t be all.
Surely he must have hidden powers.
‘…I need to find out.’
At the very least, he needed to discover his purpose.
Even if it meant death. Everything was for Arthur.
“…I apologize. I lost my belongings while being attacked by beasts.”
“…I see.”
“This much kindness is enough. First… would you untie this? I want to repay your kindness.”
Shadow looked down at the thread. The arm wrapped outside the thread.
It was so thick, he wondered if even a sword strike could break it.
Evan didn’t answer immediately.
He stares with emotionless eyes.
While cold sweat ran down Shadow’s forehead,
Evan nodded.
“…No need for repayment. I didn’t do it expecting compensation. I’ll move you outside in that state. I’m quite timid.”
‘He’s cautious.’
Timid?
Even a passing dog would laugh at that.
‘He has no sense of humor.’
One piece of information gained.
Shadow stored the information in his head.
Meanwhile, Evan commanded the golem.
“Number 4. Move him outside the window.”
Swoosh-
Shadow’s body floated up.
The long-armed golem had lifted him up.
Despite its skeletal thickness, it had considerable strength.
‘So he’s telling me to get lost.’
Before being thrown out the window, Shadow hurriedly asked Evan.
“Why… Did you save me?”
“…?”
Evan gave a look asking what he meant.
“Why did you heal someone like me, who has neither goods nor money, with expensive healing potions? Please tell me. My mother said that debts of gratitude must always be repaid.”
He even brings up his parents while giving reasons.
Hopefully it wouldn’t look unnatural.
If not, then nothing could be done-
“Hmm.”
Evan didn’t answer immediately.
As if trying to figure out Shadow’s purpose, he stares intently.
Emotionless eyes.
No emotions could be read from them.
As if they were covered by something.
Evan opened his mouth.
“I don’t like making ‘enemies.’ I thought rather than ignoring and being hated by an injured person, it would be better to heal them.”
Shadow almost burst out laughing despite himself.
The reason for healing him was ridiculous.
Because he doesn’t like making enemies?
Then cutting off the arm was a warning,
And the healing meant let’s not be enemies?
‘He’s insane.’
But at least he’s not an enemy. That was enough.
“Is that answer sufficient?”
“…Yes. It’s sufficient.”
Shadow nodded.
He gained information almost too easily.
It must be what Evan intended.
‘I must inform Lord Arthur.’
That Evan already knows everything.
That we must never antagonize him.
“I’ll… take my leave now. I’ll return later to repay your kindness.”
“Yes.”
Evan smiled.
A stiff and awkward smile.
“Take care.”
Swoosh-
Number 4 set Shadow down outside the window.
Rip! With his recovered body, Shadow tore the thread and disappeared into the shadows.
When the enemy disappeared, the living golem slumped down.
Evan clutched his chest.
‘Huff, huff!’
F-fuck. My heart.
‘How can someone’s eyes be so scary?!’
I thought he might be an assassin.
He didn’t seem like an assassin from his powerlessness and ignorance about Mana-Dispersing Poison Potion
I was just a bit scared.
‘But this should be resolved well enough, right?’
…Still, better strengthen security just in case.
But I felt proud.
Successfully overcame another crisis today!
This is how I get one step closer to being a manly man.
Evan smiled contentedly inside.
Knock, knock.
Dolph knocked on the door. “Young master. Is it over?”
“Come in.”
“Sniff. I’m here…”
“Come here, Lapis.”
At least I shouldn’t have made any grudges or misunderstandings.
Evan felt relieved as he patted Lapis’s back as she snuggled into his arms.
***
“Evan!”
“Yes, Lapis. What is it?”
“A letter came.”
“What?”
The next day.
A letter arrived.
…Stuck to a dagger.
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