Chapter 74: The Alchemist (3)

The next day, Ketal visited Arkemis’s house with a heart full of anticipation. Arkemis greeted him with tired eyes, dark circles under her eyes more prominent than ever.

“Welcome back...,” she said weakly.

“Are you okay? You look exhausted,” Ketal asked, concerned.

“I’m fine,” Arkemis replied. In truth, her anxiety had kept her from sleeping properly, but she pretended everything was normal.

Ketal looked at her with expectant eyes. “So, what are we doing today?”

It was finally time to learn the mysteries of this world. His excitement was almost unbearable.

Clearing her throat, Arkemis spoke. “First, before I teach you alchemy, there’s something we need to establish.”

“Establish? Like that?” Ketal tilted his head.

“It’s about whether you’re qualified to learn alchemy.”

“Qualified? I didn’t know I needed to be qualified to learn about alchemy.”

“Well, no,” Arkemis admitted. “Alchemy isn’t a flashy or thrilling discipline. It requires dedication and patience. I need to be sure you’re serious about learning and won’t quit halfway.”

She eyed him nervously, recalling how she had spent the entire previous day strategizing ways to discourage him. Her words were part of that plan. If Ketal doubted or questioned her now, it would all fall apart. However, Ketal nodded in understanding. “I see, that makes sense.”

When teaching others, confirming their commitment was indeed important. Seeing his approval, Arkemis clenched her fist in a small, hidden victory.

Good!

she thought to herself.

Step one is complete.

“So, what’s next?” Ketal asked.

“Alchemy,” she began, “is a discipline that harnesses external Myst, not internal power.”

It involved combining various materials to create the catalysts necessary for invoking these Myst. Unlike swordsmanship or magic, which draw from the body’s innate potential, alchemy relied on external resources, requiring thorough preparation. Thus, the foundation of alchemy began with making catalysts.

“We’re going to start with this,” Arkemis said, showing him a cauldron.

The cauldron was filled with various ingredients. Handing him a wooden rod, she explained, “These are the materials needed to make a basic catalyst. However, creating a catalyst isn’t easy. You will need to emulsify and blend these components carefully.”

“So, I just stir this with the rod?” Ketal asked.

“Yes,” she answered casually, “but not carelessly. You must maintain consistent strength and speed, ensuring every ingredient is thoroughly mixed. Precision is key.”

“Understood,” Ketal replied, gripping the rod with determination.

As he stirred, a grinding noise echoed from the cauldron, signaling the beginning of the process.

“How long do I need to do this?” he asked.

“Four hours,” she said.

“That’s a long time,” he murmured.

“I told you,” Arkemis reminded him, “alchemy isn’t exciting. It’s tedious. But mastering this is essential.”

Even if it’s outdated now,

she thought to herself, swallowing the last part of her sentence.

Staring into the cauldron for four hours required intense focus. Stirring with uniform strength left the arms and back aching. While necessary, it was still grueling work. Most alchemists eventually developed automated devices for such tasks. The last time Arkemis had done this by hand was forty years ago.

I wonder how long it’s going to take for him to get bored and leave,

she thought.

Ketal wasn’t an ordinary human. Though he appeared to be a barbarian, he was something far greater. While she didn’t know why he wanted to learn alchemy, she assumed it was mere curiosity. Surely, such monotonous labor would drive him away.

Two hours later, Arkemis couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you tired yet?”

“Not at all. This is fun,” Ketal replied enthusiastically.

Despite the time, his movements didn’t falter. His eyes gleamed with focus as he pulverized the ingredients.

This feels just like grinding in an RPG game,

Ketal thought, recalling his times on Earth and his love for completing repetitive gaming tasks. Four-hour grinding sessions were nothing new to him, and here he was, creating tangible results in a real fantasy world. It was exhilarating.

“The cauldron’s almost overflowing with liquid. How does it keep producing more without water?” Ketal murmured in fascination, continuing to stir.

Arkemis watched in disbelief. As the four-hour mark approached, the mixture in the cauldron bubbled to perfection.

“How is it?” Ketal asked, stepping back.

Arkemis inspected the cauldron with a critical eye, hoping to find flaws. Yet, it was flawless—even better than her own attempts.

“This... will do,” she finally admitted.

Ketal’s eyes sparkled. “Does that mean, I can learn—”

“Not so fast,” Arkemis interjected, shaking her head. She had prepared additional steps, just in case.

“How many ingredients do you see on that wall?” she asked, pointing to the shelves.

“At least a hundred,” Ketal replied after a quick glance.

“Correct. And those are just a fraction of the materials used in alchemy.”

Alchemy’s potential lay in its versatility; any substance imbued with Myst could serve as a component. Thus, the possibilities were endless.

The materials were vast and varied, each with its unique properties. Their combinations and resulting characteristics were different, making alchemy a field that demanded a deep well of knowledge.

“You don’t need to know every material,” Arkemis explained, “but you must understand the core principles. Whether you can acquire this knowledge is one of the qualifications.”

With that, she pulled out a book as thick as her torso.

“Can you read?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“I can,” Ketal replied.

“Good.” Arkemis looked slightly disappointed but handed him the book. “Here, memorize the features and appearances of all the materials in the book. You can study it from over there, if you don’t understand something, ask me.”

“Understood,” Ketal nodded earnestly, opening the book and diving into its contents. Arkemis watched him with satisfaction.

Perfect,

she thought.

This is definitely going to drive him away.

The book was no light read. It was densely packed with technical terms, and each page required careful study. Readers often had to cross-reference terms and take notes to make sense of the specialized content. It was arduous and exhausting—perfect for driving someone away.

Surely, Ketal would lose interest soon and leave—or so Arkemis convinced herself.

***

A day had passed. Ketal was still poring over the book, his posture unchanged. A quarter of the massive tome was already behind him. Arkemis glanced at him with disbelief. Over the past twenty-four hours, Ketal hadn’t once left the chair. When she went to sleep, he was there. When she woke up, he was still there.

“Aren’t you tired?” she asked hesitantly.

“Not at all. This is fascinating,” Ketal replied, eyes still on the book.

The content was undoubtedly dense and complex, but to Ketal, it was enjoyable. It felt like reading an in-depth guidebook or lore compendium for a game he loved. He couldn’t help but be engaged.

“The book is thick, but I’ve read thicker books,” he mused. In his time on modern Earth, he had devoured encyclopedic gaming manuals as a child. Even the specialized terminology was part of the fun for him.

As a scholar at heart, reading a single book posed no challenge. Ketal’s enthusiasm was evident as he read and even jotted down notes.

“Oh! This section is unique! I need to mark this down,” he murmured, not just memorizing the book but actively engaging with its content. His dedication outpaced even the most diligent students.

Arkemis felt her confidence waver.

***

Three days later, Arkemis decided to test him on the content of the book.

“You’re correct...,” Arkemis said begrudgingly.

Ketal had flawlessly passed the simple test she had prepared. Memorizing and understanding the book had been necessary to achieve such a feat.

“Does this mean I can finally learn alchemy now?” Ketal asked, his eyes shining with expectation.

“Uh, well...,” Arkemis hesitated, her mouth suddenly dry. She hadn’t planned this far. She had assumed he would give up before reaching this point. Never had she imagined he would complete everything.

If things continued like this, she would be stuck teaching this barbarian—or, more precisely, a monster pretending to be a barbarian.

“Arkemis?” Ketal tilted his head, puzzled by her silence.

Snapping back to reality, Arkemis stammered, “Yes! You’ve passed, for now.”

“Great! So that means...”

Before Ketal could finish, she raised a hand to stop him./

“But first, there’s one more thing we need to do,” she said gulping nervously. “I’m going to teach you alchemy. You’re the student, and I’m the teacher, correct?”

“That’s true,” Ketal agreed.

“That makes me your master, doesn’t it?” she said, her voice trembling slightly.

“Yes, technically,” Ketal replied, nodding.

“Then, as your master, you must show proper respect,” she declared, closing her eyes tightly. “You must kneel, bow your head, and acknowledge me as your teacher. That’s the final step!”

Let’s see how you handle that!

she thought.

Though Arkemis didn’t know Ketal’s true nature, she assumed he was some kind of immensely powerful being. For someone like him to acknowledge her as his master, to bow and kneel—such a thing would surely be a grave humiliation. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if he abandoned his disguise and tried to crush her out of sheer outrage.

Even for her, this demand was a gamble.

“Understood,” Ketal said with a nod.

“W-what?” Arkemis stammered, her voice faltering.

“Well, I am in the position to learn, so it makes sense to show proper respect,” Ketal explained as if it were the most obvious thing to do in the world.

He didn’t feel any resistance to the idea. The reason he hadn’t bowed to Barbosa was that Barbosa wasn’t his king. Arkemis was teaching him alchemy. It was only natural to show deference to a teacher.

Slowly, Ketal knelt. Seeing him do so, Arkemis’s face turned stark white.

“W-what are you doing?!” she yelled.

Ketal lowered his head. His lips parted, preparing to speak.

Before he could utter a word, Arkemis panicked and raised her hand. “Wait, no! You don’t have to do that!”

***

“Does that mean I’ve passed?” Ketal asked.

“Do whatever you want...,” Arkemis muttered, looking like her spirit had left her body.

The thought that he would actually kneel and use honorifics hadn’t crossed her mind. If she hadn’t stopped him, she was sure that when he revealed his true nature later, he would kill her for humiliating him. She had no choice but to stop him.

Now, it was crystal clear to her that this barbarian hadn’t come here out of simple curiosity. He had deliberately sought her out to toy with her. She realized there was nothing she could do anymore. From now on, she would have no choice but to go along with his whims, no matter where they led.

Whatever he wanted, she had no power to resist. She slumped in resignation, asking in a resigned voice, “What do you want from me?”

“I want to learn alchemy,” Ketal answered. Then, with a glint in his eyes, he added, “And one more thing.”

Arkemis braced herself.

“I want to wield Myst,” Ketal continued.

“Huh?” she blurted out unintentionally.