Chapter 382: Eighty-Seventh Floor, Mystical Beast Treatment (2)

[Heal the mystical beast under the alchemist’s protection. Time remaining: 119 hours 53 minutes.]

“Is that really a problem?” Cho-Yeon shrugged in response to my baffled words, leaving me more taken aback than anything else.

Of course, it is a problem. How can it not be?

I stopped myself from blurting the thought out and tried to rephrase it more tactfully.

Before I could speak, however, Cho-Yeon continued, “You’re not just some ordinary guy, right? I mean, Su-Hyeok, the tower sent you to help, so you’ve got to be pretty capable.”

Her comment came out of seemingly nowhere. The question felt oddly timed, but she was clearly building toward something.

I nodded slowly. “Well, I suppose so.”

Though luck and a fair amount of help had played a role, I had taken down a fifth-class god. The statement wasn’t inaccurate.

No, on second thought, calling myself “pretty capable” would be too modest. Even looking at things objectively, I had surpassed that level.

I didn’t ask how skilled Cho-Yeon was at alchemy, nor did I probe into what exactly her definition of “pretty capable” meant.

There was no need to.

Not done yet, she confidently boasted, “So am I.”

I was left speechless for a moment. “Sorry?”

What am I supposed to get from that? Is she bragging?

Although I had assumed my tolerance for talkative individuals had increased, apparently it hadn’t. I was struggling to keep up with the conversation.

Simply squinting slightly, I stared at her in silence.

Sensing my confusion, Cho-Yeon waved her arms and clarified, “No, wait! I’m not trying to brag or anything. I meant it objectively. I am a skilled alchemist.”

Still unsure of what to say, I kept silent.

“So what I’m saying is, no matter what you bring me, I’ll be able to identify its uses. Even if it’s just a weed, I can analyze its medicinal properties and extract something from it.”

“

Ah...

”

Her earlier statement was starting to make sense. Still, that only justified why I could go gather herbs, but it didn’t explain why I had to go alone.

“I get that, but wouldn’t it still be more efficient to go together? We’d cover more ground that way.”

Rather than agreeing, she looked back at me as if my suggestion made no sense. “Sorry? I have things I need to do as well.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she added, “You don’t actually think I’m sending you out there alone because I’m scared or don’t want to leave, do you?”

“Come on, of course not. I was just wondering.”

Though I denied it, that had been my exact suspicion.

Based on how she treated me like a junior, I had wondered whether she was simply pushing the chore onto me. Her confident response suggested she had her reasons, though.

Whether or not they would be convincing was another matter altogether, but I decided to listen.

“I don’t want to create any misunderstandings. That’s really not it. I’m actually so busy. I’ve been trying to draw blood from the mystical beast, but I haven’t even figured out what’s wrong with it yet. And even without leaving this area, I still need to analyze the nearby plants and trees.”

“I see.”

“And besides, I can’t even leave this place in the first place.”

What does that mean?

Just as the question came to mind, she explained, “I’m an alchemist, right? So when I signed my contract with the tower, I made sure to include a clause that I wouldn’t be exposed to any risk whatsoever. Because of that, even if I wanted to go outside, the tower wouldn’t let me.”

I nodded. That was a reasonable explanation.

“And last but not least, ensuring the mystical beast’s survival is my top priority. No matter how full of life or safe this place seems, I can’t just leave it unattended. We have no idea what could happen or when. So, does that clear things up?”

It wasn’t an unreasonable point. If I went out with her to gather herbs, the trial would be far too easy, as my only role would be to protect her.

She looked at me with a face full of resentment and frustration. I gave her a faint smile and nodded in understanding.

“I get it now. I wasn’t doubting you. If I made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry,” I apologized, somewhat sheepishly.

There was no hint of dishonesty in her demeanor, so apologizing felt like the right call.

I also understood why she could have felt offended. If I had been in her shoes, I likely would have reacted the same way.

It would have been nice if she had explained all this from the start, though.

Still, perhaps mollified by my apology, Cho-Yeon let out a long sigh and waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. We’re not competitors or anything. It was a completely fair question. I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have snapped like that.”

She glanced around at the surroundings. “Being stuck alone for three days in a creepy forest with a mystical beast that has seizures probably made me a little edgy. Not that I’m trying to justify it, but, you know, alchemists get cranky when they leave their workshops, right?”

I didn’t know much about alchemists, but I could understand.

Some people were just like that. For instance, introverts on Earth often said they were most at ease at home and felt drained even after hanging out with friends.

I simply nodded. “That makes sense. I understand.”

The atmosphere softened almost immediately. Not a bad outcome, all things considered. It was better to clear things up at the beginning of a trial than to carry doubts the whole way through.

Clapping her hands together with a crisp sound, Cho-Yeon refocused the conversation. “Anyway, let’s do our best. You’re pretty capable, and so am I. We’ve gone over everything we’ve needed to, and now we simply need to heal the mystical beast. Let’s wrap this up, get paid, and take some time off.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Healing the mystical beast quickly meant ending the trial sooner, so I welcomed her enthusiasm.

Then, with a sudden turn of her head, she added, “

Oh

, wait. Just a second.”

“Sure.”

She rushed into the hut and soon emerged carrying a large leather bag. “This is the herb bag. It’s designed like this so you won’t get anything mixed up.”

She flipped open the cover. Inside, the bag was neatly divided into compartments, each one magically treated to prevent its contents from mixing with the others.

“You mentioned that you can extract medicine from weeds, but it won’t be very efficient if I bring back every random plant I find. Do you have anything specific in mind you want me to look for?”

“For now, just gather whatever you see.”

“Really? Just anything?”

“Yes. I’m not familiar with the local flora either. And since it’s our first day, let’s start by collecting whatever catches our eye.”

Isn’t this approach a little too careless?

Given how little we knew, five days didn’t feel like a particularly long time. I wondered if Cho-Yeon was looking at the situation a little too optimistically.

Then again, perhaps she was simply that confident in her abilities.

She added with a knowing smile, “Well, since you are also capable, if you find anything that seems even a little unusual, make sure to bring it back.”

“Alright, understood.”

It was just the first day of the floor, after all. I couldn’t really justify complaining when I hadn’t even stepped outside yet. It wasn’t as if protesting would change anything.

May as well do what I can while I have the chance.

If things didn’t go well, I could figure out what to do next.

Cho-Yeon looked at me expectantly, holding out the bag as if to ask what I was waiting for. She clearly intended for me to take it.

I politely declined, “

Oh

, it’s fine. I don’t need the bag.”

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“What do you mean? If you mix anything up, it’ll be a huge problem later. We could even have to start over.”

“No, it’s just,

um

, I have something better.” I pointed at Mung-chi on my belt.

Cho-Yeon furrowed her brow and then suddenly gasped. “Wait, is that a subspace bag?”

Technically, Mung-chi was a mimic, not a true subspace bag. Functionally, it wasn’t all that different, though.

Close enough.

“Well, it’s something like that.”

“Wow, you’re full of surprises, aren’t you! I wouldn’t expect that by just looking at you.”

It wasn’t exactly a flattering remark, though I knew she hadn’t meant it as an insult.

In a teasing tone, I asked, “So what exactly would you expect, then?”

“Come on, I didn’t mean it that way. Subspace bags are incredibly hard to come by. I couldn’t even get one myself,” Cho-Yeon mumbled awkwardly, clearly flustered.

Feeling like I’d scored a small win, I chuckled and dipped my head. “That’s true. I got lucky.”

In an effort to change the subject, she quickly moved on. “Anyway, shall we get going? We don’t exactly have time to spare.”

“Right.”

“Then off you go. I’ll be over here checking on the mystical beast’s blood.”

I shook my head. “Wait a moment.”

“

Hmm?

Do you have something to take care of first? Don’t tell me you skipped a meal. What should we do? I only have some jerky and snacks since I didn’t plan properly. Will that be okay?”

The conversation suddenly veered off track. The way she earnestly fretted over the food situation was unexpectedly endearing.

I smiled and shook my head again. “No, that’s not it.”

I shifted my gaze toward the mystical beast. “There’s something I’d like to try first.”

Ever since gaining more insights into divinity, I had unlocked the ability to cast healing spells.

Perhaps Heal Wounds will work, although maybe a purification spell will be better.

After all, purification spells had worked not only on the Seraphim egg but also exterminated the parasite that had latched onto Herkest’s head.

Examinining the mystical beast before heading off to gather herbs would be essential. The message had instructed me to heal the beast under the protection of the alchemist.

It can mean a few things, but in the end, I think it means I will be the one to heal it.

The herb-gathering could be a red herring, and the real solution could be something only I could do.

Of course, if I were being honest, that didn’t seem likely. Surely someone had already examined the mystical beast’s condition. If a single spell was enough to heal it, then it felt far too simple for the eighty-seventh floor.

Still, it was something that needed to be ruled out.

Cho-Yeon looked at me with a puzzled expression. “What are you trying to do?”

“

Oh

, I’m no expert, but I have a bit of a background in healing.”

“Really? Like using divine spells? Or is it medical knowledge?”

Given that she couldn’t sense others’ strength, it made sense that she didn’t realize I had divinity.

“Divine is a pretty spot-on description.”

Her face lit up with genuine interest as she exclaimed, “Then want to give it a try? I thought you were just strong, but turns out you’ve got all sorts of abilities.”

“Well, I am somewhat versatile.”

“How great would it be if it worked right away?”

She sounded sincerely excited. Clearly, this wasn’t a place she wanted to stay in for long.

I chuckled awkwardly and approached the mystical beast. It still lay there, motionless and seemingly unconscious. She had mentioned she had sedated it, so it likely wasn’t aware of its surroundings.

Its long, dragon-and-serpent-like body slowly expanded and contracted with each breath.

No notification window appeared.

Let me start with something simple.

I decided to check if it had something like the parasite I had found in Herkest’s head. Carefully, I began channeling mana so the mystical beast wouldn’t awaken.

My mana slowly wrapped around its body, gently enveloping it. Then, it began to seep inward little by little.

However, since I didn’t have the knowledge a doctor would, I wasn’t able to examine the creature’s inner workings in detail.

I am just checking for anything unusual.

Parasites that consumed parts of their host, like the one that had been in Herkest, usually left detectable traces. I took my time and examined it thoroughly, but I didn’t sense anything out of the ordinary.

Unfortunately, there was no helping it. I would have to move on to my next idea.

I activated Divine Power.

As I chanted a healing spell, a gentle radiance descended over the beast.

Cho-Yeon stood nearby, watching us intently, her curiosity written plainly on her face. She looked like she was itching to ask questions.

No effect either. Is it because my healing spells are still too limited in scope?

I had been able to heal Gehenna’s wounds, but the light I called down on the mystical beast failed to take hold.

Perhaps it was simply that I didn’t know what needed healing in the first place.

With a quiet hum of disappointment, I dispelled the divine energy.

Cho-Yeon, still watching, finally asked, “Just curious. Under which god do you serve? I thought the tower rarely lends out its apostles, especially since faith tends to weaken when they do.”

It seemed there was a whole side to the tower that I didn’t know about. She had been employed by it, after all.

There was no need to say more than necessary. “That’s a secret.”

After my short reply, I turned back to the mystical beast and slowly summoned my divinity once more.

That left me with one last idea to test, which was to infuse it with divine energy directly. Gradually, my divine energy began to wrap around the creature.

Unfortunately, there still wasn’t a visible response. In fact, it seemed even less promising than before.

This time, something faintly resisted the divine energy. It wasn’t aggressive, merely firm, like pressing against a wall wrapped in silk. The light hovered over the beast but refused to sink in, as if some unseen barrier was quietly rejecting it.

Cho-Yeon looked at me, her expression tinged with disappointment. “I’m not really sure how this works, but it didn’t work, right?”

I offered her an embarrassed nod. “No, it didn’t.”

With what seemed like an encouraging gesture, she patted me on the shoulder. “That’s alright. If it were that easy, the tower wouldn’t have called me in. It’s a shame, but I guess we should get back to our actual task.”

I wasn’t especially dejected, but the unsolicited comfort made it feel like I had failed somehow.

As I smiled sheepishly, she clapped her hands together with a quick snap. It seemed to be a habitual gesture of hers.

“Well then, time to head back out and look for herbs.”

“Looks like it.” I nodded.

It was time to step into that gloomy forest.