Chapter 382: Paracelsus's Spirits (7)
Chapter 382: Paracelsus's Spirits (7)
We tore through the dungeon with such unstoppable momentum that the phrase "like a hot knife through butter" felt like an understatement.
We smashed traps, crushed guardian golems… basically, we forced our way through everything that stood in our path.
Perhaps I had fought in too much of a trance, though. The moment we stepped into Paracelsus's true workshop—the final destination of this dungeon—I saw a golden spirit rising from a rectangular platform that looked like a cross between an altar and an operating table.
Without a second thought, I plunged my dagger straight into its heart.
"Gah…!"
"Oops."
Wait, who did I just kill?
Snapping back to my senses, I took a closer look at the spirit.
His entire body glowed gold and was translucent, but other than that, he looked exactly like a handsome young human male. If I had to point out something unique, it was his hair, which reached all the way down to his waist.
Our eyes met. The spirit’s mouth moved as if he were trying to protest the sheer unfairness of it all, but then he went limp.
He dissolved into the air, turning into the shimmering light particles characteristic of a spirit’s dissipation. In his place, a book—either a drop item or a memento—thudded onto the platform.
Thud.
[A Theological, Magical, and Alchemical Consideration of the Correlation Between the Philosopher's Stone and the Ideal Human]
"…Ah."
I remembered this needlessly long and grandiose title.
In H&A, this was a class-specific awakening item. If given to Fay after completing all her events, it guaranteed the acquisition of the Philosopher's Stone. If given to other alchemist characters or used by an alchemist player, it drastically increased proficiency.
It was the main reward of this dungeon: Paracelsus's Research Journal.
Come to think of it, Paracelsus's skeleton was supposed to be lying on this platform, clutching the journal in its hands.
Does that mean the one I just killed was…?
Perhaps I looked strange—suddenly charging ahead, stabbing a spirit to death without a word, and now standing there dripping with cold sweat. Helena, who had been at the front and was closest to me, asked cautiously.
"Brother? Is something the matter?"
"Well…"
"It was a bit anticlimactic, but we've defeated the final security system. We should take what we can and clear the area."
"……."
Does she think the thing I just killed was a guardian spirit, and not Paracelsus himself who had migrated into a spirit body?
Well, it makes sense. Paracelsus's natural lifespan would have ended long before this workshop ever became a dungeon, so that would be the logical conclusion.
…Fine. Let's just bury the truth of what I just killed.
I felt a little bad, but really, it was Paracelsus's fault for giving off such a suspicious vibe in the first place.
Just as I was about to shamelessly play it off, a bright voice called out from behind.
"Junior! Look at this!"
I turned around to see Fay beaming, hugging a massive artillery barrel that was much larger than she was. About a dozen identical barrels were rolling around on the floor.
"I think that spirit from earlier was controlling these! They lowered from the ceiling half a beat after you charged in, but the spirit died before they could gather energy, so they shut down while still active! With a little bit of work, I might be able to use these myself!"
"Ho."
I take it back. Paracelsus didn't die unfairly; he died because he deserved it.
He wasn't just giving off a suspicious vibe; he actually was suspicious.
If I hadn't instinctively swung my dagger first, we would have been the ones in danger. The scene would have been Paracelsus sitting leisurely on the platform, looking down at us while those barrels aimed right at our heads, seconds away from firing.
Now that I looked, Helena was nodding calmly, as if she had already noticed the barrels. She probably assumed it was a defense system because of how he was handling them.
I had told myself to let it go since it was already done, but honestly, I had felt pretty uneasy. Now, my mind was at peace.
I spoke up, my voice much more relaxed.
"Well, everything turned out fine, so that's what matters. Shall we start searching?"
Shrugging, I picked up the fallen research journal.
At that, Fay quickly set down the barrel she was holding and came scurrying over.
"Junior! Give me that first!"
"Whoa!"
Startled by her sudden rush, I instinctively held the research journal high above my head. Fay started hopping up and down on the spot, unable to reach it. I took a moment to admire her bouncing chest before speaking.
"Don't worry, I'll give it to you. Just don't read it right now."
"Why?! D-Don't tell me… now that Elisha and Lady Iris have been freed from slavery, you're planning to make me your slave instead! I knew it! You pervert! You're going to make me do things like climax control, aren't you?!"
"…No, I'm not."
It was simply because the journal looked quite thick, and I figured it would take a long time to read.
"I meant we should grab everything worth taking, clear the dungeon, and then read it somewhere safe. I don't mind if Senior Fay reads while we search, but… wouldn't someone with a deep knowledge of alchemy be better at identifying what we should take?"
"Urgh… I guess I have no choice. Fine, let's do it your way, Junior. …But can't I be the one to hold the journal?"
"No. I'll keep it and give it to you as soon as we clear the dungeon."
"Hmph…!"
Fay puffed out her cheeks and trembled in frustration before shouting.
"What are you waiting for! Hurry up and find the useful stuff! No matter how great an alchemist Paracelsus was, he's from a long time ago, so forget the equipment! Most of this looks like junk that belongs in a museum! Focus on items and potions instead! Don't worry about figuring out what they do. We're taking everything anyway!"
With that, Fay began busily touching everything and stuffing it all into her subspace pocket. Her practiced movements reminded me of an auto-looting pet.
I watched her in admiration for a moment before joining the search.
Let's see. Should I start with those artillery barrels? They look like they might just barely fit in my inventory.
*
We scraped up everything: all sorts of potions, top-grade spirit stones used for research, golems so sophisticated they almost seemed like robots, and even some mysterious alchemical steel.
Unfortunately, we couldn't find whatever it was that had been buffing the alchemical products.
Since that strange phenomenon vanished when Paracelsus died, it was likely an innate ability he possessed after becoming a spirit.
Organizing my thoughts, I smashed the platform that served as the dungeon's core.
In the blink of an eye, my party and I were ejected outside. The Elves were staring at us with wide eyes, clearly not expecting us to conquer the dungeon so quickly, but I was more focused on the dungeon reward.
Just like the dungeon containing the final moments of Atlantis where I had taken Fay before, this reward was something that would aid in alchemy—though this time it was an item rather than a skill.
As we stood outside the dungeon, I nudged Fay toward the glowing mass of light hovering in the air.
"Senior Fay? This is yours, so go ahead and take it."
"Okay."
Fay nodded distractedly, seemingly eager to check Paracelsus's research journal, and thrust her hand into the light.
The light flared explosively for a moment before subsiding into the shape of a monocular, which settled into Fay's hand.
"This is…?"
"It's a monocular that allows you to see the flow of power—whether it's mana, aura, or divine power—that's normally invisible. It should have great synergy with the mana crystallization ability you got last time."
"Mhm. I suppose so. But Junior, now that we've cleared it and come out…"
"Yes, yes. Here is the research journal."
I chuckled and handed her the book. Fay clutched it tightly to her chest—so tightly it slightly squished her large breasts—and let out her signature gloomy smile.
"Heh, hehehe… if I research this…"
It was a bit of an embarrassing sight to show others, so I simply picked Fay up, gave a brief farewell to the Elves, and left the area.
With this, my business in Alfheim was officially over. Finally, we were heading back to the Academy.
I let out a sigh of relief and looked at Fay, who had been completely absorbed in the research journal for a while now.
At this rate, she wouldn't even be able to walk properly. Not that it mattered, since I'd be carrying her with flight magic anyway.
Shaking my head, I cast flight magic on Fay and Helena. Elisha and Iris had recovered enough that they should be able to manage flying, even if they weren't ready for combat.
As we retraced our steps, I checked the dungeon clear notifications I had set aside.
Perhaps because I had already grown so much, there was nothing particularly special. All my stats had increased slightly, though not enough to raise the actual stat numbers. This dungeon was really all about the research journal, so that was to be expected.
I closed the notification window and focused on flying. Just as the edge of the Great Forest began to appear in the distance, Fay, who had been silent until now, spoke up in admiration.
"Ah, Junior. About why the alchemical items were suddenly buffed. I think I found the reason."
"Oh? Is there something in the research journal?"
I had been able to read the journal in H&A, but it only showed a few pages; I couldn't read the whole thing. Because of that, I knew why Paracelsus had spent his final years holed up in that workshop, but I didn't know much else.
"Yeah. I was planning to read it multiple times, so I was just skimming it for now. But there's this on the last page."
'All preparations are complete. Now is the time to discard this dying old body and be reborn as a spirit. I worry if the output will be sufficient… but I am running out of time.'
"Looking at the previous entries, it seems he wasn't trying to become just any spirit, but a 'Spirit of Alchemy.' That's probably why the performance of alchemical items was enhanced. You've heard of it, right? How polluted water is purified near a water spirit, or how a blacksmith's forge burns hotter near a fire spirit. High-ranking spirits influence their surroundings, and this was likely the same thing."
"That makes sense. It also explains why he tried to transfer his mind into a spirit homunculus of all things."
"Exactly. To add to that, it seems his ultimate goal was to gain faith in his spirit body and become a new god, much like Righteous Light or Free Breath did long ago… but being reborn rather than just transferring a mind requires an immense amount of power, and it seems he lacked the output."
"Aha. Fafnir had to grind up an Ancient Dragon-class Dragon Heart just to create his own body. Unless there was a Dragon Slayer in Paracelsus's era, it would have been impossible."
"Probably. Given that the journal ends with that entry, the experiment likely failed. Even after drawing mana from the ley lines, the lack of power must have stalled the process midway. …But then we showed up."
"I think I see where this is going. Iris's incomplete magic scattered power into the surroundings, and he absorbed it, allowing the stalled experiment to conclude?"
"Most likely. Of course, since it was restarted after being interrupted for so long, he wouldn't have been in a perfect state. Memory loss would have been a given, and his instinct to stabilize himself would have become incredibly bloated."
"So he ended up in a state no different from the artificial spirits he created and discarded."
"Yes. And what if such a version of Paracelsus detected a Junior who possesses a Dragon Heart?"
"He would have tried to kill me and take my heart by any means necessary. The power within a Dragon Heart can achieve almost anything."
"……Junior. Do you have anything to say to me?"
I looked at Fay, who was staring at me with narrowed eyes, and raised a hand with a grin.
"The crazy Paracelsus has been dealt with by yours truly, so rest easy!"
"Be honest! You didn't know any of that and just stabbed him first, didn't you?!"
Now, now!
No slandering!