Chapter 327: The Future, Twisted.
Chapter 327: The Future, Twisted.
As I opened the door and stepped inside, the sharp, pungent scent of countless mixed herbs stung my nose.
The workshop floor, revealed under the deep amber light shining from the ceiling, was a chaotic mess—a complete disaster zone. Herbs were strewn everywhere, and the ingredients I had bought in bulk for her were scattered about in disarray.
It seemed she was still using a magic circle for her alchemical refinement; a glowing red sigil was visible beneath a furnace that was bubbling furiously.
Vivian didn't even turn around when I entered. As if she were in the middle of a crucial process, the Ordo of Order in her right hand flashed repeatedly while dozens of magic circles materialized in the air only to fade away. Then, without even looking, she reached out, grabbed about three Tabrosia roots, and tossed them into the furnace.
Poof!
The roots dissolved perfectly into the furnace, and a faint boom was followed by clouds of purplish smoke billowing up. Vivian glanced at the furnace and nodded once. That was it. With that simple gesture indicating things were going well, her hands began to move busily once more.
The thought of offering to help crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. Instead, I cleared a small space on the floor and sat down.
Vivian had immense pride as an alchemist. It was evident in her words, but even more so in her actions. And that was precisely why I respected her.
Should I call it a strong sense of professionalism? In any case, the sight of Vivian working with such passion was truly beautiful.
Her hair, soaked with sweat and stuck to her cheek. Her robe, stained with herbs and ingredients, which looked as though she hadn’t changed it in ages. And her plump-looking bottom, which had suddenly started to wiggle and sway. All of it was… Huh?
Haha. Look at me.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose and let out a dry laugh. Figuring my tired body was playing tricks on me, I went back to watching Vivian with a warm sense of admiration.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed. By the time the late night had given way to the dead of dawn, Vivian’s work was finally nearing its end.
The liquid in the furnace, which had been bubbling as if it would overflow, had now reduced significantly in volume. Vivian stirred the contents carefully with a long rod, then scooped up a ladleful of the liquid and began to pour it cautiously into an empty bottle beside her. She repeated this process three times before raising both arms in the air and shouting.
“It’s done!”
I said nothing, simply offering a few light claps. With her hands still raised triumphantly, Vivian turned to me and gave me a boastful smile. It was a grin brimming with confidence.
“Thanks for waiting, Kim Soohyun.”
“Good work. So, is it all done now?”
“Yep. I could have finished earlier, but I had to break down the plan into smaller steps, so it took some time. Wait just a moment.”
Eager to show off her results, Vivian began to gather the bottles of potions. In total, there were four bottles of the purple potion she had just made. I wondered if that was all, but of course, it wasn't. Besides the purple potion, Vivian presented three other potions of different colors. With four bottles of each color, it came to a perfect total of sixteen.
Dark navy, black, pink, and purple.
After looking at the potions neatly arranged from the left, I glanced at Vivian. Sensing my unspoken request for an explanation, she cleared her throat once or twice with an “Ahem,” and began to speak.
“You know about the core ingredient, the Rotten Fruit of Yggdrasil, right?”
I nodded slowly. The original fruit would clear the drinker’s mind and aid the flow of magic. However, the rotten fruit had the exact opposite effect. Simply put, it was a deadly poison.
Confirming my reaction, Vivian continued.
“First, the common trait of these four potions is that they all contain the fruit’s basic effect. As you said, I took the eight pieces, split each one in half, and made a total of sixteen bottles. At first, the effect was so potent I considered splitting them into four, but… considering the time we have, half seemed better.”
“I see. A common trait… Does that mean there are differences too?”
“Of course. Mavolo’s Training Journal is so comprehensive it might as well be a collection of all conditioning methods. I personally selected the ones that were most devastating to the Elf Queen. The differences are focused on that. The plan is to feed her the right potion for each situation to create a synergistic effect.”
“Situations?”
“To put it simply, this navy potion heightens all the senses. The pink one is an aphrodisiac. Aphrodisiacs are my specialty, so you can look forward to the results. The black one is for pain. And finally, the purple one clouds the mind. These four bottles make one set, so we can use it a total of four times.”
It struck me then how meticulous Vivian was. She wasn't planning to solve this with potions alone. Of course, I wouldn't know the details until we actually administered them, but for some reason, I trusted her. Feeling satisfied, I responded readily.
“Alright, I understand. So all that’s left is to get to work, right?”
“That’s right, but… I’m a little worried.”
Vivian nodded, then lightly crossed her arms and put on a rather serious expression.
“Worried about what?”
“The Fruit of Yggdrasil is an incredibly rare ingredient. Its effects are just as potent, but the problem is that it might be too potent. Especially when you consider the synergistic effects… Ugh. Maybe I should have just split them into four pieces?”
“You said the Elf Queen held out for quite a while. And we could just give her half a dose.”
“I’m not underestimating human mental strength, but you can’t compare it to the Elf Queen’s. You can’t say a mind that has maintained its purity for hundreds of years is the same as one that’s only done so for a little over twenty. And it’s one thing before making them, but now that they’re done, I can’t think about it so simply. Do you have any idea how many calculations went into this?”
Vivian replied in a disgruntled tone. She smacked her lips a few times, then suddenly lifted her head and looked me straight in the eye.
“Anyway, like you said, we’ll just have to hope Baek Seoyeon’s mental fortitude is as strong as possible. Strong enough to withstand these potions.”
I let out a silent, hollow laugh. Vivian was already worrying about something that wasn't even a problem yet. I was curious just how powerful the potions were for her to be this concerned, but it didn't really matter. To put it bluntly, as long as she didn't die before spitting out the information, it was fine. No, since the final destination for the Vagabonds was death anyway, I guess even that didn't matter much.
I spoke to Vivian, who was still frowning.
“They’re all going to die once we get what we need from them anyway. Even if an unforeseen accident happens like you said, it’s fine as long as she doesn’t die in the middle of it.”
“…Right.”
“The most important one is Baek Seoyeon. As long as we can break her, I don’t care what you use the others for. Vivian. I’ve given you full authority over this matter. You know that, right?”
Vivian remained silent for a moment. But it was only for a moment. A chilling light seemed to flash in her eyes before the corners of her mouth lifted into a slight smile.
“You really mean that?”
I gave a deep nod. Vivian spoke again.
“It’s really okay no matter what I do?”
“I don’t like repeating myself.”
Only then did Vivian seem to relax, her usual cheerful expression returning. Without delay, she grabbed a potion and took my arm to lead me away. The bottle in her hand was filled with a dark navy liquid—the potion that, in addition to its base effects, had the side effect of heightening all bodily senses.
“Great, great. Then let’s head straight to the underground prison.”
“The underground prison? Right now? I’m fine, but don’t you need some rest?”
“The real work will start tomorrow. I’ve already planned out the sequence. The first step is just to give her this, so it’ll be over quickly. You’ll come with me, right?”
I gave a quiet nod at Vivian’s words. Soon, we left the workshop side by side and walked down the moonlit corridor toward the underground prison.
This was the first step in the butterfly effect that would later create a storm across the Northern Continent.
*
The next day, as Vivian had requested, I finished my afternoon duties and headed underground.
The once-spacious training ground had been remodeled into a relatively fine underground prison. Of course, since it was designed to be dismantled at any time, the structure was very simple.
If you imagined the training ground as one large rectangle, there were two cells placed on each side, for a total of eight. Seven of these rooms held the Vagabonds, and the remaining room was a multi-purpose room that Vivian had specially requested.
The underground prison, lit by only a few Light Stones, was dark and gloomy. The air was filled with an inexplicable, stuffy heat, and a stench so foul it made you want to pinch your nose drifted from all corners.
Unlike before, an eerie energy now permeated the underground area. As I crossed it, I soon saw a steel door. This was the cell right next to the multi-purpose room, where Baek Seoyeon was being held.
I could hear faint moans and sense two people inside. It seemed Vivian had arrived first. I pushed the door open and went in. As I did, the moans that had been faint became much clearer, and at the same time, I noticed the stench had grown even worse.
“Ah… Ah… It… hurts…! Ah…”
“Oh, Kim Soohyun, you’re here?”
As soon as I entered, I heard Vivian’s welcoming voice. She was squatting down, watching Baek Seoyeon, who was sprawled on the floor, sobbing. I thought that anyone unaware of the circumstances would probably see Vivian and me as evil and Baek Seoyeon as good. Not that I considered myself good, of course.
In any case, what was more important was Baek Seoyeon’s condition.
The previous dawn, Vivian had made Baek Seoyeon drink the navy potion. The effect was undeniable. The fruit’s base effects of mental contamination and magical disruption must have taken hold properly, because she had screamed loud enough to shake the prison. Later, she had not only writhed and rolled on the ground but had also attempted to self-harm, forcing us to restrain her against a wall. According to Vivian, with all her senses maximized, the pain would have been even more excruciating.
I didn't know if Vivian had released her again today, but Baek Seoyeon was now lying on the floor with restraints on one arm and both legs. She looked a miserable sight, clearly having suffered from the potion for a full day. A foul odor emanated from her body, as she hadn't been able to wash since being imprisoned, and there were stains of filth on the floor. I didn't need to look closely to know it was urine and feces.
The potion’s effect was indeed powerful. The defiant glint that had been in Baek Seoyeon’s eyes until yesterday was gone; her defiance had noticeably weakened.
“Well, since Kim Soohyun is here… shall we try the second potion now~?”
Just then, Vivian, who had been quietly observing Baek Seoyeon, pulled out a pinkish potion from her pocket. It was the one mixed with an aphrodisiac.
Vivian uncorked the potion, grabbed Baek Seoyeon’s chin, and forced it to her lips. Her mind still somewhat intact, she managed to shake her head in resistance, but it was a futile struggle. Just like yesterday, a light touch to her throat, and soon I heard a gulping sound as she swallowed the liquid.
“Guhk… Keuk… Puha! Haa… Haa… Haaaaak…! It hurts… It hurts…! Aaaaaah!”
After swallowing all the liquid, Baek Seoyeon began to tremble, her breathing ragged. Vivian’s potions didn't take effect immediately. It took about a minute for them to spread throughout the body and activate.
Vivian casually wiped her hand, now wet with saliva, on Baek Seoyeon’s clothes and stood up briskly. She then turned her head to me and spoke.
“So, Kim Soohyun. What do you want to do?”
“Hm? About what?”
In response to my question, Vivian pointed a finger at Baek Seoyeon.
“Yesterday was just a taste. I plan to start the real conditioning today. She’s got a pretty face… What do you think? Interested?”
“No.”
I answered immediately. Baek Seoyeon was certainly beautiful. Although she was missing an arm, her face and body were as sexy as Ko Yeonju’s. But to have relations with her would be unfair to Ko Yeonju and Jung Hayeon, and most of all, I’d feel too sorry for my own… member(?).
Wondering if my refusal had been too blunt, I glanced at Vivian’s expression, only to see, unexpectedly, that she looked pleased for some reason.
“Oh… is that so?”
A smile played on Vivian’s lips as she spoke in a cheerful voice.
“Well, can’t be helped then. Could you open the door to another cell? The one with the male Vagabonds who said they wanted to defect to you.”