Chapter 70: Vivian la Classidus
Chapter 70: Vivian la Classidus
After watching Vivian writhe in pain for a while, I quickly lost interest. It was not my problem, and something far more interesting was tucked inside my clothes: the core I had taken from her. I was willing to enter hell itself if it meant raising my Stats, so I reached inside eagerly. I intended to examine the core in detail with Third Eye.
“Hk… Guk! Ugh!”
She let out a sharp scream, her whole body twisting as she cried out in pain. My heart ached to ignore her suffering. But the moment my hand closed around a hard sphere, I forgot all about it.
Its original form was a mana stone, so the odds were low, but one never knew. It had aged for a long time and must have undergone numerous processes during Vivian’s transformation into a spider. Hoping for a worthwhile result, I activated Third Eye.
『Ancient Alchemist Vivian’s Core』
The part about the inner core was definitely good. But as I read the explanation after the 'however,' my expression soured with disappointment. After focusing for a moment and reading the full description, I smacked my lips and tucked the mana core back into my clothes.
The description did mention an increase in Stat points. Consuming the core could raise Magic Power by one to four points depending on the User’s current value, but only for Users whose Magic Power was 70 or lower. For anyone above that threshold, it could merely smooth and stabilize the flow of Magic Power. In other words, to me it was little more than a healing item.
It could still produce a substantial profit if I gave it to Hyun or Yoojung, or simply sold it. It was disappointing, but there was no rule saying I had to consume it myself.
As I was contemplating what to do with the items I'd gotten from this dungeon, I realized Vivian's screams had stopped. Belatedly noticing this, I lifted my head. Did she die?
It was obvious that her body would go haywire after I'd ripped out the core that maintained her spider form. After all, I had stolen over 100 years of accumulated power in an instant. For a User, it would be like having magic power but having the very organ needed to manifest it torn away.
I lifted my head and looked forward. And there...
“Huh.”
I was so surprised I let out a gasp. The spider was gone. In its place, a single person—a mysterious woman with long, jet-black hair—was slumped on the ground. She was glaring daggers at me with her sharp, clear eyes, and I instinctively knew who she was.
“Vivian?”
“What do you want, you bastard.”
“...”
“If you're going to call my name, then say something.”
I stared at the now-human Vivian for a moment before slowly opening my mouth.
“Vivian? Is this your original human form?”
“Can't you tell by looking? And here I thought you were acting like you knew everything.”
As Vivian retorted in a sharp tone, I let out a low groan.
“Hmm. I didn't expect you to turn back into a human.”
“Hmph.”
I took a closer look at Vivian's body as she snorted. Sensing my gaze, she covered her chest with a displeased look. Only then did I realize she was naked, but it wasn't her breasts I was trying to see. I walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Pervert.”
She kept cursing at me, but I paid her no mind. Vivian was right. I had simply assumed she wouldn't die if I just took the core, but it seemed there was more to it. Seeing her revert to an unstable human form after the extraction, I fell deep in thought.
Crackle. Sizzle.
When I unconsciously gripped her shoulder, her skin flaked away as if it were shedding. I reflexively pulled my hand back. Beneath the peeled skin, I could see raw, red flesh. This wasn't a good sign. Vivian was dying.
“It hurts...”
The spot I had touched was now cracked like a road after an earthquake. The pain, both internal and external, didn't seem to be subsiding, and Vivian kept crying out. I felt a bit awkward and spoke to her. After all, I was somewhat(?) responsible for this.
“This is unexpected. To think you'd turn back into a human just from having your core removed... You look like you're about to die. What on earth did you do to yourself?”
“Hmph. It's not your business anyway. And do I have some obligation to explain every little thing to you?”
“True.”
When I readily agreed, Vivian snorted loudly and turned her head away. Her lips were sealed tight, practically screaming that she didn't want to talk to me anymore. I nodded once or twice and immediately turned to leave.
“Well then, take care.”
“...Wa-wait. On second thought, I think I can tell you.”
The moment I took a step, I felt Vivian's hand quickly grab the hem of my clothes. A thin smile formed on my lips, and I chuckled.
“You're actually kinda cute. Heh heh.”
“Hoho. Cute, you say? Hoho. You know, back when I was human, I was quite popu... I mean, no.”
Vivian, who had been grinning foolishly at my compliment, quickly scowled and pouted. I waited for her to speak, my expression telling her to just say what she had to say. Our eyes met, and Vivian blushed before continuing in a shy voice.
“D-Do you really want to hear it that badly?”
“No.”
“Phew. I see... Huh? Hey! I told you not to go!”
Vivian shrieked as I answered “No” and turned to leave again. I stopped once more and shrugged, a nonchalant look on my face.
“What? I'm just gonna go now.”
“Then what about me!”
Vivian pounded her chest in frustration. Her breasts bounced from the impact. Hmm. A full B-cup. She glanced back and forth between my face and her chest, then bit her lip and covered herself again.
“You told me not to bother.”
“Bother me! You can bother me!”
“I don't want to.”
When I rejected her flatly, Vivian crawled over with a tearful face and grabbed my pant leg. Good grief. She's really trying everything.
“Please care what happens to me. Sob.”
“What's the big deal? I let you live instead of killing you. That should be enough.”
“W-What? Hey! Do you have any idea what's happening to my body right now because you carelessly ripped out my core without knowing anything? Can't you see my skin cracking apart? For you, this is over and you can just happily walk away, but not for me! Thanks to you, I've lost all the power I originally had, plus all the life force I accumulated after becoming a spider! My outside is a mess, and my insides are even worse! What are you going to do about it!”
I pretended to be shocked, widening my eyes as I asked back.
“W-What did you say? So, because of me, you're...”
“That's right, you idiot! At this rate, I'll turn into a pile of ash and die within five days!”
“I see, Vivian. Thanks for everything you've given me and for all your help until now. Well then, goodbye.”
“That's not what I meant! Waaah... Please...”
Watching Vivian finally burst into tears again, I responded in a cold voice.
“You're the one who gave them to me. Let's not make this pathetic for each other. I'd like to end this cleanly.”
At my heartless words, Vivian mumbled something incomprehensible through her tears. She looked a little pitiful, so I changed to a much kinder tone and began to speak.
“It's not like there's no way to fix you...”
“W-What is it?”
As though she had heard my muttering—which I had, in fact, meant her to hear—Vivian’s ears perked up. She straightened her disheveled posture, eyes shining. Her attachment to life seemed immense. I wondered why, but set the question aside. First, I needed to inspect Vivian’s information. I activated Third Eye and looked at her.
〈 Resident Status 〉
* Converting Resident Status to Player Status.
1. Name: Vivian la Classidus
2. Class: Chimera Alchemist (Rare, Chimera Alchemist, Master)
3. Nation: Espinion (A currently ruined city-state.)
4. Clan: -
5. True Name · Nationality: Ancient Alchemist · Black Hunting Spider · Hall Plain
6. Sex: Female (24 · 128[?])
7. Height · Weight: 165.5cm · 48.8kg
8. Alignment: Chaos · Neutral
[Strength 48] [Durability 25(-25)] [Agility 56] [Stamina 20(-25)] [Magic Power 42(-50)] [Luck 49(-25)]
After meticulously reading all the information, I looked up to see Vivian staring at me, swallowing nervously. I didn't answer right away. Frustrated by my silence, her lips parted several times as if to speak. I casually turned my head, avoiding her gaze.
“On second thought, I don't think it'll work. I shouldn't have said anything. Let's just forget it.”
“Hey! How can you do that? As fellow human beings, if you're going to bring something up, you should at least see it through.”
“...No.”
The way to save Vivian was simple. I just had to use one of the two Elixirs I had stashed in my User-exclusive warehouse in the city. But I hadn't prepared two Elixirs for no reason. They were both already spoken for. While healing her might prove helpful, I couldn't deny that it felt like a waste.
When I finally turned away, Vivian grabbed me again, pleading. But I kicked her clinging hands away and walked silently toward the passage. From behind me, I heard Vivian's voice as she burst into sorrowful sobs.
“I want to live... I want to live...! You! Human! How can you be so cruel? When I think of everything you've done to me... I... I...”
“Twisting off a User's head, slicing another's waist, having monsters gang rape them. I see you don't think about the things you've done.”
“I am the master of this place. I have the right to defend myself and punish the intruders who invaded my home. Furthermore, I can hold you accountable for slaughtering my subordinates.”
I sighed at the sight of Vivian talking back, her lips trembling. She wasn't wrong, but humans are selfish creatures. Still, I didn't have time for a pointless argument. For some reason, leaving her like this felt unsettling, so I finally turned back around.
This time, I wasn't playing around; I was going to seriously consider recruiting Vivian. The moment my cold gaze fell upon her, Vivian flinched and immediately lowered her head.
“I-I'm sorry. I went too far. I was wrong.”
I watched Vivian apologize over and over. To be honest, she wasn't really in a position to be angry. But once I set aside the thought of her as an enemy and treated her with the possibility of being a potential ally, an unfamiliar wave of pity washed over me.
An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment. Then, I opened my mouth and spoke in a quiet voice.