Chapter 25 The Alchemist’s Method
"Alchemists aren't known for combat, but that doesn't mean we're weak." Nightshade's voice sounded in Lan Chi's mind, starting a teaching mode. "What our profession excels at is refinement. Everything can be refined."
Before he finished speaking, the Thornskin Half-breed charged at him, brandishing his dual blades.
Nightshade raised his hand. Dark red runes suddenly appeared, covering the skin of his entire body. The whip in his hand seemed to be pulled by some mysterious force, becoming rigid.
"Ha!" The Thornskin Half-breed leaped up, pouring all his strength into his dual blades as he brought them down toward Nightshade.
Nightshade raised his whip to block the attack.
Clang—!
A piercing clash exploded! The dual blades slammed violently into the whip. A violent air current erupted outward from the two, kicking up a gust of wind.
Missing his mark, the Thornskin Half-breed immediately withdrew his blades, shifted his footing, and swung horizontally.
Nightshade lifted his foot and stamped the ground. Two stone pillars burst from the earth, one left and one right, precisely blocking the dual blades' assault. He flicked his wrist, and the whip instantly returned to its flexible form. With a crack, he lashed the Thornskin Half-breed, sending him flying.
The burly Thornskin screamed as he flew backward, his massive body sliding several meters before stopping.
"Damn." Lan Chi drew in a sharp breath. How much strength did it take to send a giant at least two meters tall flying like that?
Nightshade didn't stop. The runes around him grew brighter. He dropped to one knee and pressed his palm against the ground.
The earth shook! Countless sharp stone spikes, like the fangs of some giant beast, burst from the ground, instantly impaling the burly Thornskin and the others nearby.
"Aaah!" The burly Thornskin let out a dying scream.
But Nightshade gave him no chance to recover. He walked forward, placed his hand on the giant, and the mysterious power erupted again. The giant instantly shattered like a smashed watermelon, his entire body torn apart.
"Ugh." The visual shock was too much for Lan Chi. He grabbed the wagon's rail and threw up.
The dark red runes on Nightshade's hand flickered briefly, and the stains on his body evaporated as if they had never been there. He took a cloth from his pocket, wiped his hands, glanced sideways at Lan Chi, and asked calmly, "First time seeing dead people? You've killed before too."
"That wasn't this bloody. And that guy wasn't really killed by me—the hut ate him." Lan Chi opened his mouth and the smell of blood rushed in again. He dry-heaved a few times, quickly pinched his nose, and felt like throwing up again.
"Heh." Nightshade let out an ambiguous chuckle. He kicked a relatively intact cloth bag out of the mess. "You better adapt quickly. This kind of thing won't be rare."
Lan Chi caught his meaning. A bad premonition surfaced. He asked unwillingly, "Is the main world outside like this too?"
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
"Yes, even more chaotic." Nightshade replied casually. He opened the cloth bag and checked its contents—besides thirty-odd Phosphorus Crystals, there were also a few materials. "Alright, let's keep moving."
"What about the bodies?" Lan Chi pointed at the mess on the ground.
"Leave them. The beasts will handle it at night." Nightshade sat back in the driver's seat, picked up the reins, and replied.
"That's a bit wasteful." Lan Chi, enduring his discomfort, muttered softly. He patted the wagon beneath him. "Little Hut, they're yours."
"Okay!" The hut replied happily. These past few days, it had only been eating ordinary fruits, and its Phosphorus Crystal supply had been cut off. It had been craving this for a while.
Several tentacles extended from under the wagon, nimbly wrapping around the corpses on the ground and dragging them underneath. Then, a faint chewing sound came from beneath.
In no time, aside from the traces of the fight and some dark stains, the area outside had become considerably cleaner.
Nightshade, as if accustomed to all this, flicked the reins. "Giddyup!"
The wagon started moving again, leaving the blood-tainted forest behind.
...
Time passed quickly. Ten days flew by, and they were halfway through their anticipated journey. The two arrived at the Racial Alliance's main city camp.
This main city had already taken considerable shape. It was no longer a crude settlement. Buildings were under construction everywhere, with most structures reaching three to four stories. Some were even adding a fifth floor.
The town had already been divided into distinct functional zones. The area they arrived at was the commercial district, as they had been informed upon entering the city.
Lan Chi looked at the diverse array of races and asked in his mind, "Why did they form a Racial Alliance?"
"Not every race has the chance to become a major race. Smaller races have to unite to protect themselves." Nightshade replied mentally as he drove the wagon. "Here we are. We're staying at an inn tonight. The wagon can be left in their yard with attendants to watch it. This place isn't as safe as Elf territory. We need to be careful."
The wagon stopped in front of a three-story inn. Lan Chi followed Nightshade as they got off.
Greeting them was a mixed-race beauty. Her features resembled a human's, but her ears looked like those of a fish-person. She had sky-blue hair and a pleasant voice. "Welcome to the Nest Inn. Will you be dining or staying the night?"
"Staying. One room with two beds. Also, please watch our wagon for us." Nightshade spoke with practiced ease.
"Certainly. Please follow me." The beauty directed another attendant to park the wagon and led them to the front desk. "These two are staying. A twin room."
The front desk attendant produced a key. "Room 203. Ten Phosphorus Crystals per night."
Nightshade paid the crystals. The two took their luggage and followed the attendant upstairs.
The inn wasn't large—only six rooms on the second floor—but the environment was quite nice, very clean and tidy with no strange smells. Upon reaching Room 203, the attendant opened the door and explained, "The bathroom is at the end of the hall. Food service is available on the first floor. If you need special services, you can also inquire at the front desk."
Lan Chi's expression turned subtle. Mistake—he should have asked Nightshade to book single rooms. He really wanted to experience this world's special services.
Nightshade took the key, nodded, and thanked him.
After the attendant left, Lan Chi opened the window and leaned out. The street outside was very lively. They had been traveling continuously for days without stopping at any settlements until this large gathering point.
"Want to go out for a walk?" Nightshade leaned over, also looking out.
"No. No money." Lan Chi replied bluntly. Despite his curiosity, without money, he had no desire to waste the effort.
Nightshade glanced sideways at him. "Don't you still have Phosphorus Crystals?"
"Good stuff keeps getting more expensive. I can barely afford anything now." Lan Chi thought about the prices on the trading channel and felt a surge of resentment.
Selling meat was earning less and less. The spatial materials he wanted to buy kept getting more expensive. Even raw iron ore had multiplied several times in price. Aside from trading through the system channel, there was no way he could walk into a shop carrying thousands of Phosphorus Crystals—that would be practically announcing himself as easy prey.
Nightshade chuckled. "Come on. Today I'll teach you how an alchemist shops."
Lan Chi glanced at him sidelong, his eyes sweeping up and down with suspicion. The Phosphorus Crystals on Nightshade were originally his.
Muttering to himself, Lan Chi stood up and followed him out of the inn. He wanted to see just how an alchemist managed to survive.
