Barbarian's Adventure in a Fantasy World-Chapter 106: Myst (3)

“It’s done,” Arkemis said, looking exhausted. Her eyes seemed hollow, yet they sparkled more brightly than ever.

“Ooh!” Ketal exclaimed in delight. “You’ve worked hard.”

“I gained a lot from this myself,” Arkemis replied.

The iridescent particles were nearly on par with a Philosopher’s Stone. Even just studying their unique traits and limitations had significantly advanced her alchemical understanding, giving her the clue she needed to reach higher levels.

“These are what’s left,” she said, taking out the pouch. The once-brimming particles had visibly decreased.

“That’s quite a bit less than I expected,” Ketal noted.

Originally, there had been enough iridescent particles to fill two human torsos, and Arkemis had mentioned she only needed about one torso’s worth. Now there was only about a quarter of that remaining.

As if offering an excuse, she explained, “Well, that was my plan at first, but the more I researched, the more new properties kept showing up. I had no choice but to use more for the sake of stability. I swear I didn’t pocket any for myself. Really!”

“I never suspected you,” Ketal said. “I trust you.”

“Y-you do?” Arkemis asked him, scratching her cheek awkwardly.

Ketal’s face lit up with anticipation. “So, what’s next?”

“It’s simple,” Arkemis began. “I’ll use these particles to form a magical circle, then link it to a catalyst so that the particles’ properties can be altered.”

She took out a catalyst no bigger than a fingernail. Though small, it was worth several times more than its weight in gold, and it was so rare that even Milayna had struggled to obtain it.

“Once these altered properties resonate with your body, they will create the path of Myst within you. The detailed process is too complicated to explain, but that’s the gist of it,” Arkemis explained.

“I see,” Ketal replied.

“Because this path will form inside your body, you might feel some very strange sensations.”

“I understand,” Ketal said, nodding.

Arkemis took a quick breath before she continued, “Then, I’ll start preparing now.”

She began crafting the magic circle with the particles—a process so intricate that Ketal, in his current state, couldn’t begin to comprehend or analyze it. He watched in a daze until Arkemis spoke again.

“If the alchemy goes as planned, we won’t need any more of the particles afterward. So, Ketal...”

“I know,” he answered calmly. “You can use whatever’s left over.”

“R-really?”

“We agreed on that from the start, didn’t we?”

“But...”

The particles were extraordinarily special and just as valuable. Although only a quarter remained, it was still beyond price. However, Ketal looked completely unfazed.

“I made a promise to you,” he said, referring to how he had agreed to give her the leftover particles. “Promises should be kept. If the alchemy succeeds, all remaining particles are yours, Arkemis.”

Arkemis paused and gazed at him, her expression filled with genuine gratitude. Alchemy demanded huge amounts of resources and funds, so she’d often needed sponsors or contracts.

As an elf, though, she was an outsider to humans. She’d been betrayed by patrons and frequently denied her fair share of rewards. In the hundred or so years she’d spent away from her homeland, she had encountered countless instances of contempt, scorn, and outright fraud.

She had maintained a long relationship with Milayna largely because Milayna always upheld her contracts. But here was Ketal, who had never even formalized a contract with her. He could have refused to hand over anything, and no one would have faulted him.

Verbal agreements were easily broken, especially in times when even written contracts were often ignored. Arkemis had never truly believed she’d receive all the leftover particles, thinking it would be fortunate to get even half.

Yet, Ketal was honoring his word, and that simple act of trust moved her deeply.

“K-Ketal...,” she said, her voice half trembling with emotion. An unusual light flickered in her eyes as she looked at him. Then she clenched her fist in determination. “I promise I’ll succeed. No matter what.”

A few hours later, the magic circle was complete.

***

“Okay, sit in the center of the magic circle, and be careful not to disturb its form,” Arkemis instructed.

“Understood,” Ketal replied. He moved to the center of the magic circle and sat cross-legged.

Arkemis tilted her head. “That posture...”

“I’m used to it, so it’s fine.”

“Well, if you say so,” she murmured, taking a quick breath. Her expression turned serious. “Even if you feel uncomfortable, please bear with it for a bit. I will need to focus intently, and any disruption might cause the process to fail.”

“I won’t move,” he promised. He became as still as a statue, so much so that someone passing by could have mistaken him for a stone carving.

Arkemis looked slightly taken aback. “Well... you don’t have to be that rigid. Anyway, everything’s ready.”

She inhaled deeply and began chanting, “Behold, you catalysts of no inherent purposes, given form but lacking free will. Listen to me, for I shall become your master.”

A resonant hum filled the air as the magic circle began to glow. Arkemis’s golden eyes deepened like a bottomless well, and her soft brown hair fluttered.

“Move according to my will,” Arkemis ordered. The magic circle’s light swelled, radiating throughout the room. It rose slowly and began to surround Ketal. “Move, and keep moving. Fulfill the will of your master. Change your shape, alter your structure.”

The iridescent particles touched the catalyst and began to transform. Swirling chaotically at first, they soon spun in a vortex around Ketal. This was an incantation that only an alchemist who had reached the peak of her craft could perform—an alchemy worthy of those called true Transcendents.

“Thus, you shall become my tools,” Arkemis continued chanting. The spinning catalyst particles gradually melded into Ketal’s body. He stifled a gasp as a new, indescribable sense began to awaken within him. Arkemis finished her incantation. “Fulfill your purpose as tools.”

Boom!

A shockwave rippled out. The other catalysts and instruments hanging on the walls rattled, and a layer of dust on the floor scattered. Arkemis collapsed to her knees, drenched in cold sweat.

“D-did it work?” she asked. Her voice quivered with uncertainty, which was only natural given the complexity of the alchemy. Casting a worried glance at Ketal, she saw him still sitting there. On the surface, nothing seemed to have changed.

“Ketal?” she called out nervously.

He didn’t respond at first. Then suddenly, he laughed. “Ha... hahaha!”

“Eek!” Arkemis reflexively clamped her hands over her ears. The force of his laughter reverberated through the house, causing it to shake alarmingly.

Crack.

The house wasn’t just shaking. Tiny fissures spread across the wall. Arkemis couldn’t believe her eyes. Was his laughter alone causing physical damage to my walls?

“Whew.” Ketal finally managed to compose himself. Normally, he would have suppressed his reaction to avoid harming his surroundings, but this time, he simply couldn’t contain himself. It felt as though a human had suddenly sprouted wings to soar through the sky.

Within him, a brand-new sense emerged—something he had never experienced before.

It was wondrous.

It was overwhelming.

It was Myst.

Ketal trembled, clenching his fist. He had obtained the power of Myst.

***

“Judging by your response, it looks like we succeeded,” Arkemis remarked.

“It’s more than a success! Thank you, Arkemis! This is all thanks to you!” Ketal exclaimed. He rushed over to her, lifted her clean off her feet, and spun her around in celebration.

“K-Ketal! Put me down!” Arkemis shouted.

Laughing, Ketal gently set her back on the ground. “Ah, I’m sorry. I was so happy I couldn’t control myself.”

“It’s fine. I understand.” Arkemis felt her cheeks grow oddly warm. She cleared her throat, trying to steady her racing heart. “How do you feel? Are there any signs of instability or anything like that?”

“None at all.” It feels like a perfect success,” Ketal replied. He could sense the Myst fully settled within him. The mere thought of wielding such a fantastical power made him ecstatic.

Arkemis smiled. “I’m glad. I was honestly a bit worried.”

“So, I can manipulate Myst now?” Ketal asked her eagerly.

She nodded. “Exactly. Try focusing the same way you did before.”

Ketal resumed his cross-legged position and closed his eyes. He commanded his inner self to move, pouring his will into that one thought. The Myst within him responded, making his heart pound.

“How am I supposed to control this?” Ketal asked her, frowning in concentration. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

“Normally, you would have to cultivate it gradually,” Arkemis explained. Even if one could sense Myst, one couldn’t use it immediately. They needed to raise their proficiency step by step. She paused for emphasis. “But since you acquired Myst through a special shortcut, you should be able to manifest it right now. Just focus on bringing it out.”

Arkemis was no ordinary alchemist. She had once turned someone who knew nothing about Myst into a near-Transcendent individual. Considering how many rare ingredients they had used, letting Ketal manifest Myst right away only seemed natural.

“I see,” Ketal replied. He concentrated again, trying to draw out the Myst.

However, he sensed something strange. The energy that had been inching upward faded before it could fully surface. Several attempts yielded the same results.

“Arkemis,” he said, opening his eyes. “Something’s off.”

“What do you mean?”

Ketal explained the problem—that the Myst kept retreating whenever he tried to bring it forth.

Arkemis’s expression darkened. “You’re saying it disappears just as you try to manifest it? That usually only happens when someone’s Myst reserve is severely lacking, which shouldn’t apply to you.”

To manifest Myst, one naturally had to expend some of it. However, for anyone with a decent amount stored up, it wouldn’t simply fizzle out.

As Arkemis thought it over, she paused for a moment.

“Hold on a second.” She rushed to a nearby shelf and mixed some catalysts, quickly producing a vial of medicine. “Drink this.”

“What is it?” Ketal asked her, eyeing the vial.

“It’s a tonic that temporarily increases your Myst. The effect isn’t great, but I need to test something.”

“Got it.” Ketal swallowed the tonic.

As Arkemis had mentioned, his Myst rose slightly. It was such a tiny boost, though, that he might not have even noticed it if not for his heightened senses. After he pointed that out, Arkemis scowled.

“I think I see the problem,” she said.

“What is it?” Ketal asked her.

“It’s not exactly a problem. It’s more that the vessel of your body is just too large.”

Ketal’s body was unique. He’d needed to go to extreme lengths—using those iridescent particles—just to find the path of Myst. That same uniqueness now affected him after he had awakened Myst.

“With the amount of Myst you currently have, you can’t use it effectively within that massive container of yours,” Arkemis explained.

It was a simple issue: his body’s capacity for Myst was enormous. To do anything with such a large vessel, he needed a far greater volume of Myst.

“But it’s not like what you have now is small,” she added. “By all standards, you have plenty—enough to be considered Advanced.

However, even with that amount, Ketal couldn’t even manifest the most basic skill. She shook her head in disbelief. What on earth is your body made of...?

“So it’s purely a matter of how much Myst I have then,” Ketal said.

“Right. You can feel it reacting, so there’s no fundamental problem with your ability. You just don’t have enough to bring it out,” she explained.

The simple solution was that he had to increase his Myst reserves.

Ketal tilted his head curiously. “And how would I do that?”

“You can train over time, or you can absorb an external source that’s already full of Myst. But given how unusual your body is, ordinary training probably won’t do much,” Arkemis replied. Then, with a small laugh, she added, “Want to try eating a Dragon Heart? That would probably do it instantly.”

Of course, she was joking—dragons were closer to cataclysmic forces of nature than mere living creatures, and even legendary Heroes couldn’t easily handle them. Acquiring a Dragon Heart was unthinkable.

“A Dragon Heart...,” Ketal murmured, sounding oddly serious.

Arkemis blinked. “Wait, you’re not actually considering—”

Ketal simply nodded to himself. “If that’s what it takes, it might solve the problem.