ALL NOVEL Chapter 27.2 – Lost in the Mist, in Search of the Alchemist
The mist had returned, enveloping everything and making it extremely difficult to see more than a few feet ahead. I had to depend on my other senses to stay safe.
As I walked, the dead leaves under my boots crunched with a sound that seemed especially loud in the heavy silence of the Wraithwood Forest. Well, silence other than the call of ghosts. The faint glow of will-o-wisps flickered in and out of sight, their pale light casting ghostly shadows that danced on the edges of my vision.
Those things were evil. They tried to lure people toward danger, to lead them astray into the unknown depths of the forest, so I ignored them.
My Demonic Sphere pulsed with energy and alerted me to their presence and the myriad of other threats that lurked just beyond the mist. The cost of maintaining the Sphere was harsh on my Qi reserves, but it was necessary. Without it, I’d be blind to the dangers around me… and in this place, being blind meant being dead.
Even though I tried my best, a small number of monsters still found a way to escape my notice. This place was filled with shifting shadows within shadows, after all. Every so often, a ghoul or specter would appear and test their chances with me, their contorted shapes rushing toward me with an eerie hunger in their gaze.
At one point, a Mist Wraith drifted close, its ethereal form almost invisible in the fog, save for the faint outline of its skeletal face. Thankfully, it was just a baby.
[Level 22]
It reached out with clawed hands, wails echoing in my ears as if to disorient me. A manaless man would have collapsed immediately. I sidestepped, avoiding its grasp and striking out with my demonic dagger. The blade sliced through the air, severing the wraith’s connection to this world, and it dissipated with a mournful cry.
“Rest in peace, you f-” I cursed at the vanished soul for a bit, quite annoyed, before I continued my trek through the forest. My sense of time began to blur.
Minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like days. The unchanging landscape, the ever-present mist, and the constant strain on my Qi wore me down.
My breathing became more strained, and I searched the fog for any indication of an exit or a destination. Anything.
Suddenly, the density of trees began to decrease. I quickened my pace. The mist cleared slightly, unveiling something completely unexpected up ahead. A... garden?
“A garden in the middle of the forest,” I whispered softly, my voice tinged with disbelief, as I entered the open space. This garden was different from anything I had ever seen in the Wraithwoods. Luminous flowers blossomed among the shadows, their petals emitting an ethereal glow. Twisting vines of a rich green color wound around ancient stone statues, their shapes weathered by time but still exuding a majestic elegance.
The air here was different. It was less oppressive and the eerie screeches of the forest were replaced by a soft, almost melodic hum.
“Insane stuff,” I muttered, shaking my head in bewilderment.
The garden was surely magical. It was a pocket of life and beauty in a place that seemed to be the very embodiment of death and decay, filled with ghosts, spirits, and wraiths. Someone had to be managing this, someone far from normal.
As I ventured deeper into the garden, I found myself looking at a small, rusty hut located at its center. This structure looked ancient, with walls made of weathered wood and a thatched roof that seemed to have weathered many years. Its appearance was modest and humble, but it was clear that it held more than met the eye.
I was nervous about what could be inside.
I stared at the hut for a long moment, my thoughts racing.
This had to be the place. The Forsaken Alchemist’s abode. Who else would be living in this forest? It’s either him or some ghost with intelligence so high that it could act as a gardener. I was at my destination, finally.
But now that I was here, doubt began to creep in.
Should I really knock on that door? I was alone, so I didn’t have the negotiation power that I’d have had if I had Sir Carlos with me. Should I wait for my knights to find me? Things would certainly be easier if he was here.
But… who knew how long that would take? Hours? Days? It’d be dumb to wait. I couldn’t go back to the mist to search for them either, the mist made it impossible to backtrack. The forest behind me was a deadly maze of fog and monsters, there was no guarantee I’d be able to find this place again if I left, and I was running low on Qi.
It’d be suicide to walk back to the mists.
I had no other choice.
With a resigned sigh, I walked toward the door, and my steps felt heavy. I stood silently before the door for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest. Then, summoning my resolve, I knocked.
The noise was muffled by the old wood, nearly engulfed by the mist around it. I paused, but there was no reply. I tapped on the door again, with more force this time, and after a few anxious moments, I heard the sound of shuffling footsteps from inside.
“Coming, coming,” an annoyed voice called from inside. “Who’s looking for me in the middle of the night?!”
The door creaked open soon, revealing a man who looked more like a vagabond than the famed alchemist I was expecting.
He was shorter than me and had an unkempt beard that outlined his thin face. Dark circles under his eyes indicated he had trouble sleeping. His clothing was worn out, and he exuded a somewhat wild presence.
For a moment, I wondered if this was some ghost instead. His head did look a bit too tall for a human’s.
The man’s eyes flicked over me, merely curious at first, but then he paused. His gaze locked onto something just above my head. It was similar to when I looked at people’s Levels. His eyes widened, and then his expression twisted into one of mirthful amusement as he burst out laughing.
“What the hell,” he yelled out with a laugh, doubling over as if he’d just heard the funniest joke in the world. “What did you do to your lifespan, brat? Those are some funny numbers!”
Ah.
So it really is him. That confirmed it. This was the man I’d been looking for. The Forsaken Alchemist, the one who might hold the key to saving my life. From his reaction, the ‘might’ was already proven true.
“Are you done laughing?” I asked dryly as I waited for him to compose himself.
The alchemist wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling as he straightened up. “No, I am not,” he laughed for a minute more and only then stopped. “Yeah, yeah, now I’m done. Come in, brat,” he said, waving a hand dismissively as he stepped back to let me enter. “I am curious about who the hell you are.”
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Our Romani is finally about to find out about his lifespan. As well as something far more important than that… If you can't wait for the next chapter, come read it right away, as well as the next 10 Chapters on my Patreon.
