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<Chapter 6: The Alchemist of Florin (2)>
“P-please, save me!”
Was it because she noticed Rotem’s presence emerging from deeper inside the cave—or was it just a desperate scream thrown into the void, clinging to a shred of hope?
The Shai girl, Juno, stood trembling in place, unable to react as the “corrupted being” approached her, dragging a massive greatsword.
She had narrowly survived its first attack, but a deep wound in her thigh had robbed her of any ability to escape.
The human-form corrupted creature stained its surroundings with a dark aura. Its nonexistent eyes locked onto Juno as it slowly raised its greatsword.
The movement was slow—but without hesitation.
And so,
“-!”
The Shai girl’s shock came not from the approaching death itself, but from something else entirely—far more unbelievable.
A giant had suddenly appeared and hurled himself at the corrupted being’s side.
Despite the obvious size difference between humans and giants, this enemy possessed physical strength that defied such racial advantages—the corrupted being.
And yet Rotem succeeded in bringing it down, immediately kicking the sword from its hand and disarming it.
“……”
But losing its weapon did not mean it lost its killing intent.
The corrupted being immediately began thrashing, releasing waves of pitch-black energy.
The force sent Rotem flying back.
However, what concerned him more than its raw strength was the expanding darkness spreading from its body.
To Rotem, it was merely a sticky, unpleasant obstruction that clouded vision.
But for ordinary people, even a single touch meant losing consciousness—or worse, transforming into a corrupted being.
Rotem shouted toward the girl, who was still frozen in shock.
“Run! Get outside now!”
“B-but—”
Juno tried to stand after snapping back to awareness, but the deep wound in her thigh refused to allow even that much.
The physical threat was gone—but if things continued like this, she would soon be swallowed by the dark aura.
There was only one option left.
Destroy the source before the darkness reached her.
“Hup—!”
Rotem pulled out his axe and leapt toward the corrupted being.
It was a straightforward charge, so obvious that the creature tried to stop him with sweeping arms.
But surprisingly, Rotem evaded the strikes with practiced precision and closed the distance, burying his hand axe into the creature’s shoulder.
If it had been a human, it would have screamed and collapsed instantly.
But this was a monster that felt neither pain nor fear.
Knowing this, Rotem did not stop. He continued swinging relentlessly—from the partially severed arm to the neck, from the neck to the face.
“Haa…”
Only after feeling his physical limits did Rotem finally step back and catch his breath.
The corrupted face, now reduced to a mangled mess, began to bubble and melt as if dissolving.
Soon, it was absorbed into the cave itself, vanishing without form.
Only then did Rotem turn to Juno.
“Are you alright?”
“Huh? Uh… yeah…”
Startled by his sudden voice, Juno flinched.
But whether her fear was directed at him or not, she did not back away as the giant approached.
“Take half of this and apply it, then drink the rest. It’ll be enough for you to walk.”
Rotem handed her a red healing potion from his bag.
Juno, as if only now realizing her pain, took it while grimacing.
“…So this is the monster nest you were talking about?”
Following Rotem’s instructions, she applied half the potion to her thigh and drank the rest in one gulp.
Her large eyes remained fixed on the darkened depths of the cave.
“Yeah. Something like that.”
“…No wonder nobody else found it.”
“When it gets dark, things like that start crawling out more. Let’s talk at my workshop first.”
Rotem extended his massive hand.
Juno hesitated only briefly before taking it without hesitation.
And the black spirit—who had been observing everything after finishing its “work”—burst into laughter while watching the two silhouettes leave the cave.
[Hey, your potion actually works pretty damn well.]
Florin Town — Nightfall
As darkness settled over the once-bustling town, lanterns began to glow one by one along the streets.
At this hour, workshops usually closed as Shai artisans returned home, leaving the streets somewhat chaotic.
But Workshop No. 6 still emitted a bright light through its windows.
“How’s your thigh?”
Juno had stepped out in the middle of her work, so the workshop remained messy except for a small cleared space.
Sitting there among alchemy tools, she accepted a cup of warm herbal tea from Rotem and took a sip.
A gentle sweetness spread through her body, easing her tension.
But Juno wasn’t relaxing—she was scanning the workshop intensely, missing nothing.
“I’m fine. That healing potion of yours works incredibly well. Did you make it yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Impressive. It’s already half healed.”
The deep wound left by the corrupted greatsword had already closed with fresh flesh and a forming scab.
Juno’s praise was justified, but Rotem simply waved it off.
“Well, healing potions are basic stuff anyone here can make.”
“True. The ingredients matter more than anything.
But no one would casually make potions this effective just for practice—and leave them lying around instead of selling them.”
“……”
As she said, Rotem’s workshop was scattered with experimental potions and brews, completely unorganized.
“And those truffles too—you got all of them from that cave?”
“Half right, half wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
Before answering, Rotem glanced briefly at an unseen presence.
To Juno, it looked like he was simply gathering his thoughts—but it was actually to reassure the black spirit.
“The mushrooms do grow there. But they’re not high quality in their natural state.”
“Naturally?”
“But if you soak mushrooms or herbs in that dark energy in the cave, they rapidly absorb it and their quality improves.”
“…What?”
Juno’s eyes widened in shock.
That “dark energy” was what made the cave forbidden in the first place.
She had nearly died there after being attacked by a corrupted adventurer.
So she could not accept Rotem’s calm explanation.
“Are you serious? Soaking ingredients in that energy? Do you even know what it does to people?”
“It’s fine. I tested it by eating it myself.”
“…Hey, what—”
“You see? Nothing happened to you either.”
“……?”
Rotem pointed at her thigh.
Juno’s expression froze.
“You—don’t tell me—”
“Yes. That healing potion was made from herbs soaked in that cave’s energy.”
Juno hurriedly checked her wound—but there was nothing abnormal.
Only regenerating flesh and healing tissue.
“Do you understand that even a tiny exposure drives normal people insane?”
If the herbs really were treated in that energy, she should have either died or become like a corrupted being.
But while not entirely false, it also wasn’t fully true.
So Rotem met both Juno and the unseen spirit with a calm expression.
“I might just be naturally resistant to it.”
“No. That’s impossible. I’ve seen giant adventurers go insane just from entering there.”
“Then I guess I’m special.”
“…Special?”
Even veteran adventurers could not withstand that darkness.
Yet here was someone who not only endured it—but worked within it.
Calling it “a bit special” seemed absurdly understated.
“So to summarize: there’s a truffle colony in that cave, and soaking herbs in that energy improves their quality. And somehow you’re resistant to it.”
“Yes.”
“That cave is basically a treasure vault for you. A slave who hit the jackpot, huh?”
Whether she was mocking him or genuinely envious, Rotem couldn’t tell from her tone.
Up until now, he had endured her calling him a slave and looking down on him, assuming it was just Shai bluntness.
But after everything—following him secretly, getting saved, receiving high-quality potions—and still not offering a single word of thanks…
His patience was wearing thin.
“Yes, I guess I did hit the jackpot. Happy now? You don’t need to follow me anymore.”
“What? I never—”
“Then what were you doing near a restricted cave?”
“……”
Her blunt question cut off Juno’s response.
A tense silence followed as they stared at each other.
“Anyway, I won’t ask you to keep it secret. Doesn’t matter either way. Finished your tea?”
“Ah… yeah.”
“I still have a lot to clean up. Can you walk on your own?”
“Uh—yeah.”
She was effectively ushered out of the workshop.
Rotem then rummaged through his bag and handed her a vial of crimson liquid.
“Take this too, just in case. If you feel pain or heat, use it.”
“…O-okay.”
“See you.”
As Rotem was about to close the door, Juno hesitated.
“……Um…”
“Yes?”
“…Thank you.”
Her eyes were wide and unguarded.
There was no pride, no embarrassment—only the simple act of saying something she clearly wasn’t used to.
“It’s nothing. See you tomorrow.”
And just like that, the workshop door closed.
Rotem exhaled and looked around the messy room.
Then—
A voice that had been there the whole time but pretending not to be spoke, baring its teeth.
[Looks like you got found out faster than expected. You sure this is okay?]
“It can’t be helped. I didn’t lie.”
[Hmm.]
“Even if rumors spread, no one’s going to risk their life just for mushrooms. The cave won’t be exposed anytime soon.”
[Still, depending on what she says, we might need a countermeasure.]
“We’ll deal with it when it happens. For now, I need to prepare tomorrow.”
The unexpected delay had pushed back his schedule.
Rotem sighed again and pulled out a bottle of purple liquid from his bag.
“Count on me… ‘Stamina Potion’.”
