Chapter 57 – First Mission
Vivette stared at her two disciples in silence.
First, she looked at ris, whose face was practically glowing—clearly delighted by sothing. Then she turned to Kenan, who looked like a man that hadn’t slept a wink. He kept glancing at ris every few seconds, as if wanting to speak... but not daring to.
Vivette sighed silently.
Yesterday, she had deliberately given them ti off—hoping they would center themselves, perhaps even learn from one another. After all, disciples who bonded, shared, and sparred often grew faster together.
But it looked like her goodwill had backfired. One was lovesick. The other? On cloud nine.
"Are you ready for your first class?" Vivette asked at last, her gaze sweeping across both of them.
"Yes, Master!"
"...Yes."
The responses ca in unison—but the tone, the fire behind the words, couldn’t have been more different.
Vivette didn’t linger on it. Their personal lives weren’t her concern.
But their focus was.
And if they didn’t focus, they’d make mistakes. Dangerous ones. And if there was one thing Vivette would not allow—it was being shad by underperforming disciples. Her reputation mattered to her. Greatly.
"Before we start with actual potion crafting, you first need to understand the theoretical process. We’ll begin with sothing very basic—the kind of potion even rchants stock by the dozens: a common-grade health potion."
She paused, then looked at the two of them again.
"Which of you knows the ingredients required?"
Silence.
ris tilted her head, a finger on her chin.
"Crimsonleaf herb... glowroot vine..." she offered, clearly trying to recall more—but that was all she managed.
Vivette nodded slightly—those were correct—but her eyes narrowed when neither of them continued.
"Crimsonleaf herb. Glowroot vine. Clearwater. And bonepetal dust," Vivette said sharply, her gaze cutting through them. "Four ingredients. That’s the formula for a common-rank health potion."
ris gave a sheepish chuckle, then started taking notes. Kenan quietly did the sa.
"Now, learn the process," Vivette continued, handing each of them a runic plate. "Study this. Know it like the back of your hand."
"When you’ve morized it, you’ll try concocting a potion yourself. And once you succeed in doing so five tis, you’ll officially reach the rank of Apprentice Alchemist."
She gave them a mont to digest that.
"It’s not a title to boast about, but it carries so weight. Enough to be taken seriously within most circles."
At her words, both ris and Kenan imdiately straightened up. They had been interested before—but now they were invested.
This wasn’t a ga.
Viviette may have downplayed it, but they both knew that becoming even an Apprentice was no easy feat. Alchemical talent wasn’t sothing every random peasant possessed—it was rare.
And it was valuable.
So they took their runic plates and began studying with intensity.
But then Viviette smiled—and added one final touch:
"The first one of you to reach Apprentice rank... will receive a set of rare-rank health potions from ."
And just like that, the atmosphere changed again.
They were fired up now.
Except one of them had another kind of motivation—
’If I win... will she co to and ask for guidance?’ Kenan thought to himself.
And the more he imagined it, the more it made sense.
The more it made him want to win.
Truly, what a devoted man.
...
anwhile, Kaden stood before a familiar guard—the sa one as before.
"Oh? Little Warborn again?" the man asked, grinning. "Tired of the capital already?"
"I’ve got a mission outside," Kaden replied, handing him the confirmation scroll.
The guard—Ray—took the scroll seriously. It wasn’t just a formality. If he failed to verify a docunt properly, and sothing went wrong...
Well. He didn’t want to imagine what the higher-ups would do.
After reviewing it, Ray handed it back with a nod and his usual grin.
"You’re good to go. But if you’re not back within a month, like it says in the mission conditions—we’ll consider you dead."
"Ti limits account for all known variables. You have more than enough ti to finish and return."
Kaden tilted his head.
"And what if I co back after the ti limit?" he asked, his blood-red eyes locking onto Ray’s black ones.
"After all you just said known variables. Maybe I will et sothing you didn’t account for causing to go back after one month."
Ray smiled wider.
’What a curious Warborn...’ he thought.
"Well, once we confirm it’s really you, we’ll just be happy to learn about a new possibility, won’t we?"
Kaden nodded slowly and turned to leave. Not willing to waste any rune this guard.
Ray called after him, "Just don’t die on us, little Warborn. Wouldn’t want your family to make a ss."
He chuckled to himself, then whispered, "Not that they’d dare... they know better than to cross us."
At this words, Kaden smirked.
"Please, sir. Don’t jinx ."
’After all... I plan to die.’
He left the capital quietly, walking toward the sa forest where the princess had once teleported him—the Forest of Asterion.
Behind him, Ray blinked.
"...Jinx?"
He shook his head and went back to work.
...
Kaden walked calmly down the path toward the forest.
It would take him two or three days to get there.
He could have taken a carriage—but he chose to walk. He wanted the ti to think, to let the information of the mission settle in.
His target was the Dreadthorn Bear.
A venomous beast that resided deep within an infested area of the of the forest, surrounded by so poisonous mists.
Which ant he wouldn’t just be fighting the beast—
He’d be fighting the very land around it.
"That explains the difficulty rating... close to Master-rank," Kaden muttered.
But that only made it better.
He had 1000 Death Coins, and by his estimation, the strength gap between him and the bear wasn’t too massive.
That ant—
"I can die four tis or so," he murmured, calculating.
"But just in case, I’ll hold one death in reserve. Never know what unexpected shit might happen."
With his plan set, Kaden picked up his pace.
"I might as well train Slothful Steps along the way."
And so he did.
Before long, a strange figure could be seen walking down the road—a young man moving with infuriating laziness, yet sohow traveling faster than a galloping horse.
A curious, ridiculous sight indeed.
—End of Chapter 57—
User Comments
0 comments from readers