The Combat Alchemist

Walking through the forest, Akira couldn't help but be slightly annoyed. She would've liked to walk beside her new teammate and talk with him, but he was too absorbed in his new ability to give her the time of day. Now, it was great and all that Lukas wanted to familiarize himself with his newest ability and was testing its limits before going into battle, but the way he was going about it made Akira feel as though she were dealing with a clumsy toddler. It actually reminded her of when Lukas had bought his puzzle box and then lost interest in all other things, including watching where he was going.

He was currently walking about ten feet behind her, several empty glass bottles orbiting around him at different distances and speeds. Even though he had that mask, Akira could just about see his glazed-over expression and knew he'd stopped paying attention to his surroundings. This was evident in the fact that, on multiple occasions, the man had walked face-first into a tree, sending his bottles scattering across the forest floor. The first time Akira had thought it was funny, and maybe a little cute—though she'd never admit that. By now, it was getting old.

There were also times when one of his bottles would bump into a tree, bush, or some other foliage, breaking Lukas' concentration and causing him to drop them all. These incidents were common, and each time it happened they'd have to stop so that Lukas could pick them back up before continuing. It was time-consuming, and it felt like they hadn't covered any ground at all. Not only that, but in order to keep his concentration and move at the same time, Lukas had to walk well below their top speed, slowing them even further.

It was a drag, and eventually, Akira had had enough. Turning on Lukas, she pulled out her spear and brought its butt down on his head with a thunk. Swearing, the bottles orbiting him tumbled to the ground, their strings cut.

Rubbing the top of his head, Lukas' eyes refocused and glowered at Akira. "What was that for?"

Akira held up a single digit and looked at him as though he were a child. "You get one bottle. One."

"Wait, what? Why?"

"Because four is too many!" she insisted. "We haven't found a single beast all morning, and at the rate we're moving, we won't find one at all today. You can use more in the evening when we've made camp."

"Fine," Lukas grumbled.

The four glass bottles levitated up off the ground and were pulled toward Lukas. As they drew close, three of the four vanished into thin air, stored in his dimensional storage ability, while the remaining one dropped into his hand.

"Just one," he sulked, holding up the lone bottle.

***

Lukas trudged through the forest alongside a much happier Akira. They were moving much faster than they had been before, and he readily admitted that the elf woman might have had a point. Even so, he was still a bit grumpy about it. He'd seen what he was doing as a great training opportunity, allowing him to get used to the split focus required for Alchemist's Will. Had he been alone, it wouldn't have been a problem, but with another person, it wasn't so great.

Still, Lukas had one bottle, and while it wasn't much, it was something. He had the little glass container dance around his arm, orbit around him in erratic ways, and do little tricks. It was just enough to strain his focus and force him to split his attention between the bottle and keeping up with Akira. There were still plenty of times when he dropped it, but since he was only dealing with a single object, there was no need to stop to pick it back up. Lukas could just lift it right back up with his telekinesis and get back to it.

He had to admit he was having a lot more fun than he really should. In his defense, he was using actual, real-life telekinetic powers to control something. It was the dream of every little kid, and he couldn't get over it. He could hardly wait for his next fight and alchemy session, especially after learning that he could use telekinesis to pull objects out of his inventory. That had been one of the coolest discoveries he'd made about the ability—along with being able to throw poisons, that is.

*

Lukas and Akira stood on a ridge looking down at a mostly barren valley. It wasn't large by any stretch of the imagination, but it was big enough to comfortably fit a two-story house. Normally, they would've passed right by such a place, but it was the fact that there was no vegetation present that made the area stick out like a sore thumb. There were no trees, shrubs, bushes, or flowers of any kind present. Not even grass grew out of the gray, rocky ground.

There, in the center of the valley, sat a lone, suspicious-looking boulder. From their distance, one would guess that it was about the size of a minivan, and aside from being the only object larger than a pebble within a hundred-yard radius, it looked perfectly normal. It was a boring-looking gray, with smooth, weathered sides and a carpet of moss on its top. Despite that, it was obviously a beast of some kind.

"Well?" Akira asked.

Lukas looked over the identification that floated above the distant boulder.

Stone Elemental - lvl 48

"It's an elemental," he reported, "Level 48."

She put her hands on her hips and shook her head as she looked down at the thing. "That ability is such a cheat."

"You want me to stop using it for you?" Lukas smirked.

Ever since entering the wilds, Akira had insisted that Lukas identify every beast before a fight. It was something he did anyway, but Akira wanted to know what they were fighting—and more importantly, what she was fighting. Sure, a beast's aura would give a person its general power level, but you could never be entirely sure. Lukas was an example of that—his aura was all over the place. It was strong beyond belief thanks to his anomalous soul, but clearly only copper-ranked while also giving off the impression that he was low copper. Then there was the power in it due to his incredible stats. All those things combined made Lukas extremely hard to read—and, he hoped, a bad target.

"Don't be ridiculous, of course not. That doesn't mean I can't complain about how broken it is."

"Uh-huh," he crossed his arms. "So, what's the plan on this one? Should I just take it, or do you want to try it together?"

Akira thought it over for a moment, taking in the barren landscape below. "Hmm. I think we go together. It'll be an interesting opponent for us to take. Your poisons won't do anything against it, and I'll be holding back so I don't kill it too fast."

Lukas grimaced at her words. "Yeah, and here I was hoping I would be able to use my new ability in battle."

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes. "It's not like you won't get the chance on some other poor beast later today."

"You know," a silky-sweet voice said in his mind, "if you made some acid with some of those flowers you stole from my cave, it might help you in situations like these."

It wasn't a bad idea, and Lukas had even considered doing just that after facing the water elemental some time back. The acid in question obviously wasn't the flesh-dissolving kind, as that would do little against non-fleshy monsters. No, the acid was rather the mana-dissolving kind—the type that would eat away at the complex bonds that held elementals and mana barriers together. Lukas wasn't an expert on the topic, but he'd done some reading on it and knew that those kinds of acids had a wide range of uses. As such, there were more than a few types of acid.

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There were some for each type of mana, some for getting through all different kinds of barriers, and others for breaking down rituals or other magical constructions. And that was just the acids that focused on mana—there were others for metals, stone, organic material like plants, and yes, ones for flesh. It was to the point that there was a whole book in Lukas' library that described the ability to reach the highest ranks of power simply by focusing on acids.

Lukas had no interest in such a path, but dipping his toes in that area would be more than enough. All he would need was to know how to make some general all-purpose acids, primarily focusing on mana. While he was at it, he'd even be able to start making new potions. He'd come this far with the basic three and felt like the time was right to start branching out, starting with regeneration potions for all three resources.

Just thinking about it made him want to sit down and get to work, an eager excitement he hadn't felt in a while stirring his stomach in anticipation.

"Think I can do some alchemy real quick?" he asked Akira.

She turned to him, looking at him as though he were dull. "What? No! Lukas, I'm not going to sit here for hours while you do alchemy."

"It wouldn't be that long," he refuted, sounding like a child.

"Yes, it would. You lose yourself in stuff all the time. We'll just kill it without whatever strange idea you just came up with. Besides, I've already got a plan."

*

Lukas strolled up to the lonesome boulder, the strangely barren ground crunching like snow underfoot as he crushed dry dirt with each footfall. Starry sword in hand, he couldn't help but feel like he was the wrong guy for the job. Stealth and sneak attacks were right up his alley; direct, head-on conflict wasn't—especially when his poisons were useless. Still, he did what Akira asked; she was more experienced and knew what she was doing, so hopefully that meant he wouldn't get clobbered.

Then again, if it didn't, Lukas was sure he could take down the elemental given enough time. How he would manage that was an open question, but he assumed it would be similar to how he'd slain the water elemental. So long as he disrupted the magic keeping it together, it should be game over. All he had to do was figure out how to do that, and he was pretty sure he'd find out during the fight.

Sighing, he pumped mana through the channels in his eyes and activated his Amber Eye ability. His eyes began to glow a bright and more intense amber as the flows of magic became visible. All around, the air shimmered with it like some sort of heat haze, but it was strange because it didn't distort or disrupt what he saw. It was as though he wasn't seeing it with his eyes, but something else entirely.

Besides the air, nothing else seemed to change—not even the boulder. Even to his ability, it just looked like some big rock, which he found slightly concerning. If he couldn't see the magic animating the elemental, he wasn't sure how to kill the thing.

With a shake of his head, he pushed his doubts deep down and did his part. Swinging his sword, he drew his blade against the side of the boulder, throwing sparks across the empty field. As he did so, gray light rippled across the surface of the boulder, revealing strange patterns and sigils. Not a moment later, the ground began to rumble, and the boulder began to shift, cracking and coming apart. Realizing he'd just woken the snoozing elemental, Lukas put distance between himself and it.

The boulder continued to crumble and break apart, the rocks shifting and rearranging themselves. It was a strange thing to watch—like flowing water, but with fist-sized stones. Out of the shifting mass appeared an arm—a large arm that crashed into the ground to support the rise of the main body. The rocks continued to clatter into place, revealing a lumpy, uneven humanoid shape. Standing around ten feet tall and wearing a mossy loincloth, the monster loomed over Lukas, its rough face seeming to glare down at him.

To his Amber Eye, the pulsing gray light settled, resolving into what appeared to be a net of magic light holding the elemental together. The gray veins crawled over and under the rocks, meeting to make glyphs and nodes all over its massive body. All the lines seemed to stem from a spot deep within the elemental's chest, and Lukas really hoped he wouldn't have to go there to kill the thing.

The elemental took one step toward Lukas before a bronze blur shot out from the forest. There was a flash of silver light as Akira's spear met the elemental's leg, sending rocks scattering across the forest floor. Letting out a roar of pain that sounded like two mountains colliding, the monster dropped heavily to one knee. The leg wasn't destroyed by any means, but there was a good chunk of it missing.

"If you put your all into that, what would have happened?" Lukas asked curiously.

"Not the time, Lukas," she scolded, and roots began emerging from the ground, wrapping around the creature's appendages. "You know what to do."

Slipping into the shadows provided by the massive trees on either side of the valley, Lukas rushed the downed and restricted elemental. Reappearing by its side, he swung his sword toward the thickest clump of energy flows, the intricate lines dissolving like smoke as his blade passed through them. Loose stones came tumbling free, crashing to the ground with a thud. Swinging his sword for another cluster, Lukas was suddenly thrown off his feet and back over a dozen meters.

The elemental had ripped itself free of its bindings and slammed its fist into the ground, sending out a wave of earth and stone. As Lukas clambered to his feet, he suddenly realized why the area was so desolate.

As it got back to its feet, Lukas got a look at the monster. There was now a small divot in the thing's side where he'd attacked it. On its other side were three silver spears thrust deep into its body. The owner of said spears had similarly been thrown back and now stood on the opposite side of the valley, the elemental standing between them.

Turning to look at both of them, it smashed both of its fists on the ground, making the earth tremble beneath Lukas. He was afraid another wave was headed his way, but instead, a large rock wall appeared between it and Akira, extending from one side of the valley to the other, cutting her off entirely.

"That's… interesting."

Fully focusing on Lukas, it turned toward him and brought one of its massive feet down, sending a line of earthy spikes rocketing toward him. Eyes going wide, Lukas dropped into the shadows once more and dashed away, only to swear when the spikes turned sharply to follow him. Getting a dumb idea, he promptly headed straight for the elemental, spikes hot on his heels.

As he did so, the thing brought down its other foot, sending a second line straight toward him. Unwilling to back down, Lukas continued full speed ahead, and when he was within just a few feet of the approaching spikes, he dodged to the side. Unable to turn fast enough, both attacks collided with one another, sending stone shrapnel flying.

With the attack down and a clear shot at the elemental, Lukas laid on the gas, only to be thrown out of the shadows violently as the stone lines left by the attack exploded. Bloody and tossed bodily, Lukas could only try to recover as quickly as possible. Slipping back into the shadows, he zipped away from the fast-approaching elemental, only to turn right back around as the thing stumbled when two spears slammed into its back.

Standing on top of the wall, hair blowing in the breeze, stood Akira, her weapon leveled at the monster.

Now distracted by the sudden attack, Lukas made his move and struck at the elemental's already injured leg, taking out two large groupings of energy flows. With a roar, the elemental dropped to the ground, its weakened leg crumbling under its own weight. Taking advantage of its weakened state, Akira jumped down, her spear tip once more glowing as she gathered momentum. As she made contact, even more of the elemental came away. Disappearing in a blink, the only thing left behind was another silvery spear.

Reappearing near Lukas, Akira tapped her spear to the ground, detonating the copies. Chunks of rock were sent flying, exposing large parts of its inner chest and revealing a shining glow deep within. As the elemental roared in pain, Lukas took the opportunity to finish the fight. Dashing forward and clambering over a pile of loose rock, he plunged his sword deep into the elemental's wounded side.

There was a flash of light and a clattering of rocks, and the fight was over.

You have slain [Stone Elemental - lvl 48] - Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.

Level gained: [Rogue of Night] has reached level 34 - Stat points allocated.

Level gained: [Rogue of Night] has reached level 35 - Stat points allocated.

New ability earned: [Night's Intractability] - Ability: A creature of the night, you have learned its secrets and wield its unyielding power. Your every strike shall bring the night forth, allowing its intractability to consume your foes. This ability is a special attack. When stabbing an enemy, unleash a wave of darkness, knocking back your enemy and inflicting them with [Weight of the Moon]. Mana cost: Medium. Cooldown: 95 seconds.

[Weight of the Moon] - Affliction: Applies a burn-over-time effect that bypasses defenses and drains vitality directly. Effect can be stacked; timer resets with each new affliction. Duration: 100 seconds.

Level gained: [Human (Outworlder)] has reached level 35 - Stat points allocated.

Like usual, Lukas barely had any time to read his notifications before the pain started. The channels were being formed in his arms and hands—an area that fortunately already had channels thanks to Star Forged Armory. So, rather than feeling like his arms were being flayed and sprinkled with salt, it only felt like his arms had experienced a low-level sunburn. Soon, even that passed, leaving him very happy with his new special attack.