The Mysterious Black Magician

The other alchemy departments tried to mimic their elixir, but none of them was able to succeed. After all, the process of making it was so profound and unusual.

Because of the Shiny Purification Elixir, the threat brought by the miasma had lessened and the defense against the monster's attack on the Narrow Pass had continued. More and more monsters came to attack.

However, after the issue about the miasma's illness effect was solved, many Rankers came to join the fight. The defenders were able to push back the monster's horde.

On the other hand, the commanders of the defenders, the Senior Leader of the Department of Security, asked some of his men to buy the elixirs in bulk.

The Little Garden had become so busy in an instance. Yman was unceasingly making the elixir with the help of Rea and the others. Airi, Achan, and the others helped to distribute the elixir.

When the night came, the monsters retreated to the mountain after they failed to break the defense of the defenders. The defenders were so lively after they succeeded in defending the Narrow Pass.

Most of them were able to gather rich loot. Especially the monster's inner core. Rankers needed it the most as it was used for their 5d-Seers.

Although the monsters pulled back this time, none of the defenders left the Narrow Pass as there was a high possibility for the second wave.

The Highest Council ordered to build a temporary settlement in the Narrow Pass in any case that the monsters would push back once again.

In the Little Garden, Rea was pondering. She remembered Crimson's words when Professor Ronnie asked him about the elixir. He said that he would resolve all the issues.

And it was happening! The issue about Little Garden's reputation and lack of points and the issue about the miasma. She was dumbfounded. He actually did it. Rea's impression of Crimson had leaped another bound again. She wondered how he was able to reproduce the elixir to an unimaginable degree. Not only did he reproduce it, but he also increased the quality of the medicine.

'Right, how he did it?'

Rea's curiosity got the better of her this time. She asked Crimson how he did it and why he wasn't affected by that miasma.

Crimson smiled wryly. It wasn't like he wasn't affected by the miasma. In truth, he was affected by it, but not as grievely as the others. He had high resistance against it, thanks to the demon of possession. But Yman could not tell her about it so he only said that he had high resistance against it. He also explained what he did to increase the quality of the elixir.

However, the next question of Rea stunned him. "Then, how did you reproduce it?"

"....."

He didn't know how to answer her, or would she believe if he told her that he transformed the medicine into a skill? 

When Night came, Yman and Rea were Sitting in front of the flickering bonfire. After throwing some dry woods to the fire he felt someone's gaze at him. "What?" He asked when he noticed Rea's gaze.

"N-nothing…" She said while looking away. He scratched his head. He guessed that Rea could still not forget about what happened this morning in the storeroom.

He scratched his face and gazed at her. Rea was a lovely person. He thought. Thanks to her and Cinde, he learned many things.

A smile subconsciously appeared on his face while gazing at her. He felt warm inside him, for the first time.

Besides his Sister, it was the first time that he felt something like this to other people.

"Uhm, Re—" He opened his mouth to say something to Rea but Achan suddenly came.

"Uhm, Mr. Crimson…"

Rea and Yman glanced at her. "Achan, is there a problem?" He asked.

"Achan, come join us." Rea invited her as she took the kettle out of the fire. Inside it was boiled tea. She then took a cup and filled it, then handed it to Achan.

Rea, Yman, and the others were not able to go back to the inn as they were busy. The Little Garden department received a request from the higher-council that if possible, they wanted the Little Garden to work overtime. Since they could not guess when the monsters would attack again. There was a higher possibility that they would attack tonight.

Since only the Little Garden Department could supply the defenders with a cure against the miasma, they had no choice but to ask Professor Ronnie for his department's cooperation.

Achan sat in front of Rea and Crimson. In the middle of them was the flickering bonfire.

Seeing her face, Yman could probably guess with certainty what she was about to say. Achan was wearing a worried and skeptical expression at the moment.

She was skeptical to say it because of Rea's presence. After a long breath, she resolved herself and asked him. It was already too late to hide their department's fault at this point.

Although it surprised Rea to learn the truth about the Devourer, she told Achan that she had nothing against their department, but advised her that it was better, to tell the truth, and accept whatever punishment the Highest Council bestowed them. However, Rea also told her that if she chose to hide it, she too would never speak about it ahead of them.

Yman stared at Rea and secretly admired her.

"What?"

He heard Rea's sudden question while staring at him. Actually, she noticed his gaze towards her.

"....."

"Uh… nothing…"

He glanced at Achan and told her that she agreed to Rea's words. Rea blushed a little but hid it by looking away.

If Airi did not tell her that Crimson and Rea were cousins, she would probably think that these two had a special relationship, seeing them right now.

Achan fell silent. Then she remembered something.

"By the way, Mr. Crimson, I heard that you came back to the mountain to collect the miasma sample…"

Yman nodded slightly.

"Did you perhaps see the senior students on your way there?" Achan hastily asked.

After hearing her, he remembered those two idiots who ran away. He forgot that those two existed in the world.

"Sorry, I didn't notice. Haven't they returned yet?" He asked.

"No. The other members of our department told us that the two seniors were missing."

Yman narrowed his eyes.

"Wait, I think we can ask someone else," Yman said when he remembered something.

"R-really…"

Without replying to her, he asked Sistela, who was silently sitting on his shoulder, to get the Wisp.

<Okay!> She said with a salute. Then flew inside the Little Garden. Wisp was currently resting in the artificial garden, inside the little garden.

A second later, she came back while dragging the sleepy Golden Bee.

<Partner, I caught him!>

"....."

Yman and the others felt sorry for the Wisp. Sistela was just a bully.

The Wisp annoyingly asked their business. Yman then took the other wisp from his storage. He forgot about this one. He wondered if it was still alive. Well, since it was an entity that didn't require to breathe, he believed that it was fine to store it inside his Cyber Storage.

"Friend!"

The wisp in the body of the bee fire doll exclaimed after seeing the other wisp.

Rea wondered how Crimson was able to meet such entities. Wait did he call such a bee as a wisp? She wondered as she had no idea about it.

Yman did not waste more time and asked the first wisp to ask the second wisp if he found some demihumans in the mountain before he was chased by some worm monsters.

Just then, they noticed the second wisp glow was blinking while the first wisp was nodding his head. It was what they believed after seeing the golden bee twitching his head.

"My friend said that he saw two demihumans, but the two of them headed to the northern part, to where he felt the most dangerous presence."

Said the golden bee.

Dangerous presence? Could it be related to what the demon told him? Yman thought.

However, they all glanced simultaneously when they heard footsteps coming closer. They saw three people who they believed were part of the defenders.

"Good Evening, we need some elixirs the monsters were attacking once again." They immediately stated their intention. 

They noticed that they looked so exhausted. Probably, they rushed over here.

Rea immediately rushed inside to get the materials.

Yman, on the other hand, questioned them about the attack.

With forlorn faces, they told him that it was more terrible this time. They have heavily injured men because of the appearance of a giant monster which they believed to be a demon.

Yman widened his eyes.

Not just that, the demon had the appearance of a giant worm. But on its head, there were two humanoid individuals.

Yman felt curious at their words.

Rea, together with Airi and the others, came out of the Little Garden with boxes of elixirs.

The three immediately went back, rode on their flying sticks.

Yman told Rea that he wanted to take a glance at the battlefield.

"Let me go with you!" She immediately said.

"No, you are safer here. Besides, I won't take long," He told her.

"Then, it's fine if I came with you…"

"....."

He lost the words to decline her. In the end, he took her with him.

They flew towards the Narrow Pass.

When Yman and Rea arrived, they were almost stunned at what they saw. A giant beast that was as big as a three-story building.

And on top of it, they could see two humanoid figures coated in what seemed like green stretchable cloth, or maybe it was skin. On their heads and backs, they were connected by what seemed like nerves.

The monster shot something that looked like vines. It whipped the air towards the defenders.

The ground was littered with blood and many bodies were lying on the ground.

A real Demonic Beast?

Rea whispered.