Barbarian’s Adventure in a Fantasy World
Chapter 94: Sensing the Myst (2)

Chapter 94: Sensing the Myst (2)

“You look like you haven’t slept,” Ketal remarked, looking at the dark rings under Arkemis’s eyes.

“I mean, how could I sleep after you handed me something like this? I’m still so excited, I can barely sit still,” Arkemis replied.

“Sounds like the orb is quite captivating.”

“That word doesn’t do justice,” Arkemis muttered, shaking her head as she walked inside.

She sat down and picked up a small glass vial, gently swirling it so the iridescent particles inside rolled back and forth.

“This little thing doesn’t have any distinctive properties of its own. It doesn’t hold Myst, doesn’t have any unique traits, nothing,” she explained. However, it was pure material in the truest sense. “But when it reacts under certain conditions and touches another substance, it changes its nature. If it contacts gold, it becomes gold. If it contacts diamonds, it takes on the properties of a diamond. If it comes in contact with Myst, it gains Myst.”

There seemed to be no limit to this transformation. Throughout the night, Arkemis had tested it on a total of 124 different materials, and in each instance, the particles transformed accordingly.

“I tried using worthless junk you’d find on the street, as well as catalysts worth three times the same weight in gold. It replicated all of them,” Arkemis said in awe, staring at the iridescent particles.

Even if one only had a tiny speck of some precious substance, one could replicate it in proportion to the amount of these iridescent particles.

“Is this not basically the Philosopher’s Stone?” Arkemis remarked.

It could turn into any substance, which made the comparison apt.

Ketal’s eyes sparkled. “Now that you mention it, it’s pretty much the same.”

It was reminiscent of the defining trait of Nano, which could replace anything.

“In that case, could we use it to form the path of Myst?” Ketal asked her.

“Certainly,” Arkemis replied.

Not only was it possible, it was surprisingly easy. If the particles could assume any form, then it could simply fuse with the dried-out Myst path and become that pathway itself. Ketal’s eyes shone with anticipation.

“But there’s one problem,” Arkemis added.

“What is it?” “There’s not enough of it.”

“Ah...” Ketal had only given her specks—far less than a couple of grains of rice—so there wasn’t anywhere near enough to construct the path of Myst.

“And since this is my first time working with such material, I might make mistakes. I also need to do various safety tests...,” Arkemis continued.

“So you’ll need a significant amount?”

“Exactly. Arkemis quietly estimated. “I’d say at least enough to match my entire body mass. Maybe more. Do you think you can get more? Actually, if you can, I’d love even more than that.”

Her cheeks flushed with excitement. “If I can get my hands on it, I might finally achieve my own goal. I’m willing to pay.”

“That won’t be necessary. You have a personal goal, I take it?” Ketal asked her.

“Nothing grand. It’s just something I’ve been working toward. So, can you do it?”

“I’d like to. I need it myself, and I owe you a favor.” Ketal grimaced slightly. “But I’m not sure if I can get more.”

“I see, so it really is that rare. I guess that’s only natural for something this extraordinary.” Arkemis sighed.

“It’s not exactly rare. The problem is the difficulty of retrieving it,” Ketal explained.

He was thinking of the Lutein Kingdom, which had been devoured by Nano. It wasn’t just humans that were consumed—likely the entire royal castle was made of Nano as well. There was no shortage of it.

The question was how to actually collect it. The iridescent particles were the remains of dead Nano, which probably harbored an intense hatred for Ketal, the one who had destroyed them.

“If you could just tell me where to find it—”

“I’m not in the habit of sending my alchemy teacher to certain death,” Ketal cut in. “It’s that bad...?” Arkemis blinked.

Since Ketal, who didn’t even wield myst, had managed to obtain it, she assumed she could do the same without too much trouble.

Ketal shook his head. “It’s not about strength. It’s... complicated.”

“I see. If it’s a problem with the environment or mechanism itself, then there’s nothing we can do.” Arkemis propped her chin on the table. She hadn’t set her hopes too high, but hearing that it was impossible still disheartened her.

“At this point, this small amount just isn’t enough. We can’t build the path of Myst, so we’ll have to find another method,” she said.

“I see.” Ketal clicked his tongue. Detouring to a more difficult route could be fun, but he was too eager to experience that new sense of Myst again.

Before he could ask what other catalyst they could use, someone knocked on the door. The knocks were rough and rude, so it obviously wasn’t Milayna.

Arkemis stood up with a puzzled look. “Why would he come here...?”

“Do you know who it is?” Ketal asked her.

“This house is within my personal domain, so yes,” she replied as she opened the door. A man with a disgruntled expression stood outside. She recognized him immediately. “Swordmaster Maximus, what brings you here?”

Arkemis had encountered him before when she met Barbosa in the Denian Kingdom. Maximus didn’t answer; instead, he peered into the house past her shoulder. Ketal greeted him with a small smile.

“We met again. Nice to see you,” Ketal said.

“So, you’re here,” Maximus muttered and sighed. He then spoke. “His Majesty summons you.”

“The king?” Arkemis frowned. “Didn’t we agree he wouldn’t interfere with me? What’s going on?”

She had made a deal with Barbosa—she would craft a few artifacts and in exchange, he wouldn’t meddle in her affairs. He had agreed, so she couldn’t imagine why she’d be summoned now.

Maximus shook his head. “It’s not you, Arkemis.”

“If not me, you’re saying he wants Ketal?” Arkemis asked him.

Maximus nodded.

“Seriously?” she murmured, clearly startled.

Maximus turned to Ketal. “His Majesty requests your presence, Ketal.”

***

Ketal was resting in a lounge within Denian’s royal castle. Leaning against a soft sofa and leisurely enjoying some refreshments, he looked up as the door opened. A smile spread across his face when he saw who it was.

“Oh, Elene. It’s been a while,” he greeted her.

“Yes, it has,” she replied quietly.

Standing behind her was Aron, who looked half-dead. Ketal turned to him with concern in his voice. “Aron, how are you holding up?”

“The princess is taking action, even though she’s in a state that hardly looks human,” Aron said in a gloomy tone. “I can’t just sit around and do nothing.”

“I see,” Ketal said before shifting his gaze back to Elene. A month had passed since he’d last seen her, and she seemed different. There was no sign of hesitation or collapse in her demeanor. She appeared calm and composed. “You seem better.”

“I was prepared for this,” Elene murmured softly. Then she fixed her eyes on Ketal. “Ketal, even if I become something else, would you still see me as Elene?”

“You will always be Elene to me. That’s not going to change.”

“I see. That’s enough for me,” she said, her voice steady as though all her preparations were complete. She drew a deep breath and then carefully bowed to Ketal with formal etiquette. “I, Elene Mavroch, First Princess of the Lutein Kingdom, hereby express my gratitude to you, Ketal, my savior.”

“Oh?” Ketal raised an eyebrow. She had once renounced the Lutein Kingdom, yet here she was, thanking him in its name.

“So you’ve made your decision,” he commented.

“Yes,” Elene answered with a firm nod.

They chatted for a while about how each of them had been doing. When Ketal mentioned that he was learning alchemy, Elene paused.

“Alchemy...?” she asked him.

“Yes. It’s more interesting than I expected.”

“R-really?”

They conversed for a bit longer until Elene suddenly remembered something. “By the way, Ketal, what brings you here?”

“I heard the King of Denian summoned me.”

“Huh? He did? Why?”

Ketal responded with a casual grin. “We’ll find out once I meet him.”

Then his gaze shifted to a spot in midair—something only he could see: a translucent window displaying a message.

[Quest# 786]

[Prepare for the Anomaly]

***

A few minutes later, a steward arrived and guided them to the audience hall. Apart from the steward looking frightened enough to hiccup, they entered without any particular trouble.

Barbosa was seated on the throne, with Maximus, the Sword of Denian, standing guard at his side.

“You’re here,” Barbosa said.

Ketal offered a broad smile. “Hey, good to see you.”

“K-Ketal!” Elene gasped.

Barbosa was the King of Denian. Addressing him casually, without even a bow, could be grounds for treason.

Yet, Barbosa spoke nonchalantly. “Don’t worry about it, Elene. He already has my permission.”

“I-I see.”

“So why did you summon me?” Ketal asked Barbosa.

Barbosa studied him for a moment before replying, “You once told me that talking to them would be the right path.”

“I did.” Ketal was referring to the Anomaly that had swallowed up the Lutein Kingdom. Since it seemed fixated on retaining its humanity, Ketal had suggested they should at least attempt a conversation to learn what it really wanted.

“It’s risky,” Barbosa continued, “but your point made sense. So, I reached out to the Lutein Kingdom. A delegation will arrive here in a few days.”

“Oh?” Ketal’s expression brightened with interest. “So, you want me to take responsibility for my advice?”

“You know more about them than anyone. Having you here would be helpful,” Barbosa replied.

“I don’t mind,” Ketal answered with a carefree grin. He looked at Elene. “Will you be alright with that, Elene?”

She nodded firmly, voice resolute. “I’ve decided not to run away. They need me for something. Whether it’s good or bad, they won’t act rashly if they consider me essential. So... I plan to meet them face-to-face and talk.”

Elene still didn’t know exactly what had consumed her kingdom, or what it wanted. Talking was the first step toward the answer: what did it want, and why had it devoured her homeland?

“That’s reasonable,” Ketal said, “but still dangerous if they have ill intentions.”

After all, Nano could replace a person, and it happened so quickly that no one could notice until it was too late. While the captive knight seemed unharmed, there was no denying the threat.

We’ve prepared countermeasures for that.” Barbosa spoke with confidence. Turning his head, he added, “Please reveal yourself now.”

“So it’s finally time,” a voice echoed in the room. A rift formed in midair, and a skeleton emerged.

Startled, Elene took a few steps back.

The skeleton let out a raspy laugh. “Don’t be too frightened, child. I am here to help you.”

“Y-you’re...,” Elene murmured, eyes going wide.

“It looks like you know who I am.”

“Of course,” she replied. It was a lich. He had a staff and wore an elegant robe—one whose distinctive design was known throughout the land. He was the Master of the Mage Tower, and one of the three most powerful mages alive—a Hero.

Elene’s face went pale with shock. “You’re Tower Mas—”

“Oh! Patrick, right? Good to see you again!” Ketal exclaimed with a bright smile.