Chapter 27: Alchemy

Livia clung tightly to Ichio's arm, her voice trembling. "But you said I would recognize her."

Valkyrie nodded, her expression unreadable. "Yeah. You see, she was known as Reina Kobayashi in the real world."

Ichio's eyes widened slightly as he thought to himself, 'Kobayashi, isn't that...'

Livia's grip on his arm loosened as she turned toward Vitalia. "Wait, so you're Souta's cousin? The one he always talked about whenever he came over to our house? He mentioned you a lot."

Vitalia tilted her head with a faint smirk. "Well, I was fairly surprised too. When I got a telepathic message from Valkyrie saying she was bringing some members of Infinite Ego, I didn't expect to see you, Misaki. Especially not to learn that you're Livia." She paused, her tone softening slightly. "You might not recognize me, but your brother talked about you often too. I saw plenty of pictures of you on his phone—still giving that off-putting smile."

Livia blinked, stunned. "I... didn't know he talked about me so much."

Vitalia's sharp eyes shifted toward Ichio. "And I guess you must be Knox, then."

Ichio's gaze met hers steadily. "It's Ichio now," he said coolly.

She shrugged, a sly grin tugging at her lips. "Whatever. It's still the same, isn't it?"

She straightened and clasped her hands together, a new edge to her voice. "Well, time for introductions. I am Vitalia Mortifera of Infinite Ego. Before, people knew me as the 'Torturer from Heaven' because I was a Healer. But now..." Her grin turned sinister. "...you can call me the 'Death-Bringer from Hell'."

A tense silence followed, broken only by the awkward shuffling of Valkyrie, who sighed. "Sorry about her."

Ichio ignored the comment and spoke up. "I'm here because I wanted to learn about Alchemy. So it's actually a relief that you're the Alchemist Lia. Do you mind giving me a lesson?"

Vitalia's sharp demeanor softened for a moment, her eyes lighting up as she smiled genuinely. "Not gonna lie, I actually miss that name," she admitted. "Okay. What do you know about Alchemy?"

"Nothing," Ichio replied honestly.

Vitalia leaned against a nearby table, her eyes gleaming with a mix of excitement and menace. "Well, the moment my Axion Class changed to Alchemist, I knew a bit more than most people because of... my case, which we'll talk about another time. But here's what you need to know: there are three basic principles of Alchemy—Resonance, Catalysis, and Echoforming."

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The Basic Principles of Alchemy:

Resonance: The harmonization of energies and frequencies between substances. Catalysis: The use of specific substances or energies to accelerate or facilitate transformations. Echoforming: The imprinting of patterns or shapes onto substances, influencing their properties and behaviors.

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Vitalia gestured to the trembling man chained on the table. Her expression darkened, her off-putting smile returning. "Now, I can teach you something right here. You see that man? He's been a very bad boy. If you knew the kinds of things he's done to female NPCs and players, you wouldn't feel any pity for him."

The man, pale and shaking, whimpered audibly, his eyes darting toward the door as if searching for escape. Livia clung to Ichio again, fear radiating from her as she whispered, "She's terrifying."

Valkyrie stood silently, observing, while Ichio remained focused, his attention on Vitalia's every word. He was here to learn.

Vitalia ignored the man's please, her voice calm yet filled with malice. "Alchemy has core elements: Transmutation, Transformation, and manipulating both energy and elements."

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The Core Elements of Alchemy

Transmutation: Changing the form or properties of a substance. Transformation: Altering the essence or nature of a substance. Elemental Manipulation: Working with the building blocks of matter. Energy Manipulation: Harnessing and directing energy to facilitate transformations.

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Vitalia finally turned to face Ichio fully. "Let's start with Transmutation. The basic rules of Transmutation are Kyros, Synthesis, and Metamorph."

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Rules of Transmutation

Kyros: Breaking down a substance into its fundamental components. Synthesis: Combining the broken-down components with other substances to create a new mixture. Metamorph: Reforming the mixture into a completely new substance with different properties.

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Vitalia raised her hand, her gaze sharp as steel. "First rule—Kyros. You need to break something down to a fundamental level."

She turned her attention to the chained man, stretching her hand toward him. A faint, eerie glow began to emanate from her palm. The man's screams pierced the room as his body convulsed.

Ichio's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing to him?" he demanded.

Vitalia glanced back with a chilling smile. "Breaking down his blood veins."

Ichio frowned. "Why his blood veins?"

She turned to him, still smiling. "Because blood is life, Ichio. And alchemy is about reshaping life into something… more interesting."

The man convulsed, his screams echoing through the dimly lit basement. Even Valkyrie stood tense, her gaze unwavering but silent. Livia's grip on Ichio's arm tightened. "This… this is wrong," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Ichio, his voice cutting through the man's screams. "What is happening to him?"

Vitalia didn't even flinch, her tone disturbingly calm as she tilted her head to look at Ichio. "Like I said Blood is Life," she said, her lips curving into that eerie, off-putting smile. "And right now, he should feel all the pain it carries."

She turned back to the man, her outstretched hand glowing with a strange alchemical energy. "Now, onto the second rule—Synthesis. The combination of broken-down components with other substances."

A vial materialize in her hand, uncorked, and she poured its contents over the man. The liquid shimmered with a dark green hue as it splashed across his skin. The man thrashed violently, his screams growing even louder.

Vitalia's smile widened, her voice disturbingly nonchalant. "Oh, and by the way, it's poisonous."

Ichio's sharp eyes narrowed. He remained silent but observed every detail with precision, his mind turning over the process she was demonstrating.

The man's body began to change. His skin turned a sickly pale green as his muscles spasmed uncontrollably. He started to convulse, his movements growing weaker as though his body was beginning to shut down.

Vitalia turned to the group, spreading her arms like a teacher revealing her masterpiece. "And now, the third rule: Metamorph. Reforming the mixture into something entirely new." She snapped her fingers, and the man's convulsions ceased. For a brief moment, silence filled the room. Then, his body began to change, grotesquely inflating and distorting as if trying to find a new shape. His eyes turned a glowing, molten orange, and his limbs twisted unnaturally until he no longer resembled a human.

"This is Transmutation in action," Vitalia said, her voice calm as she gestured to the abomination before them. "I've turned him into a perfect test subject for further alchemical experiments."

Vitalia, glancing back at Ichio with an almost childlike excitement in her eyes. "I just changed the properties of his blood. From now on, it will feel like insects are crawling inside him while his blood burns as hot as molten lava. A fitting punishment, don't you think?"

Ichio stepped forward, staring at the creature. "You didn't kill him. Why?"

"Because death is boring," Vitalia said with a genuine smile, her previously unsettling demeanor replaced by a moment of earnestness. "Alchemy isn't just about destruction; it's about possibilities. And sometimes, the greatest discoveries come from the brink of chaos."

Vitalia laughed softly, "You see, his friends? They all died because the experiments I ran on them failed. They were valuable test subjects, nothing more."

She turned back to the writhing man, her voice dropping into a sinister whisper. "He deserves every second of this pain. And don't worry, I made sure it lasts a long time."

Livia, still trembling, peeked out from behind Ichio. "You… you're insane."

Vitalia chuckled softly, brushing off the comment. "Perhaps. But insanity and genius often walk hand in hand."

Valkyrie finally spoke up, her tone slightly apologetic. "Sorry about her methods. She's always been… eccentric when it comes to experiments, even before the merge."

Valkyrie crossed her arms, a sharp exhale. "Vitalia, maybe tone it down a bit. He's here to learn, not get traumatize."

Vitalia chuckled, brushing Valkyrie off with a wave of her hand. "Oh, come on, Valkyrie. Don't act like you haven't seen worse. Besides, this is a valuable lesson, isn't it?"

Ichio turned back to Vitalia, his curiosity burning brighter than ever. "Teach me. I need to understand how to use Alchemy—not just like this, but in many other ways. But this method will also be quite useful sometimes"

Vitalia's eyes gleamed with interest, her unsettling smile softening into something more genuine. "Very well, Ichio. But remember—alchemy always comes at a cost. Are you prepared to pay it?"

Livia whimpered softly, gripping Ichio's arm tighter. "She's... terrifying," she whispered again.

Ichio remained calm, his focus locked on Vitalia, her methods, and the power she wielded. 'Alchemy... This is more than I expected. I have to learn this.'

Ichio didn't flinch. Instead, he took a step forward, his tone steady. "I'd love to learn."

Vitalia's grin widened. "Good. Then we can begin whenever."

The eerie, off-putting smile still lingered on Vitalia's face as she watched the man writhe in pain. Livia, now hiding behind Ichio, peered out from behind his arm. She shuddered, her voice trembling with disbelief as she muttered, "Seriously... I never knew she could be this twisted. I always... heard she loved science and stuff, but... to think she could actually be a mad scientist—or in this case, a mad alchemist. This is so frightening. I mean, I shouldn't be afraid of her, since I know she won't do anything to me, but still... she's too scary."

Ichio glanced over at Livia, his expression calm despite the unnerving scene. "Well... Lia, I'll be in your care."

Vitalia's smile softened, genuinely warm this time. She shook Ichio's hand, her demeanor shifting to something less frightening but still unsettling in its own way. "Okay... now that's out of the way... why don't we have ourselves a duel? Me and Valkyrie against you and Livia."

Livia blinked, completely caught off guard. "What? You think you can actually take on Ichio? You do realize he's Knox, right? And no matter how powerful you are, he's way stronger than you."

Ichio gave a small smirk, his eyes glinting with something unreadable. Livia looked at him, then back at Vitalia, her unease growing. "We can win, right?"

Ichio paused for a moment, his gaze flickering over to Vitalia before he spoke, his voice steady. "When we came here, I checked her stats... Believe me, she's far more terrifying than Valkyrie."

Livia's face went pale as her mind processed what Ichio said. "Seriously? So, are you saying we don't even stand a chance against her?"

Ichio looked at her with a serious expression. "That's not what I'm saying. All I'm saying is that... right now, as we stand, they're stronger than us. Their levels are much higher than ours, so... I don't think we have a high chance of winning here. But I'll try my best. You just try your best to hold on."

Livia swallowed hard, her fear evident, but she nodded in understanding.

Valkyrie, standing with her arms crossed, gave a short laugh. "Well, if that's the case..." She made a triangular shape with her fingers, focusing her attention as she conjured her status board. She tapped a few bars and scrolled through options before she made a request. "The arena is ready. The announcement has been made, and people are already gathering. We've got five minutes, so we need to head there now."

The group quickly made their way out of the basement, heading toward the arena.

But as they walked, Ichio paused for a moment, glancing back at the man who was still suffering. His eyes narrowed slightly, and with a flick of his wrist, his gun appeared in his hand. He raised it, and a dark beam shot through the air, piercing the man's head with a clean strike. The man's body went limp instantly. Ichio lowered the gun, his tone cool and detached. "I think he's been tortured enough. Let's let him rest."

Livia was still shaken by the brutality, but she said nothing as they moved on. They left floor 7 and made their way back to floor 5, in the arena, their footsteps echoing down the hall.

The final showdown was about to begin.

 CHAPTER END.