Job Information

The great sage Dioise was, once again, completely unfazed.

After offering a vague cryptic hint and pushing Dawei into the werewolf rabbit hole, he now washed his hands of the situation like it was a casual side errand. Apparently, the high-intelligence NPCs in Mercenary World also shared the same trait as many bosses in real life—throw someone into the fire and walk away whistling.

Dawei stared at the quest log, which still gave zero useful updates. "So it's official," he muttered. "I'm the guy carrying the pot… again."

He sighed, packed his virtual bags, and began the long hike back across the cursed forest toward the werewolf's hut.

"No mounts. No fast travel. Just legs and bad weather." He shook his head, already regretting it. "High-end quest? More like high-end suffering."

System Prompt:You have discovered: [Werewolf's Lodge]

Pushing open the creaky wooden door, Dawei stepped back into Montico's hut. Just as before, it was bare—no bed, no food, no water. Only that lone oil lamp flickering faintly by the window.

That confirmed his earlier theory: Montico didn't live here—he returned only during brief escapes from the castle. The absence of essentials made that obvious.

And Jilice showing up at the hut immediately after Montico's arrival? That meant it was a known hiding spot.

"That's the angle," Dawei said, nodding. "He's weak without the moonlight, but he'll always come back here when he gets away."

This wasn't a task of brute force.

It was a trap mission.

He left the hut quickly, in case Montico randomly returned. Then he set up a camera mode, locked his view onto the cabin, and went AFK, laying down on his basement mattress and lighting a cigarette like a detective at the end of his rope.

The gloomy vibe of the cursed forest seeped into him even offline.

"There's no head-on fight. It has to be solved with strategy." He opened a notepad and began jotting down everything he'd gathered:

Montico only transforms under a full moon

He's emotionally unstable when the Count is involved

He returns to the hut when he escapes

Dioise has no means to fight him directly

Catching him must involve bait, magic, or timing

The solution is in the world, Dawei reminded himself. It's not a test of mechanics—it's a test of observation.

A few hours later, after a deep dive into obscure lore threads and speculative alchemy posts, Dawei returned to Dioise's hut.

He walked in with confidence.

"I need some Mithril."

Dioise blinked. "Mithril?"

His eyes sharpened. Dawei immediately knew he'd struck something. Even in a game world, silver was the classic answer to undead creatures and werewolves. Symbolic of purification, salvation, resistance to corruption.

"Yeah," Dawei nodded, "just a small piece."

Dioise frowned, then shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't have what you're looking for. Not even a decent enchanted blade."

Which, in game language, translated to:

Request Denied. Wrong approach. Try again.

But Dawei had expected this. "Figured. Just testing a theory."

Besides, even if he got his hands on Mithril, he wasn't a blacksmith. Crafting silverware with zero profession skills would be like giving a smartphone to a caveman.

What happened next, though, surprised him.

Dioise extended a hand—and from it, floated a small crystalline bottle. The liquid inside shimmered like turquoise lightning, swirling gently in the glass.

Item Acquired: [Corruption Elixir]

"What's this?" Dawei asked, intrigued.

Dioise folded his arms proudly. "A small success from my studies in alchemy."

System Prompt:You have acquired class data: [Alchemist]

Dawei's heart skipped.

Career information?!

He immediately glanced at the item details. The [Corruption Elixir] wasn't just a random consumable. It was classified as a high-tier alchemy potion—rare, complex, possibly unique.

And the fact that he'd obtained Alchemist career data just by receiving it?

That wasn't a normal interaction.

He tried to play it cool. "Wait… this is alchemy?" he asked, feigning curiosity, testing if the job could be triggered.

Dioise smirked. "I dabble."

That smirk alone carried more arrogance than any dialogue box.

Dawei felt a tick of envy. Here he was, running barefoot across cursed terrain while Dioise handed out ultra-rare potions like they were sample coupons at a mall.

System Prompt:Great Sage Dioise's Favorability has increased: [Slight Insight]

"Insight now? What's next, 'mild amusement'?" Dawei grumbled—but inwardly, he was thrilled. The favorability was rising. Slowly, yes. But surely.

Still, the job inauguration didn't trigger.

He sighed. Becoming an alchemist would be huge. Alchemists were one of the few professions capable of turning low-tier trash into high-tier gear, and they were notoriously rare.

Too bad career paths weren't something you could force. They had to be organically triggered, and only in the right conditions.

Dawei stared at the glowing elixir in his hand.

If this was what Dioise handed out casually... then what kind of alchemy level was the old sage really hiding?

Was he a Grandmaster? A Legendary? Or… a God-tier Alchemist?

Dawei felt his palms itch.

I need this man's recipes. His formulas. His secrets. I don't care if I have to follow him around like a lost puppy—I'm getting into that profession.

But for now, he had a mission.

He packed the Corruption Elixir carefully and turned toward the door.

"Time to set a trap for a wolf."