The Alchemist's Smile
The morning air of Axel carried a sharp chill — the kind that hinted at trouble long before it arrived.
Ruko walked beside Varo through the narrow streets, eyes half-lidded, watching merchants set up stalls and children chase each other between wagons. The city looked ordinary. Too ordinary.
"Feels quiet," Ruko muttered, adjusting his coat.
Varo's hood tilted slightly. "That's what I thought before a village got erased by 'quiet.'"
"Charming optimism as always," Ruko said with a faint grin.
They turned into the Central Plaza, where the Alchemist Guild towered above the rest of the city — a domed structure of steel, glass, and runes humming faintly under the sunlight. The smell of potions and smoke drifted through the air like perfume.
Ruko whistled. "Now this… this is my kind of place."
Yew's crackled faintly through his wristband.
> [System Note: Mana density unusually concentrated. Be cautious, host.]
"Cautious? Nah, I'm curious," Ruko whispered with a smirk.
Inside, the guild was a maze of bubbling flasks, glowing crystals, and scholars scribbling formulas that looked like madness disguised as math. A few turned to glance at him — then quickly looked away.
Varo followed silently as Ruko approached the counter.
"I'm looking for whoever runs this science circus," Ruko said.
A tall woman with sharp golden eyes looked up from a pile of notes. Her lab coat shimmered with enchanted threads; her hands were stained with ink and mana burns. "You must be Ruko," she said flatly. "The one who caused a seismic anomaly east of town."
"Depends," Ruko said. "Is that a compliment or a bounty notice?"
She stared a second too long, then smirked. "Both, maybe. I'm Althea, senior alchemist. You're my new test subject— I mean, assistant."
Varo snorted under his breath. "Good luck surviving."
Ruko grinned wider. "Lady, I'm honored. What's the experiment?"
Althea gestured toward a crystal container filled with swirling, unstable liquid. "A core residue extracted from a ruin beast. Its mana pattern matches the anomaly you caused. We're trying to stabilize it — without turning the lab into a crater."
Ruko leaned close, eyes gleaming. "So basically: make it not explode, but maybe explode in a cool way?"
Althea raised an eyebrow. "You're disturbingly accurate."
He cracked his knuckles. "Perfect. Let's get started."
---
Hours passed.
The lab filled with the rhythm of clinking metal, bubbling reactions, and Ruko's muttering. Althea observed quietly, sometimes intervening, mostly letting him experiment.
He was focused — unnervingly so. His grin widened whenever a spark flared, and when the residue emitted a shockwave, he laughed like a lunatic.
"Look at that structure — it's changing form! Beautiful!"
> [System: Warning — user emotional focus exceeding safe parameters.]
[Yew]: Ruko, you're smiling like you've lost it again.
Ruko: "Correction — I found it."
Althea froze for a moment as she watched his expression. The same calm smile from the guild — now mixed with something raw, wild, alive.
"Your aura shifted," she said quietly.
Ruko didn't look up. "Maybe I just like things that fight back."
The mixture glowed brighter. Lines of crimson mana spread across the containment glass.
"Too unstable!" Althea shouted.
Ruko didn't move. Instead, he reached forward and pressed his palm against the container.
> [Skill: True Copy — Molecular Resonance.]
[Skill: Rewrite — Structure Rebalance.]
Energy surged — then, silence. The light dimmed. The residue solidified into a small, black crystal.
Althea exhaled. "You— you actually stabilized it."
Ruko smirked, holding the crystal between his fingers. "Guess I'm a natural-born maniac."
Varo clapped slowly. "And somehow still alive. Impressive."
Ruko tossed the crystal once, catching it again. "Yew, scan it."
> [System Analysis: Artifact classified as "Fragment of Resonance." Contained power limit — 5%. Compatible with user's synchronization pattern.]
Ruko's eyes narrowed. "Five percent again, huh? Looks like fate's got a pattern."
Yew replied faintly:
> [Host synchronization increasing. The material recognizes your bloodline.]
He pocketed the crystal, feeling its pulse sync with his heartbeat.
"Another piece found," he muttered. "One step closer."
---
As night fell, Ruko sat on the guild's balcony overlooking the city. Varo leaned on the rail beside him, while Althea worked below. The moon reflected off metal rooftops, quiet and still.
"So," Varo said. "You're enjoying this world."
Ruko gave a half-smile. "Maybe. The explosions are fun."
"Not what I meant."
Ruko looked sideways. "You're not subtle, you know that?"
"Never claimed to be."
They both stared out at the stars.
"Tell me, Ruko," Varo said after a pause. "If someone offered you the chance to choose between saving this world or destroying it… what would you do?"
Ruko didn't hesitate. "Depends who's watching."
Varo chuckled softly. "A dangerous answer."
"I fight for the underdogs," Ruko said, leaning back. "Good? Evil? I reject them both. They always want control, never freedom."
Varo's expression darkened. "And if freedom demands blood?"
Ruko grinned. "Then it'll be a fun fight."
For a moment, silence stretched. Then Varo said quietly, "Be careful, Ruko. People who reject both sides often end up hunted by both."
Ruko's smirk didn't fade. "Then they'd better learn to run fast."
---
Later that night, as Ruko walked back to his inn, the air suddenly shifted. The lamps flickered; shadows lengthened unnaturally.
> [System Warning: Distortion detected. Unknown observer signature.]
"Show yourself," Ruko said. His voice was calm, but his aura thickened.
A figure stepped out from the darkness — faint, translucent, wrapped in a veil of silver light. The air vibrated.
It spoke, voice neither male nor female. "Jizuko bloodline… detected. The Sealer watches."
Ruko's grin vanished. His crimson eyes sharpened like blades.
"Tell her," he said slowly, "I'm still alive. And I'm still having fun."
The figure flickered — then shattered into fragments of light, leaving only silence behind.
> [System Log: Anomaly Resolved.]
[Yew]: That wasn't a normal messenger. She's probing again.
Ruko: "Let her. She wants me to grow? I'll grow until she chokes on regret."
His voice dropped low, almost a whisper.
"The next time she looks my way… I'll make her feel fear."
He turned toward the inn, the faint smile returning — not of joy, but of thrill.
That psychopath's smile that promised chaos and discovery alike.
---
> [System Update: Host Synchronization 1.10% → 1.15%.]
[Transformation Threshold: Locked.]
[Bloodbound Arsenal adapting.]
Yew's system softened, almost… wary.
> [Yew]: You're changing faster than before.
Ruko: "Maybe the fun's just getting started."
The moonlight painted his path silver as he disappeared into the alleyways — a man who smiled at danger, who cursed at gods, and who studied monsters like art.
The world trembled quietly, sensing its new storm.