Chapter 25: A Dangerous Bath
Splash.
The river water was cold, but the chill cleared Elliott's mind at once.
'Refreshing.'
He had brought no proper washing tools, so he picked up a smooth stone and began scrubbing the accumulated grime from his skin.
'I should find a way to make soap.'
Even a simple bar made from rendered fat and herbs would be better than this.
As Elliott roughly rinsed his stiff hair in the river, another thought entered his mind.
Could soap become profitable if he produced it through alchemy?
No. Before that, he might first need to convince the people of this world that washing regularly was worthwhile.
Whatever the case, the sensation of the sewer stench leaving his body was deeply satisfying.
Then he heard it.
Rustle.
It was not the sound of water flowing around him.
The noise came from the bushes on the opposite riverbank.
Elliott froze.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
'An Arcane Beast?'
Holding his breath, he lowered himself deeper into the water and stared toward the source of the sound.
A faint thread of Mana gathered at his fingertip, ready to activate Intangible Sword at any moment.
However, what emerged from the bushes was not a fur-covered monster.
Step. Step.
Four figures appeared.
"Haa... That thing was vicious."
"At least we killed it. We would have had trouble if it escaped."
They were human.
The problem was their appearance.
From head to toe, all four were covered in crimson blood. A heavy metallic stench drifted from them with the wind.
They looked like demons that had just crawled out of a sea of blood.
'Murderers? Bandits?'
Elliott tensed.
An armed group encountered in such an isolated place could be just as dangerous as an Arcane Beast.
Perhaps even more dangerous, since humans possessed intelligence.
Their gazes turned toward Elliott, who remained submerged in the river.
'Damn it.'
Had he been too careless?
Elliott swallowed dryly.
Contrary to his expectations, however, they showed little interest in him.
The figure at the front briefly examined his Mana, then turned away as though he were not worth noticing.
'A One-Star Adept at the Second Stage isn't even worth their attention?'
Their complete indifference was humiliating.
For Elliott, however, that contempt was more than welcome.
'Arcane Beast hunters?'
At least they did not appear to be robbers.
'From now on, I need to make a habit of keeping my Arcane Sense spread around me, even unconsciously.'
He would not always remain in safe places.
The four descended toward the river and began removing their clothes without hesitation.
Their blood-soaked outer garments fell heavily onto the ground.
Elliott hurriedly tried to turn his head away.
What reason did he have to look at the naked bodies of four rough men?
It would only damage his eyes.
Yet a strange color that flashed past his vision caught his attention.
'...What?'
The blood had concealed it.
Their fierce presence had made him assume they were hardened men.
However, the backs revealed beneath their clothes possessed smooth curves, and the skin hidden beneath their rough combat robes was as pale as polished ivory.
'Women?'
All four of them?
Without caring about anyone watching, they stripped off even their undergarments and jumped into the river.
Splash! Splash!
Blood spread through the water as their true appearances were revealed.
Beneath the blood and the stench were strong yet striking bodies.
One woman brushed back her short hair with a rough motion, while another allowed her long hair to spread across the water.
"Haa. I finally feel alive again."
"The smell of blood has soaked into everything. Ugh, disgusting."
For several seconds, Elliott remained frozen by the unexpected sight.
Then one of the women's eyes flashed toward him.
At the same moment, a sharp Mental Intent pierced his mind like an iron spike.
[Turn your eyes away before I tear them out.]
"...!"
Elliott immediately came to his senses.
A chill ran down his back.
'Heavens! Why does everyone always want to kill me?'
'Damn it. If I keep staring, she truly will remove my eyes.'
This was the world of Adepts.
Would women covered in blood after hunting Arcane Beasts possess ordinary tempers?
For them, questions of modesty could probably be settled with a single swing of a blade.
'I cultivate to live forever, not to get myself killed!'
Elliott desperately fixed his gaze upon the empty sky.
'I am a stone. I am water. I saw nothing.'
Pretending to move naturally, yet working faster than ever before, he finished scrubbing the remaining dirt from his body.
He rubbed so hard that he nearly stripped away his skin.
Fortunately, the women seemed more interested in washing one another's backs than paying attention to Elliott.
Like a thieving cat, he quietly slipped out of the river and put on his clothes.
Then he ran toward the forest path without looking back.
'Haa... I nearly lost ten years of my life.'
Elliott returned home without further incident and immediately locked the door.
"I feel human again."
His body felt clean, and his mind was clear.
"Now, work. Time to work."
During the day, he produced Blood-Staunching Powder for delivery to the Hundred Herbs Apothecary.
At night, he raised his proficiency with Intangible Sword, Antidote Pills, and Vitality Pills.
[Alchemy successful!]
[Quality correction activated: Success!]
[High-Grade Blood-Staunching Powder acquired.]
He had reached the point where he could almost produce Blood-Staunching Powder with his eyes closed.
Perhaps it was because his proficiency had passed Expert at eighty-four percent, or perhaps the process had simply become deeply familiar to his hands.
Whenever he used mid-grade ingredients, roughly seven out of ten results emerged as High Grade.
'At this rate, I might even produce Top Grade.'
Whenever the quality correction produced an exceptional result, the finished powder glowed with a brilliant radiance beyond its ordinary red color.
Each time that happened, Elliott separated the packet from the others.
He intended to preserve them as hidden cards for the future.
And so, time passed.
Ten days went by in the blink of an eye.