Chapter 29: Celosia's Counterattack
Inside the shabby wooden shack, the rich smell of roasting meat filled the air.
Sizzle.
A thick slab of meat cooked on an iron plate above the furnace, releasing streams of fat.
Elliott picked up a browned piece of wolf meat and placed it in his mouth.
"Mm."
It was tough.
So tough that his jaw began to ache, but the juices that seeped out with every chew tasted incredible.
More importantly, each time the meat passed down his throat, he could feel a faint warmth rising from his Mana Core.
'Even the meat contains Mana.'
The mutated wolf had not been powerful enough to qualify as an Arcane Beast, but its flesh still seemed to possess some nutritional value.
It filled his stomach and restored a little Mana at the same time.
He could sell the hide later.
"That was good."
After finishing his meal, Elliott wiped the corner of his mouth.
Now that his stomach was full, his thoughts began moving again.
'One-Star Adept, Third Stage.'
His cultivation speed had increased noticeably in recent months.
It was the result of the synergy between the Infinite Proficiency System and Painforged.
However, human desire had no end.
Elliott was already beginning to feel the limits of his current method.
'The pills have stopped working.'
Perhaps he had developed a resistance to the cheap Mana Gathering Pills from the Golden Dragon Apothecary.
Now, taking them only gave him a stomachache. The increase in Mana had become almost insignificant.
If he wanted to advance to a higher stage, he needed better fuel.
However, purchasing higher-quality medicine continuously would cost too much. His aptitude was also far too poor for him to depend solely on medicine made by others.
It would be many times better to refine it himself.
Of course, he would need an alchemical formula and a proper Alchemy Cauldron.
The cheap Bronze Furnace he currently used was sufficient for basic medicines such as Blood-Staunching Powder, but it was utterly inadequate for higher-level pills that required delicate control of heat.
Arum, the owner of the Hundred Herbs Apothecary, had confidently promised to obtain a formula somehow.
Elliott only needed to wait for that.
Perhaps Arum had become more determined because of the Golden Dragon Apothecary.
The real problem was the cauldron.
A decent Alchemy Cauldron could not be found in an ordinary general store.
It was specialized equipment used only by alchemists, so it was not widely distributed.
To obtain a truly exceptional cauldron with excellent heat resistance and Mana conductivity, he would need to commission a skilled Arcane Artificer directly or purchase one of their completed works at a premium.
That was why Elliott had saved money steadily for the past two months.
'The problem is that I don't have those kinds of connections.'
He could ask Arum, but he had no desire to expose another weakness to that merchant or place himself under another debt.
That left only one option.
'The Black Serpent Syndicate.'
There was someone among them with whom he had become fairly familiar.
Elliott rose from his seat and put on his outer robe.
+++
The Black Serpent Syndicate's Seventh Branch.
Elliott pushed open the heavy iron door and stepped inside.
Creeeak.
The thick smoke, metallic smell of blood and iron, and heat unique to a gambling den rushed over him as before.
At that moment, a familiar voice came through the haze.
"Oh my, Sir!"
A familiar figure approached through the smoke.
It was Celosia, the woman who had coldly turned away from Elliott during his previous visit after treating him like a penniless debtor.
Her attitude was now completely different.
"You came again? Why did you take so long? I thought my eyes would fall out from waiting."
Celosia spoke in an overly sweet voice as she stepped into his path.
Her eyes gleamed with greed, like a bear that had discovered a jar of honey.
'What brought this on?'
Elliott was genuinely puzzled.
Had she lost her mind?
The reason was simple.
Over the past two months, Celosia had repeatedly seen Elliott speaking comfortably with Acke throughout the branch.
'If even that prickly Acke treats him so warmly, he must have someone extremely powerful supporting him.'
His clothing might have been shabby, but there was clearly more to him than appeared on the surface.
In any case, Celosia had calculated that becoming friendly with him could only benefit her.
"The tables are excellent today. Would you like to play a round? I can introduce you to a wonderful seat."
Celosia naturally slipped her arm around Elliott's.
Through the thin silk of her clothing, the full softness of her chest pressed openly against his arm.
A sharp thrill ran through him.
"Or perhaps you would rather have tea with me inside? I prepared something very special."
Celosia breathed warmly beside his ear as she tempted him.
Her fingers traced their way up his arm and across his chest.
For a moment, Elliott was caught off guard.
He was still a man. It was impossible not to react instinctively to her soft skin and heavy fragrance.
However, the calculating desire hidden in her eyes was far too obvious.
'Unbelievable. She has decided I'm an easy target.'
A mischievous smile spread across Elliott's lips.
Celosia expected him to blush, panic, or pull away.
Instead, Elliott moved boldly.
Tap.
Rather than removing her arm from his, he reached around and seized her waist.
It was firm, flexible, and narrow enough to fit securely in one hand.
Celosia's eyes widened in surprise.
Elliott pulled her sharply toward him.
Their bodies pressed together without the slightest space between them.
He stared down into her startled eyes and whispered quietly.
"Why do we need to go anywhere else?"
He pushed one leg between hers and pressed his lower body against her with deliberate brazenness.
Heat passed between them through the thin fabric.
Elliott twisted the corner of his mouth and forced a crazed look into his eyes.
"A closed room sounds dull. A corridor like this, where everyone passing by can watch, is much more exciting. Don't you agree?"
In any properly governed city, such lunacy would have earned him chains and a cell.
But this was the lawless world of Adepts, where morality carried little weight.
Elliott felt Celosia's shoulders twitch and celebrated inwardly.
'That struck you, didn't it, you fox?'
It was a small revenge for the way she had dismissed him and then tried to toy with him.
He was certain that Celosia would recoil in horror, shove him away, or flee with a flushed face.
However, Elliott had miscalculated.
Celosia's eyes trembled for only a moment before curving into seductive crescents.
Rather than withdrawing, she wrapped both arms around Elliott's neck.
Then she boldly raised herself onto her toes.
Her red lips covered his.
A brief but intense wet sound echoed through the corridor.
"...?!"
This time, Elliott's eyes widened.
It was an attack he had not expected.
Something soft and hot touched his lips and withdrew. In that brief instant, his mind turned completely blank.
Celosia licked her red lips and smiled seductively.
"Was that more to your taste?"
She tapped Elliott's lips with one finger.
"You certainly have unusual preferences, but I'm not the sort of woman who backs down."
Her hand slowly moved toward the tie of her robe.
The cloth already covered little enough. She looked ready to pull it loose and cast the garment aside at any moment.
"Should we do it right here, Sir?"
Provocation was answered with provocation.
Madness was answered with even greater madness.
Without blinking, Celosia returned Elliott's challenge.
"...Enough."
Elliott raised both hands and hurriedly stepped backward.
This woman was serious.
If he continued acting recklessly, they truly might end up doing something in the middle of the Black Serpent Syndicate's corridor.
"No, I want to continue."
"Stop."
When Elliott raised the white flag, Celosia released the tie of her robe and burst into bright laughter.
"Oh, how disappointing. You began like a tiger. Why are you ending so weakly?"
She tapped Elliott's chest as though thoroughly amused.
"Sir, you're much more innocent and adorable than I expected. You only pretend to be a dangerous wolf."
Elliott cleared his throat and struggled to calm the heat in his face.
If he allowed this fox-like woman to drag him along any further, she would strip away every secret he possessed.
"Ahem. Where is Acke?"
Elliott changed the subject.
Celosia continued smiling as she gestured toward the entertainment district outside the building.
"He is probably at The Drunken Adept House, or drinking in the tavern beside it."
"A drinking house?"
"Yes. He loves alcohol. He is probably enjoying midday wine with a few courtesans right now."
Celosia gave him a deliberately puzzled look.
"You didn't know? Even the cats in this district know how much he loves to drink."
Her eyes narrowed.
Perhaps Elliott's relationship with Acke was not as close as she had believed.
Or perhaps Elliott was deliberately pretending not to know.
Elliott ignored the searching look in her eyes.
Without hesitation, he turned away.
Celosia seemed ready to whisper something else behind him, but Elliott waved his hand and quickly left the branch.