Memorize

For a while, I had been watching Vivienne's bizarre performance, but soon, my interest began to wane. It wasn't my job to begin with, and more intriguing was something I had in my possession. That something was the core I had gotten from Vivienne. As someone who would willingly venture into hell if it meant enhancing my stats, I felt a thrill as I reached into my pocket. I intended to inspect the core I had obtained in detail using my "third eye."

"Ugh… Guh! Gah!"

A sharp scream escaped her lips. Her body convulsed violently as she writhed in pain. My heart ached to see Vivienne in such agony, but the moment my hand firmly grasped a hard, spherical object, I was able to push the thought aside.

It was unlikely, given its spherical nature, that it was a simple mana stone. Still, it wasn't entirely out of the question. It had been in her possession for some time and had likely undergone several transformations throughout the process of her metamorphosis into a spider. Hoping for some meaningful outcome, I activated my third eye.

『Core of the Ancient Alchemist Vivienne』

This is the core of the ancient alchemist Vivienne, who lived as a spider for over 100 years. It is a top-tier mana stone that played a central role in her transformation into a spider. Over the years, it absorbed countless flows of magical energy within her body, attaining an effect akin to the "inner core" possessed by mystical creatures. However...

The mention of an "inner core" was promising. But as I continued to read the description, my expression gradually turned to disappointment. After finishing the explanation, I clicked my tongue and shoved the mana core back into my pocket.

There was indeed a mention of stat point increases. Upon consumption, it could raise magic-related stats by 1 to 4 points depending on the player's current magical capacity. However, there was a condition: the player's magic power must be below 70. For those with magic power above 70, the core merely facilitated smoother or more stable magic flow. In other words, for me, it was nothing more than a restorative item.

Still, it was a valuable item that could fetch a good price or prove useful for someone like Hyun or Yun-Yung. It wasn't as if I was the only one who could benefit from it.

While I pondered how to handle the items I had acquired in this dungeon, Vivienne's screams had ceased without my noticing. Realizing this belatedly, I raised my head. Could she possibly be dead?

Extracting the core that served as the central organ maintaining her spider form had inevitably triggered internal chaos. It was only natural; I had stripped away the power she had built up over more than a century in an instant. For a player, it was akin to possessing mana but losing the organ necessary to channel it.

I raised my head and shifted my gaze forward. What I saw there was…

"Huh?"

I let out an involuntary gasp, utterly shocked. The spider was gone. In its place, the only person present was a mysterious young woman with long, jet-black hair cascading down her back. She was sitting on the ground, glaring at me with sharp, bright eyes. Instinctively, I knew who she was.

"Vivienne?"

"Why are you calling me, you bastard?"

"...…"

"If you're going to call me, at least say something."

I stared at the humanized Vivienne for a moment before slowly opening my mouth.

"Vivienne? Is this what you looked like when you were human?"

"Can't you tell just by looking? Acting like you know everything..."

She snapped back at me in her usual prickly tone, and I let out a low hum.

"Hmmm. I didn't anticipate that you'd revert to being human."

"Hmph."

Vivienne snorted in disdain as I took a closer look at her. Sensing my gaze, she pulled her arms across her chest with a look of annoyance. Only then did I realize she was completely naked. Not that I was interested in her body in that way—I was observing her for a different reason.

I walked toward her, step by step, and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"Pervert."

She continued hurling insults, but I paid no mind. Vivienne wasn't wrong. I had assumed she wouldn't die just from having her core extracted, but it seemed there was more to it. Seeing her revert to this incomplete, human form after losing the core left me deep in thought.

Crackle. Sizzle.

When I unconsciously gripped her shoulder, her skin began peeling away as if shedding a layer. I immediately withdrew my hand, startled. Beneath the peeled skin was raw, reddened flesh. This was not a good sign. Vivienne was dying.

"It… hurts…"

The part of her shoulder I had touched now looked like a road cracked open by an earthquake. The pain seemed unbearable; she kept moaning in agony. Feeling awkward and somewhat responsible, I tried to speak to her. After all, this situation wasn't entirely unrelated to my actions.

"Unexpected. I didn't think pulling out just one core would turn you human again, let alone leave you looking like you're about to die. What did you do to yourself?"

"Hmph. Not that it's any of your business. And do I owe you an explanation?"

"Fair point."

When I nodded in mild agreement, Vivienne snorted loudly and turned her head away, firmly pressing her lips together. Her demeanor screamed, I don't want to talk to you anymore. I shrugged and turned to leave.

"Well, take care then."

"…Wait, actually… I think I could tell you."

Just as I took a step forward, I felt her hand grab my sleeve. I smirked and let out a small laugh.

"You're kind of cute, you know that? Heh."

"Ha! Cute, am I? For your information, I was quite popular in my human days—no, wait!"

She started boasting in response to my compliment, but quickly caught herself, her face twisting in frustration. I simply looked at her, waiting silently for her to continue. When our eyes met, she blushed slightly, her voice turning hesitant.

"Do you… really want to know that badly?"

"No."

"Ah, I see… Wait, what? Hey! Don't just walk away!"

I had barely answered her question before turning to leave again, and she yelled after me in protest. Once more, I stopped, turned back, and shrugged nonchalantly.

"What is it now? I was trying to leave."

"What about me?!"

Vivienne, with a frustrated expression, smacked her chest in exasperation. The motion caused her breasts to jiggle noticeably. Hmm. A full B-cup, it seemed. She alternated between looking at my face and her own chest before biting her lip and hurriedly covering herself again.

"You said not to care." I said with a shrug.

"I care! I want you to care!"

"Well, I don't want to."

At my blunt refusal, Vivienne's face crumpled as she crawled over and grabbed onto the hem of my pants, tears welling in her eyes. Oh, for heaven's sake. She just keeps pushing her luck.

"Please, just care a little! Sniff…"

"Come on. Isn't it enough that I didn't kill you?"

"What? What?! You—do you even understand what you've done to me by recklessly pulling out my core? Do you have any idea what's happening to my body right now? Look at my skin cracking all over! Sure, you can just waltz away without a care, but I can't! Because of you, not only have I lost the powers I once had, but also all the vitality I gained after transforming into a spider! Inside, outside—everything is a mess! What are you going to do about it?!"

Feigning surprise, I widened my eyes and exclaimed, "Wait, what? Are you saying this is my fault?"

"Yes, you idiot! At this rate, I'll turn to dust and die within five days!"

"Got it, Vivienne. Thanks for everything you've given and done so far. Take care, then. Goodbye."

"That's not what I meant. Ugh… please…!"

Vivienne wailed, bursting into tears once more. I watched her for a moment before responding in a cold, detached tone.

"You gave this to me. Let's not make this messy for each other. I'd like it to end cleanly."

At my cold words, Vivienne muttered something incomprehensible through her tears. Feeling a bit of pity for her, I softened my tone slightly.

"There might be a way to fix this..."

"Wh-What is it?"

Clearly, she had caught my intentionally audible muttering. Vivienne perked up her ears and asked eagerly. Straightening her posture and fixing her gaze on me, her desperate clinging to life was evident. I was curious about her reasons for this tenacity, but I decided to put that aside for now. First, I needed more information about her current state.

Activating my "third eye," I focused on Vivienne.

(Converting native status to player information...)

Name: Vivienne La ClacidasClass: Chimera Alchemist Master (Rare)Nation: Espinion (Currently a destroyed city-state.)Clan: -True Name · Title: Ancient Alchemist · Midnight Hunting Spider · Hall PlainSex-Age: Female (24 · 128[?])Height · Weight: 165.5 cm · 48.8 kgAlignment: Chaos · Neutral

 [Strength: 48]

[Resistance: 25 (-25)]

[Agility: 56]

[Vitality: 20 (-25)]

[Magic Power: 42 (-50)]

[Luck: 49 (-25)]

Status Details:

The forced extraction of the core that governed her physical transformation has triggered internal chaos. The process is ongoing.While she has returned to a human form, the change was not through a controlled procedure but by an unknown force. Severe internal shock has resulted.Several of her abilities are continuously deteriorating.She is critically injured and requires urgent treatment. If left untreated, death is likely within days.Even a major healing spell cannot fully address the internal injuries. While her life could be saved, lasting side effects are highly probable.Using at least one bottle of elixir will ensure complete internal and external recovery.

After carefully reading through all the information, I lifted my gaze, and there was Vivienne, swallowing nervously as she stared at me. However, I didn't respond right away. Frustrated by my silence, her lips moved a few times as if she wanted to say something. I turned my head slightly to avoid her gaze.

"Now that I think about it, it's not going to work. I probably shouldn't have said anything. Let's just drop it."

"Hey, what's with that? If you started the conversation, you should at least finish it properly."

"…No."

The method to save Vivienne was simple. I had two elixirs stashed away in the player-exclusive storage in the city; using one of them would do the trick. But there was a reason I prepared two elixirs. Both of them already had designated purposes. While it might be helpful to use one for Vivienne, it felt wasteful, to be honest.

In the end, I turned away, only for Vivienne to grab hold of me again, pleading. But I brushed her off and kicked her away, continuing down the corridor without a word. Behind me, I heard Vivienne's pitiful sobbing echo through the passage.

"I want to live… I want to live! You! Human! How can you be so cruel? When I think about everything you've done to me… I… I…."

"You don't seem to remember the things you've done—snapping people's necks, slicing them in half, and letting monsters rape them."

"I'm the master of this place! I have the right to defend myself and punish intruders who break into my home. And I can also hold you accountable for massacring my subordinates!"

Vivienne retorted defiantly, her lips trembling. I sighed. Honestly, her logic wasn't entirely wrong, but humans are selfish creatures. Besides, I didn't have time for a pointless argument. Leaving her like this left an uneasy feeling in the back of my mind, and in the end, I turned back around.

This wasn't just about leaving. I began to seriously consider recruiting Vivienne. The moment she caught my cold stare, Vivienne flinched and quickly lowered her head.

"I-I'm sorry. I said something I shouldn't have. I was wrong."

Vivienne kept repeating her apologies. Frankly, she wasn't really in a position to be angry, but I decided to set aside the notion of her being an enemy and think of her as someone who could potentially become an ally. With that thought, a wave of pity washed over me.

After a moment of awkward silence, I spoke in a calm voice.

.

.

.

.

You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.

pat reon.com/GreenBlue17

200 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.

5 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.

Goal refresh every week.