Vivian was right; it didn’t take long to reach the workshop. After exiting the passageway and crawling a bit further, another corridor appeared, distinctly different from the ones I’d seen before. Once through, the alchemist’s workshop came into view.

The workshop was a treasure trove of curiosities. Scattered documents and records, monster carcasses, and glass bottles emitting strange fumes filled the space. In one corner, two cocoons wrapped in white thread lay eerily still—likely the two users captured earlier.

Vivian gently set me down, asking me to wait a moment. Ever since she pleaded for her life, she’d been cautious with every move. She left me to explore the workshop while she busied herself with something else.

After rummaging around for a while, Vivian began stacking items in front of me. “Even to an outsider, it looks like she’s working hard,” I thought. Watching her drop a worn, square box last, I couldn’t help but wonder if she really intended to let me go.

Wiping sweat from her face with one of her long legs, Vivian glanced at me nervously before speaking. Given her quick mood swings, I remained on guard, ready for anything.

“Phew, that’s everything. There might be more, but I doubt you’d find it useful. I’ve pulled out everything that might be valuable by human standards. I hope you like it.”

Watching her giggle, I shook my head. Once a renowned alchemist, how had she fallen so far? And here I was, the intruder, being offered treasures. It was as if our roles had reversed.

But then again, survival instincts trump all. Accepting the odd situation, I picked up the large leather pouch on the left. It was heavy, bulging with contents. Quantity-wise, it was promising. I untied the string and peered inside. This was…

“Jewels?”

“Yup! Humans love jewels, right? I remember loving shiny things when I was human. I picked only the best ones. Just one pouch should keep you fed for a while. Do you like it?”

“Hmm.”

Vivian watched me anxiously, gauging my reaction. Her words weren’t wrong; the jewels were indeed valuable. I swallowed hard, nodding slowly. The pouch was filled with a dazzling array of gems—amethysts, aquamarines, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, opals, topazes—all of the highest quality.

In the Hall Plain, jewels were popular not just as decorations but also among mages for their utility. The face of Kim Hanbyul, a secret class jewel mage, flashed in my mind. These gems would have been invaluable to her.

But I quickly dismissed the thought. She had squandered her own fortune. Even if I understood her reasons, the dissolution of the Golden Lion Clan seemed inevitable.

Seeing my satisfied smile, Vivian’s face lit up.

“Great. I almost feel guilty taking this.”

“Hehe, nothing’s more precious than life. Besides, I don’t have much use for them.”

Her attachment to life was intense. I set the jewel pouch aside and picked up another leather pouch. It jingled as I lifted it—likely filled with coins. Sure enough, inside were gleaming gold coins.

“Hmm. Gold coins. About 200 gold, I’d say. Is this all the gold you have?”

By feeling the pouch and tossing it lightly, I estimated the amount. It wasn’t small, but compared to the jewels, it was a bit underwhelming. Sensing my disappointment, Vivian fidgeted nervously before speaking in a subdued voice.

“I’m… sorry. It’s exactly 204 gold, 27 silver, and 306 bronze. I never really cared for gold. I scraped together everything I had… I’m really sorry. If I’d known, I would’ve saved more… Please forgive me.”

Tears welled up in Vivian’s eyes, and I hurried to console her.

“No, no, it’s fine. Really. Don’t cry, lift your head.”

An intruder comforting the dungeon’s owner—such a scene was rare, even in the Hall Plain. Suddenly feeling like a villain, I wiped the sweat from my brow and reassured Vivian.

She nodded, wiping her tears with her legs. No matter how I looked at it, it was surreal. Placing the pouch beside the jewels, Vivian pointed to the next one with determination. It was several times larger than the previous ones, almost like a sack.

“This one! You’ll really like this one!”

“Alright, alright. I’ll check it out. Thanks.”

“Go on, open it. Hehe.”

Vivian, about to open the pouch herself, hesitated, then pushed it toward me. Curious about its contents, I quickly opened it.

Inside were numerous glass bottles filled with colorful liquids—likely potions she’d crafted herself. I activated my third eye to examine them. Vivian cleared her throat, eager to explain.

“Ahem. You see those potions? Well, they…”

“Some high-grade healing potions… Hmm, no top-grade ones. Mana recovery potions… poison. This could be useful. Antidotes. Oh? An explosive potion? That’s nice. And… what’s this, a love potion?”

As I muttered the information, Vivian’s voice trailed off. Looking up, I saw her staring at me in shock. Why was she looking at me like that? Still, the offerings were decent, and I felt more at ease. I spoke to her gently.

“Why?”

“Are you an alchemist? I thought you were a swordsman.”

“Huh? No, I’m not an alchemist. Why?”

“Oh, um, nothing. Never mind…”

Seeing her deflated expression, I realized she must’ve been eager to explain, only for me to beat her to it. Feeling a pang of guilt, I patted her leg reassuringly and assessed the three pouches I’d received.

The gold was negligible; I had 1,000 gold as backup. But the jewel pouch and potion set were jackpots. The jewels could be saved for a talented mage or used to craft weapons. The potions were invaluable in the Hall Plain. With a content heart, I reached for the last item—a worn box. The fact that it wasn’t a pouch piqued my curiosity.

As I pulled the box closer, Vivian’s eyes sparkled with a mix of anxiety and pride. After exchanging a glance with her, I opened the box. Inside was an old book. This was…

『Congratulations. You have discovered a rare class. Reading this book will allow you to become a Chimera Alchemist.』

A message appeared in the air, followed by another before I could finish reading.

『The Chimera Alchemist is an advanced class for mages. You can create chimeras or summon beings from other dimensions if linked with a summoning circle. If you have a user skilled in magic circles or summoning, inheritance is recommended.』

『Currently, Kim Suhyun’s class is the highest secret class for swordsmen, Sword Specialist. You can acquire the book, but due to your unique, special, and latent abilities, efficiency will decrease by 30%. However, with a magic stat of 96 points, you can recover 20% of the loss. Acquisition is not recommended.』

“Wow…”

“The book contains everything from my days as an alchemist to how I’ve changed since then. It’s essentially a distillation of all the alchemical knowledge I’ve acquired. If those wizards got their hands on it, they’d be drooling all over it.”

”…”

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”

Vivian’s small voice broke the silence as I stared into space. I shook my head slightly and picked up the book with trembling hands. In my first playthrough, I couldn’t find any rare or secret classes, and now here they were. A mix of futility and overwhelming excitement washed over me.

The Chimera Alchemist hadn’t appeared in my first run. From what I remembered, we failed to capture the dungeon’s master, and it seemed Vivian had taken the book then. I wouldn’t know for sure until I read it myself, but just knowing it was a rare class was a jackpot. All the frustration and hardship I’d endured melted away, and I spoke with a voice full of excitement.

“No, I love it. More than jewels or potions, this book is what I want most. A book containing the essence of alchemy—it’s going to be incredibly useful.”

“Really? Hehe. You’re a strange one. Hehehe. I can’t believe you like it that much.”

Vivian seemed pleased to have her achievements recognized, twisting shyly. I chuckled and carefully tucked the book away. I planned to take it with me no matter what, even if I had to leave everything else behind. Not that I intended to leave anything else, of course. Seeing my determination, Vivian continued in a playful tone.

“So, you’re satisfied, right? You’ll let me go, won’t you?”

I was about to say “yes” immediately, but I paused. Honestly, I didn’t feel like killing her anymore. This was more than enough, but I had a feeling there was still something more I could gain. As I pondered, I snapped my fingers with a sudden realization. There was indeed one more thing I could ask for.

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

Hello, this is Ro Yujin. I’m planning to continue the series today. I’ll be posting the next chapter shortly. If you could take a moment to leave a recommendation or comment before moving on, I’d be truly grateful. It only takes about 30 seconds. (☞☜)

The story continues in the next chapter.