Chapter 327: The Future, Distorted.

M E M O R I Z E

Chapter: 327

Chapter Title: The Future, Distorted.

As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside, a pungent medley of herbal scents assaulted my nose.

The workshop floor, bathed in the thick amber light spilling from the ceiling, was an absolute mess—looking like a disaster zone from five minutes prior wouldn't be far off. Not only were herbs scattered everywhere, but the materials I'd bought in bulk at her request were strewn about in total disarray.

The crucible, still bubbling away as she worked the magic formation, revealed a glowing red array underneath.

Even with my arrival, Vivian didn't turn around. She seemed deep in some critical process: the Ordo of Order gripped in her right hand flashed repeatedly, while a dozen or so magic formations flickered into existence in the air before fading away. Without even looking, she reached out, grabbed three roots of Tabrosia, and flung them toward the crucible.

Boom!

The roots melted precisely into the crucible, and with a faint rumble, thick purple smoke began billowing upward. Vivian glanced at it briefly and nodded—that was it. With that simple gesture signaling things were going well, she resumed her frantic hand movements.

The thought of offering to help crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it and cleared a spot on the floor to sit.

Vivian had immense pride as an alchemist. It showed in her words, but even more in her actions—and that was precisely why I respected her.

What was it? A profound professionalism in her craft? In any case, the sight of Vivian working with such passion was truly beautiful.

Her sweat-matted hair clinging to her cheeks. The robe, stained with herbs and materials—who knew when she'd last changed it. And then, suddenly, that plump, jiggling backside starting to sway enticingly. All of it was... Huh?

Haha. Get a grip.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose and let out a wry chuckle. Blaming it on fatigue, I turned my gaze back to Vivian with a fond smile.

How much time passed like that? As late night gave way to the dead of dawn, Vivian's finishing touches finally came into view.

The liquid in the crucible, which had been bubbling over just earlier, had reduced dramatically in volume. Vivian stirred it carefully with a long rod, then scooped up a ladleful and poured it gently into an empty vial nearby. She repeated this about three times before thrusting both arms up triumphantly.

"It's done!"

I said nothing, merely clapping lightly a few times. Vivian turned to me, arms still raised, flashing a smug grin brimming with confidence.

"Thanks for waiting, Kim Su-hyun."

"Good work. So, that's everything now?"

"Yeah. It could've been done sooner, but refining the plan midway took some time. Hang on a sec."

Vivian hurriedly gathered the vials, eager to show off her results. She'd produced four bottles of the purple potion. I wondered if that was it, but no—besides the purple ones, she presented three more colors, four bottles each, totaling exactly sixteen.

Deep navy, black, pink, purple.

As I eyed the neatly lined-up vials from left to right, I glanced at Vivian. Sensing my expectant look, she cleared her throat with an "Ahem" and began explaining.

"You know about the core ingredient, the rotten fruit of Yggdrasil, right?"

I nodded calmly. The original fruit cleared the mind and smoothed mana flow, but the rotten version did the exact opposite—a deadly poison, in simple terms.

Confirming my reaction, Vivian continued.

"First off, all four potions share the fruit's base effect. I split the eight pieces in half each, making sixteen bottles total. I considered quartering them since the potency was so high, but time-wise, halves felt better."

"I see. So that's the commonality... Which means there are differences too?"

"Exactly. Mavolo's book is a compendium of every conceivable concoction. I handpicked the ones that hit the Elf Queen hardest. The differences target those specifically—tailored potions for synergy based on the situation."

"Situations?"

"Simply put: the navy sharpens all bodily senses. Pink is an aphrodisiac—my specialty, so expect great results. Black amplifies pain. Purple clouds the mind. These four make a set, usable four times total."

Suddenly, Vivian struck me as incredibly meticulous. She wasn't relying solely on potions, either. Details would only show in practice, but I trusted her instinctively. Satisfied, I spoke warmly.

"Got it. So now we just proceed with the operation?"

"Pretty much... but I'm worried."

Vivian nodded, crossing her arms lightly with a grave expression.

"Worried about what?"

"Yggdrasil's fruit is insanely rare. It's potent, sure, but the problem is it's too potent—especially with synergies. Ugh. Should've quartered it after all?"

"The Elf Queen endured it fine, didn't she? Or we could just use half doses."

"I'm not underestimating human willpower, but it's no match for the Elf Queen's—centuries of noble purity versus a mere twenty-odd years. And now that it's made, we can't just half-ass it. Do you know how much calculation went into this?"

Vivian replied peevishly, smacking her lips before suddenly looking me straight in the eye.

"Anyway, like you said, we can only hope Baek Seo-yeon's mental fortitude holds up enough to survive these."

I chuckled inwardly. Vivian was fretting prematurely. Curious how strong they really were, but it didn't matter much. As long as she spilled info before dying, it was fine. Vagrants were doomed anyway.

I addressed Vivian, still frowning.

"They're all gonna die once we extract what we need. Even if an accident happens like you fear, as long as they don't croak midway, it's good."

"...Yeah."

"Baek Seo-yeon is the priority. Secure her, and the rest are yours to use however—no objections. Vivian, I've delegated full authority on this. You know that, right?"

Vivian fell silent briefly—but only briefly. A chilling glint flashed in her eyes as she smirked faintly.

"You mean that? Really?"

I nodded deeply. She pressed once more.

"Even if I do anything?"

"I don't like repeating myself."

Only then did Vivian relax, reverting to her usual bright demeanor. Without delay, she snatched a vial—the deep navy one, enhancing senses atop the base effects—and tugged my arm.

"Great! Let's head to the underground prison right now."

"Underground prison? Right now? I'm fine, but shouldn't you rest?"

"Main work starts tomorrow—I've got the order set. First step's just this one, so it'll be quick. You'll come, right?"

I nodded, and we left the workshop side by side, traversing the moonlit corridors to the underground prison.

This was the first step—the butterfly effect that would later ravage the Northern Continent.

*

The next day, at Vivian's request, I finished my afternoon duties and descended underground.

The vast training hall had been repurposed into a fine underground prison via renovations—simple structure, easily demolishable if needed.

Imagine the hall as a giant rectangle: two cells per line, eight total. Seven held vagrants; the last was Vivian's requested multipurpose room.

Dimly lit by faint light stones, the prison was dark and stuffy, thick with an oppressive heat and nose-curling stench.

Crossing the eerie space, I spotted a steel door—the cell next to the multipurpose room, holding Baek Seo-yeon.

Faint groans and two presences inside—Vivian had arrived first. I pushed the door open. The groans sharpened, and the stench intensified.

"Ah... Ah... It... hurts... Ah..."

"Oh, Kim Su-hyun's here?"

Vivian greeted me casually, crouched and watching Baek Seo-yeon sob on the floor. To an outsider, we might look like villains and her the victim. Not that I saw myself as a hero.

More importantly, Baek Seo-yeon's condition.

Vivian had dosed her with the navy potion at dawn yesterday. It worked perfectly: mental corruption and mana disruption had her screaming bloody murder. She twisted, rolled, even self-harmed, forcing restraints against the wall. Vivian said maximized senses amplified the agony.

Whether Vivian had released her today, Baek Seo-yeon lay collapsed, one arm and both legs shackled. A day's torment left her wretched: unwashed stench, floor soiled with waste—urine and feces, obvious even without close inspection.

The potion's power was real; yesterday's venomous glare had dulled.

"Now that Kim Su-hyun's here, shall we try the second potion~?"

At that moment, Vivian pulled a pink-tinged vial from her bosom—the aphrodisiac blend.

She uncorked it, gripped Baek Seo-yeon's jaw, and forced it down. The woman weakly resisted, shaking her head—futile. A light throat prod, and a gulp echoed.

"Guh... Kk... Puha! Haa... Haa... Haaaaah...! It hurts... Hurts... Aaaah!"

Having swallowed it all, Baek Seo-yeon shuddered with ragged breaths. Vivian's potions took about a minute to spread and activate.

Vivian wiped saliva on Baek Seo-yeon's clothes, stood briskly, and turned to me.

"So, Kim Su-hyun. What'll it be?"

"Huh? What?"

She pointed at Baek Seo-yeon.

"Yesterday was a teaser. Today, real training begins. She's pretty cute... Thoughts?"

"Pass."

I refused flat-out. Baek Seo-yeon was indeed beautiful—sexy enough to rival Go Yeon-ju, despite the missing arm. But sleeping with her would betray Go Yeon-ju, Jeong Ha-yeon, and especially my own (?).

Wondering if I'd been too curt, I checked Vivian's face—surprisingly, she looked pleased.

"Ah... Okay?"

Grinning slyly, she spoke brightly.

"Can't be helped then. Open another cell—the one with the male vagrants who requested defection."

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Afterword

I dozed off while writing this. Went out early this morning, so I must've been sleep-deprived. Problem is, today's the same schedule. Still, my body seems to be adjusting better than opening day. Should adapt fully next week. The training arc will skip a lot. It's uncomfortable for me to write and probably for some readers too. Might wrap up as early as next chapter. Oh, heads-up: next chapter might be late too. Friday's the worst—out early, home latest. Even rushing, 7 PM... If you're waiting till midnight and nothing, sleep it off and check morning.

『 Riripl (325th) 』

— Usa in Bolt

1st place congrats. Haha. For Lee Hyo-eul, Kim Su-hyun thought of killing her for other reasons.

— Dev aran

Sorry for slow pacing, but unless unavoidable, 1 chapter a day is basic courtesy. :)

— Mad Horse

Baek Seo-yeon arc ends, then summon order wraps—board's set. War only after. Start of war's opening (rise-fall-turn-conclusion).

— Hohokoya1

Thanks for constant support. Gear tally post-summon order, in a breather before conclusion.

— Sunset s

Read blog review and nearly broke—scary stuff. Ah, "congrats" flagged wrong by spellcheck. Shocked me too. Opinions vary. Haha.

『 Riripl (326th) 』

— Lonely Solo

1st congrats. Nickname stabs my heart. ㅜ.ㅠ

— Podytop

Mulling it over. Plan to continue at least to part 1 end.

— Cheetos

eBook edits slow. Definitely cutting that part.

— Pretz

Correct. Events in novel's 2-year gap; pondering rest duration. Week too much?

— Lea

Thanks so much. Haha. Gives me strength. :)

Thanks always for reading. Hope you enjoy with a relaxed mind.