Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy

899  Curses

Vale heard the excitement in the man's voice and nodded…

"Go ahead and do what you need to do… Do you need to take them?"

"No need… I can't handle these things, and there might be a problem if they aren't properly stored. Please take it with you. I already recorded the items."

"Alright…" Vale replied.

He also felt a sense of anticipation, seeing that the items he brought out seemed really important...

'I wonder what kind of person this Chaos Alchemist is.' He mused… He felt confident that these items would catch the attention of the Chaos Alchemist.

"Very well… This might take some time, but you can explore the temple while you wait. However, it shouldn't take an hour, so please don't go too far." The Temple Hall Master said.

With the arrangements made, Vale continued his exploration of the temple grounds. It was certainly a lot better than just waiting silently inside the office.

As he wandered through the gardens and ancient structures, Vale couldn't help but feel how marvelous this place was.

'Mhmm?'

Suddenly, Shane felt a strong wave of Arcane Energy in one of the temples. This wave of energy wasn't harmful but was actually incredibly beneficial for many Arcanists within the Temple.

'Is that the place where the Chaos Alchemist is staying?' He thought.

Nonetheless, even though he was curious, he decided not to offend the Chaos Alchemist and continued looking around, and he even chatted with various red-robed priests or acolytes.

Hours passed, and just as Vale was beginning to wonder if he would hear back from the Chaos Alchemist, a young acolyte approached him.

"The Chaos Alchemist has agreed to meet with you," the acolyte said, bowing respectfully. "Please follow me."

There weren't any other details aside from that, but it was enough.

Vale's heart quickened with excitement as he followed the acolyte through various Concealing Formation Arts as expected of the Temple of the Goddess of Concealment and Secrecy.

After some time, they finally arrived at a secluded chamber, its entrance guarded by powerful wards and enchantments.

'Sovereign Artifacts?' Vale mused as he assessed the amount of energy from these things. Although he already had some Artifacts at this level, they were still something that you wouldn't normally see.

Soon, the acolyte gestured for Vale to enter, and he stepped inside, the door closed silently behind him.

The chamber was dimly lit, with shelves lined with ancient tomes and alchemical equipment. In the center of the room stood a figure cloaked in shadows, their presence commanding and enigmatic.

"Welcome, Shadow Immortal," the Chaos Alchemist said, her voice was melodic and most of all, very familiar. "I have heard of your offerings. Let us discuss how we might assist each other."

As soon as Vale stepped into the chamber, he was taken aback by the sight of the Chaos Alchemist. The figure standing before him wasn't some mysterious, ancient sage cloaked in dark robes as he had imagined.

No, this was someone he recognized instantly. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Maya?!" he blurted out, eyes wide with disbelief. He could simply not connect her to the supposed successor of the Chaos Alchemist.

'How did she do it?'

Vale knew she had joined the church under the alias "Miya" to distance herself from her powerful family, but the last thing he expected was for her to rise to the rank of the Chaos Alchemist's successor.

Maya smiled warmly at Vale's reaction as she fixed her golden-blonde hair. Previously, she felt so little in front of the Shadow Immortal, but now, although she knew she was still weaker, she felt a lot more at ease while conversing with him.

Furthermore, the fact that she was showing her blonde hair also shows that she no longer feared her family from finding out her current situation. Gone was the disguise of Miya…

"Ahem… It's been a while, Immortal Vale," she said, her voice calm yet playful. "I've only recently taken on the inheritance of the Chaos Alchemist and became its successor, so I didn't have the chance to visit you."

She gestured for him to take a seat. The place was filled with the rich, earthy scent of herbs and alchemical ingredients. However, for Vale, it was refreshing rather than overwhelming.

"Just call me Vale, Chaos Alchemist Maya…"

"Haha… Then you should also call me Maya."

Vale smiled and sat down, he couldn't help but feel both nostalgic and curious about how far his former classmate had come.

Maya, now seated across from him, clasped her hands together and leaned in slightly. "So," she began, her eyes twinkling with interest, "I was informed by the Temple Hall Master about those precious items."

Vale nodded, still processing the unexpected reunion. "I've gathered a few rare items that I believe would catch your eye."

He then flicked his wrist and soon, in front of them were the ten vials of Astral Essence, five Elysian Fruits, fifty Starfire Gems, and a single Voidroot. Each item radiated its own unique aura, and Maya's eyes immediately locked onto them, her expression turning serious.

She leaned closer, inspecting the items one by one. Her fingers brushed the Voidroot lightly, and a small, impressed smile curved her lips.

"I'm really curious how you got these things, Vale. These are not just valuable; they're extraordinary."

Maya stood up, pacing around her alchemical workspace, deep in thought.

"The Astral Essence alone is something that shouldn't even exist here. Its ability to grant insight and clarity is something many Arcanists would kill for. And the Voidroot…" She stopped, eyeing the dark, twisted root. "This could nullify even the strongest curses I could think of… Even Forbidden Curses… like Immortality… Of course, it's also invaluable for protection in both alchemical experiments and dangerous rituals."

"Curse of Immortality?" Vale paused for a moment as he just thought of curses that could corrupt or kill living beings. He didn't expect that the Voidroot could also do such a thing…

Now, he couldn't help but hesitate to sell one of these… However, without the Chaos Alchemist's knowledge, he also wouldn't have any idea what it could do!