Chương 173

Alex carried a heavy leather duffel bag full of his favorite hammers and tongs. Seris walked right behind him, keeping a very close eye on Rudra.

"Where is your ship?" Seris asked as they reached the empty sand.

"I don't use a ship," Rudra said. He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. The ocean water bubbled. The clouds above them parted. Vritra dropped out of the sky like a white meteor, landing heavily on the beach. The sand exploded outward. The giant White Storm Serpent raised its massive head, blue lightning crackling lazily around its jaws. Kratos poked his head over Vritra's neck, chewing on a piece of leftover fish. Seris actually screamed. She drew her curved blade and shoved Alex behind her.

"A Calamity of the Sky! Run, Alex!"

"Relax, relax," Rudra said, casually walking up to the giant snake and patting its scales.

"He's with me. This is Vritra. He's our ride." Alex peeked out from behind the terrified knight. The blacksmith's silver eyes sparkled with awe.

"He is beautiful." I like this one, Vritra noted telepathically to Rudra. He has good taste.

"Get on," Rudra ordered. It took five minutes of coaxing to get Seris onto the snake. She sat as far away from Vritra's head as possible, clutching her sword with white knuckles. Alex sat next to her, looking around with pure excitement. Vritra pushed off the sand and shot into the sky. The flight took twenty minutes. They tore through the clouds, moving much faster than any ship on the ocean.

"Down there," Seris pointed with a shaking hand, her hair whipping violently in the wind. Below them was a large, crescent-shaped island. It looked completely different from the normal port town. The architecture was ancient and arcane. Tall stone towers twisted toward the sky. Massive, bubbling cauldrons sat in open courtyards. Strange, glowing purple and green plants grew in massive terrace gardens. It was an island populated entirely by female worshippers of Althea, the Goddess of Alchemy.

Vritra landed heavily in the main courtyard of the largest stone tower. Instantly, dozens of Witches flooded out of the buildings. They wore dark purple robes and carried glowing wooden staves. They surrounded the serpent, looking terrified but ready to fight. The crowd parted. An older woman walked forward. She wore an elegant, sweeping black gown. She had the same brilliant silver eyes as Alex, though hers were hard and unwelcoming. This was the Witch Leader.

"Mother!" Alex called out, sliding off the snake. The Leader's face softened for a fraction of a second when she saw Alex, but it instantly hardened when she looked at Rudra. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"A human," the Leader said, her voice dripping with disgust.

"And you bring a beast of the storm to my courtyard. Why have you come here?"

"I'm here to hire your blacksmith," Rudra said, hopping down to the ground.

"He's going to come work in my city." The Witches in the courtyard began to whisper angrily.

"Absolutely not," the Leader said coldly.

"Humans are greedy, deceitful creatures. You only want him so you can exploit his labor. He stays here, with his kin."

"He's miserable here," Rudra pointed out, leaning on his staff.

"He thinks he's a failure because he can't forge advanced minerals. I showed him the path of the Saint. He can reach the absolute peak using basic materials, and my city has the resources to let him practice." The Leader scoffed loudly.

"The path of the Saint? Pure nonsense. A comforting lie told to children. Basic materials cannot help him become great. That is impossible even with great technique." Rudra grinned. He loved a stubborn NPC.

"You think basic materials can't beat magic?" Rudra asked. He dropped his Protean Cauldron onto the cobblestones.

"Let's bet." The Leader narrowed her eyes.

"A bet?"

"You witches are the masters of alchemy, right?" Rudra challenged.

"Brew your best, most intricate magical potion. Use whatever rare monster cores or herbs you want. And I will cook a meal using only the most basic ingredients I can find on this island. No magic. If my dish beats your potion's effects... Alex comes with me." The Witches gasped at the sheer arrogance. The Leader looked at the confident human, then at her son, who was nodding eagerly.

"Fine," the Leader said.

"But when you lose, you leave this island and never return." The courtyard turned into an arena. The Witches brought out a massive, ornate silver cauldron. Three of their best alchemists gathered around it. They began chanting in an ancient language. They tossed in glowing blue griffin feathers, crushed troll hearts, and incredibly rare starlight-moss. The water bubbled furiously, glowing with a dense, heavy magical aura. Rudra didn't chant. He didn't use magic ingredients.

He walked over to a barrel near the docks and grabbed a plain, silver-scaled island fish. He grabbed a head of basic green cabbage from a nearby garden. He fired up his grill. He used his [Legendary Sage's Eyes] to see the exact flow of oil and muscle in the cheap fish. He remembered Alex's sad, quiet confession in the forge. He remembered the century of depression the blacksmith had carried. Rudra channeled [Empathic Cuisine]. He poured a feeling of warm, steady hope into the food.

He seasoned it with basic rock salt, searing the skin until it was perfectly crisp, and plated it over steamed cabbage. An hour later, both sides were finished. The Witches presented a small crystal vial filled with a swirling, beautiful gold liquid. Rudra presented a wooden plate with a simple piece of grilled fish and cabbage. Thanks to his title [Aesthetic Chef], the cheap meal looked mouth-wateringly beautiful. The fish skin glistened perfectly in the sunlight.

"We will test them," the Leader said, stepping forward. She drank half the potion. Her eyes glowed.

"A powerful restorative. My strength and speed have increased. My vitality is rushing back. Excellent work, sisters." The Witches cheered. Then, the Leader picked up a wooden fork. She looked at Rudra's fish. She took a small bite. The chewing stopped. The fork clattered out of her hand, hitting the stone floor. The Leader's eyes went wide. She didn't just taste the perfect, crispy skin and the buttery, flaky meat. She felt the emotion Rudra had poured into it.

She felt a profound, overwhelming sense of hope and comfort wash over her tired mind. And then, the physical effects hit her. Her exhaustion vanished. A dull, lingering pain in her shoulder completely disappeared. Her body felt overwhelmingly light and packed with raw, surging energy. The recovery was immediate and vastly superior to the potion she had just drank. It completely, utterly blew the glowing magic liquid out of the water. A golden notification popped up in front of Rudra's face.

[Class Quest Updated: Create Epic dishes using only basic ingredients (13 / 100).] Rudra smiled, crossing his arms.

"So," Rudra said, looking at the stunned, silent crowd of witches.

"Does Alex get to pack his bags, or what?"