Chapter 144: Crazed Alchemist

"Yeah, just as I had expected… she was trying to use [Assimilation]. I didn't know what the skill was called, but I'm pretty sure this is what she's been using," Kumo says.

The neighborhood around here doesn't seem bad. The houses aren't big, nor are they small, just an average size. But, what is easily noticeable is the zero amount of citizens' insight. None in any alleyways, the houses were in good shape, but nobody lived in them. 

"So she is an alchemist," I say. 

"Probably," Kumo shrugs as we walk inside the run-down house. 

We were suddenly hit with a horrendous stench that made me gag instantly. I was barely able to hold myself back from puking my breakfast. 

The smell was like a battlefield. No. It was worse than a battlefield. 

I didn't mind the smell of blood anymore, but this just smelled like rotting corpses combined with literal feces and a hint of dried blood. 

We walked farther into the house, and the smell only got more potent, with signs of exploded corpses littering the walls, ceiling, and floor. 

Whenever we saw the corpse of a dead child, I walked past them, but Homura seemed to mourn for them and try to suppress a wave of deep anger. None of us were grossed out by the corpses, but more of the idea that somebody had done this insane experiment.

Homura was seething in anger the more corpses and exploded body parts we encountered. 

"Seems we're here," I say, seeing a large pit inside the floor. 

Somebody dug it out, and surprisingly, no corpses were to be seen within the pit. There was just a thick layer of dried blood coating the bottom of the hole. Thankfully I didn't have [Heightened 5 Senses and More] activated; otherwise, I would've passed out from the gruesome smell that harassed my nose. 

"You have to try and make something smell this bad. This is not normal at all," Kumo says as she pinches her nose. 

On the other hand, Homura didn't even seem to notice the smell as she was seething in anger. Veins were popping from her forehead as we saw hundreds of corpses scattered in the room. There were even some adults mixed in. 

"Oh, did some prey walk into my own home- M-MY QUEEN!" I hear a raspy woman's voice shout. 

I couldn't even sense her since I focused on avoiding the stench littering the run-down home. 

We snapped our heads in the voice direction and saw what looked to be an amazonian woman. She was about 5'7 in height, with grey hair and lifeless grey eyes that seemed to have given up on everything. Though her expression seemed to be surprised, her eyes didn't match at all. 

『Status』

[Name: Lucinda]

[Race: Fire Harpy]

[Status: Depressed]

[Level: 48/50]

[HP: 120/120  MP: 90/90  SP: 25/25]

[Strength: 15]

[Defense: 5]

[Magic: 15]

[Speed: 10]

[Luck: 1]

[Charisma: 10]

[Skills: [Body Enhancement] [Fire Control] [Wind Control] [Intense Focus] [Flying Sense] [Assimilation] 

[Titles: [Alchemist] [Crazed] 

…

Weak… 

"Are you the one who has been doing all this?" I ask the woman while continuing to pinch my nose. 

"Y-yes, is there a problem?" The woman asks as she fidgets with her hands. 

"A PROBLEM?!" Homura shouts, frightening the woman. 

Homura storms over to the woman as she falls onto her butt. Homura's presence started to leak bloodlust, causing the woman to sweat bullets, but due to Homura's overwhelming pressure, she wasn't even able to say a word. 

"THERE IS A PROBLEM! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO CHILDREN?! NO, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ANYBODY?!" Homura shouts as three blue halos made from fire appeared on her back. 

The surrounding room started to melt from just the heat of her halos. 

"B-but I was doing it to-" 

"DOING IT TO WHAT!? WHAT WOULD THIS EVER DO OR HELP WITH!?" Homura shouts. 

"I-I-I was trying to help the kingdom by trying to make a discovery-" 

The woman was once interrupted by Homuras bloodlust exploding from her body. 

"WHAT WOULD WE EVER NEED THIS FOR?! FUSING CHILDREN?! TO CREATE WHAT?!" 

"T-t-t-to create a chimera that I heard in the stories," 

"CHIMERA?! WHY WOULD WE EVER USE OUR CITIZENS TO CREATE A CHIMERA!? USE UN-INTELLIGENT MONSTERS! THEY SHOULD CREATE BETTER RESULTS ANYWAY!" 

"I-I'm sorry, I just wanted to be useful," The woman says as she burst into tears. 

Well… she just admitted to it. Homura is not going to forgive her.

Homura cringed at the sight of the woman before conjuring hundreds of individual blue fires around her. She gritted her teeth and sent the whisps of fire flying towards the woman. 

The woman continued to cry and suddenly… 

FWOOSH

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" 

She burst into blue flames. Homura made her screams of pain into nourishment for the ones who had died from this disgusting being. 

"You can now pass on without worry," Homura says, clapping her hands together.

"That was quicker than I expected," Kumo says, getting ready to leave the building as fast as possible. 

Homura snapped her fingers, extinguishing the blue flames and leaving a burnt corpse lying on the ground. Her eyes were cold, and she continued to despise the unrecognizable corpse after it had died.

"Can I eat her?" I ask Homura. 

"Do as you wish," Homura responds, walking away while setting the entire house on fire. 

I pick up the corpse and follow Kumo, who immediately dashed out of the slowly burning building. 

『Status』

[Name: Homura]

[Race: 6 Tailed Wisp Fox]

[Status: Servant]

[Level: 26/100]

[HP: 600/600  MP: 792/800  SP: 250/250]

[Strength: 120 (+25)]

[Defense: 120]

[Magic: 300 (+25)]

[Speed: 120 (+25)]

[Luck: 1]

[Charisma: 50]

[Skills: [Spectral Wisp Magic] [Greater Body Enhancement] [Feral Claws] [Fire Immunity] [Concentration] [Enhanced Feral Regeneration] [Enhanced Feral Senses] [Summon: Fire Ghost] [Summon: 1 Tailed Wisp Fox]

[Equipment: [Blue Ring of Twilight]

[Body Modification: [Ring of Wisps: 3]

[Titles: [Servant] [Chiefs Daughter]

…

"You may not have many skills, but you have a lot of mastery over the ones you do have," I say as we watch the house finally burst into blue flames. 

It slowly turned to ashes and didn't touch the surrounding houses due to Homura's masterful control. 

"Thank you very much… now, let's go to this prison. I swear on my honor that I'm never going to let a situation like this happen ever again," Homura says, storming off into the distance. 

Kumo and I just shrug our shoulders as we follow Homura to the large-looking prison facility in the distance. 

Looking back at this woman's status… the only helpful thing on it would be the [Alchemist] title. 

I take a massive bite from the burnt corpse and swallow it immediately. I tossed it into the air in just a split second and used [Double Earthquake Slash] to destroy the remaining body.

[Gained the following title]

[Alchemist]

… 

It was much bigger up close. I'd say it was about 200 feet in height and the width was about 300 feet. The prison was decked out with guards that were stationed around the perimeter.

Homura stormed right past the guards that quickly let us through. Not even a moment of hesitation. 

She walked straight through the giant arch that led into a field between the prison and the massive wall surrounding it. The stationed guards were dressed in a mix of heavy metal armor, leather armor, and chainmail. 

"These guys don't know what they're doing. If you want to guard this place, put the archers on top of the walls, swordsman near the entrances, and tanks near the perimeter… tsk, this place needs work," Homura says. 

We soon entered the massive stone building, and we were immediately greeted with a beastman in a neat tuxedo. He had a giant smile as Homura approached him… 

"Your highness's… please come this way-" 

It seems nobody today was safe from being cut off by Homura since she immediately interrupted and grabbed him by the collar. 

"I'm in charge of this place now. You all are doing terrible work, so follow my orders, and this place will be in tip-top shape… got it?" 

"A-as you wish," 

The man takes a sneak peek at me, which I give a slight nod of confirmation in return.

『Status』

[Name: Arpious]

[Race: Lamassu of Ancient Fires]

[Status: Curious]

[Servants: 7]

[Subordinates: 7]

[Pets: 1]

[Level: 40/100]

[HP: 700/700  MP: 500/500  SP: 500/500]

[Strength: 200 (+5) (+25) (+25) (+25) (+215)]

[Defense: 200 (+5)]

[Magic: 200 (+25) (+25) (+25) (+115)]

[Speed: 200 (+5) (+25) (+25) (+25) (+115)]

[Luck: 5]

[Charisma: 50]

[Skills: [Forbidden Magic: ******] [Forbidden Magic: Zeus's Nimbus] [Poison Immunity] [Disease Immunity] [Virus] [Forbidden Magic: Medusa] [Fire Immunity] [Lightning Resistance] [Inspect] [Gluttons Stomach] [Concentration] [Evolution Switch] [Gold Manipulation] [Assimilation] [Lavas Will] [Heightened 5 Senses and More] [Summon: Blood Minion] [Forbidden Magic: Hermes] [Blood Devouring Army Enhancement] [Tangible Bloodthirsty Aura] [Pain Immunity] [Invisible Grand Flying Sense] [Ancient Reproduction Art] [Summon: Slime Weapon] [Mystic Arm and Leg] [Summon: Phoenix] [Summon: Walking Jungle Hydra] [Night and Day Enhancement] [Summon: Overlord Deer] [Summon: Overlord Wolf] [Grand Mind Magic] [Forbidden Magic: Midas] [Summon: Golden Mountain Bear] [Grand Water Magic] [Weather Manipulation: Wind, Rain, Sun, and Snow] [True Queen Overlords Dominating Presence] [Forbidden Magic: Skadi] [Twilight Dragons Vampiric Breath] [Double Earthquake Slash] [Throne World: Deathly Ice Palace] [Divinity Domain (.05/100)]

[Body Modification: [Great Wings of the Cursed and Blessed Lamassu] [Cursed and Blessed Tattoos] [Incinerating Tail of the Cursed and Blessed Lamassu] [Piranhas Spiny Fin Wings] [Bat Wings] [Aquatic Body] [Monster of Monsters Body] [Ice Dragon Wings] [Legendary Overlord Creature Bloodline] [Divine Mark]

[Mastered Weapons: [Scythe] 

[Soul Equipment: [Fire of Deaths Sword: Raiu] [Fire of Deaths Armour: Araes Dress] [Anapofeyktos Thanatos]

[Equipment: [Queens Crown] [Green Ring of Twilight] [Purple Ring of Twilight] [Blue Ring of Twilight] 

[Titles: [Blessed by the ********* Spirit of *************] [Savage Assassin] [Heartless] [Blessed by a Star] [Chief of the Fire Harpies] [Blessed by the Overlord Spirit of Curses] [Blessed by the Phoenix Mountain Guardian] [Blessed by the Overlord Spirit of Blessings] [Strong Willed] [Savage Monster (Humans Killed (0/200)] [Blessed by the Moon] [Blessed by the Emperor Spirit of Gold] [Queen of Golden Mountain Bears] [Ruler of the Mountain of Twilight] [Blessed by the Emperor Spirit of Ice] [Blessed by the Emperor Spirit of Snow] [Blessed by Mother Nature] [Alchemist] 

…

I want to test out [Divinity Domain], but this prison comes first. Just like Homura said, it needs a lot of work.