Chapter 331 331 An Alchemist?
"Well, at least you accept that you are a dumbass," she remarked, still skeptical but pausing to hear him out.
"Now, what do you want from Dracula?" she asked, her tone less aggressive but still guarded.
"I am an alchemist myself," Nexus confessed, a hint of vulnerability in his voice. Dracula's laughter, echoing through the workshop, resonated with disbelief. She dismissed Nexus's claim as if it were a mere fabrication.
"I am an alchemist, but I am looking for the best to work with in building the best alchemy furnace that can be built," Nexus continued, hoping to convey the seriousness of his intentions.
"You? An alchemist?" the young girl pretending to be Dracula scoffed, her skepticism unwavering. "You are just a liar. I wonder why I listened to you.".
"No, I do not lie," Nexus tried to explain. "I truly am an alchemist, and I need your help."
"Mister, whatever you call yourself, I know a liar when I see one, and that is what you are, because explain to me how an alchemist that you claim to be has so much mana in his body," she said, daring him to explain.
"No alchemist ever has no trace of mana in their body, and here you are claiming to be one," she scoffed. Nexus felt the weight of her skepticism and the need to prove himself.
"I truly am one," Nexus insisted, realizing he needed to show rather than tell. Undeterred, Nexus sought to prove his legitimacy. He proposed a demonstration of his alchemical prowess, intending to showcase his control over the heavenly flame within him
"I can show you," he said, determined to unveil his alchemical abilities.
"That would be a nice thing to see, now, won't it?" the girl smiled, her expression still doubtful. "A fake alchemist fooling himself."
However, Nexus was done with her jokes and decided to show her his powers. With great effort, he focused on the qi in his body, invoking it to release the heavenly flame that resided within him.
The flame bloomed, burning from his hands in a wild frenzy. As Nexus focused his energy to invoke the heavenly flame, the atmosphere in the workshop shifted. The temperature rose, and flames danced around his hands in a mesmerizing display.
The man who had been working on the side looked up, acknowledging the spectacle with a brief pause in his work.
The young alchemist, her initial skepticism giving way to awe, stared at the flames in amazement.
"How... How... How do you do it?" she asked, genuinely surprised.
"I am a very special case," Nexus explained. "Even though I possess no mana, I am truly an alchemist." Nexus, having successfully demonstrated his alchemical abilities, felt a sense of accomplishment.
The young girl, having witnessed the display of Nexus's unique abilities, stood there, her skepticism replaced by a newfound curiosity.novE(lb-In
This cannot be possible," she thought to herself, her internal monologue betraying the turmoil of thoughts.
"An alchemist with no trace of mana? I have never seen anything like this." Nexus found himself under the scrutiny of the girl's watchful gaze, a potent blend of suspicion and curiosity painting her expression.
The air in the room crackled with tension, a palpable aura of uncertainty enveloping Nexus as he faced the scrutiny of the enigmatic alchemist. Her eyes bore into him, searching for the truth within the depths of Nexus's being.
"I can't still believe how you did that," she finally spoke, her face carrying a puzzled expression. Nexus could sense the turmoil within her, caught between disbelief and a growing sense of intrigue.
"I have told you," Nexus tried to explain, his words carrying the weight of sincerity. "I am a true alchemist."
But Dracula remained unconvinced. "No, I don't believe that lie you are making to fool me," she retorted sharply. "I think you are just using some sort of magic to hide your mana." Suspicion clung to her words like a shroud as she studied Nexus, her gaze unwavering.
"No, I am not," Nexus insisted, his frustration mounting as he tried to convey the authenticity of his abilities. The room seemed to shrink, the intensity of their exchange filling the space.
Abby, the young girl, moved closer to Nexus, her eyes still reflecting skepticism. In a hushed tone, she whispered to him, "Tell me your secret, and I will lead you to Dracula." Nexus was taken aback, realizing that the girl before him was not Dracula, as he had initially assumed.
"You are not Dracula?" Nexus asked, his confusion evident. Abby, with a mischievous smile, clarified, "I never said I was," reveling in the unexpected turn of events. "You were just a dumbass, like I said," she laughed, mocking Nexus for his assumptions.
Nexus, frustrated and still grappling with the unfolding revelations, demanded, "Now, where is Dracula?"
"You have to reveal your secret before I can tell you," Abby teased, a playful glint in her eyes. "Tell me how you hide your mana," she insisted, her laughter echoing in the room.
Suddenly, an older voice resonated from further inside the room, breaking the charged atmosphere. "Abby!" the voice called out in lowercase, a mix of authority and warmth. "Why are you disturbing our visitor?" the voice questioned as it drew closer.
"Papa," Abby responded, her tone switching to one of innocence. "I was just welcoming him," she added, casting a glance at Nexus, silently urging him to play along. "Isn't that so, Mr. Nexus?" she said to him, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
Still confused and overwhelmed by the peculiar situation, Nexus found himself unable to speak.
Soon, an elderly man in a wheelchair wheeled himself out, his presence commanding respect and understanding.
Caught in the whirlwind of confusion, Nexus couldn't find the words to respond.
The elderly man, amused by his daughter's antics, wheeled himself closer. "Abby, I know you and your tricks. You should go back in and continue what you were up to," he chided her with a loving smile.
Abby, seemingly caught in her antics, pouted slightly as she protested, "Papa, this Mister was just about to show me his powers."
The old man laughed heartily, a loving smile playing on his lips. "You have caused the young man enough panic, girl," he gently scolded Abby. "You should go back in and continue what you were up to."
Abby, with a sunnier attitude, looked at Nexus, a hint of mischief still lingering.
She then stuck out her tongue at him playfully before skipping away back to the chamber she emerged from. The room, now left with Nexus and the older man, settled into a quieter ambiance.
Nexus, still grappling with the whirlwind of events, looked to the elderly man for some semblance of clarity. The man, with a knowing glint in his eyes, addressed Nexus, "Abby, my granddaughter, can be quite a handful. I hope she didn't trouble you too much."
The room seemed to exhale relief as the tension dissipated. Nexus, recovering from the unexpected encounter with Abby's playful antics, found his voice amid the old man's hearty laughter.
"Oh no, sir," Nexus replied, his tone a mix of sincerity and amusement. "I mistook her for Dracula," he explained, a smile playing on his lips.