I'm an alchemist. I've dumped self-restraint into the trash - Chapter 20

Raith started moving before the Skeleton could get up.

To “take the initiative” meant to increase the possibility of breaking the status quo. Raith wasn’t optimistic enough to think that he could escape successfully at this rate.

If the Skeleton chasing Raith had been a normal one, though, Raith would still have a chance of being able to deal with it, even without help. Although there were differences in ability depending on the individual, this was his first encounter with a Skeleton this strong.

To Raith, that abnormal Skeleton was essentially an unknown. His only option was to act while always assuming the worst.

For example, if the Skeleton had some way of tracking Raith, next time, Raith would stand no chance against it by himself.

“Right around here is fine, I guess.”

On the way, Raith stopped in a spot where the trees opened up. He listened carefully, but he couldn’t hear the Skeleton moving.

It was just that huge.

It couldn’t avoid producing a loud noise, even when simply moving.

“I should hurry,” Raith said, quickly taking three bright red cora fruit out of his bag, the fruit that had been used to make the dye he’d used when he’d fended off the Blood Wolves.

However, this time, it would not be used as a dye.

Raith continued to take a small pot out of his bag and put the cora fruit inside it. Then, he grabbed the gear-like knob on the side of the pot and turned it.

The pot then started generating heat.

This pot was a type of magic item, an extraordinary tool capable of producing heat without using fire.

“Compress.”

With an alchemical spell, Raith applied pressure on the cora fruit inside the pot.

Cora fruit was an unusually difficult ingredient to process; the juice used to make the dye could only be procured by adding the proper amount of heat and pressure.

However, obtaining the juice was not Raith’s goal right now.

“…Should be almost ready,” Raith muttered, observing the cora fruit in the pot. Then, he deliberately increased the pressure he was applying on the cora fruit.

When the pressure surpassed the appropriate amount, the cora fruit suddenly changed forms. The fruit, which had been on the verge of liquefying, turned into a liquid all at once, and–

“Crap.”

Immediately following the sound of a dry pop, bright red smoke rose from the pot with tremendous force. Raith distanced himself from the pot just before the smoke started rising and examined it. 

“So this is what happens when you mess it up…?”

What happened when the processing of the cora fruit failed? Raith had learned this, but it was his first time seeing it in person.

With a bit of pressure and a change in temperature, the cora fruit’s form would immediately change to a gas. In addition, the gas wouldn’t lose the dye effect.

Raith felt an indescribable emotion as he remembered the stories he’d heard about alchemists inexperienced in processing that made mistakes while indoors and caused horrible accidents.

“Well, this is all I can do on my end, but…”

As if praying, he looked up at the billowing red smoke.

The reason Raith intentionally messed up the processing of the cora fruit was to let Laffy know where he was.

Of course, there was the risk of Blood Wolves and other monsters also figuring out his location, but it was better than continuing to act alone.

“Now I just need to hide nearby… Come quick, Laffy.”

Just like with the Blood Wolves, Raith decided to wait it out in a tree. He found a decent tree and ran up to it.

And the next moment, the sound of the air being cleaved reached Raith’s ears.

“?!”

Raith quickly turned around and saw a longsword flying towards him in a vertical swing, the longsword held by that Skeleton.

“Oh come on, you gotta be kidding me…!” Raith cursed, promptly raising his right hand towards the longsword. Then, the ring on his right hand’s middle finger emitted a red light.

Immediately after, the longsword hit Raith. There was a sound like glass breaking, and the sword got sent flying.

This was the Damage Resistance effect which had been added to the ring. It had the power to absorb an attack in the wearer’s place, but only once.

“Now, my last defence is all used up…”

The ring had been lost.

The ring that had been imbued with the Damage Resistance magic effect was made from a valuable mineral, so he couldn’t mass produce them.

In this situation, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Raith was unarmed.

He fixed his gaze on the Skeleton. With its longsword thrown, its attack range was shorter, but that didn’t change the fact that it was a threat.

More than anything, it hurt to have been forced to use the ring due to being caught by surprise. If he’d used it a bit more effectively, he may have been able to buy more time.

“Yup, I’m totally gonna die,” Raith said, analyzing the current situation with a stiff smile on his face. “Where the heck did you come from, anyway?”

He hadn’t sensed its presence at all, though the same had been true when it had first appeared before him. Ordinarily, he would have heard it as soon as it came close.

He hadn’t been off guard. Without a doubt, that Skeleton had some way to make a surprise attack possible.

Raith watched as the Skeleton began moving. Its jaw moved and rattled, almost as if it was laughing.

Although, to Raith, this situation was no laughing matter.

There was no way to counter-attack, he already used up his whole hand for buying time, and his stamina had long since reached its limit.

His last hope was the adventurer who was the pinnacle of strength, Laffy.

“I’m counting on you, Laffy…!”

Keeping his eyes on the Skeleton as it ran, Raith inhaled deeply.

Then, he shouted.

“LAFFY!!!” Raith yelled, and in front of him, the Skeleton raised its hand high overhead.

Its arm held the hidden strength to swing a longsword around. If it hit directly, he wouldn’t get off easy.

On reflex, Raith closed his eyes, when suddenly, with a shrill noise, the Skeleton’s arm was smashed.

For a moment, Raith didn’t know what had happened.

“Raith, duck!”

Hearing a familiar voice coming from behind him, Raith promptly obeyed it.

“Crush.”

Its arm destroyed, the Skeleton stumbled forward, and Laffy, with her red hair swaying, kicked its torso. The impact of the kick blew the Skeleton away, and fragments of its cracked armor scattered throughout the air.

Landing safely, Laffy let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness I made it in time. Are you hurt, Raith?”

“Nope. It’s worse than that, I think I’m falling for you.” Raith’s face was calm as he said something slightly embarrassing.

“Somehow, it seems like you’re just fine,” Laffy said with an exasperated look, picking a fallen sword up from the ground.

“…Hm? I don’t remember a sword falling.”

“I threw it to destroy the Skeleton’s arm,” Laffy declared, as if it was very obvious.

“Oh. Is that so?” Raith acknowledged, unconsciously using a more polite tone of voice.

He was not thinking about how an armored Skeleton’s arm was destroyed by a thrown sword. Absolutely not.

“It regenerates? That’s a problem,” Laffy mumbled.

Hearing this brought Raith back to reality. At the same time, he saw the collapsed Skeleton rise from the ground.

However, the arm, which it had lost because of the thrown sword, was returned to normal.

“Now, how will I defeat you?”