Chapter 22: The Alchemist's Chamber
The heavy iron door groaned as Kimo pushed it open. Ren followed him into a room that smelled of sulfur, ancient dust, and something sickly sweet. As the overhead lights flickered to life with a buzz, Ren gasped.
The room was a hoard of power. To the left, the wall was covered in lethal art—Rows of katanas, curved daggers, and heavy broadswords glinted under the light. To the right, a massive floor-to-ceiling showcase held hundreds of glass vials, each filled with swirling potions of every color imaginable—neon greens, deep blood reds, and shimmering golds.
In the center, behind a cluttered desk, sat an old man. He was somewhat stout, wearing thick spectacles that made his eyes look enormous. He was currently snoring, his head resting on a pile of blueprints.
"Kara! Wake up, you old fossil!" Kimo barked, rapping his knuckles on the table.
Master Kara jolted awake, his glasses sliding to the tip of his nose. "Wha—? Kimo? What trouble have you brought me now?"
"This is Ren," Kimo said, gesturing to the boy in the black coat. "Tell him how the world actually works. Explain the Ranks and the Paths."
Kara adjusted his glasses, squinting at Ren's black lenses. He stood up, walking around the table with a slight limp. "Listen close, boy. In this world, there are 7 Ways of Power. You choose a path, and you stick to it until it kills you or makes you a god."
The 7 Paths of Vane
Rusher: High-speed melee combatants.
Striker: Heavy hitters who focus on raw destructive force.
Supporter: Masters of shields and battlefield control.
Magic Crow: Specialists in surveillance, flight, and shadows.
Bombers: Experts in explosive Vane energy and area damage.
Healers: The only ones who can knit flesh back together.
Magic of Shadows: The rarest and most dangerous path of all.
"Every path has 9 Levels," Kara continued, his voice turning grim. "It's a descending scale. You start at Level 8—the weakest. You work your way down to Level 0, the pinnacle of power. But hear me well: if you try to consume a Level 5 potion when your body is only ready for Level 8, your veins will turn to glass and shatter. You'll be dead before you can even scream 'Goodbye'."
Ren felt a chill run down his spine. "I get it. Start small or die." He paused, then looked at Kara. "Can I learn the Kamehameha?"
Kimo slapped his own forehead. "Ren, this is real life, not an old anime. Stick to the system."
Ren shrugged, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Fine. Tell me about the Magic Crow."
"A strange choice," Kara muttered, reaching for a dusty blue vial. "The Magic Crow is for those who want to see everything. You can manifest crows made of Vane energy to act as your eyes and ears. You can change their size—from tiny sparrows to massive birds of prey. It allows for limited self-flight and minor self-healing, though you can't heal others."
Kara sighed, looking at the shelves. "The problem is, we only have information up to Level 7 for this path. What lies at Level 0... no one in this sector knows. But there is one universal trait: you can imbue your Vane energy into weapons like katanas or daggers to make them unbreakable and razor-sharp."
Kara reached under the desk and pulled out a heavy, elongated wooden box. He opened it, revealing a stunning weapon. It was a Gold Revolver with an unnaturally long nozzle, engraved with ancient raven feathers.
"Since you chose the Crow," Kara said, sliding the weapon toward Ren. "You'll need this. A revolver designed to fire Vane-condensed bullets. It's the signature of a high-level Crow user."