"......" Remy hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he couldn't resist the temptation of double wages. Gritting his teeth, he drank down most of the remaining Elixir of Life, silently praying in his heart, Boss, please don't screw me over...
Before he could finish praying, his wounded hand suddenly began to itch. Startled, he quickly looked down, just in time to see the fresh cut healing rapidly—so fast it was visible to the naked eye...
This Elixir of Life is real!
Remy's cry of astonishment immediately drew everyone's attention, especially Mason, whose mouth dropped open and couldn't close again.
Damn it, how could a dark red Elixir of Life possibly be real? The grand alchemist himself told me—dark red means it's a failure, a defective batch. Matthew Merlin must be up to something!
"Well, Mage Mason, what do you think? The Elixir of Life from our Gilded Rose—does it work well enough for you?"
Matthew Merlin's unhurried voice sounded especially grating to Mason, who, overcome by panic, jumped up with a pale face and shouted, "Matthew Merlin, you must be behind this! How could a dark red Elixir of Life be real? That's right, it must be! This guy is one of your Gilded Rose people—who knows what tricks you pulled behind the scenes!"
"That's true..." Matthew Merlin nodded in agreement after hearing Mason's words. "The Elixir of Life was sold by the Gilded Rose, and now we're having one of our own people show its effects. I suppose that does seem a bit unfair..."
"Glad you understand!"
But before he could finish speaking, a sudden rustling noise came from beneath their feet.
Then came a bloodcurdling scream.
A mass of blood-red vines suddenly burst forth beneath Mason's feet—vivid, sinister, and reeking of blood. First his legs, then his whole body: in the blink of an eye, the crimson vines wrapped tightly around Mason, squeezing ever tighter. No matter how he struggled or screamed, he couldn't escape these snake-like, vampiric tendrils...
"Bloodthorn Spell!" someone in the crowd cried out in alarm.
That's right—a level five Bloodthorn Spell.
This is a truly evil spell, rumored to have originated from demons. It was inspired by the Abyssal Bloodvine, and just like those vines, once it ensnares its target, it drives thorns deep into their flesh and greedily sucks their blood. If the caster doesn't break off the spell, and the victim can't escape by force, there's only one outcome: drained to a withered corpse.
"What... what are you trying to do!" The thought of becoming a shriveled corpse sent Mason into a panic. For the first time, he truly felt the fear of death—his voice was hoarse and dry as he spoke.
"As I said, having someone from the Gilded Rose demonstrate the Elixir of Life does seem a bit unfair. So I thought, it'd be better if Mage Mason showed everyone himself." Matthew Merlin's voice was still calm and unhurried. If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, you'd never guess that this gentle-faced young man was wielding such a sinister spell.
"No, don't kill me! I'll pay, I'll apologize..." To Mason, Matthew Merlin's gentle smile was more terrifying than any sneer. He'd never faced real setbacks before, but now he was truly afraid. The vampiric vines kept squeezing tighter, thorn after thorn stabbing into his flesh, blood trickling down with each prick. Mason could already feel his body growing cold...
Struggling, screaming, begging...
Mason's men tried to rescue him, but none could break through the Bloodthorn's blockade. The vines kept them at bay effortlessly, without Matthew Merlin even needing to focus.
For a moment, the hall was awash in a lurid red...
Only Matthew Merlin's calm, unhurried voice continued: "Mage Mason, you do love to joke. Why would I kill you? The Gilded Rose is open for business—customers are our gods. Murder isn't our style. We're just having a friendly discussion about the effects of the Elixir of Life..."
"Yes, yes, a discussion, a discussion..." At this point, Mason didn't care about anything else. He'd admit to being a goblin if it meant surviving.
"Alright then, let's continue our discussion." Matthew Merlin, seeing that things were about right, slowly lowered his right hand, ending the Bloodthorn Spell. As the intense magical energy faded, the sea of crimson vines shrank back into the ground, vanishing in an instant as if they'd never existed.
Of course, it only seemed that way...
Mason, fresh from the brink of death, could testify that the sea of blood-red vines was all too real. Not only had it appeared, it had wrapped him up tight, stabbing him with countless thorns. Now, looking at Mason, his body resembled a wasp's nest—just the sight made people's skin crawl. Blood streamed from his wounds, staining the floor with a wide, dark patch in seconds.
Lying on the ground, Mason was barely clinging to life. With injuries like these, even the best healer would likely shake their head and tell him to prepare for the end.
Matthew Merlin walked over with the last bit of Elixir of Life, checked Mason's wounds, and nodded with satisfaction. "These injuries should be convincing enough..."
"......" Everyone present, including the young apprentice who'd just been cut, felt a chill at Matthew Merlin's utterly ruthless words.
"Alright, come on, Mage Mason. Please drink this and let us see the results."
With Matthew Merlin's support, Mason struggled to his feet and, with great difficulty, drank the last of the Elixir of Life. He didn't dare look at Matthew Merlin again—the sea of blood-red vines had utterly broken his spirit.
Once again, the Elixir of Life worked its wonders. As soon as Mason drank it, his bleeding wounds began to heal. In less than half an hour, Mason—who'd been on the verge of death—was almost as good as new. If not for his tattered robes, he might've thought the whole ordeal was just a nightmare.
The worst nightmare imaginable...
Finally awake from his nightmare, Mason didn't dare linger at the Gilded Rose any longer. Once he'd fully recovered, he hurriedly gathered his men to leave.
"Wait..."
But then, that nightmare voice sounded behind him again, making Mason freeze in place.
"W-what is it?" Mason finally managed to speak, but his voice trembled uncontrollably.
"Mage Mason, that's not right. Didn't we agree? If the Elixir of Life works, you have to eat the bottle too. Mage Mason, you can't go back on your word—you have to keep your promise."
...... Mason's face froze. Staring at the fist-sized glass bottle, he felt like dying on the spot.
"So, Mage Mason, will you eat it yourself, or shall I help you?"
......
"Bon appétit."