Rebirth : The Alchemist's Path

"Innkeeper, are you human?"

Seeing the old man, Sylvus couldn't help but ask. Though the old man looked very much like a human, his eyes were entirely pitch black, with no whites visible at all, as if he had no pupils. Combined with the dim lighting of the inn, it made the old man appear even more eerie.

Upon closer inspection, Sylvus noticed that the old man's left hand was wrapped in a dark aura, emitting an energy that seemed oddly familiar.

"Guest, I am indeed human," the old man replied calmly. "This inn is called 'Turn Back Inn' because it serves as a warning to travelers. It means that once they've reached this place, they should stop here and go no further."

"Oh?" Sylvus smiled slightly, curious. "And why is it that no one should continue?"

"There is no need to ask so many questions," the old man responded. "If you go past this inn, you will enter the Moonlight Forest. Once you enter, it will be too late to turn back. Even a Saint Archmage would find no way out."

Sylvus wasn't in a hurry. He simply found a place to sit, poured himself a cup of tea, and smiled as he asked, "Innkeeper, could it be that the Dark Elves are hiding in the Moonlight Forest?"

Finally, Sylvus understood why the old man's energy seemed so familiar. Back when Princess Xia of the elven tribe had been severely injured, the energy extracted from her was identical to what he now sensed from the innkeeper.

Upon hearing the words "Dark Elves," a cold glint appeared in the old man's pitch-black eyes, and a chill emanated from his body. "Guest, have you come here seeking the Dark Elves?" he asked coldly.

"Well, I had only heard about them," Sylvus responded, his expression teasing. "But judging by your reaction, it seems they truly are hiding in the Moonlight Forest."

The old man frowned, realizing Sylvus had baited him. The coldness in his aura dissipated, and he shook his head. "I wouldn't know if the Dark Elves are hiding there. But I can tell you this—no one who enters that forest ever comes out alive. I advise you not to enter."

Sylvus let out a sneer. The old man clearly had the aura of the Dark Elves, yet he dared to feign ignorance.

With a sudden surge of power, Sylvus unleashed his aura, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the old man. "Old man, you must be one of the Dark Elves, aren't you?" he demanded.

"Guest, I don't know what you mean," the old man replied, his voice steady. "Allow me to take you to your room." With that, he began to head upstairs.

Sylvus, of course, had no intention of letting him off so easily. He raised his right hand, and the surrounding magic formed a giant hand that lunged towards the old man. The old man, sensing the danger, merely glanced at it, and in the next instant, his figure vanished, leaving Sylvus momentarily stunned.

"It's said that the Dark Elves have the ability to hide in the darkness. It seems that's true," Sylvus thought to himself as he took a sip of his tea, his lips curling into a smile.

"Guest, there's no need to force me," the old man's voice echoed from elsewhere in the room. "Stay for the night, then turn back and leave. That way, you can keep your life. Though you are a Saint Archmage , entering the Moonlight Forest would be a one-way trip."

"Is that so?" Sylvus looked at him, his tone skeptical. "It seems you're more than just an innkeeper discouraging travelers. You must be the first barrier to the Moonlight Forest, right?"

"Even if you kill me, entering the Moonlight Forest will only lead to your death," the old man replied.

"Could it be that the Dark Elves have an Archmage among them now?" Sylvus asked.

The old man shook his head without responding. "Let me go prepare your room," he said, ignoring Sylvus as he headed back upstairs.

Sylvus narrowed his eyes at the old man's composure. "Alright then, if the Moonlight Forest is so dangerous, I won't go," he said with a slight smile. Yet in his hand, a blue gemstone suddenly appeared—it was Elena's ancestral stone.

The moment the ancestral stone appeared, the old man hesitated briefly. A strange glint flashed in his eyes, but he said nothing and continued walking upstairs. Sylvus simply smiled to himself, saying nothing.

He knew that once he brought out Elena's ancestral stone, there would be no way for him to leave, even if he wanted to. "Since I can't find the way to the Dark Elves myself, I'll need a guide," he thought, putting the ancestral stone away and following the old man upstairs.

The old man had already prepared the room. It was quite clean, and Sylvus lay down on the bed to rest. After several days of flying, he was indeed tired.

As Sylvus rested, the old man glanced at his pitch-black left hand. A black stream of light flew out from his arm and disappeared into the night.

By late evening, Sylvus was still asleep in his room. The old man went to the inn's entrance, and two shadowy figures instantly appeared before him.

"The guest is upstairs," the old man said. "He has already drunk the calming tea from the inn and will certainly not wake up tonight."

"Are you sure that what he holds is the elven queen's ancestral stone?" one of the figures asked.

"I can't be completely sure, but I have seen the elven queen before, and the aura on that gemstone is identical," the old man replied hastily.

The two figures exchanged glances and nodded before vanishing. The old man did not return inside, choosing instead to wait respectfully outside the inn.

In Sylvus' room:

"They're here?" Sylvus thought, his eyes still closed. Perhaps the old man assumed that Sylvus had been knocked out by the calming tea, which was why he hadn't bothered to keep his voice down—allowing Sylvus to hear everything.

The moment he drank the tea, Sylvus had sensed something was off. After all, he had consumed so many potions before that he could easily tell. Besides, his body had become resistant to most ordinary drugs. Even if he drank an entire pot of calming tea, it would have no effect on him.

After only a few seconds, two energy fluctuations suddenly appeared in the room, and two figures emerged from the shadows.

"This man does indeed carry the aura of the Light Elves. It seems he truly possesses the elven queen's ancestral stone," one of them said.

"Should we kill him, or take him back to the tribe?" the other asked.

"Kill him. There's no use keeping him alive. We just need the ancestral stone."

The other nodded, and a pitch-black dagger appeared in his hand.

With a flash of cold light, he moved to strike at the sleeping Sylvus.