"Let's stop talking about the hard topics," The alchemist walked between them, "Sir Arad, please sit so I can start." He showed Arad to the couch with a smile.
Everyone sat down, and the uneasy air never left the room. "Will talk about this when we get back, wrinkle face." Greybeard wizard glared at the hag.
"Mind your own business," The hag growled at him.
Looking at them, Arad sat on the couch and looked at the alchemist. "So, what should I do?"
"Not much. I will have you drink the medicine and see if it takes effect." The alchemist said with a smile, pulling two vials from his back and mixing them.
After mixing them well and inspecting them under the candlelight, the alchemist handed the vail to Arad with a smile, "Please drink this. You should feel a bit cold after drinking it."
Arad grabbed the vail, glaring at its cloudly green haze.
[Name: Arad Orion][Race: Void Dragon][Class: Draconic Mage]
[Level: 3/20][Exp: 40/2700][Sub-class: Void Knight]
[Age stage: Wyrmling] [Three months and twelve days.]
[Available stat points: 1]
[Strength: 13] [Agility: 20] [Constitution: 14]
[Magic: 20] [Intelligence: 20] [Wisdom: 20]
[HP: 1/54][MP: 60][SP: 60]
[Disease: Rabies] [Progression: stage one, the infected.]
[Vampirism: Unlock the vampire bloodline upon curing] [Progression: stage one, the infected.]
[Lycanthropy: Unlock the werewolf bloodline upon curing] [Progression: stage one, the infected.]
She didn't reply, making Arad a bit sad. ^I have to guess what those stats mean on my own.^ He thought, downing the alchemist's vial.
After waiting a bit, he felt a cold shiver run across his spine and up to his head.
[Disease: Rabies] [Progression: Regression, cured.]
"It worked!" Arad looked at the vial, surprised, "It was fast!"
The alchemist smiled, "It was a deadly disease ten years ago. We only discovered this potion eight years ago."
"It's impressive. Can you cure any disease ?" Arad looked toward the alchemist's back. What kind of wonders is stored there?
"I can't cure everything. Lycanthropy is one of them. Albite, I can provide you with this." the alchemist opened his bag and took a patch of dried herbs, "Dired wolfbane, drink it as tea, and it might work."
Arad took the herbs with a smile, "You don't need it," Alcott smiled, Pointing toward the mages.
"He's right. We will get you fixed up quickly. Just remember us when you reach S-rank." The greybeard stood, putting a pipe on the table and approaching Arad with a smile.
"I hope you can take it out easily," Arad smiled as the greybeard touched his head. "Don't worry, young man. This process only fails one in every ten attempts. And I will give you a second try for free."
The wizard started his spell, [Remove curse], by lifting his wooden staff. As the magic flew into Arad's body, it began sinking into the void.
The wizard's thick eyebrows started twitching, his head slowly tilting, and he started sweating. "It's too deep." He said, grabbing Arad's head with both hands.
After a minute, he stopped, sitting back on the couch panting, "What kind of werewolf bite you? The curse is too deep!" He sighed.
One of the clerics stood. He was a high priest, "You only lack the favor of god," The cleric touched Arad's head.
"In the name of the god of light and prosperity, I order thee to get cleaned from this filth." [Cleanse curse]
Holy magic flew through Arad's body, falling into the abyss like before. "Hold up, this is strange." The cleric crossed his eyebrows with his eyes closed. "I sense a second curse, vampirism at the primary stage." He said, opening his eyes.
All the mages stood, "Vampirism and Lycanthropy simultaneously? No wonder I couldn't drag it out." The greybeard gasped.
The cleric backed away, "Sorry, young man. But I don't know a spell to cure two curses." He bowed, "But the church is welcoming you in the inner sanctum of the capital. A miracle from god might be the only one to save you."
"Don't listen to him," The greybeard wizard stood, glaring at the cleric. "Don't listen to him. There is no telling if god will save you." He smiled, "Come to the arcane tower. We can try some experimental spells that might work. We can even develop a new one to fix you up."
One of the druids looked at Arad, "We might not be able to help with the vampirism, but we can teach you to live with your bestial nature as a werewolf. And hopefully, you will overpower the night blood."
As the mages started giving their suggestions, Arad imagined Mom screaming, [They only want to experiment on you,]
Arad shook his head, "I'm grateful you offered me several ways out, but I will take the adventurer route." He looked toward Alcott.
"I will kill the progenitors to cure the curses or at least die trying." Arad lifted his palm, igniting it.
The greybeard scratched his beard, "A vampire-werewolf, that's a discovery."
Alcott coughed, "Sadly, the dungeon collapsed. But we might find something from the progenitors." Glaring at the mages.
"Send us a sample of their blood if you found them." The wizard replied with a smile, "Or you can find me at the arcane tower, feel free to visit."
As the mages left, Arad dropped on the couch, sighing with a growl, "Damn it!" he looked at the ceiling, "Even mages could lift it, is my only choice is finding the progenitors."
Alcott and Aella sat beside him, "It seems like it. It will be a long journey." Alcott said with a wry smile.
"Don't worry. I'm by your side," Aella said, clenching her fists.
Arad looked at her with a smile, "You will be a decent meal when I become a monster."
Aella grabbed his face with her hands, "You can't eat me. I taste sour."
Alcott laughed, "I'm still here. Stop flirting!" He smacked Arad's back, laughing. Aella curled into a ball with her face red.
"Tracking a werewolf is hard, especially since we don't know where to start," Alcott said. Scratching his chin, "Let's find a divinator that can give us a lead."
"Divination? Is that reliable?" Aella asked, happy to start a new subject.
Alcott nodded, "Of course, it is. A drop of your blood can give the divinator a sure way to track the beast."
"Will he tell us where to find him?" Arad asked. If divination magic was this useful, he might consider picking a spell or two.
"No, divination magic gives random pieces of advice." Alcott smiled, "When I searched for my cure, the divinator told me to slap the first woman to speak to me the next day. And guess who that was?"
"Who?" Arad and Aella asked.
"Nina." Alcott smiled, "I did slap her out of nowhere, and she beat the crap out of me. I ran to the forest to escape her and met a lost man that was searching for his running wife."
"What happened next?" Arad asked.
"His woman was cheating on him with a lumberjack from the next town."
"He was the progenitor?"
"No, the lumberjack's wife was a part of a thieves guild, and the guild's leader's mother was the progenitor." Alcott smiled, "Divination magic is weird,"