'She is right, but…'
Before starting, I glanced at her.
I had information about the future. I planned to use it for my own benefit. However, I didn't want Yuna to know I had information about future.
At least not directly.
'Time to scam– ahem, enlighten this fallen angel.'
I opened my mouth and made sounds instead.
"Guh… gah… buh…"
Yuna tilted her head. "Lord of Shadows, are you trying to speak to me?"
I nodded.
"Please, give me a moment." She raised her small hands.
Her body shimmered, and a wisp of light floated from her palm.
The glowing thread shot forward and sank into my forehead.
Warmth spread through my skull.
"We can talk with this," she said with a small smile. "If you want to say something, please think my name in your mind, and then think your words. They will come to me."
I thought her name.
'Yuna.'
"Yes, Lord of Shadows," she answered, bowing slightly.
'Yuna, thank you for being with me. You've been helping me a lot.'
"It's my pleasure," she said softly.
I stayed quiet for a moment, then let the nervous feeling creep into my thoughts. With my experience from past life, I could control which emotions to send through the telepathic link.
'Yuna… there's something I need to tell you.'
She looked surprised. "Please don't worry. I'm here to guide you. If you have something to say, I'll listen."
'I… have information in my mind. Every day, I get more information. I don't know where it comes from. It just appears.'
Her wings fluttered, and her glow brightened.
"That's… unusual. Very unusual."
'Yuna, yes, it is unusual. I told you about this because I think you would help me.'
I lowered my head, acting as if I was embarrassed.
Yuna folded her arms, thinking.
"It might be because of your class.
"The Shadow Class is special, and almost nothing is known about it.
"Maybe this is one of its hidden powers. It makes sense, in a way.
"But I'm not sure. You're the first newborn I've ever seen with that Class," she said.
I nodded.
She leaned closer.
"Since you told me about this now, I have to ask. Did you get information about the alchemy we're about to try?"
'Yes.'
Her eyes widened.
"Really? That's… incredible."
She smiled, almost glowing with joy.
"I was planning to teach you how to use alchemy to extract mana from gold. But if you already know how, then you should try it yourself.
"If you fail or do something wrong, I'll help you."
I nodded again.
The floor was clean, with no dust or scraps.
Contamination ruined alchemy. Even something simple like this needed care.
'I have the [Core Ingredient], now I need a [Catalyst] and a [Medium].'
Gold itself was a famous mana stone. It didn't need complex processing. It would be the Core Ingredient.
I could use my own body as the catalyst.
And for the medium…
I crawled to the crib and pressed my finger against a sharp corner.
"…!" Yuna hissed, worried for me.
The wood bit into my skin.
A sting shot up my hand as a droplet of blood formed.
I crawled back to the crown, holding the red bead of blood.
Then I touched it to the floor and began drawing.
Runes.
Lines spread across the wood.
Circles, triangles, and connecting marks formed a rough but complete array.
The crown sat at its center.
Anyone who walked in would think I was summoning something unholy.
'My blood doesn't have mana, but it has life force.'
It was enough. Barely, but enough.
I sat in front of the formation and took a deep breath.
Yuna watched closely, her small hands clasped together.
I opened my mouth and started to chant.
"Guggugugaaahaa…"
Her eyes widened.
"It's working."
The words didn't matter. The System recognized the Invocation Phrase on its own. What counted was the intent behind them.
Yuna leaned closer. "It's true. You really do have high knowledge of alchemy. To think I would see a child doing alchemy better than most alchemists."
I didn't answer her. My focus stayed on the wooden plank in front of me.
At first, nothing happened. The blood I had drawn earlier stayed dark and dry. The crown sitting on it remained the same.
Then the lines began to ripple.
The circles around the crown pulsed faintly.
The formation of runes glowed in weak light.
A heavy pressure built inside my chest.
Something invisible was tugging at me, pulling a part of myself out.
That was the price of being the catalyst.
The blood shone in a dull red glow.
The runes shifted, circling around the crown like living snakes.
The golden surface of the crown dulled. Its smooth shine faded away.
A faint mist began to rise from the crown, curling in the air like smoke.
Mana.
The System's cold voice echoed.
Class [Alchemist] gained.
+3 Dexterity. +2 Intelligence.
I ignored the prompt. My eyes stayed on the mist. If I didn't act now, it would disperse.
Yuna's voice rushed out in panic. "Lord of Shadow, now you need to absorb it. Do as I say—"
I inhaled sharply and let out a controlled breath. It was a basic Mana Breathing technique from my past life guided me.
"You even know a breathing technique?" Yuna gasped.
The mist swirled into me.
It tingled against my lips, ran over my tongue, and slipped down my throat. Warmth spread through my chest as it pooled inside me.
My body shook, adjusting to the new energy.
I collapsed back against the crib floor, panting.
The crown in front of me looked the same as before, but its shine was gone. The gold was now useless.
I smiled weakly.
'Finally, I've absorbed my first bit of mana.'
A grin stretched across my face.
Yuna jumped in excitement. "Lord of Shadows! Check your status. Since you used alchemy, you must have gained stats and the Alchemist Class. There must also be a Perk!"
I nodded and focused.
'System, show me the details of my new class and what else I've gained.'