Chapter 100: Life’s Burden

Aldric led Rhain on the topmost floor, into the Guild Master’s private hall.

Two chairs of dark lacquered wood sat facing each other across a table.

"Please, esteemed sir, take the seat of honor," Aldric said, bowing deeply as he gestured toward the master’s chair at the head of the carved redwood table.

Rhain did not stand on ceremony. He walked over and sat down comfortably, his posture relaxed and entirely unbothered by the heavy reverence directed at him.

Aldric hurriedly walked over to a highly secure cabinet.

With a careful motion, he retrieved a small, exquisite golden vial.

He returned to the table and gently placed the vial before Rhain.

"Esteemed sir," Aldric spoke nervously, his aged hands rubbing together. "I know a supreme existence such as yourself has likely tasted the finest nectars of the world. This humble brew might not catch your eyes, but this is the finest wine that I possess."

He unsealed the stopper.

A rich, deeply layered aroma immediately bloomed through the room.

Aldric carefully poured two small cups and slid one across the table toward Rhain.

Rhain looked at the amber liquid in his cup.

Combined with the boundless knowledge of his newly acquired Grandmaster Alchemist Inheritance, and his Eyes of Truth, the liquid inside the glass was instantly deconstructed in his mind down to its microscopic essence.

"Ancient Crimson Dusk Berries as the base, perfectly aged for three hundred years," Rhain stated casually, "You used the Dew of the Moonflower to draw out its latent energy, Whisperleaf for the calming aftertaste, and a trace amount of Golden Marrow Vine to preserve it for a long span of time."

Rhain picked up the cup, and took a slow sip, letting the sweet amber liquid coat his tongue.

"A very sweet, harmonious blend. It’s really an excellent wine."

Aldric heartbeat got faster, and faster as he heard Rhain’s explanation.

This wine was his life’s greatest side-project.

He had spent forty years perfecting the recipe, altering the ratios through thousands of failed batches.

He had never shared the exact formula with a single living soul.

Yet, this man had only taken a single glance, and effortlessly recited the core ingredients and the underlying alchemical theory as if he were reading a children’s book.

"Emperor Rank Alchemists are just beyond understanding...’ Aldric mumbled, his eyes gleaming with awe. ’To deconstruct a complex brew at a single glance... this is a realm of mastery I couldn’t reach even if I lived for ten thousand years."

He lifted his own cup and took a deep drink, as if needing the warmth to steady himself.

Setting the cup down, Aldric straightened his posture, hesitated for a moment, carefully choosing his words so as not to offend the supreme being sitting before him. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"May I be so bold as to ask..." Aldric began cautiously. "What brings a great existence like yourself to our small Mirravele City branch? If you have any tasks worthy of this junior, you only need to speak the word. I will mobilize the entire guild to assist you."

Rhain had already anticipated this exact question.

He looked at Aldric for a while, and then sighed dramatically, "I grew bored."

Aldric looked surprised. "B-Bored?"

"Yes," Rhain leaned back into his chair, perfectly embodying the world-weary demeanor of an ancient expert, "I grew tired of the noise. Too many people wanting too many things. Banquets, commissions, political favors — every day, someone kneeling at my door begging me to refine something for them."

He waved a hand dismissively.

"I wanted silence. I simply wanted to escape my luxurious life for a while. I came to this small city seeking a period of quiet solitude, away from the prying eyes of the Inner Province."

Aldric listened carefully, a sudden wave of realisation swept over him.

It made perfect sense!

Supreme experts were notoriously eccentric.

When one reached the pinnacle of their realm, wealth and status lost all meaning.

Seeking solitude was exactly the kind of behavior an Emperor Rank Alchemist would exhibit!

"I understand, esteemed sir," Aldric nodded vigorously, completely buying the flawless lie. "True enlightenment requires solitude."

Aldric’s eyes lit up with an eager thought.

"If you are seeking a quiet place to stay, our Alchemy Guild owns several highly secluded estates on the outskirts of the city. I can have an entire manor cleared out for your exclusive use immediately! No one would dare disturb your peace!"

"Don’t bother," Rhain dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I have already managed my accommodations. I prefer to remain completely untraceable."

"Of course, of course. Forgive my intrusion," Aldric quickly apologized, not daring to push the matter further.

For the next hour, the two of them sat in the private hall.

Or rather, Rhain sat, while Aldric stood respectfully by his side like an eager student.

They conversed, and Aldric inevitably steered the topic toward alchemy, desperately hoping to glean even a microscopic drop of wisdom from the supreme expert.

Rhain didn’t mind.

Drawing from his flawless Grandmaster Inheritance, he casually tossed out a few offhanded remarks regarding essence manipulation and flame control.

To Rhain, they were basic facts.

To Aldric, they were revelations that shattered decades-old bottlenecks in his mind.

By the end of the hour, Aldric was practically glowing with enlightenment, looking at Rhain with a gaze of unconcealed devotion.

"Well," Rhain finally said, standing up from the dark lacquered chair. "I have lingered here long enough."

Aldric immediately snapped out of his profound daze.

"I liked your hospitality, Aldric," Rhain said, his disguised voice carrying a trace of approval. "Perhaps I will visit again."

Aldric’s heart soared. "The doors of the Mirravele Alchemy Guild will always be wide open for you, esteemed sir! It is our highest honor!"

Rhain gave a brief nod, turning on his heel to head toward the grand double doors of the private hall.

As Rhain took his first step away, a storm of thoughts erupted inside Aldric’s mind.

He watched Rhain’s back.

This was a supreme existence.

A man whose mere casual words had advanced Aldric’s alchemical comprehension more in one hour than a decade of studying had achieved.

If he let this man walk out that door right now, they might never meet again.

He might return to his solitude, and Aldric would remain a simple Master Alchemist in a remote city until the day he died.

He was one hundred and twelve years old.

He had reached the peak of the Master Rank over thirty years ago, and in all that time, he had not advanced a single step further.

The wall between Master and Grandmaster loomed before him like an unscalable cliff — and he had long ago accepted, with quiet resignation, that he would likely die beneath it.

But today, a ray of hope had been ignited in his heart.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,’ Aldric’s internal voice screamed. ’If I let my pride stop me now, I will regret it for the rest of my miserable life!’

Aldric’s jaw tightened. He stopped thinking about the consequences.

"Wait!"

Aldric’s voice abruptly rang.

Rhain’s footstep halted.

He didn’t turn around, but a devilish, victorious smile stretched across his face.

Thud.

Behind him, the sound of something hitting the ground came.

Both of Aldric’s knees hit the solid floor heavily.

Rhain slowly turned his head.

The esteemed Guild Master of Mirravele City—a Core Formation Realm expert who commanded authority over the region’s elite—was kneeling on the ground before Rhain.

"Esteemed sir!" Aldric’s voice came with unparalleled reverence. "I know my talent is dull, and my age is advanced! I know I have no right to make such an arrogant request!"

Aldric raised his head, his aged eyes burning with an unyielding resolve.

"But have mercy on this ignorant junior! I beg you to accept me as your disciple! I will serve you faithfully for the rest of my days. I ask for nothing but the chance to learn."