After Syzoth finished, none of them said a thing.

The only sound heard in the bar where the sound of the burning fire, and a playing cat.

Maria was the first one to break that silence. "Myz, get back outside. Make sure that no one gets in, or even listens."

The cathulu, a little bit annoyed, disappeared shortly after.

"If you knew that I was here, why didn't you try to flee? Why did you choose this place of all places?"

Syzoth didn't say anything, he only looked at the clock again, and then staired at the wooden table. At the wooden chairs. 

Wood.

And Eldertown is known for being a city build completely out of wood.

'Did he choose this place because he knew that I wouldn't risk using my gift here, as it's possible for me to set this entire city on fire?'

No, not really. Syzoth came to this bar because the being told him to do so. But he still dared to go into that bar because he hoped that if the being was there, there shouldn't be many problems. He did not expect him to disappear the moment Maria marched in. 

"Ok, you knew that I would come. Now what? What could you possibly do now, something that would not end with me beating the absolute shit out of you and bringing you to Leon?"

"You don't see me as a threat?" Syzoth asked.

"…You? A Threat?! Hehe,hahahahah"

Maria gave of a laugh as if Syzoth made some silly joke.

But he didn't really care about it. He only watched as she took another sip from her cup.

The dimly lit bar provided a fitting backdrop for the clandestine meeting between Maria and Syzoth. The atmosphere was heavy with an unspoken tension, as they sat at a secluded corner table, away from prying eyes and wandering ears. The hum of conversations and the clinking of glasses offered a semblance of privacy.

Maria gazed at the flickering candle on the table between them, its wavering flame casting shifting shadows on their faces. Her emerald eyes, locked onto Syzoth's, the enigmatic alchemist. She spoke first, her voice measured and introspective.

"You know, Syzoth," Maria began, her tone soft yet probing, "when we first came to this world, the gods bestowed upon us their blessings. Gifts, they called them. But with those blessings came curses, hidden away like the thorns on a rose. Each of us carries a different one."

Syzoth's serpentine eyes, met Maria's gaze. He nodded in acknowledgment, his demeanor enigmatic as ever. "Indeed, Maria. The gods' whims often take unpredictable forms. They bestow us with power and impose their own peculiar burdens upon us."

Maria leaned forward slightly, the candlelight revealing the intensity in her expression. "What would you say if I tell you what your gift and your curse is? Hmm?"

Syzoth, giving another quick glance at the clock, nodded. "Fine"

Maria smiled, "Let me start with your gift, as I believe it's he most obvious. You are capable of memorizing the ingredients of any Elixir, potion, serum, or even concoction after brewing it once. It should be pretty obvious."

Maria gave a small smirk, believing that she knew absolutely everything the lizardman could do.

"As for your curse, I believe you are an unlucky one, because you have two. One, you aren't capable of using weapons. You never used a knife, a sword, blade shield, bow, or really any other weapon, if we don't take your potions into account. As for your second curse," she remarked, "is that you cannot become stronger, no matter how hard you train or how many battles you win. Just like all those years ago, your stats for essence, strength, health and anything else remained stagnant. You're still only level one. You haven't unlocked any other skill, because there is no skill you could use while you are a level one, except for that gift of yours. The only path for you is to master the alchemical arts, to create more potent and deadly concoctions. What could you possibly do know to pose me any threat?"

Maria slowly took another sip. Her cup was almost empty. 

Syzoth's lips curved into a smile. If it even could be called a smile. "Quite perceptive as always, Maria. My curse does indeed confine me in its own way, but it has its own unique allure. Thanks to it, I had to delved into the secrets of alchemy, uncovering their hidden potential."

The fire mage studied the alchemist's face, her eyes narrowing slightly. 

"But you are wrong. About my curses, my gift, and about why I can't possibly make you not bring me to Leon."

Maria drank the last cup from her drink.

"Is that so? Sigh, And I already thought I won that bet."

"Do you wish to know it?"

"Would you tell me?"

"Well, I don't really see any reason to hold back my cards. You were pretty close when you were about to guess my gift, but you missed it still. My gift isn't memorizing the ingrediencies of potions I brew. No. My gift is far simpler. By just tasting it, I am capable to do so much, much more. But I still have requirements for that. First, like I said, I need to taste it. But it can't drink just anything. I have to brew it myself. I can't just drink a bottle of some random junky, and suddenly become the master of alcohol. No. I need to make it. Only then does my screen register that concoction. And, by spending a little bit of my essence, I can either just create that potion on the spot, or create the ingrediencies necessary to make one myself just like the liquid you are drinking right now, I first found the ingrediencies necessary to make it, and after trying it out, I can now mass produce them, as long as I have enough essence."

To say Maria was surprised was quite an understatement. Yes, she did many times think of where Syzoth took all those potions, serums and drinks out when they were out on a mission. Except when they were in a city, she never saw him take preparations to make those potions.

"As for my curse, you were right that I indeed can't level up. My level remained unchanged. It will remain stagnant until the heat death of the universe. But think that I am not truly the same lizard as three decades ago. My knowledge and understanding of the arts of alchemy has expanded. I know at least 35 deadly serums that could turn your insides into complete sludge after a few minutes."

Maria froze. Then she looked at herself, trying to feel if anything around her has changed.

"If I tried, you would be indeed dead by now. If an alchemist proposes you a drink, never accept it. You never know what it could do to you. Or how you ended up dead."