Lewd Skill Stealing System-Chapter 7: Should I Learn Alchemy?

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The girl stepped into the room, carefully balancing a wooden plate with two glasses of water resting on top. Her jet-black hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her bright blue eyes that practically sparkled under the dim lighting of the house. Her steps were graceful, yet Karl's refined mind was too occupied elsewhere.

Man... her chest is huge.

His thoughts spiraled before he could stop them. How the hell does she even do alchemy? Wouldn't her... assets just get in the way? Like, if she leaned forward too much, wouldn't she knock over all the potions?

Before he could contemplate further, the system's window slammed into his face.

[Fucking pervert. There's more to a woman than just her body, you know.]

Karl rubbed his forehead, frowning. Yeah, yeah, whatever. But let's be honest here—what's the first thing anyone notices? I just happened to look at what stood out the most.

The system paused, as if trying to come up with a counterargument—only to fall silent.

[...Tch.]

Karl smirked. Thought so.

Meanwhile, the girl gracefully placed the glasses onto the table and gave a polite bow. Her voice was soft, yet firm.

"My name is Lina. I work as an apprentice here with my mother."

Karl, still seated, responded with a casual sitting bow.

"I met your mother in the woods and helped her pick some ingredients. My name is Karl."

As he spoke, another thought suddenly struck him.

Wait... If the daughter looks this good, then how the hell did the mother look in her prime?

...Hold on. Alchemy... potions... rejuvenation...

His face twisted into a perverted smirk, eyes gleaming with dangerous curiosity. If there's a potion that can turn back time on someone's body, then—

BONK.

A system panel slammed against his head, rattling his brain back into place.

[Control yourself, you walking disappointment.]

Karl winced, rubbing the spot where the invisible force had hit him. His expression quickly returned to neutral, acting as if nothing had happened.

Karl leaned back slightly, his smirk widening as he mentally pulled up the system. Alright, let's see what this so-called apprentice is packin' under the hood.

[Lina's Stats:]

[Mana Pool: 25]

[Mana Regen: 30]

Karl's eyebrows shot up. What the hell? That's insane! His own mana pool was sitting at a pathetic 10. This girl had more than double that—no, nearly triple! His fingers twitched slightly as he imagined all that delicious mana flowing through her.

Oh man... If I can take even a fraction of that, I'll be drowning in power. His tongue flicked out instinctively, licking his lips as dark, carnivorous thoughts crept into his mind. Oh, this is gonna be a feast. A hell feast.

But first—information.

"So... what's alchemy actually about?" Karl asked, tilting his head with casual curiosity.

Lina's face lit up like a festival lantern. The shy, composed demeanor cracked in an instant, and in its place came pure, unfiltered excitement.

"Oh! Alchemy is—" she started, eyes sparkling.

And then she just kept going.

She started talking fast. Faster than Karl thought a human could speak.

"The study of matter and its manipulation! How different substances react when combined! The magic circles that invoke specific changes! How mana flows through materials and affects their properties—"

Karl blinked. Damn, this girl had a whole lecture locked and loaded, huh?

Lina's hands waved around wildly as she explained, her usual reserved posture completely gone. She talked about catalysts, reactions, the philosophical side of alchemy, how different environments affected mana flow, the importance of precision, the dangers of instability—

Holy hell, she's still going.

Karl slowly nodded, pretending to keep up, though his brain had already checked out two minutes ago.

Why did I ask again?

"—and that's why alchemical transmutation differs from traditional magic! Because instead of purely shaping mana into a spell, we channel it through specific materials and—"

"Lina," her mother suddenly cut in.

The room froze.

Lina's mouth snapped shut. Her eyes widened, realization hitting her like a brick wall. A soft gasp escaped her lips, and her hands instinctively shot up to cover her face.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't realize I was rambling again!" she stammered, shrinking back as her face burned red.

Karl barely held back a chuckle. Well, well, well. Shy girl's got a switch, huh?

She awkwardly fiddled with the hem of her sleeve, her former confidence nowhere to be found. "I-It just happens sometimes... when I talk about alchemy..."

Karl waved his hand dismissively, still smirking. "Nah, don't worry about it. You were really passionate. It's cute."

Lina's face somehow got even redder, and she quickly looked away.

The system snorted.

The grandmother chuckled, her wrinkled face curling into an amused smile. "Well, if you're so curious about alchemy, why don't you go to the lab and see it for yourself?"

Karl's eyes lit up.

He shot to his feet, putting on his most dramatic pose, one hand over his chest and the other extended outward like some kind of theatrical noble.

"Madam, I would be honored to witness the marvels of alchemy firsthand!" he declared, bowing so deeply it was almost ridiculous.

The old woman let out a hearty laugh. "Hah! You're quite the performer, aren't you? Lina, take him to the lab."

Lina, still flustered from her earlier rambling, hesitated for a moment before turning around. "Alright, follow me."

She walked towards a wooden door at the far end of the room, her steps light but quick. Karl followed, his mind already racing with possibilities. Alchemy lab? That meant rare ingredients, magical artifacts, maybe even potions that could boost his power.

The door creaked open.

And inside—

Karl's jaw nearly dropped.

The room was packed with all kinds of strange and mesmerizing things.

On the left side, a tall wooden bookshelf stretched from floor to ceiling, overflowing with thick tomes bound in leather, their spines etched with golden symbols and arcane letters. Some books were so old their pages had turned yellow and brittle. Others looked pristine, like they'd just been printed yesterday.

To the right, rows of glass bottles lined the shelves, each one filled with dried herbs, crushed powders, and strange-looking roots Karl didn't even recognize. Some were neatly labeled, while others were mystery vials of who-knows-what.

A large workbench sat in the middle of the room, covered in scattered notes, open books, and intricate magic circles drawn onto parchment. Feathers dipped in ink, bits of crushed minerals, and stray mana crystals littered the surface.

And then—there were the test tubes.

Dozens of them, held in delicate metal racks, filled with swirling liquids of every color imaginable. Some glowed softly, emitting an eerie light, while others bubbled and fizzed as if alive.

A faint hum of mana filled the air, making Karl's skin tingle. This place was practically radiating power.

He let out a low whistle, stepping forward to take it all in.

"Damn. This is insane."

Lina turned her head slightly, a hint of pride flashing across her face. "Welcome to our alchemy lab."