Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Alchemist License (1)
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Several days passed.
After being discharged from the hospital room, I headed straight to my workshop.
I frowned at the thick, stagnant air. A thin layer of dust had settled over the equipment on the table.
It couldn't be helped. It had been quite a while since my last visit due to the hospitalization.
Only after checking the stored materials and cleaning the inside could I finally get down to business.
Click.
I opened the wooden box and carefully lifted out its contents.
A transparent orb that seemed to hold fire within. I planned to use the equipment for a simple check on the core's condition.
The basic analysis was over in no time. I couldn't risk damaging the material, and I didn't have professional-grade gear anyway.
But it was enough to confirm what I wanted to know.
'It doesn't degrade over time.'
That must be why the Arang Guild Master had left it untouched for nearly a decade.
There were no signs of declining quality.
It was just reconfirming information I already knew, but it was a necessary step.
This was far too precious an item to act on mere speculation.
A kind of elixir that boosted mana capacity just by consuming it.
I gazed for a moment at the core shimmering brilliantly, then let out a sigh.
Why had Arang Guild Master Cheon Seungsu kept something this valuable just sitting around?
He probably faced the same dilemma I did.
'This thing... is more trouble than it's worth.'
To be precise, the Dragon Core wasn't technically an elixir.
Elixirs were a term reserved for compounds created through alchemy.
The Dragon Core was the key ingredient for elixirs.
Thus, it only had similar effects.
Eating it raw would still work, but it couldn't compare to the real deal.
An S-rank probably wouldn't even feel the growth from swallowing one.
That said, crafting an elixir wasn't easy by any means.
Sourcing sub-materials, tricky processing of ingredients, complex combination processes.
And above all, the existence of an alchemist capable of pulling it all off.
I couldn't know the exact circumstances, but seeing as the raw material was still intact, he must have eventually given up.
That's probably why he handed it over to me.
It might be negligible for him, but for a D-rank like me, it was as good as an elixir.
It was an undeserved favor, no doubt about it... but still.
I sighed deeply, as if the ground might cave in beneath me.
'If only I didn't know alchemy...'
The problem was that I knew how to make elixirs.
It would take some preparation, but if I gathered the materials, I could definitely produce one.
Could I settle for one marshmallow right now and give up on two—no, ten or more—in the future?
Knowing a better outcome was guaranteed, I just couldn't bring myself to do something so wasteful.
The issue was... there was no telling when I'd gather all the materials.
They weren't as rare as the Dragon Core, but the sub-materials were still pretty scarce.
No clue how long production would take.
But gobbling it down now would surely lead to regrets later.
"Haa..."
Was it really a blessing that it had no expiration date?
In the end, I put the core back in the wooden box and left the workshop.
Step, step.
My feet dragged as I walked, probably from the lingering regret.
It was an opportunity right in front of me. I knew it was for a better future in the long run, but the bitterness was hard to shake.
Still, I had no intention of just sitting around twiddling my thumbs until the materials came together.
Back home, I scoured the internet for information and reached one conclusion.
'Time to get that license.'
The national certified alchemist license.
It was the basic qualification needed to operate as an alchemist, but I hadn't bothered with it until now.
I was making it for my own use, so why bother with a license?
Sure, it was required to sell to others, but I'd been too busy meeting my own demands.
I'd kept putting it off since it wasn't urgent.
The one thing I'd overlooked was that licenses were needed to buy materials too.
I hadn't realized because I'd been self-sufficient so far.
I couldn't procure every ingredient for the elixir myself.
So I'd planned to buy what was available on the market... but this was where I'd hit a wall. I hadn't seen it coming.
No more delaying it.
I let out a heavy sigh and opened a new tab.
I typed [Alchemist License Exam] into the search bar.
The exam schedule popped up on screen.
Fortunately, the written exam was this weekend.
Click.
I hit the [Register] button without hesitation.
A bespectacled man hunched his shoulders as he walked down the hallway.
4th floor, far right end. Remembering the staff's directions, he kept walking without stopping until the sign he wanted came into view.
[3rd-grade Practical Exam Waiting Room]
The murmur grew clearer as he opened the door. A dozen or so people were already inside.
They'd formed little groups here and there, glancing at the newcomer before losing interest and returning to their conversations.
The bespectacled man stood by the door, looking around. Fortunately, some familiar faces caught his eye. The tension eased from his stiff expression.
They spotted him too and waved enthusiastically.
"Lee Donghun!"
Lee Donghun headed toward the voice. A chubby guy grinning at him was sitting with two others.
"I knew you'd pass, oppa."
The woman looking at him smiled softly.
"Jiho hyung, Yujeong-ssi."
Kim Jiho and Lee Yujeong. Both were classmates from the academy where they'd studied for this exam.
"Looks like it's just the three of us."
"Can't be helped. Honestly, this written exam was on another level."
They both nodded at Lee Yujeong's words. The difficulty had been downright abnormal.
"The examiners are fucking insane, right? Asking about some material processing method I've never even heard of."
"They always throw in a couple obscure ones per exam, but this time it was over ten."
Then Kim Jiho asked casually.
"What'd you get, Donghun?"
"72 points. You?"
"Whoa... top of the academy scores are no joke. I barely scraped by at 51."
A score where one more wrong answer would've meant failure. But his praising tone carried a hint of smug superiority. Lee Donghun just smiled awkwardly.
The written exam was pass/fail as long as you cleared the cutoff—score didn't matter beyond that.
Lee Yujeong brought a hand to her mouth and whispered.
"By the way... heard about the top scorer on the written? 96 points."
"That's basically perfect. What kind of monster is that?"
The gap was too wide to brag about being a fellow passer. Kim Jiho looked awed.
"We've taken exams with other academies before. Maybe their top student?"
"Park Gibeom? Makes sense if he aced the mock exams."
But Lee Yujeong shook her head at their agreement.
"I don't think it was Park Gibeom... Rumor is he missed questions 1 and 2."
1 and 2 were traditionally the easiest spots. Even a layperson with basic knowledge could've gotten them right—no alchemist required.
"...Those weren't the Alchemist Ethics Code questions? Got everything else perfect but bombed those two?"
"Probably on purpose? Maybe held back to avoid pulling aggro with a perfect score."
"Either way, jealous as hell... That guy's gonna top the practicals too. Life set already."
Tsk. Lee Yujeong gave Kim Jiho a look of disbelief as he smacked his lips.
"Jiho oppa, you believe that rumor? No Meister's taking a 3rd-grade top scorer as an apprentice."
"Still... isn't it possible?"
Lee Yujeong sighed heavily. Looking too annoyed to bother, she glanced at Lee Donghun, who spoke up instead.
"Hyung. No matter how skilled, it's just 3rd-grade. To a Meister, we'd just be baggage. 2nd-grade and up are real alchemists for a reason."
Only then did reality sink in, and Kim Jiho's face fell. He slumped back against the chair, muttering.
"World's a real shithole... Hope we pass the practicals on the first try."
No one replied to his grumble. It was the wish shared by everyone in the room.
Then the door creaked open, and Kim Jiho looked up. Considering the time left, this might be the last examinee.
"...Park Gibeom."
Someone muttered it, but the sharp-featured man ignored them and crossed the room.
The chatter died as eyes turned to him. With most examinees from academies, everyone knew who he was.
The likely top of the practicals...
"Ah. Hold on."
Someone grabbed the half-closed door and poked their head in.
Checking his smartphone, the man sighed in relief—he'd made it on time.
Attention shifted instantly from Park Gibeom to him. Examinees turned as eyes met, but all shook their heads. Not from their academy.
Finally, one examinee stood and approached the newcomer.
"Excuse me, may I have your name...?"
The man blinked, surprised by the question. He answered nonchalantly.
"Han Yujin."
An unfamiliar name. Not just to the asker—nobody in the room knew him.
"Where did you study alchemy?"
"Self-taught."
Pfft!
A stifled laugh burst out. The wary stares aimed at him evaporated instantly.
How do you even self-study alchemy?
He must've lucked into passing the written, but practicals weren't something you could bluff through.
"Ah, I see... Heh, thanks for answering."
Even the questioner barely held back a scoff. He gave the man a pitying "good luck" and returned to his seat.
The bewildered man started walking again, but no one paid him any more attention.