Chapter 9
Chapter 9
The Storm That Fell Upon the Tower of Sages (Revised)
The crowd that had filled the front of the atelier gradually thinned as time passed.
Did they leave because they got tired of waiting?
No. Not a chance.
Would those persistent explorers, who would smile while waiting days just to get a connection with a talented alchemist, give up after only half a day?
It was simply because I, who understood their nature well, took the time to meet them and sent them away satisfied.
“If you’re requesting material supply work, please name our Horun Guild. We’ll do it for free.”
“Yes. If I ever need help later, I’ll make sure to call you.”
Click.
After escorting out the last guild representative who politely bowed, I locked the door.
Only after the outside world was completely shut off did I let my smile fade and release a long sigh.
“Just as I expected… this is exhausting.”
“Kyuu…”
The city of Astrum had a shortage of alchemists.
And considering the nature of the Abyss, their reaction was understandable, so I handled it calmly.
Still, it was fortunate they didn’t cross the line.
Sitting down on the chair placed at the counter, the spirits brought me a glass of cool water.
“Kyuu!”
“Thanks.”
I drank the water and let my tired body recover.
How often must they deal with situations like this to remain so controlled even when things were heated?
Part of it was probably experience in “social maneuvering,” but more than anything, it was likely because the ruler of this city was royalty.
The Empire of Kailas.
True dominator of the continent.
Their overwhelming authority meant they didn’t need arrogance—true power didn’t.
Because of them, Astrum, filled with all kinds of people, could maintain its fragile peace.
After once again silently praising the “true GOATs” of Alchemist Story, I reviewed my plan.
“I’ve sent the explorers away… time to start working for real.”
I took a robe from the hanger and put it on.
Considering the main story timeline of Alchemist Story, I didn’t have much time left.
A month at most.
With a heavy coin pouch from recent sales, I left the atelier without hesitation.
Immediately, I felt eyes on me from all directions.
Most likely guild explorers.
Many guilds were backed by other kingdoms or factions, meaning there were plenty of informants among them.
I pulled my hood down and walked through the alleys.
Since I deliberately headed into a quiet area, they would try to approach me sooner or later.
But as I kept moving, the gazes gradually disappeared.
It wasn’t that they gave up—rather, the destination I was heading toward discouraged interference.
Leila’s shop, Story Flower.
Jingle—
A clear bell rang as I entered.
At the counter, Leila casually waved.
“You’re really using my shop as a refuge, aren’t you?”
“I came as a customer. Please excuse me.”
I replied awkwardly, putting my hands together.
She chuckled lightly, then placed a long pipe between her lips.
She inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly, and a faint herbal scent drifted through the air before fading.
“Just kidding. Customers are always welcome.”
At her relaxed tone, I nodded.
I placed all the money I had earned on the counter.
This time, I didn’t make the mistake of forgetting food expenses.
“I’d like to buy materials with this.”
I handed her a prepared list.
She floated the paper into the air with a flick of her fingers, her expression shifting slightly.
The items listed weren’t cheap.
“Sunstone, Moon Crystal, Floating Stone, Amber Core… planning something big?”
“They’re a bit expensive, huh?”
“They’re not exactly cheap materials.”
Even the cheapest ones were worth dozens of silver, while the expensive ones reached gold-tier prices.
This was beyond what a normal alchemist would handle—it was closer to Nigredo or Albedo level work.
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
“You don’t seem like the type to waste money on impulse. So you’re planning to make something.”
“That’s right. Something that will help Astrum greatly.”
“And what would that be? Can you tell me?”
“It might be a bit expensive in terms of story value. Is that okay?”
“Oh my?”
Her eyes widened slightly.
It seemed she hadn’t expected me to understand “story value.”
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
“You’re an interesting child. An otherworlder, yet you know quite a lot about me.”
“My master taught me a lot of information.”
“So you’ve peeked into the future?”
…That was a sharp turn.
That tone of certainty told me she had activated her ability, so I nodded carefully.
“…Yes.”
“I see. You seem confident in your actions, so it must be a fairly accurate future you’ve seen. You’re more dangerous than you look.”
You’re the scary one for reading that from a few sentences of conversation.
As I broke into a cold sweat, Leila leaned forward and changed her tone.
“Seems like you’re planning something interesting. I’ll take the remaining payment in exchange for your ‘story value.’”
“Understood.”
“And don’t worry. As you know, my ability doesn’t pry into personal secrets.”
“Of course, big sister!”
I nodded quickly.
Materials flew toward me from the air, which I caught carefully.
After bowing deeply with a bundle of rare materials in my arms, I returned to the atelier.
Watching me flee in a hurry, Leila muttered softly.
“Hm. This is getting more interesting.”
Her gaze lingered on the alley where I disappeared, filled with curiosity.
I collapsed in relief as soon as I placed the materials on the table.
“I thought I was going to die of stress…”
Wiping sweat from my forehead, I let out a long breath.
Every conversation felt like it was shaving years off my life.
Unlike the hysterical version I remembered from Alchemist Story, she wasn’t hostile—but that made her worse in a different way.
She hated evil people above all else.
And although I wasn’t a criminal, possessing Teo’s body made every meeting tense.
Still, I managed to secure the materials through bold negotiation.
“This is a real speedrun strategy…”
I chuckled while examining the materials.
My total earnings over the past few days were about 3 gold.
Roughly 3 million won in Earth currency.
Not small money—but the materials I just bought cost 15 gold.
In a game, buying on credit from Leila like this would never work.
But this wasn’t a game. And I was inside Teo’s body.
From Leila’s perspective, this must be stimulating beyond belief.
That’s why she accepted story value as payment instead of full settlement.
To me, 15 gold was a fortune.
To her, it was probably nothing.
“Fifteen gold… how much is that really?”
About 15 million won.
To secure that much money this early and buy materials?
Impossible in the game.
Unless you got insanely lucky, cleared a high-tier ruin, or found some broken exploit.
“This isn’t one of those cases.”
“Kyuu!”
“Everything ready?”
“Kyuu!”
At the spirits’ report, I stood up.
“I’m going to be focused for a while. If anyone comes, send them away.”
“Kyuu!”
“Kyuit!”
The spirits saluted with their tiny arms and left the building.
Why not strike while the iron is hot?
Because even if I didn’t, the explorers would do the forging for me.
And what I needed to do now was a breakthrough that would change the paradigm of Abyss exploration.
With a serious expression, I stood before the alchemy circle.
“This is going to be a long night.”
A few days of hard work wouldn’t matter.
Teo was the protagonist of Alchemist Story.
And in any story, the protagonist is always at the center of events.
To survive the upcoming crisis in Astrum, I had to act.
The reward would come with it.
I focused and began the synthesis.
In the Tower of Sages, apprentice alchemist Elaine yawned as she struggled to stay awake from early morning.
In her third year as an alchemist, she was considered quite talented and promising.
The reason she was sitting at the reception desk of the first floor this early was simple.
“I’m seriously going to lose it because of contribution points…”
The Tower of Sages was generous to alchemists, but nothing was truly free.
At the same time, charging money would contradict the purpose of spreading knowledge, so they used a fair contribution system instead.
Helping with administrative work or completing requests earned contribution points.
The fastest way to earn them was publishing research papers—but that was far from easy.
Even veteran alchemists needed at least ten years to produce one paper per year and be considered impressive.
For a third-year apprentice like her, it was nearly impossible.
So she chose the steady method: grinding administrative work.
“Ugh… I’ve got at least two more weeks of this.”
She yawned again, strengthening her resolve.
Then she noticed someone entering the tower.
At this hour?
It was rare for visitors to come this early.
The man, also yawning, approached the counter with papers and a lantern.
“I’m here to submit a thesis to the Tower of Sages, along with proof alchemy work.”
“Understood.”
His voice was… unusually good.
Startlingly good. Like a famous singer’s voice from a magic broadcast.
Elaine checked his robe color—and froze.
“Wait… he’s a Nigredo-level alchemist?”
Alchemy ranks were divided into six stages.
Magnum Opus.
Derived from the Philosopher’s Stone process, the stages were: Apprentice, Nigredo, Albedo, Citrinitas, Rubedo, Sage.
Nigredo was only the second stage, yet reaching it already placed him among the elite.
The man finished quickly.
“If you have questions, feel free to visit my atelier. I’ll be going now—I’m exhausted.”
“Ah… th-thank you?”
He staggered away like he hadn’t slept in days.
Elaine stared blankly as he disappeared.
A storm had come and gone, she thought.
Then she turned to the paper.
And her eyes widened in shock.
“…”
Title:
“Study on Spatial Distortion in the Abyss, Analysis of Gimmick Phenomena and Their Causes, and Methods of Utilization.”
Spatial distortion.
Wasn’t that one of the Tower’s most heavily researched topics?
She began reading in a trance.
Time passed.
At some point, her sleepiness vanished completely.
She was certain of one thing.
If this paper spread, the Tower of Sages would be shaken to its core.
That boy who just left…
He was undoubtedly a genius.