Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Mirror (1)
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Seasoned veterans thrived in all sorts of fields.
As such, there were naturally veterans who shone in the field of pill refinement as well.
"Pills that artificially induce something akin to marrow cleansing and rebirth, spirit pills that infuse special traits into one's constitution..."
And beyond that, doping pills to amplify skill power, buffs to erase one's presence, and more.
They had devised all manner of secret pill refinement techniques.
'I remember all those recipes.'
What was there to hide?
Sin Bihyeong had once been obsessed with pill refinement himself.
For the record, the elixir for artificial marrow cleansing and rebirth was one of his own creations.
"I-Is that really true?"
When he embellished the veterans' tales a bit to sound like stories from this world, Eoduk gulped nervously.
A smile tugged at Sin Bihyeong's lips in contrast.
"Yeah. I remember them all, and I can make them."
Sin Bihyeong thought of the spirit pill ingredients slumbering in his bag.
"For now, I'll make two things right away."
Pills that would infuse special traits into one's constitution.
And,
"The Panacea."
An arrogant name claiming to cure all diseases, but it did produce effects remarkably close to that.
'Once swallowed, it stores itself in the body and automatically treats any illness or poison that enters.'
Of course, it was a one-time use item that vanished after activation,
but as a byproduct, it granted a skill related to immunity.
There was a hidden piece to be gained from it, so it would come in handy once made.
"Ooh!"
Eoduk cheered at the news.
"Truly miraculous! To devise such pill refinement techniques—you have my utmost respect, elder!"
Sin Bihyeong scratched his cheek.
I didn't make this one, though.
'Those sparkling eyes are somehow burdensome.'
It felt like gazing at a child's innocent wonder.
No need to shatter the dream, so he'd just let it be.
"But elder, what do you mean by infusing special traits into one's constitution?"
"Oh, that? Just think of it as gaining a new constitution."
A constitution that granted various bonus stats through the act of "eating."
'Though it only activates for the first time eating any given food.'
By the late game, that stat gap couldn't be ignored.
'Above all, it even worked on spirit medicines and such.'
When consuming spirit medicines, their effects were further enhanced.
Obtained early on, the efficiency would be absurd.
'I've found a separate fix for the Nine Yang Blocked Meridians, so no need to waste spirit pills on it.'
Sensorily speaking, exorcising three anomalies should resolve the blocked meridians too.
No need for extra spirit pills.
Ah, demonic power was basically a spirit medicine anyway—what more did he need?
'The heart meridian only hurt at first; no more pain now.'
Didn't feel like a terminal condition anymore.
His demonic power's yin nature was blocking the yang energy's movements.
'At first, the demonic power was the wild rascal, and yang energy held the reins.'
Now the situation had flipped.
This was why they said life was unpredictable.
"Anyway, let's head to the pill refinement room later."
With that, Sin Bihyeong spent the night cultivating, then moved at dawn.
He tucked Eoduk into his shadow and left the dormitory.
He hurried out and walked the academy grounds for a bit,
soon spotting a place far off where acrid medicinal scents mingled with thick rising smoke.
The pill refinement room.
Sin Bihyeong opened the door and entered.
Even early morning, it was full of people—no, zombies.
'Whoa. They all look half-dead.'
To be precise, they were cadets on the verge of death.
They shuffled along, sometimes banging their heads against walls—
just how little sleep had they gotten?
'Being in the pill refinement room means they dream of becoming refiners... probably assisting professors as apprentices.'
He'd heard plenty about the horrors of grad students back home,
and this world was no different.
Sin Bihyeong passed them by and entered a private refinement room.
Here, he could focus alone without interruptions or prying eyes.
"First... overseer's grass and clown mushrooms, a bit of seven-treasure chaos brew..."
Ingredients whose names alone evoked deadly poisons.
Right. They were all poisons.
Eoduk freaked out at the sight.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -E-Elder! You said you'd do pill refinement, so why are you brewing poisons!? 'Huh? This is pill refinement.'
For reference, these were ingredients for the Panacea.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -...By any chance, does "curing all diseases" mean killing to eliminate the illness? 'As if.'
Sin Bihyeong chuckled dryly and continued.
'If you mix these poisons in the right ratios, they clash and cancel out all the toxic energy.'
Once the poison is stripped from the toxic energy, what's left?
Pure energy.
'Fuse the energies they hold properly, and you get the Panacea.'
Sin Bihyeong added the ingredients to the cauldron in precise ratios, then boiled them using his demonic power.
He fetched a mixer like one used for dough and set it stirring the cauldron. Done.
"Now leave this for about two hours, and handle the other one."
This time, the trait-infusing transformation pill.
Just like before, mix ingredients in order, boil the cauldron, bring the mixer...
"Done."
As Sin Bihyeong stepped away from the cauldron, Eoduk wore a bewildered expression.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Somehow... it feels like my understanding of the world is crumbling. "Why?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -I thought pill refinement required intense focus and deep contemplation. 'That's normally right.'
But would veterans stick to the prescribed methods?
They were the types to challenge clears in just underwear when bored.
'Collective intelligence—pool heads together, and solutions emerge.'
Like how even a blank sheet becomes useful when matched with others?
...Was that the right saying for this?
'Anyway.'
This was veteran-style pill refinement up to here.
Sin Bihyeong leaned against the wall, waiting for the pills to finish,
and two hours passed before long.
Clunk.
Rumble rumble—!
The mixer stopped turning.
Peering inside the cauldron, the thick liquid had transformed into well-kneaded dough.
'Purple hue with a shimmering glow. Perfectly made.'
Failures didn't even turn into dough like this.
Meaning it was safe to consume.
Sin Bihyeong scooped out the contents, kneaded them well, and rolled them into eight bite-sized pills.
"Eoduk, you take one too."
He tossed a Panacea pill, and a sniffling sound came from the shadow.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -E-Elder... Am I worthy of such a precious item!? "No effect from the second one anyway. Eat it."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Eeeelder!! Ignoring Eoduk's wail-like sobs, Sin Bihyeong went to the second cauldron.
'Gluttony Pill.'
The formal name of the trait-infusing transformation pill.
'Just enough for one pill.'
He scooped out the dough and swallowed it whole, no need to shape it into a pill.
Ding!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [You have consumed the Gluttony Pill.] ['The Pleasure of Gluttony' has been bestowed upon your body.] The Gluttony Pill's energy settled into his organs.
Sin Bihyeong pocketed the Panacea pills with a satisfied expression.
Save these for getting the hidden piece later.
"Alright, shall we go?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -...Where to, elder? "Where else?"
Anomaly territory, of course.
Sin Bihyeong grinned and left the pill refinement room.
'Raise proficiency, cure the blocked meridians.'
Two birds with one stone.
'Whatever it takes, I'll accomplish it before regular classes.'
To do that,
'I'll need Mina's help.'
Buffs to the body via the Divine Breeze Fan.
With that, he could push Demon Combat Technique a bit even if it strained him.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Haa... haa..."
Training started early in the morning.
Mina forced her flagging stamina while focusing on her ragged breaths.
'This isn't right.'
She was checking her power, now elevated to Hierarchy Rank 2.
But her spells weren't manifesting as she intended.
'What's wrong?'
It felt one beat slower than at Rank 1.
'Objectively it's not... but my senses perceive the spells as delayed.'
Tests with the training room timer—from spell activation to striking speed—were markedly faster than at Rank 1.
Mina was experiencing dissonance between sensation and perception.
'What's the issue?'
She needed to grow faster.
For her ailing mother, at least.
"......"
As Mina gritted her teeth and tried to cast again,
Ding!
Her phone notified a text, and she headed straight to it.
The only one who'd text her was Bihyeong.
"What is it?"
She tilted her head reading it, then her eyes widened.
-I made some spirit pills this time... -Got extras? I'll give you some. Come out. To sum up: He'd made Panacea spirit pills and was giving her some.
Also, heading to anomaly territory, so come if free.
He needed her help.
'...Panacea.'
Mina's eyes glazed over blankly.
'If something like that really exists...'
Instinctively, memories of her mother smiling radiantly surfaced.
Then, Bihyeong offering it without condition.
'Why give something like this to me...'
Mina wiped her welling tears with her sleeve.
At academy enrollment, getting the cultivation method,
...and now too.
She always just received from Bihyeong.
'...How do I repay this debt?'
Guilt weighed heavy on her heart.
But her gratitude toward him overshadowed it.
Never forget this feeling of thanks.
And be sure to help him.
Mina forcibly wiped her recent tears, then stood with a resolute expression.
"He needs my help? Let's prepare right away."
She hurried into the bathroom to wash up.
Hot water streamed, gradually filling the room with steam.
Mina quickly finished washing her face and stepped into the shower booth.
Thus, she didn't see it.
Slither.
The spot where she'd just stood.
In the opposite mirror, steam gathered in a human shape before fading.
And also,
Heh—.
It seemed just like it was smiling.