Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Alchemy Workshop (2)
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Alchemy Workshop.
An institution of alchemists, by alchemists, for alchemists.
With its headquarters in Korea and branches around the world under the name "Alchemy Guild," this was a place every alchemist had to join.
Of course, it wasn't mandatory, and there were no penalties or pressures for not joining if you didn't want to.
But nearly every alchemist in the world belonged to the Alchemy Workshop.
And for good reason.
They handled copyright registration and protection, customer and corporate referrals, proxy sales of items, loans (at just 1% annual interest), and even identity protection upon request.
Who could resist joining when holed up in a back room churning out alchemy items day and night?
"Welcome to the Alchemy Workshop."
The moment I stepped inside, a hologram appeared beside me in the form of a receptionist.
She bowed toward me and asked the reason for my visit.
"I'm here for membership and copyright registration."
"Any other business?"
"No, that's it."
"Very well. I'll guide you to the department handling 'membership and copyright registration' as you requested."
With those words from the hologram receptionist, a blue line appeared at my feet and stretched off into the distance.
"This is the guide line to the department you requested. Follow it, and you'll arrive."
With that, her customer service duties apparently done, she vanished like a computer powering off.
"...Doesn't the academy use tech like this?"
Or maybe they could make it themselves.
I followed the guide line, thinking of the academy's massive main building.
Staff offices, instructor rooms, storage—tons of rooms making it a maze.
Like a subway map, hopelessly complex.
How nice would it be if they had something like this?
"Next time I meet the chairman, I should suggest it."
He's suspiciously rich and cares about employee welfare, so he'd probably take it positively.
Ding.
[Floor 3.]
I rode the elevator along the guide line and stepped out right in front of the "Registration Department."
I opened the door, and the guide line vanished as a real person—not a hologram—greeted me.
"Welcome. How may I assist you?"
"I'd like to register for membership and copyrights."
"Ah, here for membership and copyright registration."
The receptionist nodded with a practiced sales smile.
She pulled two forms and a pen from under the counter and handed them to me.
"If you could fill out these two forms, please?"
[Alchemy Workshop Membership Application], [Copyright Registration Request]
The forms were straightforward.
The membership app just needed name, phone number, and address.
The copyright one required details on the item's effects and side effects, plus the full recipe.
But there was a problem.
I looked up at the receptionist right away.
"Excuse me, there's an issue with the forms."
"Pardon? A problem with the forms? That can't be...?"
She looked flustered and pulled out identical forms from under the counter to check.
"Sir, the forms I'm seeing look fine... Could you tell me what's wrong?"
"Not enough space on the copyright form."
"...Pardon?"
"I'll need more forms."
"...More forms?"
She stared at me like she couldn't process it.
Then she glanced down at the one in her hand.
"...This should be plenty of space."
As her mutter suggested, with the format only at the top, it could fit five or six recipes easily.
But that was ordinary thinking.
I hadn't majored in alchemy, but I knew hundreds of recipes.
Not that I'd write them all today.
For now, just the recovery potion recipes I'd shown the Fallen devotee.
The rest I'd release gradually after gauging the alchemy world's sorry state.
Even so, today's batch numbered over twenty recovery potion recipes.
One sheet? No way.
"Could I get about eight sheets for now?"
Eight might not cut it either, but I could always ask for more.
"E... eight sheets?"
She gaped at me in shock.
That told me plenty about alchemists' standards.
But to confirm, I asked.
"Don't other alchemists register a lot of copyrights?"
She handed over the eight sheets.
"Mostly not. They average two or three."
"They don't register more later?"
"Some do, but very few."
"And the majority?"
"They make a living off two or three and stop. Content to coast."
"......"
Found it.
The reason reality differed from the game.
"...This is worse than I thought."
They lacked ambition to outdo others.
No drive to earn more or gain fame.
No desire to advance alchemy or seek truth.
As if alchemists weren't allowed such urges.
"Just limping along on fumes, then......"
Why?
What for?
"...No clue."
Random encounter variable?
But the scope was too vast...
My head throbbed from the spiraling thoughts.
To clear it, I asked about the top copyright holder, hoping it was someone I knew.
Someone to lift this dismal field.
"That would be Midas. She registered more just recently—thirty now."
She answered eagerly, like a fan gushing.
"Midas..."
Good.
This part matched the game.
I sighed in relief, thinking of Midas.
Midas.
The woman later hailed as alchemy's master.
Maybe already now.
Unlike those coasting on two or three items, she delved deeper relentlessly.
"Well, S-grade talent is something else."
But without ambition, even S-grade was wasted.
So Midas must have sky-high drive and curiosity on top of that talent.
"Finally, a bit of relief..."
I'd worried I'd have to drag the whole field up myself.
With Midas, no problem.
Even if there was, teaching one beats teaching a hundred.
"I'll contact her later and share all my recipes."
Money? She'd pay.
She ran a massive potion empire in Greece.
And her personality—she'd pay royalties handsomely.
Still, since I was here, I'd register these recipes as planned.
Couldn't meet Midas yet, so royalties it was.
"Can't fill these standing. Anywhere to sit?"
"...Ah, yes! Left hallway, there's a lounge. You can write there."
"Thanks. Be back soon."
&
In the lounge, I filled out twenty-one recovery potion recipes across eight sheets and returned to submit them.
The receptionist alternated wide-eyed stares between the densely packed pages and me.
But she snapped to, gathered them, and headed off.
Soon back empty-handed, she led me somewhere.
"You have all the materials, right?"
"Screening right away?"
"Yes, the examiners are in today, so you can go straight in."
Lucky.
In the game, examiners were rarely around—took days (game time).
"Just go in?"
"Yes."
With her nod, I knocked lightly and eased the door open.
Inside:
"Welcome."
"Heh, didn't expect someone so young."
"Indeed. A new star in alchemy."
A stern middle-aged woman and two kindly old men greeted me.
"Applicant, are all these recipes in the documents yours?"
The middle-aged woman—Examiner A—held up my forms.
"Yes."
"...Impressive. First since Midas with this many."
"Thought alchemy was done for, no progress beyond her."
"Good fortune, good fortune."
"Elders, we must verify the listed effects first."
"True."
"Mm, mm."
The elders nodded at Examiner A's words.
"Thus, applicant. Can you craft them now?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
"Then proceed."
I approached the large table with the alchemy kit.
Opened my inventory, laid out the materials I'd brought.
Then, guided by memory and the 'Master Alchemist's Advanced Alchemy (A)' talent I'd bought for this, I began.
&
&
&
All twenty-one potion recipes registered without issue.
Named "Delicious" Recovery Potions.
Strawberry, chocolate, banana flavors, and more.
No more bitter, sour, spicy recovery potions.
Oh, skipped mint.
Saved for the original creator who accidentally made a tasty one later.
The first recovery potion had been mint-flavored.
...Not because I hate mint.
Anyway, copyrights done.
Time to grab tanghulu or juice for Asuka and Lee Seo-yeon, then head back.
As I left the Alchemy Workshop:
KABOOOM!
A distant explosion roared.
WEE-OOO-WEE-OOO!
Sirens blared.
🚨 EMERGENCY BROADCAST 🚨 Terror attack in progress! Terror attack in progress! Terror attack underway in Alchemy Workshop Street! Civilians, evacuate immediately per protocols! Repeating: Terror attack underway in Alchemy Workshop Street... "...Hah."
Another random encounter at the Alchemy Workshop.
"Terror this time."
I'd need to visit often for special ammo materials.
Encounters this frequent? Problem.
"After handling this, check if I can order deliveries."
At least a chance to test my new talents.
Ding-dong.
[Infinite Items ON / OFF] Look on the bright side.