The Cursed House and the Devil's Temptation

The Nelke Royal Alchemy Academy that Han Seong-il remembered from How to Become an Alchemist was a place filled with numerous hidden events. Originally the ruins of a long-destroyed ancient civilization, the academy had been established a hundred years earlier when the first dean, Inabel Anadop, gained profound enlightenment here and settled down to train. Students seeking her teachings gradually gathered, eventually forming the school.

Because it stood atop the site of a great ancient ruin, the academy still held many unsolved mystical secrets, with dangers scattered throughout. As a result, despite being a school, it had numerous restricted areas and frequent incidents, making it a truly mysterious institution.

Well… since I already know exactly where the dangers are and aren’t, I can wander around without worry.

And then there was the “haunted house.”

Adenheim, the southern coastal city that housed the Nelke Royal Alchemy Academy, was the second-largest city in the Nelke Kingdom and a thriving center of trade. Yet as a bustling port filled with foreigners, it was equally famous for its constant stream of incidents and accidents. Among them, the “haunted house” held particular notoriety among locals.

It was an attractive two-story home with a spacious garden. Despite its charm, it had earned the ominous nickname “haunted house.” The reason was simple: every single owner who had fallen in love with its appearance had met with tragic ruin.

Most of them died from mysterious illnesses, saw thriving businesses collapse overnight, or went mad and took their own lives. The house’s history was stained with one horrific event after another. Eventually, the sinister rumors grew so thick that no one wanted to live there. Even when the mansion was offered at a rock-bottom price, it refused to sell and became nothing more than an urban eyesore.

Most of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the problems that occurred there were probably caused by the temporary shrine the cultists had built in the basement.

The Nelke Kingdom followed a polytheistic faith, but there was one forbidden deity that could never be worshiped: Folke, the goddess of plague and curses. She was an evil goddess who brought death in her wake and denied all other gods. As a result, her cult was strictly suppressed throughout the kingdom.

A hundred years ago, after being thoroughly crushed by Holy King Gunter III, the Folke cult decided to flee to the Shadow Archipelago to escape pursuit. They escaped to Adenheim—the port city farthest from the royal capital—and began secretly smuggling their followers out from there.

Goods brought by her believers from across the kingdom had gathered in Adenheim, and the “cursed house” had served as both a hiding place for those goods and a temporary shrine. Some safehouses had been abandoned so hastily that the cult couldn’t carry away their treasures and holy statues. The cursed house was the prime example.

Of course, since the Folke cult was wiped out in the kingdom and fled to the Shadow Archipelago over a century ago, those items are now ownerless. The real problem is dispelling the curse…?

In truth, the sinister incidents at the “cursed house” had a simple cause. The statue of Folke hidden in a secret room behind the basement wall slowly cursed the residents, driving them to ruin.

Staying there briefly probably wouldn’t cause major issues… but continued exposure to the curse would put even me in danger.

After pondering how to break the curse, Seong-il reached a firm conclusion.

The standard method would only get someone as powerless as me killed. First, I’ll loot the valuables from the secret room hidden in the academy library. Then I’ll buy the “cursed house” that no one wants, even at a bargain price. Using those stolen goods, I’ll gradually purchase large quantities of the highest-grade holy water from the Church of Olta, the god of light, over the next three months.

After that, I’ll secretly visit the house every day, go down to the basement, and purify the cursed Folke statue by sprinkling it with holy water. Once the purification is complete, I’ll graduate at the top of the first exam, move in under the excuse of using it as a workshop, and secure the remaining valuables…!

Having created a plan so meticulous that he felt proud of himself, Seong-il lay down on his bed and fell asleep, preparing for tomorrow’s classes.

The next morning, Seong-il confidently went to register for classes only to be summoned by his advisor professor and subjected to a long lecture over an unexpected fact.

Fuck… there was an entrance exam?

It turned out the original owner of this body had barely passed at the absolute bottom rank. Unaware of this, Seong-il had boldly signed up for four classes per week. The advisor professor stared at him in disbelief before calling him in for a scolding.

“Are you in your right mind registering for classes like this? Our university expels students who fail the exams twice! A foreigner like you should be studying until you drop dead, yet you only registered for four classes!”

Seong-il’s face burned red as he kept his head bowed, muttering internally.

Damn it… just how horribly did he perform on that test to deserve this kind of reaction?

After lecturing him for a long time, Professor Devon spoke in a serious tone.

“Listen, Seong-il. You’re a passionate young man who came all the way from the distant East to study here, aren’t you? I’ll use my authority right now, so withdraw your registration and add more classes. Normally it’s impossible to modify submitted registrations, but I’ll help you just this once!”

For a moment Seong-il wavered at the professor’s sincere advice, but he quickly came up with an excuse.

Crazy. The classes here are already brutal enough. Why would I do that? Time to lie my way out…

“Professor, the reason I only registered for four classes isn’t because I’m taking alchemy lightly. As a foreigner who knows nothing about Nelke Kingdom culture, I want to take the minimum number of classes this semester so I can spend the rest of my time learning the local culture, etiquette, and customs. No matter how much knowledge someone possesses, if their manner of expression is crude, how can they earn respect? I ask for your understanding ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just this once.”

Professor Devon looked as if he had been struck in the head with a hammer at the unexpected answer. He let out a sigh and said,

“Hmm… if that’s your reason, I can’t force my opinion on you. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠However, remember this well. Your entrance exam scores were not good.”

“And originally this is something given starting from the second year, but you seem thoughtful, so I’ll give it to you.”

With those words, the professor handed him a key. When Seong-il looked puzzled, the professor smiled bitterly and explained.

“That is the key to the east library. It’s where books from basic to mid-intermediate levels are kept. While studying the local culture and customs, if you have time left over, be sure to read books there and study independently.”

!!

I was trying to figure out how to get into the library to access the secret location hidden in the east wing, but it was solved this easily.

At the unexpected stroke of luck, Seong-il couldn’t hide his excitement and bowed deeply in gratitude.

“Thank you, Professor! Thank you so much!”

The professor, mistaking Seong-il’s reaction for the passion of a studious young student, smiled and patted his shoulder.

The next day, during his first class, Seong-il learned that unpleasant rumors about him were already spreading.

Fuck… that blabbermouth teaching assistant bastard…

The source of the rumor was the teaching assistant who knew his entrance exam scores. The man had seen Seong-il’s class registration, mocked him, and told his close students. Thanks to that, Seong-il became famous as the first freshman in the academy’s history to register for only four classes in his first semester—a certified weirdo.

Irritated, Seong-il was heading back to the dormitory when a beautiful blonde woman with a striking beauty mark beneath her eye approached him.

“Ha… so you’re that arrogant Easterner? Your name is Han Seong-il, right?”

Vivian Olke.

She was one of the protagonist’s two rivals. The daughter of the Olke family, whose father was a successful commoner businessman. A young lady from a wealthy household who lacked for nothing, yet harbored a complex about her father being a commoner who had bought his noble title. She especially despised the fallen noble Elisha Portis and stood as her rival.

“Ah. Vivian Olke. Did you need something from me…?”

“Hmph. I just heard that an Easterner with mediocre grades arrogantly registered for only four lectures, so I was curious what kind of person he was and decided to speak to you.”

She coldly hurled the words at Seong-il and immediately walked away.

What the hell is wrong with that woman?

Seong-il stared after Vivian, who had approached him only to leave just as abruptly, unable to hide his bewilderment as he continued on his way.

That night, after finishing all his classes, Seong-il quietly woke from sleep. He maximized his Induction ability, carefully scanning his surroundings as he made his way to the library.

Thanks to the key Professor Devon had given him, entering the library was surprisingly easy. Unlike the west and north libraries, the east library only contained low-grade alchemy books, so its security was lax.

Relieved by the weak defenses, Seong-il relaxed and began examining the area.

First… I’ll head to the statue of Dogma, the god of knowledge.

Since he had already scouted the location once during the day, finding the statue was simple. He moved in front of it without difficulty.

Fill the topmost groove in the book held in the statue’s right hand with water, then remove the book at position A-24.

Seong-il acted according to the information in his head. Sure enough, after pouring in the water and removing the book, a previously invisible groove appeared behind the bookshelf.

Using the knife he had brought, he scraped the groove. Dust fell away, revealing a handle. He grabbed it and pulled hard. A deep rumble echoed through the library as a hole opened beneath the Dogma statue.

“Perfect!”

After confirming the opening, Seong-il quickly slipped inside, lit the lantern he had prepared, and examined the interior.

“It’s here! It’s really here!!!”

Before his eyes lay a secret room roughly ten pyeong in size. A single chest sat neatly in the center, while shelves held unfamiliar metals, glass bottles, jewels, and books.

“The chest first.”

When Seong-il opened the chest, which was about the size of a human head, he found it packed with gold coins.

“Holy shit… how much is all this?!”

The sight of such an enormous quantity of gold made it impossible for Seong-il to contain his excitement. Clutching his pounding chest, he forced himself to calm down.

Stop getting worked up. The gold is just a bonus. I need to check the other items first.

He began using Induction to appraise the items one by one. He discovered rare crafting materials such as a devil’s horn and meteorite iron, along with powerful artifacts like the Stone of Thunder. But among them, one item stood out above all others.

In the game, there were three main ways to earn money. The first was completing guild requests. The second was selling formulas to the Merchants’ Association and receiving a share of sales profits for five years as intellectual property rights. The third was selling illegal goods through requests from the Thieves Guild.

Devil’s Temptation was an item frequently requested by the Thieves Guild from alchemists, and its price was whatever the market would bear. Its usage was simple: melt candles in a double boiler until liquid, mix in the liquid form of Devil’s Temptation, then let it harden. When burned in a sealed room, the gas released created a powerful aphrodisiac effect on women. In other words, it was a date-rape drug favored by nobles. Naturally, it was strictly illegal.

I’ll definitely need to use this when recruiting Elisha.

With dark intentions burning toward Elisha, Seong-il slipped the candles into his pocket. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠After rummaging through the secret room for about an hour, he left with only a few potions and the chest of gold coins.

Fortunately, closing the room was not difficult. He sealed it without leaving any traces, erased what little evidence remained, and returned to the dormitory.

Having stayed up all night, Seong-il woke the next day clutching his head and breathing heavily.

“Ugh… it’s already been almost three days since I last had sex with a woman? Looks like the side effects of Saekgong are starting to hit. I need to deal with this immediately.”

After arriving in this alchemy world and adjusting to its lifestyle, Seong-il had been avoiding women. Now the side effects of his dual cultivation technique that he had forgotten about were beginning to surface.

Haa… how should I handle this? I don’t have anyone suitable to sleep with yet.

After pondering for a long time, Seong-il sighed and chose his last resort.

So this is the red-light district of a fantasy world.

That evening, to put out the fire burning at his feet, Seong-il headed to Adenheim’s pleasure quarter. His reason for visiting a brothel wasn’t just to relieve his sexual frustration. He also needed to build connections who could launder the ownerless goods he would acquire in the future.

Pirina Elsrid. Owner of the Night Dancer brothel and second-in-command of the Adenheim Thieves Guild.

I’ll become a regular here for a while and make an impression. Then I’ll build a closer relationship with her and try to establish ties to the underworld…

After finishing his thoughts, Seong-il entered the brothel.

“Welcome… Oh? You’re from the East? I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Are you a merchant?”

A woman dressed in revealing dancer’s attire with a veil covering her face spoke to him.

Porcelain skin, silver hair beneath the veil. That must be Pirina.

Despite her slender and beautiful appearance, Pirina was a formidable woman who ruled Adenheim’s underworld. She had risen to become the godmother of the back alleys while protecting the rights of prostitutes. In the later stages of the game, she would wage war against the boss, emerge victorious, and take complete control of the Thieves Guild—an impressive rise to power.

“Hello. I’m not a merchant. I’m a new student at the academy.”

“Pfft. An academy freshman already coming here? You’re quite the guest.”

She laughed brightly and asked his business.

“Well… whether you’re a merchant or a student, as long as you have money, it’s none of my concern. So, is there a particular style you desire?”

“Obviously the most attractive woman in this establishment. Why even ask?”

Pirina sneered at his words.

“That would be possible if you have a lot of money, dear student… but a mere student like you…”

Seong-il cut her off by tossing her a single gold coin.

“That’s an advance. If you bring me a woman who satisfies me, I’ll give you another gold coin.”

Having obtained roughly 3,000 gold from the chest in the secret room, Seong-il spent generously to flaunt his wealth.

Make a strong first impression. This is essential if I want her help later.

Pirina’s eyes widened in shock. She quickly spoke to him.

“Ah… dear guest, please forgive my rudeness. Please wait upstairs for a moment. I will bring our establishment’s finest dancer.”

She gestured to a maid and had her lead Seong-il to a room.

“Huh. Quite luxurious…”

The secret room the maid brought him to was quite high-class. It featured fluffy pillows that seemed made from the feathers of some unknown bird, a high-grade red carpet, and purple silk decorations. A candle with a strange fragrance was burning.

“This candle is unusual…?”

Just as Seong-il grew curious about the candle and considered using Induction, he heard a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

Seong-il answered while calming his slightly racing heart. The door opened and a woman entered. Seong-il was so startled he muttered without thinking.

“Uh… you are?”