Chapter 1

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Translator: Ace

Chapter: 1

Chapter Title: The Imperial Civil Servant Hides His Alchemy

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Reflecting on his past life, it hadn't been all that satisfying.

That was only natural. He'd spent every day buried under work.

Overtime was a given, and weekend shifts were as routine as meals at that soul-crushing megacorp where he'd poured his youth into endless labor. How satisfying could that have been?

If he'd at least landed a better job or hit the lottery to strike it rich, things might've turned out differently. But no such luck. He'd died in a freak accident.

Who could've guessed that zoning out with a game would end in an electrocution, turning him into a human roast?

All he'd wanted was one carefree day off to play games to his heart's content. He'd even burned a vacation day for it.

'Did I ask for much? I just wanted to game without a care.'

Ian, an ordinary salaryman from South Korea, hadn't asked for the world.

He'd only craved what everyone else had: a life with work-life balance. Clocking out on time and enjoying simple hobbies afterward.

'God, Buddha... you're both so indifferent. Couldn't you grant me that one little wish before sending me off like this?'

Maybe the heavens had heard his grudge after all.

How else could he have been reborn as a character from the game he'd been playing?

Whether it was the electrocution that flung him into the game world or some divine intervention, Ian had no idea.

What he did know was that he'd reincarnated into the game world—as his freshly created mage character, Ian, no less.

True to his creed that games should be easy, he'd crammed the character full of overpowered cheats.

Thanks to those cheats—or maybe his backstory as the son of a wealthy merchant—Ian had landed a great job this time around, unlike his previous life.

A civil servant in the Imperial Magic Bureau's Magic Management Division, to be exact.

Ian was pretty thrilled about it.

'Me, hopping between hellholes in my last life, now scoring a cushy gig like this!'

Of course, the Magic Management Division wasn't the top pick among mages.

Bureaucratic roles like those in the Imperial Magic Bureau were ones mages actively avoided. They offered little chance for advancement.

But Ian couldn't care less.

Promotion? This was plenty good enough. Did he really need to aim for the top?

Great pay, flexible hours, light workload, minimal boss pressure. Sure, he was a civil servant, but still a mage—plenty of prestige there.

Things got busy during incidents, but those were rare enough to ignore.

'This is the dream job.'

For Ian—a former Korean with an alien mindset prioritizing work-life balance in a world where no one else did—this was paradise.

Slack off at work, head home quick after clocking out, and enjoy hobbies in peace.

How perfect was that?

"Who the hell did this?!"

Even in a dream job, office life was still office life. And every workplace had its pains.

The Magic Management Division was no exception. The daily roars from the boss echoed through the halls like clockwork.

"Which one of you bastards is it? Get out here now!"

Ian grimaced at the thunderous voice booming through the firmly shut door.

'Ugh, here we go again. That guy.'

The voice belonged to Anton, the Chief Supervisor of the Magic Management Division.

When Anton started barking like that, it meant something had gone wrong—again.

'Wonder what it is this time.'

"I-it's me, sir. What seems to be the problem...?"

"Is this report right? Does this look right to you? Do you know how much shit I took from the Deputy Director because of your garbage report?"

"S-sorry, sir, but I don't... I thought I did it correctly..."

"Correctly my ass! The mana readings are all over the place!"

"What? That can't be... Gasp!"

"Tell the truth. You don't even know how to use the mana gauge, do you?"

"No! I did it right! I double-checked everything... Why?"

"Quit making excuses, you punk. If you'd done it right, the readings wouldn't be this screwed up. If the mana levels were really like this, we wouldn't be sitting here safe—we'd have a mana surge and total chaos!"

"S-sorry!"

"Get out! I don't want to see your face!"

The office fell silent once more.

'Hmm, mana gauge malfunction, huh?'

A mana gauge measured mana output from magical facilities.

It was a staple of magical engineering that every bureaucrat in the division handled.

A glitch in one was a big deal. It threw off inspection schedules.

The empire was dotted with magical facilities—from urban centers to strategic outposts on the borders.

Failing to inspect them meant missing potential issues if something went wrong.

'Fixing that error's gonna take time. Tough break.'

Serious or not, Ian tuned it out. It was another department's problem.

He glanced at the magical clock on the wall. The hands were racing toward 6 p.m. The second he saw it, Ian packed up faster than anyone and stood.

"I'll head out now. Good night."

Ignoring the shouting across from him, Ian bolted out quicker than anyone else. Others watched enviously but didn't dare follow. The mood was too tense.

The division's atmosphere had been off for days. Ditching at quitting time in this mess would surely get you blacklisted by the higher-ups.

That's why they found Ian baffling.

Even if the bosses flipped out about him leaving first when they hadn't, he clocked out sharp every time quitting hour hit.

'Why's Senior Investigator Ian so obsessed with heading home on the dot?'

'Got a lover stashed at home?'

'Maybe caring for sick parents?'

'Did the White Tower make him an offer? Prepping to switch?'

They speculated every time, but none hit the mark.

If asked for one reason fantasy worlds beat Earth, Ian would say the sheer lack of entertainment.

It was true. This damn fantasy world had zilch to do.

Theater? Opera? Concerts?

Those were noble hobbies. Commoners never got a glimpse in their lives.

Their only dopamine hit? Crowding execution grounds to cheer as heads rolled.

What fun was there in a world like this?

None. Absolutely jack squat.

Ian, as a wealthy merchant's son, could've indulged in noble pastimes despite being common-born. But sadly, he found theater and the like boring.

His brain was wired for the stimulating wonders of 21st-century Earth.

Maybe that's why he dove into alchemy.

It perfectly scratched the itch for a modern mind hooked on thrills.

'Though calling it alchemy feels generous—it's basically just synthesis gacha trash.'

Regardless, alchemy had become Ian's ultimate hobby, making this otherwise dull life worthwhile.

Barring booze or gambling, nothing pumped out dopamine like it.

Ian, having rushed home post-shift, scanned his workshop.

The 15-pyeong room cluttered with herbs, potions, empty flasks, monster corpses, and rare materials was his hobby haven.

'Today's the day it all comes together.'

It'd be a momentous occasion. His half-year research project wrapped today.

How long he'd waited.

Heart pounding, Ian summoned his status window. A translucent hologram popped into view, confirming his player status.

Ian beamed at the status, overcome with emotion.

'Five percent left? Done by tonight for sure. Heh.'

How hard he'd worked.

He'd dumped every post-work evening into it without exaggeration.

And golem creation was brutally tough—even after all that, it wasn't done yet.

'Ten prerequisites, plus five more required. That's fifteen projects total.'

No wonder golem-making was the alchemists' holy grail.

'But I did it.'

A normal alchemist couldn't solo this in six months. But Ian's cheat-loaded character build made it possible.

'This hard, and it's only two stars? What?'

That was his biggest question.

Golems—the dream of all alchemists—at just two stars?

'What's three ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stars and up that makes this look easy?'

What could be harder?

'Man, I wanna unlock the higher tiers. See what's there. Build something tougher.'

Ian couldn't wait any longer. He kicked off the final project.

'That Mysterious Life Stone was a real pain.'

The 'Consciousness Imprint Interface'—core to granting the golem self-awareness—demanded rare materials.

His family's wealth covered most, but the Mysterious Life Stone stumped him. That's why the project dragged six months.

'Lucky break. Who knew a black market stop would have it dirt cheap?'

The merchant mistook its red glow for a ruby. Snagged it for pennies.

Ian pulled the red stone from his pocket.

A gem-like red rock.

Ian fiddled with it, taking deep breaths.

'Why's my heart racing like this?'

Calming himself, he approached the massive stone doll in the corner.

Taller than any human, utterly still.

He slotted the stone into the hole near ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠its heart.

Incredibly, the slot sealed, and the golem's huge frame began to glow faintly.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Of course!"

The golem took shape in that eerie, mystical scene. Ian clasped his hands and prayed, eyes shut.

'Please, God, Buddha—or whoever runs this world. Local gods, help me out.'

RPG Chronicle Terradium's alchemy was gambling incarnate. Gacha-style success rates and all.

How many failures had he endured?

'68% is basically guaranteed. Come on!'

"Yes!"

Ian pumped his fists.

A tear of joy trickled down.

Glory!

Look at it rise—the golem!