Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Serious Magic Addict
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There were more alchemy recipes that used anomalies or mysteries as ingredients than he'd expected.
But since he'd only managed to tear off an arm, he couldn't touch any recipes that required dumping an entire corpse into the mix.
If he'd known this would happen, he should've somehow used magic on the upper body.
It was regrettable, but what was done was done. Regret wouldn't change a thing.
Ian steeped a green tea teabag in cold water, took a sip, and flipped through the pages with a rustle.
[Dying Eyeball]
[Incense That Blurs the Line Between Dream and Reality]
[Fan That Drives Away Evil Spirits]
[Bowl That Draws in Evil Spirits]
He skimmed through the various alchemy recipes, searching for something relatively easy to make with powerful effects. Since it had to include ingredients made from anomalies, he factored that in as he quickly turned the pages.
Then, one item caught his eye.
[Dying Eyeball]
[Engrave a specific target's image onto the retina and burst it to make that target's eyeball explode.]
[Ingredients: 1 animal eyeball, small amount of anomalous flesh, 100ml human blood, 500ml water, 1 poisonous herb root, ether.]
[Caution: May attract the gaze of impure entities. Must be crafted in a mage's workshop.]
Burst the target's eyeball engraved on the retina. It was a simple yet shockingly extreme effect. Being able to destroy one of the five senses without risk would give a huge advantage in combat.
The ingredients were surprisingly straightforward, too.
An animal eyeball could come from just popping out a fish eye, and the rest were common enough to obtain right away. The 100ml of blood was a bit tricky, but he could always draw some pretending it was a blood donation. The poisonous herb just needed one root.
But despite the simple recipe, the caution made it impossible to craft right now.
'A mage's workshop...'
Ian knew what a workshop was. The kind of space artisans used for painting or pottery—separate from everyday living areas.
According to the grimoire, it was a space created solely for handling magic, thoroughly defended against outside gazes or intrusions. A space meant only for mages.
Ian didn't have one. He'd forged a knife in his studio apartment, but that was living space, not a workshop. It wasn't magically isolated in any sense.
"Tricky."
He didn't have the spare cash to rent another room. Paying rent and living hand-to-mouth was tough enough; adding a one-room for a workshop? His back would break before he even cast a spell.
Unless he found some other way to scrape together funds, getting a workshop was impossible for him now. Even as a mage handling anomalies, money was still a harsh reality.
"No money-duplication spell, huh...'
He flipped through the grimoire just in case, but nothing like that turned up. With a deep sigh, Ian closed it.
Right then, his delivery arrived.
Ian set the food down in his room and headed up to the rooftop for a quick smoke.
'There has to be some way.'
Even if he skipped the Dying Eyeball, he needed a workshop to properly use the grimoire's alchemy recipes.
He couldn't keep fiddling with things that didn't require one forever. To grow, he had to craft more powerful tools and get comfortable with magic. A workshop wasn't optional—it was essential.
'Sell alchemical items for cash... but that'd draw attention fast.'
In a world where the Management Bureau ran around on two legs, it was better not to risk getting tangled up with them.
Besides, while alchemical creations had plenty of benefits for humans, the harmful ones outnumbered them by far. If he flooded the market with dangerous stuff and someone died, his conscience would haunt him plenty.
Sure, he could just avoid selling harmful items. But who knew what people were capable of? Start with the good stuff, get a taste for the money, and next thing you know, you're peddling the bad.
Did gamblers ever think they'd get hooked? Better not to tempt fate with bad choices. Overconfidence was a straight path to ruin.
"......Hoo."
Ian exhaled smoke into the air and stubbed his cigarette against the wall. He pocketed the butt and tossed it in the trash bin back home.
'Abandon basic humanity, and money-making options open up. Hell, take hit jobs on the dark web. Plenty of ways; I can figure them out slowly.'
But he didn't want to go that far.
Not because he was some saint. It just felt like crossing that line would make things irreversible.
Once you crossed into the dark side, no coming back. You'd be an outsider forever, dodging the Management Bureau and shunned by other mages.
The losses far outweighed the gains. Not even worth considering.
"So what now?"
Back to square one.
Ian sighed deeply, bit into his delivery sandwich, and took a sip of the Americano that came with it. That's when the gallery popped into his mind.
A community full of crap posts usually, but it had its share of helpful stuff.
On a whim, Ian posted asking for advice.
[Title: Trying some alchemy, how do I make a mage's workshop?]
[Anonymous]
Planning to make something with the eight-foot arm I caught yesterday, but it says must do it in a workshop 'cause it might attract impure gazes.
Don't have the cash for a workshop, so I'm stuck.
Frustrated. Any tips?
[Likes 0][Dislikes 0]
He posted it, cleared his food, and checked comments soon after. A familiar mage nickname had replied.
[Comments]
-Serious Magic Addict: If the grimoire warns that much, you're planning something pretty strong, huh.
ㄴAnonymous: It's aggressive, yeah.
ㄴSerious Magic Addict: Then you absolutely need a workshop. Ignore it, and you might catch the eye of demons or evil spirits—total hassle.
So the "impure things" in the grimoire meant demons and evil spirits.
'No, probably not just those.'
Could be outer gods or their creations, urban legends, ghost stories—or something truly born from mystery itself.
With no real defenses yet, running into them could mean death.
Time to think carefully.
-Anonymous: Guess I'll have to give up then. Save up money first.
ㄴSerious Magic Addict: Hm.
ㄴSerious Magic Addict: If you really want to try alchemy, want to come to my workshop?
An unexpected offer. Ian hammered the keyboard in surprise.
ㄴAnonymous: I can?
ㄴSerious Magic Addict: As long as you're not a villain, sure. Great chance for you to see alchemy in action, and I don't mind. First time letting someone in, but no need to hide the place.
ㄴAnonymous: Not a villain, anyway;;
ㄴSerious Magic Addict: Hold on.
Serious Magic Addict said that, then posted a new comment.
-Serious Magic Addict: Grandmother.
Grandmother.
The gallery's admin, basically the moderator.
Grandmother replied the moment Serious Magic Addict called her.
ㄴ★Grandmother: Yes, what's up?
ㄴSerious Magic Addict: Planning to invite a new mage to my workshop. Any chance of trouble if I do?
ㄴ★Grandmother: You mean the floating nick Anonymous?
ㄴSerious Magic Addict: Yeah.
ㄴ★Grandmother: One moment.
The instant Grandmother posted that, Ian felt a gaze upon him and shuddered.
Not malicious. Not even a normal gaze.
Less like eyes on flesh, more like a sensation peering inside.
Not at his form, but his core. The grimoire reacted instantly, but Ian suppressed it.
'...Grandmother used magic.'
He knew instinctively.
As a community leader, she'd be skilled, but he hadn't expected remote scanning from afar, no prep needed—instant cast.
Proof of high level and mastery.
No wonder she was admin.
Ian wiped the cold sweat from his brow and checked the new comments.
-★Grandmother: Basically a good person. No harm to you.
ㄴAnonymous: That gaze just now—was that magic?
ㄴ★Grandmother: Hm. Felt it, huh?
ㄴAnonymous: Too blatant to ignore.
ㄴ★Grandmother: I thought I was subtle. You've got real talent. Even without a grimoire choosing you, you'd have become a mage eventually.
Sudden praise. Ian let out a hollow laugh.
ㄴAnonymous: Felt pretty creepy.
ㄴ★Grandmother: Sorry if it did. But as someone handling Korean mage security personally, I need to distinguish good from evil.
We don't screen on join, but for in-person meets, I verify safety myself. If they're evil, it could get dangerous.
Rare, but exceptions happen.
So I check tendencies for meetups and leave the choice to individuals.
"A reasonable approach."
Ian got it right away.
ㄴAnonymous: Okay then. So I'm confirmed safe?
ㄴ★Grandmother: Yes. No crimes, good-aligned. No issues. For reference, Serious Magic Addict is good too—no worries.
- Serious Magic Addict: Verification done. Just need to set a time.
ㄴAnonymous: Anytime works for me.
ㄴSerious Magic Addict: Saturday this week then. Sending address via DM. Come whenever suits. I'll be there all day.
ㄴAnonymous: ㅇㅋ Thanks so much. Bringing a gift.
ㄴSerious Magic Addict: Got it. See you then.
The chat ended there.
Ian stretched, stared out the window at the fading light, and slumped back.
'Today's Friday, so tomorrow.'
No need for his part-time. The convenience store was wrecked, so forced break for a bit.
The manager thought it was drunkards rioting.
CCTV died with the anomaly, so no footage—he believed Ian and was grinding his teeth to catch them.
Tough break for him, but the perp wouldn't be caught.
Ding.
A DM arrived mid-thought. Ian checked the address and squinted.
"...Busan, huh?"
The long address clearly said Busan Metropolitan City. Quite the trek from Gyeonggi.
Looked like he'd need the train.