Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Translation: godtl
[The Philosopher's Stone minimizes rebound effects.]
[In proportion to the Philosopher's Stone's grade and level, you have recovered 50 Achievement Points that were consumed.]
A message window floated in the air.
After reading it, Si-mun clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"It fused with the Obsidian Tablet and upgraded to E-rank, but the refunded Achievement Points stayed the same?"
-Tsk! Oppa, is it because you don't know what rebound is?
An indignant voice bubbled up from the center of his chest.
It was the Philosopher's Stone.
-No alchemical product can dare interfere with rebound! The fact that I can mitigate it to this extent is only because it's me!
"Yeah, yeah, I know that already."
Perhaps it had something to do with alchemical pride.
As the Philosopher's Stone trembled faintly, Si-mun hurriedly stroked his chest to soothe it.
"Your level increased by 2 since last time, so I just said that on the off chance. You understand me, right?"
-Hmmph......
A somewhat dissatisfied voice.
But perhaps because it enjoyed being petted,
-Even I can't do much about rebound-related issues. You'd need to reach at least B-rank for that.
Its voice grew noticeably calmer.
Si-mun's eyes sparkled as he spoke gently.
"Then I'll have to work hard for the sake of our Philosopher's Stone."
-F-For me... Oh my! Oppa~! What do you mean by that~? Huh?!
Instantly, the voice turned nasal and coquettish.
'Honestly...'
Chuckling at its antics, Si-mun shook his head from side to side.
Then.
[The Constellation Zeus smiles fondly at your efficient use of Astrapē.]
[The Constellation Zeus sponsors you with 100 Achievement Points.]
"Whoa!"
At this unexpected sponsorship, Si-mun's face brightened like a flower in bloom.
'A sponsorship when I'm not even streaming?'
Moreover, it wasn't from a fellow player but from a Constellation.
Though it wasn't AP (Arena Points) used for streaming,
'With the Obsidian Tablet's completion and so much alchemy left to do, this is perfect.'
Since Achievement Points were directly tied to Si-mun's growth and combat power,
They were an even more valuable resource than AP.
"Thank you for the sponsorship, Zeus-nim."
Maintaining his cheerful expression, Si-mun expressed his gratitude before turning his gaze forward.
Sssss—
As if a bombing raid had occurred,
Dozens of goblins lay charred black, white smoke billowing from their bodies.
Astonishingly,
Over fifty goblins had been wiped out in a single strike.
As Si-mun's eyes scanned the scene, they landed on one surviving man.
'He dodged it well, as expected.'
Thanks to his B-rank Trait "Quick Movement,"
Kim Min-hyeong had already stepped over the spears blocking his path and moved behind them.
Just as they'd planned beforehand,
He'd dashed to the target area the moment he heard the thunderclap.
"Kee......"
"......"
The ten or so goblins that had survived because Kim Min-hyeong blocked their path stood frozen stiff.
And who could blame them?
In the blink of an eye, dozens of their kin had been roasted alive,
And they'd witnessed that terrifying spectacle right before their eyes.
Who could possibly keep their sanity after that?
Unlike the goblins' state of mind,
A hint of regret swirled in Si-mun's eyes.
'What a shame. I thought I could use it one more time.'
Sssss—
Astrapē disintegrated into particles and vanished.
He'd planned to use it once more to fully recoup his investment,
'So rebound proceeds even after consuming all the equivalent invested in alchemy, huh?'
It was somewhat like a disposable battery, wasn't it?
Perhaps because all the power equivalent to 500 Achievement Points had been exhausted,
Astrapē immediately entered rebound.
'Well, I learned something valuable cheaply.'
Normally, such detailed mechanics would require multiple experiments to figure out statistics,
But pleased with this unexpected gain, Si-mun smiled contentedly as he observed the ten surviving goblins.
To be precise.
"Mr. Kim Min-hyeong, I'll be fine. You should go ahead."
Standing before the target point waiting for him was none other than Kim Min-hyeong.
"Are...are you really going to be alright?"
"You just saw for yourself, didn't you?"
Si-mun spread his arms wide as if to demonstrate.
The metallic scent of blood hung thick in the air, with a corresponding number of corpses littering the ground.
The scene clashed starkly with Si-mun's clear, delicate features.
"I'll finish up here and follow, so go ahead inside."
Si-mun urged Kim Min-hyeong to clear the stage as if this were nothing unusual.
And why wouldn't he?
Compared to the life Si-mun had lived before, this scene was child's play.
"Uh, yes!"
Perhaps because he didn't know that fact.
Kim Min-hyeong gulped audibly before hastily stepping into the target zone.
"Please! You must come find the Seongsam Guild! I'll repay you properly!"
With those words, Kim Min-hyeong dissolved into light, fading away.
The moment his figure completely vanished—
"Now then, let's wrap this up."
Si-mun rubbed his hands together, summoning his Transmutation Power.
"Kee, kee......"
"Kik......"
The dozen or so goblins still frozen in shock.
Just as Si-mun was pondering how to deal with them using minimal Transmutation Power—
A chill.
-Brother!!
A spine-tingling sensation crawled up his back as the Philosopher's Stone screamed.
Without a second thought—
Snap.
Si-mun immediately flicked his fingers and stomped the ground.
BOOM!
A heavy vibration rumbled from below.
Had he not swiftly transmuted [Black Panther's Body Tissue] onto his legs, it would've been Si-mun's body shattered instead of the ground.
"Kee, keek! The boss!"
"The, the boss is here!"
The frozen goblins erupted in cheers.
Si-mun, having landed some distance away, ignored them entirely as he identified the ambusher.
"That's......"
Coarse red skin.
Unlike the small, scrawny average goblin build, its muscular frame reminiscent of an orc.
Si-mun's eyes widened in recognition.
"A hobgoblin?"
"Grrr. Human."
Even its voice sounded more bestial than typical goblin speech.
The ambusher perfectly matched Si-mun's knowledge of hobgoblins.
'Why is a hobgoblin here... Ah!'
As doubts about the sudden appearance surfaced, Si-mun let out a small sigh.
'Right, this is [Corrupted Goblin Bridgehead].'
Though not a frequent occurrence,
Galaxy Arena often dropped hints about the arena through various means.
'Corruption usually hints at Demonic Energy involvement.'
And since hobgoblins were monsters born from elite goblins influenced by Demonic Energy,
their appearance in [Corrupted Goblin Bridgehead] wasn't strange at all.
However.
'Even for high MMR brackets, isn't a hobgoblin overkill?'
He'd never imagined they'd deploy Platinum-tier monsters just because the checkpoint wasn't challenging enough.
Scratching his head, Si-mun hadn't anticipated facing a hobgoblin.
"Graak! Revenge for my underlings!"
The hobgoblin charged with a furious roar.
Yet—
BOOM.
With [Black Panther's Body Tissue] enhancing his legs, Si-mun effortlessly dodged the creature's axe.
He studied the snarling hobgoblin with meaningful eyes.
'Could it be...?'
Fortunately—if one could call it that—Galaxy Arena seemed to retain some conscience.
This hobgoblin differed markedly from those Si-mun remembered.
Specifically—
"You rat-like human!"
Thud, thud.
Its speed.
To be precise.
'Its overall physical abilities are inferior to a true hobgoblin.'
Had this been the hobgoblin Si-mun knew,
even [Black Panther's Body Tissue] at 12% completion shouldn't have been able to dodge.
After all, a hobgoblin was undeniably a monster that appeared in the Platinum-rank tier.
But just like the earlier ambush—
"Kraaak!!"
'It's too slow. Unbelievably slow.'
Si-mun effortlessly dodged the hobgoblin's razor-sharp attacks and widened the distance between them.
'Still, it's a relief they at least have some conscience.'
No matter how high his MMR was measured to be,
throwing a Platinum-tier monster in the first round of the placement test was crossing the line.
Of course, even if it had been nerfed,
its terrifying specs for this tier remained unchanged.
'It's a shame to waste the Achievement Points, but I'd better make sure to finish it off just in case.'
True to his alchemist nature—disliking even the slightest margin of error—
Si-mun sought to eliminate any variables.
"Philosopher's Stone."
Mhm! Oppa, I was waiting for you.
Crackle.
He immediately prepared to manifest Astrapē.
Then—
[The Constellation Black Goat frowns at Zeus's successive lightning strikes.]
[The Constellation Black Goat points at the Obsidian Tablet in your possession and expresses dissatisfaction.]
"Huh?"
At Black Goat's sudden reaction,
Si-mun swiftly changed Astrapē's manifestation into a Spatial Explosion.
Boom!
"Kraaaak!"
The charging hobgoblin was blasted back by the explosion.
Watching this, Si-mun's gaze deepened.
'Even nerfed, it's still a hobgoblin, huh?'
No matter how incomparable true explosion magic was to alchemy,
it should have been easy enough to blow off at least one of the goblin's arms.
Yet the hobgoblin had only been pushed back, stubbornly enduring with its thick arms crossed.
Boom! Boom!
Si-mun triggered two more Spatial Explosions, further widening the gap between himself and the hobgoblin.
Then—
[The Constellation Black Goat has given you a mission.]
"A mission?"
A system window appeared before Si-mun.
[Mission]
Defeat the boss of this stage, the hobgoblin, using only Human Transmutation.
Reward: 500 Achievement Points
After reading the mission, Si-mun blinked rapidly.
'They're offering 500 Achievement Points for a mission like this?'
500 Achievement Points was enough for an imitation Astrapē.
Especially considering that Constellations rarely gave missions unless they were your sponsor—
this was an extremely unexpected turn of events.
However, Si-mun quickly realized the reason.
'Ah. It's a matter of pride.'
Astrapē was undoubtedly a powerful weapon.
But in terms of grade alone, the Obsidian Tablet wasn't lacking either.
Black Goat must have taken offense that, despite possessing such a divine artifact,
he kept using Astrapē.
Especially—
'Because I'm an alchemist.'
The Obsidian Tablet was the culmination of human transmutation.
In a way, it was the ultimate equipment for an alchemist.
And yet, he kept relying on Astrapē—how could that not wound her pride?
Si-mun looked up at the sky and nodded.
"Very well. I'll accept this mission."
[The Constellation Black Goat smiles in satisfaction.]
[The Constellation Zeus furrows his brow in displeasure.]
[The Constellation Black Goat roars, "Where does that damn skirt-chaser think he's—?! Maybe it's time I paid Olympus a visit! Huh?!"]
"Wh-what?"
Si-mun was taken aback by Black Goat's sudden outburst.
[The Constellation Zeus shakes his head and mutters, "That madwoman is as unhinged as ever."]
[The Constellation Zeus clasps his hands behind his back and takes a step back.]
However, because Zeus retreated a step,
the unfortunate scenario of having to choose between the two Constellations was avoided.
'Phew, thank goodness.'
Si-mun wiped his brow in relief.
Though neither had officially become his sponsor,
it was remarkable that both Constellations were showing enough favor to offer missions and support—even without the broadcast being live.
He had no desire to make enemies of both Constellations.
Si-mun let out a sigh of relief and turned his gaze forward.
"Krrrk! Damned human! How dare you toy with me!!"
Perhaps enraged by having the same technique used to keep him at bay, the Hobgoblin charged forward like a mad bull, wielding a crude wooden shield that looked scavenged from who-knows-where.
Si-mun calmly observed the Hobgoblin's reckless charge.
'Human Body Forging alone should suffice...'
Though he could no longer wield Astrapē, it hardly mattered.
'Well, it's not like I can't do this.'
Just a slight detour from the easy path—
not an impassable road by any means.
Tap.
Si-mun kicked off the ground and dashed forward.
"Krruk?"
The Hobgoblin seemed momentarily baffled—clearly not expecting Si-mun, who had only been retreating until now, to charge head-on. But the hesitation lasted only a second.
"Kraaa! Good! I'll smash you to pieces!"
Instantly, its demeanor twisted into pure bloodlust as it spurred its charge even harder.
Then—
Crack!
Wooden splinters exploded into the air.
Si-mun's bare fist had shattered the Hobgoblin's flimsy wooden shield.
"K-krruk?!"
The Hobgoblin's eyes bulged—not because its shield had been destroyed.
'Krruk! What kind of strength does this human...?'
The fist that had broken through the shield—
a fist that wouldn't lose to an Ogre's—
Crunch.
Was brutally shattered by a mere human's half-sized fist.
A fitting display for one bearing the title of Hobgoblin.
"You bastard!"
Gritting through the pain of its broken hand, the Hobgoblin immediately swung down the axe in its other hand.
But.
"Not a chance."
As if he'd anticipated it,
Si-mun reached out and caught the descending axe handle mid-swing.
The moment he did—
"Kehah! Got you now!"
With a burst of laughter, the Hobgoblin released the axe handle.
It lunged at Si-mun, using the momentum of its downward swing.
"Now!!"
The Hobgoblin roared triumphantly.
"Kikik! We got the human!"
"Boss is the best!"
Along with its cry, the distinct cackling of Goblins echoed from behind Si-mun.
The dozen or so survivors from earlier had returned.
Fwip.
The faint whistle of flying poison darts.
As if they didn't even consider the Hobgoblin's presence, the Goblins relentlessly fired their venomous needles.
"Ugh!"
Si-mun groaned as the ruthless barrage of poison darts embedded into his back.
"Kekuk! How's that, human? Hard to move, isn't it?"
A foul stench wafted over.
The Hobgoblin, now right in front of him, grinned hideously.
But even that stench gradually faded.
"Kekuk! Humans really are such lowly creatures."
The Hobgoblin theatrically released the arm it had been restraining.
That arm was riddled with the Goblins' poison darts.
"To think you'd fall for such a cheap trick—not even a resistance to paralytic venom."
It picked up the fallen axe with its dart-covered arm.
"No, wait. Thanks to the venom, you can't even feel the pain—so this is a win, isn't it?"
As if wanting to plant fear in place of pain,
it slowly licked the axe blade with its tongue before raising the weapon with deliberate slowness.
Then—
"First, I'll chop off your limbs one by one. Kehah!"
The moment the intimidating double-edged axe descended toward Si-mun's arm—
Snap.
"Krruk?"
Si-mun's previously motionless arm moved like a ghost, seizing the Hobgoblin's wrist.
"W-what?!"
Before the Hobgoblin could even process its shock—
Crunch.
Its thick, Ogre-like arm snapped like a twig.
"Gaaaah... Kehk!"
The Hobgoblin's scream was abruptly cut short.
Si-mun's hand had already closed around its throat.
"Keh... kehk!"
"Goblins really are such lowly creatures."
Si-mun's eyes were icy calm.
Reflected in them were the choking Hobgoblin and his own hand gripping its throat.
Above them floated two status windows:
[Ogre's Body Tissue] and [Goblin's Body Tissue].
"To think I'd fall for such a cheap trick."
A smile as cold as his gaze.
The moment it curled at the corners of his lips—
"Right?"
Crack.
The Hobgoblin's thick neck snapped.