Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Chapter 15: Galaxy Agora (3)
Translation: godtl
"Handmade recovery potions for sale! From intermediate to lowest grade, we've got variety!"
"Buying all kinds of miscellaneous items! We'll match the market prices from the last five days!"
"Various scrolls for sale! Crafted by Production Class Association-certified players!"
It was a scene so bustling you'd believe it was a marketplace.
This was the sight unfolding in one corner of the free plaza on the third floor of Galaxy Agora.
Though originally, such scenes should have been on the fourth floor, the hub of trade.
The stalls pushed out by auction houses and faction-owned shops occupying over half the floor space had spilled over to the third floor.
And at the exit where the stalls ended—
"I said that's enough already."
"Come on, alchemists are always short on materials. Let's look around a bit more."
A strikingly handsome man with distinct features and a pure-looking woman were engaged in a tug-of-war.
"This is plenty. I bought way more than I expected anyway."
When Si-mun shook his head firmly, Yu-jeong pouted with visible disappointment.
"Then at least take this one more thing, Oppa."
Afraid he might get dragged into circling the market again—
"I said that's enough. My inventory's about to burst."
Si-mun hurriedly waved his hands.
Fortunately—
"Don't be like that. There's something I really want to give you."
It seemed she wasn't planning more shopping.
Seeing Yu-jeong opening her inventory, Si-mun sighed in relief.
'I never knew shopping with others could be this terrifying.'
Even for materials of the same grade, she meticulously examined every difference in size and color.
For a combat-class player, Yu-jeong's pickiness was extraordinary.
Of course, as an alchemist, being as detail-oriented as Yu-jeong would be normal, but—
'As long as the grade matches, I don't care about other aspects.'
A level 1 alchemist who survived Earth in his past life.
Moreover, for Si-mun who could now transmute philosopher's stones and Mythic-grade equipment, those details were rather meaningless.
"Here, take this."
Yu-jeong held something out to Si-mun who was lost in thought.
"This is...?"
Si-mun's eyes widened as he saw it.
A device shaped like 3D goggles.
"This is an Arena access device, isn't it?"
"Yep! The absolute newest, newest, NEWEST model made by Seongsam Guild! It's not even released yet. Hehe."
Arena access devices.
From helmets to capsules to the goggles before his eyes, these devices came in various forms.
Surprisingly, they were the result of Galaxy Arena directly contacting governments worldwide to manufacture them.
Initially, only superpowers like the U.S. and China could produce them.
But when the two nations naturally attempted monopolization and unfair practices, Galaxy Arena directly contacted every nation's government.
Galaxy Arena's warning against monopolization was an added bonus.
The method was simple:
'They threatened to revoke all qualifications for players from China and the U.S.'
That incident, broadcast live on news, remains a humiliation for the two superpowers to this day.
Of course, it was just a warning—the humiliation ended there.
Their titles and influence as Earth's two superpowers remained intact.
Until Earth's imminent destruction, that is.
"An unreleased access device? Is it really okay to give this to me?"
"All upper-tier players in Seongsam Guild, including me, are already using it. It's just not commercially available yet."
"That's not what I mean—I'm an outsider. Is it really alright to give me this?"
"So what? I'm giving it to you."
What are they gonna do about it?
Yu-jeong simply shrugged with a bright smile.
"Ah! If Seongsam tries to make an issue of it, you must tell me immediately."
A faint murderous glint flashed in Yu-jeong's eyes as she said this.
"Understood, Oppa?"
Unfortunately.
Si-mun missed that glint, preoccupied with examining the access device.
"Even so... Wouldn't it be better if I just bought a suitable one from Seongsam's store?"
"Ugh! Entering the Arena without a proper device could damage your body!"
Yu-jeong's cheeks puffed up slightly in frustration.
"If it really bothers you, think of it as compensation for the branch manager's rudeness earlier."
"Well, if you put it that way..."
Noticing her subtly biting her lower lip, Si-mun quickly nodded.
Yu-jeong biting her lower lip was a habit that surfaced when she was about to dig in her heels.
No need to butt heads with this stubborn girl for no reason.
Especially since—
'Perfect timing. I was planning to get an access device anyway.'
All the more so for Si-mun, who was considering starting Arena broadcasts.
Storing the goggles in his inventory, Si-mun checked the time on his Player Watch and spoke.
"Time's already gotten this late. Yu-jeong, I should get going now."
"Yes! It's about time for me to visit my mom at the hospital too."
Lee Yu-jeong nodded in satisfaction as Kim Si-mun gathered his connection device.
Si-mun paused briefly at that.
Come to think of it, her mother also had an Arena-related illness.
Ever since the Galaxy Arena had opened, status ailments—much like the mana disability he himself had suffered from—had begun appearing in the Status Window's traits column.
They were conditions that only manifested in the Awakened, collectively known as "Arena Disease."
I don't know the exact name of her mother's illness, but...
She had once been a player chosen by a Constellation, after all.
She'd probably endure it to some extent.
I need to grow stronger quickly and start developing a cure.
With the Philosopher's Stone and human transmutation in his possession, growth was only a matter of time—and creating a cure wouldn't be an issue either.
Besides, I owe her mother too.
Memories of Yu-jeong's mother—who had always taken care of him kindly despite him being an illegitimate child—flashed through his mind as he turned away.
"Alright, Yu-jeong. I'm off. Be careful on your way back."
"Yes. Oh, right! Oppa."
Yu-jeong grabbed Si-mun's sleeve.
"What?"
She hesitated for a moment, lowering her gaze before forcing the words out with difficulty.
"Um... you still owe me a reply... don't you?"
"A reply?"
Si-mun tilted his head in confusion.
Then—
"Ah. The message?"
As if something had just occurred to him, he let out a small sigh.
At that, Yu-jeong's lips jutted out slightly in a pout.
"Tch. Si-hyeok wouldn't stop bragging about how you sent him a reply."
"Brag? Seriously, he's bragging about something like that because he has nothing better to do?"
"Exactly! It was so annoying!"
Then why are you getting annoyed too?
More importantly, do you even realize how old you both are?
The words rose to his throat, but he swallowed them back.
"Fine. I'll send you a message when I get there."
"Eek! Really?! You promise?"
Yu-jeong beamed, her smile as bright as it had been in their childhood.
And then—
This kid.
Pat pat.
"......?"
Instinctively, Si-mun reached out and ruffled her hair.
Naturally, Yu-jeong froze instantly.
Oh crap! Come to think of it, girls hate having their hair touched these days.
This Yu-jeong wasn't the same as the one from their childhood.
Habitually patting her head out of nostalgia, Si-mun quickly withdrew his hand.
Of course, by then, her hair was already somewhat disheveled.
Ahem!
"R-right. Be careful on your way back."
Not wanting things to get awkward, Si-mun hastily turned and disappeared.
Meanwhile, Yu-jeong remained frozen in place—until a woman in an H-line skirt approached her.
"What a mannerless man."
Kang Da-yeong had arrived.
"No matter how close you are, just grabbing someone's styled hair and mussing it up like— Huh?"
As she began fixing Yu-jeong's hair with practiced motions, Da-yeong blinked in surprise.
Why isn't she reacting? Did she snap?
Normally, Yu-jeong didn't care about her appearance, acting like a tomboy—but maybe this was different because she was still a girl?
Da-yeong's eyes darted around nervously.
If she throws a fit here, we're screwed...
There were too many eyes watching.
And since everyone here was a player, even the Seongsam Guild's name wouldn't be enough to keep them quiet.
Hurriedly, Da-yeong tried to soothe the motionless Yu-jeong.
"Ah, miss, don't worry too much. I'll fix it right aw—"
Then she abruptly stopped.
"Huh?"
Da-yeong's eyes widened as she saw Yu-jeong's face.
But that was all.
"Unnie, let's pretend you didn't see that just now."
"Uh, huh? Ah! Right."
Yu-jeong snapped back to her usual self in an instant, as if splashing cold water on her face.
Da-yeong immediately straightened her back stiffly.
For a while, Yu-jeong silently stared in the direction Si-mun had disappeared.
Then, in a voice that had settled into calmness, she asked:
"By the way, unnie, how's that matter going?"
"What matter are you—"
"Unnie, it's just the two of us. Speak comfortably."
"What matter? What are you talking about? Oh! That?"
Da-yeong clapped her hands together.
She quickly pulled out her phone and began tapping away.
Then—
"If you mean the incident from ten years ago... surprisingly, we still haven't uncovered a single lead."
She answered with confidence.
"Unnie, you know your tone doesn't match the report at all, right?"
"Well, we have found some parts."
"Now you're saying something that doesn't even match what you just reported."
At Yu-jeong's teasing, Da-yeong let out a stifled laugh.
Glancing around, she then leaned in and whispered into Yu-jeong's ear.
"Literally. There's really 'not a single thing' that's been uncovered."
At Kang Da-yeong's deliberate emphasis on that particular phrase, Lee Yu-jeong's eyes gleamed coldly.
"You mean...?"
"Exactly. As if someone wiped it all away."
Kang Da-yeong glanced around furtively before continuing.
"Don't you think it's strange? Not just you, but Korea's upper class was targeted in a terror attack, yet there's zero information about it."
It had been a hot topic at the time, but that was all.
The fervor had cooled as if it never existed.
Now it's as quiet as if it never happened at all.
An incident where the upper class was attacked, no less.
Isn't that ridiculous?
"You're telling me the media, who swarm like moths to even the smallest scandal, have stayed completely silent about this?"
"Unbelievable, right? Just recently, when some chaebol heir trolled on his personal stream, the media went absolutely batshit crazy."
And that was just some Gold-tier third-generation chaebol brat.
Compared to how the country nearly lost its mind over a single troll incident, this silence was downright surreal.
"It definitely sounds like someone powerful is deliberately covering this up."
"Smart people are always easier to work with. So, what are you going to do?"
Kang Da-yeong asked in a calm tone.
"You can feel it, can't you? If we dig any deeper here, we're definitely going to hit trouble."
Lee Yu-jeong curled the corner of her mouth.
"What, are you scared?"
"Who do you take me for, brat? I'm asking if you're okay. You've got way more to lose than I do."
From her position as the Seongsam Guild's "Poison Lady" to her public image.
And that wasn't all.
As a Player too.
Lee Yu-jeong was gaining worldwide attention alongside Kim Si-hyeok.
Yet she seemed utterly unconcerned.
"Unnie, I've got nothing left to lose either."
Her reply was flat and emotionless.
Then—
"No."
She glanced once more toward where Si-mun had disappeared.
"Actually, I just gained something new. That's exactly why I need to know."
"Yeah yeah, you'll do as you please."
Kang Da-yeong shook her head at this before dialing a number and hovering her finger over the call button.
"So we're moving forward? Once we start, there's no turning back."
"Yes, proceed. If there's any data, bring it. And if any Awakened are involved..."
Lee Yu-jeong nodded, her eyes—
"Cut their throats if you have to. I recently picked up quite an interesting item."
—as cold as a winter's gale.
"Ugh, I'm exhausted."
Maybe it was the rare outing?
Overcome with fatigue, Si-mun tossed his coat aside and collapsed onto the bed.
"Nothing beats my own place."
Though it was just a small studio with a cheap bed.
Stretching out on it somehow brought instant peace to both body and mind.
As he rested briefly, a vibration came from the center of Si-mun's chest.
-Bro. That girl earlier... are you close with her?
"Earlier? Ah, you mean Yu-jeong?"
Blinking, Si-mun nodded.
"Very. There was a gap recently, but we've known each other since we were five and grew up together."
-Hmmm... really?
The Philosopher's Stone's tone carried a strange nuance.
"What's up? Something wrong?"
-No. It's just, how do I put this...
Someone whose inside and outside are drastically different...
The Stone swallowed the rest of its words.
'If they've been close since childhood, there's no point in me saying anything...'
I'll just help if she's really about to get fooled.
Having decided this, the Stone changed the subject.
-Anyway, let's make that Spirit Elixir quick. The making part is fast, and drinking it should recover your stamina faster, right?
"True enough. Alright! Let's get set up then."
Si-mun opened his inventory.
Various items emerged, including several flasks.
Alchemy tools purchased from Galaxy Agora.
After haphazardly placing them on the bed, Si-mun looked toward a corner of his studio.
Though small, the room contained nothing but a computer and clothes rack.
"This should be about the right size."
Taking out a thick log from his inventory.
While heavy enough to require effort with one hand—
When he activated [Ogre's Body Tissue] in his arm, it felt light as a child's toy.
Flicking his fingers while holding the log—
Snap.
Lightning Rod.
The log, wrapped in Transmutation Power, unfolded into a wide rectangle.
It continued expanding until reaching the perfect size for the studio corner,
then formed four legs beneath it.
Si-mun nodded in satisfaction.
"Perfect fit."
-Told you.
In moments, Si-mun had created a wooden table from raw lumber.
Even though I'd lived in a shabby shack in my past life,
there was a reason I'd had everything I needed.
'One of the few perks of alchemy.'
Being able to conjure up furniture or tools on the spot.
Of course, things requiring special treatment—like spirit elixir brewing equipment—were out of the question,
but making something like a table was perfectly doable as long as I had the main ingredient: the log.
- Oppa, since you're at it, can't you change up the furniture in this room too? I kinda wanna see something that actually looks like an alchemist's workspace.
"Well, it's not like I can't..."
At the Philosopher's Stone's words, Si-mun glanced around briefly.
Then—
"Nothing's really inconvenient right now, and it's not like we'll be here forever, so I'd rather not waste the effort."
- Hmph! Who knows how long that'll take!
"It won't be long. But even if it were inconvenient, it'd be me dealing with it—what's it to you?"
- It's visually inconvenient, that's what! Do you have any idea how refined my conjurations are?
"Sure, sure."
Dismissing the response, Si-mun smoothly arranged his tools.
Having been an alchemist in his past life, he already had a rough idea of his preferred workspace setup.
"First, the spirit elixir-related tools go right in the center. Potions aren't urgent, so they can go over there..."
In an instant, the table was set up with brewing equipment.
Compared to the average alchemist's workspace, it was incredibly modest—
but since he could always add more as needed,
Si-mun looked at the arranged table with satisfaction.
- Hmm. Well, the alchemy tools are decent, at least.
"Told you. You can't underestimate the level of the life-skill players here."
At the Philosopher's Stone's begrudging tone, Si-mun let out a quiet chuckle.
The reason was simple.
- Oppa, I'd do a better job, seriously! Just hand over the Achievement Points! I'll set everything up all fancy for you!
The Philosopher's Stone had insisted that tools it conjured itself would be far superior to those made by nameless strangers.
Of course, Si-mun agreed.
He'd experienced the Stone's conjuring abilities firsthand.
But—
'It's just not worth spending Achievement Points on that.'
A minimum of 1,000 points.
And if he wanted to go all out—properly themed for potions, spirit elixirs, and the like—the Stone had claimed it'd cost nearly 10,000 points.
With that many, he could conjure the [Obsidian Tablet] one more time, couldn't he?
'Right now, my growth comes first.'
As an alchemist—
and to properly utilize alchemy's greatest strength, its production capabilities—it was an area worth investing in.
But since most conjurations could be handled with just his fingers for now,
Si-mun had chosen to buy tools instead of conjuring them.
- Well, at least with this setup, you won't be wasting the materials' potential.
"Right?"
Si-mun took out the materials he'd bought from Agora and placed them in the empty spots on the table.
- But Oppa, what direction are you going for with the spirit elixir's effects?
"Normally, it'd be about maximizing the ingredients' inherent properties, but..."
- But?
Pulling out the [Corrupted Hobgoblin's Blood Serum], Si-mun smiled faintly.
"This time, I'm shifting the focus a bit."
- How?
"Goblin-related materials are usually tied to paralysis, right?"
- Yeah. The paralysis venom goblins use is all made from their own blood. Well, first, we'd need to purify the Demonic Energy corrupting it— Wait.
As if something had just clicked,
the Philosopher's Stone's voice dropped sharply.
- Oppa... don't tell me! You're not aiming for the paralysis venom bonus—
"That's right. I'm focusing on the 'corrupted' part. The stat boost from the elixir itself will be about the same either way."
-......
A brief silence followed.
Then—
- OPPA, ARE YOU INSANE?!
A sharp ringing erupted from the center of his chest.
- Oh my god! You're trying to harness Demonic Energy?! You're not even a demon, and you don't know the first thing about black magic!
The Philosopher's Stone was practically vibrating with agitation.
But its tone wasn't angry—
- Demonic Energy is insanely volatile! Just holding it can wreck your body!
It was worried.
"I know."
- You know?!
Demonic Energy was something only demons—who appeared in the regular Arena—or those with special connections (like black magic) could wield.
Without that,
possessing Demonic Energy as a stat came with penalties nearly as severe as mana disability.
Only penalties.
But—
- And you're still doing this?! You could end up back in your mana disability days!
"Don't worry. I've got a plan."
'As long as I have a way to control Demonic Energy...'
Demonic Energy stats could become as powerful as unique stats.
After all, players with Demonic Energy-related jobs were all ridiculously destructive, weren't they?
And among those players—
"I happen to know someone who uses Demonic Energy exceptionally well."
But I knew of one absolute monster who could even beat the crap out of demons—the original masters of Demonic Energy.
I don't know who that is, but that person being able to handle it doesn't mean you can, Oppa.
"You're exactly right. That's why—"
Si-mun pulled up his Status Window and stared at his Achievement Points.
9,350 points—just 650 short of 10,000.
The Achievement Points he had been saving to upgrade the [Obsidian Tablet]...
"The Philosopher's Stone? Let's just perform one transmutation."
For now, Si-mun decided to change his plans.