Chapter 31
Chapter 31
Translation: godtl
Drip, drip.
Into the transparent flask.
Bluish droplets fall one by one.
Distillation.
A method of separating liquid mixtures by utilizing differences in boiling points.
Without any specific chemical reaction.
It's one of the techniques humanity has used since ancient times for physically separating mixtures.
Of course, when alchemy is added to this.
And when mana-based ingredients are used instead of alcohol—the common symbol of distillation—the story changes.
"Just... a little more..."
Even now, fifteen years after the appearance of the Galaxy Arena.
Mana remained an energy source that science couldn't explain.
An energy source that couldn't be precisely defined.
One of the common characteristics of such mana was that it became extremely 'sensitive' in this distilled state.
Which means.
"Just three more drops..."
This becomes the most dangerous step in the entire manufacturing process.
To put it more simply.
Crack.
"Ugh!"
You could say it's the stage where alchemists cause the most explosions.
One.
"I know. I prepared a stabilizer."
Having survived in a world overrun by countless Outbreaks and Crime Villains at Level 1.
And possessing the Philosopher's Stone—a legendary creation—it was safe to say the chance of a mana explosion for Si-mun was effectively zero.
Sizzle.
As the stabilizer was injected into the flask.
The sparks erupting from the blue solution rapidly subsided.
It might look like he simply poured in a stabilizer.
But any high-ranking alchemist who saw this would gasp in shock.
And for good reason.
To the point of resembling a machine.
The timing and quantity of the stabilizer Si-mun had just injected were flawless.
It was on par with perfectly measuring seasoning by eye in cooking—as precise as using a scale.
"Surviving in that world at Level 1, this much is nothing."
To Si-mun, it really wasn't anything special.
With a body growing weaker by the day, vulnerable to serious injury from even minor mana explosions.
It was a skill he'd naturally acquired out of necessity.
"...Fine. I'm amazing, happy now?"
"Brat."
Was measuring the exact amount of stabilizer really that exciting?
Si-mun let out a soft chuckle at the Philosopher's Stone's soaring mood.
Soon after.
Glug.
Si-mun poured the distilled liquid into a specially prepared container—a potion bottle—along with pre-refined material items.
'It was definitely two drops, right?'
He dropped two drops of [Refined Basilisk Venom].
Sssssss.
The sound of carbonation fizzing.
Or perhaps oil sizzling on a griddle, continued incessantly.
In response, more foam than the volume of the blue solution bubbled up, but only briefly.
The foam dissipated as quickly as it had formed.
"Now all that's left is to mix it..."
Like a seasoned bartender.
Si-mun gripped the neck of the potion bottle and smoothly rotated it.
As he did, the blue solution turned indigo and stabilized.
Pop.
Si-mun sealed the mouth of the potion bottle with a specially prepared stopper.
"Right?"
To an alchemist, their creations are like their own children.
Si-mun smiled contentedly as he examined the information of the potion he'd made.
[Unnamed]
Grade: B+
A therapeutic agent using specially refined venom as its base, combined with materials containing various mana properties.
Its effects are maximized through high-level alchemy.
"Hmm. Good."
Si-mun nodded in satisfaction.
The item description had additional notes attached as well.
Fundamentally, crafted items receive a "+" appended to their grade when the production process is executed flawlessly.
Naturally, their efficacy far surpasses that of regular-grade items.
If the effect is probabilistic, it practically guarantees 100% success.
If there are side effects, they are almost entirely eliminated.
Well, this time, there wasn't really a need for a "+" grade though...
In the case of the Mana Sclerosis Cure,
there were no probabilistic effects attached,
and aside from treating Mana Sclerosis, it had no other benefits—so there was no real need to obsess over the "+" grade.
Still.
It's a matter of pride, that's all.
His current satisfaction stemmed from the pride of someone who had devoted his entire life to Alchemy.
Especially since the core ingredient for crafting the cure—[Basilisk's Venom]—was notoriously difficult to handle, wasn't it?
Refining a toxin with paralyzing and Hardening properties into a completely opposite effect required an exceptionally high level of skill.
With a satisfied expression, Si-mun glanced at the green vial and the remaining materials placed on the workbench.
These will be more than enough for crafting other Spirit Elixirs as well.
Truly befitting a Diamond-rank Player, wasn't it?
The materials Park Jin-uk had sent were not only of high quality but also abundant in quantity.
It just showed how desperate he must have been for a Mana Sclerosis treatment.
Stretching his arms, Si-mun loosened his stiff back, strained from the long hours of potion-making.
"Hah! I'll work on the other elixirs later. First, I should give this a name."
Naturally, since no Mana Sclerosis Cure existed at this point in time,
the name of the potion was still undecided.
Si-mun tapped the name field in the potion's info window and typed in: "Mana Sclerosis Cure."
Ding!
[You have crafted an item for the first time!]
[Achievement 'The Original Creator!' has been attained.]
[500 Achievement Points have been acquired.]
Unlike usual, a crisp notification sound played as system messages cascaded upward.
Ah, right. There was a first-craft achievement.
Barring special exceptions,
when a Player creates a usable item for the first time, they unlock the Original Creator achievement.
And if I recall correctly, it can be duplicated too...
From what he vaguely remembered hearing in a broadcast by a famous Production Class Player before the regression,
the Original Creator achievement wasn't a one-time thing—it could be earned repeatedly.
There are still plenty of Arena Disease cures that haven't been invented yet.
500 Achievement Points was enough for a single Astrapē.
If he could earn that much every time he unlocked the Original Creator achievement, it would be a pretty lucrative side income.
I should make them whenever I get the chance.
Though Mana Sclerosis itself was a relatively mild Arena Disease,
most Arena Disease cures devoured rare ingredients like a starving hippo.
Since this could become a steady source of income in the future, he'd keep an eye out for opportunities to craft them.
For now, though—
I should deliver the cure to the Night Hunter first.
After packing the potion, Si-mun prepared to head out.
—Huh? Oppa, are you delivering it right away?
"Yeah. He contacted me while I was making the cure."
Fully dressed, Si-mun turned on his phone.
On the screen were—
[Kim Si-hyeok: Hyung! I saw the broadcast! You're Silver, right? That was insane! The damage and heals were all...]
[Lee Yu-jeong: Oppa, I watched the broadcast too! As expected of Oppa...]
When did these two send these?
Messages from his two younger siblings had piled up.
[Kim Si-mun: Yep. Thx thx.]
After sending a quick reply sprinkled with emoticons, he opened the message he had checked earlier.
[Park Jin-uk: Si-mun, I've found the target of your request.]
A spacious office adorned with the Seongsam Guild's logo.
"Manager Park, you really shouldn't do this."
The HR department of Seongsam, one of the major domestic guilds, was going about its usual routine today.
"What's the big deal? It's just the two of us."
"Manager."
"Enough. Yeon-ah, if anyone hears, they'll think I'm doing something outrageous. All I did was hold her hand."
"That's why you got caught by the young lady!"
"And whose fault is that? You barged in without knocking—"
Just then.
Bang!
"Hey, Manager Park."
Cutting off Manager Park, who'd been fidgeting with Woo Yeon-hui's hand—
The office door swung open.
"Oh? Assistant Manager Woo is here too? Long time no see."
"It's been a while, Section Chief Ahn."
Truly befitting Diamond and Platinum-rank players—
Before anyone noticed, Park Min-cheol and Woo Yeon-hui had put distance between them, no longer holding hands but instead—
Fidgeting with thick stacks of documents.
"An Ho-jin, what brings you here?"
Park Min-cheol's voice rumbled low with warning.
In response, An Ho-jin swept a hand through his severely receding hairline and laughed.
"Can't I visit my old junior after so long? No need to be so hostile."
His plump cheeks made his face look amiable, but—
"Cut the nonsense and answer the damn question."
Park Min-cheol's voice remained icy.
"Bastard, still the same as ever."
Yet An Ho-jin remained utterly unruffled, shuffling over to plop down on the sofa.
His gaze turned toward Woo Yeon-hui.
"Hey, Assistant Manager Woo. When you have guests, you should at least serve them coffee."
"You son of a—"
"I'll prepare some."
Before Park Min-cheol could react—
Woo Yeon-hui bowed her head and headed toward the break room.
Watching her retreating figure, An Ho-jin's grin deepened.
"Kyah! Still as fine as ever, huh? If I'd awakened too, I'd have a killer bod—"
"An Ho-jin."
"Hahaha! It's a compliment, a compliment! Awakening is every ordinary person's dream, isn't it?"
Internally, Park Min-cheol had already punched that smug face a dozen times over—
'Disgusting bastard.'
But he knew full well that showing such emotions was exactly what An Ho-jin wanted.
Clenching and unclenching his fists, Park Min-cheol silently repeated the character for 'endure' in his mind.
Perhaps his restraint was wise.
"Tch. Did becoming Diamond-rank suck all the fun out of you?"
A look of disappointment crossed An Ho-jin's smirking face.
"Stop wasting my time and state your business."
"So impatient."
An Ho-jin tossed a single document onto the table—not toward Park Min-cheol, but directly in front of himself.
Park Min-cheol knew exactly what that meant.
'No intention of playing nice, huh. Motherfucker.'
Gritting his teeth, Park Min-cheol moved to the sofa opposite An Ho-jin.
Before even picking up the document—
"Written Explanation?"
His brow furrowed at the large, bold letters at the top.
"Why so surprised? No guilty conscience at all?"
"Of course not. Isn't this yours?"
"Kahahaha!"
An Ho-jin burst into uproarious laughter.
He winked at Woo Yeon-hui as she returned with coffee, then took a leisurely sip.
"Must be because a beauty brewed it—this coffee tastes sweeter."
"Enough bullshit. What is this?"
"What's it look like? A Written Explanation, obviously."
"An Ho-jin."
"Alright, alright, man. Stop glaring. You'll kill me—I'm just a regular guy~"
His smug coffee-sipping was infuriating, but—
Park Min-cheol only stared him down with deadened eyes.
"As you know, I'm from the Audit Department."
For the first time, a faint smile touched Park Min-cheol's lips at those words.
'Audit Department, my ass...'
It wasn't entirely false.
That damn junior was technically a section chief in Audit.
Only—
"Audit Department? More like the Chairman's attack dog."
The Chairman of Seongsam—
Lee Sun-cheol's personal cleaner, handling all his dirty work.
"My, my! And here I came bearing your Written Explanation."
Even though Park Min-cheol's words should have been humiliating—
"By now you've probably guessed—this is a message from the Chairman. For you."
An Ho-jin's smirk never wavered.
"To me? I haven't done anything to earn the Chairman's displeasure."
"Don't play dumb. There's been quite a stir about a certain rookie lately."
At that, Park Min-cheol's eyelids twitched slightly.
He should've been just an ordinary person...
"So, Manager Park knew about him too, I see?"
An Ho-jin didn't miss that subtle change.
"Well then, this makes things easier. Why haven't you recruited him?"
"Is this written explanation about that? Sorry, but that's not how we operate here."
"'We'? That's rich."
An Ho-jin interlaced his thick fingers as he spoke.
"You little shit. You're part of the Seongsam Guild, yet you don't even know who really owns it? Huh?!"
"All personnel decisions in the Seongsam Guild belong solely to Lady Lee Yu-jeong. The Chairman himself delegated that authority."
"You crazy bastard. As if that little miss would give orders to just leave that honey pot alone—"
"That's right."
"...What?"
An Ho-jin's smile cracked for the first time.
He stared at Park Min-cheol with a dumbfounded expression.
"Park Min-cheol, what did you just say?"
"Going deaf? Player Kim Si-mun is someone Lady Lee Yu-jeong personally ordered us to leave alone."
"Ha!"
An Ho-jin let out a hollow laugh.
And understandably so—while Lee Yu-jeong nominally handled guild recruitment publicly, everyone knew Park Min-cheol actually managed all internal affairs.
'Lady Lee Yu-jeong...'
This was unexpected.
Seeing An Ho-jin's completely bewildered expression, Park Min-cheol tossed the written explanation back at him.
"If we're done here, get lost. I'm busy."
"Listen here, you! Even if it's the young lady's order, you should've stopped her if it harmed the company!"
"It's a guild, not a company."
"Same difference! Do you not understand why the Chairman put you in that position? The young lady is only twenty-four!"
"I earned this position through my abilities, and I'll gladly step aside for anyone more competent. That's the Seongsam Guild's founding principle."
As if there was nothing more to discuss, Park Min-cheol stood up, prompting An Ho-jin to rise as well.
"Is this really how you handle business?! No wonder—I heard you're some orphan with no family!"
"Third time saying this. This was Lady Yu-jeong's direct order."
"That's exactly the problem! Why the hell are you listening to some girl's opinion?! She's only twenty-four! Still a fucking kid!"
"Guilds operate differently from corporations. The logic of power applies here. And Lady Lee Yu-jeong is the strongest player in our guild."
Park Min-cheol placed a hand on An Ho-jin's shoulder—the latter's voice had risen considerably.
From a distance, it might look like a friendly gesture between men.
"If it bothers you so much, An Ho-jin, why don't you try stepping over the young lady yourself? Stop making a scene in my office."
"Eek!"
An Ho-jin's face flushed crimson as the Diamond-rank player's strength bore down on his shoulder.
It wasn't just the physical pressure causing that reaction.
"Y-you think you'll get away with this?! Have you grown too big for your boots and forgotten who really owns Seongsam?!"
"I know very well. But you're not the Chairman, are you?"
Park Min-cheol smirked at him before turning away.
"Still, since you came all this way, leave the written explanation. I'll write—"
SLAM!
An Ho-jin stormed out before he could finish speaking.
Woo Yeon-hui, who had been silently observing from the sidelines, finally spoke up.
"Will this be alright? Section Chief An isn't the type to let this go."
"He'll probably report to the Chairman and go after Player Kim Si-mun directly."
"That's exactly why I'm asking. According to Secretary Kang Da-yeong, Player Kim Si-mun seems to share quite a special relationship with the young lady..."
"What do you think it means that bastard made his move? We can't stop it at our level anyway."
Park Min-cheol glanced at the written explanation left on the table and gave a light wave of his hand.
Then—
Whoosh.
Small flames sprouted from the document's edges.
"Why burn it? You said you'd write it."
"No point writing something that'll become irrelevant anyway."
Park Min-cheol shrugged and pulled out his phone.
"I suppose you're right."
Woo Yeon-hui nodded without further comment.
Park Min-cheol held the phone to his ear and spoke moments later.
"Yes, my lady. It's me."