Chapter 65
Chapter 65
Chapter 65: The Cure (3)
Translation: godtl
The scenery outside the window rushed past in a blur.
Even though we were moving at considerable speed.
'The ride's smooth as hell.'
Was it because it was an expensive car?
Not a single rattle or noise could be heard from inside the vehicle.
Si-mun glanced at Kim Si-hyeok sitting in the passenger seat next to Park Jin-uk, who was driving.
'That punk fights like he wants to kill me on a normal day.'
But when he'd set out to make the cure and head to the hospital with Yu-jeong,
'Since we're going, I'll come too. I haven't been able to visit Auntie much lately,'
seeing his younger brother tagging along like that made a smile naturally spread across his face.
'Well, Auntie did take pretty good care of us, after all.'
Strangely enough, both Si-mun and Si-hyeok had lost their mothers at a young age.
At least Si-mun had some brief memories of his father, but Si-hyeok barely even had that.
To them, their aunt was practically their mother.
There was no way they'd want to miss seeing her recover.
'Come to think of it, I haven't even checked my rewards since I was busy making the cure.'
Si-mun immediately opened his Status Window.
[Status Window]
Title: Pioneer of Alchemy (and 3 others)
Class: Magic
Level: 52
Affiliation: South Korea
Strength: 11 (+4)
Agility: 11 (+4)
Stamina: 17 (+4)
Transmutation Power: 64 (+4)
- Demonic Energy: 34
- Dragon Power: 34
Remaining Stats: 10
Traits - Philosopher's Stone (D), Stigmata, Odin's Eye
Achievement Points: 7,000
Winning the Debut Match had given him 10 levels.
And the Philosopher's Stone had leveled up by 7, so in total, he'd gained a whopping 17 levels.
'Probably because I hogged all the experience that should've been split three ways.'
Si-mun shrugged indifferently.
Anyone hearing this would call him insane,
but at this point, he'd be disappointed if he didn't level up like this.
He'd already gotten used to these explosive level-ups before.
'Have I become someone who can't function without massive level-ups now?'
Chuckling to himself, Si-mun dumped all 10 remaining stat points into Transmutation Power.
Now, his total Transmutation Power was 74, and his Bound Stats—Demonic Energy and Dragon Power—each reached 39.
'With stats like these, I shouldn't have to worry until Platinum promotion, right?'
It was downright monstrous.
Of course, assuming the main stats required for Platinum promotion were in the 100s, it might still be a bit lacking.
But that was only considering the 74 Transmutation Power.
Factoring in the 39 points each from his Bound Stats—Demonic Energy and Dragon Power—the efficiency of his Transmutation Power alone was equivalent to a whopping 152 levels.
In terms of raw stat points, that was something achievable only at level 152.
'And if I add the Spirit Elixirs I'll make later...'
Before setting off, Yu-jeong had given him a large quantity of materials.
Even excluding what went into the cure, he'd received quite a few rare items.
If he consumed all of them as Spirit Elixirs, his Strength, Agility, and Stamina would also see a significant boost.
Si-mun glanced at the three people in the car.
'After giving Auntie the cure, I should start making Spirit Elixirs for Si-hyeok and Yu-jeong too.'
Might as well prepare one for Park Jin-uk while he was at it.
He was a valuable business partner who'd chosen trust over a fortune and would continue to work hard in the future.
Closing his Status Window, Si-mun immediately opened his inventory.
The main dish of this Debut Match wasn't the level-ups—it was the rewards.
Swish.
"Oh? Oppa, you got that too."
Perhaps because she was excited about soon being able to heal her mother,
Lee Yu-jeong, who had been gazing out the window with a slightly giddy expression, turned her cheerful voice toward the small box in Si-mun's hands.
She wasn't the only one.
"So the reward this time is a Special Random Box, huh?"
"Isn't the Debut Match reward pretty much always that? Damn it. If only I were in the same batch as you, I could've tagged along and cracked open a random box too!"
"Well, who told you to debut first? Even if we were in the same batch, who said you could just waltz into my party?"
"Hey. Someone like me pulls at least 1.5 times my weight in a Debut Match, man!"
"Fact. But you still didn't get first place."
"You little—?"
Kim Si-hyeok and Park Jin-uk were also showing interest.
Park Jin-uk was looking through the rearview mirror since he was driving.
Not that it was concerning, of course.
For a Diamond-ranked Assassin, driving while glancing at the mirror was no big deal.
"Oppa, open it quickly. Special Random Boxes usually give items tailored to the opener."
"True. I'm still using the sword I got back then. Though it's been demoted to a secondary weapon now."
"Me too. The mace I got back then is still serving me well."
"Suits you perfectly. A mace for the She-Hulk. Couldn't be more fitting."
"...And I could make that smug face of yours perfectly fit too—with a few adjustments."
Had they even made eye contact for more than a second?
Shaking his head at his two siblings who could ignite a fight in an instant, Si-mun hastily opened the Special Random Box.
That was the only way to prevent the disaster these troublemakers were bound to cause.
Trrrrrrrrr—
Where on earth did these sound effects even come from?
The familiar jingle of a slot machine rang out as the lid of the box flipped open, vibrating faintly.
The strange thing was—inside the box, there was nothing but darkness.
Exactly like peering into the infinite void of an Arena waiting room or inventory space.
'Probably because the reward hasn't been determined yet.'
And then, before Si-mun's eyes—
[You have opened the Special Random Box.]
[Searching for an appropriate item to grant...]
A series of system messages popped up.
Already familiar with Special Random Boxes from his past life, Si-mun's eyes gleamed.
'Beast King Choi Jin-su got the Archdruid's Necklace from this, didn't he?'
The S-grade Archdruid's Necklace—an item that drastically boosted beast transformation abilities. It was a perfect match for Choi Jin-su's SS-grade Beastification trait.
Especially for someone like him, who struggled to benefit from weapon enhancements, this item held immense value.
So much so that even after becoming a high-ranker, it remained Choi Jin-su's most cherished possession.
That was why Si-mun couldn't help but feel anticipation.
'What kind of item would suit me right now?'
As someone capable of crafting Mythic-grade Equipment, Si-mun knew no ordinary gear could compare to the artifacts of the Constellations. So, it was more likely the reward would be something other than equipment.
'If possible, I'd prefer an accessory.'
Something like the Archdruid's Necklace—a piece of jewelry.
He already had the Philosopher's Stone, which influenced his alchemy, and the title [Pioneer of Alchemy], but that only made him want it more.
After all, the mediocre options floating around in the market didn't even catch his eye.
But then—
[No suitable item could be found for Player Kim Si-mun.]
[Expanding search parameters...]
Si-mun tilted his head at the system's renewed search attempt.
'Huh?'
No suitable item?
What kind of nonsense was this?
'There's nothing to give me?'
This was the Galaxy Arena—the same place that rained down the most absurd rewards imaginable.
And yet, they couldn't scrounge up a single item for a mere Gold-rank alchemist?
'Well... actually, it makes sense. The Special Random Box is supposed to give the opener what they need.'
It was a kind of algorithm—one that sought out the most appropriate item for the current recipient.
But right now, even Si-mun himself couldn't pinpoint what he truly needed.
Which, in other words, meant—
'I don't actually need anything at the moment.'
Ugh, if this keeps up, they might just throw me some random junk.
If they couldn't find anything after searching for so long, there was a non-zero chance they'd just toss him whatever.
After all, his current status was 'No major equipment needs.'
Then—
—Oppa, try making a request like last time.
'A request?'
The voice of the Philosopher's Stone reached him.
—Yeah. Remember during your first Special Arena? When they were struggling to decide on a reward, you made a request back then too.
'Ah.'
Si-mun let out a small sigh.
His first Special Arena—the Nightmare of the Heated Mine.
By saving the dwarf girl Marnel, he had cleared a stage that wasn't even supposed to exist.
Because of that, the Galaxy Arena had panicked, completely at a loss for what reward to give.
'Back then, I asked for a Mithril Bar.'
Even now, Mithril was an item that the top-tier players riding in this car would struggle to obtain easily.
Despite being an S-grade material, its drop rate was abysmally low.
Si-mun glanced down at the Philosopher's Stone resting against his chest.
'Not a bad idea... but there's nothing I really need to request right now.'
It wasn't like he could demand something on the level of an SSS-grade item either.
The Gold Debut Match wasn't that high-tier of an Arena.
So, he needed to ask for something of appropriate rank—but still valuable.
Looking back at past rewards from Gold Debut Matches, the grades varied wildly, from A-grade all the way up to the occasional SS-grade.
Which meant figuring out what counted as 'appropriate' wasn't exactly straightforward.
Moreover.
'What if I make the wrong request and end up getting something worse than what I would've originally received?'
There couldn't be a more stomach-churning situation than that.
Hana.
-Don't worry about that. I've already got something in mind.
The Philosopher's Stone answered in a confident voice.
'You've got something in mind?'
-Yup. It's something I've known about since before I... loooong! ago! way! back! before I ended up like this!
The Philosopher's Stone's words suddenly trailed off.
But Hana was already used to its eccentricities by now—this wasn't the first time.
'What is it?'
Si-mun asked casually, brushing it off.
-Well, you see.......
As Si-mun listened intently to the Philosopher's Stone's words.
"Are you serious?!"
He was so startled that he blurted it out loud without thinking.
"Huh, Oppa?"
"Hyung?"
Those around him shot him questioning looks, but Si-mun's attention was too focused to notice.
-That's right! Just trust me and make the request first.
'Alright.'
Following the Philosopher's Stone's words, Si-mun immediately turned his gaze to the floating system window.
"Galaxy Arena. I can roughly gauge the situation, so I'll just make my request directly."
Si-mun declared boldly.
[Pausing extended search temporarily.]
The system responded immediately.
Meanwhile.
'What's he talking about?'
'What, what's he asking for?'
The bewildered stares of those around him bore into Si-mun.
"As my reward, I request an artifact from the vanished Constellation, Paracelsus."
At those words, the three people who had been quietly watching the absurd scene widened their eyes to the point of nearly tearing.
The reason was simple.
'A... Constellation?'
'Did he say Constellation?'
'How does Hyung even know about a vanished Constellation?'
Constellation.
The sheer weight of that word was why.
"Among Paracelsus's artifacts, I want the......."
Mid-sentence, the words around Si-mun's mouth faded to white and were abruptly cut off.
The three, who had reached the ranks of Diamond and Rankers, recognized this phenomenon all too well.
'He's getting censored?'
'Then Oppa is really making a request to the Galaxy Arena right now?'
'We knew our VVIP was amazing, but....'
Their Adam's apples bobbed as they focused intently on Si-mun.
[Deliberating.......]
[Deliberation concluded.]
[Player Kim Si-mun's request has been accepted.]
Si-mun checked the Galaxy Arena's message with a pleased expression.
Then.
[As requested, the reward from the Special Random Box will be 'Paracelsus's Flask.']
Rumble.
Along with the rising message window, the small box vibrated faintly.
The vibrating box grew slightly heavier.
When Si-mun lowered his gaze, the infinite darkness that had surrounded them was gone.
In its place stood a round flask with no opening.
"It worked!"
-They gave it! I knew those bastards would! It's not like they could use that useless relic anyway!
Si-mun and the Philosopher's Stone cheered in delight.
'He made a reward request to the Galaxy Arena!'
This.
"......."
"......."
The Diamond-ranked assassin and the two Rankers could only gape in disbelief at the unbelievable sight.
Beep.
A dry mechanical sound echoed.
Amid the sterile scent of disinfectant carried by the monotonous beeps of the heart rate monitor.
Beep.
Si-mun and his group stepped inside the hospital room.
Lee Yeong-hui, a 1st Generation Ranker and the daughter of Seongsam Guild's chairman, Lee Sun-cheol.
True to her impressive background, the hospital room was quite luxurious.
Especially.
'A mana stabilizer and healing drones? These existed even back then?'
Medical equipment that wouldn't appear for years to come.
Si-mun's eyes widened at the sight of these futuristic medical devices, byproducts of the Galaxy Arena.
"Mom, I'm here."
At the forefront, Lee Yu-jeong walked toward the center of the room.
Surrounded by all sorts of medical equipment, she approached the bed emitting steady heartbeats.
"Today, Si-hyeok and Senior Jin-uk came too. And... Oppa Si-mun as well."
Lee Yu-jeong smiled brightly as she spoke to the middle-aged woman lying as if dead.
Si-mun quietly approached the bed.
Hollowed cheeks and an emaciated body.
It was only natural after lying ill for seven years, but still.
It was a far cry from the warm smile that had once looked after him as a child.
'Aunt.......'
Just looking at her made his chest ache on its own.
It wasn't just her weakened state.
'How much must she be suffering?'
He didn't know if she was conscious.
But seeing her like this, overlapping with his past self suffering from mana disability, made his heart ache even more.
"Oppa, is something wrong?"
Perhaps because his expression had darkened.
Lee Yu-jeong, standing beside him, cautiously asked.
In response, Si-mun forced a light smile and shook his head.
No.
"No. It's just time to administer the cure......"
He was about to say.
'Huh?'
Until he felt a strange pull.
As if entranced.
Kiiing.
He instinctively activated Odin's Eye.
"No... this?!"
He couldn't contain his shock.
How could he?
Because through Odin's Eye, what he saw in his aunt's body was—
'D-Dragon Power?! Why is it here?!'
Something that should never have been there.