Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: The Alchemist's Daughter
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Alchemist.
This was a global organization of alchemists.
Naturally, they had a branch in Korea too, and surprisingly, the Korean branch was one of the most capable among all their branches worldwide.
Considering that fields like alchemy were dominated by places like the United States, the stronghold of Big Pharma, or European powerhouses like Germany with their traditional strengths, it was a hard-to-believe achievement.
As a side note, the Chinese branch also showed notable results from time to time, but it had the peculiar trait of frequent missing persons reports around it.
Anyway, Choi Shin-hyeok arrived in front of the Alchemist Korean Branch in Gangnam to meet their branch head. He clicked his tongue at the sight of the building that screamed money had been poured into it.
"Tch, I don't like it."
"Why? Aren't the elixirs here amazing?"
"They are good. Really good. But in the end, they're born from grinding their alchemists underfoot. All the achievements go straight to the top."
"Is that how it is?"
"Most Korean companies are like that. Shinwa, Oseong—it doesn't matter."
"...You're Choi Shin-hyeok, third generation of Shinwa Group. Can you really say that?"
"I'm saying it because I'm on the inside. Let's head in for now."
"Okay!"
Shin-hyeok chuckled at Han Su-ah, who was grinning ear to ear at the chance to move around just the two of them after so long. He stepped forward.
"How's Dimension Arena these days?"
"It's so much fun thanks to you and Brother Se-jin! I even made it into the Integrated Silver League!"
"Oh, impressive."
"Coming from the Integrated Silver League MVP, it doesn't feel like much of a compliment."
"I'm serious. It's just that I'm abnormal. Normally, it takes about six months to reach Integrated Silver League, but you did it in two. That says everything about your talent."
"Really?"
"Yeah, of course. Though I reached it in one month, and now I'm entering Integrated Gold League."
"...Ugh! You're so annoying!"
Shin-hyeok grinned mischievously like a rascal as Su-ah punched his arm playfully. He was satisfied with how much faster her growth was compared to his previous life.
In his past life, Su-ah had tremendous potential as a genius, but without proper support or a guild, her progress had been agonizingly slow.
She had eventually risen to the one-star rank through sheer talent alone, smashing through everything in her path. Shortening that timeline was a hugely encouraging result.
'...This is starting to hurt.'
Just as Shin-hyeok's face paled slightly from Su-ah's relentless arm-punching...
Luckily, someone came to his rescue.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Baek Sung-hoon, head of the Alchemist Korean Branch."
"...Yes, pleased to meet you too. Choi Shin-hyeok, master of Almighty Guild."
It was Baek Sung-hoon, the branch head and the very person he'd scheduled to meet today.
He was a neat-looking middle-aged man.
His well-maintained body was toned, and the white coat draped over it seemed to embody his aura perfectly.
It gave off a strong "This is what an alchemist looks like!" vibe.
Shin-hyeok rubbed his tingling arm and returned the greeting.
"Hello! I'm Han Su-ah! I'm with Almighty Guild too!"
"Ah, I know of you. You're making waves in this intake, aren't you? I heard you even earned entry to Integrated Silver League."
"Whoa! You know about me?"
"Information on promising players is crucial. Alchemy and players are inseparable. Without players to buy and use our products, we'd have no purpose."
"Eh, but alchemy makes useful items for civilians too."
"That's true. Pharmaceuticals and chemistry are branches of alchemy as well. But at its core, alchemy revolves around elixir production. In that sense, talented players are always welcome. We exist because of the elixirs you all consume."
Sung-hoon greeted Su-ah as well.
Seeing Su-ah's surprise at being recognized, he shared light conversation with a friendly smile, then slapped his forehead as if remembering something and let out an awkward laugh.
"Oops. I've gone on too long with my boring talk. Shall we head inside? After a quick tour, we can sit in my office with some tea and have a proper discussion."
"Sounds good. Su-ah, let's go."
"Okay!"
And so, Shin-hyeok and Su-ah followed Sung-hoon's guidance into the Alchemist Korean Branch.
"This is the Materials Management Department. They sort and manage all sorts of materials from dungeons and Dimension Arena. Right next door is the Materials Compounding Department, where they mix the sorted materials in proper ratios. Both are indispensable to us."
"Very systematic. Where do you source your materials from?"
"We have main suppliers, but we don't limit ourselves to specific places. What matters is the item, not the seller."
"Impressive. With materials flooding in from everywhere, standardizing quality must be tough."
"That's why we occasionally snag hidden gems. Haha, let's move on."
The first stop was the Materials Management and Compounding Departments.
They were the most basic areas, but that made them the most vital.
Any slip-up here could cause serious issues in production.
The next place was more serious business.
"This is the Production Department. Every item we make comes from here. It's the heart of our operation."
"Whoa, Shin-hyeok, look over there! So many rare elixirs you can't even find on the market...!"
"I'll give you a few as a parting gift. They'd help Player Han Su-ah."
"R-Really? Those must be super expensive though..."
"Haha, even when you hit Diamond tier, don't forget me, okay?"
"Of course! I only use Alchemist elixirs now anyway!"
It was the Production Department.
True to its name, this was where all the elixirs produced by Alchemist were made. Numerous alchemists were busy crafting in their individual workshops.
From common market items to ones even major guilds struggled to obtain.
But precisely because of that, Shin-hyeok's eyes narrowed.
"No high-end products, huh?"
"...High-end ones are made in more discreet areas. Hard to show you those—they're confidential."
"Fair enough. Let's keep going."
Because the most crucial high-end elixirs were absent.
Even to the sharp question, Sung-hoon smoothly deflected with microsecond control of his facial muscles.
Shin-hyeok didn't press further.
After that, their tour of the Alchemist Korean Branch continued.
From the company cafeteria to the indoor park and lounge floors, they examined the branch thoroughly before reaching the top floor.
"This is Quality Control. Everything ends up here for inspection by our branch's top-grade alchemists. Anything that doesn't pass their standards never goes on sale."
"That's amazing! And each elixir is so pricey..."
"Haha, we live and die by trust. Compared to the value of our reputation, it's pocket change."
"Whoa!"
Quality Control.
It occupied an entire massive floor.
Only ten top-grade alchemists worked there, surrounded by all produced elixirs and items.
As Su-ah exclaimed in awe at Sung-hoon's proud words...
"Now, shall we head to my office for the real talk?"
"Sure."
Shin-hyeok and Su-ah followed Sung-hoon, who led them as if the tour was over.
Swoosh—
"..."
Shin-hyeok gave the Quality Control floor one last sweep with his eyes, then turned away as if there was nothing more to see and quickened his pace.
Interestingly, Sung-hoon's office was on a middle floor.
Usually, higher positions meant higher floors, but his was midway up.
When asked about it, Sung-hoon shrugged.
"I don't like high places. Plus, the middle floors are the widest. I prefer space."
"Makes sense."
The middle floors were indeed larger than the top ones.
Though despite that, the middle floor with his office didn't look all that spacious—a minor flaw.
Anyway, after settling into the office and sipping the tea Sung-hoon prepared...
"Shinwa Distribution and Almighty Guild—what do they want from our Alchemist Korean Branch?"
"...Hmm."
Sung-hoon threw a fastball right away.
Shin-hyeok savored his tea and let out a light hum as the pitch came straight at him, then met Sung-hoon's gaze.
"Shinwa Distribution wants to supply your elixirs to various places."
"That's not hard. We produce plenty. Even after selling everywhere, there's always surplus. Name a good price, and we're in."
The discussion opened with Shinwa Distribution.
They wanted to handle distribution of Alchemist's elixirs.
Surprisingly, Sung-hoon agreed readily.
"Don't you already have distributors?"
"Well, yes, but... it's Shinwa. And I chose this because of you, Player Choi Shin-hyeok. Just don't forget me later."
"Ah, I get the vibe."
"Haha, glad you do."
They had existing distributors, but he'd switch for Shin-hyeok!
It was bribery, plain and simple.
A bribe to connect with the rising star Shin-hyeok.
Shin-hyeok smiled satisfactorily as Sung-hoon nodded knowingly without saying it outright.
"With this consideration, things on our end will go smoothly."
"Ah! Almighty Guild must want something too. I'll accommodate as much as possible."
"Running a guild means it's good to have a skilled alchemist on hand. Much more profitable that way."
"Haha! Exactly. Direct resources from guild raids straight to production? Efficiency off the charts. So, you're here to poach one of our staff?"
"Can't be helped. It's essential. Just one would do."
"Hmm, no reason not to. Good terms, mutual agreement, and it's a transfer."
"Perfect. Got a list? I'd like to pick one."
Shin-hyeok's goal was to recruit one alchemist to Almighty Guild.
Understanding this, Sung-hoon nodded with a smile.
Planting his own person in Almighty Guild would strengthen ties with Shin-hyeok—not a bad deal.
He promptly pulled out a list of all Alchemist Korean Branch alchemists with basic info and handed it over.
"Sorry, but top-grade alchemists are off-limits. They're the backbone here."
"No issue. That's not what I'm after anyway. Excuse me for a bit."
"Take your time."
Top-grade were unavailable, but Shin-hyeok didn't mind and scanned the list.
Flip, flip—the pages turned, while beside him, Su-ah munched snacks like a squirrel devouring acorns.
Shin-hyeok occasionally wet his throat with his tea as he reviewed.
Watching leisurely with legs crossed, Sung-hoon heard Shin-hyeok ask oddly.
"The alchemist I know isn't on here."
"Hm? That can't be. It lists every alchemist in our branch."
"But she's really not."
"Strange... What's the alchemist's name? I'll look."
Sung-hoon straightened up curiously to help.
Shin-hyeok shook his head.
"No need to search. You know her too, Branch Head."
"I do? Then why isn't she on the list? Maybe you mixed up branches?"
"No way. The alchemist I'm looking for is Baek Hyo-rin. Your daughter. I know she's working at Alchemist Korean Branch, but oddly, no sign of her here."
"...!!!"
Baek Hyo-rin.
Korea's—no, the world's—top alchemist.
Shin-hyeok sought.
She was the daughter of the branch head before his eyes.
So, with a gentle smile, Shin-hyeok said.
"Branch Head. Give me your daughter."