The Dragon Heart's Alchemical Ambition
Han Yujin sat inside a relatively intact building with towering stacks of books arranged before him, allowing himself a brief moment of rest.
It had taken roughly four days to explore every corner of the outer sect area and memorize what was located where. If he had been able to use spells to move around, the process would have been far quicker.
The places worth careful examination in the outer sect were fairly obvious.
The Scripture Pavilion took first priority, followed by the Formation Hall, then the Pill Refinement Hall, and after that the Artifact Forging Pavilion and similar facilities. The greatest harvest from all of them was, without question, the books themselves.
Among the arts commonly referred to as auxiliary cultivation techniques, the four most highly regarded were formation arts, pill refinement, artifact crafting, and talisman arts. The market value of specialists rose in precisely that order.
Formation arts—also known as restriction techniques—were the most complex and esoteric of the auxiliary cultivation techniques. Yet for any group with real power, they were indispensable for defense and convenience, making them extraordinarily valuable.
Pill refinement was naturally priceless. Spiritual medicines were inseparable from cultivation, and mastering the scholarly techniques involved was anything but easy.
Artifact crafting held similar worth because the magical tools and treasures it produced could dramatically enhance a cultivator’s abilities across countless areas. One only needed to consider how critical “item support” was in RPG games to understand its importance.
Talisman arts were valuable for their utility in sudden crises or dangerous moments. As consumables, both their production cost and selling price were far lower than pills or artifacts. Consequently, they were especially popular among lower-realm cultivators who could reap the greatest relative benefit from their effects.
The remaining auxiliary cultivation techniques—such as spirit beast rearing and harvesting, or puppetry that created golem-like constructs straight out of fantasy—were generally not viewed as particularly precious.
Spirit beast rearing was widely studied by low-level cultivators simply to earn a living, while puppetry demanded disproportionate effort relative to its usefulness. The other techniques had their own respective reasons for being undervalued.
In any case.
Han Yujin had originally held little interest in learning these auxiliary cultivation techniques. The perfectly rational reason was that he already lacked the time and mental energy to focus solely on cultivation. He had also believed his awakening ability could somehow resolve any problems without needing to master them personally.
Yet after exploring the Ohaeng Sect this time, his thinking had shifted somewhat.
He now suspected that knowing these auxiliary arts might actually allow him to utilize his awakening ability far more effectively.
For example, without knowledge of artifact crafting, he could only hope that suitable items would appear in the Artifact Forging Pavilion here. In other worlds, he would be forced to wander in search of objects that happened to fit his needs.
But if he could craft items tailored specifically to himself from various materials, the scope of possibility would widen dramatically. The difference in difficulty between gathering raw materials and acquiring finished products was enormous.
The only problem is how to learn those arts quickly.
Even with his transcendent linguistic comprehension, it would clearly not be easy.
That was precisely why he needed to employ his awakening ability right here.
At any rate, I won’t be able to obtain cultivation progress or items for a while because I lack Karma.
Until he accumulated sufficient Karma through hunter activities, this would inevitably become a sort of vacation period for his awakening ability. And he had a way to make full use of that time.
To acquire knowledge, almost only my lifespan is required.
Besides, immortal cultivation had always aimed for longevity rather than raw strength from the beginning.
Simply reaching the Dharma Soul Stage granted roughly two hundred years of healthy life. If one attained the Core Formation stage, lifespan extended to at least four hundred years—though the exact number varied slightly depending on the method.
Four hundred years… what was happening on Earth around the 1600s? The Age of Exploration?
At any rate, it was definitely before the Industrial Revolution. A truly ancient period, and one that made four hundred years feel like an eternity.
Taking a slight detour might actually let me reach my destination faster and more stably.
Simply devoting himself to cultivation did not seem likely to increase his strength as rapidly as he desired. This was the fundamental reason behind Han Yujin’s current line of thought.
He even intended to incorporate techniques from other worlds without discrimination. If he encountered artifact creation methods or alchemy from fantasy realms, combining that knowledge with what he already possessed might allow him to create something superior.
Only then would he be properly utilizing his awakening ability.
I wonder what would happen if I performed pill refinement using the Dragon Heart?
As he rested and entertained the casual thought, a truly inspired idea struck him moments later. His eyes widened.
There was a method that felt far superior to simply using it for ordinary pill refinement. A method that might completely transform even his current talent, which was barely at the level of someone like Jin Young-geun.
It might even change not only his talent but his very constitution into a Spirit Body advantageous for cultivation—or, better yet, into the even higher-grade Dao Body.
Provided, of course, that the Dragon Heart he would obtain was as ridiculously overpowered as the Munchkin artifacts described in those genre novels.
If it truly proved possible, his imagination ran wild with thoughts of the power he would wield. His heart raced and heat rose throughout his body, exactly as it had when he first encountered cultivation.
Only after a considerable amount of time had passed did he finally manage to calm himself.
Still, it was inevitable that a detailed plan concerning the Dragon Heart had already begun forming in the corner of his mind.
“Ah.”
Han Yujin, waking on his bed in reality, reflexively groaned as he sat up.
“It hurts more than I expected…”
The moment the spiritual liquid in the elixir bottle ran dry and there was no longer any need to endure stubbornly.
He had boldly attempted “escape.” He modified part of the Fire Bullet Technique’s incantation so it could sufficiently harm the caster, then dropped it onto his own defenseless head.
It had been a little frightening, of course, but there was no logical reason it should fail. His intuition had agreed, and the results had proven it correct.
Because the action was so extreme, he had consciously agonized dozens of times over whether it was truly safe—whether he would be able to wake safely in reality.
If it became a habit, it would spell disaster. What greater meaningless death could there be than unconsciously doing something like that in the real world later?
At any rate.
He had expected the explosive force of the Fire Bullet Technique to produce a clean blackout, yet he had still felt the terrible heat for a brief instant. He could now somewhat empathize with the feelings of future enemies who would suffer from such flame techniques.
As for the remaining Karma…
He sighed as he looked at the harvested items surrounding him—nearly all of them books.
Not a single one of the magical tools he had painstakingly gathered from the inner sect area had come back with him. Restoring and selecting them had unexpectedly consumed an enormous amount of Karma.
They must have been at least high-grade magical tools.
The Ohaeng Sword was merely a basic tool distributed to all inner sect disciples of the Ohaeng Sect, placing it at mid-to-high grade. Yet even that sword would have been more than sufficient for the current Han Yujin.
Aside from the books, the only other item he had brought back was an improved variety of bloodwood seeds. When the jade box that caught his eye was opened, a surge of vitality poured out.
After finishing organizing the rest of the harvest, he headed to the bathroom with the distinct feeling that it had been a very long time.
Hardly any time had passed in reality, but subjectively it truly felt that way.
“Whoa…”
He was slightly startled when he looked in the mirror.
He had never been ugly, but his appearance had grown noticeably taller and more handsome. The subtle asymmetries and imbalances had been corrected, and his skin had become as flawlessly clear as a commercial model’s.
Did I grow taller too?
It could simply be the result of improved posture and physique, but subjectively it felt as though he had shot up considerably.
What suddenly came to mind was the cultivator’s skeleton he had seen in the inner sect area of the Ohaeng Sect ruins. Even after countless years of exposure to the elements, it had remained white and lustrous as jade.
I too will soon become beautiful on the inside.
Han Yujin thought so. Though in his case, the word “inside” would carry a rather different meaning from the usual one.
Shaking off the stray thoughts, he substituted the entire washing process with a purification spell and returned to his room. As he changed clothes for going out and gathered his smartphone and Bluetooth earphones, the actions felt so strangely unfamiliar that he caught himself chuckling several times.
If I end up living several decades in another world through my awakening ability, will I return and behave like someone slightly maladjusted to society?
It was a genuinely realistic concern—one of the shadows hidden behind the ability’s overwhelming power.
In the worst case, I might stop feeling this place as reality at all.
Of course, that worry was still a little premature.
At any rate.
The place he intended to visit was the Supernatural Ability Verification Training Center. It was roughly twenty to thirty minutes away by public transportation from where he lived.
It would be faster if I used the Wind Riding Technique.
But getting caught would mean a fine, so he had to restrain himself. Even without that risk, it would make him look far too much like an attention seeker.
He left the studio apartment building, exited the alleyway, and stepped onto the main road. Along the way he inserted his earphones and played music on his smartphone, only to be horrified by the poor sound quality he had never noticed before and immediately stop.
He now understood why hunter-grade earphones were so expensive. For the time being, simply enjoying the ambient noise of the city was far more pleasant.
Thus, savoring the urban scenery that felt welcoming precisely because it had been so long subjectively, he waited at the bus stop. When the familiar bus number arrived, he boarded leisurely, explored how the sensation of the bus’s shaking had changed now that he was a cultivator, observed ordinary people hurrying through modern life, and fully enjoyed the mundane pleasures of daily existence.
This is what healing feels like.
Others might claim that camping in places like the Primordial Forest was true healing, but for the current Han Yujin, it was not.
Perhaps because he was enjoying it so much, time passed quickly.
After disembarking at the Supernatural Ability Verification Training Center stop, he walked leisurely for about two minutes before the center building came into view.
It was large enough that he could not take it in at a single glance. Numerous people were busily coming and going, but what particularly caught Han Yujin’s attention were two family groups that included teenage children.
Their kid must have awakened.
He wondered if his own middle school classmate had visited in a similar manner back then. Not necessarily this exact center, of course.
I suppose I’m the late bloomer—the laughing cheetah.
Suppressing the smile that rose unbidden, he stepped inside the building.
As he glanced around the lobby, his eyes met those of a public official standing at the desk. When he approached, the other person spoke first.
“What brings you here today?”
“I’m here to report an awakening of supernatural abilities.”
“Pardon?”
The reaction was one of clear surprise. It was understandable. As he himself had considered before, awakenings at his age were extremely rare. Most people awakened during their mid-to-late teens.
“Ah, for ability awakening verification, please head to the left side over there. Once you arrive you’ll see…”
After listening to the rest of the directions, Han Yujin offered brief thanks and headed in that direction.
The examination room was not difficult to locate. The facility was sizable, and more importantly, he was able to follow the family that had entered the building just ahead of him.
When he stepped through the glass doors, the people waiting in the lobby swept their gazes over the family that had entered first, then let their eyes linger noticeably longer on Han Yujin who followed behind.
There isn’t a single person my age here.
There were four teenagers who appeared to be in their mid-to-late teens, along with the adults who seemed to be their guardians.
“Please come this way!”
A female staff member at the counter beckoned him over. While the family that had arrived first was being helped by another staff member, Han Yujin stated his purpose for visiting, presented his identification, and completed the necessary procedures.
The staff here showed no particular surprise. They handled him with a perfectly natural blend of professional courtesy and friendliness, exactly like civil servants dealing with a visitor at a community center.
“You’ll need to wait about an hour.”
“That’s fine.”
“Then please read through this consent form…”
The employee handed him a document and skillfully underlined the important sections with a highlighter while circling the places that required signatures.
A quick read revealed it was simply a guide outlining various information and precautions. It asked for consent to provide personal information and, incidentally, also sought agreement that additional fees might apply if it was determined that no awakening had occurred.
Seeing the content reminded him of things he had read on the internet.
Apparently a lot of people come for testing even though they haven’t actually awakened.
It could be an earnest wish to awaken, the result of mild mental illness, or simply the actions of a crazy person.
At any rate, such individuals clearly existed.
Surely no one will mistake me for one of them?
Given his age, it was possible someone might think so. Still, it wasn’t a serious problem.
After signing and returning the form, the staff member handed him another document. It was a four-page aptitude questionnaire. The first questions asked whether he had truly awakened, followed by inquiries about the nature of his ability and other details.
“You can fill it out over there and bring it back when you’re done~.”
“Alright.”
Since he had an hour to wait anyway, it was the perfect way to pass the time. He was standing at one of the tall tables filling out the questionnaire when—
“Mr. Han Yujin?”
“Yes?”
When he approached at the staff member’s call, she handed him an additional document with a slightly apologetic expression.
“You’ll need to sign this one as well. It’s a new addition. While we’re doing the blood test, you can also receive a basic health examination.”
“A blood test?”
He asked back without much thought, skimmed the contents, and signed willingly. Perhaps interpreting his question a certain way—or maybe the employee was simply bored—she casually offered some related chatter.
“Lately there have been people taking certain narcotic substances to boost their physical abilities and then claiming they’ve awakened.”
“There are drugs like that?”
“Yes. They have serious side effects, but apparently they do work. Sometimes they even fool the mana scanner… Of course, it all gets exposed eventually…”
After the brief exchange ended, he returned to his seat and continued filling out the aptitude questionnaire. A certain memory suddenly surfaced.
Right before visiting the Primordial Forest, while browsing internet communities to relax, he had seen a similar story. It was about a hunter with healing abilities who had been caught using drugs.
Could it be connected to that?
After pondering it for a moment, Han Yujin erased the question from his mind.
It was someone else’s business anyway.