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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 10: You, Become My Alchemic Slave (2)
"What kind of work do you want to do together?"
Shin Joonseok unconsciously spoke formally, a mix of bewilderment, anticipation, and suspicion in his eyes. His complex emotions demanded an answer from Yoojin.
If Yoojin hadn't demonstrated the creation of the Intermediate Healing Potion, this conversation wouldn't even be happening.
〔He's quite wary. A man should have more boldness.〕
'Considering what he went through, it's understandable.'
A researcher at Daesung, the largest corporation in Korea.
That was Shin Joonseok's former occupation.
Magic circuit development.
Potion recipe research.
He had produced various results in the fields mentioned above, but...
'He was backstabbed.'
Shin Joonseok's direct superior had cleverly maneuvered to steal all his work.
By the time he realized it, it was already too late.
He protested, but without proper evidence, his claims were dismissed.
Meanwhile, the superior who stole his research results rapidly climbed the corporate ladder, becoming an executive.
There was no one left in the company who would take his side.
Perhaps it was fortunate.
Just as he was losing his will to stay at the company after learning the truth, he received an invitation from the system and became an Awakened.
— I resign.
Without a moment's hesitation, he submitted his resignation.
He returned to his hometown, poured all his savings, and even took out loans to establish the workshop before them.
"I have some knowledge of alchemy, but I lack the equipment and skills."
"So you want me to be your hands and feet?"
"That's right. It can't be helped if you refuse."
Yoojin reached for the completed Intermediate Potion, and the red liquid swayed with his gesture. Shin Joonseok's eyes followed its every movement.
'He won't be able to resist this.'
He had witnessed the potion functioning perfectly with his own eyes.
He would at least want to know the catalyst and the ratio used to complete the Intermediate Potion.
The effect of Yoojin's bold performance was clear.
"What do I gain in return?"
"The recipe to complete the potion. I'll also share other knowledge with you."
"I can't believe it. Without any compensation..."
"Heh, look at this guy. Trying to get my knowledge for free."
Shin Joonseok's face reddened at Yoojin's mockery.
"When did I say I'd give it to you for free?"
"Didn't you ask me to be your hands and feet?"
"That includes royalties on the items you create using my advice in the future."
Yoojin shook the potion once more.
Shin Joonseok muttered in a subdued voice, seemingly frustrated.
"I could have completed that with a little more time."
"It can't be helped if you refuse."
Yoojin showed no signs of regret.
Shin Joonseok's eyes twitched.
'It's tempting, isn't it?'
Having seen the completed potion with his own eyes, it would be difficult for him to give up.
If he had Shin Joonseok as an em— no, as a partner, not only would it ease his financial burden, but he could also entrust all the tedious alchemy work to him.
"The ratio is 6 to 4. 40% for my involvement in the production."
"That's a bit much."
"I won't force you to decide right now."
"Thank you for the time."
"But let me use the workshop. I have things to do."
"That's not a problem."
"Take your time to think about it. I plan to stay here for a few days."
You've already taken the bait.
Yoojin smiled gently.
＊ ＊ ＊
In the alchemy workshop nestled within the abandoned factory, Yoojin moved around as comfortably as if he were in his own home, gathering ingredients and tools one by one.
"Um, excuse me."
"I know how to handle and use these, so don't worry about it."
"You still have to pay for them."
"..."
〔Khahaha!〕
As expected of the future Great Alchemist. He wasn't an easy pushover.
"Don't worry. I'll pay you back within a month."
"And until when do you intend to speak informally?"
"If you're upset about it, you can drop the formalities too. It'll be fair then. You were pretty casual when we first met."
Shin Joonseok's face was a picture of bewilderment, and then he sighed deeply.
"Fine. I'll be the only one using formal speech."
How boring.
Even while exchanging words, Yoojin's hands didn't stop moving. He quickly sorted through the ingredients in the workshop, selecting what he needed.
"Do you have any Dark Blood and Ghoul Bones?"
"Those are catalysts related to dark magic. There's no reason for me to handle... those."
"Narrow-mindedness doesn't help the advancement of alchemy."
"Ah, ugh..."
Shin Joonseok groaned, unable to come up with a rebuttal.
“A narrow perspective and closed-mindedness don't help with alchemy”— those were your own words.
Yoojin let out a short laugh as he watched Shin Joonseok battling against his future self.
"Then, I'll place an order for those, along with Darkness Orb."
After placing the order, he skillfully ground the Blue Herb, Magic Herb, and Red Mint in a 4:2:1 ratio.
The herbs turned to powder in an instant.
"Melt 5 F-rank mana stones and make it a 42% concentration."
"Are you ordering me around?"
"You don't have to do it if you don't want to."
Shin Joonseok rolled up his sleeves as Yoojin muttered—
“I don't know who's losing out here.”
"What in the world are you doing, barging into someone else's workshop like this?"
“I'm sorry, but you'll have to suffer a bit.”
[Melting] was an alchemy skill that disassembled the form of an object and extracted only its essence.
Perhaps if he had reached 2 Stars and unlocked the knowledge of the Alchemy School with the Ring of Darkness, it would be different. But at this point, Shin Joonseok's help was essential.
Shin Joonseok grabbed a bundle of mana stones and stood in front of a bathtub.
A 5-meter bathtub.
He filled the alchemy-specific bathtub, which had markings for millimeter measurements, with water and then tossed in all the mana stones.
[Using Melting.]
The hard surface of the mana stones became gooey, and then they dissolved like salt in water.
The liquid emitted a faint light. Shin Joonseok gathered mana in his palm with a serious expression.
"42%, correct?"
With a single attempt, Shin Joonseok perfectly matched the requested ratio.
〔Despite his timid personality, his skills are impressive!〕
'He's going to become the Great Alchemist, after all.'
〔Indeed. Making use of the regressor's privileges once again.〕
The unique wavelength of mana stones and the amount of water.
And the mana loss rate that occurred during the melting process.
It was easy to say, but all of this had to be calculated.
Even experienced alchemists found it difficult to get the melting ratio right.
Meanwhile.
Shin Joonseok also observed Yoojin's hand movements as he ground various leaves in a mortar with a sidelong glance.
'His technique is flawless.'
Otherworldly plants found in Gates or Erosion Zones.
If you applied force without care while grinding, the sap contained in the leaves would be exposed to the atmosphere, and the mana of the herbs would be lost.
To prevent the energy from dissipating, you had to imbue the mortar with mana and rotate it at a constant speed, but...
'He seems to be stirring casually, but it's perfect.'
Shin Joonseok had seen countless magic-based Hunters during his time at the Daesung Group laboratory.
It seemed simple at first glance, but...
Even a tiny error could damage the catalyst and reduce efficiency.
Among the experts at Daesung, how many magic-based Hunters could handle herbs as casually as Yoojin?
'I'd need skill enhancements to be that good.'
Shin Joonseok gulped unconsciously.
"Ah, I'm tired."
Yoojin muttered casually and poured the powdered herbs directly into the melted mana stone solution.
The solution bubbled.
The slightly bluish liquid instantly turned purple.
"Release."
A whitish mist seeped from the Ring of Darkness.
From the deep gray stream, too dense to see through, the draconian's corpse suddenly emerged.
"Eek!"
"What's the surprise? It's just a corpse."
"Isn't that even more of a problem? What are you doing dumping a human corpse in here!"
"Does this look human to you?"
Shin Joonseok stared at the draconian corpse lying in the bathtub, then let out an "Ah!" of surprise.
"My, how naive."
"Is this how you make all undead?"
"Then I wouldn't be a necromancer. I only process special corpses."
Yoojin replied lightly and dipped his hand into the solution.
The mana felt abundant, thanks to the recently melted F-rank mana stones.
He slowly released the Death Essence, converted by the Ring of Darkness, into the purple liquid.
Woooong!
Reacting to the Death Essence, the mana gradually intertwined.
"Why are the properties that should be repelling each other..."
Shin Joonseok, who was watching from the side, let out a short groan.
'I need to focus all my attention.'
The Death Essence was the needle.
And the accompanying mana was the thread.
To engrave spells onto a dead body without any skill enhancements required a high degree of concentration.
[Enhancement Spell - Low-Rank Bone Reinforcement]
The spells engraved throughout the bones activated, increasing bone density.
[Curse Spell - Intermediate Soul Binding]
A curse that enhanced the synchronization between the soul and the corpse, further increasing the undead's performance, was engraved into the brain.
In addition, there were spells that relaxed the muscles stiffened by rigor mortis and magic circles that increased mana sensitivity.
This was a magical crafting process possible only for Yoojin, who had reached the master level in both necromancy and alchemy.
Drip— Drip—
Drops of sweat formed on his forehead and dripped onto the floor, but he didn't stop.
A level of concentration that would make him oblivious even if a knife were held to his throat.
Only after all the solution had seeped into the draconian's body did he let out a short sigh, "Huu—" and collapse on the spot.
"A-are you alright?"
"No. I'm so hungry and exhausted I could faint."
"The artistry of weaving mana... It was truly beautiful, beyond words."
The hostility had melted away like snow.
Less than an hour after growling at him, Shin Joonseok had become captivated by Yoojin's skills and lowered his guard.
"Ah, I'm hungry, I said."
"Please teach me that technique next time."
Shin Joonseok only spoke about what he wanted.
Right.
This was how he always was.
A man obsessed with alchemy. An eccentric who, even at a large corporation like Daesung, had no interest in anything but research.
"I have a lot to do, so I'll get right back to work after eating."
"Then let's prepare dinner quickly."
Shin Joonseok bustled about, preparing food.
＊ ＊ ＊
The next day.
"The materials you ordered have arrived."
Shin Joonseok placed the packaged materials down.
"I thought it would take at least three days."
"I have my own connections."
To have connections that could deliver directly to this remote mountain valley...
It seemed like they were established during his time at the corporation.
There was no need to pry further.
"There's no stock of Darkness Orb, so that will take a bit longer."
"How long?"
"They said it'll likely take about a week."
"Good. I'll be staying here for a while anyway, so it doesn't matter."
"You can prepare the payment, right?"
"Don't worry."
It was time to start working to earn some money.
Perhaps it would be different once Shin Joonseok started operating the Intermediate Potion production line in earnest,
but until then, he had to be mindful of his finances.
"Are all these materials for making undead as well?"
"No. I'm going to make magic weapons."
Yoojin's eyes carefully examined the materials.
A satisfied glint flickered in his sharp pupils.
'With this much, I can make some decent weapons.'
He smiled with satisfaction and handed a black liquid, Dark Blood, to Shin Joonseok.
"What's this?"
"What are you waiting for? Distill it."
"I'm asking why I have to do that."
"You agreed to be my hands and feet."
"I haven't decided yet, have I?"
"Suit yourself. Let's consider our deal null and void then."
"Ah, I'll do it! I'll do it!"
Shin Joonseok grumbled as he poured the Dark Blood into the distillation apparatus.
Grinding herbs could be managed with manual dexterity, but the distillation apparatus was specialized alchemy equipment, requiring Shin Joonseok's assistance.
'Now, shall I prepare the rest of the process?'
[Ghoul Bone]
Rank: Magic
Classification: Miscellaneous Goods
Durability: 19/20
A bone imbued with deathly energy. It reacts sensitively to the energy of death.
First, he selected half of the bones with intact durability and infused the remaining bones with an excessive amount of spirit power.
Crack!
The Ghoul Bones, infused with energy beyond their limit, cracked and shattered into hundreds of pieces.
Yoojin gathered the fragments and placed them on top of the selected Ghoul Bones.
'First, the necromancy spells.'
He manipulated the spirit power that permeated the bones, carving magic circuits inside.
Compared to strengthening the draconian's corpse, this was child's play.
Saaaak!
Ghouls were undead that craved the flesh and blood of the living.
The concept of [Gluttony] resided within their bones.
The intact Ghoul Bones absorbed the shattered white bone fragments, becoming more robust and larger in size.
'Even the shape is changing.'
This was beyond reinforcement; it was reconstruction.
The reason for shattering the bones was to intervene in the absorption process and transform them into a suitable form for magic weapons.
[Processed Ghoul Bone]
Rank: Magic
Classification: Miscellaneous Goods
Durability: 95/100
A deathly energy-imbued bone processed into a magic weapon. Reacts to Death Essence.
The Ghoul Bone had become pointed, taking on a shape close to a stake.
It was still classified as 'Miscellaneous Goods' by the system.
The first stage was complete, and...
"How about you?"
"It's done. It separated into Death Essence and Dark Matter."
"Excellent. Then engrave a strengthening enchantment on this."
"You've already processed the bone?"
Shin Joonseok's eyes sparkled as he examined the Ghoul Bone.
"A magic circuit carved with spirit power. Remarkable."
"Use Dark Blood as the medium for the strengthening circuit. The technique is the same."
"Understood."
[Alchemy - Low-Grade Projection]
[Projection Spell - Strengthening Circuit Inscription]
A magic circuit inscribed with Dark Blood.
The Ghoul Bone turned jet black and emitted a humming vibration.
With the addition of the strengthening circuit, the necromancer-exclusive magic weapon was complete.
[Cursed Fang]
Rank: Rare
Classification: Magic Weapon
Restriction: Necromancer
Durability: 300/300
A magic weapon made by processing Ghoul Bone with Dark Matter and Death Essence. Specialized for throwing and defense.
*Throwing Lv 23
*Durability Lv 15
"I-I've completed a Rare-rank item..."
"Is Rare rank that amazing?"
"This isn't just anything; it's a necromancer-exclusive item not even found in Daesung Group's database!"
Shin Joonseok's eyes twitched.
He must be curious.
About the Intermediate Potion recipe and the method for crafting necromancer-exclusive items unknown at this point in time.
'If you're curious, join me.'
Yoojin controlled the Cursed Fang with Bone Control.
The magic weapon floated up.
'The spirit power loss is about 7.2%.'
Excellent for a Rare-rank weapon.
When controlling it remotely, some power loss was inevitable.
He had used the Staff of Resentment offensively in the Ancient Garden, but the power leakage back then was significant.
This demonstrated how close to perfection Yoojin's process was.
As a test, he shot the Cursed Fang at a large rock outside the workshop.
Kwaaaang!
The rock shattered into several pieces with an explosive sound.
"What did you do?"
"A power test. With this much, it'll be usable for clearing 1 Star Gates."
"1 Star? You're... surely not a 1 Star, are you?"
"It hasn't even been a week since I Awakened. My rank will rise quickly."
Yoojin spoke casually.
Shin Joonseok was dumbfounded.
Based on the power he just displayed, it was at a level capable of subduing not just 1 Star, but even 2 Star Hunters.
He had met countless Hunters while working at Daesung, including some at the ranker level, so he could be sure.
'This man... is a monster.'
Gulp—
Shin Joonseok swallowed hard.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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