“Before meeting Yeon-su, I need to finish this or the story won’t progress quickly. Seriously, I never thought I wouldn’t be able to make it yet.”
It was Hwang Tae-wook’s ability: [Alchemy Intuition].
Since I returned yesterday, I’ve been using this ability whenever I had the chance, but absurdly, I’ve faced failure every single time.
I just jumped in blindly, trusting the description that it would somehow get me close to a completed product. But what reflected in reality was different.
“This is a skill that supports the use of alchemy. It wouldn’t make sense for someone like me, who doesn’t even know the meaning of ‘alchemy’, to succeed.”
Still, the conditions were different from the previous times I failed.
“In that transformed state, the results could be different. I was planning to try again this evening, but since I’m already in this state, I might as well do it right now.”
I knew that some abilities are influenced by racial traits.
I’d never heard of an Undead utilizing crafting abilities, so it suddenly occurred to me that the results might differ in this transformed state.
[Alchemy Intuition]
As I recalled the recipe for ‘Killbard’ in my mind, [Alchemy Intuition] activated seamlessly, letting me know intuitively the steps required to create the potion from start to finish.
“First, I need to melt Hamari-shu’s small orb with Flame Energy… but I have to control the heat because if it gets too hot, it’ll burn right away…”
It felt different compared to when I attempted it as a skeleton.
Somehow, I had a hunch that I could pull this off.
There were four ingredients for Killbard.
The golden shell from Minescarabe just needed to be crushed, but it was so tough that it took quite a bit of time.
To extract the essence trapped in the blood jade of Blood Mosquito, I needed specialized alchemical tools.
But I didn’t even need to go out to find those tools.
“I never thought I’d end up using the ones I stole from that building back then.”
When I went on an expedition to capture Cha Jin-hyuk and raided the laboratory of alchemists crafting Evolved Creatures, I snatched up some experimental tools.
The lesson was clear: if you steal and store anything, you’ll eventually find a use for it someday.
“This is the highlight.”
Swoosh–
With detailed precision, I carefully split the ice crystal of Frizkana, which radiated a terrible chill, using a dagger coated in Frost Enamel.
Then, through a small gap where cool air seeped out like threads, I mixed the remaining three ingredients in specific ratios, imbuing them with the unique energy of the alchemist and magical spells.
“The alchemist’s energy… I’ve struggled with this damn thing all the way until this morning. Without [Alchemy Intuition], I wouldn’t have even had a clue.”
After two whole days of attempts, having gone through my share of hardships, I prayed desperately.
“Please… let it work. Succeed! Let it be a great success!!”
Sahara…–
Ting—
Whether my wishes reached it or not, a new alert sounded, and a message popped up.
– ‘Potent Potion of Alchemist Il-wol’ has been completed!
“Yes!! It worked!! I knew creating it in human form was the right answer! But having my name in it feels weird. Can you change it to something else?”
– ‘Potent Potion of Alchemist Il-wol’ has been changed to ‘Potion of the Alchemist Who Touched Death.’
“……Hey. This doesn’t sound right either. Can you change it once more to something like ‘Mystical Potion of the Alchemist’?”
– ………..
“System?”
No matter how many times I called, the system remained silent.
“Tsk… now it’s got a dangerous name. Guess I have no choice.”
– Successfully completed a meaningful alchemy for the first time!
– Achieved the milestone [Alchemist’s Step]!
– Successfully completed alchemy containing unique spells for the first time!
– Achieved the milestone [Alchemist’s Torment]!
[Alchemist’s Step]
– Time taken to bestow alchemical spells decreased by 10%.
– The amount of materials wasted unnecessarily during alchemy reduced by 5%.
[Alchemist’s Torment]
– Time taken to bestow alchemical spells decreased by 10%.
– The results of alchemy have a 10% chance of being completed one tier higher.
“Two achievements at once?! I was already frustrated with how long this took; this is a welcome surprise. The increase in completion quality is a bit disappointing, but it’s still a good achievement. Time passed faster than I thought. I should get going.”
With my time in the transformed state almost up, I had no time to inspect the potion and immediately unlocked the transformation to return to Yeon-hee.
“Where have you been?”
“Clap, clap, clap.”
“…… Ah- Good job.”
I relayed the conversation I had with Inessa, the head of the ‘Do’, to Yeon-hee through Ran.
(“………. That’s right, Master. That human Inessa is the one who carelessly transported you last time. I’m planning to give her a proper scolding one day.”)
Yeon-hee nodded as if it was an ordinary occurrence, showing that she took Ran’s bravado lightly.
However, since the content itself wasn’t light, she soon wore an expression filled with concern.
“Alone…?”
“Clap, clap.”
‘Even if I go to China, I won’t self-destruct or anything. So don’t worry.’
While Yeon-hee quietly nodded, a smooth, bronze-colored arm was placed on her shoulder.
“I think things are more or less settled. How about we go grab a coffee somewhere?”
Yeon-su beamed with a refreshed expression.
Soon, the headline ‘S-rank Hunter Kang Yeon-su! Takes down the country’s largest Evolved Creature organization!’ would adorn the portal sites.
She had the wits to leverage her fame, and now that Jo Gi-man was wandering around like he was mesmerized by something, nothing would stop her.
We entered a café with our companions, all together.
“You said the party name is the White Alliance.”
“Yep! It’s a bit embarrassing, but it’s named after my surname!”
“Haha, cute. But do you guys know about the Orc Legion Commander?”
“What?”
While waiting for her coffee, Yeon-su suddenly asked, looking as if she had just recalled something.
‘Why is she bringing that up all of a sudden?’
The companions tilted their heads, puzzled by Yeon-su’s words, but Yeon-hee was choking nonstop, caught off guard by the unexpected mention.
“Yeon-hee, you know something about it?”
“What? Is it another secret conversation behind our backs?”
As the companions squinted suspiciously, Yeon-hee scratched her head, looking troubled.
‘The invasion of the Orc Legion Commander… I was actually planning to talk about it soon, but why drag the companions into this? She must have some cunning in her.’
The companions were still unaware of it.
It was too big of a threat for them to handle, plus I feared they might withdraw from the party if they heard about it, especially Bae Joo-ah was anxious.
“It seems they still don’t know.”
“What do you mean? We’d like to know!”
As soon as Yeon-hee fell silent, Bae Joo-ah looked to Yeon-su urging her to speak.
‘Guess we have no choice.’
I quickly reached a decision with Yeon-hee, and she nodded and adjusted her posture.
“This is a secret I’ve only recently told Yeon-su.”
Swallow—
This was the first time Yeon-hee used the word secret.
Sensing something unusual, the companions swallowed hard and opened their ears wide.
“In the near future, our world will be invaded by Orcs—”
An overwhelming assault from the Orc Legion Commander.
And the forces supporting them, the Blue-eyed.
They were already causing problems all over, led by a Chimera called ‘Teeth’, and it was highly probable that the existence of Great Beasts now appearing in our country was also linked to their organization.
“Oh…”
“What?!”
“Oh my gosh… Orcs and sneaky Chimeras targeting our world.”
“Is that the monster from the last Dungeon Break?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ha-yoon had already encountered ‘Teeth’ back at the Geochang-ro Dungeon Break.
The companions looked aghast, but Azraelon, who was perched above Ham Eun-young, seemed puzzled by their reaction.
(With such abnormalities occurring in the world, are they really unaware of even a little clue? It wouldn’t be strange if some malevolent being passed through the dungeon at any time.)
‘There’s a difference between the balance of dungeons collapsing and apparently knowing that a faction with a purpose is invading this world.’
Azraelon displayed a nonchalant reaction while his eyes grew thoughtful.
He was probably contemplating what he needed to do to protect Ham Eun-young.
‘Can’t you summon your companions from the demon world? You’ve recovered quite a bit of your strength.’
(Hmph! Companions to a demon? I’ve taken in weaker ones than me before.)
‘Can you bring your minions?’
(To bring the minions that followed me would require more than just this level of fracture. It could only be attempted when the Orc Legion Commander crosses over. Unless a substantial price is to be paid.)
‘What kind of beings are so formidable that weaker demonkin like those who created Diva were able to cross over?’
(Indeed. Those pests can easily slip through even the tiniest of gaps.)
While I was satisfied with the role Azraelon played for now, I had to think of a way to exploit his potential as well.
……
Yeon-su was the one who broke the silence in the now quiet space.
“I know you’re shocked to learn about all this all of a sudden, but we’re already preparing for it. And it’s all thanks to Yeon-hee’s efforts, which have been driving us hard lately.”
Yeon-su quenched her throat with coffee before diving into the serious talk.
“I discussed this with some dependable hunters. The conclusion is that simply having weapons made from Kadinite minerals might not be enough to deal with this threat.”
“Kadinite? Is it from that…?”
That underground mine we first discovered in a dungeon.
The companions, including Ah-rin, who had already learned about the mineral’s astonishing abilities, pulled out their gear from the Space.
“But if it’s insufficient, what do you mean?”
“That’s exactly it. As Yeon-hee heard from the oracle, if the Orc Legion’s strength is indeed that formidable. Just preparing weapons won’t solve anything. The total commander of the Orc Legion is said to be beyond comprehension in terms of combat power, right?”
“Y-Yeah, I’ve heard so.”
“That guy is likely much stronger than the first Escalon, right?”
“Probably.”
‘Right. If that guy had stepped in from the beginning, Yeon-hee wouldn’t have had a chance to shine.’
“So, Ah-rin? Do you know about the potion that was developed in Ilseom?”
‘Just as expected.’
People’s minds all seem to be in the same place. I understood Yeon-su’s way of thinking very well.
“Uh? Are you referring to Killbard?”
“Yes! That’s it! The potion that they used during the group battles with the hunters from Ilseom. It has recently come to light that this potion was used extensively during the Dungeon Break. Even the deputy guildmaster of Ilseom, Hyeon Joong-seob, has been seen using it, which seems to verify its effectiveness.”
Hyeon Joong-seob had swallowed three of those potions at once, so its stability shouldn’t be in question. Of course, there would be some side effects, but at the very least, he wouldn’t turn into a mutant.
“Oh… I don’t know about the latest news, but there are definitely side effects. Permanent ones. Moreover, we don’t know about the long-term effects yet, like if it might shorten one’s lifespan…”
“That’s for sure. It hasn’t even been a few years since its development. Still, it’s qualitatively different from things like Evolved Creatures, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Yeon-hee, we need that. Can you help us out?”
‘…… While the commission for Ilseom’s potion seems right, asking Yeon-hee outright means we know there’s a solution for it… How did they know?’
Yeon-su desperately sought help from Yeon-hee without a hint of hesitation.
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