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n17. Alchemy

nKo Byeong-gap took off his work clothes stained with blood and dirt and changed into the clean clothes he had brought. He also wiped his neck and face with wet tissue and cleaned himself further. No car owner wanted to get blood on his car seat.

nOn his way back to Seoul, he thought about many things.

n‘I’m sure I’m definitely more tired than using a gun.’

nIt wasn’t exhausting, but there was some fatigue left in his body. No matter how well he used it, it was still a weapon that needed to be used by his body.

nHe had more scars on his body than before. If it weren’t for the Ki-breathing textbook, he could’ve used more than half a bottle of potion.

nIn two ways, given his fatigue and injuries, it left him more vulnerable than with a gun when he used the sword. If so, there was no reason to leave a decent gun and insist on a sword.

nHe wasn’t an idiot. There was no way he wouldn’t be able to use a sword instead of a gun that could kill monsters with just the lift of a finger, right?

n‘But… I have to overcome this too.’

nHowever, to win the title of ‘top,’ he would have to let go of the gun one day, from modern firearms to cutlery weapons. There was a good reason for that extremely anachronistic retrograde.

nIn short, guns didn’t work in the higher world. Well, aside from that, there was a reason why Ko Byeong-gap had to pick up a sword. It was due to the money. Every conflict in the world was bound to come from money.

nThe amount of ammunition he spent every month alone exceeded 1.5 million won. It might be written off as a gum price for some, but it was a lot of money for the poor.

nWhile he thought about multiple matters, he arrived in Seoul. Ko Byeong-gap went straight home without stopping by the association, and after he had packed his things, he went to Ashvilam.

n“Lord, sir, you’re here.”

n“Oh, Gobung, Gobung, Gobung.”

nAs soon as he came to Ashvilam, Gobung welcomed him.

n“So, anything special about your work?”

n“Oh, there is none. And, Lord… We’re done with what you asked us to do.”

nGobung pointed to one side. The by-products of the Horned Wolves had been piled up and were well organized. It was great work for 90 Goblins.

n“Oh, how well organized.”

nLeather, horns, teeth, claws. It was well classified according to type.

n“We did it. Like that. I ordered it!”

n“Yes, you’re the head of the workforce. Very good.”

n“Hehe…”

nKo Byeong-gap praised him, and his mouth stretched from ear to ear, and then, Ko Byeong-gap approached the stacked by-products.

n‘Huh? Did they really clean these up?’

nHe complimented them to make them feel better, but their workmanship was pretty good. Ko Byeong-gap smiled with satisfaction as he peered at the skin of the Horned Wolves.

n“Yes, you should go and take care of your work.”

n“Okay, sir.”

nAfter sending Gobung away, Ko Byeong-gap opened the Ancient Shop.

nCrystals on Hand: 1,765

nThe Goblins dug more than 400 crystals during the day. Certainly, their mining speed was different from when it was 30 of them that worked.

nHe teased his fingers and went looking for the product he wanted. The category he looked at was ‘Construction.’

n‘Found it.’

nLow-grade Combustion Unit

n-Price: 900 Crystals

n-Description: An alchemy device that can craft and enhance objects. Suitable for low-level alchemy.

nKo Byeong-gap paid 900 crystals and bought a low-grade combustion unit. Something intangible floated in the air, as it did when he had purchased the crystal slot in the past.

nIt also looked like roasting machinery in a way. Two columns rose like chimneys attached to a rugged, square frame. The pillars were large and spacious, and the materials were to be put into them. Ko Byeong-gap installed the combustion unit in a suitable place.

nDo you want to install the ‘Low-grade Combustion Unit’ in this location?

nStarting installation…

nRequired time is about 5 minutes.

nThe low-grade combustion unit, which was an illusion, took over reality. Ko Byeong-gap calmly waited for it to be completed.

nFive minutes passed quickly.

n‘Now, what shall we make?’

nHe knew how to use the combustion unit through the ‘Ancient Alchemy Textbook – Low-grade’ engraved in his head. He wanted to make clothes as a test first.

nHe put a Horned Wolf’s leather in the chimney then placed his hands on the flat plate located in the front of the oven.

n‘Shall we try a t-shirt?’

nHe calmed his mind and conceived an image in his head. At that point, the chance of failure would increase if he was distracted, so he concentrated on it. He tried to ductile by painting a very simple type of short-sleeved T-shirt.

nA soft glow shone from the plate he touched. The combustion engine started operating with the sound of the gears turning.

nDo do do do do do do do do…

nThe affair was soon over. After confirming that the light on the plate had disappeared, Ko Byeong-gap pulled the handle on the combustion unit’s body. He opened it full of anticipation, excited to see a neat t-shirt inside, but there was kind of a strange bulky piece of garbage instead. It was a malleable product.

n“What? Where’s the t-shirt?”

nNeedless to say, it was unsuccessful in the synthesis.

nHe picked up the result. No matter how much he tried to make it look good, there seemed to be no use to it more than a mop.

n“Maybe it’s because I’m lacking in skill.”

nKo Byeong-gap rolled up his sleeves. He had a lot of materials anyway. He had finished his work that day, but he decided to just sit down and do more crafting.

n“Let’s see if you win or I win.”

nKo Byeong-gap entered the second training without a break.

n* * *

nKo Byeong-gap couldn’t stand it and laid down. His chest rose and fell, exhaling harshly.

n“Sigh, sigh… This is work.”

nAlchemy used up a lot of his stamina. At first, he didn’t know it was going to be difficult, but at some point, his body lost strength.

nA satisfied smile spread on his face even in the midst of his exhaustion. He laid down and opened up a t-shirt. It was a neatly made t-shirt. Its difference from other t-shirts on the market was that it wasn’t stitched together. So it was more robust.

n‘Shall I start selling clothes with this?’ That was what he thought.

nIt wasn’t a nonsensical story. He lacked many things at that moment, but if his alchemy skills improved, he might be able to make and sell clothes and goods.

n‘I’ll make my mom a mink coat later.’

nKo Byeong-gap got up and prayed for his mother to get well soon. However, unbeknownst to him, evening came, and it was dark.

nAfter work, the Goblins gathered to watch Ko Byeong-gap craft.

nHe said while throwing a t-shirt at the place where he collected successful works, “Take this and wear it. I only have a few pairs, so share them with each other.”

n“Wow!”

nThe Goblins were eager to share. A smile spread across Ko Byeong-gap’s lips. He then decided to calm down and try his final creation.

n‘I’ve raised my skill level enough…’

nHe picked up the long sword he had brought from home. The blade was badly damaged, so it was too much to use further. He would have to buy a new one or have it repaired.

n‘Tsk! What a waste of money to repair.’

nA hunter, who saved money on equipment, was an idiot. That meant that there was nothing to say if they died while subjugating.

nHowever, swords were too expensive. To buy something useful, he had to pay a few million won, even hundreds of millions of won. He couldn’t understand why a sword was more expensive than a gun.

nAlchemy was groundbreaking in that sense. He might not need to invest money in equipment if what he envisioned was realized.

nHe placed the long sword in one chimney and the tail collected from the Rake Wolf in the other. The Rake Wolf’s tail was so sharp that it was actually used in weapons production.

n‘This time, it’s not production. It’s synthesis.’

nKo Byeong-gap started his soft work. The ductile plate lit up, and the combustion unit was activated.

nDo do do do do do do…

nThe processing ended quickly. He calmed his trembling mind and pulled the knob on the machine’s body that contained a well-edged longsword.

nIt was a success.

n“Oh, thank God!” He shouted for joy and picked up the result.

n“Hey, this is real stuff.”

nIt no longer looked like junk that had ragged teeth at its edges. Instead, there was only a long sword that made him feel cold just by looking at it.

nIt was more than he expected. Looking at the cold blade… It was cool to just gaze at it.

nWhile appreciating the shape of the long sword, the weapons of the Goblins came into view when he suddenly turned his gaze. It was a primitive weapon in a crude form.

n‘I’ll have to make the Goblins some later. No, why don’t I teach the Goblins alchemy or other skills?’

nIn the future, he thought it would be okay to teach the Goblins various skills. For example, if he selected a few people and let them learn about alchemy, they might be able to set up a workshop.

nWhat else? If he taught them how to farm and raise livestock, they would have no problem with the food supply. If he picked strong people and raised them as combatants, subjugation would be easier.

nThere was a myriad of things he could do with the Goblins.

n“Kayak!”

n“Keeek!”

n‘…’

nOf course, it would take some time. He needed to increase their number first. At least 300 would be able to speed up their crystal mining and had a surplus of troops.

n“I’m leaving. Take a rest.”

n“Oh, my Lord! Already. Are you leaving?”

n“Uh, I have to go see my mom.”

n“Oh! Goodbye. Bye!”

n“Okay.”

nThe Goblins bowed their heads to say goodbye. Another day passed like that.

n* * *

n“You planted this!”

n“Wait, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

nKo Byeong-gap pondered for a moment, then brushed it off. Did it matter if it was planned or not? As long as it made sense, that was enough.

n“Wooo…”

nThe Goblins in front of them showed a bewildered reaction. Ko Byeong-gap put his long sword into the sheath and smiled.

n“What makes your reaction so lukewarm? Is this your first time seeing your Lord? Oh, first time? I’ll let you off the hook this time.”

n“L-Lord?”

nHe had stepped into an E-rank crack located in Gapyeong. However, it was a Goblin colony that defended the other side of the world. As it was an E-rank crack, there were only Normal Goblins at the beginning. Ko Byeong-gap hugged a Normal Goblin and shouted, “You! Don’t you want to go to Ashvilam?”

n“Ah, Ashvilam!”

n“Going. Want!” The Normal Goblins murmured. Ko Byeong-gap nodded his head as if satisfied.

n“Yeah, yeah, if you want to go, you have to go. Take me to your boss!”

nAs predicted by Ko Byeong-gap, the world’s boss monster was a Hob Goblin. He saw Ko Byeng-gap and immediately froze.

n“Oh my God, you’re…”

n“Hey, don’t be scared. I’m not going to eat you?”

n“Gee, really? Are you really the Lord?”

n“Oh, I’m 100%, genuinely, your Lord.”

nAfter responding so, Ko Byeong-gap scoured the Goblins and shouted in a declaration, “I’m your Lord! Everyone! Swear your allegiance to me! Then I’ll take you to Ashvilam!”

nHis loud voice echoed, and a second later…

n“Lord!”

n“Lord!”

n“Humph! Hum!”

nThe goblins bowed their heads. Some even ended up in tears.

nThe Normal Goblins (51) and Hob Goblin (1) have been transferred to Ashvilam.

n‘Good.’

nKo Byeong-gap looked satisfied and said, “Come on, let’s go! To Ashvilam of dreams and hopes!”

nHe opened the door to Ashvilam. The Goblins were astonished by the momentum that blasted out their eyes.

n“Gobung, Gobung, come out!”

nGobung jumped out soon after he called.

n“Lord! Did you call me?”

n“Oh, the newcomers are here. Take them and teach them.”

n“Okay! All. Me. Follow me!”

nGobung was accustomed to leading the goblins.

nKo Byeong-gap came out empty-handed within 15 minutes of entering the crack.

n‘It’s a little futile.’

nRecruiting additional Goblins was a good thing, but somehow it felt like a waste of time. He wanted to test his new long sword that day.

n“It’s too bad to hit the ball like this.”

nKo Byeong-gap picked up his cell phone when he thought so, but since the time was still early, there had to be some cracks without owners.

nHe logged on to the Hunternet app and touched the “Real-time Crack Status” bulletin board to see the crack map. However, he accidentally pressed the bulletin board next to him.

nIt was a little thing to call a mistake, but Ko Byeong-gap, while he looked at his cell phone, stopped… because a post caught his eye.

nA-rank crack near Gapyeong Station. One porter is urgently needed! 3 million won per day!

n‘Three million won?’

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