Chapter 10
“You, Become My Alchemy Slave (2)”
“What kind of work are you suggesting we do together?”
Shin Joon-seok unknowingly raised his tone of speech.
His eyes were mixed with confusion, expectation, and suspicion.
A complex swirl of emotions demanded an answer from Yujin.
If Yujin hadn’t shown him the creation of the intermediate healing potion earlier, this conversation wouldn’t have even started.
〔He’s quite cautious. A real man should be bolder.〕
‘Given what he went through, it makes sense.’
Shin Joon-seok used to be a researcher at Daesung, the largest corporation in the country.
Mana circuit development.
Potion recipe research.
He had achieved results in multiple fields beyond those.
But—
‘He got stabbed in the back.’
His direct superior had cleverly stolen all of his results.
By the time he realized it, it was too late.
He tried to raise objections, but without evidence, everything was ignored.
Meanwhile, the superior who stole his research rapidly climbed the ranks and became an executive.
There was no one left in the company willing to side with him.
Maybe it was luck.
When he was losing all motivation in the company after learning the truth, he received the System’s invitation and awakened.
- I resign.
Without hesitation, he submitted his resignation.
He returned to his hometown, spent all his savings, even took loans, and built this workshop.
“That means I use my alchemy knowledge, but I lack equipment and skills.”
“So you want me to be your hands and feet?”
“That’s right. If you don’t want it, it can’t be helped.”
Yujin flicked his hand, and the completed intermediate potion gently swayed.
Following its movement, Shin Joon-seok’s eyes moved side to side.
‘He won’t be able to resist this.’
He had just witnessed a fully completed intermediate potion.
At minimum, he would want to know the catalyst and ratio used.
The bold demonstration had its intended effect.
“What do I get in return?”
“A potion completion recipe. And other knowledge as well.”
“I can’t trust that. Giving it for nothing—”
“Ha. Listen to this guy. Trying to take my knowledge for free.”
At Yujin’s mocking tone, Shin Joon-seok’s face turned red.
“When did I say I would take it for free?”
“You asked me to become your hands and feet.”
“That includes royalties from items created based on your future advice.”
Yujin shook the potion again.
In a frustrated voice, Shin Joon-seok muttered,
“I could have completed that given more time.”
“Then don’t take it. Simple.”
Yujin showed no regret at all.
Shin Joon-seok’s eyes trembled.
‘He’s hesitating.’
Now that he had seen the finished potion, it was hard to give up.
If he accepted Yujin as a partner—or rather, as someone to handle his work—he would gain financial stability and avoid tedious alchemy work.
“6 to 4. I take 40% for any work I contribute to.”
“That’s a bit much.”
“I’m not forcing an immediate decision.”
“Thank you for giving me time.”
“But let me use the workshop. I have work too.”
“That’s not a problem.”
“Think about it slowly. I’ll be staying here for a few days.”
You’ve already taken the bait.
Yujin smiled faintly.
*
Inside the abandoned factory-turned-alchemy workshop,
Yujin moved around naturally, as if it were his own house, picking up materials and tools one by one.
“Um, excuse me.”
“I already know how to use them and their effects, so don’t worry.”
“You still need to pay for them.”
“……”
〔Kuhahaha!〕
As expected of a future great alchemist. Not easy at all.
“Don’t worry. I’ll pay everything within a month.”
“How long are you planning to speak informally like that?”
“If you’re bothered, you can do it too. Then it’s fair. You spoke informally at first anyway.”
Shin Joon-seok sighed, looking completely dumbfounded.
“Forget it. I’ll just speak formally.”
How dry.
Even while talking, his hands didn’t stop moving, quickly sorting through materials in the workshop.
“Do you have Dark Blood and ghoul bones?”
“Those are black magic catalysts. There’s no reason to use them…”
“Closed thinking doesn’t help alchemy.”
“Ah… ugh.”
Unable to respond, Shin Joon-seok groaned.
Those were your words.
Watching him argue with his past self, Yujin let out a short laugh.
“Then also order Darkness Orb.”
He mixed blue herbs, mana grass, and red mint in a 4:2:1 ratio and ground them smoothly.
Instantly, they turned into powder.
“Fuse five F-rank mana stones and make it 42% concentration.”
“Are you ordering me around?”
“If you don’t want to, don’t.”
Muttering about who would lose more, Shin Joon-seok rolled up his sleeves.
“What exactly are you doing in someone else’s workshop…”
Sorry, but you’ll have to suffer a bit too.
[Melting] is an alchemy skill that breaks down matter and extracts its essence.
If Yujin had reached 2-star level and unlocked alchemy knowledge through the Black Abyss Ring, it would be different—but for now, Shin Joon-seok’s help was essential.
Shin Joon-seok carried a batch of mana stones and stood in front of a bathtub-sized vessel.
A 5-meter-wide alchemy basin.
The container had millimeter markings and was filled with water.
He poured the mana stones in.
[Melting activated.]
The hard surface of the mana stones softened, dissolving like salt in water.
A glowing liquid formed.
Shin Joon-seok gathered mana in his palm with a serious expression.
“Is 42% correct?”
He managed to perfectly match the requested ratio in one attempt.
〔Despite his timid personality, his skill is impressive!〕
‘That’s why he’ll become a great alchemist.’
〔So you’re using the privilege of a regressor again.〕
The mana wave of the stones, water volume, and loss rate during melting—
Everything had to be calculated.
Even experienced alchemists struggled with precise ratios.
Meanwhile, Shin Joon-seok glanced at Yujin grinding herbs.
‘Clean technique.’
Ingredients from Gates or erosion zones.
If too much force is used, the essence leaks into the air and is lost.
To prevent that, mana must be infused into the mortar in a steady rotation.
‘He looks casual, but it’s perfect.’
Shin Joon-seok had seen many magic-type hunters at Daesung.
Even slight mistakes would ruin catalysts.
How many experts could handle herbs so casually like Yujin?
‘I’d need skill bonuses just to match him.’
He swallowed unconsciously.
“Ugh. This is tiring.”
Yujin casually dumped the powdered herbs into the mana solution.
The bubbling liquid slowly turned purple.
“Release.”
A pale gray mist leaked from the Black Abyss Ring.
From the dense gray fog, the Draconian corpse suddenly emerged.
“Eek!”
“Relax. It’s just a corpse.”
“That’s the problem! Why are you dumping a human corpse here?”
“Does that look human to you?”
Shin Joon-seok stared at the Draconian corpse placed in the tub and went blank.
“Well… I guess it’s fine…”
“Do all undead get made like this?”
“Then I wouldn’t be a necromancer. Only special corpses are processed.”
Yujin casually replied and placed his hand into the solution.
Mana, strengthened by the melted mana stones, surged.
The essence of death from the Black Abyss Ring slowly mixed into the purple liquid.
Vooooom.
Mana reacted and intertwined with the death essence.
“Why is something meant to repel each other…”
Shin Joon-seok muttered.
Sorry, no time to explain.
‘All focus required.’
Death essence was like a needle.
Mana was like thread.
Without system assistance, engraving the formula onto a dead body required extreme concentration.
[Enhancement Formula – Low Bone Reinforcement]
The bones hardened as the formula activated.
[Curse Formula – Intermediate Soul Binding]
The connection between soul and body strengthened.
Additional formulas adjusted muscle rigidity and improved mana sensitivity.
Only a necromancy and alchemy master like Yujin could perform such refinement.
Drip. Drip.
Sweat fell to the floor, but he didn’t stop.
Not even if a knife was at his neck would he notice.
Only after all the solution was absorbed into the Draconian body did he finally exhale and sit down.
“H-How are you okay?”
“I’m starving and exhausted.”
“Your method of weaving mana… it was beautiful beyond words.”
All hostility had vanished.
In less than an hour, Shin Joon-seok had been completely captivated.
“I’m hungry.”
“Let’s prepare dinner first.”
*
The next day.
“The materials you ordered have arrived.”
Shin Joon-seok placed the packaged items down.
“I thought it would take at least three days.”
“I have my own connections.”
Connections that could deliver goods to such a remote place.
Likely from his Daesung days.
No need to dig deeper.
“Darkness Orb will take about a week.”
“How long exactly?”
“About one week.”
“Fine. I’ll stay here for now.”
“You will prepare payment, right?”
“Don’t worry.”
Money would be handled later.
Once Shin Joon-seok started running the potion production line, finances would stabilize.
“For these materials, are you making undead again?”
“No. I’m making magical weapons.”
Yujin’s eyes sharpened as he examined the materials.
‘This should produce something usable.’
He handed Shin Joon-seok a vial of black liquid.
“What’s this?”
“Don’t just stand there. Distill it.”
“Why should I do that?”
“You agreed to be my hands and feet.”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Then don’t. We’ll cancel the deal.”
“I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”
Shin Joon-seok grumbled and poured the Dark Blood into the distillation device.
*
Next, Yujin began preparing the rest.
He selected intact ghoul bones first, then overcharged the remaining ones with mana.
CRACK!
The overloaded bones shattered into hundreds of pieces.
He gathered the fragments and placed them over the selected bones.
‘First, necromancy formulas.’
He engraved mana circuits inside the bones.
For him, it was a simple task compared to the Draconian corpse.
Sssshhh!
The concept of [Devouring] embedded in ghoul bones activated.
The fragmented bones were absorbed and reshaped.
The structure changed.
It was not just enhancement—it was reconstruction.
[Processed Ghoul Bone]
Grade: Magic
Durability: 95/100
A modified bone that reacts to death essence.
Now sharpened into a spear-like form.
“Finished on your side?”
“Yes. Dark essence and shadow matter have been separated.”
“Good. Then add reinforcement magic.”
“You already processed the bones?”
“Yes.”
He added enhancement circuits using Dark Blood as a medium.
[Low Alchemy Projection]
[Enhancement Circuit Engraving]
The bones turned black and vibrated.
A necromancer-exclusive magical weapon was completed.
[Curse Bite]
Grade: Rare
Type: Magical Weapon
Restriction: Necromancer
Durability: 300/300
A weapon made from ghoul bones, dark matter, and death essence. Specializes in throwing and defense.
*Throwing Lv 23
Durability Lv 15
“I-I actually created a rare-grade item…”
“Rare grade isn’t anything special.”
“This is a necromancer-exclusive item not even in Daesung’s database!”
Shin Joon-seok trembled.
He was curious.
About the potion recipe.
About necromancer-exclusive item crafting techniques unknown in this era.
‘If you’re curious, take my hand.’
Yujin controlled the weapon remotely.
The floating weapon rose.
‘Mana loss is about 7.2%.’
Not bad for a rare-grade weapon.
Remote control always causes some loss.
Even in the Ancient Garden, he had used similar methods.
His process was nearly perfect.
He fired the weapon at a large rock outside the workshop.
BOOM!
The rock shattered into multiple pieces.
“What did you just do?”
“Tested its power. Good enough for a 1-star Gate.”
“1-star? Are you saying you’re a 1-star hunter?”
“I awakened less than a week ago. I’ll level up soon enough.”
Shin Joon-seok froze.
From what he had just seen, the power was already enough to rival a 2-star hunter.
‘I’ve seen many hunters at Daesung… he’s a monster.’
Gulp.
Shin Joon-seok swallowed hard.
