Ascenders dressed in black suits stepped out of the limousine.
The Seolhwa Clan badges pinned to their chests added an imposing dignity to their presence.
“W-Why aren’t you moving aside?”
As they approached us, Kim Hakseon reached toward me with a pale expression.
Just before his hand touched me—
“Ascender Kim Hajun, we have come to escort you.”
The members of the Seolhwa Clan bowed toward me.
“W-What……?”
Kim Hakseon’s mouth fell wide open at the sight.
Careful. A fly might enter.
I gave him a faint smile and spoke.
“Keep the business card. If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be leaving first. I’m rather busy.”
“Huh? R-Right. I-I didn’t know you were busy. S-See you later.”
Kim Hakseon’s reaction was an unfamiliar experience for me.
His eyes had always carried a faint sense of contempt whenever he looked at me.
Now, that gaze had completely changed.
He looked intimidated.
A strange sense of superiority welled up within me.
Ah.
So this was why people wanted to become Ascenders and climb higher.
It was the moment I came to understand one of humanity’s most primal instincts.
“We will escort you.”
The Seolhwa Clan’s limousine carried me away at high speed.
The interior was so luxurious and comfortable that it left me in awe.
‘I can’t feel any vibrations at all.’
I could hardly tell whether I was leaning against a seat inside a car or lying upon a bed.
‘So this is how Ascenders at the highest level live.’
It felt as though I had tasted a fragment of another world.
The Seolhwa Clan’s limousine even passed freely through the inspections that began from the B District onward.
“We have arrived.”
I stepped out before a dazzling skyscraper.
‘Wow.’
I recognized the building at a glance.
It was the Harrington The One building in the S District.
I never imagined that I would one day set foot in a place I had only seen online.
It was one of the most luxurious buildings in the country.
“Welcome to Harrington The One.”
The building staff bowed deeply to greet me as I entered.
They treated me with such reverence that I almost felt like a nobleman.
It was an experience I could never have dreamed of before becoming an Ascender.
‘Someday, I’ll…….’
I would reach the day when I could enter and leave places like this as though they were my own home.
I was guided to the building’s highest floor.
There stood a restaurant overlooking the entire city.
“Mr. Hajun! You’re here?”
Han Gain was waiting for me at a table beside the window.
“Yes. Hello.”
“We met again so soon, didn’t we?”
“We did.”
Seeing Han Gain welcome me so warmly eased my tension.
This woman had a talent for making people feel comfortable once she grew close to them.
“You must have had a difficult journey.”
“Haha, not at all. I came very comfortably thanks to the car you sent. It was so comfortable that I nearly fell asleep on the way.”
“Pfft. Was it really that comfortable?”
“Yes. Extremely. It made me want to buy one someday.”
I meant it sincerely.
After riding in it once, I had fallen in love with the car.
“I could give you one if you wanted.”
Excuse me?
I wanted to dismiss it as a joke, but Han Gain’s eyes were completely serious.
“Haha. I appreciate the offer.”
“Hmph. I’m serious. Tell me if you ever need one.”
“Yes. I will. Haha.”
Ah.
I understood.
Was this another subtle form of persuasion intended to recruit me into her clan?
As expected of one of the Five Great Clans, even their recruitment tactics were on another level.
After reaching my own conclusion, I nodded.
Once I viewed her behavior as an extension of her recruitment effort, everything made sense.
“What would you like to order?”
I selected the first item on the menu Han Gain handed me.
To be honest, I had no idea what any of it meant, and asking her to explain would have been embarrassing.
Still, perhaps high-end restaurants truly were different.
I had simply chosen the first course on the menu, yet it was remarkably delicious.
An enjoyable meal passed.
During the tea that followed, Han Gain presented what I had requested.
However, what she placed before me was completely different from what I had expected.
“This is what you asked for, Mr. Hajun.”
She placed a ring box on the table.
What was this?
Why was she taking out a ring box?
I had asked for materials related to alchemy.
“Open it.”
Han Gain spoke with a refreshing smile.
As though entranced, I opened the box.
‘……!’
My eyes widened enormously.
That was only natural.
Inside the box lay a ring that practically announced at a glance, ‘I am a high-grade Artifact.’
“What is this?”
“It’s the reward I mentioned before. Please take a closer look. I prepared it as carefully as I could, but I’m not sure whether you’ll like it.”
At her words, I removed the ring from the box and examined it before my eyes.
Information about the ring appeared.
[Grang’s Ring]
*Grade: Legendary (1-Star ★)
*Contains Subspace (1-Star ★)
*An Artifact created by Archmage Grang.
“……!”
Good heavens!
A ring containing Subspace.
She was giving this to me?
My hands became polite without conscious thought.
Although it was only one-star, any Artifact containing Subspace could command practically any price.
Even a one-star Subspace provided access to an area of roughly thirty-three square meters.
It had not received the Legendary grade without reason.
“I filled the ring with the medicinal ingredients and Potions you requested.”
When I checked the Subspace Ring, I found it packed with the alchemical ingredients I had asked for, along with Mana Potions and Health Potions.
The word insane escaped me naturally.
How much would all of this be worth?
At the very least, it would be enough for me to move several ranks above the F District where I currently lived.
“This is such a valuable item that I’m not sure whether I should accept it.”
“Please take it without feeling burdened. My life is worth at least this much.”
Han Gain revealed her white teeth in a smile as she spoke.
The pride contained within that smile made her appear strangely beautiful.
‘The more I see her, the more admirable she seems.’
Had Han Gain been my girlfriend instead of Yeonhee, perhaps I would never have been dumped that way.
The thought suddenly crossed my mind.
‘Good grief. What am I thinking?’
I immediately shook my head.
I should not gaze at a tree I could never climb!
…Though perhaps that might change once I became a truly high-ranking Ascender.
In any case, I had unexpectedly received an enormous gift.
There was one thing I appreciated above all else about obtaining a Subspace Ring.
‘I won’t have to hang Potions all around my waist anymore.’
The first time I had purchased Potions and entered a dungeon, carrying them on a Potion Belt had been extremely inconvenient.
It might have seemed trivial, but this was what pleased me most at the moment.
“If you ever need anything else, please contact me without hesitation. I’ll always be supporting you!”
How admirable.
Her encouragement made me feel strangely energized.
Good.
I had enjoyed an excellent meal.
Now I should head straight to the <Sky Tower> that afternoon.
<Beginner Alchemy Workshop>
The first place I visited after entering the Sky Tower was an Alchemy Workshop.
I intended to create a <Beginner Mana Circuit Improvement Elixir> using the materials Han Gain had given me.
* Until you reach a certain level, using an Alchemy Workshop inside the tower will increase your success rate.
The reason I had come all the way to the <Sky Tower> in search of a workshop was to improve my chances of success.
“The Beginner Workshop costs one silver coin per hour.”
‘What? Why is it so expensive?’
The workshop fee was far higher than I had expected.
One silver coin was worth nearly one hundred thousand won.
If even the Beginner Workshop cost one hundred thousand won per hour, how expensive were the Intermediate, Advanced, and Master Workshops?
‘No wonder Potions are so absurdly expensive.’
It was the moment I discovered where the inflation surrounding Potions, one of alchemy’s most representative products, began.
In any case, I paid three silver coins and purchased three hours of access.
Success will be difficult on your first attempt, so reserve three hours in advance. Keep in mind that you may not succeed today. Do not rush. Proceed slowly.
At Aleon’s words, I emptied my mind and began my first attempt at alchemy with a relaxed attitude.
Today, I would simply familiarize myself with the process.
“Two Kellig Leaves, half an Intenior Fruit, one Gandrasil Root… there.”
Following the recipe for the Beginner Mana Circuit Improvement Elixir, I measured the ingredients and arranged them appropriately upon the workshop apparatus.
[You are using <Sage’s Alchemy>.]
I drew upon my Magic Power and activated <Sage’s Alchemy>.
Magic Power flowed from my hands.
It began resonating with the ingredients before me.
This was where the most important stage began.
I had to control my Magic Power according to the recipe without even the slightest deviation.
Only then would the ingredients blend in the perfect proportions and reveal their effects.
‘For the first attempt, I should simply try to understand the sensation.’
At that moment, I truly used alchemy without any expectations.
I had been told that failure was natural.
I had fully assumed that would be the result.
However—
SHIIIIING!!!
An extraordinary light began erupting.
“Huh?”
W-What?
[Congratulations. You have successfully created the <Beginner Mana Circuit Improvement Elixir>.]
“……!”
* Y-You succeeded on your first attempt?
Aleon and I stared at each other, both speechless.
Neither I, the one who had performed the alchemy, nor Aleon, who was called the Great Sage, had expected this result.
B-Beginner’s luck. You were fortunate!
“Ah. Right? I thought something seemed strange. There was no way it could really be this easy.”
Alchemy was one of the most highly valued abilities in the entire world.
Very few people could wield it, and it was an extremely difficult discipline.
The fact that I had succeeded on my first attempt was probably due to luck.
‘But… controlling the Magic Power while using Sage’s Alchemy did feel easier than I expected.’
As I tilted my head, Aleon spoke in a slightly urgent voice.
Would you try once more?
At his suggestion, I attempted to create another <Beginner Mana Circuit Improvement Elixir>.
Once again, controlling the Magic Power felt remarkably easy.
[Congratulations. You have successfully created the <Beginner Mana Circuit Improvement Elixir>.]
“Wow.”
T-This is insane!
At that moment, I understood.
“Could I be talented at alchemy?”
I had discovered that I was a natural genius in the field of alchemy.
“Hehehe.”
I left the Alchemy Workshop in an excellent mood.
Afterward, I had continued making elixirs until my mana was depleted.
In no time at all, I had created ten <Beginner Mana Circuit Improvement Elixirs>.
If I consumed one every three days, the supply would last for an entire month.
The thought that my Magic Power growth rate might improve slightly after consuming them all made a satisfied smile appear naturally on my face.
Good grief. At first, I believed your Mana Circuits were nothing more than a heavenly punishment. Now I see that, in exchange, you were granted heavenly talent in the field of ‘Magic Power Control.’
That was right.
Ironically, the reason I had been capable of producing such absurd results from my very first attempt at alchemy was the extraordinary talent for Magic Power Control granted to me by my withered Mana Circuits.
This means your potential for growth is even more boundless! The moment you reach the second floor, you can begin preparing to advance the <Tome of the Sage> to its next stage. You may also obtain a clue leading to the second Sacred Treasure, the <Robe of the Sage>, far sooner than I expected!
Whoa.
The second Sacred Treasure?
The Robe of the Sage?!
My eyes lit up at the mention of another Sacred Treasure.
That was excellent news.
‘Good. In that case…….’
I needed to reach the second floor as quickly as possible.
Before coming here, I had briefly checked the public reactions concerning Unknown.
There had been considerable debate over when I would reach the second floor.
I had even seen someone support the idea that I could ascend within a month.
Of course, beneath that comment, someone had written that nonsense belonged in a doghouse.
‘I’ll show them that it wasn’t nonsense.’
I found myself wondering how people would react if I reached the second floor within a month—
No, in less than a month.
With that thought in mind, I headed toward the dungeon entrance.