The usually noisy second floor of the guild house was oddly quiet; I couldn’t get used to it.

‘I guess I’ve grown attached to them.’

I never imagined that I would feel this way even though it hadn’t been that long since they left, but of course, it wasn't to the point where I was feeling lonely because they weren't there. I was only reacting this way because of the sudden change in the environment. It was actually kind of fun. I couldn’t deny the fact that I felt oddly uncomfortable all this time because I rarely had time to myself since Jung Ha-Yan was always watching where I was, Park Deok-Gu would randomly visit me, and Sun Hee-Young would often ask me to go volunteer with her. Fortunately, Kim Ye-Ri wouldn’t initiate any talk with me. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I wouldn’t have a personal life if that kid started making a fuss as well. Even though I had to figure out everything on my own for the time being, it felt like I was on vacation.

‘It doesn’t change the fact that I still need to work desperately.’

In order to achieve the third job and stats increase that Kim Hyun-Sung had set as a goal, I needed to work just as desperately as the other party members. I wasn’t sure what part about me made Kim Hyun-Sung think that I would be able to catch up to them, but I was sure that he had a plan.

I wasn’t actually in a bad situation. I had epic-ranked alchemy equipment and a ton of catalysts and materials, so I was already growing. The problem was my intelligence stat, not my overall stats. Since it was impossible for me to raise my other stats from the start, I didn’t have a choice in which stats I wanted to increase. This was why the third job change was really important. I wasn’t even thinking about using my combat ability, but I believe I am a helpful member of the party. Still, there was a limit to me simply following the party around and doing research. I couldn’t help but think of the different possibilities as I slowly grew and they were answers to problems that hadn't happened yet. It was a way to have the minimum combat ability without losing my uniqueness as an alchemist.

‘First the homunculus…’

This opportunity could be mine since I chose the alchemist job. It was very advantageous for me because I can control beings that were similar to summons without having to use my mana. In Ramus Tucker’s Introduction to Alchemy, he wrote a very in-depth analysis regarding a homunculus.

[A homunculus is a creature artificially created without borrowing a woman’s womb. Since every school interprets it differently, everyone’s opinion of it may be slightly different, but as the author, I’ll define the homunculus as a man-made creature. Of course, I’m not referring to a chimera. Unlike a chimera that was created out of something, the homunculus that we alchemists control is created out of nothing.]

A homunculus was an artificial life, but I didn’t know what it looked like or what it could do. To make things worse, Tucker only wrote down his theory in his book. He wrote a detailed comparison between a chimera and a homunculus saying that a chimera was a creature that was created with the concept of genetic manipulation while a homunculus was a living creature that was created, therefore, they were distinctly different. It was possible that homunculus was a mysterious topic even for Tucker. No, even if he did manage to create a living creature, I was sure that he wouldn’t go around saying that he created a living creature because that was basically playing god.

‘Second is the liquid medicine.’

In this world, liquid medicines were called potions. If I was asked whether someone would be able to obtain combat abilities by simply drinking a potion, I would definitely shake my head, but this theory was simply based on my imagination.

‘Can I put magic into a potion?’

Simply put, the magic principle of this continent was this: one would stack their mana and recite a spell in order to imagine the spell. A completed spell resided either on the caster’s arm or a specific body part and the spell would activate when the caster triggered it. Then would it be impossible for a completed spell to reside in a potion or a specific item instead of the body?

It was that kind of experiment. I thought of some items that had magic contained in them, but these types of items weren’t created by humans. In addition, they were finished products.

There were some magic schools that enchanted items with magic, but those items were lacking and weren’t very effective. It was the case of the tail wagging the dog, so I stopped the research. If an alchemist that used alchemy magic could contain a one-time use magic by utilizing a magic circle, then not only would it help me, but I was also sure that it would be very successful commercially.

‘The third is the chimera.’

It was a way of creating a summoned beast by manipulating their genes. Honestly, I thought that this was the easiest method because even in this world, monsters were an exciting topic. Simply creating a chimera was easy. There were a few monsters that had similar genes and if I actually experimented by mixing their genes, the monster would definitely live. However, controlling that monster was the job of a black mage, not an alchemist. My magic wasn’t enough to control a chimera. Of course, I could catch a young monster, train it and then raise it, but the problem was whether that method would actually work. After all, I didn’t want to get eaten by the chimera that I raised.

‘Not only that…’

I came up with a lot of other methods because to me, this was directly connected to my survival. It was very dangerous, but I even thought about experimenting directly on my body and also thought about crafting a Sage’s Stone. However, I felt like it wouldn’t be very effective and I didn’t think that I was skilled enough to control it yet.

I had been procrastinating, but now was the time to decide which growth path I was going to take. Not only was it important for me to be just as busy as the regressor’s group, but working effectively was the most important in my opinion. Of course, these couldn’t be done in a short period of time and I didn’t want to spend my time constantly experimenting and failing. There was already something that could prevent that.

‘Getting help…’

It wasn’t a bad idea. If there was something I didn’t understand, I could ask and if I got stuck during my research, then asking for advice was common sense.

Even though magic and alchemy were two different paths, their roots were the same and it was the same for the other types of jobs. Since everyone interprets things differently, asking for help was the most reasonable method to get out of a bottleneck.

‘The Devil’s Guild would be the best, right?’

It wasn’t a bad decision. I had a feeling that if I asked the ones that begged me to include them in the Sage’s Stone research, they would become faithful workers of Lee Ki-Young’s lab.

Just as I walked into the cafeteria while having various thoughts...

“Are you eating by yourself today?”

“Oh,” I said.

I heard a voice beside me. When I turned my head, I saw a young woman.

“Oh! I think this is our first meeting. I’m Hwang Jung-Yeon, the party leader of the Blue Guild’s fifth party,” he said.

“Oh, nice to meet you. I’m…”

“I know who you are. You’re Lee Ki-Young, the alchemist of the seventh party, right?” she asked.

“Yes,” I answered.

“How was the Garden of Horror?” she asked.

It was sort of a random question, but I immediately realized why she asked.

‘The discoverer.’

Hwang Jung-Yeon was the one that discovered the dungeon and gave us permission to enter it.

“It was a great experience, so thank you very much,” I answered.

“You’re quick-witted, just like the rumors,” she commented.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said.

“Of course, it’s a compliment. But I do feel kind of bad. It would’ve been nice if you really did have a good experience… I don’t feel good about it because of that issue. A friend of mine from the Black Swan Guild asked me to tell you that they’re sorry, but I guess it’s a bit late now,” Hwang Jung-Yeon said.

“Oh, it’s fine! I’ve already received an apology from them and the issue’s pretty much resolved. It was actually an opportunity for me to realize just how much I lacked,” It told her.

“I feel much better after hearing that from you. This is my first time talking to a member of the much anticipated seventh party. I’m so happy,” she quipped.

Her face and voice were slightly calm. I think relaxed was the best way to describe her face. Even though she looked a bit young, her mood reminded me of the past for some reason. It wasn’t really suitable for a woman that lived in the modern age, but she gave off the maiden of a respectable family vibe.

“Actually, it’s been a while since I returned from my expedition, but all the members of party seven are always together, so it wasn’t easy for me to talk to you,” Hwang Jung-Yeon said.

“Oh, I see,” I said.

“I’ve been looking forward to the day when all of us managed to go out and eat, but the other parties haven’t returned from their expeditions yet… and the guild has been busy recently. I guess nobody had the time,” she explained.

“Ohh, I did hear about it. I heard they entered an epic-ranked dungeon…” I said.

“Yes, but you seem like you have something on your mind…” she said.

“Hm…”

She was obviously a mage. I guess she must have surmised that it was a struggle that only two people with similar jobs would understand. She seemed like a very nosy person considering how she talked to her hoobae that was sitting quietly and even gave up ownership of the dungeon, but that nosy part of her was obviously a big help to me.

Even if I didn’t use Mind’s Eye to look at Hwang Jung-Yeon’s stats, I realized that she was a talented mage. I had a vague idea of what her stats were since she didn’t try to hide her magic and the brilliance in her eyes was noticeable. I was sure that her laid-back personality was influenced by the unique magic power she possessed.

‘I think she’s useful…’

I didn’t think that there was a need for me to ask the Devil’s Guild for help anymore since it seemed like she wouldn’t mind it if I asked her a lot of questions.

“I’m a bit embarrassed, but I do have something on my mind. I feel like I haven’t been able to decide which path I should take recently,” I answered.

“Yes, I understand. It happens,” she said.

“There are a lot of choices, but I honestly have no idea which path I should take…” I continued.

“I understand that as well because everyone experiences it, but I’m sure it applies to you more, Mr. Ki-Young,” she said.

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“You’re contemplating between the Mercenary Queen and Miss Ha-Yan, right? You’ve been dating one since you were on Earth and you experienced life and death with the other… it’s only natural for you to have a hard time choosing,” she said.

“Sorry?” I asked again.

“It may be difficult to understand with the modern ethics where polygamy and monogamy are taken for granted, but choosing both could be the answer as well,” she answered.

“...”

Since she was staring at my extremely flustered expression, it only took a second for her to realize that we were talking about two different things. Hwang Jung-Yeon had been smiling as she talked, but she quickly became quiet.

“Oh, so it wasn’t about that,” she said.

“Yes.”

“I-I’m sorry. You were thinking so hard, so I definitely thought it was…”

“...”

She looked a bit embarrassed. She was trying her best to fix the awkward atmosphere, but it wasn’t working out. This was a similar feeling I felt somewhere else.

‘They’re similar…’

Their impression and looks were completely different, no, their race was completely different. The face that I was imagining was of a pig that looked like a bandit and the woman that was in front of me had the image of a good wife and wise mother.[1] But in conclusion, I realized that this woman gave off a similar vibe as Park Deok-Gu.

‘They’re alike.’

I had a feeling that it was going to get annoying if we found something in common. While I was thinking whether it would be best to leave, I heard her talk. “I’m sorry, I must have been out of my mind. It’s been a while since I watched a drama… I assumed things unknowingly,” she explained.

“Oh, I see…” I said.

“It’s just you’re so close to both of them. To be honest, there are times when I smile without knowing it whenever I see Miss Ha-Yan with you… it seems like Miss Ha-Yan really likes you, Mr. Ki-Young, so maybe that’s why she’s been using that spell,” Hwang Jung-Yeon said.

“What spell?” I asked.

“A location tracking spell. I’m not sure if it’s okay for me to be here with you like this because I’m sure she’s getting information about who you are with…” she answered.

“Huh?”

“You don’t need to be embarrassed about it. You even handed her a part of your body. How romantic,” she said.

“...”

“...”

“Were you… not aware of this?” she asked.

“...”

“You can’t pretend… wait, you really didn’t know about it?” Hwang Jung-Yeon asked.

The information she revealed was shocking, to say the least.

1. Good wife, wise mother’ (현모양처) goes back to the late 1800s when women in East Asian societies were expected to have good domestic skills (good wife) and raise moral and smart sons for the country (wise mother) ☜