How a D-Class Alchemist Avoids Death

Struck by the whip-like vines twisted into numerous tendrils, the boar-like monster, the Large Horned Boar, writhed. A spinning water dagger penetrated its throat. At the same time, a high-voltage bolt of lightning struck the still-spinning water dagger.

—Kkieh!

With the squeal of a pig being slaughtered, an experience point acquisition message appeared before my eyes.

“Well done.”

“Good job!”

“Great work!”

“Good job!”

Nodding at the greetings from the others, I walked towards the end of the elongated boss room, to the escape gate. Guild dungeons were convenient in that we didn’t have to gather items, but it felt hollow like we hadn’t gained anything.

“Do you have plans today, oppa?”

“Yeah.”

Ga-eul, who had followed behind me, wore a sullen expression.

“Why?”

“It feels like you’ve been neglecting us recently.”

“Neglecting?”

“Yeah. You’re acting half-heartedly in the dungeon, and you barely talk.”

Not only Ga-eul, but everyone else was wearing a sullen expression too.

“What are you talking about? I don’t talk because you all do well on your own, so there’s no need for me to nag.”

The kids suddenly chuckle weakly. They were sullen a moment ago, then laughing. What a busy bunch.

“But what do you mean by half-hearted? Are you saying I’m not shooting enough?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that you’re not pushing yourself hard in the dungeons like before. You used to clear dungeons morning and afternoon, and even used your free time to strategize for public dungeons.”

“Well, that was because I wanted to reach my target level. Now that I’ve reached it, there’s no reason to go that hard. Why do you want to go like before?”

Even if Seo Taeju would be upset, if the kids wanted, I was willing to fix Woo Hanseong’s house and go back to the old ways.

They suffered a lot because of me, it pricks my conscience to just drop everything now that I’ve reached my target level.

But contrary to my thoughts, the kids shook their heads with pale faces.

“I don’t want to.”

“Absolutely not.”

“I’m okay with it.”

“I’m not in a hurry to level up.”

What’s going on? Just a while ago, they were complaining about me being half-hearted, but when I offered to go back to the old ways, they refused. What kind of beat are they trying to keep?

‘Did I let them off too easily?’

I hardened my face at the thought that I would have to tighten the reins again.

Seeing my expression, Ga-eul quickly spoke as if to correct a misunderstanding. “What I mean is, please pay more attention to us.”

I didn’t understand. A party was originally formed to hunt dungeon monsters. I’ve been paying enough attention to killing monsters. But they’re asking me to pay attention to them?

“What kind of attention and how should I show it?”

“Oppa, you’re really mean.”

“What?”

As I opened my eyes, blinded by the light of the suddenly activated escape gate, I saw Ga-eul, her face now distorted. “I don’t know. Oppa, I hate you. I’m upset.” Leaving those baffling words behind, Ga-eul quickly ran away.

Probably because she saw me about to run after her.

“What?”

“I also hate you, hyungnim.”

“Me too.”

“I… don’t. Haha. I’ll go now.”

Perhaps unable to say ‘I hate you’ like the others, Hanjae gave a forced laugh and followed the others.

Maybe because they heard that I’d report back to the guild before entering the dungeon, the kids got in Hanjae’s car and left without hesitation.

“Good grief.”

For people their age to say ‘I hate you’, they sounded like kindergarteners.

Shaking my head, I hailed a taxi and headed to the guild. 

Today, the profits from the hair growth formula are finally due.

The hair growth formula, approved by the Food and Drug Administration, had enjoyed immense popularity since its launch. Especially the response from overseas was incredible. They wanted to import it directly, and our overseas sales department was reportedly screaming with joy at the demand.

“How much will it be?”

“Ppi?”

“No, you just rest.”

Even though we both seemed to have fallen asleep after a bath last night, Salt seemed to have a hard time waking up today. He must have tired his legs, considering he fell a few times during the monster fight.

Listening to the chirping sound of Salt’s snoring, I got out of the taxi and headed straight to the guild master’s room. Since I was going to see Seo moon-no-eul anyway, there was no need to drop by the dungeon department and report. If an employee was shocked and fell over like last time, it would only stress me out unnecessarily.

“Oh, our beloved guild member!”

Seo moon-no-eul came towards me with a bright smile and open arms.

I walked past her arms and sat on the sofa.

“How about a hug?”

“I don’t like physical contact. What about the settlement?”

“You didn’t seem that cold before, but you sure are now.”

Grumbling, Seo moon-no-eul picked up a piece of paper from the desk. The paper in my hand showed a beautiful amount.

“The deposit will be made today. If you think something’s wrong with the settlement, let me know. I’ll explain.”

“No. Surely you wouldn’t cheat me?”

Although our relationship had become a bit strange, Seo Taeju was still behind me (figuratively). Even if Seo moon-no-eul and that guy’s relationship had been strained lately, he was a core member of the Sunset guild, so she wouldn’t dare to cheat me, who Seo Taeju cared so much about.

“I guess that’s true.”

Seo moon-no-eul nodded as if she agreed.

“How about the inventory?”

“I was going to talk about that. Both the ones we have made and the ones we’re going to make have all been sold.”

“Oh.”

“It seems many people buy in bulk because it’s not a one-time application, but something that needs to be applied consistently.”

Even though I had expected the outcome, I was still surprised when I saw the price.

“So, it seems like you need to collect all the remaining crystals from the Crystal Dungeon.”

I nodded in response. “By when should I complete this?”

“As there are still some materials left, I think it would be fine if you could complete it within a week. I’ll provide the approval in advance.”

“Okay. Understood.”

I rose from my seat.

“Are you leaving already? The tea hasn’t even been served yet.”

“I have an appointment.”

I was already running late for my meeting with Seo moon-no-eul compared to my usual time visiting Woo Hanseong. Given that even fixing one or two things in a house that had been lived in consumed the whole afternoon, I had to move quickly. Especially since Seo Taeju, who had been showing a sour mood since morning, was the problem. If I came home late again today, he would surely throw a fit. So, I planned to get home earlier than yesterday.

‘But why do I have to cater to him?’

For some reason, I was slightly irritated. It seemed as if other reincarnators were monopolizing all the good things, while this damn Seo Go-woon had no benefits from his reincarnation. Battling monsters, getting hurt, almost getting killed by someone more immature than a primary school student, and now having to watch his steps.

‘I want to go home.’

I missed my own world where I could spend peaceful, comfortable, and quiet time alone after work.

“May I ask what the appointment is about?”

Seo moon-no-eul seemed to want to deepen the bond with the cash cow given this opportunity. 

But as I had no such intention, I replied with a thin smile, “No, it’s alright. I’ll take my leave.”

After Seo Go-woon left, Seo moon-no-eul received an unexpected visitor.

“Taeju, why? What’s the matter?”

“Hyung, where is he…”

“Hunter Seo Go-woon? He just left.”

Seo Taeju, biting his lip, swiftly left the place without saying much to Seo moon-no-eul.

“What the… What’s going on?”

This kind of reaction hadn’t happened for quite some time. It used to be an everyday occurrence, but since Seo Go-woon matured, it had never happened again.

‘Could Seo Go-woon have returned to his wayward self?’

A sudden thought crossed Seo moon-no-eul’s mind, causing her to shake her head. The Seo Go-woon she had just seen was definitely different from his reckless past. If the man had returned to his old reckless self, he would have complained about money, saying he wasn’t done with the situation.

Seo moon-no-eul went to the window, feeling puzzled. She saw Seo Go-woon getting into a taxi. As the taxi door closed and the car started moving, Seo Taeju’s car followed shortly after.

His action reminded Seo moon-no-eul of a detective chasing a criminal, or worse, a stalker or a cheated lover following their unfaithful partner.

“What on earth…”

As I got out of the taxi and entered an alley, I saw a glimpse of black hair peeking out from behind a metal gate.

I chuckled quietly.

‘Is he spying on me because I didn’t show up at my usual time?’

He didn’t show his face, but it seemed he cared enough to worry about me.

I spoke loud enough for my voice to reach the other side of the gate. “Kim Salt, aren’t we going for a walk today?”

“Ppi! Ppi-ppi!.”

Salt, still half-asleep, complained noisily.

“Alright, alright. Just go back to sleep.”

I saw the tuft of hair disappear. She must have heard me.

“I’m here.”

I stepped into the gate, taking my time. One shoe was filled with sand and the other was flipped over at the entrance. As I neatly arranged the shoes, I spoke, “I’m going to fix some things outside today.”

“Okay.”

A response came, along with panting.

‘She must have run here.’

It would have been fine if I hadn’t seen her. I wonder why she was acting like that even though she had just seen me.

While shrugging, I walked around the house to check the exterior walls. There weren’t many places where the cement had cracked, but it would be best to fill them all before winter. I took out cement and a bucket from my Infinite Pouch. Having worked hard during part-time jobs, mixing cement was a piece of cake.

I carefully applied the well-mixed cement to the cracked places.

“Hmm. Should I also paint over it?”

The wall, worn by time, looked patchy with new cement applied over it.

“I’ll have to ask and decide.”

Just then,

“Hyung! What the hell are you doing?”

A voice that shouldn’t be heard at this place reached my ears.

‘Huh?’

When I turned my head, what I saw beyond the wall was Seo Taeju, looking at me with a horrified face.

“Why is that guy here?”

With a light movement, Seo Taeju jumped over the wall. His agility would have made him a great thief. The tall lad strode over, taking the cement-covered scraper from my hand.

“Why are you doing this, hyung?”

“Hey, how did you get here?”

“Is that what matters now?! Answer my question!”

Is he yelling because he’s irritated about something?

I stared at Seo Taeju, my eyes wide open. “Did you follow me?”

“Because you were hiding it! Is this why you kept it a secret from me?”

“I never kept a secret.”

“Then why is a guy who says he’s just hanging out doing this!”

The guy with the angry face threw my scraper on the ground.

“Why is this punk causing a commotion at someone else’s house?”

At the disrespectful behavior of the boy who didn’t seem to know what manners were, I frowned, and then he grabbed my wrist.

“Let’s go.”

“Hey. Aren’t you going to let go?”

“Let’s go home and stop doing this here!”

What’s up with this punk again? His unpredictable mood swings were driving me crazy.

I roughly shook off Seo Taeju’s hand. “Why are you fussing again? Hey, what I do and where is my business, not something for you to interfere in, right?”

“Hyung! I am your family!”

“What, did our parents teach us that if you’re family, you can act as you please? Didn’t you learn that with me? Do you have another family?”

The word ‘family’ really gets on my nerves.

This punk thinks it’s okay because we’re family, but where in the world is it okay just because you’re family?

“Again? Did you just say ‘again’? Did I act as I pleased?”

“Yeah. You’re doing it right now. Or, is it okay to stalk if you’re family?”

“You’re acting weird right now! Why the hell are you doing this!”

Seo Taeju kicked a bucket full of cement. With a loud noise, the cement fell over.

Just when I thought things were finally calming down, this punk pisses me off again.

“This? Did I kill someone or do drugs? If I get home late, is that acting weird? Where did you get such a ridiculous logic?”

“Why didn’t you tell me until now?! You only said you were hanging out!”

“Do I need to report every single move to you? Are you my boss? My family?”

Even though I grew up alone, I knew that no family reported every single action to each other. Unless there was a special event, we just said, ‘I went out and came back,’ or ‘I’ll be late.’

“Did I ask you to report? Shit. You’re really talking shit. Can’t you hear that I’m trying to talk nicely?”

“Nicely? Oh, yes. You’ve been talking nicely so far? Then start talking meanly now.”

At my sarcastic remark, the guy clenched his fist.

“Why? Are you going to hit me?”

I wasn’t planning on just taking it, so it was time for me to clench my fist as well.

“Stop, please!!”

The front door opened, and Woo Hanseong rushed out, standing between me and Seo Taeju, spreading her arms wide.

“What is this now?”

Seo Taeju frowned as he looked at Woo Hanseong.

Woo Hanseong, who reminded me of a small animal, unwittingly hunched her shoulders at Taeju’s cold voice.

“Hey, don’t scare the kid.”

[T/N: Note, no actual gender pronouns were mentioned during both MC and Taeju’s conversation here. But I put pronouns instead of that/this person for convenience’s sake. Although Taeju heard of Woo Hanseong before, he didn’t know Hanseong’s actual gender, therefore he’s addressing Woo Hanseong here as a male.]

“Ha. Am I scaring him now? I just asked what he was doing here?!”

“Don’t yell. You’ll scare her.”

“No, who is he that you came all the way here for him? Who the hell is he?!”

“Just shut up!”

“Please… don’t fight because of me….”

At her trembling voice, I sighed. “Hey, let’s go home and talk.”

“No. Let’s talk here. Who is he? Why are you doing this here?”

Taeju’s glaring eyes seemed like they wouldn’t move until I answered.

I’m going crazy. Really. I don’t want to talk about it here.

“Really… I’ll ask you, so let’s go home and talk.”

“Why can’t you talk in front of him?”

For a moment, Woo Hanseong’s eyes met mine. It seemed to ask what I couldn’t talk about in front of her, whether I approached her with an ulterior motive. Her eyes were full of betrayal, doubt, and shock.

I didn’t have to talk about it here. But one thing was certain. If I leave now, I would never see her again.

‘Damn it. I have to tell her if it’s like this.’

In the end, the only option I could actually choose was one, so I sighed deeply and had no choice but to introduce him to Woo Hanseong.

“This is Woo Hanseong, an SS-class blacksmith.”

“A blacksmith?”

Taeju’s left eyebrow raised even before I started talking properly.

“Yes. I came to request something from her, and due to the situation, I had to—”

“Wait, if it’s Woo Hanseong, I’ve heard of that person, you… Aren’t you the blacksmith who ran away from the guild a while ago?”

“She didn’t run away, she’s just taking a break. A break.”

Woo Hanseong turned her head. The look in her eyes as she looked at me was strange. It looked like a wounded gaze, and I was taken aback, about to reach out to her.

“…It doesn’t seem like I should intervene. Both of you, please leave.”

With a trembling voice, Woo Hanseong ran into the house. I heard the door being locked with a clank. I had a hunch that it was over when I heard the front door being locked for the first time.

‘Damn it, Seo Taeju.’