Episode 6: Another Transmutation (Part 1)
Phew.
Hazy smoke seeped from parched lips.
The middle-aged man crushed his cigarette in the ashtray and growled lowly:
"Four of you teamed up...and still still lost?"
Just the raspy voice of a lifelong smoker.
An utterly ordinary middle-aged tone.
Yet the four men before him stood frozen like mice before a cat.
"Kang Ho-young."
"Yes, Guild Master Boo."
"Does this sound remotely logical to you?"
The man called Boo shook the documents in his hand dismissively.
"Not ambushed by Hyenas. Not outnumbered by other teamers. You lost a straight fight to some unequipped nobody?"
Four against one.
Against a lone magic-type?
Boo's face twisted with disbelief as he spat the words.
"...I have no excuses, sir."
"Ha!"
The guild master slammed the papers on his desk and dragged a hand down his face.
"Let me be clear - I don't punish honest defeats. Those can't be fixed with all the money in the world."
"......"
"But this-"
Boo rose, looming over Kang Ho-young.
Their teammates shrank back, bowing their heads.
Crack!
The slap snapped Kang's head sideways, flesh striking flesh.
"Teaming up and still failing? This deserves nothing but scorn!"
Boo's glare could pierce steel.
"Teaming burns reputation. Do you comprehend what that means?"
"It's...behavior that inevitably spreads through word of mouth," Kang forced out, cheek burning. "The longer it continues, the more losses we'll sustain across all fronts."
Cooperative content like dungeons and raids became death sentences.
Imagine being matched with players you'd previously griefed?
That would be karmic retribution in its purest form.
"Yet our Scorpion Guild tolerates this. Why?"
"Because successful teaming brings greater profits than the losses incurred."
"Exactly."
Boo punctuated each word by jabbing Kang's forehead.
"That. Single. Benefit. Makes it. Worthwhile. But you-"
His gaze swept across the four men.
"Failed the arena. Failed the tutorial. Now we're stuck with all the damn penalties!"
The guild master's growling left them speechless.
How could they respond?
Their tutorial match had top-tier MMR for Level 1s.
All Korea's elite guilds would have sent recruits.
Naturally, the Arena Board would be scrutinized.
Within days, everyone would know:
Scorpion Guild's newbies were the four teamers who got humiliated.
"Our contract protects any arena play at the guild level."
"...Only when producing results, sir."
"Precisely. So why'd our brightest mess up this badly?"
Boo produced new documents.
Kang's pupils shrank to pinpricks.
"T-this is..."
"An invoice. For leeches who failed even the tutorial despite full guild support."
The guild master threw copies at the others.
"You'll transfer all earnings to Scorpion Guild for the next decade. Sign."
The tank, Kim Jae-won, timidly raised a hand.
"What...if we refuse?"
Boo's right arm blurred.
Gack!
Kim floated upward, choking, as Boo lifted him by the throat.
Child's play for a high-ranked player against Level 1 trash.
"Stupidity breeds suffering. Really want that lesson?"
The remaining three signed without another word.
"Frankly...this strains belief."
At the bespectacled man's words, the small-statured recruit bowed deeper. His two companions followed suit.
"Oh, don't misunderstand!" The man waved hurriedly. "I'm not blaming you. It's just...an extraordinary claim."
Kim Min-hyung kept his head low as he spoke:
"I feel the same, sir. Spraying magic without casting? Getting fifteen kills? But then..."
"He soloed four ranking teamers," another recruit blurted. "I had the Arena Board open - saw it happen in real time!"
The bespectacled man nodded.
"Understood. We'll handle details through reports. You're dismissed."
"But..."
"I know your concern. Worry not - SungSam Guild doesn't penalize tutorial failures."
He shrugged, glasses glinting.
"There's always next time, yes?"
The recruits' faces lit up.
"Y-yes sir!"
As the door closed, the man scanned his report.
"A solo player breaking four-man teaming..."
He glanced at the woman standing behind him.
"Yeonhee. Confirmations?"
"Manager Park, this is workplace."
"Calling you 'Deputy Woo' makes you sulk though."
The woman - Woo Yeonhee - developed a visible vein on her forehead.
"I don't sulk."
Thud!
She slammed files on the desk.
"Tch, sulky miss..."
"What was that?"
"N-nothing, Deputy Woo!"
Park Min-chul quickly examined the documents.
"Scorpion Guild's teamers, as suspected?"
"Three B-class traits, one A-class. Hollywood-level party."
The manager whistled.
SungSam's current star recruit was B-class Kim Min-hyung. Yet Scorpion fielded three equivalents plus an A-class?
Of course, higher trait grades didn't guarantee victory. But four players racking twenty kills together indicated serious combat prowess.
"How'd those mannerless scorpions recruit such talent?" Park muttered before circling back.
"But how did one player obliterate them?"
"Magic-type's signature firepower," Yeonhee offered.
"At Level Level 1? Even if possible, casting times..."
"Reports say he flicked fingers to cast. Must be at least an S-class trait."
"Plausible. But I disagree, Deputy."
Though Yeonhee was Platinum-ranked, Park's Diamond-level insight saw further.
"Even S-traits have limits at Level 1. There's another factor."
"Like...a Constellation's patronage?"
"Exactly. That tier of variable would explain everything."
Those chosen by Constellations defied logic. But this remained conjecture.
"Sir, he's fresh from the tutorial. Constellations only appear Diamond+."
Since Galaxy Arena's 2015 launch, none manifested below Diamond.
Park chuckled.
"Then he's an irregular. Or has something else. Regardless-"
He stared at the report.
"-we must recruit him."
"Other guilds won't sit idle."
"Hence why you'll work overtime, Deputy."
Park adjusted his glasses, addressing the wall:
"Don't you agree, Guild Master?"
The wall rippled.
"Just us here. Call me 'miss'."
A woman in her early twenties materialized.
Park shrugged.
"That's asking for harassment accusations."
"Now why would anyone think I'm some authority-abusing child?" she pouted.
"Aren't you?"
"Manager Park!" Yeonhee gasped.
Ignoring her, Park locked eyes with the newcomer.
"You're mistaken, Manager."
The woman smiled with innocent charm.
"I've never flaunted authority. Merely..."
She glanced at Yeonhee.
"...reminded you about our no-workplace-romance policy."
Park buried his face in his hands.
"That's the same thing!"
"Nuh-uh! Totally different!"
Her giggle echoed as she changed tack:
"When did you notice? This is A-grade stealth artifact."
"Felt your presence when discussing Kim Si-moon."
The guild master twitched imperceptibly - or did she? Normally, Park would've noticed. But the romance-talk fluster ruined his focus.
"Why infiltrate like this?"
"Infiltrate? I missed you!" She clutched her chest dramatically. "That hurts!"
"Still harassment. I'm taken."
"Manager!" Yeonhee's slap made Park cough.
"Ahem! Why visit? Shouldn't you be graduating?"
"Bored. Academy's meaningless now."
"But..."
"World's changed, yet some fossil insists I need college!"
"Yoojung!" Park looked around frantically.
"Relax. Grandfather knows I badmouth him."
"Then go stream arena matches!"
"Already did. Didn't watch?"
"Apologies. Unexpected reports..."
"Whatever."
Lee Yoojung twisted her long hair, eyeing the documents.
"These caused the fuss?"
Swish!
She snatched the report.
"Miss Yoojung!"
"That's confidential!"
She danced around Park's grabbing hands.
"Who cares? I own the guild."
Their movements blurred - top-ranked players in motion.
"...Huh?"
Yoojung froze mid-dodge, eyes locked on a name:
Kim Si-moon.
Messages greeted Si-moon upon returning:
[Tutorial Victory Bonus: Additional EXP]
[Bound Trait 'Philosopher's Stone' Received EXP Share]
[Level +2]
[Philosopher's Stone Level +1]
"Would've reached Level 3 without the Stone's split," he mused. No regrets though.
Lower character level, higher Stone level - simple math.
While others stagnated at Level 3, his Stone's separate progression created superior specs.
Status Screen:
Name: Kim Si-moon
Class: Magic-Type
Level: 3
Nation: South Korea
STR: 4
AGI: 4
CON: 5
Transmutation: 11
Stat Points: 2
Traits: Philosopher's Stone (F)
Achievement Points: 12,300
His Pioneer of Alchemy title remained unchanged:
[Minor bonus to all transmutations]
The new Tutorial Conqueror title disappointed:
[Acknowledges overwhelming victory. Galaxy Arena favors prospects.]
No additional effects. Typical.
"Titles were always underrated," he sighed. Still, more titles meant better Achievement Store access post-Gold rank.
Now, the dilemma:
Spend 2 stat points on Transmutation?
Higher Transmutation meant:
Reduced AP costs for recreating mythic gear
Improved replica quality
Stronger alchemy fundamentals
But physical stats mattered too. Top mages all trained their bodies. Not through stat allocation - pure grind.
In official arenas (where deaths became real), survival demanded it. Physical stats determined if mages reached high ranks.
"I should at least reach average awakened stats (5) through training..."
Wait.
Si-moon's eyes widened.
"Why limit myself to training?"
The Emerald Tablet from his past life contained more than just Elixir and Stone recipes.
He'd ignored other contents during his mana-deprived obsession.
"Stone. Answer me."
The Stone hummed happily in his chest.
"Can you perform human transmutation?"
Silence.
