Episode 11: Placement Exam (3)
[The Philosopher's Stone minimizes rebound.]
[You receive 50 achievement points proportional to the Philosopher's Stone's grade and level.]
A message window floated in the air.
Si-moon clicked his tongue in disappointment after reading it.
“Even after fusing with the Obsidian Tablet and upgrading to E-rank, the refunded achievement points are still the same?”
Tsk! Oppa, you’re clueless about rebound, aren’t you?
An indignant voice surged from the center of his chest—the Philosopher’s Stone.
No alchemical creation dares interfere with rebound! Only I can manage even this much!
“Yeah, yeah. I know.”
Whether it had some pride related to alchemy or not, the Philosopher’s Stone trembled faintly. Si-moon hastily patted his chest placatingly.
“Your level rose by 2 since last time. I was just testing the waters. You get me, right?”
Hmmph…
The dissatisfied voice lingered but gradually softened.
Even I can’t meddle with rebound. You need to reach at least B-grade first.
Si-moon’s eyes gleamed as he replied gently,
“Then I’ll work harder—for our Philosopher’s Stone’s sake.”
F-for me… Ohmygod! Oppa~! What’s that supposed to mean~? Huh?!
The voice instantly turned sugary and nasal. Si-moon snorted and shook his head.
Honestly.
At that moment:
[Constellation Zeus smiles approvingly at your efficient use of Astraphe.]
[Constellation Zeus sponsors you with 100 achievement points.]
“Whoa!”
Si-moon’s face lit up at the unexpected windfall.
A sponsorship without even streaming? And from a Constellation, no less!
Though it wasn’t AP (Arena Points) used for broadcasts, achievement points were far more valuable to him—directly tied to growth and combat power. The Obsidian Tablet’s completion and future alchemy projects would benefit greatly.
“Thank you for the sponsorship, Lord Zeus.”
After expressing gratitude, Si-moon turned his attention forward.
Sssss—
Dozens of goblins lay charred black, white smoke curling from their bodies as if they’d endured a bombing. Astonishingly, nearly 50 goblins had been obliterated in a single strike.
Si-moon’s gaze swept over the carnage before settling on a man—Kim Min-hyung.
As expected of someone with a B-grade [Agile Movement] trait.
True to their prearranged strategy, Kim had vaulted over the obstructing spears and retreated behind cover the moment thunder rumbled.
“Kee…”
The dozen goblins that survived thanks to Kim’s positioning stood petrified. Witnessing dozens of their kin turned to charcoal in the blink of an eye—who could remain composed?
Unlike the goblins, disappointment clouded Si-moon’s expression.
What a waste. I thought I could use it one more time.
The Astraphe disintegrated into particles. He’d hoped to squeeze another activation from it to maximize his investment.
So rebound triggers even after fully consuming the alchemical equivalent? Like a disposable battery?
Having exhausted all 500 achievement points’ worth of energy, the Astraphe immediately entered rebound.
Well, cheaply bought lesson. Such nuances usually required repeated experiments, but he’d gained this insight for free.
Smiling wryly, Si-moon eyed the surviving goblins—or more precisely, Kim Min-hyung waiting beyond them at the target zone.
“Mr. Kim, I’m fine here. Please proceed.”
“A-are you sure?”
“You saw what just happened.”
Si-moon spread his arms theatrically. The stench of charred flesh hung heavy, corpses littering the ground—a grotesque contrast to his clear, refined features.
“I’ll handle the rest. Go ahead.”
His calm urgency left no room for argument. Compared to the horrors of his past life, this scene was trivial.
“Y-yes!”
Kim Min-hyung gulped and hurried toward the target zone.
“P-please visit the Seongsam Guild later! I’ll repay you properly!”
As his figure dissolved into light, Si-moon rubbed his hands and channeled alchemical energy.
“Kee… Kik…”
The frozen goblins stammered, still paralyzed. Just as Si-moon pondered how to eliminate them with minimal effort—
Creak.
Oppa!!
The Philosopher’s Stone’s shriek pierced his spine. Without thinking, Si-moon snapped his fingers and stomped the ground.
Boom!
A heavy tremor erupted beneath him. Had he not reinforced his legs with [Black Panther’s Muscle Tissue], the floor—not his body—would’ve shattered.
“Kee-kik! The boss!”
“The boss is here!”
The surviving goblins cheered as Si-moon landed nearby, ignoring them to focus on the ambusher.
“That’s…”
Ruddy red skin. A hulking, muscular frame more akin to an orc than the scrawny average goblin. Even its growling voice resembled a beast’s.
“A hobgoblin?”
“Grrr. Human.”
Si-moon grimaced.
Right—this is [The Corrupted Goblin Outpost].
Galaxy Arena often dropped hints through dungeon themes. “Corruption” typically hinted at demonic influence, and hobgoblins—evolved goblins warped by magic—fit perfectly.
Still…
A hobgoblin in a placement exam? Even with high MMR, isn’t Platinum-tier overkill?
He hadn’t expected them to escalate from checkpoint guards to Platinum-grade monsters.
“Graaah! Revenge for my subordinates!”
The hobgoblin charged, but Si-moon effortlessly dodged its axe strike using [Black Panther’s Muscle Tissue].
Wait…
Relief washed over him. This hobgoblin was slower and weaker than those from his past life. At 12% completion, [Black Panther’s Muscle Tissue] shouldn’t have dodged a true Platinum-tier foe.
Guess Galaxy Arena has some conscience. They nerfed it.
Still, even a nerfed hobgoblin remained formidable.
“Philosopher’s Stone.”
Yes! Ready when you are, Oppa!
Crackling energy gathered as he prepared to summon Astraphe—
[Constellation Black Goat frowns at Zeus’ repeated lightning strikes.]
[Constellation Black Goat points at your Obsidian Tablet and voices discontent.]
“Huh?”
Abandoning Astraphe, Si-moon redirected his energy into spatial explosions.
Bang!
“Graaaah!”
The hobgoblin staggered back but crossed its thick arms, enduring the blast.
Even nerfed, it’s tough.
Two more explosions forced distance between them. Then:
[Constellation Black Goat issues you a mission.]
“Mission?”
A window appeared:
[MISSION]
Constellation Black Goat resents your reliance on Zeus’ lightning.
Defeat the hobgoblin boss using ONLY “Human Transmutation.”
Reward: 500 achievement points.
Si-moon blinked.
500 points for this? That’s a counterfeit Astraphe’s worth.
Constellations rarely issued missions to non-sponsorees. The reason clicked instantly—pride. The Obsidian Tablet, a pinnacle of human transmutation, being ignored for Zeus’ weapon insulted the Black Goat.
“I accept.”
[Constellation Black Goat smiles in satisfaction.]
[Constellation Zeus scowls in displeasure.]
[Constellation Black Goat roars: Where’s that damn skirt-chaser?! Time to visit Olympus!]
“Wha—?”
[Constellation Zeus mutters: That lunatic’s still the same.]
[Constellation Zeus steps back with hands behind his back.]
Thankfully, Zeus’ retreat prevented a divine feud.
Phew.
With both Constellations appeased, Si-moon refocused.
“Grrr! Insolent human! How dare you mock me?!”
Enraged by the repeated distancing, the hobgoblin charged behind a crude wooden shield. Si-moon observed calmly.
Human Transmutation only…
Though barred from Astraphe, he smirked.
Crack!
His bare fist shattered the shield. The hobgoblin stared dumbfounded—not at the destroyed shield, but at its own fist, mangled from the impact.
“You—!”
Ignoring the pain, it swung its axe with the other hand. Si-moon caught the haft mid-air.
“Got you!”
The hobgoblin released the axe and tackled him, pinning him as the surviving goblins rained paralyzing darts from behind.
“Gh…!”
“Heh. Pathetic human. Can’t move?”
The hobgoblin loomed closer, reeking of rot. It raised its axe slowly, savoring the moment.
“Let’s start with your limbs—”
Snap.
Si-moon’s hand—suddenly free—grabbed its wrist.
Crunch.
The hobgoblin’s arm snapped like kindling. Before it could scream, Si-moon seized its throat.
“Goblins… truly are inferior.”
His icy gaze reflected the choking hobgoblin and the system windows above his arm:
[Ogre’s Muscle Tissue]
[Goblin’s Muscle Tissue]
“Did you really think such tricks would work on me?”
A frosty smile curled his lips.
Crack.
The hobgoblin’s neck snapped.
