The Wizard in the Game Is Rewarded in Reality

Chapter 19

I had to lie in bed for two whole days due to a cold.

I left Seolgi at a pet hotel, worried that she might catch some bad germs.

After two days of suffering, my body felt a bit better.

“Now I can live a little.”

I gulp down some bottled water from the fridge.

“It’s clear that the two worlds are connected.”

The cold hit me right after I made an artifact in the world of Doomsday and sent it to Dark Merchant in reality.

Lying in bed for two days, I pondered why I caught a cold. I think it was because I was extremely tense and focused while making the artifact.

As I manifest the rune of healing, a bright light seeps into my body. I feel a bit refreshed.

When the cold first started, even the rune of healing was useless.

“I thought I wouldn’t get sick and would be invincible once I awakened, but that wasn’t the case.”

It’s true that awakeners have stronger immunity and are healthier than ordinary people, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get sick.

After resting a bit more, I jump out of bed and open the delivery app to order food.

I haven’t eaten properly for two days, and my stomach feels empty.

“Expected to arrive in 30 minutes.”

I open YouTube on my phone.

– The Curse of the Cataclysm, Mana Addiction.

A thumbnail with red letters on a white background appears.

“Mana Addiction.”

The incurable disease that took away the most precious thing from me.

I look at the photo next to my computer. It’s a picture of me with my mother and father. My parents passed away from mana addiction when I was in my second year of high school.

Mana addiction is a disease that emerged after the cataclysm, and no cure has been found yet. It’s a terrifying disease that makes you waste away and eventually die for no apparent reason.

Mana might be a blessing for the awakened, but for ordinary people who haven’t awakened, it’s a deadly poison.

Since the path of addiction hasn’t been identified yet, it has stolen the nickname ‘silent assassin’ from liver cancer.

As if possessed, I click on the video.

The YouTuber’s explanation about mana addiction continues. Videos of those suffering from mana addiction, videos of the families left behind.

– Woon-ah. Mom is very sorry.

I recall my mother’s appearance just before she passed away.

She was so afraid that mana addiction might be contagious that she didn’t let me enter the hospital room, so I had to watch her suffer through a small window in the door.

Now it’s known that mana addiction is not contagious at all, but it wasn’t known back then. But at that time, neither I nor my mother knew that, and I had to watch my mother take her long journey to the sky from outside the door.

– You have to live somehow. Even without mom and dad, you have to live. Got it?

Until her last moment, my mother repeatedly told me that I had to live.

“I’m living hard, mom.”

If I had awakened a little earlier, wouldn’t my parents have died?

No, they wouldn’t have.

Even the potions that the awakened bring back from the Tower of Infinity can’t cure mana addiction.

No, maybe it could be cured with the magic that the wizards of the source learn.

“So what?”

They’ve already become stars in the sky.

I turn off the video and throw my phone aside.

“Don’t worry. I’ll live well from now on.”

*

I brought Seolgi home.

Even though it hadn’t been long since we lived together, the small house felt empty without Seolgi.

“Aw, did you miss me?”

I placed Seolgi on my belly and scratched her chin.

“Meow-.”

The way she struggled to grab my hand with her tiny front paws was so cute. After playing with Seolgi for a while, I left the house.

Dark Merchant advanced me the money.

“They’re quite generous.”

I was planning to mention the house purchase cost when asked about the necessary amount, but Dark Merchant sent me 5 billion won in advance without even asking.

– It will be sold at a higher price than the advance we sent you.

The email from Dark Merchant detailed how the artifact would be sold.

The artifact was to be sold through an auction. The 5 billion won advance they sent me would be the starting bid. I thought it would sell for a high price, but I didn’t expect the starting bid to be 5 billion won.

“Seolgi, play for a bit. I’ll be back after shopping.”

Buying a house is shopping too, isn’t it?

After feeding Seolgi some formula, I left the house.

I called a taxi and waited.

“I need to buy a car too. What kind of car should I get? A red sports car for a man? A horse? A bull?”

I chuckled to myself.

The way I was buying expensive things as soon as I made money was the typical behavior of a nouveau riche who suddenly struck it rich.

“So what?”

I plan to do everything I want.

In a world where you never know when you’ll die, I’ll do everything I want, eat everything I want, and live as my heart desires.

I took a taxi to the real estate agency I visited a few days ago.

“Ha ha. You’re back, sir. See, I told you you’d come back. You’re here to look at the house, right?”

“Yes, that’s the plan.”

“Shall I show you the house I mentioned before?”

“You’re more enthusiastic today than before.”

The real estate agent smiled brightly.

“The fact that someone who left after hearing the high price came back means they can afford it now.”

“Ah-!”

This must be what experience feels like.

“You can show me another house besides the previous one. It would be even better if it’s available for immediate move-in.”

“There happens to be such a house. But the price is a bit higher.”

“How much?”

“The owner is asking for 4 billion won, but since it’s a quick sale, you could probably negotiate it down by 200 to 300 million won. Shall we go?”

We move in the realtor’s car.

“This is the typical look of a wealthy neighborhood, isn’t it?”

At the entrance of the elegantly built housing complex, there is a barrier installed and burly guards are standing watch.

“If you’re not a resident here, you absolutely cannot enter. Many successful Awakeners, business people, and celebrities live here.”

“I see.”

We arrived at our destination shortly after.

The house was empty.

“The owner is selling this house and moving to the United States. Do you know Kim Ji-soon by any chance?”

“Not really.”

“He’s a four-term congressman. I don’t know the details, but it seems like he committed some crime. So, he’s trying to flee to the U.S. before the regime changes.”

“Ah-!”

Following the natural stone steps up, a spacious garden awaits.

“You can enter the house directly from the parking lot. It’s connected to the underground multi-space. This house has a land area of 120 pyeong. The average price per pyeong in this neighborhood is between 3,000 and 4,000. This house is about 3,300 per pyeong. So, 4 billion won is just the land price. The garden is amazing, right? Greedy congressmen have brought all the good stuff here.”

As the realtor said, the garden was a work of art in itself.

There is an artificial waterfall made of natural stone and a small pond below it. The stone bridge crossing the pond and the pavilion beside it are as beautiful as a painting.

Even to my untrained eye, the garden trees don’t look ordinary.

“The building area is 30 pyeong. Including the basement, first floor, and second floor, it’s a total of about 80 pyeong. There are five rooms in total. The underground multi-space also has a dry sauna.”

“Sauna… that’s nice.”

The realtor shows me around the house in detail.

“How do you like it? The house is nice, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s really nice.”

“It’s well-maintained, so you can move in right away, but you can also redo the interior if you want. Wealthy people don’t usually like things that others have touched, so they tend to change everything before moving in.”

I consider changing the interior but don’t feel the need to.

“Let’s sign the contract right away. I’ll leave the negotiation with the owner to you. I’ll give you half of the amount you manage to knock off, so try to get as much as you can.”

“Really?”

Nodding with a smile, the real estate agent’s mouth stretches to his ears.

I was thinking of buying the house at the price the owner offered, but hearing that he was a fugitive congressman made me lose the desire to pay more.

“Instead, you must handle everything until the end.”

“Of course. Leave all the paperwork to me. I know a good tax accountant who will take care of all the tax issues.”

*

The real estate agent, perhaps boosted by the promise of half the negotiation amount, knocked off 500 million won from the house price.

After buying the house, I went ahead and bought a car too.

I was thinking of getting a sports car, but in the end, I chose a sedan. Searching about sports cars, the overwhelming opinion was, “They look cool, but the ride quality is terrible.” That was my conclusion.

I also left the sale of my current house to the real estate agent.

I stopped by the department store and ordered basic furniture. The previous owner had offered to leave the furniture, but I had no desire to use furniture that someone else had used, regardless of the interior.

By purchasing all the furniture and appliances, I instantly became a VVIP at the department store.

After the cleaning service finishes and the furniture arrives in two days, I will move to the new house, leaving the familiar one behind.

After preparing Seolgi’s formula, I lie down in the capsule.

Having lived a fulfilling life in reality, shouldn’t I also live a fulfilling life in Doomsday?

*

The workshop of the Alchemy School was very quiet, unlike the workshop of the Enchantment School.

“Have you come?”

The elder without a core welcomes me warmly.

“This is your personal laboratory to use while you stay here. The experimental tools are already prepared.”

“Thank you.”

“I heard you finished the Enchantment School faster than originally planned? I look forward to your progress in alchemy as well.”

“I will do my best.”

The elder takes out a potion bottle and pours it into a cup.

“It’s a mix of the tea you usually drink and some other things.”

It must mean it was made with alchemy.

“It relieves fatigue and enhances concentration.”

If I could bring this tea to reality and sell it, it would be a huge hit. Korean parents’ passion for education is number one in the world, isn’t it?

“Alchemy is literally about making gold. Turning worthless metals into gold. It’s actually impossible. If it were possible, gold would have lost its value.”

The elder continues his explanation.

“We have repeatedly researched to make gold, but we still haven’t succeeded. Instead, with the knowledge accumulated through research, we have created new things. What could they be?”

“Potion.”

“That’s right. The most representative one is the potion. Besides potions, there are many things that can be made with alchemy. The mana paint you learned before was also made with alchemy. What do you think is the ultimate goal of alchemy?”

I know the answer because of a conversation I had with my master.

“To make an elixir.”

“You know well. Elixir. The immortal crystal that makes mortals reject the death they cannot overcome. Even now, many alchemists are devoting themselves to research to make elixirs. Of course, I am not forcing you to do that.”

“I will try my best.”

“We have a lot of time ahead, so take it slow and let’s do what we need to do first. What do you think is the basis of alchemy?”

“I don’t know.”

The elder nods as if he understands.

“Knowing the inherent properties of objects is the beginning of alchemy. Knowing the inherent properties of metals, plants, animals, etc., and extracting only what is needed from those properties to create something new is alchemy.”

“I see. What should I start with?”

The elder looks at me intently and asks.

“You memorize well, don’t you?”

“Yes?”

Thud-!

The elder starts piling up a book of enormous thickness in front of me.

“Memorize.”