Transferred to an SSS-rank Production Class

“Enchanting using a potion as a medium? Is that even possible?”

[Why don’t you check the item information?]

Kalia commanded with a snort.

An information window for a liquid mixed with Cha Taeyang’s blood and the Awakening Potion? With a skeptical mind, I grasped the bottle containing the yellowish-green liquid.

[Heartbeat of Flame (A)

: A dispelling item created under the direction of an exceptional craftsman]

It had become an A-rank item I’d never seen before, just from mixing two liquids. Kalia giggled, noticing my surprised expression. I shared the information window with Cha Taeyang.

[I’ve applied a bit of skill. This should work, right?]

“Unni, snap out of it! Get a hold of yourself.”

“…Kalia, how on earth did you…!”

[Hehe, I used a little trick.]

Kalia added that she’d done some tinkering while processing Cha Taeyang’s blood.

Though Kalia had taught me the magical formula, I had implemented it. I hadn’t felt like I was doing anything special at all…

[Where’s my thank you?]

“Thank you, Kalia. Thanks to you, we have a way forward.”

[It’s nothing. This is for my children, after all.]

If it’s a dispelling item rather than a potion, we should be able to use it as a medium.

As Kalia said, it’s my turn from here on out.

“I’m not sure if I can draw out a special effect at will, though.”

Even after grasping the knack of enchanting, I’ve only succeeded in applying a special effect once. That was when I enhanced Choi Kwon-young’s equipment.

Just because I want to do it doesn’t mean I can, you know.

[Didn’t you say you were short on time? Hurry up and try it.]

“Let me prepare myself mentally first.”

Kalia, who didn’t have even a speck of doubt that I might fail, urged me on.

If I fail here, the hidden quest ends right here. The pressure to succeed made it hard to breathe. I felt the habitual urge to give up welling up inside me.

‘Are you tired?’

‘How could I be?’

Why am I remembering that conversation from the house at a time like this? As if cold water had been splashed on me, I snapped back to my senses.

Right, this is what I’ve been aspiring to do all along. If I don’t have the guts for this much, I should quit being a hunter.

I took a deep breath, gripping the bottle tightly. I saw Cha Taeyang breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing my more relaxed expression.

I gauged which item in my inventory would be most suitable. After a brief deliberation, I took out a disc and placed it down.

[Disc of Zephyros (C)]

“I’ll use this.”

[A good choice.]

An item named after Zephyros, who brings the spring breeze.

In this situation where we need to awaken the sea people from their long hibernation, nothing could be more fitting.

“I’m counting on you, Kalia.”

[Begin, Gaho!]

“Enchant!”

I focused my nerves and analyzed the circuits of both items.

The disc wasn’t particularly complex. The problem was the Heartbeat of Flame. It was excessively complicated for an A-rank item. It was nearly as complex as Manpa, an S-rank item.

Kalia, quickly noticing my confusion, explained.

[It contains that child’s blood, remember? The mana channels of a living being are more complex than any item. This is already simplified, containing only the necessary parts.]

“Ugh, this is the simplified version?”

[Originally, it was th-is complicated!]

An enormous circuit suddenly appeared in mid-air. It was as complex as the system itself, with a unique structure unlike any item, impossible to grasp.

To think that so many knots exist within a single player. It sent chills down my spine, incomparable to any item.

And the World Tower that accommodates all this data…

[Done looking?]

As soon as Kalia spoke, the circuit folded up like paper, becoming smaller. I nodded and refocused on the disc and the bottle.

[Choose an effect to apply to ‘Disc of Zephyros (C)’:

– Innate: Reversal (B), Wavering (D)

– Acquired: Ember (A), Heart (A), Soot (C)]

The ranks weren’t bad, looking at them.

I checked the detailed descriptions, praying for a special effect to be attached to the A-rank effect. Please, please…

“Is it there?”

“…No, it’s not.”

I scanned up and down several times, but it wasn’t there.

I knew the probability was low, but I’d been having such good luck lately that I thought somehow it would work out this time too. Even though I knew the World Tower wasn’t that easy.

Do I have to give up now?

At that moment, my eyes caught the circuit drawn in a corner of the description window. It was the circuit predicted by the system. Usually, I used this as a guide to construct the circuit.

“Was it always like this?”

I hadn’t noticed until now, but doesn’t this circuit look a bit amateurish?

Maybe it’s because I’ve seen Kalia’s high-level circuits. No, even so, for a system-suggested circuit to be this sloppy… It was an absurd thought.

“But here, it would be better to do it like this…”

As if entranced, I reached out and modified the circuit drawn in the description window. Kalia seemed to be saying something, but I couldn’t hear her clearly.

I rewired the lines to fit the purpose.

My intuition was right.

Though it was drawn according to the standard, it was clumsy compared to Kalia’s circuits brimming with innovation. Have I developed a better eye since the beginning when I was as blind as a bat despite my high-ranked Magical Engineering skill? With such idle thoughts, I drew the final stroke.

And simultaneously, a popup appeared, similar but different from before.

[Choose an effect to apply to ‘Disc of Zephyros (C)’:

– Innate: Reversal (B), Wavering (D)

– Acquired: Spring (A), Heart (A), Soot (C)]

The A-rank enchantment I had touched, Ember, had changed to Spring.

Suppressing my swelling expectations, I checked the additional description.

[Enchant ‘Spring’ (A): Success rate 37%

– Greatly increases magic power and agility.

– Slightly increases accuracy.

– Slightly decreases health and strength.

– Low chance of applying a special effect.]

I did it! Seeing my suddenly brightened face, the goblin jumped up and down with excitement.

For some reason, I recalled my master’s voice telling me not to rely on skills. Kalia praised me with a voice tinged with laughter.

But it was too early to relax. I couldn’t let my guard down until the enchantment was complete. How many items had this merciless skill devoured?

“Ah, the sacrifice!”

Belatedly remembering the sacrifice, I took out a C-rank item from my inventory.

‘I can’t believe I forgot about this. That was close.’

With this, there’s no chance of the disc being destroyed. In the past, I wouldn’t have been able to casually use C-rank equipment worth millions of won, but that’s the benefit of being in a good guild.

After finding peace of mind with the sacrifice, I placed my hand on the disc.

“Applying enchant ‘Spring of Reversal’.”

Just in case, I also selected the innate effect. It probably wouldn’t attach a special effect, but it was a formula that worked well with the dispelling item. Let’s hope for a synergistic effect.

I began to draw out mana thinly from my fingertips to create the magical formula. In my mind, I continuously recalled the characteristics of the liquid contained in the coffins. I’m creating a formula to break down the formulas of illusion and freezing.

Time was tight. I moved my hands busily to complete the formula.

[That should do. Ah, just fill in that gap there.]

After getting final confirmation from Kalia, I placed my hand on the completed circuit.

Ding!

Just as I was about to infuse magical power, a clear metallic sound came from the elevator. It seemed to be people coming to put the sea people up for auction.

“Have they arrived already?”

Cha Taeyang pressed down on my shoulder, making me sit back down as I was about to stand up.

“I’ll take care of that. You focus on what you were doing.”

“Leave it to Taeyang! Mr. Kim, you just finish what you were doing!”

Ding! With a cheerful sound, the goblin rolled towards the elevator. Cha Taeyang followed him. Sensing my gaze, Cha Taeyang waved her hand as if to reassure me.

“Alright. I’m counting on you.”

“Yes!”

I’ve got to live up to their expectations. My shoulders felt heavy. But it was a welcome weight. Smiling, I infused magical power into the circuit.

At the same time, the elevator door opened.

“What the-!”

“Excuse me!”

“Yahoo, Taeyang’s coming through! Out of the way, you nasty Mr. Kims!”

I heard the sounds of a scuffle behind me, but I couldn’t turn around.

Instead of a brilliant light, a message window popped up.

[Enchant ‘Spring of Reversal’ has failed.]

[Failure penalty incurred! ‘Treasured Item of Wind Mountain (C)’ will be destroyed instead of ‘Disc of Zephyros (C)’.]

I covered my face with my arm, bracing for the impending explosion.

Failure? 

Even though the success rate was only about half, at a moment like this…!

A clear, tinkling voice pulled me up as I was sinking into the ground.

[Who decided that!]

Kalia, the greatest craftsman of the sea people—no, the greatest craftsman of this floor, the World-Shaping Alchemist, declared her defiance against the system.

[NPC Kalia’s trait, ‘World-Shaping Alchemist (SS)’ activates.]

[Enchant ‘Spring of Reversal’ has failed.]

[Failure penalty incurred! ‘Treasured Item of Wind Mountain (C)’ will be destroyed instead of ‘Disc of Zephyros (C)’.]

[En■■nt ‘Sp■■g of Re■■■al’ has ■■■ed.]

[■■lure ■■alty ■■■red! ‘■■■ured ■■m of ■■d ■■■tain (C)’ ■■ be ■■■oyed ■■■ad of ‘■■c of ■■■ros (C)’.]

[■■■■t ‘■■■g of ■■■■■’ has ■■■■d.]

[■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■d! ‘■■■■■ ■■ of ■■ ■■■■ (C)’ ■■ be ■■■■■ ■■■■ of ‘■■ of ■■■■ (C)’.]

A warm heat rose from the monocle. I slowly lowered my arm.

Simultaneously, the circuits composing the system flooded into the small room like an overflowing river. Sparks flew from various parts of the circuit, and its structure changed every second.

In response, several messages popped up. The spaces filled with “destruction” and “failure” were repeatedly filled and emptied.

[Gaho, trust in me!]

Though Kalia wasn’t physically here, somehow I felt as if I could see her back, standing protectively in front of me.

[Resisting providence is the true duty of an alchemist!]

In the battlefield of noisy messages, Kalia emerged victorious.

A dazzling light burst forth, announcing Kalia’s victory.

[Enchantment successful!

– Special Item, ‘Spring of Reversal (A)]

I picked up the blue-violet disc emitting light.

[Spring of Reversal (A)

“And at last, spring arrived, cutting through the long wait.”

: A dispelling item created by an exceptional craftsman.

: Highly effective against all kinds of curses and contamination.

※ Due to excessive interference, the item has lost its original form. It will be destroyed after fulfilling its purpose.]

[Well, how’s my handiwork?]

“Kalia!”

[Hmm, I might have overdone it a bit.]

With that brief complaint as her final words, Kalia’s voice disappeared. The monocle forcibly deactivated as well.

Startled, I checked my inventory and found an added description saying that “For the Fourteenth Night” had been sealed due to excessive interference.

[Penalty Period: 149:59:50]

Fortunately, it seemed it hadn’t completely vanished.

“Thank you, Kalia.”

Murmuring words of gratitude to an absent recipient, I turned around.

Cha Taeyang stood with her hands on her hips, having subdued three grown men without a scratch. The goblin rolled to her feet boastfully, jingling.

“Mr. Kim, did you finish what you were doing?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

I handed the disc to Cha Taeyang.

We’ve put out the immediate fire, but we need to hurry. If we delay too long, the Shipowners’ Association might send more people, sensing something amiss.

“I’ll undo the formula on the coffins. Hunter Cha Taeyang, please take the coffins off the shelves and nullify the formula on the liquid.”

“Got it!”

Even as I manipulated the circuit to undo the formula, I kept glancing at Cha Taeyang. After all Kalia had done, it would surely succeed, but I wouldn’t be at ease until I saw it with my own eyes.

Cha Taeyang walked towards the coffin where we had already undone the formula. Then, without hesitation, she plunged her hand holding the disc into the liquid.

Hoping the children would soon wake from their terrible dream, I watched the boy with a prayerful heart.

“Please.”