Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 210: 51st Floor, The Forest of Mystical Beings (7)
Having completed the quest, Taesan returned to the Gremlin’s domain.
The forest on the way back was eerily quiet. Naturally, it was because Taesan had killed everything in his path. Those who survived were likely holding their breath, waiting for him to pass by.
All while harboring hatred for him and the Gremlin.
“You’re back.”
The Gremlin was waiting outside his house, quietly. Taesan handed him the white horn of a unicorn.
“Hah, haha. You really brought it…”
The Gremlin laughed dryly, fiddling with the white horn.
“If I combine this with what you’ve brought me… I can achieve what I’ve always wanted.”
He gripped the horn tightly.
“But first, I should give you a reward. Take this. It’s a power I’ve honed over my entire life.”
[You have learned Basic Alchemy.]
“Figure out how to use it yourself. I’m not going to explain everything.”
Taesan nodded. The Gremlin continued to speak while still toying with the horn.
“And… since you’ve brought me exactly what I needed, I should give you a bit more. Tell me, what do you want? I suppose you’d want a fairy’s wings?”
“Can you even give me something like that?”
The wings of a fairy, which allowed one to fly freely through the air, would indeed be a tremendous advantage for an adventurer. The Gremlin nodded.
“That’s what alchemy is for. It requires a lot of materials, but with what you’ve provided, it’s more than enough.”
“Tempting… but I’ll pass. I’ve already got something similar.”
“Already?”
The Gremlin, puzzled, soon understood.
“Ah, from that place made by the dragon…”
“Exactly. So, I don’t need it.”
“Then what do you want?”
“Hmm…”
At the moment, there wasn’t much he found inconvenient as he progressed through the floors. The issue of aerial combat had already been resolved with the acquisition of the fairy’s wings.
After a brief contemplation, Taesan spoke.
“If possible, I’d like something to increase my attack or defense. Is that feasible?”
His current attack power was already quite high. However, since most of his opponents were lower-floor entities, the damage reduction due to defense was significant.
Taesan wanted to address this issue. The Gremlin stroked his chin at Taesan’s words.
“Attack power… It’s not… impossible.”
“Really?”
“But if that’s the case, it will have to be made as equipment. Which part do you want it for?”
“A ring.”
Taesan answered immediately. The Gremlin, as if expecting this response, went back into his house.
“Follow me.”
Taesan followed him inside.
The interior, as before, was sparsely furnished. Aside from a few pieces of furniture necessary for living, the place was filled with nothing but alchemical tools.
“Give me one of the rings you have.”
Taesan took out a ring.
[Ring of Deep Scars]
[Attack Power +2]
[A ring engraved with an inexplicable scar. The aura of the one who carved the scar curses everything that approaches.]
It was a ring he had used for a very long time. To anyone else, it might have seemed useless, but Taesan had found it quite handy.
The Gremlin examined the ring with a curious expression.
“The ring itself isn’t bad, but it seems rather useless.”
“I met Ainshar.”
“Ah… That old codger. I see.”
The Gremlin nodded, accepting the ring. He placed it on a cluttered table.
“Alchemy is the art of combining materials to create items of great value.”
He began sprinkling various substances onto the ring.
“But unlike magic, alchemy isn’t a safe practice. It’s an unstable technique, always seeking perfection. Powerful ingredients clash and react, and the resultant force is infused into the ring.”
He sprinkled white powder, followed by green powder. The powders clashed, generating heat that began to melt the ring.
The Gremlin continued his work. Taesan watched as incomprehensible actions were repeated.
After about ten minutes, the Gremlin poured a blue liquid over the melting ring.
Then, he quickly ducked under the table.
Boom!
The moment the liquid touched the fiery substance, an explosion erupted.
It was a massive explosion, powerful enough to blow everything in the room away. Debris crashed against the walls and fell to the ground. The only thing that remained sturdy was the table, possibly reinforced in some way.
Sizzle…
When the explosion subsided, the ring was now infused with the powders.
The Gremlin cautiously peeked out and grabbed the ring.
“It’s made quite well. Here, take it.”
[Alchemically Tempered Ring of Deep Scars]
[Attack Power +15]
[A ring engraved with inexplicable scars. The aura of the one who carved the scars curses everything that approaches. The petals of an all-consuming flower and living mist are combined with the explosive water.]
The attack power had increased by a staggering 130.
Taesan was momentarily stunned by the unexpected transformation.
Seeing Taesan staring blankly at the ring, the Gremlin shook his head.
“Just so you know, even if you tried making it yourself now, you’d never reach this level. Even a minor mistake in the process could result in an item with much less power, or if you fail, the equipment itself could be destroyed.”
“Sounds complicated.”
But on the other hand, it meant that with increased skill levels, such transformations could be achieved.
“If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. From now on, you can figure things out on your own.”
He pulled out a few gray pouches from his pocket.
“Take these, too.”
[You have obtained five pouches of Fairy Wing Powder.]
[Fairy Wing Powder]
[Gradually restores Health and Mana over a certain period. The recovery rate is quite fast.]
It was similar to what Lee Taeyeon had received, but with better effects. With five pouches, they would be extremely useful in dangerous situations.
Taesan accepted the powders. The Gremlin handed him a compass.
“This compass will guide you to the path leading to the 52nd floor.”
Then, he started tidying up.
“Now, go. I have no more business with you.”
Taesan, holding the compass, asked.
“Do you really think you’ll be satisfied with that?”
“I’ve come this far.”
The Gremlin smiled. It was more like a sob than a smile.
“I… can’t turn back.”
“Is that so?”
Taesan said no more and left.
Left alone, the Gremlin stared blankly around the room before he began to clean up.
He started tossing ingredients into a bubbling cauldron. When he finally threw in the unicorn horn, thick smoke began to spread out from the cauldron.
As the smoke cleared, all that remained were powders clinging to the floor.
The Gremlin collected the powders.
“I am…”
He fell silent.
‘I am.’
He sometimes pondered.
What if he hadn’t gained self-awareness?
What if he had a mind less than that of a beast, like the others of his kind?
Perhaps he would have been happier.
A Gremlin. A vile race living in filth. Monsters who couldn’t even wield tools properly, unable to count their own numbers.
Among them, he alone possessed intelligence.
And that, in itself, was despair.
He was also inherently small and frail, suffering abuse and disdain from his kin.
Monsters are lesser than beasts. And when survival becomes difficult, beasts kill their weakest offspring first.
The Gremlin barely escaped the hands of his kin and parents who tried to consume him.
Entering the depths of the forest, the Gremlin made a vow.
He would abandon his Gremlin identity.
He would gain power and live among other intelligent beings worthy of his intellect.
In the labyrinth, he worked tirelessly in the forest. He gathered materials and honed his strength without anyone’s help. As a result, he gained unmatched alchemical skills.
He joyfully left the forest with his achievements.
In his current state, he thought he was equal to humans. He had learned their language and writing from discarded books he found in the forest, believing he could live and communicate with them.
He believed so.
Until the first human he met, fascinated by a talking Gremlin, locked him up in a cage.
He became a circus animal.
He desperately shouted that he could perform alchemy, that he could be of use to them. That they could live together.
But no one paid attention to his words. They were only amazed that a Gremlin could speak.
It was then the Gremlin realized it didn’t matter what he learned or what he had.
No matter what power he possessed, he was nothing more than a worthless monster.
Even when the Monster Liberation Group released him, it was the same. They looked at him in fascination, not as a living being.
He returned to the forest.
And then, he obsessively pursued alchemy and gathered information, eventually learning of the existence of the labyrinth.
The labyrinth.
A place where all the world’s mysteries converge.
The Gremlin was thrilled. He believed that there, his existence would be accepted. That he could interact as an equal entity.
So, he entered the labyrinth.
But even there, he was just a Gremlin.
In a place filled with mysteries and beautiful beings, he was still despised.
“In the end, it’s because I’m a Gremlin.”
He sobbed. No matter what he gained or what achievements he accomplished, no one acknowledged him. No one accepted him. No one befriended him.
He was alone his entire life.
Driven mad, he made a decision.
Then he just needed to not be a Gremlin.
He needed to become like them.
He looked at the gathered powders with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
This would be the end. One way or another.
With the powders in hand, he staggered outside.
The Gremlin headed deep into the forest.
[He looked like he was in danger.]
“It’s his choice. I don’t have the right to stop him.”
Lee Taeyeon had said she felt sorry for him. She wanted to help but couldn’t.
But Taesan couldn’t stop him either. No matter what he said, the Gremlin would react the same way he did to Lee Taeyeon.
Whatever the outcome, it was a choice the Gremlin made for himself.
As Taesan returned to the village, he picked herbs and flowers from the forest. Having learned alchemy, he could now perceive things he couldn’t see before.
[A Flower Soaked in Blue Blood]
[Possesses the aura of cold flames. It has strong resistance and is difficult to harmonize.]
[A Root Hidden Deep Underground]
[Possesses a solid aura of the earth. It has weak resistance and is easy to harmonize. Combines easily with certain attributes.]
“What does any of this mean?”
The descriptions were hard to understand. Even the spirit seemed to know little about alchemy.
[Alchemy… I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never seen anyone actually use it except for that Gremlin. Learning the basics will be quite challenging.]
“It’ll be tough on my own.”
With help, he might manage, but trying to do it alone would likely mean staying in the forest for over a month.
Collecting materials, Taesan finally arrived at the village.
Darien was waiting at the village entrance. Upon seeing Taesan, he approached with a bright smile.
It was a completely different expression from the last time they met.
“You’re back? How did it go?”
“I won’t be coming here anymore.”
“You… you passed?”
“Yeah.”
Darien’s eyes wavered, but he forced a smile.
“Congratulations! I knew you could do it!”
Taesan looked at Darien blankly.
“What’s this about?”
The last time he left, Darien had hurled insults at him. There was no reason to be friendly now.
“No, I just felt bad for saying those things. You risked your life to come this far, and I didn’t even congratulate you properly.”
He grabbed Taesan’s arm and pulled him into the village.
“Come on in. Let’s celebrate.”
Taesan looked at him with a blank expression. Nervousness showed on Darien’s face.
When Taesan finally moved his feet, Darien’s face brightened.
As soon as he stepped into the village, Taesan felt a chilling sensation sweep through his body.
A power he hadn’t sensed before.
It emanated from beneath the village.
“So, they’ve finally prepared.”
Taesan muttered.
He had thought the Guides of Sin were waiting for him in the forest.
But the forest was no place for them to survive.
This meant that when he passed through the village, the Guides of Sin were hiding within, waiting silently for him to pass, biding their time for something.
‘Hopefully, it won’t disappoint.’
Taesan entered the village.