I Became an Illegal Cheat User – Chapter 53

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The Alchemy Workshop.

An institution of alchemists, by alchemists, for alchemists.

With its headquarters in Korea and branches in various countries under the name ‘Alchemy Guild’, this institution was a must-join for all alchemists.

Of course, it wasn’t ‘mandatory’, and there were no disadvantages or pressures for not joining, so one could choose not to if they didn’t want to.

However, most alchemists worldwide were affiliated with the Alchemy Workshop.

And for good reason.

The Alchemy Workshop handled copyright registration and protection, customer and business referrals, proxy sales of items, loans (1% annual interest), and even identity protection upon request.

So how could alchemists, who were holed up in their rooms constantly making alchemy items, resist joining?

“Welcome to the Alchemy Workshop.”

A hologram appeared beside Yu-jin as soon as he entered the building.

The hologram, in the form of a guide, bowed to Yu-jin and asked about his reason for visiting the workshop.

“I’m here for member registration and copyright registration.”

“Do you have any other business?”

“No, that’s all.”

“Then I will guide you to the department in charge of ‘member registration and copyright registration’ as you requested.”

As the hologram guide said this, a blue line appeared at Yu-jin’s feet and extended somewhere.

“This is the guide line to the department you requested. If you follow this line, you will arrive at your destination.”

With those words, as if the customer service was over, the hologram guide disappeared like a computer turning off.

“…Didn’t the Academy introduce this kind of technology?”

Or make it.

Yu-jin thought of the large and spacious main building of the Academy as he walked along the guide line.

The main building consisted of many rooms such as faculty offices, instructor rooms, storage rooms, etc.

The main building was as complex as a subway map.

How nice it would be if such technology existed in that main building.

‘I should suggest this to the Chairwoman next time I have a meeting with her.’

She had suspiciously large amounts of money and was very interested in employee welfare, so she would probably think positively about it.

Ding.

[3rd floor.]

As soon as Yu-jin got off the elevator following the guide line, he saw the ‘Registration Department’.

When he opened the door and entered, the guide line disappeared and a real person, not a hologram, greeted him.

“Welcome, how may I help you?”

“I’m here for member registration and copyright registration.”

“Ah, you’ve come for member registration and copyright registration.”

The receptionist nodded with a business smile and took out two papers from under the counter, handing them to Yu-jin along with a pen.

“Could you please fill out these two forms?”

[Alchemy Workshop Membership Application], [Copyright Registration Application]

The contents of the two forms were simple.

The Alchemy Workshop membership form only asked for ‘Name’, ‘Phone Number’, and ‘Address’.

The copyright registration application only required ‘Detailed description of the efficacy, effects, and side effects of the item to be copyrighted’ and ‘Detailed recipe of the item’.

However, there was a problem.

Yu-jin immediately raised his head and said to the employee.

“Excuse me, there’s a problem with the form.”

“Pardon? A problem with the form? That can’t be…”

The employee, with a slightly flustered face, took out the same form from under the counter to check.

“Sir, I don’t see any problem with the form I’m looking at… Could you tell me what the issue is?”

“There’s not enough space to write on the copyright registration application.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I’m saying you need to give me more application forms.”

“…You need more application forms?”

The employee looked at Yu-jin with a face that showed momentary incomprehension.

Then he lowered his head to check the application form he was holding.

“…This should be plenty…”

As the employee muttered, the application form only had the entry format written at the very top, which was enough to write five to six recipes.

But that was just a general assumption.

Although Yu-jin hadn’t majored in alchemy, he knew over hundreds of alchemy recipes.

Of course, he didn’t intend to write down all those recipes.

For now, he planned to register only the recovery potion recipes he had shown to the Fallen worshipper.

As for other recipes, he intended to gradually release them after confirming the poor state of the alchemy field.

Still, the number of potion recipes he was going to copyright register today exceeded twenty.

As such, this single sheet of paper was far from enough.

“Could you give me about eight sheets for now?”

Eight sheets might not be enough either… but if it wasn’t enough, he could always ask for more.

“E-eight sheets?”

The employee looked at Yu-jin with an astonished face.

From this reaction, Yu-jin could roughly gauge the level of alchemists.

But since it wasn’t certain, he asked the employee:

“Don’t other alchemists register many copyrights?”

The employee handed Yu-jin eight application forms and said,

“Generally not. On average, alchemists usually register only two or three copyrights.”

“Don’t they register more after that?”

“There are some who do, but they’re extremely rare.”

“Then what about the majority of alchemists?”

“Most of them find that registering just two or three copyrights is enough to make a living, so they don’t register more. They’re content with that, so to speak.”

“……”

He had found it.

The reason why reality was different from the game.

‘…This is more serious than I thought.’

I want to be better than that person.

I want to earn more than that person.

I want to be more famous than that person.

They lacked not only such ambition for improvement, but also the desire to advance the field of alchemy or to seek truth.

As if alchemists weren’t allowed to have such desires.

‘At this rate, it’s barely keeping the tradition alive…’

Why?

What was the reason?

‘…I really don’t understand this.’

Was this another variable caused by random encounters?

But the scope seemed too vast for that…

Yu-jin’s head throbbed with thoughts chasing each other in his mind.

To clear his head for a moment, he asked the employee about the person who had registered the most copyrights.

As he did so, he hoped it would be someone he knew.

That way, he could help raise the standard of the alchemy field, which was not just poor but at its worst.

“That would be Midas-nim. She recently registered more, bringing her total number of registered copyrights to 30.”

The employee answered Yu-jin’s question with an enthusiastic voice, as if talking about a favorite celebrity.

“Midas…”

What a relief.

This part wasn’t different from the game.

Yu-jin let out a sigh of relief and thought about Midas.

Midas.

The woman who would later be called a master of alchemy.

No, perhaps she was already being called that now.

Unlike alchemists who only made two or three alchemy items and settled for that, she seemed to be constantly delving deeper into alchemy.

‘Well, her S-rank talent is incredible.’

But even an S-rank talent was useless without ambition for improvement.

So Midas must undoubtedly have the highest ambition and thirst for knowledge based on that talent.

‘Now I feel a bit relieved…’

The state of the alchemy field was so serious that I thought I might have to drag it up by the collar myself.

But with Midas around, there shouldn’t be a problem.

No, even if there was a problem, it didn’t matter.

It was easier to teach one person than a hundred.

‘I should contact her later and teach her all of the recipes I know.’

As for money, I could receive it from her.

She owned a major potion company in Greece after all.

And given her personality, she’d likely provide a generous monthly allowance, no less than copyright fees.

Still, since I’d come to the Alchemy Workshop, I’d register the potion recipes as planned.

I couldn’t meet Midas right away, so I might as well earn some copyright fees.

“I don’t think I can write this standing up. Is there somewhere I can sit?”

“Ah, yes! If you go down the left corridor, there’s a rest area. You should be able to write there.”

“Okay, I’ll be back in a bit then.”

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After writing down a total of 21 recovery potion recipes in the rest area the employee had directed him to, Yu-jin returned to where the employee was and submitted the eight sheets of forms.

The employee looked alternately at the densely written forms and Yu-jin with an astonished face, just like before.

But that was only for a moment.

The employee quickly regained composure, took the forms Yu-jin had filled out, and went somewhere.

Not long after, the employee returned empty-handed and started guiding Yu-jin somewhere, asking him to follow.

“You have all of the ingredients, right?”

“Oh, are we doing the evaluation right away?”

“Yes, fortunately the examiners are available today, so you can have your evaluation immediately.”

Lucky.

Even in the game, the examiners were rarely available, so it usually took a few days (in game time) to register copyrights.

“Can I go in right away?”

“Yes, you can go in.”

At the employee’s affirmation, Yu-jin immediately knocked on the door and carefully opened it.

And as he entered.

“Welcome.”

“Ho ho, to think it would be such a young person.”

“Indeed, it seems a new comet has appeared in the world of alchemy.”

A stern-looking middle-aged woman and two kind-looking old men greeted Yu-jin.

“Applicant, are all the recipes written on this form truly yours?”

The middle-aged woman, Examiner A, asked while holding up the form Yu-jin had submitted.

“Yes, they are.”

“…Impressive. To know so many recipes, you’re the first person since Midas.”

“Indeed, I thought the alchemy field was at its end with no progress except for Midas.”

“What a blessing, what a blessing indeed.”

“Gentlemen, we don’t know yet. We need to verify if the efficacy and effects written on the form submitted by the applicant are correct.”

“That’s true.”

“Mm, mm.”

The elderly examiners nodded in agreement at Examiner A’s words.

“Therefore, applicant. Are you able to produce these right now?”

Yu-jin immediately nodded.

“Yes, I can.”

“Then please begin production right away.”

At those words, Yu-jin approached the large table with the alchemy kit.

Then he opened his inventory and placed the ingredients he had brought on the table.

After that, following the memories in his head and the guidance of the talent ‘Alchemist’s High Alchemy (A)’ that he had purchased for this moment, he began to demonstrate his alchemy.

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All 21 potion recipes were successfully registered for copyright without any issues.

The registered copyrights were named ‘Delicious’ Recovery Potions.

They were registered in various flavors such as strawberry, chocolate, banana, and so on.

The era of bitter, astringent, and spicy recovery potions had come to an end.

Ah, and mint flavor was not registered.

That was left for the original creator who would accidentally make a delicious recovery potion in the future.

Since the first recovery potion ever made was mint flavored.

…It definitely wasn’t because Yu-jin disliked mint flavor.

Anyway, now that the copyright registration was done.

He should buy some Tanghulu or juice for Asuka and Seo-yeon before returning.

Just as Yu-jin was thinking that and about to leave the Alchemy Workshop.

Boom!

A distant explosion was heard.

Weeeeeooooo!

Simultaneously, sirens began to blare.

– Terrorist attack in progress! Terrorist attack in progress!

– Currently, a terrorist attack is occurring in the Alchemy Workshop street! Citizens are advised to evacuate quickly according to the terror evacuation manual! We repeat! Currently, in the Alchemy Workshop street…

“…Hah.”

Another random encounter had occurred at the Alchemy Workshop.

“A terrorist attack this time, huh.”

He needed to come to the Alchemy Workshop street often for special bullet materials.

It would be troublesome if random encounters kept happening like this.

“I should check if delivery orders are possible after resolving this.”

Still, an opportunity to test the new talents he had acquired had presented itself.

Ding dong.

[Infinite Items ON / OFF]

Maybe he should try to think positively about this.

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