Chapter 1
[Warning!]
[Time remaining until the debt repayment deadline: 3 days.]
[If repayment is not completed before the deadline, the creditor, the Black Serpent Syndicate, will immediately enforce the surrender of your body and the slave contract.]
A strange string of words floated in the air, staining Elliott Franrt's vision red.
He rubbed his dry eyes and swallowed a curse.
"…This is insane."
The moment he opened his eyes, he found himself in a brutal cultivation world where fists carried more weight than laws and human lives were worth less than dirt.
It did not take him long to understand his situation.
The original owner of this body, the former Elliott Franrt, had been a third-rate aspiring Alchemist who had taken on a debt far beyond his ability to repay.
The only inheritance he had left behind was a rotting wooden house that barely kept out the wind and rain.
That, and a high-interest loan of five hundred mana stones from the Black Serpent Syndicate, a gang that controlled the back alleys.
"Five hundred mana stones. Even if I worked myself to the bone doing manual labor, it would take at least ten years."
That bastard.
If he wanted to die, he should have died alone.
Why borrow money he could never repay and then drop dead from shock?
Because of him, Elliott had awakened as a debtor with only three days left to live.
When the deadline arrived, his organs would either be removed and sold as Alchemy materials, or he would spend the rest of his life as a slave in a mana-stone mine.
'Calm down. Cursing won't make the debt disappear.'
It had only been one day since he awakened in this world.
But he could already feel it in his bones.
This was a world ruled entirely by the strong.
Those without wealth or power were treated worse than stones lying on the roadside.
The strong trampling the weak was accepted as naturally as the changing of the seasons.
Yet the reverse was also true.
With enough talent and fortune, even an ordinary man could overturn his fate and rise above the heavens.
A thin thread of hope passed through Elliott's mind.
Stories about possession and reincarnation usually gave their protagonists some hidden bloodline or extraordinary constitution that no one else knew about.
Clinging to that faint possibility, Elliott sat cross-legged and attempted Inner Sight with his limited knowledge.
He sank his awareness deep into his Mana Core and examined the aptitude of his new body.
A moment later—
"Damn it…!"
The result was miserable.
The five elemental attributes inside his body were tangled together without order.
It was the worst kind of mixed mana affinity.
In this world, aptitude referred to how purely a person could absorb and refine the Mana scattered between heaven and earth.
If a genius with a Heavenly Affinity absorbed ten portions of Mana, he could retain nine.
An ordinary Adept might retain three and still continue cultivating.
But this cursed mixed affinity lost nine portions out of every ten along with the impurities.
It was no different from pouring water into a cracked jar that could never be filled.
'With this affinity, my aptitude is probably eighth grade. Maybe even ninth grade, the absolute lowest.'
It made sense.
If the original Elliott had possessed even a little talent, he could have entered some minor Academy or Adept Order as an Outer Initiate and received its protection.
He would not have been isolated in the corner of a slum, clinging to a mold-covered furnace.
Cultivating enough to raise his Realm in a short time and overpowering the thugs of the Black Serpent Syndicate by force?
Impossible.
'I began cultivating because I want to live forever. Why would I go around fighting and killing?'
That left only one path.
Money.
He had to obtain enough capital to repay the debt.
'Right. I need to make money. Five hundred mana stones in three days.'
Elliott's cold gaze moved toward an old bronze furnace abandoned in the corner and several dust-covered manuscripts.
Alchemy.
The path the former owner of this body had risked his life pursuing.
It was one of the most respected professions in the cultivation world and one of the fastest ways to accumulate enormous wealth.
But Elliott shook his head.
'What do I know about Alchemy?'
He possessed fragments of knowledge from his former life, but this was a world governed by Mana, not ordinary science.
He opened the book beside him, Introduction to Basic Alchemy, but could barely understand it.
How was he supposed to control the heat?
What were the properties of each ingredient and the correct ratios for mixing them?
Most importantly, what sequence was required to inject Mana Energy at the moment the medicine formed?
It was too difficult.
To use any craft properly—
No.
To become skilled enough to earn money from it, a person would naturally need to study and experiment for at least a thousand hours.
But he would lose his head in three days.
When was he supposed to learn enough to sell medicine?
'Should I flee during the night? Or grab the Black Serpent collectors by the legs and beg?'
Manual labor was useless.
He had no useful skills.
His aptitude was worthless.
It was a complete dead end.
Elliott was tearing at his hair in despair when—
Ding!
The red warning window vanished with a clear notification sound.
A blue window appeared in its place.
[Conditions fulfilled: Desperate aptitude and an unyielding survival instinct have been confirmed.]
[System: Unique Trait, "Infinite Proficiency," has been activated.]
"…?"
Elliott's eyes widened.
What was this?
[Trait Description: You learn through failure. No—you learn more from failure than from success.]
[Effect: When an action fails, you gain five times the proficiency that success would have granted.]
"…What?"
Failure gave more experience?
A strange smile slowly spread across Elliott's face.
If that was true—
He might have a chance.
Elliott immediately examined the bronze furnace.
[Item Information]
Name: Bronze Furnace
Grade: Lowest
Description: A crude furnace with terrible heat distribution. It is more likely to reduce useful ingredients to ash than produce proper medicine.
"Lowest grade… I'm not in a position to blame the equipment."
Elliott searched the shelf beside the furnace.
The ingredients left by the former owner came into view.
A bundle of Bloodwort, a basic medicinal herb.
Half a bottle of Clear Water, a solvent used to stabilize medicinal properties.
And several unidentified lowest-grade herbs that looked little better than weeds.
If an ordinary aspiring Alchemist tried to practice with this amount of material, he would probably fail to produce even a pinch of medicine before going bankrupt.
But Elliott's situation was different.
[Trait Effect: When an action fails, you gain five times the proficiency that success would have granted.]
'This training assumes failure from the start.'
Success rate?
The chance of completing the medicine?
Why should he care?
Accidentally succeeding might actually be a loss.
Elliott quickly skimmed through Basic Alchemy Methods, which lay on the floor.
It contained the preparation method for Blood-Staunching Powder, one of the simplest first-grade medicines.
'…This is ridiculously long.'
The refining process was roughly as follows:
Preheat the furnace and maintain a low flame.
Add the Bloodwort and inject Mana Energy for three minutes to remove impurities.
Add Clear Water one drop at a time to condense the medicinal properties.
Raise the heat to a high flame, evaporate the moisture, and crystallize the substance into powder.
Following the proper method required delicate control of Mana Energy.
An Alchemist had to observe changes in the flame, judge the condition of the ingredients, and adjust every step with care.
But for Elliott, that entire process was a waste.
"So I just need to burn it."
He lit the furnace without hesitation.
Fwoosh—
Cheap charcoal caught fire and released thick, bitter smoke.
Heat control?
To hell with it.
Elliott even used a fan to raise the flames as high as possible.
'The ingredients are limited.'
The reason was simple.
Whether he burned an entire bundle or the tip of a single leaf, the System would probably judge both as the same failure.
He had to produce the highest number of attempts with the smallest possible amount of material.
'If this doesn't work… then I really am finished.'
Elliott threw a single leaf and one drop of Clear Water into the heated furnace.
Hiss!
The moment they touched the metal, black smoke burst upward with a violent sound.
The stench of burning herbs struck his nose.
"Cough! Cough! Damn it!"
Any real Alchemist who witnessed the scene would have collapsed from rage or slapped Elliott across the face.
This was not Alchemy.
It was madness.
Ding!
[Alchemy failed!]
[The Bloodwort has been completely burned.]
[Trait "Infinite Proficiency" activated!]
[Proficiency rapidly increased!]
[You have entered the Novice stage of first-grade Blood-Staunching Powder preparation.]
[Current Stage: Novice — 10%]
At that moment, a strange sensation passed through Elliott's mind.
It felt as if knowledge were being forced directly into every cell of his brain.
'What…?'
He had done nothing except burn a leaf.
Yet he suddenly understood how the herb's medicinal properties had changed during the instant it burned.
He began to grasp the maximum temperature the ingredient could withstand.
His hands had failed, but his mind was racing toward the correct answer.
"This… actually works."
A disbelieving laugh escaped Elliott's mouth.
Now that he had confirmed it, there was no reason to hesitate.
He began moving like a machine.
One leaf.
One drop of water.
Into the furnace.
[Alchemy failed!]
[The Bloodwort has been completely burned.]
[Trait "Infinite Proficiency" activated!]
[Alchemy failed!]
[The Bloodwort has been completely burned.]
[Trait "Infinite Proficiency" activated!]
[Alchemy failed!]
[The Bloodwort has been completely burned.]
[Trait "Infinite Proficiency" activated!]
[Alchemy failed!]
[The Bloodwort has been completely burned.]
[Trait "Infinite Proficiency" activated!]
What would have taken another person several sleepless days, Elliott repeated dozens of times in only ten minutes.
By the time half the prepared ingredients had become ash—
[Congratulations!]
[Your understanding of Blood-Staunching Powder preparation has surpassed its current limit.]
[Stage increased: Novice → Skilled — 2%]
Elliott stood and brushed soot from his hands.
The room was filled with choking smoke, but his mind had become as clear as an autumn sky.
Now, simply looking at the remaining Bloodwort was enough for him to judge the flow of its veins and its moisture content.
The ideal preparation method formed naturally in his mind.
Elliott's eyes shone differently than before.
"Now, let's make the real thing."
Elliott calmly measured the remaining Bloodwort and Clear Water.
Until now, he had consumed only tiny amounts to gain proficiency.
Producing real medicine required the correct amount of every ingredient.
"Five attempts at most."
He had enough material for only five proper attempts.
If all five failed, the ingredients would be exhausted.
Three days later, the Black Serpent Syndicate would drag him away, remove his organs, or sell him into slavery.
"Haa…"
Elliott drew a breath from deep inside his Mana Core and slowly exhaled.
After calming himself, he carefully cleaned the soot-covered interior of the furnace with a cloth.
[First Attempt]
Elliott preheated the furnace while carefully controlling the flame.
He added the Bloodwort and dripped in the Clear Water at the moment its medicinal properties began to emerge.
'Now!'
But the old furnace betrayed him.
The current of heat inside became unstable.
The flame leaned toward one side, and the temperature suddenly surged.
[Alchemy failed!]
[The herb was carbonized due to a sudden rise in temperature.]
"…Damn it."
[Second Attempt]
This time, Elliott carefully adjusted his Mana Energy while anticipating the furnace's unstable flame.
But perhaps because he was afraid of failure, he became too cautious.
The heat failed to reach the center of the ingredient.
The medicinal properties did not condense and instead turned into a soft, useless paste.
[Alchemy failed!]
[The medicinal properties dispersed because the heat was insufficient.]
Cold sweat ran down Elliott's forehead.
His hands began to tremble.
[Third Attempt]
This one felt better.
Even the scent rising from the furnace was acceptable.
He reached the final condensation stage.
Holding his breath, Elliott carefully opened the lid.
Crack—
Instead of shining powder, only crumbling ash remained inside.
He had failed to control the moisture at the decisive moment.
[Alchemy failed!]
"Haa…"
Three failures in a row.
Only two attempts remained.
A chill ran down his back.
The pressure felt like river water rising to his throat.
'Calm down. Don't panic.'
You can do this.
Elliott closed his eyes and recalled the sensations of the Skilled stage.
The three failures had not been meaningless.
He now understood which parts of the furnace received less heat and the exact moment the Bloodwort released its moisture.
He had improved.
[Fourth Attempt]
Elliott's gaze became still.
He added the herb with mechanical precision.
The furnace temperature rose.
As the Bloodwort roasted, it released a fresh, bitter smell.
To compensate for the furnace's flaws, Elliott continuously moved the ingredient toward the weaker side of the flame.
'Now!'
He added the Clear Water.
Hiss!
White steam rose from the furnace.
'It doesn't smell burned.'
Instead of the bitter stench that had filled the room before, a cool herbal fragrance spread through the air.
Elliott stopped breathing and hurriedly extinguished the flame.
Then he looked inside the furnace with trembling hands.
Instead of ash, a fine powder with a reddish tint rested at the bottom.
Ding!
[Alchemy successful!]
[Blood-Staunching Powder has been completed.]
[Proficiency correction activated: Success!]
[The quality has increased due to the correction.]
[Lowest Grade → Low Grade]
[Acquired: Low-Grade Blood-Staunching Powder]
"It worked…!"
Success.
And not an ordinary success.
The System's proficiency correction had raised the quality by an entire grade.
'Novice, Skilled… Does each stage provide a quality correction?'
His heart pounded as he realized another function of the System.
This trait was far more powerful than he had expected.
There was no time to celebrate.
The sensation still lingered in his fingertips.
He had to follow the flow.
He began the fifth and final attempt immediately.
His hands moved faster than his thoughts.
Heat control.
Adding ingredients.
Stirring.
Condensation.
His movements flowed naturally, as if he had spent decades doing nothing but Alchemy.
Fwoosh—
The final flame faded.
A faint red light rose from inside the furnace.
Ding!
[Alchemy successful!]
[Blood-Staunching Powder has been completed.]
[Proficiency correction activated: Failure.]
[Acquired: Lowest-Grade Blood-Staunching Powder]
Success.
Two successes in a row.
'Haa… I survived.'
Elliott collapsed onto the floor and breathed heavily.
The correction had failed during the last attempt, leaving the result at the lowest grade.
But it was still far better than losing everything to ash.
His disappointment lasted only a moment.
The result was more than satisfactory.
He now held two completed products.
One was low-grade Blood-Staunching Powder with a clear red color.
The other was duller, lowest-grade Blood-Staunching Powder.
"This should at least be worth something."
Elliott tore pieces from an old sheet of waxed paper and carefully wrapped both powders.
He made sure not to spill a single grain.
It was time to turn them into mana stones.
He put on his outer garment and pushed open the door.