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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: The First Transmutation
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Yeon Sung-hun opened his eyes.
A hazy sensation, as if he'd dreamed a long dream.
Memories that hadn't completely faded lingered like remnants.
No, not remnants.
They resurfaced as vividly as if they had happened just yesterday.
The greatest alchemist.
The Golden King, Faust.
Probably memories from a past life.
Not from modern Earth, but from another world.
Those vast memories muddled Yeon Sung-hun's mind.
He needed to sort them out cleanly, but unfortunately, it was impossible in his current situation.
A sudden surge of pain made Yeon Sung-hun let out a low groan.
"Ugh..."
His gaze naturally swept over his body.
'Not a single intact spot.'
Scrapes from tumbling around were secondary; there were plenty of other wounds.
One arm seemed broken, and several ribs felt cracked.
The fishy taste rising from within suggested significant internal injuries.
At least the pain was felt fully, so his nerves were probably unharmed...
"Tch."
Amid the pain, Yeon Sung-hun clicked his tongue briefly.
It was a situation requiring immediate first aid, but he remained calm.
'I've been through worse countless times.'
As the first Battle Alchemist and the empire's war hero, Faust had faced even graver predicaments many times.
The problem was that, unlike his past life, Yeon Sung-hun currently had no 'potions' to heal his wounds.
"Tch... Risking my life on raids without even one proper potion."
Wasn't that too stupid?
At least for himself, but he couldn't help clicking his tongue at his past idiotic behavior.
He should have bought potions for his family's sake, if not his own.
If he died, promising to cure his family would be empty words.
"Urk..."
Enduring a wave of pain, Yeon Sung-hun surveyed his surroundings.
All he saw was a sloped hillside dotted with sparse trees.
No apparent dangers.
'If that's fortunate, then fortunate. The issue is...'
Not even a sign of the raid members who should have come to rescue him.
'Hard to expect outside help.'
The rift's entrance was sealed.
It wouldn't open until the clear condition was met or everyone inside died.
No one could help him now.
To survive, he had to rely on his own strength.
After some quick thinking, Yeon Sung-hun reached a conclusion and quietly clicked his tongue.
"Ridiculous."
Of all times, regaining past life memories right when he was on the brink of death.
Shouldn't he at least get a chance to make use of them?
Maybe the heavens truly despised him.
"Well, not all bad."
Groaning slowly, Yeon Sung-hun raised his body.
Just lifting his upper body brought considerable pain.
Gritting his teeth and swallowing the agony, he soon scanned the surroundings.
Dense trees rising thickly, and nameless grasses between them.
Distinguishing them wasn't easy, but Yeon Sung-hun keenly examined each one.
"There...! Yes. There has to be something. If they don't intend to let me die like this."
Had he found something useful?
A grin—Yeon Sung-hun leaned against a tree to stand.
No, tried to.
"Ugh... Legs messed up too?"
He hadn't noticed while still due to other pains, but applying force to stand revealed his legs were far from fine.
Not just walking, even standing straight was difficult.
If he couldn't use his legs, he'd crawl.
He had to survive.
Scrape—drag—
Using his relatively intact arm, Yeon Sung-hun dragged himself across the ground.
His wounded body screamed incessantly, but he gritted his teeth and endured.
Pain so excruciating he wondered if passing out would be better.
The old him would have blacked out dozens of times already, but now he clung on tenaciously.
Having once tasted near-death, he couldn't give up.
His family—his sister and mother were waiting.
He had to survive, somehow.
Thus, crawling along, Yeon Sung-hun finally reached his initial target.
A single stalk of grass quietly sprouting by a tree's base.
At a glance, it looked like ordinary weed.
Reaching it with effort, Yeon Sung-hun smiled faintly.
"Poison Chest Grass."
The identity of what seemed like common weed.
A plant common where mana existed, but classified as poisonous, as its name suggested.
He handled the toxic grass as if it were gold.
It was the key to resolving his current plight.
As mentioned, 'Poison Chest Grass' was indeed a poison plant.
Not lethally toxic if eaten, but a genuine poison causing significant chest pain.
Its effects were immediate, symptoms appearing right after swallowing—an instant poison.
How could such a poison help now?
The answer lay with Yeon Sung-hun.
Scrape—swish—
Clutching the Poison Chest Grass preciously, he began drawing something on the dirt.
An alchemy circle for performing alchemy.
An improvised, simplified version, not formal.
Not complex due to haste, yet the patterns were ones ordinary people couldn't comprehend or draw.
Without hesitation, his hand created a fairly large alchemy circle.
A perfect circle, filled with intricate patterns.
Even simplified, it was flawless.
Drawn in mere breaths' time.
Other alchemists would be horrified, but Yeon Sung-hun's expression wasn't pleased.
"...Too slow."
Compared to his prime, laughably slow.
Even seemingly perfect, close inspection revealed flaws.
He vaguely knew why.
"My body's too different."
A minor difference to others, but to perfectionist Faust, a huge gap.
To overcome this bodily difference, only one way.
As in the past, repeat thousands, tens of thousands, until the body adapts.
"But only if I survive and get out."
With a wry smile, Yeon Sung-hun carefully placed the Poison Chest Grass on the completed circle.
Then, he channeled mana into the circle.
Whirr—
Mana circuits never used before screamed, but he ignored.
Overuse would burn them out permanently, but this amount wouldn't.
Just one simple transmutation.
Exactly a handful of mana.
The squeezed mana seeped in, emitting faint light.
'...Success.'
Even just glowing felt like success.
Past experiences assured him.
Suppressing the rising bile, he smiled quietly.
Countless times for Faust, first for Sung-hun.
Thrilling first success.
Instead of excitement, a quiet smile to celebrate.
He reached for the result.
The used circle had vanished after its job.
"Hmm."
The Poison Chest Grass looked largely unchanged.
Still like common grass.
To the ignorant, a failure, but his smile persisted.
Sniff sniff—lightly smelling, he nodded satisfied.
Then swallowed it whole.
Insane in his state, but he didn't care.
Reason appeared immediately.
Wounds healed rapidly.
His pallid face regained color.
Alchemy removed toxicity, amplified medicinal effects.
Difficult even with formal circle for others, but he did it casually, not overly joyful.
Rather, effect weaker than expected, expression subdued.
"Miscalculated a bit? No. Calculation precise, but mana insufficient."
Circle imperfect, but biggest issue: pathetically low mana compared to past life.
"This way, only two or three more transmutations max."
More would break his body.
Clicking his tongue briefly, Yeon Sung-hun checked his body once more.
Markedly improved.
But short of expectations.
External scrapes healed cleanly, but internals not.
Sudden movement could worsen.
Result from meager mana just this...
Shaking his head lightly, he stood.
Immediate crisis averted, but main problem remained.
"Violent Lizard."
Surprisingly, in both his and Faust's memories.
Why a monster from past life on modern Earth?
What are rifts?
Questions aside for now.
Not the priority.
How to deal with it?
Sadly, few cards to play.
"...Dealing with it secondary. First, rendezvous with raid members."
Better to rely on others than solo flail.
Prioritize reuniting.
Problem: no sign of search...
"Hoping no big issue, but unlikely."
Raid members' level, hard even to flee the lizard.
Fortunate: Violent Lizard hunts with interval after prey.
Meaning one sacrificed, but better than wipe.
'...One death better than all?'
Thought past him wouldn't have.
Though not dwelled, past life memories changing him.
Ponder later.
Survival first.
Thus, he climbed the slope toward last separation spot.
Collected useful herbs/poisons en route.
No other monsters, thanks to lizard rampage.
Pleasantly, reached the place.
A gruesome sight unfolded before his eyes.
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