Chapter 11: "It's quite large."

"It's quite large."

"Sit where you're comfortable. I'm going to take off my jacket for a second."

"Ah, yes."

Kang Shin-hyuk took off his coat and watched as Claire Boyle hung her jacket on the hanger, thinking to himself. How did this happen? It was Kang Shin-hyuk himself who said he liked chicken, but still. . . . . .

'Really? Then go to my room. The chicken from the hotel room service that I'm staying in now is delicious.'

'A hotel room service serves chicken?'

'There's nothing you can't have with money.'

So he was taken to the hotel where she was staying. It was an ultra-high-class hotel that rose to 30 stories in the city center.

He remembered it was obviously the hotel that was set up 10 years ago by Cheonwol corporation, a global company, in commemoration of the monumental 10th World Superhuman Summit in Seoul.

He was brought to the top-floor suite without a hitch, and it was an incredibly spacious and comfortable place. He could see the night view of the city through the window, and the people below it, as if they were little ants.

'No, wait a minute.'

Kang Shin-hyuk, who was escaping reality, regained his sanity at that moment. Isn't this a very dangerous situation? Coming into the hotel room with an adult woman! Wasn't it still at the point where the Alchemist could be arrested if he reported to the police?

"Then I'll order room service~ Are you really eating three?"

"Ah, yes, I'll really eat that much."

Kang Shin-hyuk responded quickly to the sound of chicken, which came after agonizing about his situation. Right after that, he despaired that he had crossed the river by himself, which he could not return to. What a fool!

"Young boys sure do eat a lot. . . . . . 'Ah yes, here-three chickens please. No actually, four. Alcohol too. What do you mean by beer-chicken and soju is the hot combo!'"

While Kang Shin-hyuk cursed her impersonation, Claire Boyle finished the phone call and sat across from the sofa where he was sitting.

When she took off her coat and dressed lighter, her provocative figure was clearly revealed. Her eyes glistened as Kang Shin-hyuk turned his gaze away with a cough.

"Holy crap, that's so cute."

"I'm sorry for being cute. I'm still young."

"No, cherish yourself now. This is the only time you can be so naive and cute. You'll grow quickly into a more explicit and shallow adult. They don't even get shamed while looking."

Claire Boyle said with a slightly embarrassed smile. Looking at the expression, Kang Shin-hyuk felt a little relieved from his senseless agitation.

"That. . . . . . Must be distressful. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay because it's fun in its own way. You can hide it when you don't want to reveal it. To distinguish between one's opponent, time and place. It's basic, isn't it? Ah, but the ones who are trying to expose me when I'm trying to hide, are taken care of without mercy. You should be careful with women like that, too."

According to the words, she wanted to reveal something right now, but Kang Shin-hyuk stopped his thoughts there. He didn't want to think too deeply for now. The Alchemist must have a reason for bringing him to this place. No, rather, he felt at ease thinking there would be.

- Ding-dong

Then, the bell rang. Claire Boyle stood up and went to retrieve the food after telling Kang Shin-hyuk to stay sitting. When he saw her carrying two large silver trays with her slender arms, he thought, 'a superhuman was a superhuman, after all.'

"Let's just eat and talk."

"Ah, yes!"

Perhaps it was funny to say this himself, but Kang Shin-hyuk really thought he was a fool. Because he was so focused on eating as soon as he saw the chicken in front of a beautiful woman like Claire Boyle.

"You really eat well."

"I was a little hungry."

"You're a Knight major, aren't you? You seem to like it."

The Alchemist would have experienced fighting with countless superhumans. She had reacted that way after seeing Kang Shin-hyuk's well-built body. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded and gave a supplementary explanation.

"Yes, but not because of training, but because of the student club."

"A club?"

"Yes, blacksmithing."

As Kang Shin-hyuk said that, he put the whole chicken leg into his mouth. At the mention of the word "blacksmithing," Claire Boyle became slightly stiff while pouring soju into her glass.

"Blacksmithing?"

"Yes, pounding metals to create a sword and stuff like that."

"So it's production-based. Even production-based superhumans attend Shinyoung, huh."

"Well, . . . . . . Yeah. Though it's not like I don't have combat capability."

"I'm sure. I saw the movement earlier."

Even though he was eating chicken for free, he didn't need to explain in detail to someone who won't see him again. Kang Shin-hyuk gave a cursory response himself with such an idea, and the alchemist's eyes deepened.

"It's a production type, so maybe what I felt earlier was something common among that class . . . . . ."

"I'm sorry?"

"No, nothing. Help yourself."

He was told to eat as much as he wanted, so he decided to do as he was told. Kang Shin-hyuk, who finished two of the chickens in an instant, lightly wiped his hands and mouth, and began the third one with less ferocity, enjoying the taste. It was as delicious as she had promised.

"Do all the knight majors eat as well as you?"

"It depends on their traits, but I do because my trait is very physical."

Moreover, consuming one's spirit power leads to hunger, so the amount of food he eats would only increase rather than decrease. As he calmly explained while tearing the breast and putting in his mouth, the Alchemist who had emptied her bottle of soju clapped her hands once to commence the business.

"Then I'd like you to start paying for the chicken. Come to think of it, what's your name?"

" . . . . . . I am Kang Shin-hyuk, a 1st-year student of Knight majors at Shinyoung Superhuman Academy."

Finally-he thought. His heart was palpitating, half suspicious but half excited about what was about to happen. His reason was his instincts telling him something. Kang Shin-hyuk tried hard to calm himself down, recalling the memory of the blacksmith Anvil.

"Well, Kang Shin-hyuk. Okay. You know my name, right? You knew my nickname."

"Yes, Alchemist. Your name is Claire Boyle."

"That's right. Just call me Claire. I'll also call you Shin-hyuk."

The distance was quickly narrowed. Kang Shin-hyuk faced the Alchemist. . . . . . Or rather Claire with more tension. However, the words that followed confused him.

"I awakened on my way to high school. To combine or process countless things that overflow in the world and create stuff that has never existed. That's my knack."

"Well, yes. . . . . ."

He didn't know why she suddenly talked about her past, but one thing was for sure. What Kang Shin-hyuk was worried about-or rather, excited about-to happen wasn't going to happen.

Frankly, to say he wasn't disappointed would be a lie, but wouldn't it have proved that he's still a young innocent boy if he was more relieved than disappointed?

"A magic bomb, a simplified trap, a potion. . . . . . I quickly became famous for making so many things. My abilities got stronger in the process too. I also have the ability to handle things that I make more efficiently."

"That's incredible."

No wonder she's amazing. The Alchemist is a monster among the top 500 in the superhuman ranking.

Though her problem was the lack of pure force, and considering the things she could do with her characteristics, it was natural for her to rank among the top 100 based on importance alone.

Kang Shin-hyuk couldn't believe he was sitting face to face with her in this hotel room.

"Shin-hyuk, do you know what I like most of all?"

"Uhm. . . . . . I heard it's a potion."

"That's right. It's fun to combine different materials in different ways and eventually make them into a single, mixed liquid. I wanted to be a bartender until I awakened."

Claire said that and pulled out her bag that lay below. It was full of cocktail tools like shakers, jiggers, bar spoons and muddlers.

"Even now, all the potions are made with this. The taste and aroma vary depending on how you mix the same potion. Making the potion as delicious as possible, that's my ground goal."

"That's awesome."

"Right? It's wonderful, isn't it?"

It was a moment when the emotions of an Alchemist and a male high school student were united.

"Cough, I'm sorry I got excited. I'll get to the point now. I mean, there are times when I feel strange when I make a potion these days."

"Strange feeling?"

"Yeah. Feels like something's being sucked from me into the potion. Something separate from magical power."

Until then, Kang Shin-hyuk's eyes, which had been listening quietly, narrowed.

Come to think of it, he's heard something like this before.

"There's definitely something, but I can't figure it out. But the potion that I made with that feeling definitely turns out better. It smells good, too. It's been upgraded by more than one level. But I don't know how I did it."

Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced at this point.

This woman was dealing with spiritual power without even knowing it. Though he wasn't sure why she hadn't awakened it yet.

"Sometimes I feel that way in the ingredients. There's. . . . . . A black market that sells rare materials and the materials that are made there have a strangely good fragrance. A relaxing scent. If I can get more of them, I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out for sure. . . . . ."

"Then just buy all those. Oh, is the supply limited?"

"No, I'm short of money."

"Money?"

But didn't countless superhumans pay hundreds of millions for her potions? As Kang Shin-hyuk put on a puzzled look, Claire shook her head with an awkward expression.

"The dollar and the won aren't widely accepted in the market, so. . . . . . Anyway, there is something like that, and while wandering around, I met you."

"Me. . . . . ."

"Yeah."

"Yes. You smell like that scent."

Kang Shin-hyuk picked up his sleeve and smelled it, but there was no scent because he came out of the shower earlier.

Can the Alchemist really smell spirit power? He wanted to ask the Administrator, but he couldn't make a mistake in front of this woman. Just then, the Administrator, who noticed what was in his mind, sent a message.

[Spiritual power is the rarest and most unique ability in the whole universe, and it is also a force that depends on perspective. So everyone has a different way of feeling and handling spiritual power. Their effects are also different.]

Two people in this small space dealt with such rare energy; wasn't that a little strange?

No, it was not so strange to say the Alchemist was attracted to him in the first place due to his spirit power.

[You feel spiritual power is an energy with a distinct heat, and you have the ability to handle it skillfully and reach the origin easily, but in fact, that's an exceptional capability. She still can't feel or handle the spiritual power properly, and can only distinguish them by scent.

In the ensuing explanation, Kang Shin-hyuk thanked the Administrator in his heart. In other words, Kang Shin-hyuk had a talent no one could imagine when it came to his spirit power.

[A 10HP bonus from the Administrator that sensed your appreciation!]

Now it was ready to give him a bonus even if he didn't say anything.

"That's why I caught hold of you. I couldn't let go of a clue. So. . . . . . If possible, please tell me. I'll pay as much as you want."

Meanwhile, Claire, unaware of the skit that took place between Kang Shin-hyuk and the Administrator, looked at him with a serious gaze, taking a small glass bottle of red liquid out of her arms and shoving it to him.

Kang Shin-hyuk admired the deep spirit power and magical power felt in it. It was an unimaginable treasure for a school student.

If this is the artillery piece made by an Alchemist, its value cannot be measured. He could see how serious she was.

"It's a small token of appreciation. Will you tell me? Do you know about that power, this scent?"

"I. . . . . ."

The anguish didn't last long. If you're not a stranger to spirit power, and you're already half aware of it, you'll find your way sooner or later, whether I tell you or not.

Then again, the overwhelming benefit is to make a connection with her in return for a little help in finding the way. She's a person who offers such a valuable potion, saying it as a token of gratitude. There was no harm in becoming closer to her.

- Burrrrr

However, at that very moment, Claire's phone rang. No, right after that, the whole building vibrated and the sharp sound of sirens filled the city.

"This is . . . . . ."

"Yeah, probably..."

Kang Shin-hyuk's pager in his pocket was also ringing wildly. As soon as he turned on the screen and checked, there was an emergency disaster message saying, "A number of Irregular Gates have occurred."

'Irregular gates, are gates that aren't forecast when and where they occur. One of the worst disasters, where one cannot know whether durable, unique, emissive, or absorbing types of monsters might appear. . . . . ."

He shut his eyes tightly. Frankly, this text was meaningless even if you received it. It was always sent out after an incident!

In fact, sirens were still ringing throughout the city. The disaster was spreading in a flash.

" . . . . . . Damn it."

Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively gritted his teeth, recalling the day when his parents died. No matter how much time passed, he could never forget the memory of that day.

The day he vowed to be a superhuman. The day when he first learned the feeling of hate and despair. After that day, the scene of the day dominated his mind and wouldn't let go of him whenever he heard that siren.

"Yes, Eunah? That's right, I hear the sirens. "If it's an attempt to blow up monsters' eardrums and kill them, I think you'd better stop. Before that, my eardrums are going to explode."

Claire was already on the phone beside him. He thought she was receiving a disaster message, but she wasn't.

Her calm voice on the phone also subdued Kang Shin-hyuk's mind. He opened his eyes slightly and looked at the Alchemist. She looked as calm as her voice.

"How many have you got? . . . . . . That's a lot. Where are you gonna be? Ah, okay. Any estimates? . . . . . . At least A Rank majority? Whoo, I get it. I'll hurry."

The phone call was soon finished. The Alchemist packed her bag, swung it, and broke the outside window.

"Shin-hyuk, there's an irregular gate occurrence, so you can hide in this room while I go to catch some monsters for a while. Despite how it looks, the hotel security here is awesome."

He was pretty sure she broke some of the security systems just then but decided not to mention it. She must have chosen the quickest means of action to solve the disaster in the city.

"Let's continue talking when I come back. You'll do that for me, right?"

"Yes, I'll do that for you."

Kang Shin-hyuk nodded firmly and said with as much respect as he could to a warrior going to fight against the enemy of mankind.

"So please return safely."

"That's a nice expression. I'm powered up now. All right, I'll be back."

As if she liked Kang Shin-hyuk's reaction, Claire smiled and jumped out of the window. From there, he wondered what she was going to do, but her tightly held bag expanded, quickly turning into a hang glider.

'If I were only two years younger, I would have thought it was really freaking cool.'

As he thought it's probably an artifact, the hang glider glowed brightly and used the wind to disappear into the distance with her in an instant.

Her dream of becoming a bartender had ended up in her becoming an alchemist with her using a hang glider to fly into the city. She was a wonderful noona who was realizing all of a middle school boy's dreams by herself.

If she was that old, she may have been ashamed, but she still seemed to be enjoying her youth.

"Whoo, then I will. . . . . ."

It is suicide to take to the streets at a time when an Irregular Gate occurred. Like other superhumans, he wanted to take to the streets and fight, but he knew he was still lacking.

He had to hide for now.

Making up his mind, he tried locking himself in the bathroom but grabbed the red potion that was chained to the table. He wasn't sure, but hundreds of millions of won would be traded in an instant for this object, in cash. He couldn't leave it unattended.

[This is a miracle potion that temporarily amplifies all statuses when ingested. As you are proficient in dealing with spirit power, you can expect further increases in your abilities, or even permanent increases.]

" . . . . . . I think it'll easily surpass hundreds of millions. No, wait, you don't have to tell me the price. Just don't."

He held it dearly in his arms and turned around. At that very moment.

- Boom!

A roar rang out at a short distance.

Bounced by a terrible shock, Kang Shin-hyuk was worried about the potion even when he flew to the opposite wall and was stuck upside the head, but fortunately, the glass bottle was durable.

Kyah . . . . . . Kiyiiiik.

He heard a cry. A strange beast's voice, though curiously it sounded like a laugh.

Kang Shin-hyuk scurried ahead, scaring up his shaggy body. The window that Claire broke earlier was now shattered without a trace.

Only

Something.

Had entered through that window.

Kiiii . . . . . . I found it. I found itt!

It was a talking black monster.

A different smell. A special smell! . . . . . . A smell of spirit power!

[Go ahead and drink the potion! It's a variant of a Class B monster War Troll; you can't deal with it in your current state!]

The monster stared at Kang Shin-hyuk, hitting its axe on the floor.

It was an axe made with spirit power.