I Inherited the Basement of the Tower - Chapter 34

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Inherited the Basement 1 of the Tower – Episode 34

“….”

Sage Guild Research Lab.
Jeong Min-hee, the team leader of the Holy Power Item Research and Development Division, fell silent for a moment.

[From: Kang Ha-jin.]
[Would you be willing to consider a proposal directed at the alchemist Jeong Min-hee personally, rather than as a member of the Sage Guild?]

It was because of the text message that had arrived for her.
Just as she was about to contemplate a reply.
A sudden loud voice made her thumb freeze.

“No way. How could we possibly refuse this?”

One of the researchers threw a stack of documents onto the desk.

Flutter.

[Kang Ha-jin.]

It bore the names of Kang Ha-jin and the Holy Power Item Development Project in preparation for the Special Dungeon Layer.

“Is the Guild Master insane? What’s so special about Park Jin-woo anyway? All because of that guy.”
“That’s what happens when he’s the son.”

Complaints erupted from various corners of the Sage Guild’s research lab.
They were already struggling without a budget, and now they’d thrown away such a golden opportunity.
Of course, bidding didn’t automatically guarantee they’d work together.
But not even bidding would be foolish.
Yet their Guild Master had refused because his son Park Jin-woo had come back embarrassed.
The chance had completely slipped away.
However, Jeong Min-hee, who had been listening, spoke up.

“So, is anyone leaving right now? Or is anyone going to go voice their complaints?”

The room fell silent in an instant.

“Hmm, that’s a bit much.”
“Orders are orders, what can you do.”

A heavy sigh.
Jeong Min-hee exhaled deeply.
Yes, of course they would.
The ship they were sailing on was sinking, yet they would remain as is.
Because the ship was quite large, after all.
The falling wages, the sweet taste of fame—these kept them anchored.

‘This isn’t what alchemy is supposed to be.’

She recalled her old mentor for a moment.
Lowell, Britain’s state-level alchemist, now retired and running a small workshop.

-Alchemy is another lens through which to view the world. And the world is vast, so vast that even a lifetime of living cannot encompass all of it. Thus, alchemy is the same.

‘…Lowell.’

Today, she missed Lowell even more.
She had abandoned her studies abroad and returned with the singular resolve to protect her homeland, South Korea, through alchemy.
With such overwhelming skill, she had entered this place—Korea’s finest alchemy guild, named the Sage Guild itself.
And so, three years had passed.
She was filled with regret.

‘It’s all gone wrong.’

Research, the true purpose of alchemy, had ceased. Only material abundance held their focus.
Progress and innovation had vanished, replaced by obsession with filling their own pockets.
They ridiculed the pursuit of unreachable truth and seduced their juniors with money and power.

‘Perhaps this is the place furthest from alchemy itself.’

She retrieved her outer coat from where it hung on the chair and put it on.

“Huh? Team Lead, where are you going?”
“Yeah, I’m heading out.”
“Where to?”
“Nowhere in particular. Anywhere’s better than here.”
“What? That doesn’t— Wait, Team Lead!”

I turned my back on my team members’ protests and pressed the elevator button.
When it arrived, I found myself at—

[Guild Master’s Office.]

Looking at the nameplate on the door, I recalled the past when I first came here, brimming with dreams.
I was young then. Naive.

“…Ha.”

A hollow laugh escaped me at the absurdity of it all.
I had believed that all alchemists pursued truth.
With my thoughts finally crystallized, I knocked on the door roughly.

-Come in.

I opened the door and stepped inside.

[Sage Guild Master Park Min-hu.]

I saw a middle-aged man with a receding hairline and the nameplate before him.
Sage. Guild Master. Park Min-hu.
Among the three words that defined him, “alchemist” was nowhere to be found.

“Oh, Min-hee. I was just about to call you.”
“…Why? Are you making another deal with Taesan?”

At my harsh voice tinged with self-loathing, Park Min-hu flinched and looked toward me.

“…Yes. I’ve scheduled a meeting with their representative. If things go well, I should be able to secure next year’s entire research budget. They have plenty of money, after all.”
“The Alchemy Guild, sir.”
“Min-hee. Why are you suddenly like this? You’re the head of our guild’s core research team, aren’t you? It’s for the guild, for your teammates. You know how everyone’s complaining about the lack of budget—”
“There’s no lack of budget.”
“What?”

Jeong Min-hee held her breath for a moment.
She was trying to calm herself.
But it wasn’t working.

“You’re always using some deal as an excuse to drink and chase women, wasting money on useless things!”
“Hey, Jeong Min-hee!”
“Why the hell—!”
“…!”

Park Min-hu’s face went rigid at her outburst.
Meanwhile, Jeong Min-hee felt incredibly relieved.
Wow, I should have done this sooner.
An enormous sense of liberation washed over her entire body.
Right now, she felt like she could say anything.
So she cheerfully played her final card.

Thwack!

“I should have done this long ago. Took me long enough, didn’t it?”
“What is this, a resignation—a resignation letter? Hey, Min-hee!”
“Process it. I don’t need severance pay, so just don’t contact me at all before reporting to the Hunter Association.”
“Jeong Min-hee! If you leave, our project is ruined! Think about your teammates again—!”

Boom!

The sound of “You bastard—!” faded as the door slammed shut.
Jeong Min-hee splashed cold water on her flushed, excited face.
Ah, exhilarating.
She felt like humming.
Now her life as an alchemist was beginning anew.

‘…But what if I don’t make it to the final round and get eliminated?’

For a moment, dark thoughts flickered through my mind.
But I quickly brushed them aside.

‘What does it matter? I could start fresh somewhere else and do better than this place.’

If worst came to worst, I could always travel to England to visit my teacher.
I’d earned plenty of money anyway.
I was entertaining the pleasant thought of reaching out to Lowell after so long when—

“Oh? Min-hee!”

A voice dripping with displeasure reached my ears.

“Park Jin-woo.”

It was Park Jin-woo—essentially a head-only version of the Park Min-hu I’d just seen.

“What a coincidence meeting you here~”

His gaze clung to me with an unsettling stickiness.

“Actually, I’ve been wanting to ask you about a lot of things. As you know, I’m very serious about researching divine power items these days. How about it? If you’re free today, why don’t we discuss the future of our Sage Guild together? I know a great place.”

Serious about research?
That’s a lie.
This bastard’s a researcher who doesn’t even show up to work, relying on his father’s influence.
Not that he doesn’t try to do something in his own way.
It’s just that what he does is a massive hindrance to the team.
He probably thinks he’s quite a capable alchemist.
I felt nauseous.
The fact that he came in today and headed straight to the Guild Master’s Office meant he was here for his allowance.
Normally, I would’ve been too annoyed to bother and just said yes.
But now what?

“Research, my ass.”

A snort of ridicule burst out of me.

“…Huh?”
“Hey.”

Jeong Min-hee swept back her bangs.

“You keep calling me Min-hee this and Min-hee that. You’re younger than me, aren’t you? How about using proper titles?”
“I, uh. Min-hee— no, Miss Min-hee? Did I do something wrong?”
“Instead of alchemy research, why don’t you focus on your own work first? Hmm? I heard you made quite the bold promise to Kang Ha-jin. What was it again?”

She let the silence hang.
Park Jin-woo’s face flushed crimson.

“Pfft! To Kang Ha-jin? You? Your self-awareness really is that low….”

Jeong Min-hee drove the final nail into the coffin, delivering her last attack to the still-dazed Park Jin-woo.

‘Well, that’s what I said anyway.’

She fidgeted with her fingers.
I don’t actually respect or trust Kang Ha-jin yet.
Half-convinced, half-doubtful.
I’ll treat him as a craftsman, perhaps.
He might also view alchemy as merely a means, just like the Sage Guild does.
But that doesn’t matter either.
As long as he supports me.

‘He won’t treat me like a factory, will he?’

A client who keeps nitpicking even the slightest color differences in the design and demands endless revisions.

“Ah, I don’t know. I guess I’ll find out when I go.”

If that was true, I’d cooperate no matter what it cost, no matter what I had to do.
Then I’ll cooperate no matter what it takes, even if I have to pay money or do whatever it takes.

* * *

“I told you to call me Guild Master!”
“I told you to call me Guild Master!”

Crash!

“Eek!”

Park Jin-woo hunched his shoulders as far as they would go.
When his father—who cherished him so dearly—came at him like that, he absolutely could not afford to upset him further.
And from the attitude Jeong Min-hee had displayed just now at the door, he could infer why his father Park Min-hu was so furious.

‘She’s leaving.’

Gulp.

His throat tightened with tension and dread.
Jeong Min-hee, their core talent, was leaving?
Then what would become of our Guild?
My Sage Guild!?
Looking at Park Min-hu as if seeking an explanation, he waited.
Park Min-hu, who seemed to have barely regained his composure, opened his mouth.

“…I’m betting everything on Taesan. Ethics, law—that garbage means nothing.”

Taesan was composed of those who had abandoned Kang Ha-jin.
They would work well together.

‘I have a ring that raises Holy Power by 1. I should try using that as leverage.’

If it were true that Kang Ha-jin had discovered new materials, and if he crafted items superior to theirs using those materials, it would become a serious problem.
But.

‘Hah. Where in the Tower would new materials even exist?’

Running the Sage Guild and working as an alchemist, I had already handled every material worth handling.
At least, up to the floors conquered so far.
Meanwhile, Kang Ha-jin was merely level 10.
New materials within that range?

‘Preposterous.’

The Tower was not a fairy tale world overflowing with dreams and hope.

I need to secure Taesan.

My gaze fell to the floor.
The proposal that had tumbled down when I threw the object—
It wasn’t from Kang Ha-jin, but from Taesan.
After all, the reason I could reject Kang Ha-jin’s grand proposal in the first place was because I had Taesan as a backup option.
Or perhaps, the better option.

[Experiment on whether special stats can be granted to others.]
[Many test subjects needed. We at Taesan will provide them.]
[Upon acceptance of proposal, payment of confidentiality fees and laundered cash.]

A low chuckle escaped me.

A smile mingling fear and anticipation crossed Park Min-hu’s face.
Ahn Jae-jun’s special stat was Radiance.
If I could only grant this to others, there would be no need for separate holy power items.
Those lunatics at Taesan. They’re attempting human experimentation.
If I brought this proposal to the Association as is, it could shake Taesan to its foundations—it’s that serious.
But they sent it anyway.
It means they have the power to easily suppress even the Sage Guild.

I’ll take hold of that lifeline they’ve offered.

If only I could land a blow against Kang Ha-jin, who took everything from me.

* * *

So, is everyone ready?

The two watching me nodded.
Yahwi and Barkalor.
The reason I even called the busy old man was—

[From: Jeong Min-hee.]
[Of course. Where should I go for the interview?]

A reply had come to the email I’d sent earlier.
So I had finally finished preparing to welcome a new family member.

‘Right, it should be that way.’

It’s the first time I’m seeing her face.
Shouldn’t I have everyone I need?

“Then, I’ll use it.”

I’ve already secured the alchemist.
By default, the choice now fell to the blacksmith.

‘Though Jeong Min-hee herself probably thinks she still needs to go through an interview.’

I wasn’t entirely certain whether she’d accept the Basement yet.
But regardless of her answer, hiring the blacksmith was already a done deal.

“Starting from the Fourth Form, the strain on the sword will become severe, my lord. It’s about time you obtained new weapons!”

Yahwi’s argument was so compelling that even the old man nodded along in agreement.

“Beyond that, to mine the moonstone within the Temple, we’d need someone with considerable knowledge and physical strength. An alchemist would lack the raw power that a blacksmith possesses.”
“If that’s the case, I could mine it myself, couldn’t I?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’d turn it all to dust.”
“Come on, old man, have some faith in me!”
“….”

Before things got any louder, I raised the selection token high.

“I’m using it! For the blacksmith!”

Ding!
【Summoning an Artifact-grade Blacksmith.】

Rummmmmble!

The sound of a larger structure materializing drowned out their bickering.
But then.

Rummmmmmmmmmble!

“…?”

The sound is rather…
…loud, isn’t it?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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