Their body just wasn’t stable enough to handle both energy types.
But a Rank 2 High Human was a different story.
There were other benefits, too.
A longer lifespan of up to 150 years. Enhanced learning and faster recovery.
Honestly, it was a cheat race, especially for someone like me who already knew the requirements.
"I also need to earn more money," I said under my breath, opening a drawer and pulling out a wrapped cloth.
"If I want to push my Mage Class to 4-star grade, I’ll need a lot more gold."
That 4-star threshold was critical.
The moment I reached it, my Mage Class would go from Rank 0 to Rank 1.
Not all classes progressed the same way.
My Shadow Class could rank up directly.
But the other classes needed to grade-up and hit a milestone before it’s rank could be increased.
Mage and Alchemist Class were like this.
[Class Rank System – Mage]
Rank 0 Mage: 0-star to 3-star
Rank 1 Mage: 4-star to 6-star
Rank 2 Mage: 7-star to 9-star
...
[Class Rank System – Alchemist]
Rank 0: Apprentice → Journeyman → Formulation Alchemist
Rank 1: Combat Alchemist → Artisan Alchemist
...
Mage Classes had a ceiling of Rank 2. After reaching the ceiling, the class could be evolved.
Alchemists had the ceiling of just Rank 1.
That might’ve sounded bad, but it wasn’t.
Low-ceiling classes evolved faster. And once evolved, they became much stronger than regular classes.
Having a properly evolved class early on was a massive advantage if you knew what evolved class you were aiming for.
"Okay. I need alchemy materials," I continued, pulling open a hidden compartment under the counter.
"To get those, I need money. To increase my Mage Class grade, I also need money."
It was always money.
I’d been preparing for this situation for the past two years.
"And the fastest way to earn money is to sell something people need desperately."
I brought out a set of substitute materials I’d collected.
They were ordinary items that could be used as a base for complex reactions.
I laid them out one by one on the countertop:
A teaspoon of turmeric. A dried lemon peel. Filtered tap water boiled with bay leaves. Finely ground activated charcoal (from a water filter). Copper wire. Vinegar. Crushed mint leaves. A few drops of old engine oil. A pinch of powdered salt from iodized table salt. My own blood.
"With these things, I can access the [Underworld], and sell the ’item’ I’ve prepared there."
I went over the formation in my head.
These were substitute materials, chosen because they had similar elemental properties to the rare ones used in proper DNA-rewriting potions.
I used a small blade and sliced my fingertip.
Thin red lines bloomed across my skin.
I dropped to the ground and began drawing runes using my blood, creating a small alchemical array in the center of the room.
Then I arranged the materials in a specific order.
When everything was ready, I sat cross-legged and placed my hands on the outer edge of the runic circle.
I inhaled deeply and began chanting in [Runic Language].
This was the official language used in Alchemy had it could increase the probability of the alchemy process succeeding by 20%.
"Om kara ve mis tael... renu valen... niro sama alis."
"Essel trin mora... kai vis sol... rexa dahl ven."
"Mana bind. Structure form. Origin twist. Essence shed."
My mana flowed into the circle.
The runes glowed faintly red before shifting into green.
The air became heavy. Heat rose around me.
This alchemy process was much harder than before.
Even with mana as a Catalyst, the process was unstable.
Before, I used to use my life force as a Catalyst.
Now I had mana, but the level of this alchemy was much higher than anything I’d done previously.
I was crafting a potion meant to twist the very properties of blood, to scramble the inherent data that made it traceable.
Sweat dripped from my forehead as the materials began to melt together inside the formation.
Fumes rose. A low humming filled the room.
After several tense minutes, a glowing green liquid floated above the circle.
Class Alchemist
Grade: Journeyman Alchemist → Formulation Alchemist
+3 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence
Perk Gained: [Creative Spark]
Perk Effect:Combining two known recipes have a higher chance of creating a successful hybrid formula.
I released a long breath and slumped slightly, panting.
"Shadow," I muttered. "Put that potion into a container."
My shadow detached itself from my feet and slithered toward the hovering potion. I pointed at the prepared glass cup on the ground.
Without needing more instruction, the shadow moved quickly.
Before the potion could drop and make contact with the floor—ruining the entire process—my shadow caught it midair and gently poured it into the cup.
Then, like a waiter, it brought the cup to me.
I stared at the shimmering liquid.
This was Blood Veil Elixir.
It was a must-have for assassins or spies.
It didn’t just hide the scent or signature of blood.
It rewrote it entirely.
If I was injured, no one could trace me by blood analysis.
Even more important, it protected against shamanism and certain demonic rituals that used blood to curse or locate people.
Of course, there was a catch. To revert my blood to its original form, I’d have to drink the antidote. Otherwise, the change was semi-permanent.
I didn’t hesitate. I drank it all in one go.
"I need this to access the Underworld."
The taste was bitter—somewhere between crushed mint and rusted metal—but I didn’t flinch.
Within moments, I felt a subtle shift inside me. Like something had turned sideways in my veins, then re-aligned.
Done.
Now it was time to move to the next step.
I created a portal leading to my father’s study.
On the other side was a dimly lit study room. It had brown shelves, a large mahogany desk, and a boxy, off-white desktop computer resting near a stack of files.
I stepped through and closed the portal behind me.
The room smelled like old paper and mild cologne.
I approached the desk and turned on the computer.
The power button clicked, followed by a sluggish whir.
The CRT monitor blinked a few times before showing the dull green boot-up screen.
I sighed and looked at the chair.
Being barely over a meter tall made things awkward.
I put one knee up, then pushed myself into the chair and adjusted my position.
After a few seconds, the computer finally displayed the login screen.
I cracked my fingers and got to work.
"I need money~ money~ money~"
The first thing I needed was to access the black market.
Specifically, the Underworld.
It was the hidden online marketplace established by the Olympians,
Underworld was one of the most famous black markets in the supernatural community.
It wasn’t the only one—Narakh, Helheim, and Diyu were also well known—but Underworld stood out for its accessibility.
While most black markets required physical entry through hidden gates, Underworld could be accessed as a digital portal, or a physical location.