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Chapter 51
“The feeling isn’t very good.”
My expression grew increasingly furrowed while cutting the baby Madillo’s corpse here and there.
Thanks to being stored in the space artifact, the corpse wasn’t decaying or emitting a strong odor.
However, since I hadn’t prepared separate cutting tools, I was using my right arm as a modification.
As a result, every time I cut different parts of the baby Madillo’s body, its unique squishy feeling was directly transmitted.
Although I was familiar with scenes of gore and bloodshed from my previous life, the tactile sensation through my arm always made me feel unpleasant.
Drip.
Eventually, after cutting out unnecessary parts, I collected the liquids from the Madillo’s corpse in a special container.
Body fluid.
From now on, for the stimulus I’m about to create, in other words, the enhancement potion, three ingredients are needed.
First, baby Madillo’s body fluid.
Second, skeleton-type monster bone powder.
Third, poisonous herb Katra.
I had already secured the second ingredient in abundance when I completely wiped out the Skeleton Archer Legion.
I also secured the first ingredient through this raid with the executives of the Yangwha Guild.
Looking at the number of secured baby Madillo corpses, I could probably produce between 100 and 110 batches.
The poisonous herb Katra had low commercial value, which made it harder to obtain. However, I found quite a lot being sold at an open market on my way home.
So I bought them all.
The price wasn’t high, and I could store them in the space artifact without worrying about deterioration for a long time.
“It’s still February 2nd. The Abe Research Center is probably still failing to find the mixture formula.”
A satisfied smile formed at the corner of my mouth as I recalled the memories.
In December 2021, the Abe Research Center announced the development of a stimulus enhancement potion.
It was the emergence of a drug that could temporarily enhance combat power by 1.5 to 2.5 times without any side effects from consumption.
The mechanism of manifestation was simple.
Like a blood circulation improver, it would maximize the circulation speed of magical power and provide significant psychological stability.
In other words, stabilizing the mind while simultaneously awakening the body.
It was truly the emergence of a revolutionary new product.
Because of this, the Abe Research Center became Japan’s pride, receiving full government support and entering mass production.
Until the internal technology leakage incident revealed the formula in 2035, they maintained an almost monopolistic sale.
Although several enhancement potions were developed claiming to be competing products, they were insufficient to beat the stimulus.
“I didn’t like the research center’s name from the beginning. Anyway, if I take the lead now, the Abe Research Center will likely abandon their development plan. Is this a two-birds-one-stone effect?”
Although I didn’t have extreme anti-Japanese sentiment, my mood improved at the thought of landing a blow on Japan.
Squish, squish.
I continued extracting the body fluid.
And after draining all the body fluid, I stored the baby Madillo’s corpse back in the space artifact.
Excluding the body fluid, this thing had no commercial value, so I planned to discard it in a dungeon later.
When the dungeon raid is completed and initialized, all corpses and traces inside would disappear.
Since it was solo manual work, I had to keep moving frantically.
I had already ground the skeleton bones into powder earlier, but the poisonous herb Katra was as I had purchased it.
I used my right hand, transformed into a mortar-like shape, to thoroughly crush the Katra.
These three ingredients have no correlation. They don’t even have the slightest similar characteristic.
Because of this, when the Abe Research Center developed the enhancement potion.
Despite numerous Awakeners trying to uncover the combination’s secret, they ultimately failed.
Even when analyzing the components, the poisonous herb, bone powder, and body fluid could be obtained from other monsters, making them difficult to ‘specify’.
To put it simply, it was like inhaling air from somewhere and being asked to guess its origin.
Thus, many similar products emerged, but none achieved effects comparable to the stimulus.
Even if they produced some effect, they were either denied sales approval due to extreme side effects or classified as drugs due to their addictiveness.
“Moreover, if the mixing is incorrect, instead of an enhancement potion, it becomes an instant death potion that sends you straight to the afterlife.”
This was the problem.
According to internal information later disclosed, more than 100 researchers at the center lost their lives during development.
To confirm the potion’s effects, clinical trials were naturally inevitable, and the researchers became the test subjects.
The difference between instant death and enhancement was just a hair’s breadth.
It took over 8 years for the Abe Research Center to develop the potion, trying to bridge this minute difference in mixing ratios.
I intend to shorten that time now. Isn’t this the true value of monopolization?
Thirty minutes later.
The preparations were almost complete.
The most time-consuming body fluid extraction was finally finished with the last corpse.
First, I precisely measured the weight of the body fluid, bone powder, and Katra.
Then I put the body fluid in a large pot and added the other two ingredients according to the mixing ratio.
Now I just needed to keep boiling and skim off the impurities rising to the top.
If these impurities aren’t removed, the potion’s duration and quality would significantly decrease.
“It feels like practicing wall-facing meditation.”
At minimum, 30 minutes of continuously monitoring the pot’s state and stirring to prevent the fluid from solidifying would be necessary.
While the repetitive task wasn’t difficult, watching the whirlpool of the ladle made the world spin dizzily.
“Let me investigate this further.”
After Gorim Chemical stocks and Jije Station investments, I thought about the next element of interest.
Immediately, a company name popped into my memory.
‘Lycon.’
On March 20, 2020.
A major issue arose with Lycon, a security system development company.
They successfully developed a program that analyzes dimensional energy changes inside and outside dungeons, verifying internal stability with 95% probability.
Thanks to this, the probability of sudden outbreaks could be dramatically reduced.
It was an incident that triggered massive orders from Awakener Associations worldwide.
“Should I make a move here? If I buy in before the CEO scandal and the accounting fraud incident breaks out, I can just get in and out.”
Assuming purchase before that, the expected return would be about 4 times. Not an insignificant amount.
“Also, 2020 had more incidents than expected… I’ve returned to quite an interesting time.”
I reviewed meaningful events and incidents from fragments of memories.
The large-scale full-scale war between the US and European Awakener Associations.
The parasite incident in low-grade magical potions mass-produced in China and sold worldwide.
The large-scale civil war between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd guilds in South Korea.
And the massive outbreak across Russia, nicknamed the Russian Great Transformation.
These were events that couldn’t be overlooked.
Because these four events resulted in the mass death of capable Awakeners.
“Nicolas told me that because of these 2020 incidents, too many talents died, and thus preparation for the great disaster was much delayed.”
Nicolas’s words came to mind.
He was always mumbling about regrets after the regression, so I remembered all his words.
“It’s better if I prepare some things in advance. That way, even when Nicolas regresses, preparations will be much easier. If I handle some things beforehand, he won’t bother me either.”
I thought this made sense.
Not that I’m looking to suffer, but to lay some groundwork in advance.
If I save many talents Nicolas could use?
Later, when he talks about Nain Rodney or whatever, trying to push me into being a hero, those chances would decrease.
Because I still remember his words that hurt me.
‘Kang Shin-hwa, honestly, you weren’t a necessary member of the Nine Lords I imagined.’
‘Originally, there were so many talents to save in 2020. But too many died that year.’
‘Moreover, I happened to regress right after that? Hey, consider yourself lucky. You were the 35th in line, and were recruited because everyone died before you.’
“Damn bastard.”
Strangely, those words remained vivid in my memory forever.
In other words, when selecting 9 heroes including himself, I was number 35.
If the first 9 had survived, I would never have been chosen. I was selected reluctantly because they had died, which was the essence of the story.
“First, I’ll definitely take note of this. I’ll decide whether to intervene after carefully considering it.”
I absolutely hate troublesome things.
However, to avoid unnecessary attention from Nicolas even after early retirement, some arrangement seemed essential.
If I save the talents before me, he might not even come looking for me. Simply because there’s no need.
“As expected, thinking makes time pass quickly.”
While thinking about various things, quite a bit of time had passed.
I immediately skimmed off the impurities with a ladle and checked the state of the well-stirred liquid.
“Perfect.”
Because I had produced this so many times in my previous life, the completion state was neat.
However, I couldn’t use it right away.
I needed to wait for about 2 hours during natural cooling, until only clear liquid rises to the top.
Only after skimming off the clear liquid would it become an enhancement potion.
For now, it was just a mixture with no effect even if consumed.
“I’ll go and come back quickly.”
I stood up.
Two hours would be enough to visit old man Hwang and place an order for an enhancement suit.
Although it was almost 10 PM, it was a place that did night business, so there would be no problem.
And shortly after.
Whoosh!
Emerging from the warehouse basement, I leaped mightily, jumping to the top of the building before my eyes.
A high-speed movement in Kang Shin-hwa’s style, easily ignoring road traffic congestion.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Each time a shadow stopped and marked a point, I lightly jumped over buildings and gradually disappeared into the distance.
* * *
At the same time.
Hwang Seok-cheol was meeting a woman sent by a Japanese acquaintance he had previously called about Kang Shin-hwa.
While not blood relatives, they were close like a grandfather and granddaughter.
“Marina, it’s been a while.”
“Grandfather Hwang, have you been well? I’m really glad you look healthy.”
“Oh, your pronunciation has improved! Your Korean has gotten better?”
“If you speak as if I couldn’t do it from the beginning, I’ll feel sad! Now I can use it well enough as a common language.”
“My contact with Gintets wasn’t meant to send you here. What brings you?”
“Just as you know. Kang Shin-hwa, I’ve come to meet that person directly.”
In a place without Kang Shin-hwa,
The two were blooming a conversation centered around Kang Shin-hwa.
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