[T/L: For latest updates, follow my website: https://revengernovel.com/]
He was sure it would sell well.
But it would need time.
For word of mouth to spread, at least a month would have to pass.
That was probably why fewer than 100 antidotes were sold on the first day.
Even then, one person bought more than 50.
Someone who had experienced the effect once.
Prospective Awakener Pro Park Jinsu, who had been eagerly waiting for the official launch.
The next day, customers suddenly began pouring in.
Sales reached 300 units.
Day 3.
It was similar to the previous day.
Day 4.
That was when the war began.
"I came first! Why are you giving it to that bastard before me?"
"You were second! Says the bastard buying 20 bottles at a time. Learn to yield a little for other people."
"Want to settle this right here?"
"Shut up! Stop causing trouble and get out right now! Kill each other or save each other outside, do whatever you want!"
"The person who made this seriously deserves the Empire's Silver Star Medal."
"Would a Silver Star even be enough? Give them the Gold Star Medal."
Customers filled the drug shop.
The employees were busy responding and selling.
"Please don't fight! We have enough stock."
On this day alone, more than 3,000 bottles of antidote were sold.
After fighting such a huge battle once, he thought the next day would enter a lull.
But that was the wrong idea.
"Give me 20 bottles, no, 30. What if they run out at this rate? I need to stock up in advance."
"No, we have enough stock .... "
"I want 50 bottles!"
"H-Hey, everyone calm down."
This was bad.
It did not seem like the stock would be enough.
On day 5 alone, 8,000 bottles were sold.
From then on, rumors spread through Free City of Gurye.
There is an effective antidote for mutant three-striped mosquito venom at Baeks Drug Shop.
The amount is even less than a mouthful of water, but the duration is a full 10 hours.
If you drink it in advance before hunting, even if you get bitten 100 times by mosquitoes, you will be perfectly fine.
The price is only 50,000 won.
If that level of investment increases hunting efficiency, people will gladly spend it.
Big spenders are buying in bulk.
It might sell out completely very soon.
The city of 2 million people stirred.
Day 7.
Sensing that the atmosphere was unusual, Baek Hongpyo hurriedly called Taeju.
"Three thousand... no, 30,000 bottles have already been sold?"
–It may go out of stock tomorrow or the day after.
"Ah... all right, understood for now."
–Sorry, but would additional supply be possible?
"... I'll try."
He would have to make the concentrate even if it meant staying up all night.
There were more than enough ingredients.
Of the ingredients in a 10 ml antidote bottle, 99% was purified water.
In truth, preparing the medicinal materials took time, but manufacturing the concentrate itself was quick.
Currently, the medicine production workshop was inside Baeks Orphanage.
That place was the underground shelter prepared for a monster wave.
A facility Baek Hongpyo had built from the time he constructed the orphanage.
There were quite a few underground shelters like this in Gurye City.
It cost an enormous amount of money, so much that he even took out loans to build them.
It was a glimpse into just how dearly Baek Hongpyo cherished the children.
He had strictly forbidden anyone other than Taeju from entering.
Since it was work involving poison, he could not let anyone come near.
So their conversations were done through smartphones.
–The quantity is one issue, but because of hoarding....
"You told them supply would continue steadily, right?"
–Yes! We announced that. But Gurye is not the only place that needs mosquito antidote.
The many cities surrounding Jirisan.
Hadong, Sancheong, Namwon, Hamyang....
They needed antidote there too.
Demand had gone far beyond expectations.
"Put a purchase limit on it. Two bottles per person."
–Yes, I have that in mind too.
Explosive popularity.
–At this rate, copycat medicine may come out sooner than expected.
"Ah! You don't need to worry about that."
Even if they knew all the ingredients that went into the antidote, they would not be able to make it.
He extracted the medicinal components by compounding them with the Primordial Boundless Poison Spirit Art.
They would never be able to extract the exact same ingredients.
Of course, Earth's science and technology were nothing to scoff at either, so someday they might be able to manufacture a similar medicine.
And if they successfully copied it?
He could just make and sell another medicine.
The pharmacy was packed with people.
Did people only come to buy antidote?
Since they were already at the pharmacy, wound treatment medicine, painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, mana recovery potions, combat stimulants... those medicines were also close to selling out.
This was the first experience of its kind even for the drug shop employees.
Their bodies were tired, but they felt good.
All the employees were from Baeks Orphanage.
How could they not be happy when the boss, who was like a father to them, had struck gold?
No one had expected it.
Was mosquito antidote really this desperately needed?
How much had people suffered all this time?
In the end, they had to hang up the sold out sign before the additional stock even arrived.
"W-What, it's already all sold out?"
"I told you they should've dealt with those damned resellers."
"What the hell is this? Only normal customers end up suffering."
"Now, now, lower your voices. Anyway, President Baek, when will it be restocked?"
While calming the customers, Baek Hongpyo spoke.
"It will arrive tomorrow. And from now on, we'll impose a limit of two bottles per person."
"Two bottles is a bit stingy, isn't it? Make it three.... "
"Shut it, it's because of bastards like you that there's a quantity limit."
Even after imposing the limit, news that new stock was coming in caused an open-run rush the next morning.
It was truly an explosive response.
Because of that, merchants selling protective insect suits suffered losses.
It could not be helped.
They had to keep pace with a changing world.
Now people could hunt without wearing insect-protection suits.
It was only taking off one piece of clothing, but the effect was so great it could hardly be described.
Hunting efficiency doubled, no, tripled.
Civilian Mana-Compatible people and Awakeners who had left Gurye City because of the mutant three-striped mosquitoes began returning.
Was Gurye not the very place where one could gain great benefits from tax reduction policies if only there were no mosquitoes?
The frenzy over the mosquito antidote showed no sign of subsiding.
Collecting materials, making concentrate.
Then, eventually!
–A supply request has come in from the military.
"From the Imperial Army?"
–Yes, an initial order for 500,000 bottles.
"... Haa."
–It must be difficult, right?
"Yes, reject it for now. Tell them there isn't enough supply. Say that if we have room to spare later, we can discuss it then."
–Understood.
In truth, it was just an excuse.
Could he really not make a mere 500,000 bottles?
At present, he did not want to get entangled with the Imperial Army.
***
About two months after he started selling the antidote, the heat around it was beginning to cool slightly.
Because enough supply had been released into the market.
The money currently in Taeju's account was about 15 billion won.
But money kept coming in.
To the point that it was hard to control.
President Baek Hongpyo was thrilled too.
As soon as money started coming in, the first thing he did was gift each of the orphanage children a smartphone.
Just because they were orphans, did that mean they could not have smartphones?
He sent them to academies, took them out to have fun, and bought them good shoes and clothes.
Taeju's current residence was the suite room of the most expensive five-star hotel with the best facilities in Gurye City. It cost about 5 million won per night.
That would be 150 million won a month, but after a discount he was staying there for 100 million won per month.
Someone might ask whether there was really any need to stay in such an expensive room, but for training in poison arts, he needed a safe place where he would not be disturbed.
He could take care of meals in the room through room service, and there was a dedicated butler who could run simple errands.
When spending, spend boldly.
When else would he ever enjoy such luxury?
And so, he was smoothly mastering the Primordial Boundless Poison Spirit Art.
Now the poison essence in his dantian had also stabilized.
And it seemed the heavenly curse of the Mana-Rejector had completely disappeared as well.
After reaching 3-star, toxic energy seemed to have overcome mana.
But he still could not even begin training in hidden weapon technique.
Was throwing whatever came to hand really hidden weapon technique?
He needed weapons suitable for hidden weapon technique.
Only then could he even attempt Magical Beast hunting.
Also, going out bare-bodied without armor was too much.
Weak ones could be handled with a single greatsword, sure, but what if he ran into Elite or boss-class monsters?
It was time to flex in earnest.
To a degree incomparable to something like a hotel suite.
Taeju set aside some time and went to the workshop street of Gurye Market.
It seemed that the 3 billion won Arctic illusion fox leather coat still had not been sold.
'That's a relief.'
What would he have done if it had sold?
"This coat, it hasn't been sold yet, right?"
"Of course not, it's so expensive."
"I'll buy it."
"... Pardon? T-this way, please."
The leather coat was not a finished product.
Because it had to be altered again to fit his body type.
"It needs a lot of pockets."
"Then there will be additional costs.... "
"That's fine. Just make it exactly the same. And I'd like to order wrist and ankle guards, a belt, a vest, and pants as well. Of course, all made from Arctic illusion fox leather."
"Oh my! We have a VIP customer. Please wait just a moment. I'll take your measurements first."
Then the workshop owner glanced at Taeju and cautiously opened his mouth.
"Since this is a custom order, you'll need to pay a deposit in advance."
"How much?"
"At least 20% of the item price...."
"I'll pay it. A bank transfer is fine, right?"
"Hahaha! Understood. Please write the contract first."
The total amount for the fox leather coat and various pieces of equipment came to about 4.3 billion won.
He signed the contract and transferred the 860 million won deposit.
They said it would take a week.
That much, he could wait for pleasantly enough.
Next was the metal workshop street.
He would custom order weapons too.
There were ready-made items similar to hidden weapons.
The most representative weapon was the throwing knife.
It looked similar to the willow-leaf throwing knife most commonly used by Dang Gun-ak.
A throwing knife that cost quite a bit because bone powder from one of the Magical Beasts, the steel-beaked black-boned fighting cock, had been mixed into the metal.
But this was too large.
It had to be smaller.
"I'd like to order 100 in this shape and size."
"... 100 of them?"
"Yes."
"W-wait a moment. The materials... Ah! I'm sorry. We're short on demon steel ingots, so we'll have to order more materials...."
"I have many other things to order as well."
"Gasp! D-do you need them right away?"
"Well, I can wait about a week."
"We'll definitely have them ready by then."
At the metal workshop too, he signed a contract and paid a deposit.
"Judging by the look of you, you seem to be Mana-Compatible, but don't you need a sword? It'll be hard to deal with Magical Beasts using such small weapons."
"Just make properly what I ordered. There's more besides this...."
Hidden weapon technique and poison arts truly were expensive martial arts.
Why insist only on expensive hidden weapons?
Because his other soul.
Dang Gun-ak, the Supreme Poison Demon of the murim world, hated swords.
More precisely, he hated bastards who used swords.
Taeju also had not the slightest intention of taking up a sword.
What? Sword immortal?
You attain enlightenment through the sword and ascend?
And yet hidden weapon technique is supposedly vulgar.
So killing with a sword is fine, but killing with hidden weapons or poison is not?
Hypocrites pretending to be noble.
A martial artist, they say, should naturally comprehend the ultimate realm of swordsmanship and advance to the stage of controlling the sword with qi.
And what is controlling the sword with qi?
Isn't it just making the sword fly?
Hidden weapons fly too.
If you throw them, it's all the same.
The part about moving according to one's will is the same too.
Whether you kill with a sword, with hidden weapons, or with poison.
What exactly is supposed to be different?
Among sword-wielding clans, one group that Supreme Poison Demon Dang Gun-ak found particularly disagreeable was the Namgung family of Anhui.
Though they were members of the same Five Great Families, they did not get along very well.
They always looked down on the Dang Family, disparaging hidden weapon technique and poison arts as vulgar trickery.
In the end, they collapsed when the Demonic Cult rose to power.
The fools of the Hebei Peng family, who used sabers as their main weapon, were also nothing but people full of laughable pride, men with stone for brains, ignorant beyond belief.
Still, they were better than the Namgung family.
The absolute worst was the Jegal family of Shaanxi.
Bastards who used their shallow cleverness to cling wherever it benefited them.
Dang Gun-ak personally exterminated their entire family line.
Because when the Heavenly Demon swept through the murim world, the very first ones to throw themselves into the Demonic Cult had been the Jegal family.
Jegal Cheon, who had been the family head of the Jegal family, assisted the Heavenly Demon and betrayed the murim world.
Back then, Jegal Cheon's title had been Thunder Demon.
What? Thunder Demon?
What kind of bastard who only knows how to scheme with petty tricks dares to attach the character demon to himself and strut around?
He sent him nicely to the underworld together with the Heavenly Demon.
Among the five great families, the people closest to Supreme Poison Demon Dang Gun-ak had been members of the Eon family of Jinju.
Because they had endured the same pain together.
The Eon family used fist techniques as their primary martial art.
But their specialty, like poison arts, was Corpse Puppet art, something looked down upon by lofty martial artists.
Corpse Puppets were part of an old funeral custom in the murim world.
Those who died far from home were turned into self-moving Corpse Puppets so they could be returned to their hometown.
Corpse Puppet that hopped around with both feet together.
It took quite a long time for them to hop all the way back home.
To preserve the corpse intact, they had to harden the Corpse Puppet's body with medicine and sorcery.
And so was born the Corpse Puppet art, the external art of the Eon family of Jinju.
Along with fist techniques built on that powerful external art.
The Sichuan Dang Family and the Eon family of Jinju had developed together through close exchange.
The Dang Family supplied the medicines needed for Corpse Puppet art, and in turn received instruction in the subtleties of external arts.
Among Supreme Poison Demon Dang Gun-ak's unique martial arts, there were also arts performed without hidden weapons.
One of them was Blood Seal Poison Pal.
It had been created based on the fist arts of the Eon family of Jinju.
Taeju's Primordial Boundless Poison Spirit Art was currently at 3-star.
There were an enormous number of martial arts he knew through Dang Gun-ak.
But knowing them and actually executing them were vastly different things.
The time was slowly approaching.
He needed to increase his proficiency in martial arts through real combat.
Then what would be the target?
Naturally, the Magical Beasts of Jirisan.
Before that, he just hoped the equipment he had ordered would arrive quickly.