Chapter 8

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 8

Chapter Title: The Solitary Monopolist

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On the way home, I took a look at the proposal Ryu Seolhwa had handed me.

To sum it up in one word, it was this:

They wanted to buy Regeneration Potions, so let's sign a futures contract like a gift exchange. The terms were pretty generous.

Did Ryu Seolhwa make the same deduction as Yoo Soyeon? Or did she steal the info?

It seemed more likely the latter.

In that case, no matter how Yoo Soyeon was as an individual, the Management Bureau didn’t seem like a trustworthy organization.

For now, I’d hold off on responding to the proposal.

It wouldn’t be too late to decide after I got a better grasp on my skills.

Once I got home, I immediately checked my rewards.

"This amount should last me a good long while."

I needed to test the synergy between Regeneration, status effects, and Pain Accumulation, and this was perfect timing with a useful item dropping.

But was it safe to use this? The description was terrifying.

When it bit my leg, I shrugged it off, but now I realized it had been pretty dangerous.

I quickly checked the other reward too.

The item ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from that weird achievement.

"Oh? Component extraction?"

It looked like all sorts of extracts were made with this tool.

That made it a pretty valuable item. Extracting myself would cut costs.

After checking the rewards, a sudden worry hit me.

"Anyway, what about Floor 5?"

The next floor had a gatekeeper boss.

Solo play was pretty much at its limit here.

Other than repeating cleared floors for farming or partying up for boss floors, there weren’t many options.

But joining a party would be tough.

No matter how much I touted my abilities, they’d prefer a DPS over a healer who couldn’t even heal party members.

"No buses for boss floors either..."

To make matters worse, boss floors couldn’t be re-entered after clearing.

So I couldn’t even hope for a paid carry from established clearers.

I’d probably end up farming lower floors like a noob.

But efficiency was questionable.

Without achievement rewards, I might not even cover consumable costs.

"If I could just push past Floor 5, I could solo up to Floor 9..."

Feeling regretful, I tallied up my earnings so far.

68 magestones from up to Floor 4. About 70 million won.

Adding the two unsold Emergency Escape scrolls made 120 million. Still nowhere near enough for the down payment.

Guess I got cocky banking on my awakening. Should’ve looked for a smaller place...

"Still feels ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like a waste, though."

I considered just forfeiting the deposit, but Floor 5 kept nagging at me.

"Bet on Emergency Escape and go for a blind run?"

It might be reckless, but giving up like this pissed me off too.

After all, I’d climbed to Floor 4 solo.

Truth was, I already had a clue for tackling the boss floor.

Just no certainty.

Maybe I could break through using Pain Release.

"Yeah! Let’s do it!"

I steeled my resolve and opened the fridge.

But the Regeneration Potion I’d made yesterday was gone.

"Huh? Where’d it go?"

I was sure I’d put it there... Checked my inventory just in case, but no dice.

Did I get robbed?

I checked the house. A rundown one-room with nothing valuable but my laptop, which was still there.

"Did I drink it?"

Who’d rob ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a dump like this? But it happened, and it was baffling.

Damn ghosts. No one even knew about the potion...

Realizing that sent chills down my spine.

"Am I in danger?"

For now, I checked into a hotel.

It hurt spending real money, but motels or saunas felt risky, so I passed.

No family or friends to crash with either, so it seemed like the best choice.

"Sigh, I’m definitely moving out."

But who? Who took the potion?

First suspects: Yoo Soyeon or Ryu Seolhwa.

But they had no reason to.

They seemed eager for steady potion supply.

No point risking it when they’d prepared solid compensation.

My head was a mess.

But I couldn’t just stew in worry.

If someone was targeting me, I’d just make them taste hellish pain.

So now, I had to prepare.

My trump card that might crack Floor 5.

I pulled out the extractor and stuffed in the minced poison sac.

Turning the rotary handle spun it like a centrifuge.

Poison liquid trickled into the flask at the extraction port.

I grabbed another flask and cast Regeneration.

Materials ready.

Donning the goggles, I carefully mixed.

Confirming the poison complete, I double-checked the safety device.

Like a ritual to steel myself before the coming pain.

"......"

Staring at the inky liquid brought all sorts of random thoughts.

Do people know healers suffer like this?

Lost in that odd musing, I downed the poison in one go.

"Kya—bitter as hell. Tongue-numbing. World’s bitter."

The Reactivated Poison Elixir’s effects hit immediately.

"Gah!"

Is this what kidney stones feel like? They say it’s brutal...

My lower abdomen throbbed wildly.

"Urgh..."

Phantom pain sufferers have no relief...

Even as my limbs stiffened, the pain persisted.

"Kuh!"

Gout hurts even from a breeze, right...?

Regeneration cycle hit, loosening my body, but pain dragged on. But only briefly.

"Gurgh!"

My mind started fogging up.

Ring ring ring—

Ring ring ring—

How much time passed?

The phone jolted me back. Barely conscious, I picked up to a prim voice.

"Sir, are you alright?"

"What’s up?"

"Um... We got a report of harsh acts in your room."

"......"

"May we check briefly?"

"...Go ahead."

Hah, seriously.

I hung up and clutched my head.

Did I scream while passed out?

What did the neighbors think...? A guy screaming in a hotel. Only two possibilities.

Mortifying.

A bit later.

"Sir, sorry for the inconvenience."

"No, sorry for troubling you."

I sent the hotel staff away after their check and sank into the sofa.

Embarrassment aside, time to see the payoff for my suffering.

How much did I stack?

Oh, nice jump. It was 315 after Floor 4.

This much felt viable.

But passing out every time made it unsustainable.

Guess I’d tweak the mix ratio.

After that day, I dove into a bitter routine to prep for the boss floor.

At a restaurant.

"Slurp... Gah! Sniff, kuh!"

"Mommy, that uncle’s weird."

"Shh, don’t stare. He’s got a mental illness."

At a cafe.

"Mr. Yeonwoo, we’ll wrap the investigation ASAP, so please stay at the hotel despite the hassle."

"Mmgh! ...Yes."

"You okay?"

"No, kuh. I’m fiiiine!"

"...?"

Even in public restrooms.

"Nngh... Ngh! Ungh, keh!"

"Bro, badly clogged? Eat some probiotics. Anyway... hang in there."

"......"

I only went out because hotel sessions kept getting reported, but misunderstandings were constant.

Still, I steadfastly stacked pain.

And finally.

I hit my target.

A bit overkill for a boss, but it’d neutralize it for a good while.

"Haa, that was rough..."

Never again.

With pain stacking done, I geared up for Floor 5.

Studied攻略 posts on Hunter Net for patterns.

Made Flame Regeneration Vials on Regeneration cooldowns, synthesized nerve paralysis poison from paralysis needles and sac extracts.

Bought items to boost my lacking firepower too.

Burned through savings, but I was all-in. No retreat.

Secret: Posted for a DPS on Hunter Net “just in case” and got laughed at.

One day, Yoo Soyeon showed up knowing I was soloing the boss, fretted and tried to dissuade me—but handed her a potion and she suddenly had urgent business.

Her compliant attitude showed worry was an excuse; potion was the goal.

Anyway.

After countless hurdles, prep complete. On a clear day, I finally crossed Floor 5’s threshold.

Rumble rumble rumble!

A massive quake shook the ground, dust swirling at my feet.

From the barren wasteland rose a colossal shadow clad in steel-smooth scales.

Chilling glare that’d paralyze on eye contact.

Body size rivaling a semi-truck. Overwhelming for solo.

But I had over 5,000 condensed pain.

This stack held the cafe barista’s pitying gaze, the restaurant lady’s tongue-click, the nameless restroom guy’s probiotic pitch... my sacrificed social rep.

Excruciatingly lonely, bitterly pathetic times.

"This took real effort... Pain Release!"

I swung the Sadist’s Riding Crop at it.

A vivid black afterimage trailed the arc, slamming into the gatekeeper.

Rooooar—!

The basilisk roared, flopping over.

Pain so intense it trembled, foaming at the mouth.

"Yes! It works!"

Now’s the chance. I snatched a flame vial.

But then.

A system alert rang.

"......?"