Chapter 126: Foul Potions and the Raid Begins
While his guildmates and legion commanders handled the Awakeners’ training, Kim Minwoo immersed himself in alchemy in the black mages’ laboratory beneath the temple.
To be precise, it wasn't him doing the immersing.
[Apprentice Alchemist 234 uses Elven Alchemy (D)…]
[Apprentice Alchemist 342 uses Elven…]
[Critical Failure!]
[This is a combination that can never become a potion! No proficiency gained!]
[Critical Failure!]
…
The skeletons were the ones rolling their bony asses off.
Iphrax's mental attacks.
Messing with someone else's mind was an incredibly advanced realm to begin with.
Pulling out a potion to block something like that with mere D-rank alchemy was damn near impossible. You'd need at least S-rank to even have a shot.
So he changed his approach.
Did he really need a potion that defended the mind to block mental attacks?
In Kim Minwoo's eyes, no.
Mental attacks weren't some instant mind-control that turned you into a slave the moment you saw them.
That kind of power would be godlike.
‘Gods don't play games like that.’
If it had that level of authority from the start?
The high priest and all the black mages would already be enslaved puppets.
‘If it's restrained even at the seal level…’
At best, it was probably a power that took time to turn someone into a marionette.
Which meant there was a delay between shaking the mind and fully binding it.
If he exploited that gap just right, he could disrupt the mental attack plenty. That was why he had the skeletons grinding nonstop right now.
Three straight days of this grind.
“It should be about time for something to pop…”
Right then.
[Success!]
['A Stench Potion So Foul Even an Ogre Starved for 100 Days Would Shake Its Head' has been created!]
[A new alchemy recipe has been discovered! Added to the list!]
[The apprentice alchemists have gained valuable experience!]
[Know-how explosion!]
[Success!]
['An Itch Potion That Would Make Even a Seasoned Demon Shed Tears' has been created…]
[Success!]
['A Devastating Sneeze Potion' has been…]
[New alchemy recipes have been discovered! Added to the list!]
[Proficiency in Elven Alchemy (D) has increased.]
“Finally?”
The skeletons politely offered up the potions. He took them and examined their details.
['A Stench Potion So Foul Even an Ogre Starved for 100 Days Would Shake Its Head']
[Grade: Unique+]
[The first masterpiece of a madness-tainted creator. A potion that seems to cram in every foul taste and smell in the world.]
[Effect 1. Overwhelmingly spicy, salty, sour, bitter, and fishy. Topped off with an explosive umami.]
[Effect 2. Inflicts indescribable pain on the senses of taste and smell for 2 hours upon consumption.]
['An Itch Potion That Would Make Even a Seasoned Demon Shed Tears']
[Grade: Rare+]
[The second masterpiece of a madness-tainted creator. Not recommended for drinking.]
[Effect 1. Feels like ants crawling all over your body for 1 hour and 30 minutes after consumption.]
['A Devastating Sneeze Potion']
[Grade: Magic+]
[The third work of a madness-tainted creator. At least this one's somewhat humane.]
[Effect 1. Induces nonstop sneezing for 1 hour after consumption.]
“Oh.”
Kim Minwoo let out a gasp of admiration after reading the details. The elves' recipes didn't have anything like this, so he'd thrown every vaguely relevant material into the mix and let the skeletons try brewing.
“Unique grade, huh?”
Three days of intense effort.
It hadn't been for nothing. With the recipes registered, he could now mass-produce them endlessly as long as he had materials.
‘And one of them's Rare.’
Might be even more brutal than he'd imagined.
‘Need to test it once…’
Lives were on the line.
Power verification was essential.
No way to relax without trying it himself. He grabbed the stench potion and swallowed hard.
“… Here goes.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and chugged the contents.
Gulp.
The moment the liquid hit his tongue, an explosive symphony of flavors erupted.
The stench was so vicious it felt like food waste rotting in a sewer for decades.
“Ughhh!”
He retched on reflex.
He didn't collapse only because of his battle-hardened experience.
“Huff. Huff.”
He hurriedly pulled mint candies from his inventory.
Even after cramming ten into his mouth, the horrific taste and stench lingered.
The cool mint aroma mixing in somehow made it even weirder. He instantly understood what “indescribable agony” meant.
“Good enough.”
There's a saying: Enter the tiger's den with a clear mind, and you'll live.
Mental attacks were the same.
If the victim could just keep their wits sharp, they could delay it tremendously.
Pain was one of the best ways to snap the mind awake.
He took a sip of the Rare and Magic grade potions too.
Not quite Unique level, but still plenty potent.
‘Not aiming to block it perfectly anyway.’
Eleven light bombs.
This wasn't a war of attrition. Either the bombs all blew and it died, or they did—nothing in between.
“Achoo! Make more of these. As many as possible.”
Clatter!
The loyal skeletons sprang into action.
* * *
Kim Minwoo, holed up in the temple lab for three days straight.
No one could approach.
Days were packed with brutal training, leaving no time for visits.
Nights and dawns were guarded by the sleepless legion commanders at the entrance.
Only guildmates came and went a bit. Which only amplified the curiosity.
‘What the hell's he doing in there?’
Everyone gathered here knew Kim Minwoo was the leader without being told.
Even the four strongest instructors treated him that way.
But at this crucial moment when they needed to sync up, why was the leader hunkered down doing who-knows-what?
Curiosity built day by day.
Finally, Kim Minwoo emerged. Leading skeletons carrying boxes stuffed with bizarre potions.
“Pause training and gather everyone.”
Forty-two Awakeners assembled.
He explained everything he knew about Iphrax.
“So… it dominates minds, casts curses, and has some special ability on top?”
“Yes. I checked the records whenever I had time, and that's what they said.”
The alchemy was handled by skeletons, not him.
Gave him time to browse books. Bonus: he found a hidden compartment in the high priest's room.
It held a book detailing Iphrax's powers.
Meticulously analyzed and dissected by past high priests.
‘They prepared in their own way, huh.’
Their mindset from the start.
It's not a god.
Recognize it as a dangerous monster.
Feel the fear, etc.
Unlike their title, they clearly distrusted Iphrax. Their thorough analysis stemmed from that wariness.
Thanks to that, Kim Minwoo hit the jackpot.
Detailed intel on the enemy's powers before the raid even started.
“Curses can be countered with priestly blessings. For mental attacks, use these.”
Trailing skeletons handed out three potions each to the Awakeners.
Horror flashed in their eyes as they read the details.
“… A potion so bad even a 100-day starved ogre shakes its head?”
“… Makes even a seasoned demon cry?”
The “least bad” one was labeled “devastating.”
Of course, as veterans, they could guess why these potions.
Mental attacks were the monster's main schtick. Even A-rank mental fortitude looked shaky against it.
‘Hence the potions.’
The descriptors were just murderously grim. Why else would trash-tier effects get Unique and Rare grades?
‘Come to think of it, Ilsung sold +potions…’
‘Did that alchemist make stuff like this? Tastes are wild.’
The description kindly called it a “madness-tainted creator.”
Even Kim Minwoo, who brought crates of these monstrosities to preliminaries, found them baffling.
Subspace rings or not, who had inventory space to spare like that?
“You've all got the basics down, so now advanced phase: chug potions and move. Got it?”
“Uh… we don't have to drink during the fight with the monster?”
“You're all pros—why ask? Get used to it now, and you'll handle it fine then. Right?”
“R-right.”
“Drink up. More expensive than ginseng tonics.”
Materials for the recipes alone cost hundreds of billions. Pricier than fancy supplements, easy.
Gulp.
Awakeners eyed the potions tensely.
One brave soul stepped up first.
“Here goes!”
Thompson, burly arms trembling, chugged it.
“… Urrghhh!”
“Ah! Turn your head!”
“Urgh! Won't st—urrgh!”
Awakeners paled.
The indecipherable stench wafting from the open vial.
One thing clear: smelling it from afar triggered dry heaves.
‘Oh shit.’
Four days left.
Hell was about to descend on the temple.
* * *
Four days later.
Awakeners gathered at dawn.
“As you know, today we take it down. Throw light bombs one by one, like planned. We'll whittle it down step by step.”
Nods all around.
They knew about Iphrax too.
Mental attacks and curses aside.
‘It even has pain reduction. Trickier than expected.’
Pain reduction.
A few A-rank gate bosses had it.
Simple effect.
Ignores a portion of damage from big single hits.
The bigger the one-shot, the more it nullifies proportionally. Can't clump bombs now—damage reduction would spike.
Then.
Kim Minwoo smiled faintly.
“No need to tense up too much. You've all worked hard.”
“True… thought I'd die adapting to the boss's potions.”
Thompson grinned wryly.
No longer collapsing in a puking daze after downing them.
Just, very—extremely—nauseating.
“Let's go.”
They headed to the temple basement with the Awakeners.
Bound black mages visible amid the vast magic circle.
‘Appearance condition…’
No sacrifice on the seal.
They'd dutifully offered black mages until now.
But preparations complete.
No need anymore.
Undead legions filled the basement. Awakeners slotted in between. Gripping weapons tensely.
Group raids were always high-risk.
One slip usually meant wipeout. Casualties expected.
Tense, naturally.
Kim Minwoo turned back.
“Move like we practiced. Can't promise zero deaths, but one thing I can say.”
Pause. He smiled faintly.
“The rewards will be worth risking your lives. Let's begin.”
Right after.
Five blue arrows pierced the bound black mages' foreheads.
Clean kills.
Rumble…!
The entire temple shook like an earthquake.
[No sacrifice on the seal!]
[Iphrax rages furiously!]
[Warning!]
[If no sacrifice offered within 10 minutes, Iphrax will emerge onto the surface!]
First day, ground shook hard.
It quieted soon after—probably sacrificed again within 10.
But now? No intention.
Shakes grew fiercer as time passed.
Crack…!
Crack…!
Soon, cracks spiderwebbed the soul-sucking hole.
A massive well-like pit formed. Bottomless depths.
[Warning!]
[10 minutes passed!]
['Cursed Land's' true ruler, Iphrax, appears!]
Something bubbled up from the pit. Hundreds of eyeballs clustered like grapes.
Awakeners downed their potions.
Blink.
Iphrax blinked.
Assault begins.
Light bombs flew at it.
Boom!
White explosions bloomed over the eyes.