Chapter 19

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 19

Chapter Title: Shall We Make It?

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Right after Choi Yuna's press conference, the Korean hunter society erupted into chaos, as if a bomb had gone off.

And at the center of it all, as always, was the domestic Hunter Gallery.

Hunters began to get excited not just about whether the potions were real or not, but about the sheer audacity of challenging the Healers' Union head-on.

In the midst of this explosive public interest, the Korean Healers' Union had nowhere left to retreat.

At the same time, in the Korean Healers' Union headquarters emergency conference room.

The atmosphere here was the polar opposite of the gallery's feverish heat—heavy and chilling, suffocating.

On the large screen were Choi Yuna's press conference and the hunters' mocking reactions updating in real time.

"How dare they...!"

Im Cheol-woo finally couldn't hold back and slammed his fist on the marble table. With a boom!, a faint crack appeared on the surface. Several executives flinched and averted their eyes.

"Some two-bit potion peddler rolling in from who-knows-where! How dare they insult us!"

His face flushed red with rage.

"We need to bury those Normal Operations Guild bastards right now! Completely erase them from the industry! Even if we have to pressure the Association more...!"

One executive shouted in excitement, but Im Cheol-woo raised his hand as if to silence him.

"...Hoo."

Im Cheol-woo let out a long, ragged breath and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, the boiling fury on his face had vanished completely.

"...Fine. We'll gladly accept their provocation."

The conference room buzzed at his words.

"Director Im, but public opinion right now...! If by any chance the hunters see their potions work with their own eyes..."

"That won't happen."

Im Cheol-woo cut him off decisively. Conviction gleamed in his eyes.

"Instead, we'll set the stage. We'll broadcast live for the whole nation to see their precious potions fail spectacularly."

A sleazy smile crept onto his lips.

"The pretext is this: In real fields, complex injuries are far more common, so comprehensive verification is needed. Sounds perfectly reasonable, doesn't it?"

"......"

"Conveniently, they have that antidote they made too. We'll provide a patient afflicted with both physical trauma and a specific mana poison. Put both their products to the test at once."

He drove the final nail in.

"The patient... will be one attacked by an Ash Moss Wolf pack."

The moment that name was mentioned, the senior healers' eyes in the room subtly changed.

"Why that monster all of a sudden...? It has poison, sure, but it's just a C-rank gate mob."

It was an innocent question. But the moment it was asked, the faces of those seated in front stiffened. They exchanged glances without answering.

Finally, one executive clicked his tongue at the young healer who had spoken and opened his mouth.

"You must not know yet, but that thing's saliva is not just simple..."

"Enough."

The union chairman, who had been silently observing, spoke softly.

"Proceed as Director Im says."

On the plush mat in the corner of the workshop. I lay sprawled out, staring blankly at the monitor screen in front of me.

The screen was replaying Choi Yuna's press conference footage from just moments ago.

'...Well done.'

That should be enough. No matter what patient they bring, as long as it's pure physical trauma, there's nothing my potions can't heal.

I unwrapped another chocolate bar, stuck it in my mouth, and leisurely waited for the Healers' Union's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠response.

How many minutes passed like that?

Bzzz—

My smartphone, tossed beside the mat, rang. It was Yuna.

- Did you see? The Healers' Union just posted an announcement.

"Wh-what do they say...?"

- They accepted the public verification event. But they're designating the patient themselves.

"Th-that's, well..."

- A C-rank hunter mauled by a pack of Ash Moss Wolves. Came in all shredded up, especially one arm with bone exposed, and the whole wound is rotting away.

"...Ash Moss Wolf?"

- Yeah. Annoying monster. Famous for bites that won't heal and keep festering. Apparently due to poison in its teeth...

Low-grade monster poison. Then my Basic Antidote Potion should handle it just fine.

But would the Healers' Union bastards not know that?

Feeling uneasy, I immediately logged into the Korean Healers' Union's official homepage.

"......"

Their notice oozed brazen confidence. As if they were certain we'd fail.

- You think it's fishy too, right? They definitely have something up their sleeve, but I can't figure it out.

"Y-yeah... I'll look into it..."

The moment I hung up, I summoned a translucent window in front of me.

I searched for Ash Moss Wolf in the search bar. Not many posts since it's a low-grade monster.

I clicked on the top informational post.

"A curse?"

In that instant, all the pieces clicked in my head.

Not simple mana poison—a curse ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that disrupts regeneration itself.

Because of the curse, the wound won't heal, so to people, neither antidotes nor recovery potions would seem to work.

And the whole process broadcast live.

"......"

The moment I grasped their intent, primal rage surged before any complex calculations.

"This pisses me off. For real."

A curse? Whatever, just dispel it.

Bust straight through their trap and shove it right in their arrogant faces.

I immediately searched the gallery for curse dissolution potions.

And then.

My confidence shattered miserably.

"Fuck."

Hard-to-get materials, theories that made my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠head throb just looking at them.

This was way beyond what I could handle right now.

No easier ones even when ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I searched. Why the hell? Because it's a shit-tier monster like the comments said?

Thud.

I slammed my head on the desk.

'...Just say it's not poison but a curse, and they're cheating?'

The thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head. No evidence, and it'd just look like a pathetic excuse.

"What do I do..."

How much time passed?

I was clutching my throbbing head and groaning.

"......"

Suddenly, a post I'd skimmed in the gallery flashed in my mind.

Couldn't remember the title. Something about inverse phase? Complicated equations and incomprehensible terms—I'd skipped it.

But one comment stuck vaguely.

'Why overthink? No need to erase it—just slam in the opposite force, no?'

As if possessed, I pulled out paper and pen.

And slowly jotted down the info on the Anti-Regeneration Curse I'd just confirmed, plus the knowledge I'd crammed into my head over the past few days.

'The curse's core property is heat... it clings to the wound and burns the mana flow...'

Then the solution was simple.

'Just slam in a cold property?'

A suitable material came to mind. Frost Herb, found in snow gates, imbued with chilling aura.

'And... to break the curse's binding...'

Searched the gallery for wedge.

Materials with properties that shatter things.

Picked one I could get right now. Rough, heterogeneous nature. Metallic Iron Skin Seed.

My hand moved on its own, scribbling whatever came to mind.

Center it on the body's signals, add materials for properties opposing the curse, craft a bullet to smash it, induce collision in an instant...

"Uh..."

A mutter slipped out unconsciously.

"...This might actually work?"