The White Tiger Guild (1)

"Gurgle... glug."

Was this what summoning a giant toad from a ninja comic felt like? The snack the Myriad Poison Toad had just wolfed down was nothing more than the discarded dregs of some Freezing Herb.

"I mean... it's fine for you to eat that, right?"

The toad's squat, flabby body was practically smothered in rolls of fat. Still, if it was capable of devouring ten thousand varieties of toxins, at least I would never have to worry about putting food on its plate. And besides that...

"It's... kind of cute."

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would have to section off a corner of the workshop to build it a proper terrarium. The description said it needed to consume poison to utilize its abilities, but right now, I didn't have much on hand to offer. I picked up a vial of Homemade Paralysis Poison lined up on the workbench and poured it into a shallow dish.

"Gurgle... gurgle."

As if it were ravenously hungry, the Myriad Poison Toad parted a massive maw that took up half its entire frame and lapped up the venom in greedy gulps. Its stubby little limbs flailed about in excitement as it ate—an oddly endearing sight.

"From now on, your name is Mandok!"

"Gurgle!"

Mandok scarfed down the Homemade Paralysis Poison without leaving behind a single drop.

What kind of potency would the fermented venom possess? I was dying of curiosity, but...

Surveying the workshop, which looked as though a hurricane had blown through it during my hectic preparations for the climb, a heavy sigh spilled past my lips.

"What an absolute disaster."

Cleaning had to come first. I had taken in an unexpected pet, and keeping the place clean was only right for Mandok's well-being.

Once the worst of the mess had been sorted out, I took a short breather. To let everyone know I had made it back alive from the 1st floor, I logged onto the internet forum.

Even the assistant mod, who usually stayed lurking in the shadows, had popped in. The regulars, who spent almost every waking hour clowning on me, were actually displaying genuine concern.

"I'm honestly a little touched."

And putting their worries to rest was the duty of a responsible head mod.

The moment my comment went live, a barrage of replies flooded in beneath it.

From the regulars' perspective, the notion of a poison-class awakener conquering such a floor seemed almost entirely beyond belief. I had no reason to hide the truth, so I gave it to them straight.

Every single one of them found it hard to swallow.

"Well, I was floored when I first learned a poison like this even existed, too."

Admittedly, without physical proof, simply boasting about it on an anonymous message board carried very little persuasive weight.

Right at that moment—

Knock, knock.

"Huh?"

Someone was tapping against the laboratory's front door.

"Who could it be at this hour?"

I had clearly hung out a sign stating we were closed for business today, yet there were always customers who ignored it completely. Well, what could I do? A paying customer was still a customer.

"...Who is it?" I called out.

A measured voice filtered through the metal from the corridor outside.

"Is this Mr. Venom?"

Venom?!

"What the hell! Who are you? Are you a forum regular?!"

Don't tell me it was actually PrettyViper? I knew the active members all had a general idea of where my lab was located, but could anyone really have gotten here that fast?

"Could you be... PrettyViper...?"

As though the hands of the clock had frozen in place, a heavy silence hung in the air.

"Er... I have come on behalf of the White Tiger Guild."

The White Tiger Guild? What in the world would they want with me? I hadn't done anything to step on anyone's toes, let alone a titan like them. Deciding I had to see for myself, I stepped forward.

Screeech.

The heavy iron door swung open, revealing a middle-aged gentleman impeccably dressed in a sharp black suit.

"Hello... What brings someone from the White Tiger Guild to my shop?"

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Venom. Here, please take this first."

Accepting the business card extended toward me, I noticed the stylized sigil of the White Tiger Guild prominently stamped above his printed name: Chief Secretary Oh Taesu.

"I am Oh Taesu, Chief Secretary of the White Tiger Guild."

"Ah... Would you care to come inside?"

"Yes, if it isn't an imposition..."

Exuding a dense, solemn atmosphere characteristic of a man who weighed every single word, Oh Taesu stepped across the threshold into the Poison Laboratory. Sitting across from one another on the battered sofa beside the workbench, a suffocating quiet ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠descended between us.

What's with him...? Why isn't he opening his mouth?

If he had sought me out while knowing my online handle on the gallery, he must have arrived with a specific agenda in mind... Shattering the silence, Oh Taesu finally spoke.

"I have come wishing to purchase the Ice Flame Poison you mentioned on the forum."

"Pardon? The Ice Flame Poison?"

"When I stopped by earlier this afternoon, it seemed no one was in. However, seeing your post appear on the forum just moments ago, I made my way over immediately."

Even so, to arrive this swiftly? Unless he had been sitting in his car right down the street, obsessively hitting refresh on the gallery feed, there was no earthly way he could have reached my doorstep in mere minutes.

"Furthermore, allow me to extend my congratulations on clearing the first floor. A hunter who specializes in toxins is a rare breed indeed..."

"Ah... yes... thank you."

A flush of embarrassment crept up my neck. If he had seen my announcement, it meant he had witnessed the entire clown show ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of a conversation we had just engaged in.

"The circumstance on my end is rather pressing, you see. Would it be possible for me to purchase the Ice Flame Poison right this instant?"

I was more than willing to sell it. The only hitch was that I had zero inventory.

"...I'm completely out of stock today. Would you be able to return tomorrow? If you visit in the afternoon, I will have it brewed and ready for you."

"Ah. I see. Very well. I shall return tomorrow afternoon, then."

"Of course."

Watching Oh Taesu turn to take his leave, a sudden jolt went through my brain.

Ah. That's right... I completely forgot the most critical part.

"Excuse me, Chief Secretary Oh?"

He paused mid-stride and looked back over his shoulder, his expression politely questioning what was wrong. Adopting the most humble, delicate tone I could muster, I addressed the very first prospective buyer of the Ice Flame Poison:

"If it isn't an imposition... could I trouble you for a small cash advance to cover the cost of the raw materials...?"

I thought I would die of mortification right there on the spot.

The following afternoon.

By a stroke of sheer luck, the Hunter Association branch still had three roots of Freezing Herb in stock from a shipment that had arrived the day before.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"They don't call them the White Tiger Guild for nothing... The scale of their pockets is on an entirely different level..."

"Ah, of course. Forgive me. This is my first time commissioning venomous substances, so I was unacquainted with the customs of your trade," he had remarked before casually tossing down two million won.

It was a sum large enough to brew four whole bottles of Ice Flame Poison. After securing the Freezing Herb, I used the remaining funds to purchase a Fire Bear's Bear Gallbladder, which doubled as a vital component for brewing Pyre Poison. Crafting Ice Flame Poison was only the first milestone; considering the diverse array of recipes I would inevitably unlock down the road, reinvestment was vital.

"This is the moment to invest."

You had to row when the tide came rolling in.

With that settled, the delicate process of concocting the Ice Flame Poison got underway. Only the inaugural attempt was truly daunting; formulating poisons was my daily bread and butter.

"Easy as pie."

Three roots of Freezing Herb meant three pristine vials of Ice Flame Poison!

"..."

My heart seized up. Staring at the two floating failure alerts hovering in the air before my eyes, a trickle of icy sweat traced a line down the back of my neck.

"...I'm totally fucked."

This recipe could actually fail? The steps I had followed were identical to the first batch. So why...? The vivid azure radiance inherent to the Freezing Herb had vanished without a trace, bleaching the petals into the lifeless hue of a wilted white lily. I racked my brain trying to pinpoint the variable that had gone wrong, but nothing came to mind.

"I had the entire formula committed to memory..."

I had adhered to every single condition outlined in the recipe guide. And then, the blunder clicked into place.

"That was it..."

Temperature. I had neglected to monitor the indoor climate. Up until recently, I had been shivering through the days with the heating switched off to shave money off the utility bills, keeping the ambient temperature naturally chilled. But yesterday, after Chief Secretary Oh departed, I had turned on the floor heating in a fit of wild excitement.

"You utter moron... making an amateur mistake like that."

Pride truly went before the fall. For an alchemist brewing deadly toxins to overlook something as elementary as room temperature was grounds to have my license revoked. Swallowing my pride, I forced myself back to basics and dialed down the laboratory's thermostat.

Beep.

I retrieved the third and final stalk of Freezing Herb from the refrigeration unit and set it upon the sterilized slate.

"Deep breaths. Let's do this methodically."

"Gurgle-."

"I hear you, Mandok. I'll brew it right this time. Just sit tight... Wait! Don't eat th—!"

"What are you, a hazardous waste disposal unit?"

"Gurgle-."

The ruined residue of my failed attempts had ended up as Mandok's midday meal.

A brilliant cerulean elixir swirled within the glass, specked with glowing crimson flecks suspended like embers in water. Thankfully, my final shot at the Ice Flame Poison had culminated in an absolute success.

"Is this the Ice Flame Poison?" Chief Secretary Oh inquired, scrutinizing the small glass flask resting on the table.

"Yes, that is correct."

"Excuse me, Chief Secretary Oh...? You're honestly telling me to drink this thing?"

Sitting beside him was a young woman of such radiant beauty that any man alive would have snapped his neck to catch a second glimpse.

"Lady Juyeong... the Guild Leader stated that this would be your final trial. If an issue should arise, you may withdraw at any moment."

"I don't want to."

"All you need to do is experience the defensive benefits of the Ice Flame Poison firsthand and step out. I shall remain right here waiting for you."

"...Ugh, seriously! What on earth is Father even thinking?! He's driving me completely insane!"

I was losing my mind, too. Why under heaven was the treasured youngest daughter of the White Tiger Guild lounging around inside my dilapidated workshop...?

"Why do I even have to climb the Black Tower in the first place?!" she yelled.

Exactly! And why the hell are you trying to enter the Black Tower from inside my living room?!