The Severing Magic Commission

Min Jiyeong.

"Goddammit! Dealers, land your damn attacks!!!"

Min Jiyeong roared as she blocked the massive arm of the Mythril Golem hurtling toward her face.

A boss monster raid on the 69th floor. Under contract with Blue Bird Guild, she had joined the assault on the 69th floor.

A raid party of one hundred — and ten of them were supposed to be holding the vanguard as tanks.

"Ms. Jiyeong! Our magic isn't landing!"

"We can't even finish a cast! Our mana's being drained!"

"Skills too… our skills won't work either!!"

"Goddamn weaklings, every last one of them!"

At this moment, the only tank still holding the vanguard was Min Jiyeong herself.

Every other tank had already been knocked out of the fight.

"If it was going to be like this, why the hell did you even call me! You should've prepared properly!"

It was only because she was an S-rank hunter that she had managed to hold out this long.

KWA-BOOM!!!

A single blow from the Mythril Golem drove her into the ground deep enough to leave a crater.

I'm going to die at this rate!

This tower assault was a failure.

All because of the Mythril Golem's absorption ability — no one could say whether it was a trait or a skill.

It didn't simply block the casting of magic; every skill and trait that drew on mana had been sealed away wholesale.

She had joined the raid believing Blue Bird Guild had covered every angle, but the moment the Mythril Golem entered its final phase, the whole situation flipped on its head.

And so the result was…

Failure to clear the 69th floor.

"…Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!!!"

"Are you all right?"

"I was just thinking things over for a moment…"

Min Jiyeong had drifted into a daze midway through her explanation of the 69th floor raid. Unlike the bright expression she usually wore in the media, a deep shadow hung over her face.

"You said you wanted to commission a poison for the raid, correct?"

"Yes."

"I'll take it on. Though I'll need a few more materials."

"Are there particular materials you need?"

"I believe I can get them myself."

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

"Then please start right away."

"Ah… well, normally I'd have you sign a contract first, but I only just finished moving in today, you see. I'll contact you once the lab is in order."

"Understood. I'll leave the core extract with you — I'm counting on you. And think of this as a down payment."

Thud.

Min Jiyeong set the bundle of cash she had prepared in advance on the table, then flashed a charming smile.

"Looking forward to working with you."

"…Ah, yes, of course."

"Well then, I'll be off."

As though her business here were concluded, she rose without a trace of hesitation and left the lab.

"Whew… that was intense."

With Min Jiyeong gone, the tension that had been squeezing me finally drained away. It was my first time meeting a high ranker in the flesh, and the pressure had been considerable.

"…Terrifying."

Normally, in situations like this, I would have turned down the compounding commission. Call it getting swept up in the momentum — but there was a reason I hadn't refused.

Because the moment I examined the Silver Golem Core Extract she had left behind, a system message had surfaced before my eyes.

Severing Magic Poison…

Golem-type monsters were known to carry considerable resistance to mana as a matter of course. A mana-blocking effect, however, was something I had never once heard of.

Would it work on a golem too?

There was no way to know for sure.

But if that effect did take hold — if it were used on the mana-absorbing Mythril Golem?

It would play a major role in clearing the 69th floor.

Judging by the quantity of Silver Golem Core Extract, I could probably brew enough for two uses or so.

"The Green Water I can probably get my hands on myself…"

Silver Bell Flower Sap, on the other hand, was a steeply expensive item. I had known it chiefly as a material for protective gear; I had never heard of anyone brewing it into a poison, nor even that it could serve as a poison ingredient at all.

"…In that case."

First, I turned my attention to the bundle of cash sitting on the table. Even to the naked eye, it was a substantial pile — bundles of fifty-thousand-won bills…

One… two… three… four…

"Th… thirty million won?!"

Without so much as a signed contract, could she really just leave behind a sum like this? Perhaps because I'd only just received the building, I wasn't feeling all that giddy — but if her spending was ranker-grade, it was certainly ranker-grade.

"Better get started, then."

An S-rank client had already come and gone from a lab that hadn't even opened its doors. A fine start.

The Hunter Shop, located within the Association.

"Ms. Yuna. Hello there."

Kim Yuna of the Hunter Shop — her hair tied up in a round bun — turned at the familiar voice and greeted him warmly.

"Oh my, Dohyun! You've been coming by a lot lately, haven't you? Business must be doing well at the lab?"

"Haha… yes, well. It seems to be going all right."

I didn't bother mentioning the move.

"That's wonderful! To think our regular is doing this well! So, anything in particular you're looking for today?"

"Do you happen to carry Silver Bell Flower Sap?"

"We do have Silver Bell Flower Sap, but…"

The way she swallowed the rest of her sentence made it clear she was wondering why on earth ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I would need it.

"It's an ingredient for a new poison I'm developing."

"Ah…! Right this way, then!"

"Thank you."

The place Kim Yuna led me to kept its high-priced ingredients stored inside refrigerators, lined up like pints of ice cream.

"Everything in here is our full stock."

"I see. Thank you."

With the tour complete, Kim Yuna took her leave.

"With this much, I can make plenty…"

Oof… damn…

That's steep…

Not that I had a choice. I'd already taken the money.

I bought twenty grams of Silver Bell Flower Sap, and with that, only the final ingredient for Severing Magic Poison remained.

Opening day at the lab.

"Ms. Jiyeong. The Severing Magic Poison I'm planning is a poison with a mana-decomposition effect."

"Hold on. Mana decomposition… is that something like the ability that Mythril Golem was using?"

"It's a little different. If mana absorption is the Mythril Golem's ability, then think of Severing Magic Poison as decomposing the target's mana so they can't exercise their abilities at all."

"Ah…"

Min Jiyeong stared at me, mouth hanging open, eyes wide with astonishment.

"Oh! A poison can even do that? Make it for me right now! How soon can you have it ready?"

"Well, it'll take at least a week—"

"Great! I'll come pick it up then!"

"Ah… just so you're aware, there is a chance of failure when compounding a poison."

"Oh, come on! You think I don't know how you production-class folks operate? Don't worry about it — just do your best. I'll bring you more materials whenever you need!"

"…Yes, ma'am."

"Then I just stamp here, right?"

"Yes, ma'am…"

Squish.

And just like that, on the very first day of opening, my first contract was wrapped up as well.

Which meant…

Once the bragging session was over.

"Good work today as well, Mandoki."

"Kkureuk-."

The Poison Lab's first day of business after the move had been, all things considered, a success. There were the congratulatory wreaths from Baekho Guild that Section Chief Oh Taesu had delivered, and even the boundless enthusiasm of Baek Juyeong.

One customer, one poison.

I was selling poisons, after all — dangerous items that demanded strict control — and barring special circumstances, a customer could purchase only one poison per day.

And so Baek Juyeong purchased a single Blooming Fire Poison.

The price came to a whopping…

"Ten million won apiece…"

For a poison that granted resistance, I had expected the figure to be staggering — just not quite this staggering.

Blooming Fire Poison looked set to become the flagship poison of the Poison Lab.

"Good. Very good."

And with that…

My mind now settled, it was time ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to go after the Green Water.

"Let's go, Mandoki!"

"Kkureuk-."

The entry message floated up before my eyes. With a light nod, I was enveloped in a swirl of light, and my vision brightened.

Ssssssss—

A lush forest and sprawling swampland spread out before me.

"A swamp, just as expected."

The 2nd floor's color was green; its theme, the swamp.

I wouldn't know the clear conditions until I stepped beyond the safe zone.

Shff.

A beginner's longsword, drawn from my inventory. I smeared Mandoki's venom across the blade.

"Mandoki… let's go."

Together, we stepped beyond the safe zone in search of the Green Water.

"Kkureuk-."