Dark's Spotlight and the Poison Rush
That evening.
After more than ten hours of crafting, he regrettably hadn't produced a single sword comparable to the Twilight Longsword.
Still, he'd managed to forge one sword with an attack power over 28 and a single option attached, which felt like it had earned its keep.
The remaining dozens of swords had low attack power and no options, so he sold them off cheaply at the blacksmith shop.
These are for the summons.
Skeletons could only wield swords and shields, so they needed the best possible options on those weapons.
He handed the two crafted swords to Bone Sword 5 and 6, whose stats were a bit lacking.
The rest could be acquired gradually.
With the hour growing late, he logged out.
After showering, he grabbed a can of beer from the fridge and lay down on the bed. He turned on the TV in front of him.
Various broadcast programs filled the screen.
Of course, most were related to Illusion.
He flipped through the channels.
"As I mentioned last week, do you remember? Today, it's finally..."
It was Illusion's World.
He set down the remote and focused on the screen. It was about the rank 1 player.
"Then, shall we take a look at the video first?"
The screen changed.
A man in leather armor appeared.
His face was hidden by a hat and hood covering his mouth and nose.
As his figure receded, nearby monsters came into close-up. There were at least ten of them at a glance.
Even surrounded, the man seemed utterly calm.
Swish.
He slowly raised his sword, and a pure white light descended, enveloping him.
A subtle aura flowed over his body as he kicked off the ground and charged the monster directly ahead.
Slash.
One sword stroke severed the monster's arm.
Huh, a Rakum like that...
The rat-shaped monster Rakum.
A powerful beast at level 55. And he'd dispatched it so effortlessly.
Of course, things didn't stay easy after that. He'd used the element of surprise to kill one, but the remaining nine were ferocious.
The armored man staggered from an attack.
In that instant, he slammed his shield into the ground.
Boom!
The earth shook, and currents of electricity surged.
Kieeeek!
As the Rakums shrieked, the armored man raised his sword to the sky once more.
Light descended again, rapidly healing his wounds.
So he really is a Holy Knight...
Healing himself with magic, no less.
Close combat prowess too.
Mu-hyuk's eyes gleamed.
Definitely strong.
But one question lingered.
During the time Mu-hyuk had been paralyzed, there was no Holy Knight named Dark.
The Holy Knight class was like that.
Ambiguous, in a way. Versatile on one hand, but half-baked on the other. It required real dedication to make a proper character.
Yet now he was rank 1?
And seemingly all-rounded?
Strange.
Maybe he'd fallen in ranks later because it proved too mediocre, or changed classes, or quit altogether.
Or perhaps he held onto number one.
Nothing was certain.
Mu-hyuk's actions would surely influence the world of Illusion.
Even now, selling hallucinogenic and slowing poisons would spread awareness among users far faster than before.
A tiny change, but who knew what unknown events it might trigger down the line.
By then, the battle had ended.
Swish.
The arrogant man looked down at the monsters he'd slain after sheathing his sword.
Rank 1, Dark.
His face filled the close-up.
The video ended.
Mu-hyuk turned off the TV and tossed the beer can.
Dark, Dark...
The Illusion homepage was more overloaded than usual.
Has anyone seen the rank 1 player?
Comments poured in rapidly.
Not just comments.
New posts surged even faster.
Let's raise a Holy Knight!
Holy Knight is broken. Needs a nerf.
Heading to raise a Holy Knight too!
Rank 1 is terrifying.
The page flipped in under 30 seconds, flooded with more Dark-related posts.
Yet new posts hit hundreds of views in under 10 seconds.
Comments numbered in the dozens.
The frenzy only intensified over time.
Dark even topped portal site rankings.
While everyone fixated on Dark,
He was at the auction house.
"Hmm."
Wearing gear utterly different from the video, he waved his hand in the air.
Slowing Poison...
A truly astonishing item.
How did they find this?
Who's the seller?
Dark's eyes narrowed.
Mu-hyuk.
And not just that.
Hallucinogenic Poison too—from him.
And swords.
The swords didn't interest him, though.
Merely level 30 quality.
But he remembered.
About two weeks ago?
A minor issue back then—a sword.
Level 10 or 20 usable.
But no level restriction, per guild chatter. He'd checked it out of curiosity.
He clearly recalled the seller's name.
Mu-hyuk.
Same as now.
Grown this much in such a short time?
Interesting.
A rare smile crept across his lips.
The next day.
Mu-hyuk checked messages right after logging into Illusion.
‘Cold Iron Sword’ sold for ‘55 gold’.
‘Energetic Iron Sword’ sold for ‘34 gold’.
‘Light Iron Sword’ sold for ‘33 gold’.
‘Slowing Poison (x10)’ sold for ‘12 gold’.
‘Hallucinogenic Poison (x10)’ sold for ‘11 gold’.
‘Slowing Poison (x55)’ sold for ‘83 gold’.
‘Hallucinogenic Poison (x55)’ sold for ‘65 gold’.
Mu-hyuk's jaw dropped.
"Whoa..."
Totaling 293 gold.
2.93 million won...
He'd earned a month's salary in a day.
He immediately scanned weapons.
Bows first.
The Bone Bows had the weakest gear.
Nice swords would be good, but honestly, the current Bone Swords were sufficient for now.
Many weapons appeared.
Slide.
Swiping down the hologram revealed more.
That moment.
Hmm, black bow?
Tapping it brought up the info.
◈ Attack Power 31
◈ Strength +1
◈ Durability 115/115
◈ Use Restriction: Strength 15
◈ Instant Sale Price: 40 gold
Use restriction: Strength 15.
A bit high, but fortunately, the Bone Bows had focused solely on strength, so they could use it immediately.
The price was steep, but with no better bows around, this one would last a good long while.
[Purchase?]
[Yes/No]
He selected Yes.
40 gold deducted.
The item entered his inventory simultaneously.
Nice.
He spent another hour acquiring one more bow.
Its options were solid enough for up to level 40.
Now, time for poisons.
He checked remaining gold.
With dungeons still undiscovered, he had to craft items solely from monster materials—options were random, pure luck of the draw.
High chance of low-grade options meant repeated crafting attempts.
That required farming the same monsters over and over, naturally slowing level-ups.
Those who hated that bought items with real money—and honestly, most adults chose cash over grind.
In that environment, Mu-hyuk had equipped everything himself and amassed over 500 gold.
Thanks to info others lacked, sure—but that knowledge was his own, undeniable. So he was satisfied.
He'd planned to sell combat videos or tips for pay, but no need for a while.
Just selling hallucinogenic and slowing poisons would suffice for now.
Swish.
He turned toward the general store.
"Slow potion and Tears of Confusion, 1,000 each, please."
"10 gold."
After paying, he stopped at the herbalist.
"Moli, Creas, and Bir, 100 bundles each."
"2 gold per bundle. Purchase?"
"2 gold?"
"Yes. Shortages lately—prices up."
"Ah..."
His brow furrowed instinctively.
50 silver to 2 gold.
Alchemists were already mobilizing.
Had to stock up before it was too late, maximize profits.
"I'll buy."
"One moment."
He stowed the herbs and headed to the Alchemist Guild.
Renting a room with a magical cauldron, he began brewing slowing and hallucinogenic poisons.
Moli, Creas, and Slow Potion mixed.
The magical cauldron reacts.
Slowing Poison created.
Crafting time was short.
But repetitive labor.
Moli, Creas, and Slow Potion mixed.
The magical cauldron reacts.
Slowing Poison created.
It'd take days.
An investment for the future.
That time would yield big money, accelerating his growth.
Meanwhile.
As Mu-hyuk brewed, the two poisons were already the talk among Illusion users.
Slowing Poison deals steady damage while slowing movement— the ultimate item. Got lucky and snagged 10 to try. Hunting time felt slashed; scary monsters became pushovers. Even hunted a level higher without issue, boosting exp gains. Illusion makes items hard to get, but their efficiency is insane when you do.
Mentioned frequently on sites.
Comments were heated.
And another day passed.
Title: Figured out Slowing Poison recipe!
Kept trying with Alchemist skills—got close numbers, kept experimenting, nailed it exactly. Won't share the ratio tho. Gotta eat.
Just announcing the recipe discovery drew massive reactions.
Countless users chimed in.
Another day later.
Slowing Poisons sporadically appeared at auction.