The Elixir That Conquered the World
The first person to publicly claim results from Woongjindan was a fitness YouTuber. He insisted the elixir had delivered dramatic effects.
“This is the ‘before,’ and this is the ‘after.’ You can see the difference with your own eyes, right? My three-rep max went from 400 to 430. I know it was only a week, but when something changes, you say it changed! Am I right, bros?”
The YouTuber’s Before & After shots were undeniable. Not only had his InBody metrics—weight, skeletal muscle mass—improved, but the definition in his arms and the sharpness of his muscle lines were visibly transformed.
Viewers who had started with skeptical “Nah~” comments found themselves sliding from “Oh…?” straight into “Whoa!”
Once that video went mega-viral, every other YouTuber scrambled to jump on the bandwagon.
“See this skin? I didn’t do anything special. It feels like I’m going to a dermatologist every single day.”
“I don’t usually say stuff like this, but Woongjindan is actually insane. Right, Maeng-ah?”
“You know all those people hitting the gym lately? Watch them. If someone finishes exactly on the hour and leaves, it’s definitely Woongjindan. I’m one of them.”
Beauty channels, pet channels, even gaming channels—YouTube was suddenly flooded with Woongjindan content.
One wind calls another. Especially in an era where everyone rushes to brag the moment they have something worth showing off on social media.
Even the major broadcast networks quickly hopped on the trend.
“The secret to staying young? Woongjindan, of course. I still go to the dermatologist, but this is on another level. If I could, I’d take two a day.”
“Money isn’t the issue. Honestly, for actors who make a living with their faces, this isn’t a choice—it’s a necessity. Haha, was that too honest?”
TV, the internet, YouTube, SNS—the entire country was singing the praises of Woongjindan.
And here came the delicious little twist.
“Hey, Captain. About this Woongjindan…”
“Grandpa, does this stuff actually work?”
“……?”
“Haha, if the boss is selling it, of course it works.”
“Ooh! I should buy some for Mom and Dad.”
“Yes! Buying it right now.”
“Me too, uh, um…!”
“I haven’t tried it myself, but…”
―――!!
That’s right. The very model, Kim Jong-phil (age 62), had never taken a single dose of Woongjindan. His status window already showed he had returned to his prime, so why bother?
But someone else was different.
Inside the Kirin Guild representative’s office, a massive wine refrigerator that hadn’t been there before now stood installed. Beside it, an exercise bike that also hadn’t existed until recently spun furiously.
“I’m disappointed, Chairman. I believe our relationship ends here. Let’s cut ties.”
“Representative, the meeting…”
“Hey, how many times do I have to tell you not to schedule morning or evening meetings? Can’t you see I’m working out?!”
“S-sorry.”
“Hmph, what’s the big deal…”
The wine refrigerator was stocked full of Woongjindan. Han Jeong-do was once again dreaming of his youth.
While Korea drowned in the fever of youth, the same wind began blowing across the Western world.
“Oh please, how dreadful. Does that look like some mere youth tonic to you? Absolutely not! This is an innovation! A magical, human innovation!!”
The Korean Wave had arrived. Its name was Gale Potter.
* * *
After returning from Korea, Gale Potter had become a rising star in the magical academic world. Dressed in a bright red-and-blue hiking outfit, holding Lee Shin’s System Theory in his right hand and Baek Yeon-woo’s MDS Treatment Journal in his left, he was a god. He was invincible.
Not content with smacking the thick skulls of the ignorant Olympus Magic Tower elders, he had stormed American academia while preaching the virtues of Korean instant coffee, sparking an unexpected K-storm.
“The world operates under a grand system. Awakening, magic, hunters, gates—none of these mysteries can escape this vast framework. Therefore, mages must grasp the flow of the greater system rather than fixate on peripheral values.”
⟨ From Gale Potter’s “Lee Shin System Theory” Presentation ⟩
Yet even amid such glory, Potter’s heart was uneasy. The great intellect was his teacher. The Wave Resonance Method, the System Theory, the MDS treatment—every single achievement belonged to his master. Was he stealing his teacher’s accomplishments?
A heavy sense of debt pressed down on Potter’s chest. But as always, his teacher saw straight through him.
“Potter, there’s a saying in the East: ‘Teacher and father are one.’ It means a master and a father are the same. We’re family, aren’t we? When you receive applause, I receive applause. There’s no need to feel uncomfortable about something like this.”
Ah…
Light God, God Shin, My Lord…
Gale Potter shed tears of emotion. That day, he sang “The Grace of the Teacher” three times in a row, facing the direction of Korea.
Just as he was determined to one day repay that kindness, Lee Shin announced Woongjindan. The primal desire for youth transcended nationality and race; the entire world showed interest.
Yes—this was the moment!
Gale Potter realized it was time for him to step forward. That was why he was now appearing on this vulgar talk show that didn’t even know the first thing about magic.
“Hey, MC.”
“My name is Johnson. This is the third time I’ve said it.”
“Right, MC Johnson. I’ll say it again. Woongjindan’s effects are physical improvement and balance restoration.”
“Oh? Then the ‘getting younger’ part is a scam—”
“Damn it! Please let me finish! This isn’t simply about restoring youth. It’s about creating something from nothing. It plants possibility into the human body!”
Gale Potter explained the source of mana, the physiology of magic, and the basic principles of buffs in simple terms. Even Baek Yeon-woo, the first test subject, would have understood this much.
Yet the response he received was:
“Hmm, I don’t get any of it.”
“……God help me.”
This was supposedly America’s highest-rated talk show?
A phrase he had once seen in a Korean YouTube Short suddenly came to mind—an American claiming that America was far more ignorant than expected. At the time he had laughed it off. Now, trembling at the horrifying truth, Potter forced himself to calm down.
“Relax, Potter. People can be ignorant. The world isn’t filled only with great minds like you and Teacher. There are also people who are a little slow. Yes.”
Even Teacher had worked so hard to teach someone as clueless as him.
Potter lowered the level. Down to what a five-year-old could understand.
“Phew, fine, MC Johnson.”
“My God, you finally remembered my name.”
“Do you own a car?”
“Of course. I drove a brand-new Ford here today.”
“How many wheels does a car have?”
“Four?”
“What’s on those wheels?”
“……I don’t know?”
“Tires.”
“Ooh! That’s right!”
“Tires are consumables. The more you drive, the more they wear down. Correct?”
“Obviously.”
“What Woongjindan truly does is turn that obvious fact into something that is no longer obvious.”
“……!!”
Rejuvenation was merely a side effect. It was a heaven-defying miracle that reversed the natural process of aging.
“And the greatest thing about Woongjindan is that it applies this incredible effect even to ordinary people who cannot control mana.”
“Ooh?”
“Do you understand what that means?”
“Not at all.”
“It means we have touched the secret of Awakening.”
“Ooh—!!”
“Calling Woongjindan a mere ‘youth tonic’ is an insult to this medicine. This is……”
The boundary between ordinary people and hunters. Between the unawakened and the awakened. The boundary that had been shattered……
Before he knew it, Potter had pulled out the Woongjindan box he had brought and held it up to the camera.
“This is the first medicine in human history to reach the secret of Awakening.”
“Fuck!!”
That day, footage of the Mountain King giving a thumbs-up aired across America, and every flight to Korea sold out within ten minutes.
* * *
“Purchasers from America have increased dramatically.”
“American customers are asking if we’ll open overseas branches.”
The flood……
“European pharmaceutical companies keep sending emails.”
“Japan and China are asking if they can purchase licenses.”
It was pouring in……!
“Representative, Pfizer from America has requested a meeting.”
“The chairman of Johnson & Johnson wants to have dinner with you.”
At last, the Lee Shin-brand typhoon was swallowing the world whole! America wept, Japan wailed, and China clung to his pant leg!
All of this was the achievement of his empire…… Lee Shin’s chest swelled with emotion.
He could no longer hold back.
“R-right now, right now—the victory dance!!”
“Please restrain yourself.”
“B-bro, I can’t hold it in. I really can’t! Look, my hands are shaking.”
“Haa…… Team leaders, please leave the settlement work and step out.”
The moment everyone left, Chae Dong-ha quietly pressed a button on his phone.
Music start.
Parararambam!!
Lee Shin leapt onto the desk, throwing punches into the air and twisting his hips.
“Kkyaaah!!”
“Please don’t shout so loudly. And don’t flail around or come any closer.”
Even though the dance was as ridiculous as ever, today Chae Dong-ha clapped along. The Woongjindan campaign had been that monumental.
Yes. This time, he would give proper praise.
“The financial statements—sales, expenses, profit margins, debt, capital—are better than they’ve ever been. Mir Guild has now achieved complete financial freedom.”
“Yeah!!”
“Brand value is soaring daily. Not only are existing sponsors Ido Group and Shinseong Group requesting contract renewals, but we’ve also closed a massive deal with Taeyang Group.”
“Yuhut!”
“The regional community strengthening you wanted so badly has also been realized. Population inflow from job creation and tourist numbers have increased thirtyfold compared to last year. Companies are lining up to invest.”
“More, more!”
“Naturally, the fanbase has grown absurdly. As of yesterday, fan club membership exceeded 2.4 million. Over a million of them are foreigners.”
“And.”
“Back to the beginning—sales are increasing.”
A perfect virtuous cycle. An infinite profit loop. Money, infrastructure, fandom, regional community, branding—every seed Lee Shin had scattered had now bloomed in full. All thanks to one shot of Woongjindan!
With this—
“Congratulations. As of this moment, we are Korea’s number-one guild by guild value.”
The throne of Kirin, which had remained unblemished for years, had finally crumbled.
And in that moment, messages flooded Lee Shin’s vision.
Rewards poured down from the sky like rain.
Lee Shin, who had stopped dancing, knelt on the desk and spread both arms toward the heavens.
Reward: Diamond Card Pack (Trait) granted.
Reward: Dominance Stat +2 granted.
“……Haa, sweet. I’m gonna get diabetes. Is this heaven?”
“Are you finished? Then please come down.”
“Bro, help me down. I’ve got a cramp in my foot.”
“Haa……”
Seated in his chair, Lee Shin asked,
“Bro, tell me—what’s left for us now?”
It wasn’t a question asked out of ignorance. It was a question to confirm and reaffirm.
Chae Dong-ha smiled for the first time and answered.
“The league.”
Snap!
Lee Shin snapped his fingers and replied with a bright smile.
“Exactly!”