Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Nayeo-ju Saves the World
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It felt like I'd been doused head to toe in ice water—my sleep vanished in an instant.
I bolted upright, my head ringing from the sudden movement, but that wasn't important right now.
"Cheong-su!"
"Noona!"
We hugged each other tightly first thing.
"You little punk!"
"I succeeded on the hundredth try! Waaah!"
"Good job! You did it, Im Cheong-su!"
What a pretty kid! Such a talented kid!
The truth was, Im Cheong-su had been attempting mass production of potions for quite a while now.
When he first shared the plan, Kang Han had told him not to push too hard, while I encouraged him to give it a shot.
But honestly, neither of us had high hopes.
Yet a genius is on another level altogether.
He actually pulled it off!
Was this the moment Im Cheong-su, Jeong Je-hwa's successor from the novel, finally unleashed his genius?
Chicken skin crawled up my arms.
"Come in here, noona!"
"Okay!"
I followed Im Cheong-su into the workshop.
How much effort must he have poured into this?
The workshop, which had been practically empty when Seong Yona first built it, was now a glorious mess.
"Look at this, noona. It's double what we had before."
"Ooh, for real!"
I clapped like a seal in front of the cauldron Im Cheong-su proudly showed off.
Inside the still-steaming pot, a dark brown potion bubbled away, filled to about half capacity.
Compared to the scant amount that had barely sloshed at the bottom when we last succeeded, this was a massive increase.
"How on earth did you pull this off?"
"Yona noona built the greenhouse, right? That made a huge difference."
"Huh? Greenhouse?"
My mind sharpened again.
Right, Seong Yona had definitely built a greenhouse.
Which meant...
"You succeeded in growing dungeon plants too?!"
"Yeah, about a week ago?"
"Why didn't you say anything?!"
If it was such great news, you should've told us right away!
At my fussing, Im Cheong-su rubbed under his nose bashfully and replied.
"I was gonna tell everyone all at once once mass production worked."
"You rascal, that's no good. Let's have hanwoo for dinner tonight!"
Days like this call for a celebration!
Im Cheong-su, even happier at the mention of 'hanwoo,' grabbed my hand and dragged me to the greenhouse.
"Wow, it's real."
As soon as I opened the greenhouse door, a humid, hot gust hit my face like the AC had been turned off.
It was exactly the sensation I'd felt passing through the gate for the jungle dungeon before.
But something felt off.
"What? You said you succeeded a week ago, but why does it look so overgrown?"
"Dungeon plants grow fast too. Plant the cultivated sprouts, and in two days, they're like this."
"Eh? Two days? They grew this tall—up to my height—in just two days?!"
I pointed in shock at a plant swaying at chin level.
This was just two days of growth?
...Creepy.
"What if the greenhouse bursts? And didn't you say some of these are aggressive? Seems dangerous."
"I'm an S-rank, even if I don't look it. And the weird thing about dungeon plants is, once they reach maturity, they stop growing. Kinda... like how humans stop getting taller after adulthood?"
"Ooh, that's fascinating. And a little chilling. Anyway, this is wild. Feels like we're inside a dungeon."
"Really? Good thing. I've never actually been in a jungle dungeon."
"No problem. Next time, we bid on a jungle dungeon at auction and go together. Grab a few plants you wanna pot here."
"For real? Ack, exciting."
A faint blush colored Cheong-su's cheeks.
Seeing that, he's a natural-born crafter.
I wonder if Jeong Je-hwa likes dungeon plants too?
As I glanced around the greenhouse with that thought, I spotted a cluster of bright red flowers blooming in the corner.
"What's that flower?"
"Oh, that's potion material."
So pretty and vibrant, but to him, just ingredients.
"It's not dangerous or anything, right?"
"Quite the opposite—good for you. It's called Askabas. Smelling it gives a slight awakening effect. Want one?"
"Sure, if it's okay."
"It grows like crazy anyway, doesn't matter. Break off one, and it'll be back by dinner."
"Whoa, insane."
I stored the red flower Im Cheong-su snapped off for me in my subspace and left the greenhouse.
"Now we just need to cool it down."
Im Cheong-su said, stirring the cauldron with a ladle.
"With double the output, we can finish deliveries sooner, right?"
"Yeah. Oh, but... hold on."
Is finishing deliveries quicker really a good thing?
I thought for a moment.
Then I told Im Cheong-su.
"No. Let's stick to the original delivery schedule."
"Eh? Why?"
His brows drooped, as if the joy of his mass production success had vanished.
But it couldn't be helped.
"The potions you make are premium. Not your run-of-the-mill stuff you can buy anywhere."
"True..."
"Luxury goods are best when supply is just a tad short. That's what makes people desperate to snag one."
"Uh... is that so?"
"Yep, yep. Imagine if they could get it anytime they wanted. Would it still feel like a luxury?"
"Ooh..."
Im Cheong-su's dejected eyes sparkled again.
"Potions are items, so they won't degrade over time anyway."
"Yeah. Just in case, should we store them in subspace?"
"Good idea. Or ask Yona to build a quality-preserving warehouse."
If we keep mass-producing like this, inventory will pile up fast.
"Sounds good. So... what about the extra potions?"
"Sell them next time we gather the guilds. And use some in our own guild."
"They haven't assigned us guerrilla gates lately. Do we even need them?"
Well. Soon enough.
"Someday. Someday."
I brushed it off vaguely and picked up a potion to check its info.
Stamina Boost Tonic (A)
: Stamina boost effect +60, duration 20 minutes.
Production had doubled, but the quality hadn't dropped a bit.
Im Cheong-su, you scary kid.
If this guy had gone to another guild, I can't even imagine how we'd survive. The thought alone is dizzying.
"Ah, so what now."
Im Cheong-su grumbled.
"Honestly, I didn't think mass production would succeed this fast. Figured it'd take a thousand tries."
"...You worked through the hardship, so why sound disappointed?"
"No more challenges."
No, shouldn't you be happy the challenge is over?
"Take a break."
"Breaks are boring."
"You'll stunt your growth."
"I sleep properly at night, though? Ah, nothing to do."
Im Cheong-su smacked his lips and glanced at the greenhouse.
"...If you're that bored, try making a different potion."
"Different... potion?"
"Yeah. This one's stamina. Mages care more about mana than stamina, so mana recovery potions would sell well. Or for crafters like you, a focus booster would fly off the shelves..."
"Noona, you're a genius?! Focus potion!"
Im Cheong-su got wildly excited, snorting with enthusiasm.
Hearing 'genius' from a genius.
...Am I a genius too?
"That'd be super useful! I could make one potion into two, or better quality! Ah, but stability's most important..."
Im Cheong-su dove into his own world.
He whipped out a notebook from somewhere and scribbled furiously in illegible handwriting.
"Uh... yeah, good luck."
Instantly demoted from genius to non-entity, I awkwardly slipped out of the workshop.
"Ah, I'm wide awake now. What should I do?"
As I muttered that, wondering if I should nap more, a massive boom pierced the recently reinforced soundproofing.
Kwang! Kang!
It came from the simulation training grounds.
Who's training?
Unable to resist my curiosity, I strolled over, the booms continuing nonstop.
"Ah, figures."
The source of the noise was Kang Han, drenched in sweat.