Independence 2
“Phew… Now, shall I try this stamina recovery potion?”
After hunting to his heart's content, his stamina had hit rock bottom before he knew it, and Jeonghun plopped down onto the ground.
It was the biggest weakness of his Berserker class. Compared to his immense strength, his stamina was lacking, so it depleted much faster than other classes. That's why, back in the Emperor Guild, he'd paid extra close attention to stamina management. He'd relied heavily on stamina recovery potions or healers' help.
Of course, stamina recovery potions and magic came with penalties too. Once the recovered stamina was spent, an even worse exhaustion would hit than before. There was no helping it then—you just had to wait for natural recovery.
Jeonghun downed the stamina recovery potion. As soon as he'd finished it off, he could feel his stamina starting to recover bit by bit.
“The recovery speed is insanely fast, at least. In emergencies, Suho hyung's potion gets my vote! But the total recovery amount… it's a bit low. No, really low.”
After finishing his assessment, Jeonghun pulled out another stamina recovery potion and drank it. He kept going until he'd downed all ten bottles, and on the eleventh, no more recovery effect appeared.
“Around 70-80% recovery, roughly?”
It felt a little disappointing compared to existing potions.
“Nah, too early to get down about it. Gotta check the penalty too.”
Jeonghun went back to hunting monsters with his recovered stamina. When it depleted again, he noticed something different from before.
“Yeah, it's different. No sudden exhaustion. So, does that mean…?”
He pulled out another stamina recovery potion and drank it. At that moment, admiration burst out of him involuntarily.
“Whoa~ Whoa~ As expected of Suho hyung.”
He could feel his stamina recovering again. With other hunters' potions, you'd recover once, then when stamina depleted again, you'd get hit with exhaustion—and even more potion wouldn't fix it. Healing magic from treatment specialists was the same.
But Suho's potion was different. It recovered stamina right away, as if it were the first potion he'd ever drunk.
This time too, after ten bottles, the eleventh showed no effect.
“Same as before. Recovering to 70-80% stamina—that's why? Whatever the reason, it blows existing potions out of the water.”
As long as he had potions to back him up, he'd never have to stop hunting due to stamina again. Especially for him, with his high stamina drain, it was the perfect potion.
“If only mana recovery could be solved too, infinite hunting would be real. But that's unavoidable.”
Jeonghun had no idea that Suho could also produce mana recovery speed-boosting potions.
After finishing all the tests on the potions, he emerged from the dungeon to find over forty hunters gathered.
“What the hell? Another group welcome party?”
The hunters were split into two groups. About a dozen he'd seen entering the dungeon earlier. And another thirty-plus who were obviously waiting for him.
“That's the bastard.”
Sure enough, the hunter he'd knocked out at the dungeon entrance pointed at him and yelled.
“Hey, you idiot fuck! If you're the Mad Dragon, you should've said so upfront!”
The moment “Mad Dragon” left the man's mouth, every hunter there was stunned.
“That Mad Dragon from Emperor Guild?”
“Heard he became a cripple.”
“No wonder his face looked familiar earlier—that's the Mad Dragon?”
“Back from hiatus and already scrapping with those Styx punks?”
The man who'd revealed Jeonghun's identity stepped forward, greeting him casually.
“Long time no see. Heard you were laid up like a vegetable—looks like you're better now?”
At the man's greeting, the corner of Jeonghun's mouth twitched upward.
“Not beat enough back then, huh? I clearly told you—if you get caught pulling that bullshit again, be ready.”
Jeonghun's words twisted the face of Lee Sang-sik, Justice Guild's guild master.
“Fucking dog bastard.”
Lee Sang-sik spat curses but didn't charge recklessly. Purely on stats, he was confident he outranked Jeonghun now. Three years ago, they might've been even, but while the guy was crippled, he'd kept raiding steadily—he was sure he was higher now.
Still, he couldn't guarantee victory in a fight. Because the guy was a mad dragon.
When five hunters with unprecedented talent appeared in Korea's hunter scene, they were dubbed the Five Dragons. Hunters who transcended stat gaps with pure combat prowess. Self-proclaimed next-gen leaders of the hunter world.
And among them, this guy was unquestionably the best in raw battle talent.
That's why he'd gotten utterly wrecked in their fight three years ago. Just thinking of those bloodshot eyes and the greatsword crashing down still made his back ache from that hit.
But Lee Sang-sik figured things were different now. For sure, the guy wasn't Emperor Guild anymore, and though he didn't know how he'd recovered, it hadn't been long.
Yeah. Now's the time. Maybe my perfect shot at revenge. And now I have backing too.
Finishing his thoughts, Lee Sang-sik raised his hand and shouted.
“Beat that fucker down.”
At his command, Justice Guild members charged at Jeonghun.
The moment Jeonghun sensed the shift in Lee Sang-sik's eyes, he downed a strength enhancement potion and a speed boost potion.
When crushing an enemy, make sure they never rise again. Thoroughly.
Jeonghun had no intention of dragging the fight out. He planned to overwhelm with sheer gap and end it quick.
Sure, he'd slacked the last three years. They'd grown steadily raiding while he hadn't. They probably thought he wasn't at full strength.
And they were right. He hadn't fully returned to his peak physique yet.
But he had an ace they didn't know about. One that more than covered the three-year gap. And above all, he was the Mad Dragon. Three years out of dungeons didn't erase his skills. He was just a bit off peak.
A tiger with broken claws was still a tiger. It wouldn't get hunted by a pack of hyenas.
Jeonghun downed his potions and dashed out before Lee Sang-sik finished shouting.
Take the head first.
Against multiple foes—especially human hunters, not monsters—that was most effective.
Before Lee Sang-sik could fully turn, Jeonghun closed in and swung the flat of his greatsword at the man's head.
“Wha—what the fu—?!”
Lee Sang-sik whipped his head around but couldn't finish, raising his arms to block his face.
Expecting the block, Jeonghun twisted the hilt, spinning the blade 180 degrees to target lower.
Crack.
“Argh!”
The greatsword smashed not his forearm but his elbow, sending Lee Sang-sik tumbling.
Jeonghun rushed the fallen man, pressing the greatsword to his throat and bellowed.
“Stop.”
Madness laced his roar, halting the charging Justice Guild members in their tracks.
“You fuck! Threatening the guild master like—!”
The frontmost shouter got cut off by Jeonghun.
“Shut it! This ain't a threat—watch closely. This'll be you soon.”
Crack.
“Argh!”
Jeonghun stomped and shattered Lee Sang-sik's right knee.
“Look well. I'll show you exactly who you fucked with.”
Crack.
“Gaaah!”
Left knee this time.
“Feel the weight of the Mad Dragon name.”
Crack!
“Keurgh…!”
Right elbow shattered.
“I'll make sure you never bare your teeth at the Mad Dragon again.”
Crack.
The already swollen left elbow from the sword blow crumbled too.
“Come on—I am the Mad Dragon.”
Jeonghun kicked Lee Sang-sik in the gut, then charged the Justice Guild members.
Their initial momentum was gone; they were no match for Jeonghun.
The three-year gap meant nothing. The potions' power and his skill filled it effortlessly.
Before the potion durations even ended, Jeonghun was the only one standing on both feet unscathed.
“Last warning. Show your faces again… and then…”
No need to finish. Overwhelmed by his mad, murderous aura, they crawled away on shattered knees to escape.
The other watching hunters held their breath, staring silently as Jeonghun left.
The place Jeonghun returned to Suho wasn't his old house, but in front of some building.
“Suho hyung, what's this place?”
“Our headquarters.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Jeonghun couldn't process the scene before him. Just before leaving for potion testing, they'd met at Suho's semi-basement. How, in a few hours, was he pointing at a seven-story building calling it HQ?
“Had it built up to completion, but the company set to buy it went bust, so I snagged it cheap. As you see, brand new, move-in ready. Turns out the seventh floor was prepped for lodging—hotel rooms, basically. Floors 1-6 need more work, but 7th is usable today. Anyway, how were the potions?”
As soon as he finished the building rundown and asked about the potions, Jeonghun—who'd been blankly alternating stares between the building and Suho—snapped to attention.
“Suho hyung, saying it again: don't even think of ditching me. I'll chase you to the ends of the earth.”
His dead-serious tone made it clear the potions exceeded expectations.
“First, the strength enhancement potion…”
Suho listened calmly to Jeonghun's explanation, but inside, he was cheering wildly.
Insane! This is so good, no need for higher grades. Infinite stamina, strength, speed. Add mana recovery speed boost…?
True infinite hunting. Of course, he hadn't told Jeonghun about the mana recovery speed potion yet—no guarantee when it'd be ready.
With this, time to move to the next plan.
“Jeonghun. How'd it go with the guy I mentioned?”
“Yeah, he's in a dungeon now—gonna meet outside after.”
“Trustworthy?”
“Yeah. Guy I can trust at my back.”
“If you say so.”
Suho's next plan: build an elite squad using quests and potions. He'd mostly leave it to Jeonghun anyway. He didn't know many hunters, and Jeonghun was doing the actual fighting—his input mattered most.
At the same time, Suho planned to focus on unlocking his next ability: the leather workshop.
“Suho hyung, potion tests done—ready for the quest now?”
A flash of madness gleamed in Jeonghun's eyes as he spoke.
“Yeah, time to go. Confident you'll do well?”
His grinning response sent a sudden chill down Suho's spine.
That's the Mad Dragon vibe. Who'd guess this softie is one of the Five Dragons?
Jeonghun had only said he was from Emperor Guild, not his identity. Suho hadn't known at first. When he learned he was the Mad Dragon? Total shock.
He'd figured Jeonghun for a polished gem, but a rare one, one of the world's few.
Even average hunters had potential—but the Mad Dragon? No way his plans would fail.
While Jeonghun headed into the dungeon for his quest, Suho found a hunter to teach leatherworking.
Unlike potions, leatherworkers were a dime a dozen.
Potion makers never went broke—demand always outstripped supply. Herbalists too.
Leather workshops were different. Once, leather gear boomed. Monster hides outdid worldly alloys in defense and lightness—everything was leather back then. Leatherworkers raked it in.
But dungeons yielded mines, blacksmith hunters emerged, and plate armor flipped the script. Heavy, sure, but unbeatable defense—leather got sidelined.
Now, only specific classes wore monster leather gear.
So Suho posted on hunter job boards for a leatherworking teacher. Over thirty applied.
He picked the best: Ha Geonmin. He'd supply all materials for lessons. Start in a week.
“Leather's just a stepping stone. Leather armor has limits anyway. Grab what we need and straight to the forge.”
Compared to plate, defense gap was too wide—no big expectations for leather workshop.
Unless Jeonghun's class suited leather, but even then.
So Suho saw leather as a mere bridge to blacksmithing.
But that was a huge mistake. NPCs weren't some trash class.
To be continued in the next chapter…