Potion War 2

“The Director called first. What's going on?”

It was Lee Musin who had suddenly contacted me, saying he had something to discuss and asking if he could drop by briefly. Since I had nothing better to do anyway, I readily agreed, and soon after, Lee Musin arrived.

Watching him hesitate to speak, his face more tense than I'd ever seen, I felt a pang of curiosity. What on earth could make him this nervous?

“Director, I don't know what it's about, but please just tell me straight.”

Only then did Lee Musin finally open his mouth.

“Whew, alright. I suppose I should start with the current situation. Have you heard of the miracle potions by any chance?”

“Yes, I've heard people calling my potions that.”

Hearing the term again from Lee Musin, after first learning it from Seo Taehee, brought a fresh wave of emotion.

“Good, you're already aware. Then do you know what's been happening because of these potions?”

“No, not that far...”

Something happened? What does that mean? Is there a problem ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with the potions?

“I figured as much.”

Come to think of it, after handing the potions over to Lee Musin, I hadn't paid any attention to how they were being used or what kind of reactions they were getting. I'd been too focused on my NPC abilities at the time, but part of it was that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠once they left my hands, I stopped thinking of them as my responsibility. The buyer would handle it from there; I didn't need to worry about how they used it.

My face flushed with embarrassment.

“No need to feel ashamed. If anything, I'm grateful that you trusted me with them. I even prepared this summary in case you wanted to check the monthly usage.”

The records detailed dates, times, usage locations, and quantities with meticulous clarity. Honestly, seeing this made me a bit surprised. But as I flipped through quickly, something odd caught my eye.

Starting from the third month, there were entries marked in red—something absent in the first two months. And those usage sites were all hospitals, mostly for terminal cancer patients and the like.

Instinctively sensing this was why Lee Musin had come, I asked directly.

“What's with these marked in red?”

Instead of answering, Lee Musin posed a question.

“Do you happen to know the current cure rate for cancer surgeries in our country?”

I had no particular interest, and it wasn't my field anyway, so I admitted honestly that I didn't.

“For terminal cancer specifically, it's 100%.”

“A hundred percent?”

This time, I was the one shocked. Terminal cancer wasn't some common cold—how could it be 100%? And the fact that he was telling me this... Unless he was an idiot, anyone could connect it to the potions.

“Yes, thanks to your potions, NPC-ssi. Ah, I've gotten used to calling you by your codename. If it doesn't offend, may I continue using it?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you. It's all thanks to your potions. And now that word has spread abroad, terminal cancer patients and others from overseas are flooding in. Do you know what they're calling Korea? Not Republic of Korea, but Heaven of Korea.”

So that's why they called them miracle potions.

“The government is issuing waitlist tickets for foreign patients seeking potion treatment, and they're calling them Heaven-bound tickets.”

But why? My question lingered unresolved. Even with more foreign patients, the records showed at most 100 potions per month used on them. Probably a measure to prioritize citizens. I liked that.

I wasn't some bleeding-heart globalist chanting We Are the World. If the potions were going to be used anyway, better that our own people benefited more.

So, was he here to ask me to increase the allocation for foreigners? I knew Lee Musin was trying not to bother me unnecessarily, but getting this tense over just asking wasn't like him. There had to be more to it.

As I kept wearing a puzzled expression, Lee Musin got to the point.

“As foreign patients increased and rumors spread to their home countries, pressure started coming from abroad. Demanding priority allocations of potions to their nations.”

Hmm. A problem I hadn't anticipated at all. Who would've thought the potions' performance would cause this kind of issue?

But Lee Musin's next words shocked me even more.

“It wouldn't be so bad if that was all, but China and the US have teamed up, demanding 1,000 potions per month on a priority basis. Using all sorts of threats as leverage.”

Now I understood his extreme tension. Not just one or two, but a full thousand. Even bringing it up must have been torture for him, win or lose.

From what I'd seen of Lee Musin so far, that made perfect sense. And frankly, I was pissed.

Damn it. I make my potions and use them as I please, so why the hell are they telling me what to do? This is bullshit.

The brief pity I'd felt for foreign patients vanished in an instant. Part of me wanted to tell him to cancel all allocations to foreigners, but that wasn't feasible.

Why else would Lee Musin come to me? If it were some minor country, he wouldn't have bothered. But the world's top two powers teaming up? No way to hold out against that.

All he could do was come to me.

“Director, if we give them a thousand, will that really be the end of it?”

Producing an extra thousand potions wasn't an issue. With my mana over 300 now, focusing solely on healing potions could hit 10,000 a month. But to keep other activities going, I'd cap at around 5,000.

The real problem was that handing them over wouldn't end it—they'd just demand more.

“Probably not. The demands will only grow ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠over time. And eventually, they'll come with massive offers to poach you, NPC-ssi. Offers on a whole different level from what we're providing now.”

His biggest worry seemed to be losing me to another country, more than the immediate thousand potions.

“Like I said before, I have no desire to move abroad right now, so we can talk about that later. We can always negotiate terms, right?”

If my value had shot up like this, re-signing a contract was a no-brainer. I wasn't a pushover doing endless free labor.

I'd even planned to bring up the extra 500 for 50 billion won cash. You couldn't keep giving extras like that forever for peanuts.

And now with another 1,000 on the line, a new contract was essential.

“Thank you. For giving us the chance. I'll make sure the terms satisfy you completely.”

Lee Musin let out a sigh of relief at my words. But his expression remained dark—the problems weren't over.

“To be direct: Is additional potion production possible?”

He avoided specifying numbers out of courtesy, just asking about feasibility.

“Yes, it's possible. But as you mentioned, it won't end at a thousand.”

In the end, we were back to square one. Neither he nor I had a way out from under the thumb of the US and China. We both sank into deep thought.

Then, an idea flashed through my mind.

“Director, is it possible to drive a wedge between the US and China? Like giving a thousand exclusively to one side. How much backlash would Korea face?”

Lee Musin pondered briefly before shaking his head.

“Before they teamed up, maybe. But now? Unlikely. Siding with one would just invite fiercer retaliation from the other. And there's no guarantee the one getting potions would protect us—in fact, they'd probably let us crumble to increase their chances of poaching you.”

I wasn't fazed by his negative response; I'd half-expected it. Given the power my potions demonstrated, retaliation from either superpower made sense.

“In that case, is there anyone high up in the World Hunter Association with a strong hunger for power or fame? Someone powerful, not American or Chinese—ideally from a third country.”

Lee Musin caught the implication immediately, his face lighting up as he picked up the thread. Had I just read the Hunter Management Bureau Director like a pro?

“That's a brilliant move. Yes, there's someone who fits your criteria perfectly. I know just the person.”

“What if we secretly gave that person extra potions, without public disclosure? No questions on usage.”

Clap.

Lee Musin slapped his hands together in enthusiastic agreement.

“Perfect! A stroke of genius. He already harbors resentment toward the US and China, and his thirst for power is immense. Hand him this 'gift,' and our plan's success rate skyrockets.”

Now beaming with confidence, he continued.

“He's capable enough that if he pushes for potion distribution authority, he'll find a way. Backed by extra potions as support? He'll create paths where none exist. So, how many could you provide him?”

“Around 200, I think. What do you say?”

“That should suffice. Nations are throwing tantrums for just 100—200 will have him jumping at it.”

His fervor eased my own tension.

“Then, can I leave the rest to you, Director?”

“Of course. If I can't handle this after you provided such a flawless solution, I might as well quit. Don't worry—I'll wrap it up perfectly, without your name ever surfacing.”

His grim resolve, even invoking death, let me feel the depth of his recent stress.

“By the way, I never asked—who is this person?”

“That person is...”

Once Lee Musin left and I was alone again, a flood of thoughts hit me.

Still a long way to go. I nearly drank poison instead of celebrating.

I felt I'd been too complacent. Intoxicated by my new powers, I hadn't even grasped reality properly. Self-reproach gnawed at me.

Selling potions wasn't the end—I needed to think further ahead. Luck had saved me this time with a clever workaround, but no guarantees for next time.

Of course, this wasn't over; ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it was just beginning. But given Lee Musin's confidence, it seemed we'd at least resolve this one.

Still, no assurances for the future, so I resolved to be more cautious going forward. Blindly leveling up and building a kingdom while ignoring world affairs wouldn't cut it.

It mattered even more now that I wasn't alone. Before, I could hole up here in the worst case. Not anymore.

Can't rely on improv forever. I need someone to read the currents and advise me.

Luck had brought Seo Taeju and Seo Taehee, leading to Kang Jeonghun. Jeonghun brought Ha Yeji, Ha Geonmin walked in on her own, and Bang Taegeuk was pure fortune. This latest ploy wasn't straight-up strategy, but a hack.

Couldn't keep gambling on luck and tricks forever. I needed grand-scale counsel.

How do I find someone like that now? For the time being, I'll have to build strength while staying low-profile.

In a way, this mess stemmed from my own exposure. I needed to learn more about my NPC abilities and get stronger. That much was clear.

Thud.

“Damn it! Those bastards, always blocking my path!”

Alfredo Simon, the Belgian-born president of the World Hunter Association, slammed his desk in fury, shouting in his office.

His latest proposal had just been shot down in the meeting.

Initially, reception had been decent. Many nations had nodded in agreement. But today, just two opposed, and suddenly all his supporters flipped.

No vote even happened—his agenda went straight to the trash.

If it were the first time since taking the presidency, he'd shrug it off. But it was always like this. Sure, he'd lucked into the role as a compromise, but he hadn't expected to be this much of a figurehead.

As pent-up rage exploded, trashing the office, his personal phone rang. Unknown number—from Korea.

No reason for them to call him directly, but he answered anyway.

“Hello? Who is this?”

-“Hello, President. Sorry for the late introduction. This is Lee Musin, Director of the Hunter Management Bureau of the Republic of Korea.”

To be continued in the next chapter...

The Hunter Who Awakened as an NPC