Giant Half-Moon Bear Hunt (1)
The building Kim Taeju had bought was undergoing massive construction.
He'd started a company, so at the very least, they needed a proper headquarters.
A spare plot of land purchased with the building was also being developed.
This spot was slated to become a pharmaceutical production factory.
For that reason, the site was always bustling with noise and activity.
Baek Seoyeonn was using the finished underground bunker as a temporary office after its interior work was complete.
"Suncheol! It's your big sis. You still doing support hunting these days? Where are you, Geochang? Then get your ass over to Gurye right now. Let's work together. What's the gig? Well..."
"Mijeong, how's the salon going? Sigh, your sister's dying here. We're so short-staffed. I'll double whatever you're making at the salon... Huh? You're coming now?"
"Hello? Younggil? ...What? You got fired from your job? Sitting around doing nothing? Who wouldn't recognize our Younggil—come to your sis right away!"
She was dialing everywhere, recruiting people left and right.
When asked why she wasn't doing proper public recruitment,
"I'm no theorist, but this is Gurye. All sorts of weirdos flock here... No choice but to hire folks we know."
It made sense.
Sure, there might be good people, but sifting them out in Gurye wouldn't be easy.
Baek Hongpyo, the president, was busy running Baek's Drugstore—no, Taehong Drugstore now.
"Yes! Number one!"
"How many today? Stock up as much as you can."
"President Baek!!! Don't close the shutters yet."
"If anyone's picking a fight, tell me first."
"Me too! I'll charge right in. But when's the spore poison antidote coming?"
In the midst of that, the pharma sales reps who'd previously swiped meds at will came crawling back.
"President Baek! You're open again. How much stock? Business is booming, so I've brought double the usual amount. Want me to shelve it for you?"
They smiled brightly, all sweet and oily.
Whenever they'd taken the meds, though.
Their faces had skin thicker than boilerplate.
But Baek Hongpyo had no intention of taking them back.
"Get lost."
"Pardon?"
"We're not taking your meds."
"Wh-what do you...?"
"Other pharma companies' stuff is coming in. At our store, at least, your company's products won't sell."
Taehong Drugstore, top in sales.
Not just antidotes—the fastest and best-selling spot for all meds.
And now they wouldn't take his stock?
The sales rep clung to Baek Hongpyo in panic.
"N-no! If you do this suddenly... It's unfair. I was just following orders."
"Following orders? Wasn't it your section chief's call? I've got eyes and ears."
"...I'm sorry. That was wrong. It won't happen again. Please take it."
But Baek Hongpyo was firm.
"Out!"
The bank branch manager who'd demanded early loan repayment showed up too, begging to reopen dealings.
"Ahem, this was my oversight. You know how Jo Hoonseok threatens..."
"I see."
"As an apology, I've brought special perks. Deposit rates 0.5% higher than before..."
"Branch manager."
"Yes, President Baek?"
"We won't be doing business with your bank anymore. Don't waste your time—shop around elsewhere."
After that early repayment demand? Letting it slide would make him a sucker.
If the guy had been decent usually, maybe.
But he'd always been high-handed, looking down on people.
"I-I told you, it wasn't my intent. Jo Hoonseok..."
"The moment you notified early repayment, our ties ended."
"N-no! Please, just once..."
Taehong Bio had become Gurye's top sales company.
Soon it'd vacuum up the town's money like a shop vac.
But they'd chosen wrong.
'If they had any shame, they wouldn't have come crawling back.'
Meanwhile, the rival bank that lucked into Taehong Bio's funds was in full party mode.
Troops from the Jirisan Monster Defense Legion had arrived too.
Kim Taeju greeted them.
"Monster exterminator! Lieutenant Colonel Do Minsu and 19 others, reporting for duty on Taehong Bio security detail."
"...Ah, welcome. But construction's ongoing—no place to stay."
"No problem. We brought field camping gear. Tents will do."
This was awkward.
"Eaten yet?"
"Not yet."
"I'll whip up some camel deer bone broth gukbap later."
"...Pardon? For real?"
Who wouldn't go nuts for steaming-hot gukbap?
Taeju wasn't one to slack either.
Using ingredients from the military, he started on antidote production.
Prep help sped things up, but final refinement was his job.
Hunwon Musang Dokryeong Gong at 4th stage.
He could now blend and purify poison energy more delicately and swiftly, yielding top-quality stock solution.
But the process was complex and tough.
Unlike the milder mosquito antidote, the spore poison camel deer antidote targeted deadly toxin.
Plus, due to spore traits, they needed a topical skin protectant too.
External ointment and oral dose—a set.
Priced accordingly high.
Demand would be massive.
For camel deer hunts?
No—anyone in Gurye needed it as wave prep staple. And spore poison camel deer weren't just in Jirisan.
'Minimize process steps.'
Humans handled fine prep per Taeju's orders; machines boiled, steamed, crushed.
Mix by batch, Taeju finalizes.
Thus, importing machines, building factories.
Money and time poured in.
'Outflows might exceed earnings.'
Handcraft military spore antidote shipments till equipped.
'Add one more med, no choice?'
Not antidote this time—elixir?
Non-essential but high-demand luxury med.
Like designer drugs.
Awakeners' or compatibles' power stemmed from mana.
Mana-dense elixirs aided compatibles awakening, awakeners rank-ups.
Elixir ingredients?
Mana-dense items, obviously.
Monster energy crystals core.
Also called mana crystals.
Common crystals abounded, but elixirs needed elite monster crystals.
Elites hard to hunt.
Not just strong—rare, smart, avoid humans.
Even if lucky hunt, elite crystal drop rate far lower.
Hence elixirs rare, pricey.
'But substitutes aplenty.'
Earth vs. Murim: tech ahead on Earth, but Murim excelled in qi handling.
Earth met intangible mana 300 years ago.
Murim handled similar inner energy for millennia.
Its refinement in Taeju's mind.
'Worth a shot.'
No elite crystals for yang elixirs.
Plan Murim pill refinement.
Current Jirisan elixir material?
One: Giant Half-Moon Bear bile.
Viable elixir ingredient.
One bile yields 6-8 elixirs by size.
Memories of hunting spirit bears in Murim.
Snow Mountain White Bears of North Sea Ice Palace turf.
Made elixirs from their bile.
'If similar to half-moon bear bile, process carefully at start.'
Toughest part.
Mess up, efficacy flies—empty shell.
Why folks still wasted giant half-moon bear bile.
'Hunt one first, then.'
4th stage Hunwon Musang Dokryeong Gong insufficient.
Need 5th stage—peak realm.
Grow power.
Stack poison steadily.
'No sleep time left.'
Aim 5th.
Half-moon bears, Lee Jeonghak—easy kills.
Master?
Nothing special.
Master benchmark simple: mana blade or not.
Mana blade.
Compress intangible mana onto sword.
Slices titanium like butter.
Murim had sword aura too.
Seem similar.
Fundamentals differ.
System-taught mana blade vs. grueling training, real combat enlightenment for Hwagyeong sword aura.
Which stronger?
'Hmm, my enlightenment came easy, but...'
How about it?
Dang Gunak and Kim Taeju same soul.
Taeju already enlightened.
Just lacks power for aura.
'At 7th stage Hunwon Musang Dokryeong Gong, coat hidden weapons in aura?'
Thrilling thought.
But,
'Sigh, long way off.'
5th first.
Nogodan Guild's vigilantes camped outside the castle, but Lee Jeonghak's place was inside.
In his room, wrapped in thick blankets, sweating bullets yet shivering—Lee Jeonghak.
"Ugh... ch-chatter, clack."
Even teeth chattering.
All that bastard's poison.
Extreme toxin on leaf-shaped dagger from Kim Taeju.
Just grazed.
Common sense: scant dose, minimal effect, even deadly.
Hospital ER, comprehensive antidote gulped—no relief.
That guy aced antidotes.
Poison expert too.
Should've been cautious.
'Damn it!'
Might never rise again.
Few options to survive.
One: Swallow pride, beg Kim Taeju for antidote.
Off table.
Die first—beg that scum?
Dread his terms.
Two: Hunt healers/detox skill awakeners, summon to Gurye. Hard to find, harder to lure.
Three: Elixir—mana nuke poison out.
Only realistic.
Elixirs pricey.
Upper-grade minimum for poison purge.
Thus, dispatched deputy guild master Park Jeongtae to New Seoul's Mirinae Pharma—top three in Samhan Empire.
Secret.
Only Park knew his illness.
Knock knock.
Door opened.
Park Jeongtae entered bag in hand.
"Got the elixir."
"Price?"
"Ten billion."
"...Hah. Got it. Good work. Rest up."
Cash halved instantly.
Sell properties, whatever.
Lee Jeonghak opened bag.
Gold-foil luxury Mirinae elixir.
Serial, cert.
Made from elite mana crystal of 'Elite Golden-Antler Deer' from Myohyang Mountain, date stamped.
Cheaper risks fakes.
Big corp safe.
'This'll purge it.'
Now Master—no rank boost from elixirs.
Mana accumulation negligible.
Explosion brief, most dissipates—vessel limit.
But burst mana could vaporize or expel poison.
Lee believed.
Popped elixir in mouth.
Gulp!
Elite mana crystal elixir down.
Moments later.
Vrooooom!
Massive mana explosion.
Just purge now.
Operated mana circulation skill.
Mana flooded veins, every corner.
Poison fading, dying.
'Got it!'
Viscous waste oozed pores.
Mind cleared.
Vitality surged.
'Chose authentic right...'
Then.
'Huh?'
What?
Mana surge collapsed instantly.
Reversal.
Fleeing poison empowered, devouring mana.
'Wh-what?'
Familiar.
Any Gurye awakener experienced once.
'...Variant three-striped mosquito poison?'
Similar.
Far stronger.
Mosquito scatters mana, others devour weakened bits.
"F-fuck!"
Face darkened again.
Elixir purged some poison out—but remnants strengthened.
"Cough, cough."
Lee Jeonghak's eyes dimmed in despair.