The Elixir's Effect is Too Good
The Elixir's Effect is Too Good.
It's now 2323.
But Earth's civilization wasn't much different from 300 years ago.
Far from progressing, there were even areas that had regressed.
Because so many people had died from mana encroachment.
Of course, computers existed, books remained, and records of the once-thriving modern civilization were still around.
But what good was that?
There were no people left who could handle the technology.
The population cliff was fatal.
Survival took priority over civilizational advancement.
Instead of creating new things, they focused on restoring the old.
It was only about a hundred years ago that they finally hit rock bottom and started climbing back up.
Now, they had nearly recovered their former prosperity,
and in those hundred years, one field had advanced dazzlingly.
The active utilization of mana.
Mana crystal engineering, monster-hunting items, and bio-pharmaceuticals.
These three.
Though divided, they were all tied together by a single keyword: 'survival.'
Elixir production, based on crystal science, had developed to hunt mana beasts—the common enemy of humanity.
Monsters only lived in their habitats.
Commonly called dense zones, striking them with explosive weapons could spell disaster.
It would immediately trigger a wave.
Wave monsters were on another level from regular ones.
Far more ferocious and cruel.
Why not just nuke them into oblivion?
Old China offered a harsh lesson.
The Chinese government had detonated nukes in dense zones to wipe out monsters, but some survived even the blasts.
Adapting to nukes or mutated by radiation, overcoming their former limits—terrifying Beyond Elite Monsters emerged.
China fell.
Some survivors fled east, seeking refuge in the Samhan Empire.
That's why Chinese-descended imperial citizens were still scattered everywhere.
Gurye even had a Chinatown in its slums.
Anyway, safely hunting monsters required awakeners.
Elixirs were created to train mana compatibles and help awakeners level up.
The Samhan Empire's military ran 'Officer Academy' programs, using elixirs to cultivate awakeners.
Students in training rooms lined wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling with mana crystals dreamed of awakening while taking elixirs laced with about 0.001% elite mana beast crystals—once a week.
Tuition was exorbitantly expensive.
His half-brothers, Kim Taepyeong and Kim Taecheon, were attending such an academy.
But no matter how advanced elixir tech got, could it compare to the martial world?
Martial sects' elixir techniques had evolved over thousands of years as closely guarded secrets.
The Sichuan Dang Clan was no different.
Hundreds of methods to craft elixirs.
Not on par with Great Reversion Pills or Nine Transformation Pills, but Dang Clan elixirs were infamous for their unbeatable cost-performance.
Of course, Taeju, cultivator of Hunwon Musang Dokryeong Gong, had no use for vitality or poison pills.
'Just make 'em and sell 'em.'
Time to process the ingredients.
First, Taeju sliced open the belly of the fallen Giant Half-Moon Bear.
Matching its massive frame, the bear's gallbladder—its bile sac—was enormous.
Normally, bear gallbladders weren't that big, but this one was.
About the size of a human head.
Ripping it out carelessly would leak the bile, slashing its potency.
Leaked bile spoiled quickly.
And dragging the corpse elsewhere for careful work? No good—the Giant Half-Moon Bear's bile started rotting the moment it died.
Proper processing required specific martial arts.
Qi Veil, Heat Yang Art, Cold Yin Art.
Qi Veil wasn't some grand protective aura.
Just emitting qi from the palm to seal the target from air.
The instant Taeju slit the bear's belly, he enveloped the bile sac in a qi veil.
Next, Heat Yang Art.
A technique converting inner energy to heat.
Evaporate the moisture, leaving only the essence.
Too hot, and the core properties degraded.
Too weak, and moisture lingered, inviting rot.
It took considerable time.
Gently, over a long period, cracking the veil to vent moisture.
Once sufficiently dried,
Cold Yin Art.
Rapid freezing.
Tssst... tssst...
The Giant Half-Moon Bear's bile sac chilled in seconds.
Truth be told, ingredient processing was the hardest part.
Making the elixir itself? Easy.
Borrow technology's power.
'Done.'
Taeju rushed home with the rock-hard frozen bile sac.
Now, long-term freeze it or craft immediately?
He chose the latter.
Calling Baek Changhoon right away.
"Changhoon!"
"Yes, hyungnim!"
"Go buy a pressure cooker. Strip the plastic off, weld shut the steam vent."
"Got it. On my way."
"Oh, and a large oven too. Big enough for the cooker."
Process other ingredients while waiting for Baek Changhoon with the cooker and oven.
Bile sac: ready.
Next, mana sanji guyeop grass.
The most common mana herb.
Jirisan was teeming with it.
Mana didn't mutate every plant weirdly.
Some absorbed it exceptionally well.
Mana sanji guyeop grass was one.
This went in raw.
Then, mutant ephedra.
Another mana-saturated herb.
Regular mana crystals too.
Mana barley, and honey for coagulation.
High-quality honey was ideal.
As he prepped, Baek Changhoon arrived by truck with the welded cooker and oven.
"Hyungnim, what antidote this time?"
"Not an antidote."
"Huh? Then what?"
"Like a snack for when your mouth's bored."
"Oh! Tasty?"
"Obviously."
Especially for awakeners like you. Even mana compatibles would benefit.
Taeju portioned the prepped ingredients into the cooker.
Not all at once.
Failure meant wasting precious materials.
Frozen bile: four pieces. Crystals: four. Others divided precisely into four, one set sealed in.
Then, the manufacturing martial art.
Infiltration Classic, a universal technique every martial artist learned.
Taeju placed his hand on the cooker.
Activated Infiltration Classic.
Crack, crunch! Crack!
Ingredients crumbled inside the sealed pot.
Frozen bile chunk, mana crystal, sanji guyeop grass, mutant ephedra, mana barley.
All pulverized within.
This minimized mana loss.
Straight into the oven.
In the martial world, temperature control was the toughest for elixirs.
Maintaining steady heat wasn't easy.
So sects like Wudang or Shaolin used Threefold True Fire instead of firewood.
Here, the oven made it effortless.
'Start at 300 degrees.'
Ten minutes in the oven.
Out, Infiltration Classic to powder the hardened mass.
290 degrees, another ten.
Bake, crush, lower temp, repeat.
Nine cycles total.
All inside the sealed cooker.
Tedious work.
Baek Changhoon, watching, yawned and dozed off.
'Ready?'
Taeju cooled the cooker slowly from the oven.
Finally, tense, he opened it.
"Hmm."
Black powder piled inside.
'Overcooked? Tch, failure.'
Should be glossy reddish-brown.
Back to square one!
Too hot? Lower temp and time.
Plenty left.
Failed again.
'Aigoo! What a waste.'
Third time, full focus.
Opened the lid.
'Meh.'
Dark brown glossy powder.
Slightly dull sheen.
'Eh, close enough...'
Call it success.
Drizzled in honey.
Molded into thumb-sized pills.
Packed tight: just two pills.
'Now, test the effect...'
No matter how good, it'd be wasted on him.
His power source was the poison core—might as well swallow fugu roe... Wait!
'Why didn't I think of fugu poison?'
Forgot.
Oceans teemed with venomous life.
Must hit the sea soon.
Anyway, who to test on?
Taeju shook the dozing Baek Changhoon awake.
"Changhoon, hey?"
"...Mm, yes? Oh! Dozed off."
"Wanna try this?"
"What is it? Rabbit shit?"
"..."
After all that effort...
"Good for you. Call it an elixir."
"This? Nah, elixirs are tough to make."
"Not eating then?"
"...No, uh, I'll eat it!"
Baek Changhoon forgot who Taeju was.
Mosquito antidote, spore antidote.
Elixir? Why not?
Just unknown potency.
'Cheapest elixirs go for...'
Prices varied by elite mana crystal content, but 50%+ premium ones ran about 10 billion.
Premiums aided rank-ups.
High-end ones existed.
100% elite crystals, whole.
Priceless.
Instant rank-up.
Varies by person.
"Eat up."
"Now?"
Baek Changhoon took the dark-brown rabbit-shit-like pill from Taeju.
Swallowed.
"How's it?"
"Dunno? Wait, stomach's heating up... Hng!"
Suddenly!
Baek Changhoon's body trembled like a vibration.
"Aaaah, urk!"
"Changhoon!"
But he couldn't respond.
Mana gathered inside him.
Instantly condensing fiercely.
Hot mana surged through his body.
Moments later,
Congratulations. Your rank has risen.
You are now Beginner rank. Skill acquisition is possible.
Searching for skills matching your traits.
Flash Thrust
Iron Armor Skin
"Ah!"
Baek Changhoon sat stunned, dazed.
Taeju asked worriedly.
"You okay? What happened?"
"H-Hyungnim."
"Yeah?"
"I-I rank-upped."
"...What?"
Rank-up?
He'd thought it half-failed... but this effective?
Maybe just extra good for Changhoon?
"Uherng, sob sob,"
Baek Changhoon suddenly teared up.
"What do I do?"
"Why?"
"I shamelessly ate such an expensive pill."
"Calm down. Material costs were nothing."
"...How much do I owe? Slave contract?"
So innocently naive.
How'd he even awaken?
No helping it.
"Hey! Stop whining and bring another friend."
"Fr-Friend?"
"Orphanage alum mana compatible, right? Good kid, tight-lipped."
"You're giving him one too?"
"Yeah."
Baek Changhoon hesitated, then fetched a clean-cut young man.
"Two years younger than me. Smart and kind."
"First time seeing you?"
"Hello! Hyungnim, Jang Suncheol. Got here yesterday on Seoyeonn's call."
"Right, Suncheol. Try this."
"Rabbit shit?"
"..."
"Doesn't matter. If you give it, I'll eat."
Jang Suncheol popped the pill Taeju offered into his mouth.
Time passed, mana condensed like with Baek Changhoon,
Jang Suncheol shot up.
Whirling energy, mana filling every corner, an involuntary shout.
"Ooooooh!"
Congratulations. You have awakened.
You have acquired traits. Check your status window.
"Uh uh..."
Suddenly! Srrk!
A black tattoo etched onto Jang Suncheol's face like magic.
Taeju flinched.
"You don't mean...?"
"Y-Yeah, it says I awakened?"
"..."
Mana compatible to awakener—Jang Suncheol clenched his fist, stood at attention, bowed to Taeju.
"Hyungnim! My utmost loyalty."
"No need for that much..."
"Order anything. I'll repay your grace."
"..."
Anyway.
The effect was too good.
Taeju hadn't expected this.
Good was good, but this crossed the line.
'Can't sell this.'
The Elixir's Effect is Too Good. End