Sales Launch (2)
I was confident it would sell well.
But it would take time.
Word of mouth needed at least a month to spread.
So on the first day, not even 100 antidotes sold.
And even then, one person bought more than 50.
A guy who'd already experienced the effects once.
Regular awakener Park Jinsu, who'd been eagerly awaiting the official release.
The next day, customers suddenly started pouring in.
Sales hit 300 units.
On the third day, it was about the same.
But the fourth day?
That was when the war began.
"I got here first! Why are you serving that guy ahead of me?"
"You're second in line! Quit yapping when you're grabbing twenty bottles. Make some room for the others."
"Wanna settle this right here?"
"Shut it! Don't cause trouble—get out now! Kill each other or save each other outside for all I care!"
"The guy who made this deserves an imperial silver star medal."
"Silver star? Give him the gold star."
The drugstore was packed with customers.
The staff were swamped just handling sales and dealing with them.
"No fighting, please!!! We have plenty in stock."
That day alone, they sold over 3,000 bottles of antidote.
After such a fierce battle, I figured the next day would calm down.
Wrong.
"Not twenty—give me thirty. Can't have it run out on me. Gotta stock up ahead."
"No, we have enough..."
"I'll take fifty!"
"Whoa, everyone calm down."
This feels off.
Stock might not hold.
On the fifth day, 8,000 bottles flew off the shelves.
That's when the rumors spread through Gurye Free City.
Baek's Drugstore has a reliable antidote for the variant three-striped mosquito poison.
Tiny sip—less than a gulp of water—but lasts a full ten hours.
Down it before hunting, and even a hundred mosquito bites won't faze you.
Only 50,000 won a bottle.
If that boosts your hunt efficiency, hunters will pay gladly.
The big spenders were buying in bulk.
Shelves might empty soon.
The city of two million buzzed.
Day seven.
Baek Hongpyo sensed the brewing storm and hurriedly called Taeju.
"Already sold 30,000 bottles?"
"Ah, got it."
"...I'll do my best."
He'd have to pull an all-nighter making stock solution.
Ingredients overflowed.
99% of the 10ml antidote was purified water.
Prep took time, but brewing the base was quick.
The current lab was in Baek's Orphanage basement.
A shelter built for monster waves.
Baek Hongpyo had it made when constructing the orphanage.
Gurye had plenty such bunkers.
Cost a fortune—took out loans, he said.
A glimpse into how dearly he cherished the kids.
No one but Taeju allowed entry.
Poison handling demanded isolation.
Even talks via smartphone.
"You said we'd supply steadily, right?"
Cities around Jirisan Dark Forest.
Hadong, Sancheong, Namwon, Hamyang...
They needed it too.
Demand far exceeded expectations.
"Limit purchases. Two bottles per person."
Explosive popularity.
"Ah! No worries there."
Even if they knew the ingredients, they couldn't replicate it.
Extracted via Hunwon Musang Dokryeong Gong.
No exact match possible.
Earth tech might catch up eventually.
If they did copy it?
Make and sell something else.
The pharmacy overflowed with people.
Just antidotes?
First time for the staff.
Exhausting, but exhilarating.
All orphanage grads.
How could they not rejoice at their father-figure boss striking gold?
Never imagined.
Mosquito antidote this vital?
How much suffering before?
Finally, sold out sign before fresh stock arrived.
"What? Already gone?"
"Should've nabbed those scalpers."
"This is bullshit? Honest buyers suffer."
"Hey, keep it down. Anyway, Mr. Baek, restock when?"
Baek Hongpyo soothed the crowd.
"Tomorrow. And from now on, two bottles per person."
"Two's stingy. Make it three..."
"Shut up—that's why we have limits, you hoarders."
Limits helped, but restock news sparked morning lines next day.
Explosive.
Bug suit sellers suffered.
Inevitable.
Adapt or die.
Hunt without suits now.
Shed one garment—impact immense.
Hunt efficiency doubled, tripled.
Mana compatibles and awakeners who'd fled Gurye mosquitoes returned.
No bugs? Tax breaks meant big profits here!
Antidote frenzy raged on.
Gather materials, brew base.
Suddenly!
"Imperial Army?"
"...Haa."
"Yeah. Decline for now. Say stock's insufficient. Talk when we have spare."
Just an excuse.
500,000 bottles? Piece of cake.
But no tangling with the Imperial Army yet.
About two months after sales began, the antidote hype cooled slightly.
Enough stock circulated now.
Taeju's account held roughly 15 billion won.
And money kept rolling in.
Overwhelmingly so.
Baek Hongpyo was thrilled.
First thing with the cash? Smartphones for every orphanage kid.
Orphans can't have phones?
Academy classes, outings, good shoes and clothes—all provided.
Taeju's pad: Gurye's priciest five-star hotel suite. 5 million won nightly.
150 million monthly, haggled to 100 million.
Why splurge? Poison cultivation needed undisturbed safety.
Room service meals, butler for errands.
Spend big when spending.
When else this luxury?
Hunwon Musang Dokryeong Gong progressed smoothly.
Poison essence in his dantian stabilized.
Mana rejector curse fully gone, it seemed.
At 3rd stage, poison overpowered mana.
But hidden weapons? Not ready.
Can't chuck anything as hidden arts.
Needed proper tools.
Only then monster hunts viable.
Bare-handed, no armor? Reckless.
Weak foes fine with a greatsword, but elites or bosses?
Time to flex properly.
Hotel suites incomparable.
Taeju hit Gurye Market's armor district.
The 3-billion-won Arctic Illusion Fox leather coat unsold.
'Lucky.'
What if it'd sold?
"This coat still available?"
"Yep. Too pricey."
"I'll take it."
"Pardon? Uh, this way."
Not finished—needs tailoring to fit.
"Lots of pockets."
"Extra cost..."
"Fine. Same quality. Also wrist guards, ankle guards, belt, vest, pants. All Arctic Illusion Fox leather."
"Whoa! VIP! Hold on, measurements first."
Workshop owner eyed Taeju slyly.
"Custom work—need deposit upfront."
"How much?"
"20% minimum."
"Here. Transfer okay?"
"Hahaha! Yes. Contract first."
Coat and gear totaled 4.3 billion.
Signed, deposited 860 million.
One week turnaround.
Worth the wait.
Next: metalworking district.
Weapons custom too.
Ready-made hidden weapons available.
Like throwing knives.
Similar to Dang Gunak's willow-leaf flying blades.
Made from steel-beaked ogol rooster bone powder alloy. Pricey.
But too big.
Needed smaller.
"100 of this shape and size."
"...A hundred?"
"Yes."
"Wait. Materials... ah! Sorry, short on mana steel ingots. Need to order."
"More orders too."
"Gasp! Need now?"
"Week's fine."
"Done by then."
Contract and deposit there too.
"Looks like you're mana compatible. No sword? Tiny weapons tough vs monsters."
"Just make what I ordered. More coming..."
Hidden arts and poison true money pits.
Why pricey hidden weapons?
His other soul.
Absolute Poison Demon Dang Gunak hated swords.
Precisely, sword users.
Taeju no sword thoughts either.
What? Geomseon?
Sword enlightenment to ascension?
Hidden arts vulgar, they say.
Killing by sword noble, darts or poison not?
Hypocritical snobs.
True warrior masters sword to yi gi yu geom realm.
What's that? Flying swords?
Hidden weapons fly too.
Same thing.
Will-controlled identical.
Sword, dart, poison—death's death.
Differences?
Among sword clans, Dang Gunak despised Anhui's Namgung family.
Fellow Five Great Clans, but bad blood.
Belittled hidden arts and poison as vulgar, ignored Dang Clan.
Crumbled in demonic cult rise.
Hebei Peng Clan knife users—ego bloated, thick-skulled brutes.
Still better than Namgung.
Worst: Shaanxi Zhuge family.
Shallow schemers clinging everywhere.
Dang Gunak exterminated them.
They surrendered first to Demonic Cult when Heavenly Demon swept jianghu.
Zhuge Clan head Zhuge Cheon—Brain Demon.
Brain Demon? Clever bastard dares "demon" title.
Sent him blissfully to afterlife with Heavenly Demon.
Among Five Clans, closest to Dang Gunak: Jinzhou Yan Clan.
Shared kindred pain.
Fist specialists.
But prized corpse control arts, scorned by nobles like poison.
Corpse hopping—jianghu funeral tradition.
Send dead home via self-moving hopping corpses.
Bound feet hop hop.
Long trip home.
Preserve intact: drugs and spells harden body.
Thus Jinzhou Yan's external art: Gangsi Gong.
Plus devastating fist techniques.
Sichuan Dang and Jinzhou Yan exchanged closely, mutual growth.
Supplied corpse drugs, taught external arts secrets.
Dang Gunak's poison martial arts included non-weapon forms.
Like Blood Seal Poison Palm.
Based on Yan fist work.
Taeju's Hunwon Musang Dokryeong Gong at 3rd stage.
Knew countless arts via Dang Gunak.
Knowing vs wielding? Vast gap.
Time came.
Battle to hone skills.
Targets?
Jirisan monsters, naturally.
Wish gear arrived soon.
End of Sales Launch (2)