/
“Still, if you manage to develop it, won’t you become totally rich?” I asked.
“Well, I suppose it’ll have an impact, but mass production would be difficult because of the ingredients. I haven’t found any alternatives for the key ingredients yet.”
At my question, Choi Kyung-sik stopped griping and began to sincerely explain.
Looking at his excitement, he seemed like a professor who had been asked about his field. Though it seemed like he was grumbling, his eyes twinkled during his explanation–this was truly his calling.  The unique passion of someone who loves his work flowed out through his eyes.
“For example, if we take one of the core components, hm…, Say we need a mineral called [Adamantium], we would need to gain mining rights for Mine Dungeons in order to source it in large quantities… Since there’s little of that sort here, we’ll have no choice but to contact overseas Users and their mines…”
“Ahh… Then, it’s definitely hard to make money straight away…”
“That’s not all. If you want to make lots of money, this needs to be sold to as many Users as possible. However, this potion has a fixed condition.”
“What? Everyone will want to take this potion as soon as it comes out.”
“The qualification restriction on its use is absurdly high.”
While listening to Choi Kyung-sik’s explanation, I took another glance at the potion in my hands. Now that I look at it, there was no level limit, but next to that line, the qualification restriction stood out.
I inadvertently read it outloud, “Only those with S-grade or higher combat skills can use this…?”
“That’s right… Even I can’t drink that potion.”
“Really?” Startled by his unexpected remark, I stared at Choi Kyung-sik.
Perhaps he misunderstood my gaze, he sullenly responded, “Jeez. 1 Not all Users have S-class combat skills like you, you know?”
Though his tone didn’t sound jealous, I felt awkward since it seemed as if I were boasting. I didn’t mean to make a personal attack…
However, on second thought, this body–Jung Garam’s body–courts such misunderstandings because he was so high spec. If it were my original stats, my question would just seem ignorant. From a level 7,000 person, the meaning may be twisted into something chastising like ‘you can’t even drink that potion?’ So, though it may feel unfair, I apologized.
“Then, is there anyone else in Red Lotus that can’t drink that?” I asked.
“Garam-ie, I hate you…”
“Don’t bother Kyungsik-ie, Jung Garam-kun.”
Unfortunately, even that question was another miss. Perhaps he was really upset this time, Choi Kyung-sik pushed at my knee with both hands and turned his head away. Bang Eunji even scolded me–happily, as if she had gained some advantage…
Of course, I was flustered; that wasn’t what I meant. But, now I understood that the [Combat Potion] limitation was quite high from the response I had received. If even Choi Kyung-sik, who was over level 4,000, couldn’t benefit from its effect, a considerable number of Users would not be able to drink that even if they were given the potion.
‘Still, except for Choi Kyung-sik, that means that all the Red Lotus guild members can drink it, huh? That’s amazing… That means that everyone’s at least level 5,000.’
Of course, there was a traitor named Bae Jaemin among them. Still, I was struck by the member’s statuses. They’re so successful…
‘What’s Seo Dawon’s level?’
As my thoughts continued, my gaze naturally wandered to the [Glow-in-the-Dark Bracelet] on my wrist.
“That’s why Guild Master-nim ordered me to develop the potion in two ways.”
“…..Huh?”
Speak of the devil–as soon as my thoughts turned to the Mage, Choi Kyung-sik spoke of him.
Flustered by the timing, I almost made a strange sound. Choi Kyung-sik definitely wasn’t a sensitive person; he didn’t notice my awkward reaction. He continued smoothly, “One way is to dilute this [Combat Potion] for general User use by diluting it by a hundredth or thousandth in order to lower qualification restrictions and efficiency. Also, to make it really cheap. Perhaps I could describe it as low-end? In this case, mass production would definitely be possible.”
“Ahh…”
“The other method would be to develop an improved [Combat Potion] for total Ranker use. That’s why, as a User’s level increases, they can gradually increase their access to different grades of this potion. If they use this potion as a beginner, wouldn’t they continue to use it as their level rises? After all, Users don’t often change the consumables that they use. If we expose our products to those in low levels, we’ll completely take over this market.”
“W-Wow…”
“Really, our guild master… Isn’t he good at wracking his brains for ways to make money?”
I wondered if I should respond, but for some reason I felt shy and clamped my mouth shut. However, I vigorously nodded my head several times.
“He’s handsome too.” Bang Eunji confidently said what I had only inwardly thought. Choi Kyungsik looked exhausted at those words and shook his head, but he didn’t retort since it was an open secret that Bang Eunji blindly followed the Mage.
* * *
After conversing for a while, it suddenly became evening; the two ate dinner in this house and, bewilderingly, still did not leave. Well, now that I’ve gotten used to Jung Garam’s body, it wasn’t too hard to deal with them…
‘Is this perhaps not Garam-ie’s house…Is this the Red Lotus dorms or something?’
Both of them seemed to be vacantly staring at their cell phones or watching TV–comfortably, as if this is their home–with no sign of leaving.
“Hey… Are you perhaps sleeping here tonight?” I asked cautiously.
Bang Eunji looked up from her cell phone screen and stared at me, “Of course. I guarded him during the day.”
“Huh…?”
“So, isn’t it fair for Garam-kun to do it during the night?” She sounded accusatory, as if she were criticizing a slacking coworker. Choi Kyung-sik, who played mediator every time we growled at each other, shrugged his shoulders when our eyes met.
His gesture informed me he had no intention of intervening. Of course, I couldn’t understand Bang Eunji’s words, so cold sweat flowed down my back.
‘Somehow, this feels like some important key event…’ 2
It feels like I have to calmly pass this test. So, I nodded and tried to adopt an expression that exclaimed, ‘I already knew~.’ Of course, inwardly I felt like I was going to get motion sickness from trying to deduce what was happening.
‘…Let’s think this through coolly. What did Bang Eunji say? Guard? She said guard, right…? Since Bang Eunji said that it’s only fair if I guard during the night if she did so during the day, I have to protect something right? … But, who am I supposed to guard?’
Just as I thought that, my eyes turned to Choi Kyung-sik, sitting on the sofa and watching TV. Choi Kyung-sik locked gazes with me and scratched his cheek. “You still haven’t caught the lab terrorist, right?”
“Huh?”
“I guess you don’t have much to say” Perhaps he took my exclamation as answer, Choi Kyung-sik’s shoulder drooped in disappointment.
Bang Eunji, who saw that, responded on my behalf. “The terrorist has been caught, and we’re trying to figure out who’s behind him.”
“Really? Garam-ie is going to personally interrogate them?”
Bang Eunji opened her mouth, so I thought I could take a breather, but the question was flung back at me like a boomerang.  Thanks to this, I was too busy guessing at the current situation; my mind felt chaotic. I felt strangled at the sight of two pairs of eyes staring at me.
‘…Laboratory terrorist? The laboratory they’re mentioning…it must be that strange place on the 47th floor, right? I had thought it was structured a bit differently from the meeting room… Ah! Did the security system change due to the terrorist attack?’
A plausible scenario was being written inside my whirling head. I opened my mouth and gambled, “He’s an… insane guy, right? He’s enough of a nutjob to blow up a whole floor…”
I tried my luck–this gamble was enough to drain the blood from my face.
Fortunately, it seemed like my reasoning was correct; Choi Kyung-sik nodded. “Well, I suppose he wouldn’t open his mouth easily.”
“However, he’s still alive, right? Jung Garam-kun would often torture and not interrogate; many times now he’s made people into dishrags.”
“……”
The problem was… Perhaps interrogating the captured criminal was mainly entrusted to Jung Garam…the questions wouldn’t stop coming.
I tried to enter the real ‘Jung Garam’s’ mentality, trying to assuage whether or not the terrorist was still alive. I thought of Jung Garam’s attitude, back when he tore Park Hoseok into pieces…
“His tongue is…intact.” Wouldn’t this answer be appropriate? Fortunately, that must have been enough, neither of them asked me any more questions. And I… became sure of something.
‘This Vengeful Ghost Memory…’
There must be special conditions to complete this memory. And in order to succeed in those conditions, I was given Jung Garam’s body as a tool.
Maybe that goal is…
‘Maybe it’s saving Choi Kyung-sik from the threat of assassination.’
TL: Hey guys, really quick update before I gotta go. I’ve been a bit busy, writing my thesis paper.
I’ll leave the poll up until chapter 193!
https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4182866x98364057-131?s=res
Footnotes
참 나 (cham, nah) Is a sound of frustration, annoyance, etc. It’s just an exclamatory remark. I used Jeez here to fit Kyung-sik’s personality and his tone. It’s ‘important timing’ in the original.