Declaration Of Extra Strike

 

The mercenaries had gone to gather ingredients, and Yoon Ha-yan, along with her entire family, stayed at the workshop to assist with the experiments. 

 

Although they had been trying numerous methods for a while, no significant results had emerged yet. Those who had experienced side effects from the potion were already in a state where their bodies had been consumed by the magical ingredients. 

 

To detoxify them, ingredients that could completely neutralize the effects were needed. However, these knock-off potions were made with cheap, low-quality ingredients thrown together haphazardly, making it difficult to identify the potion’s components. 

 

Since the task required specific skills, Yeon Seung-yeon, who had a low-level Recipe Skill, was analyzing the components in my place since I didn’t possess the skill.

 

“Hmm… Still no sign of improvement.”

 

“Shall I try reading the recipe again?”

 

Nodding, I watched as Yeon Seung-yeon held the potion in one hand and Yoon Ha-yan’s hand in the other, activating the skill. A blue light spread from their clasped hands, and Yeon Seung-yeon, with her eyes closed, frowned slightly.

 

“Hmm… ‘The heart of a bird wandering the sky is bolder than any, yet beneath the lamp, all is dark.’ That’s what it says.”

 

“What? The heart of a bird is bold, but beneath the lamp, it’s dark?”

 

While it was true that the lower the skill level, the more cryptic the clues became, this was completely nonsensical. As I asked with a puzzled expression, Yeon Seung-yeon frantically waved her hands.

 

“No, no! Two clues appeared. ‘The heart of a bird wandering the sky is bolder than any,’ and ‘beneath the lamp, all is dark.’ There are two of them.”

 

“Ah, I see. That makes sense.”

 

“Why do you think there were two clues? I must have made a mistake somehow. I’m sorry.”

 

Yeon Seung-yeon, flustered and with his face flushed red, looked unsure of what to do. I gently placed my hands on his shoulders to calm him down.

 

“No, no, it’s fine. It just means there are two possible methods.”

 

“Really? I’ve never heard of that happening before.”

 

“It doesn’t happen often. It means there are two optimal solutions, but it’s rare for something like this to come up.”

 

With an understanding expression, he nodded, and we put our heads together to think.

 

“A bird wandering the sky? Does that mean a flying-type monster? Or maybe it’s suggesting we go to a special dungeon with unique terrain?”

 

“A few dungeons with Sky Parks or floating islands come to mind.”

 

“And what about ‘beneath the lamp, all is dark’?”

 

“That sounds like we’ve overlooked something. Maybe it’s something we can easily find nearby?”

 

“If that’s the case, it could make things a bit easier to solve…”

 

As we were busy interpreting the clues, Yoon Ha-yan also joined in to help with the brainstorming. Just then, Su-cheol peeked his head into the lab.

 

“Boss, Daisy Wholesale just arrived. They’re asking for you to inspect the goods.”

 

“I’ll go check it out…!”

 

As Yeon Ha-yan hurried off upstairs, I was left alone with Yoon Ha-yan. Gripping my head in frustration, I let out a groan.

 

“Ugh…”

 

The thought of meticulously analyzing and experimenting on each potion, checking its magical properties and compatibility, made my head throb. Normally, I would have enjoyed developing potions, but this situation felt more like cleaning up someone else’s mess.

 

‘Damn it. Just wait until I find out who’s behind this.’

 

Across from me, Yoon Ha-yan, sitting with an apologetic look, quietly spoke.

 

“I’m sorry. I guess… this is as far as I can go.”

 

“There’s nothing to apologize for. I’m going to figure this out, so stop worrying unnecessarily. By the way, isn’t it about time your mana concentration started dropping?”

 

I stood up and grabbed a mana potion from the shelf, tossing it her way. She caught it deftly with one hand. Yoon Ha-yan stared down at the bottle in her hand, tracing the glass with her fingertips before speaking softly.

 

“Have you ever been to a dungeon, boss?”

 

“Yeah, a few times to gather materials.”

 

“I used to go to make money… You know, it’s more profitable to defeat a boss monster once than to clear the dungeon entrance ten times. If you tackle dungeons above your level, the profits multiply even more. That’s why I started looking for Ilimital. Once you defeat the boss, it doesn’t matter if you run out of mana afterward.”

 

“That’s pretty reckless. That potion wasn’t designed for that purpose. It was meant for idiots ready to die.”

 

I spoke with a hint of bitterness, and a faint, sad smile crossed Ha-yan’s face.

 

“Do you want to hear something even more foolish? I actually had some suspicions. That the potion I took might not have been made by Kang Eui-jin.”

 

“…”

 

“It felt off, you know? Being able to buy Kang Eui-jin’s potions so easily was strange. There were even jokes among hunters. That Kang Eui-jin’s potions were diluted. Fake. Some people were already starting to experience side effects. But I ignored the signs.”

 

Her hand, gripping the mana potion, trembled as she spoke with a shaky voice.

 

“That’s why I feel uneasy. I chose to take that potion myself. I’m not an innocent victim. I was just… careless.”

 

I caught sight of Jeong-hyuk lurking behind the stairs, trying not to be seen. Letting out a small, amused scoff at their awkwardness, I shook my head.

 

“That’s nonsense. Did they tell you there was a 0.2 percent chance you’d go crazy and die when they sold it to you? Or that there’s no cure if it goes wrong?”

 

“No, but…”

 

“If the side effects are that severe, there’s no way it should’ve been approved as a buff potion in the first place. You were scammed. If a potion makes you sick, you’re a patient. If you were deceived, you’re a victim. Why are you sitting here digging yourself into a hole, talking about whether you’re innocent or not?”

 

Yoon Ha-yan fell silent. Her face was hidden by her falling hair, so I couldn’t read her expression. Without pushing further, I turned away.

 

“Let’s call it a day. Go upstairs.”

 

“I… I’ll stay here for a little longer and think.”

 

“Suit yourself.”

 

As I made my way up the stairs, just outside the door, I saw Jeong-hyuk, eyes red and swollen. 

 

‘Men crying… really?’

 

With a nod, I gestured toward Yoon Ha-yan downstairs, urging him to go to her. I passed him by and continued walking.

 

In the lobby, the two kids were sitting on the sofa, excitedly watching a hunter-themed animation.

 

“Hit him! Hit him!!”

 

“That’s so cool… Hey, do you think you’re as strong as that, unni?”

 

“Of course! But fighting with your hands is way cooler than just using weapons.”

 

“I wanna awaken and be strong too!”

 

Little Baek Da-hye clenched her fists tightly as she spoke, her eyes sparkling with determination. Watching her, Yoon Ha-jeong shyly said, almost in a whisper, “I want to be a healer.”

 

“That’s not something you can just decide… Wait, a healer? Why? Healers can’t even kill monsters up close.”

 

“But healers can help sick people get better! I could even help heal our mom!”

 

Da-hye hesitated at Ha-jeong’s words, biting her lip before leaning in to whisper.

 

“Then… Do you wanna sneak into a dungeon with me? They say people awaken the most when they’re in real danger.”

 

“Dungeons are scary though…”

 

“Don’t worry. If any monsters show up, I’ll just punch them like this! Bam, bam…!”

 

I cut in before their plotting went any further. “Hey, squirt. I’ll tell Da-in noona about this.”

 

Both girls jumped, startled as I lightly tapped the tops of their heads with my fingers.

 

“Hunter-nim!”

 

“Nooo! You can’t tell my sister!”

 

“We’ll see,” I teased, ignoring Da-hye’s protests as I grabbed my robe from the wall and headed outside. Passing by Seung-yeon and Jin-myeong, who were checking supplies, and Su-cheol, busy pulling weeds in the garden, I left the workshop.

 

“Oh, right. Better send a text before Seong San-ha loses it again.”

 

I pulled out my phone and started typing. 

 「I’m going to check some ingredients alone.」 

I was just about to send my location as promised but a sudden wave of rebelliousness surged through me. I slipped the phone back into my pocket instead.

 

“Eh, he’s overseas anyway. He won’t see it.”

 

Since the hotel incident, Seong San-ha had been conspicuously absent. He’d called a few times, and we’d exchanged some texts, but he hadn’t shown up at the workshop. 

 

When I asked Lee Cho, who had stopped by, she casually mentioned that Seong San-ha had flown off to Greece or Germany, sparking my curiosity. After pressing her for more details, I found out that he’d gone with the Fake Eui-jin!

 

“He said we’d go together. Even offered to get me a passport. And now he goes with the fake? What a backstabbing jerk.”

 

As I walked along, lazily kicking some rocks out of my path, a sharp, sour smell reached my nose. I wrinkled my nose, glancing around.

 

“What the hell, where’s that smell coming from?”

 

Just then, a system window popped up, notifying me that my poison resistance had been activated. Thankfully, my resistance level was high enough that it didn’t harm me, but… where was the poison coming from?

 

Thinking that maybe one of the nearby workshops had botched a production, I started walking toward the source of the smell. 

 

As I turned the corner, something suddenly flew at me. It wasn’t at the right angle to catch, so I dodged just in time. The round object hit the ground and immediately exploded into smoke.

 

“Ugh, what the…?”

 

“…Hey, this guy isn’t going down!”

 

“That’s impossible! Knock him out first.”

 

“Who’s there?”

 

I quickly drew my dagger, readying myself. The figures emerging from the smoke weren’t just one or two.

 

‘Shit, who are these guys? Did Tae Jae-heon send them? Or the Center?’

 

But then, suddenly, there was commotion among the attackers.

 

“Ugh, what the hell are you doing!”

 

“Hey, snap out of it! Why are you acting like this? We’re on the same side!”

 

“Get that bastard!”

 

“Boss!! Jin-gyu’s acting strange t—ugh!”

 

I watched in bewilderment as they suddenly turned on each other, fighting amongst themselves. Thinking it was best to get some distance and clear my view, I turned to make my escape. But before I could take even a single step, someone struck me hard on the back of my head.

 

“Fck, damn it…”

 

“Where do you think you’re going?”

 

Struggling to stay upright, I was quickly hit in the legs by a club, losing my balance and crashing to the ground. The guy who hit me, though, was also knocked down by someone else soon after.

 

‘What kind of shitshow is this? Damn it…’

 

My head felt wet—blood, probably. Through my blurring vision, I saw more of them collapsing one by one. Amid the chaos, a figure walked steadily toward me.

 

The person stopped just in front of me and nudged my shoulder with his foot, forcing me to roll over. The humiliation made me grit my teeth.

 

“…You bastard…”

 

“I warned you. I said I wouldn’t let it slide.”

 

The guy used his shoe to push back the hood covering my face, then froze in shock, taking a step back. After a moment, he knelt down beside me, gently cradling my face.

 

“…Hyung?”

 

Was I dreaming? That voice sounded familiar. I needed to see this bastard’s face, but the blood flowing down my head made it impossible to keep my eyes open. Unable to fight it any longer, I closed my eyes.

Is it....him? Are you thinking who I am thinking?