Chapter 57: The Gold Rush Begins

The lowest-grade elixirs didn’t actually have a massive effect in terms of raw stats.

They only increased one’s mana by a small amount.

For top-tier hunters ranked at the level of experts, the increase was barely noticeable.

However, Gu Sang-min, the leader of the Giant Guild, felt goosebumps prickle his skin.

‘This tiny difference in mana will eventually determine the success of a mission… and save my life in battle against those things.’

Therefore, he had to buy them.

It didn’t matter how much money they cost!

If there was enough stock, he wanted to feed them to every single member of his guild.

Driven by Gu Sang-min’s resolve, his secretary quickly contacted Kang Woo-joo.

***

“Do you think we’ll get many calls?”

Rewinding time a bit to when Lee Tae-seong and Kang Woo-joo had just sent out the elixir samples via courier.

They had sent the samples to guilds Kang Woo-joo knew under his own name.

As the top rookie of the previous year, he had collected business cards from all sorts of guilds, including several major ones.

However, they hadn’t sent them to every large guild.

They had carefully selected only the major and mid-to-large guilds that were reliable and trustworthy.

“I guarantee it. Once those guild leaders try this, they’ll lose their minds. The calls will come flooding in. Your phone might just explode,” Kang Woo-joo said with a voice full of confidence.

He was the first person to try the sample of the lowest-grade elixir.

The mana in his body had clearly increased, and the resulting sense of fulfillment was incomparable to any other satisfaction.

“But don’t you think the samples we gave out were too much? I feel like it’s a bit of a waste…”

Kang Woo-joo felt it was a pity to give away such precious elixirs as samples so freely.

Every single bottle was so valuable!

However, Lee Tae-seong just shrugged.

“Not at all. If we don’t give them samples, who’s going to recognize the value and buy them?”

If one didn’t consume at least 500ml, the elixir wouldn’t show any effect.

Therefore, it was better to provide them generously and then sell them at a proper price.

‘Besides, the cost of the ingredients was almost nothing.’

They were ingredients that could be easily bought at a grocery store or an herbal medicine shop.

The truly important thing was the Cauldron.

Since he had used three Realization Runes, the total Score invested was 90,000.

Starting with Korean guilds, Lee Tae-seong wanted to sell the elixirs to the entire world if possible.

No hunter would want to miss out on an elixir that increased their strength, and he already had connections in the United States and China.

It seemed entirely feasible.

“Since we have some free time, I’ll go out and complete a mission in the meantime.”

Since they had just sent the packages, it would take some time for the recipients to try them and respond.

Since they were currently at the factory site, it was awkward to go home just to log in to the Dream World.

It was better to just proceed with a mission.

He had recruited guild members because he was short on Score, so it wouldn’t do for the guild leader himself to slack off.

He had to earn diligently.

“Ah! Then I’ll go on a mission too!”

Kang Woo-joo said, wanting to join in.

He didn’t mean they should go together on a party mission, but rather that he would go on his own mission separately.

Party missions were less efficient.

*Whoosh*

Lee Tae-seong vanished as he entered the mission.

He had traveled to another world, away from reality.

Kang Woo-joo began to warm up his body after Lee Tae-seong disappeared into the mission area.

“One, two, one, two.”

Most hunters had their own routines before entering a mission.

Some sharpened their weapons, while others took three baths before departing… Since their lives were on the line, they needed something to rely on in this manner.

Kang Woo-joo’s routine was to stretch his entire body to release tension before entering a mission.

“Phew. Good. Shall we go?”

Having finished his routine, Kang Woo-joo successfully steeled his heart.

Unlike his super-genius guild leader, a regular genius like himself needed a routine like this.

And then.

*Whoosh!*

“…Guild Leader?”

“I’m back.”

“???”

Kang Woo-joo’s eyes widened as Lee Tae-seong suddenly returned.

“You… you’re finished with the mission already?”

“Yes. Have you already returned too, Mr. Woo-joo? You’re incredibly fast.”

“No… I haven’t even left yet.”

“Still?”

“……”

Kang Woo-joo was speechless at the implication of what he had been doing all this time.

In reality, he had done nothing but warm up while Lee Tae-seong finished an entire mission.

“I-I’m about to go now.”

“Then let’s head out. I’m going to go one more time.”

“…”

Usually, hunters waited at least a day or two between missions, no matter how fast they were… Could a super-genius do things like that?

Regardless, Lee Tae-seong and Kang Woo-joo departed for their missions side by side.

“Enter mission.”

“Enter mission.”

***

Lee Tae-seong cleared four missions in a row this time as well.

From the 16th to the 19th mission.

—Ugh…

I can’t do any more…

This is the limit for a regular genius…

While Lee Tae-seong cleared four, Kang Woo-joo succeeded in two missions.

It was an incredible feat.

Most hunters wouldn’t even dream of participating in missions consecutively, and his speed was remarkably fast.

—The elixir effect… is killer.

Kang Woo-joo gave a thumbs up while lying on the floor.

Since he had used up all his energy and had some minor injuries, Tae-seong told him to take a good rest.

After that, Lee Tae-seong departed for one more mission.

He arrived at his 20th mission.

*Ding!*

**[This is your 20th mission.]**

**[Mission: Defeat Black Mage Greg.]**

**[You have arrived at the hideout of Black Mage Greg. Defeat Greg, who is causing damage across the continent with his evil rituals. However, if you lack the strength, it is acceptable to retreat.]**

**[TIP: Black Mage Greg is very powerful. If he is too much to handle, retreat without hesitation.]**

**[If you retreat and leave the mission area, it will be considered a partial success, and the mission rewards will be reduced by half.]**

**[Mission Reward: 16,300 SC]**

The 20th mission. Defeating a black mage.

‘Another black mage.’

The guys he had met earlier in the cemetery with the undead were also black mages.

He had caught one, but the other two had run away, which was quite absurd.

The mission tip suggested he could run away, but Lee Tae-seong had no intention of doing so.

He had realized something clearly after several battles.

The Heavenly Holy Fire Art he had mastered was the natural enemy of evil and wicked energy.

Because he held an absolute advantage, he wouldn’t lose to black mages or undead unless there was a truly massive difference in skill.

Therefore, he moved with confident steps.

The mission location was a large mansion, and Lee Tae-seong was on its outskirts.

Instead of hiding, he walked boldly through the front gate.

His eyes glowed gold as he activated Hidden Detect, revealing various magical traps spread across the garden and the paths in between.

He didn’t know exactly what the traps were, but he could sense that there was something suspicious there.

With the current performance of Hidden Detect, it was impossible to identify the specific types of traps.

‘But this much is enough.’

*Thump!*

Lee Tae-seong stomped his foot hard.

Simultaneously, flames carrying a faint holy power rose around his footsteps.

*Fwoosh!*

The Heavenly Holy Fire Art was infused into the flames of the Flying Fire Exploding Image.

If the traps were based on black magic, they wouldn’t be able to withstand these flames.

The fire quickly spread across the garden, and the elaborately crafted magical traps lost their function.

Lee Tae-seong moved quickly toward the mansion.

Since they would have noticed the intrusion by now, he planned to go in and finish it quickly.

“What rascal dares to enter my home and cause such a ruckus!”

Just then, the front door rattled open, and the black mage Greg revealed himself.

He wore a robe and held a long staff, and Tae-seong felt a strange sense of deja vu.

Because…

‘Huh? That guy. Isn’t he the one from back then?’

Black Mage Greg.

He was definitely the guy who had escaped outside the mission boundary last time!

Lee Tae-seong didn’t know his name, but his sharp eyes were accurate.

Furthermore, his attire was exactly the same.

‘Can the same enemy appear even in different missions?’

He had never heard of such a case. It was quite interesting.

“Since you walked in here on your own two feet, I’ll personally turn you into an experimental sub—”

Then, Greg made eye contact with Lee Tae-seong.

“……”

“……”

A strange silence hung in the air for a moment.

Greg’s eyes, which had been filled with rage when he first appeared, had turned into bewilderment.

Lee Tae-seong tilted his head.

There was no way that guy could remember what happened in a previous mission, yet it was as if he recognized him…

*Dash!*

“!!?”

Suddenly, Greg began to run away.

It wasn’t to activate some unique attack method or a trap.

It was truly the face of someone fleeing for their life!

“That crazy guy.”

Lee Tae-seong frowned and used Flying Fire Exploding Image to catch up.

‘Can memories from other missions carry over?’

If not for that, there was no way he would run away as if he had seen a ghost.

Since Flying Fire was much faster than the flying Greg, Tae-seong caught up to his back in an instant.

“Hey.”

“Eek! Get away! How did you follow me all the way here?”

Greg swung his staff while flying.

“Slowing steps! Tilting body!”

A dark energy surrounded Lee Tae-seong.

It was the unique curse magic of a black mage.

However, Lee Tae-seong circulated his Heavenly Holy Fire Art and repelled the energy.

Having mastered a hybrid cultivation method mixed with holy power, most curses didn’t work on him.

“Damn it! A Paladin!”

Greg screamed, and Lee Tae-seong thrust his sword.

Red Cloud Seven Styles — Quick Sword Style.

A flashing sword strike cut through the man’s barrier and his torso simultaneously.

“Aaargh…!”

Just like his companion who had died at Lee Tae-seong’s hands before, the sword carrying the mana of the Heavenly Holy Fire Art sliced through the barrier like it was tofu.

In fact, Lee Tae-seong was even stronger now than he was back then.

There was no way Greg could hold out.

*Ding!*

**[You have defeated Black Mage Greg.]**

Lee Tae-seong looked down at Greg’s corpse with a bitter expression.

He had many things he wanted to ask, but he finished it quickly because he was afraid the guy would flee outside the barrier again like last time.

In this mission, the tip had mentioned retreat was possible, and it seemed that was why the mission barrier was spread just outside the mansion grounds.

The distance was close enough that one could leave the barrier with just a short run.

‘A pity.’

Lee Tae-seong clicked his tongue.

Then, a notification appeared before his eyes.

*Ding!*

**[Mission Success!]**

**[You have acquired 16,300 SC.]**

**[As a special reward, you have acquired a ‘Dimensional Barrier Fragment.’]**

He knew he would receive the Score reward.

What caught his eye was the special reward.

‘Dimensional Barrier Fragment? What’s this?’

It was something given as a special reward.

Lee Tae-seong tilted his head.

There was no specific explanation written.

**[Returning to Earth.]**

Lee Tae-seong’s vision inverted.

***

Having returned to Earth, Lee Tae-seong fiddled with the item he had just obtained.

The object called a Dimensional Barrier Fragment looked like a piece of transparent glass.

If one didn’t look closely, they might not even realize he was holding anything, but it sparkled with rainbow colors when held up to the sunlight.

He had no idea what it was used for.

‘I wonder if Mr. Woo-joo would know?’

Since he was a senior hunter who had awakened first, Tae-seong decided to ask him.

Kang Woo-joo said he would be resting, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Just as he was about to look for him…

“Guild Leader! Guild Leader!”

Kang Woo-joo was running toward him from a distance in a fluster.

“Ah. Mr. Woo-joo. By any chance, the cha—”

“You’ve come at the perfect time! We got a call!”

“…!? A contact about the samples we sent?”

“Yes!”

“Oh!”

Even though they had sent them by express courier, he thought it would take some time to get a response, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Hehe. It looks like the guild leaders are rushing here like their butts are on fire.”

Kang Woo-joo smirked.

In fact, the heads of prominent hunter guilds were currently racing toward the factory site, glaring fiercely at one another.