Declaration Of Extra Strike

 

Just to be sure, I removed the other glove, and fortunately, it was intact.

 

‘What the hell? Why are the hands like this?’

 

Carefully lifting his arm and observing it, I was relieved to see that although the skin color was deadened, it wasn’t necrotic or rotting. The hand’s functionality didn’t seem to be impaired as it was moving normally. But, the pale, bluish skin still resembled that of a deceased person, and it was particularly blackened toward the extremities…

 

‘Is it poison? Or a curse…?’

 

If only I had my S-class skill, Spirit’s Touch, I could have figured out the cause. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about it for now.

 

I watched over Seong San-ha’s face, who was still lying quietly with his gloves back on.

 

***

 

Something with a murky yellow color was bubbling away in a disposable pot. Stirring it with a spoon to prevent burning, I occasionally glanced at the sky. It had grown a bit darker than yesterday, but it was still bearable for a little while longer.

 

“Mehhhhh.”

 

Just in time, the sound of Cloud’s cry was heard. It was a sign that Seong San-ha had woken up. I turned around to find Seong San-ha, who had just woken up and was in a sensitive mood. The light emanating from his body had vanished.

 

“Where is this place”

 

“Where else? It’s the 21st floor.”

 

“How did you…”

 

Seong San-ha glanced around, trying to understand the situation. I brought him the pot.

 

“How are you feeling? Eat this for now.”

 

“What is this?”

 

“Rice porridge.”

 

I answered confidently with my chest out. It was my way of showing dedication to his dungeon work. Besides, the first dish I made looked quite similar to ‘rice porridge,’ so it made me feel good.

 

Seong San-ha, who had been staring at the pot in front of him, slowly asked,

 

“Is rice porridge supposed to look like this…? Where did you suddenly make rice porridge from?”

 

“There were more varieties of meal kits than I expected. And I found some fruits nearby that are good for fatigue recovery, so I added those too. Cloud picked the fruits for me.”

 

Seong San-ha, who was listening to my explanation, poked at the rice porridge with a spoon. He let out a faint laugh and asked.

 

“So, you added various things to the porridge?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Well done…

Hmm

. It really looks like… porridge.”

 

Seong San-ha’s praise made me puff up with pride, and I boasted a bit about the added effects.

 <Rice Porridge> 

Porridge to eat when you’re sick.

 

Is it more important to heal your body first, or serve its purpose as food?

 

Either way, I managed to cover at least one of them.

 

By adding a bit of creativity to the basic ingredients, I had made food that could help with fatigue recovery. Cooking wasn’t that different from making potions; it might even be easier.

 

Seong San-ha looked down at the porridge and stirred it, looking reluctant to eat it. Understanding his hesitation, I sat across from him, waiting for him to start. Seong San-ha looked at me and chuckled nervously, saying,

 

“…Are you going to keep staring at me? It’s a bit intimidating.”

 

“Don’t worry about it. And it’s okay to feel a bit pressured. It’s my first time making food.”

 

“It’s an honor.”

 

Finally, Seong San-ha took a big spoonful of the porridge and put it in his mouth. His expression remained unchanged as he chewed, making me anxious. I couldn’t help but ask,

 

“How is it? Is it good?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

Seong San-ha took another large spoonful, and a smile appeared on his face. Laughing with his shoulders shaking, he swallowed and said,

 

“It’s very unique.”

 

“What? So, is that a compliment? What does it taste like?”

 

“Did you give me something without even tasting it yourself? Want to try it?”

 

“No, you eat it. I made it for you.”

 

“Ha…”

 

As I watched Seong San-ha eat with satisfaction, I asked,

 

“Do you remember what happened yesterday?”

 

“That’s what I was going to ask. What happened?”

 

“You said you’d come right away. You didn’t, so I had to come find you.”

 

“Always so obedient, our Ho-hyun.”

 

“Don’t worry. With the rod and Cloud around, monsters did not come at all. But more importantly…”

 

I paused for a moment, glancing at Seong San-ha’s left hand, which was still covered by the white glove, and said,

 

“I saw your hand.”

 

Seong San-ha’s hand, which had been holding the spoon, froze in place. I continued, almost as if defending myself.

 

“I didn’t mean to look. You suddenly collapsed after ingesting poison, and I was about to lay you down comfortably when I saw it.”

 

“Oh, now I remember a bit. I dropped it while hurriedly pulling it out… I guess you also examined my condition?”

 

I nodded at the sharp, gleaming look in Seong San-ha’s eyes.

 

“Well, why did you even take that poison? It seemed like a very strong one. Was it because of your hand?”

 

“Something like that. It’s a price for using my power.”

 

Seong San-ha slowly nodded, then skillfully changed the subject.

 

“Sorry for causing unintended worry. Any poison will heal naturally, so there’s no need to worry.”

 

I looked up at Seong San-ha as he stood up from his seat.

 

“Then you don’t feel any pain?”

 

Seong San-ha’s face, which brightened with a smile as if hearing something amusing, almost made me mistake it for a different answer.

 

“Of course not.”

 

“You… Instead, maybe…”

 

“Let’s drop that topic. Time to get up. We need to head back.”

 

The sky darkened ominously, and a thunderclap rumbled as if rain was about to pour at any moment.

 

***

 

Using the scroll, we quickly emerged through the gate and found ourselves facing a situation even more chaotic and complicated than expected. The area in front of the gate was packed. There were all kinds of ambulances and hunters being carried out, a flood of reporters and cameras from broadcasting stations, and even curious onlookers. If it hadn’t been for our deep hoods, both Seong San-ha and I would have been caught on camera.

 

“Let’s head this way.”

 

As we navigated through the crowd of civilians, I occasionally overheard words like ‘Mystic’ and ‘Seong San-ha’ among the people.

 

“That’s right. Seong San-ha’s identity has been revealed, after all.”

 

Glancing back just in case, I saw that the large electronic billboard, once filled with advertisements, was now broadcasting news, with headlines such as

「The Hero of the Daechong Lake Incident, Is He Mystic?」

prominently displayed.

 

We went back to where we had first gotten out of the car with Seong San-ha. Even though a day had passed, the reporters were still there, waiting. We got back into the car, and the exhaustion from the past few days hit me all at once as I realized we had left the dungeon.

 

I must have dozed off unintentionally. When I opened my eyes, we were already near Wolgye Naru. Blinking, I looked out the window past Seong San-ha. As if sensing that I had woken up, Seong San-ha spoke without turning around.

 

“Did you sleep well? We’ll be arriving soon.”

 

“…When did I fall asleep?”

 

Seong San-ha’s jacket was draped over my curled-up body. I stretched with a big yawn and rubbed my eyes. Soon after, the car stopped in front of our workshop.

 

Seeing Yang Su-cheol, who was cleaning the garden, look up in surprise and bow deeply as he saw the car, made me truly feel that I was back home. Without realizing it, I touched the left side of my chest. The Abyss Crystal, the result of the past few days’ hard work, was clearly felt.

 

“Thanks for your help.”

 

“It was nothing difficult.”

 

“Acting all high and mighty after almost dying…”

 

“Well, about that…”

 

Seong San-ha glanced at the news articles and chose to keep quiet. Still, I meant what I said and told Seong San-ha sincerely,

 

“I’ll definitely repay you for your help.”

 

“But you already did. By saying ‘Fuck,

Seong San-ha

hyung

.’”

 

“Hey, that’s…! Anyway, I really mean it.”

 

“I will look forward to it then.”

 

Seong San-ha brushed off the comment as a joke, but I could tell it was genuine. I had to work hard to keep my gaze from lingering on Seong San-ha’s hand.

 

When I was just about to open the car door and get out, a sudden thought made me turn back to Seong San-ha.

 

“Oh, but why did you save those hunters? I thought you said it wasn’t your concern before.”

 

Seong San-ha, who was about to answer a phone call, raised his eyebrows in surprise, clearly not expecting that question. With a nonchalant attitude, he responded,

 

“Just out of goodwill. I made a promise… to behave well.”

 

“With whom?”

 

Seong San-ha simply shrugged his shoulders and didn’t offer any further explanation. Clearly not willing to elaborate, he started answering the call. I slammed the door shut and turned away, just as the car pulled away. Inside, I could hear Yeon Seung-yeon’s voice shouting.

 

“Ho-hyun nim! You’re here!!”

 

“Welcome back, Boss! How was your trip?”

 

“Yeah, I’m back.”

 

After spending time in the dreadful dungeon, seeing the workshop was like a breath of fresh air. I excitedly stepped inside.

 

***

 

In the middle of the workshop was a Guiding Measuring Machine that I had specially requisitioned. It was an old model that had been tagged for disposal at the center, but I managed to get it for a price. Despite its age, it still functioned properly.

 

With 13 days remaining on the quest, I decided to halt all potion production in the workshop and use the underground workspace exclusively for myself. On the large workbench were the twenty types of items that Lim Cheong and Zero had diligently collected, as well as the refined Abyss Crystals.

 

“Let’s get started.”

 

My heart raced with excitement at the thought of finally creating a Master-level potion after such a long time. Today, I had filled the nearby cabinet with Mana Potions, Vitality Potions, and Status-Effect Potions. I wouldn’t let my physical body be a hindrance to my work.

 

I rolled up my sleeves and dropped the Abyss Crystal into the pot filled with refined water. Instantly, all the waves and energy within the pot were absorbed, and the surface became calm.

 

I resolved to test each formula I had mentally prepared.

 

“10 grams of Riker’s Mane, 1 cm of Sleepy Eggplant… and just one drop of Gundal Juice for now…”

 

With a puff of sound, the pot exploded. It was a failure, but for some reason, I couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“Yeah, that’s more like it. If it were too easy, it wouldn’t be fun.”

 

Let’s see whether you or I will come out on top.

Flo here!

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