Declaration Of Extra Strike

 

The workshop was filled with tension. Everyone here knew that this man was our first customer.

 

Su-cheol, who had been watering the lettuce in the garden, was the first to encounter him and gave a quick bow. Soon after, with a slightly dazed expression, he led the customer to the entrance of the workshop. 

 

I almost rushed over in excitement but stopped myself just in time, almost forgetting to maintain my dignity as the owner.

 

“Wh-what should we do, Ho-hyun nim? Should we go out and greet him?”

 

“Just pretend like you’re a customer for now!”

 

At my words, everyone got up from the sofa and started pretending to browse the displays. Even Lim Cheong straightened his posture on the sofa and started flipping through a catalog. I, too, stood off to the side, pretending to be uninterested, but all my attention was focused on the door. Finally, it opened, and the man walked in. He seemed a bit taken aback by the group of people whose eyes were now all fixated on him as soon as he entered.

 

“Uh, hello. I’m here to buy some potions…”

 

“What kind of potions?”

 

“Well…”

 

The man, visibly cowed by the atmosphere, fumbled through his belongings as if offering an excuse, mumbling under his breath.

 

“I-I understand if you refuse. I just thought I’d ask if I could get a few of these…”

 

“Let me see.”

 

The man handed over a piece of paper that he was clutching tightly in his hands. The paper, worn from frequent handling, was crumpled and stained. I unfolded it and read the contents, unable to hide my curiosity. Most of the items listed were stabilizing potions, ones that suppressed skills or stats—debuff potions. There were also some one-time use neutralization potions. What was unusual was that he only wanted low-grade versions of everything. 

 

Tilting my head, I asked,

 

“Why do you need all of these? Planning to kill someone?”

 

At my words, the man’s face turned ghostly pale. He stared at me in silence, unable to bear the weight of my gaze, and quickly began explaining as if trying to defend himself.

 

“No, no, it’s nothing like that! It’s just that… there’s a patient who can’t control their strength, and I thought these might help… maybe…”

 

“What kind of strength can’t they control? The potion you need depends on the cause. And why do you need neutralization? Is that also for the patient? Are you trying to neutralize a skill?”

 

“No, not a skill… I’m hoping it could help reduce some internal side effects…”

 

“If it’s that urgent, why not get a high-grade potion instead? Why buy something that’s only temporary? Low-grade potions only have a 2% effectiveness. It’ll barely work and disappear quickly.”

 

“I… I don’t have the money… And most of the potion shops turned me away. But even if they’re temporary, I’ll take whatever I can get. Please, if you’re willing to sell, I’ll give you everything I’ve got!”

 

I raised an eyebrow at this. It was obvious why the other potion shops had turned this man away. He was broke. 

 

Potions like the ones he was asking for weren’t pre-made and required new research routines, which meant a lot of extra work. On top of that, if it were a custom order, the raw materials for some of them weren’t cheap, meaning the final price would be even higher—and again, the client was broke. Of course, they turned him down.

 

I glanced at the list, then at the man, back to the list, and again at the man. Each time my gaze landed on him, his shoulders seemed to shrink further.

 

Still, he was our first customer, so…

 

“Hand over all the money you’ve got.”

 

“W-what?”

 

“I’ll cover the rest and make them in the highest grade.”

 

As I spoke, his eyes and mouth slowly widened in disbelief. He couldn’t seem to form words, only gaping in shock before finally managing to stammer out a single sentence.

 

“A-are you serious? Really… Thank you! Thank you so much!”

 

“But who are these potions for? I need to check their condition before I can make them.”

 

“They’re for my wife.”

 

“And? You don’t expect one person to take all of these, do you?”

 

As I casually muttered the question, the man clenched his fists and lowered his head. When he spoke again, his voice was shaky, as though he were holding back tears.

 

“They’re all for my wife. I don’t know what will work on her. We’ve tried other potions, even custom-made ones, but none of them worked…”

 

Hearing this, Baek Da-in and Kim Jin-myung, who had been pretending to be customers, gave up the act. They sighed in sympathy and moved to the man’s side, patting his shoulder in comfort as he struggled to hold back his tears. I watched him indifferently. It was a common situation—he must be a family member of a hunter injured in a dungeon.

 

“Don’t worry. The boss here is really skilled.”

 

“The boss is someone who always keeps his word. Please, don’t cry.”

 

“Alright, let’s go check it out.”

 

As I grabbed my coat, Yeon Seung-yeon approached me.

 

“Ho-hyun nim, I’ll go with you.”

 

“You need to send the proposal to the center.”

 

“So, you’re going to go alone? It’s safer if we go together.”

 

“Nah, it’s not a big deal. I can handle it alone. It’s just for a moment… hmm…”

 

I paused mid-sentence, thinking. Maybe I should be more cautious these days?

 

As I hesitated, Lim Cheong, who had been pretending to look through the catalog, closed it and stood up.

 

“I’ll go with you. Guarding the boss is part of my mercenary contract, after all.”

 

“Lim Cheong, you…”

 

This is exactly the kind of attitude I dream of in an ideal mercenary! Feeling satisfied, I looked over approvingly, but Zero shook his head as he approached.

 

“Oh my, Lim Cheong, I didn’t expect you to be such a frightening person.”

 

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

 

“Already thinking about renewing your contract, I see. Trying to score points by flattering the boss all by yourself? I can’t just stand by and watch that. I’ll come too.”

 

Lim Cheong shot Zero a disdainful glare.

 

Since the patient’s location was quite far, we decided to take Lim Cheong’s car. 

 

“Whoa, this is awesome!” 

 

I was immediately impressed by the vehicle’s large wheels and rugged frame. Without hesitation, I climbed in. The customer sat next to me, while Zero, after facing strong opposition from Lim Cheong, had to sit in the trunk area where there were no seats.

 

The place the man led us to was quite a distance away. We drove past the outskirts of the city, deeper into a desolate area, until we reached a barren lot with a lone white building standing in the middle. Makeshift shelters and tents, which seemed hastily set up, were scattered around the area. There was a hospital sign, but it was clear this wasn’t a normal functioning hospital.

 

‘Is this some kind of refuge for patients………?’ 

 

As we passed the weary-looking people moving between the hospital and the tents, their tired eyes shifted toward us, clearly noticing the unfamiliar car and its loud engine. When they saw the man, their tension visibly eased, but they still looked at us with suspicion.

 

“

Ha

, Jeong-hyuk, it was you.”

 

“Thought it was those guys again. We got scared for nothing. What’s with the car?”

 

“These people are here to see Ha-yan. They’re helping with some potion work…”

 

Despite Jeong-hyuk’s explanation, the people’s gazes remained distrustful as they glanced at me and Zero. I overheard their murmurs, though they didn’t seem to care about keeping their words hidden.

 

“Don’t get your hopes up. We’ve had more than enough failures.”

 

“Are they from Wolgye Naru? Tch, those guys are all in on it together.”

 

Something must’ve happened. The outright hostility from these people was puzzling. I looked around, trying to figure out the situation, when Jeong-hyuk, flustered by the atmosphere, started frantically shaking his head in denial. I tapped him on the shoulder and asked quietly.

 

“What’s going on here? What happened?”

 

“Sorry, really. There’s been a misunderstanding… I apologize for how they’re acting, especially since boss has come all this way.”

 

“It’s fine. Let’s just go see the patient.” 

 

One particularly rough-looking man suddenly burst out, clearly provoked by my indifference.

 

“What’s the point of looking? Everyone here is sick anyway!”

 

“Detective, please calm down. They’re really here to help.”

 

“Why are they sick?”

“Why? It’s all because of that scumbag Kang Eui-jin! The bastard should be torn apart!”

 

***

 

“Get up. We’re leaving soon for the event,” a calm voice urged.

 

“Ugh, how long do I have to keep up this charade? Haven’t we done enough already? Everyone I meet keeps asking me about the guiding potion. I’m running out of ways to dodge their questions.”

 

“You know why. We have no choice if we want to get Tae Jae-heon to act.”

 

“And when exactly are we going to find the guy who made that damn potion?!”

 

“We’re tracking the potion back to its source. Be patient. Once we have it, it’s yours.”

 

Kang Eui-jin, visibly appeased by this answer, ran his hand through his hair, still clearly annoyed.

 

“……I heard Tae Jae-heon has shown up?”

 

“Yes, but he hasn’t shown himself yet. Besides, word is he attended your press conference. We’re getting to him; he’ll bite the bait soon enough.”

 

Kang Eui-jin, sprawled on the sofa, sluggishly got up. After slipping on the glasses perched on the side table, he shook his head in boredom.

 

“Any word from Cheon Rang?”

 

“That’s what I wanted to know. What’s taking so long with Seong San-ha? You said it’d be quick.”

 

“I don’t know. Either he’s too dumb or too tight-lipped. I can’t get a word out of him no matter how much I beat around the bush. I’m meeting him tomorrow, so maybe I’ll just straight-up ask him.”

 

“Be careful. Neither Nox nor Cheon Rang are to be taken lightly. And remember, Cheon Rang was the first to sense something was off. They might start suspecting things.”

 

“Hahahaha. Oh, please. There’s no way Seong San-ha suspects anything. He’s completely smitten with this face. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t keep sending this crap.”

 

The other man nodded silently, without saying anything to Kang Eui-jin who was pointing at a pile of gifts and flowers on the table. 

 

“Perhaps you’re right. Still, stay vigilant. Losing Hamal was a big blow. We need to find the rest to restore their power completely before

he

arrives. Only then will we be ready.”

 

“Don’t lecture me! I’m not like the idiots at the Center. I don’t make mistakes. I’ll take care of Castor and the others with my own hands.”

 

With that, Kang Eui-jin rose from his seat, storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

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