"Do you mean right now?"

"Yeah. I have something in mind." I used Seojin's laptop to access a portal site. "Let's start light with this."

Seojin pushed up his glasses as he looked at the webpage I had opened. "E-Market, I see."

E-Market, the world's largest global distributor, was an online shopping mall everyone knew, as well as the world's biggest marketplace for monster byproducts. You could launch an open-market business there without any cumbersome procedures.

"Here, like this…"

I'd done this once before, so I navigated the site easily. I quickly completed the seller and product registration and listed Red Elixir. Seojin and I took a product photo together.

"How much should we charge per bottle?"

"What's the production cost per potion?"

"Even with all the plant byproducts, it's less than three dollars."

"Then let's set the price at three hundred per bottle and see what happens."

'A hundred-fold profit margin? Isn't that a bit much?'

"Considering it's a hunter supply, I believe the price is appropriate."

"Alright. Let's list it."

"Just a moment." Seojin stared intently at the laptop screen. "It needs a story."

"A story?"

"Yes. About where this potion came from and who made it. Since it's an unfamiliar product, customers will be curious about its origin."

"Ah, that's true…"

Now I was stumped again. I couldn't just say it was made in the Magic Tower.

"Then how about this? A 'potion specialist' who can use potions as their ability."

I began to write. A new type of player had appeared, one who could create potions with their ability. The framework of the story was that they were selling anonymously on E-Market to avoid unwanted attention.

"That's plausible."

Seojin pointed out a few details for me to revise. And just like that, a limited run of thirty Red Elixirs was posted on the E-Market website.

"Will we get any response from this?" I asked.

"Probably not."

Seojin was being so cooperative, and now he was back to being blunt. This guy.

"Potions are a business item that can undoubtedly shake up the hunter market. I guarantee it. However, commercialization will require more time. We still have to deal with promotion, branding, and safety verification."

"Hmm."

"Let's take our time. For now, I'll continue preparing for official distribution."

Just then, Ea, who had been quietly watching the laptop, let out a small, "Ah."

"What is it, Ea?"

"A comment has been posted."

'Clatter!'

We all scrambled to get a look at the laptop screen.

—Stop messing around and go to sleep.

—No verification, and the seller's info is private.

—Yeah, not buying.

—Isn't this just colored water being passed off as a potion?

"Ugh! These bastards." My fists trembled with rage. Seojin, in contrast, looked completely unfazed, as if he'd expected it.

"It's just as I said. Still, once we complete our business registration and get certified by the Korea Hunter Supply Agency, we can get listed with a major brand. Things will work out."

"Hmm."

But we were too short on capital for that. There was a limit to how much of his own money Seojin could pour into this. 'Think. Think. Is there really no other way?'

'In the end, it comes down to promotion and credibility.'

Suddenly, an idea sparked in my mind.

"Ea!"

"Yes, Tower Master."

"Access the Association's website and pull up a list of all high-ranking dungeons scheduled from tomorrow."

Ea nodded and closed her eyes. A moment later, a holographic schedule materialized before us. I studied it intently.

"This is it!"

Tomorrow, the Ayla Guild, ranked fifth in the nation, was scheduled for a solo raid of the ancient dungeon, the Swamp of Nightmares. A huge crowd of camera crews and onlookers was guaranteed. And according to the website, the dungeon's main feature was poison.

"Tower Master, I have detailed information on the Swamp of Nightmares here as well."

"Oh, thanks."

I checked the dungeon's details using a book from the Great Library.

'Wow, if they go in like this, a lot of them are going to die.'

The difficulty was atrocious. The dungeon forced them to cross unavoidable swamps that inflicted a severe poison status effect, and the swamps themselves teemed with tricky, poisonous slimes.

I stroked my chin, my mind racing.

"Ea, check how many potion ingredients are left in the tower's storage."

"Understood."

"And Seojin, do you have any connections in KHA? Other than your family's."

"A foolish question, Tower Master." Seojin pushed up his glasses. "For any business owner in South Korea, connections with the Hunter Association are fundamental. I'll make it happen."

"Good." A sudden rush of adrenaline surged through me. "We're going to be very busy today. Let's work hard and get this done. Contact Bora, too."

"Yes!"

The time had finally come to establish the Magic Tower's influence in the hunter world.

* * *

"Guild Master Ahn Sehyeon! Just one word, please!"

"Tell us about the roster change for the Swamp of Nightmares raid!"

"What are your thoughts on the rumors of Moon Taeyeong transferring to the Snow Guild?"

"You rejected the Goldwing Guild's offer for a joint raid. Why?"

Ahn Sehyeon, the guild master of the Ayla Guild, spoke with a hardened expression. "The synergy between our guild members is perfect. We already have a solid formation, and there was no reason to introduce unnecessary variables. That's why."

"What are your thoughts on Hunter Moon Taeyeong?!" an enthusiastic reporter shouted, shoving a microphone under his chin.

Ahn Sehyeon's expression stiffened. "He's mentally strong and responsible. His main tanking might be a bit lacking, but he's opened a new horizon for the role with his stable crowd control."

"A comment on the transfer rumors!"

"There have been recent dating rumors with an announcer…!"

'Just talk about the damn dungeon already.'

Finally, his irritation boiling over, Ahn Sehyeon snatched the microphone. "We came here to achieve a good result. We've prepared well, and we will deliver. Thank you."

He dropped the mic and turned his back, but the reporters didn't give up, shouting as they scuffled with the guards.

"The Snow Guild has reportedly prepared seventy million to recruit Moon Taeyeong! A comment, please!"

"If you don't have Hunter Moon Taeyeong, do you have a Plan B…!"

The reporters buzzed around him as Ahn Sehyeon escaped and returned to the waiting area, where his guild members were preparing.

"Ooh, look at our guild master. You look pissed," a woman with auburn hair said, waving. "Taeyeong giving you a hard time?"

"Hah, don't even say his name. I think I'm getting an ulcer." Ahn Sehyeon threw his helmet on the ground and sat on a bench. "How's Firepower Team 1?"

"Ready to go!"

Ahn Sehyeon nodded and snapped his fingers. The waiting suit-maintenance team swarmed over to adjust his gear.

"By the way, senior, when did you change your suit?"

"They said this is a poison dungeon, right? So I'm wearing one plastered with Gallos byproducts, which are supposed to be good against poison. How is it?" she asked, spinning on the spot. The suit was finished with a material that looked like green tree bark. It wasn't exactly stylish.

"But without your custom suit, you can't use your signature high-speed rapid-fire skill, can you?"

"What can I do? I have to survive first."

"Did you tell the team about the drop in DPS?"

"Oh, right!" She clapped her hands, looking embarrassed.

"Recalculate the DPS for Team 1 and report back. You know that one missing skill throws off the entire team's tempo."

"Sorry, sorry."

Ahn Sehyeon sighed and continued adjusting his suit. Just then, a box caught his eye.

"What's that?"

"No idea. It's just been sitting there."

A nearby staff member spoke up. "Ah, that's a sponsorship. A potion, I think?"

"A potion?" Hearing that, the woman narrowed her eyes.

"We never received anything like that."

"It came in this morning through Association channels."

"What did we get sponsored that isn't even equipment? It's just in the way, so throw it out…"

"Wait."

Ahn Sehyeon walked over and examined the potion himself. It was a bottle filled with a green liquid. He looked at the enclosed document.

"An antidote potion? It says to take it when afflicted with a poison status effect."

"Hmph, it's a scam! Don't just accept things like that. What if those bastards from Snow or another guild spiked it with some weird drug?"

If it came through the Association, its quality was guaranteed to some extent. Ahn Sehyeon checked the sender. It was a business called 'Alchemia' on E-Market.

"Captain Yoo."

"Yes."

"Put this in my subspace pouch. There should be just enough space."

"Understood." Captain Yoo grunted as he moved the potions.

"Guild Master! All team members have assembled!"

"Alright, I'm coming." Ahn Sehyeon gave a nod, and the woman got off her chair to walk beside him.

"That's surprising. You don't usually accept outside sponsorships."

"It's true that our countermeasures against status effects on this expedition are lacking. It would be best not to use it, but let's take it just in case."

* * *

They say it's better to have big ambitions. I agree. That's why the final goal for my potion business is 'globalization.' I want every player in the world to use potions made in the Magic Tower, and for them to become deeply integrated into daily life. If that happens, I'll not only have money, but I'll be able to control the entire hunter world with a flick of my wrist.

Of course, to achieve such a grand undertaking, mass production and a distribution network are prerequisites. Seojin is in charge of that, but he's currently hit a wall due to a lack of funds.

So, I came up with a new plan.

I gave up on selling Red Elixirs. Instead, I decided to sell special potions with status effect resistance, such as Heat, Cold, and Poison Resistance Potions. The brewing difficulty was high and the ingredients were expensive, but depending on the dungeon, the need for such resistance was absolute.

Sales would be conducted on E-Market, using a method not often tried in Korea: a reservation auction.

The potions would be produced three times a week—Monday, Wednesday, and Friday—with a strict limit of twenty bottles per batch. Then, individuals, corporations, and guilds would participate in an auction, and the highest bidder would take them. The minimum bid was set at five hundred dollars.

Once a reservation was made, Bora would brew the potion. For delivery, we'd use E-Market's untraceable convenience store shipping or a courier service.

On top of my idea, Seojin got fired up about branding, ran to a marketing agency, and even had stickers made, which he affixed to every bottle.

There was some debate about the brand name. I considered boldly going with 'Magic Tower,' but Seojin opposed it.

"It's important not to leave even a sliver of a possibility," he'd argued. Even with the cover story of a potion ability user and a dummy factory, using the name 'Magic Tower' could lead people to connect it to the abandoned tower here in Sanggye-dong.

We put our heads together.

"Yusin sunbae! How about something fresh like 'Clarté Épatcra de Joue'?"

"What kind of alien language is that? The best names are intuitive. It's a potion, so let's just go with something simple like Alchemist."

"I checked the trademark registry; that's already taken. Perhaps in Latin…"

After much deliberation, we settled on 'Alchemia.' Bora, who had suddenly become obsessed with French, insisted on putting 'Clarté' in the name, but we talked her out of it.

On the first day of our E-Market launch, as expected, no one bought a five-hundred-dollar potion with no certification.

But I had an ace up my sleeve.

"Yusin sunbae! Yusin sunbae! The Ayla Guild is on!"

* * *

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