The Chairman of Pharmaceutical Company is a Poison King - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 14: Adding One More Antidote (2)

Kim Tae-ju’s current achievement level could be considered somewhere between a second-rate and first-rate warrior in Gangho.

Still weak.

A shameful level to attach the title Jeoldaedokma to.

‘I need to take it step by step. What’s built hastily crumbles easily.’

The foundation for reaching 4-star has been laid.

Thanks to the stabilized poison essence, he can accept stronger and larger amounts of poison.

Actually, this is tremendous speed.

Earth’s Kim Tae-ju and Gangho Murim’s Danggumak.

Though they learned the same Honweonmusangdokryeongong, this phenomenon occurred because their cultivation directions were completely opposite.

Danggumak gained enlightenment while growing his poison essence, but Tae-ju was growing his poison essence after gaining enlightenment first.

Honestly, Honweonmusangdokryeongong was just review for Tae-ju.

Completely overpowered.

The martial arts were the same.

He starts with understanding everything.

So most monsters in the Jirisan Wilderness are like a well-prepared feast.

Swoosh!

Willow leaf throwing knives flying with poison energy.

First, he sticks one in each, then uses phantom fox steps to dodge here and there while buying time.

Trembling violently

Thud, thud, thud…

The monsters collapse.

The poison energy from the 3-star poison essence of Honweonmusangdokryeongong is at a level that even peak warriors cannot underestimate.

This is why poison arts are good.

It’s almost like using cheat codes.

‘But where is the Spore Poison Antelope Deer?’

This one also has a natural enemy.

The ferocious monster that rules the Jirisan Wilderness, the Giant Panda Bear.

Most poisons are useless against the Giant Panda Bear.

The bear’s gallbladder from such a large and powerful monster instantly detoxifies any poison entering from outside.

Bear gallbladders are not only very difficult to collect, but they’re also expensive as they’re used as ingredients for elixirs and universal antidotes.

Suddenly!

Rustle!

A monster peeking its head out from between the jungle bushes.

‘Found it.’

Spore Poison Antelope Deer.

Named for having two humps on its back like a Bactrian camel.

It stares directly at him.

Must be a learned behavior.

Most humans just pass by even after seeing it.

Tae-ju also pretends not to see it and passes by…

Whoosh!

Phantom fox steps.

Instantly moving right next to it.

Thwack!

He mercilessly stabbed the creature’s nape with two Death-Dealing Flying Knives gripped in both hands.

“Ugh, ughhhhh, ughhhhhh!”

The gorani’s cry resembling a human scream.

Simultaneously!

Pop!

Countless spores erupted from the camel deer’s hump.

Pop!

From the other hump as well.

Dust particles fly in all directions.

Microscopic spores containing extreme poison.

The poison disappears after being exposed to air for an hour.

But to just let these precious poisons fly away?

Tae-ju immediately executed the Blood Mark Poison Palm.

He radiates poison energy to draw the spores toward himself with his power.

Swoosh, swooooosh!

The spore dust clumps into a sphere following his hand gestures.

With Honweonmusangdokryeongong reaching 3-star, he could now absorb poison energy through his palms.

Of course, it’s not as good as directly consuming it, but slow absorption is actually better.

‘Much stronger than the Mutated Seven-Spotted Snake poison.’

How much did he struggle trying to generate poison essence back then?

But now it’s different.

Spore poison slowly absorbed under the control of Honweonmusangdokryeongong.

Spores he couldn’t pull in scatter in all directions.

Red spots appeared on his skin where they touched, then quickly disappeared.

This is with poison arts training, but even awakeners would be in danger if it touched their skin. It’s at a level that would melt gas mask filters.

‘Reaching 4-star?’

It feels a bit early, but it’s fine.

Since the opportunity came, he’ll take it.

The sphere made of spores gradually gets smaller.

Then he pulls in even more.

Swoosh! Swooosh!

Poison energy swirls.

The fox leather coat flutters in that wind.

The flow of spore poison rushing through Tae-ju’s blood vessels.

When it reaches Gihaeheol, the poison essence eagerly devours it, afraid of missing out.

The spore poison’s DNA is simultaneously imprinted.

The poison essence is growing.

And now the matured Blood Mark Poison Palm.

When he waves his hand in the air, spores get sucked in, and they’re converted to poison energy inside Tae-ju’s body.

He doesn’t miss a single speck of dust.

Though he’s filled with spore poison like this.

‘A bit lacking?’

Tae-ju took out the poison sac of a Poisonous Claw Civet he had collected earlier.

He poured that into his mouth as well.

After a moment, with a long breath.

“Whew…”

Tae-ju finally reached 4-star in Honweonmusangdokryeongong.

The difference of one star is enormous.

Now he’s at a level where he could be called a first-rate warrior without hesitation.

For poison arts to grow, there’s no point in consuming poisons already ingested.

He must consume new poisons he hasn’t experienced.

Reaching 4-star this time was also due to the spore poison and the civet’s poison sac.

‘Besides this one, there must be many others with poison, right?’

What if he discovered something like a 300-year-old poison ginseng?

His intermediate goal is 7-star.

Honweonmusangdokryeongong 7th level is the realm of poison mastery.

A realm where one can create all kinds of poisons from absorbed toxins. Even masters could probably create them with just a handful of poison.

The deer that had expelled all its spore poison lay dead with its throat half-severed.

Could he just leave it there?

He had to butcher it and take it with him.

Butchering was Danggumak’s specialty.

When chased by the Demonic Cult and his entire family faced extinction and had to flee, they had to catch and eat wild beasts to survive, so he had done it countless times.

Tae-ju approached the deer with his throwing dagger.

Though it was a type of hidden weapon, it was a fairly large dagger.

Scrape, scrape, scrape.

Tae-ju skillfully peeled off the hide and separated the meat from the bones.

He collected not just the meat but also the bones and organs.

Especially the organs would contain the plants the creature liked to eat.

It would provide clues for developing an antidote.

‘I’m getting hungry anyway…’

He lit a fire right there.

He skewered the sirloin part and placed it over the flames.

Sizzle, sizzle – the meat cooked to a golden brown.

Tae-ju blew on it to cool the heat and took a bite.

Juices flowed out between his teeth.

‘…What? This taste?’

It was this good without even salt and pepper seasoning?

“Wow! This is insane, absolutely insane.”

Now he understood why it was called an exquisite delicacy.

No wonder even the Emperor of the Three Han Empire went crazy for it.

He’d store the rest in the refrigerator to age it.

But one deer wouldn’t be enough.

‘Should I catch a few more?’

To commemorate reaching 4th level.

And to collect the spore poison he couldn’t gather while absorbing it.

* * *

It was late evening when Tae-ju returned to his newly purchased building.

He no longer planned to stay at the hotel.

Tae-ju went down to the shelter through the underground passage inside the building.

An underground shelter built to avoid monster waves. He opened the outer door and went down the stairs for a while until he reached another massive iron door.

A piece of paper was gently attached to it.

【Underground Manufacturing Room interior is all finished. Please check it, and if you like it, change the password and use it.】

‘They finished quickly.’

A digital locking device.

He pressed the password he knew in advance.

Beep, beep-beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

He pulled the heavy door open with his hands.

Then.

“Wow!”

It was much more spacious than expected.

The smell of fresh paint, various workbenches and laboratory equipment, and medicine storage units covering the walls.

“It’s neat.”

A space he had prepared directly with his own money.

He had paid special attention to the storage units.

Poisonous and medicinal herbs are sensitive to temperature.

Some need to be stored cool, others need to be frozen.

Tae-ju opened his backpack and put the deer meat in the freezer.

After catching the first one, he caught 2 more for a total of 3 deer.

As a result, the amount of meat and bones was enormous.

The large backpack was full, so he had to tie it with tree vines and carry it by hand. It was too much for one person to eat.

‘I should talk to Manager Baek about sharing it with the orphanage children.’

Had those children ever tasted deer meat?

Just then!

Ring ring!

An incoming call.

The caller was Manager Baek Hong-pyo.

‘Perfect timing.’

He’d suggest having a company dinner with the staff and orphanage children.

“Yes, Manager Baek. It’s me. Yes…? What did you say? Ah! I understand. I’ll be right there.”

Tae-ju’s face hardened instantly.

* * *

Baek’s Drug Shop.

Though business hours were over, the lights were still on.

Manager Baek Hong-pyo had a serious expression.

When Tae-ju arrived, he forced a smile and welcomed him.

“Welcome, Tae-ju.”

“…Manager Baek, you’ve been through a lot.”

“What? It’s nothing special.”

Actually, it was something special.

The pharmacy’s shelves and display cases were empty in places.

It looked as desolate as a closing-down sale.

“What happened?”

“Pharmaceutical company sales representatives said they wouldn’t supply goods anymore and took back their products.”

“…”

Aside from mosquito antidotes, there were essential medicines for Awakeners, Aptitude holders, and workers.

Instant hemostatic agents for treating wounds, external healing ointments, mana recovery potions that gradually restore mana, general antidotes that delay poisoning from other toxins, mana painkillers, stimulants… and so on.

These were essential items for raids. Without them, lives could be in danger.

Until now, they had been selling the above medicines along with mosquito poison antidotes.

Naturally, Baek’s Drug Shop’s profits were maximized.

But suddenly the medicine supply was cut off.

“Is this Jo Hun-seok from YJ Pharmacy’s doing?”

“It’s the method he mainly used, so it’s almost certain. Also…”

Manager Baek hesitated before continuing.

“…The Autonomous Committee’s Drug Approval Department called today.”

“What did they say?”

“They said multiple people who took the mosquito poison antidote had adverse reactions, and they need to investigate, so they want us to send the antidote’s ingredient list…”

Well, well!

This was too blatant.

“What happens if we don’t give it to them?”

“In the worst case, we could be banned from selling. They hinted at that too.”

“Jo Hun-seok is part of the Autonomous Committee, right?”

“Yes, not a permanent member but a general committee member.”p>

“Hehe, I see.”

Honestly, Tae-ju had planned to give Baek’s Drug Shop exclusive sales rights for one year, then supply all pharmacies in Gurye City.

‘This is so typical of Gurye City.’

Even though it’s a free city, the Empire hasn’t completely let go of it.

Don’t they have standing committee members dispatched from the Empire?

But what if they’re all in cahoots?

Well, it doesn’t matter if I just sell antidotes.

Customers will still flock to us anyway.

But their underhanded tricks are despicable.

Did they only prepare this much?

Pressure will probably come from various places.

They might actually issue a sales ban.

They might try to dry up our money flow.

They might even use physical force.

Those bastards are the local power brokers of Gurye City.

Living in the Castle, they’ve controlled and manipulated Gurye’s pharmaceutical market through various connections.

There will be absolutely no compromise.

I hate finding solutions after getting hit.

I need to strike them down before that happens.

“Boss Baek.”

“Yes!”

“Let’s ram into them first. If we’re going to threaten, we need to do it properly.”

“What? First?”

“Let’s stop selling the mosquito poison antidote. Adverse reactions? Come on! We’re closing the pharmacy starting tomorrow.”

“Uh… then.”

“They’re saying people had side effects from eating the antidote, right? Then we shouldn’t sell it.”

Baek Hong-pyo also caught on to what Tae-ju’s intention was.

“We won’t be able to make money for a while, but just hold on a bit. I’ll help with running the orphanage too.”

“Ah, it’s fine. I have some money saved up, so the orphanage will be no problem at all. But… until when?”

“Until Jo Hun-seok gets on his knees and begs. This bastard thinks it’ll work this time too since his usual methods have always worked, but shouldn’t we help him come to his senses?”

Then Baek Hong-pyo nodded as if he had made up his mind.

“Yes, let’s fight.”

Tae-ju spoke with a reassuring smile.

“It’ll work out fine. Trust me. Oh! I got some good meat, how about a company dinner for the whole orphanage tomorrow?”

“Hahaha! Sounds good. I’ll call the staff and children and get everything ready.”

It would end quickly.

If people had never tasted the antidote at all, it might be different, but since they’ve already had a taste…

Hunting without antidotes?

It would probably be very difficult.

* * *

The next day.

A grand feast was held.

Baek’s Orphanage was a facility of considerable scale not only in Gurye but throughout the Samhan Empire. Currently, it cared for over 200 children.

All of them were children who had lost their parents during the previous monster wave.

What initially started as Baek Hong-pyo taking care of children of acquaintances he knew well, providing them shelter and food, had now spread throughout Gurye and even to places like Sancheong and Hamyang.

Not only the current residents but also adults who had become independent from the orphanage came to this feast.

But then there wouldn’t be enough meat.

It couldn’t be helped.

I had to set up a pot and boil soup with beef bones and meat to make hot soup rice.

While grilling would be the icing on the cake, the meat of the Spore Poison Antelope Deer was amazingly delicious even when boiled.

Truly a heavenly taste.

I was actually worried that after tasting the gorani meat, they might not want to eat other meats.

“Wait, what kind of meat is this?”

“It’s beef.”

“I don’t think so.”

The children were going crazy too.

“It’s so delicious!”

“Can I have another bowl?”

“You pig! Stop eating!”

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Ah, no!”

I didn’t tell them what kind of meat it was.

They’d probably think it was Korean beef bone soup or something.

Not just soup rice, but various snacks, drinks, rice cakes, and ice cream… since we were doing it anyway, I prepared an abundance.

Through this process, Tae-ju also became close with the children.

Even after holding the feast, Baek Hong-pyo didn’t open the pharmacy.

For a long time.

And as time passed.

Finally, Gure Free City was turned upside down.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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