The Cursed Blacksmith Who Regressed - Chapter 87

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

Episode 87

People were gathered in a conference room prepared in one corner of the top floor.

Only the alchemists were gathered.

Since they were going to discuss something only these people could do anyway.

“How has everyone been doing?”

“Yes, thanks to you, President, we’ve been doing well.”

“Did you all see that the company recently hired a large number of tamers?”

“Yes, we saw it on the news. Is hiring those tamers for a similar reason as hiring us?”

The eldest, Kang I-hyeok, naturally picked up the conversation.

“Yes, it’s for the same reason. Just as we’re planning a golem army through all of you, we plan to organize an unmanned raid team utilizing the tamers.”

“With so many people, the firepower should definitely be good. Oh, President. By the way, my alchemy skill level reached 4 recently.”

“Already?”

This was quite surprising.

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much, but level 4 already?

Considering that level 4 was the highest domestically and level 5 was the highest overseas, this meant Kang I-hyeok could now be considered one of the top alchemists in Korea.

Kang I-hyeok spoke as if embarrassed.

“Except for eating and sleeping, I devoted myself to puzzles all day long.”

“It’s true, President. I-hyeok hyung really worked hard. Even when we told him to take it easy, he said he had pride as the eldest and threw himself into it like crazy.”

At his younger colleagues’ testimony, Choi Hyun gave a thumbs up.

“That’s impressive. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to reach level 4 this quickly, but congratulations. I’ll talk to the management team to arrange a bonus payment.”

“Thank you. But riding the momentum, I immediately challenged the next level puzzle, and the level 4 puzzle is incomparably harder than the level 3 puzzle.”

“Haha, the puzzle series does get exponentially harder. That’s what puzzles are like. Then the rest of you are all working on puzzles now too?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then since you’re all peers, you’ll quickly reach level 4 following I-hyeok, right?”

At those words, the others avoided Choi Hyun’s eyes.

Except for one person.

Only the youngest.

The youngest, Lee I-hyeon, spoke with shining eyes.

“I will definitely make it happen, President. I was the one who got Ultra Focus as second place, after all.”

“I believe in I-hyeon’s determination. I think you might be the first to create a homunculus later on.”

“I’ll definitely make that happen.”

This is why young blood is scary.

Well, of course, if we’re just talking about actual age, Lee I-hyeon is one year older than Choi Hyun.

Choi Hyun said.

“But the timing is really good. I was just about to ask you all for a project, partly to check on progress.”

“A project?”

“Yes, golem creation is one thing, but there’s a lot that can be done with alchemy. By the way, have you gotten close to the other hunters while juggling?”

He was referring to Kim Ha-geom, An U-ju, and Maeng Bu-yong.

Kang I-hyeok answered for the group.

“Yes, we’ve become close with Ha-geom hyung, U-ju noona, and Bu-yong hyungnim.”

“Oh, you’ve already decided to call each other hyung and dongsaeng? You have good social skills.”

“Well, they’re people we admired, and juggling together naturally made us close.”

“That’s good. Then here’s a question: do you know why I brought those people to our guild?”

“We actually speculated among ourselves without asking hyung and noona, and our guess is that you’re planning to form a direct raid team, President.”

“That’s right. Good insight.”

“Thank you.”

“Then if we were to form a party, what do you think our current party is lacking?”

“What we’re lacking would be…”

Everyone thinks.

Then Yun Dae-woo spoke first.

“Um, I think we’re lacking a mage and a healer.”

“That’s right. Usually when forming a party, you need a mage for nuking and a central healer, but the party I’ve formed has neither.”

“So the next recruitment targets are a healer and a mage?”

“That’s right. But what I want to do through all of you isn’t recruiting those two.”

“Then what?”

“Just as I shook up the market by renewing Daesan’s equipment, this time I want to shake up the healing market.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“The healing market?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Everyone looks confused.

At that, Choi Hyun smiled and said.

“Let’s talk about the mage later and focus on the healer first… What do you think is the substitute for healers?”

“Uh… potions?”

“That’s right, specifically healing potions. And potions are the most common healing medicine. Frankly speaking, if you have good potions prepared, you don’t need healers. More extremely, if healing medicines are utilized well, at least in the healing field, there would be no place for healers.”

“Hmm, isn’t that too extreme an assumption? No matter what, potions can never replace healers.”

“Why do you think that?”

“In my opinion, there are three problems. The first is price, and I think this is actually the biggest problem. There are cheap potions, but most potions are quite expensive.”

“What about the second?”

“Portability. Honestly, potions are a bit big, right? Even now the standard is about the size of a 500ml water bottle, so not only the size but the weight can’t be ignored, and considering inventory weight limits, you definitely need a porter.”

“That’s reasonable. What about the third?”

“This is a fundamental problem – they make you full. For external injuries, you can pour it directly on the wound, but honestly, nothing beats drinking it directly for absorption rate. But to get the full effect of one bottle of potion, you have to drink the entire bottle, and chugging 500ml of potion… honestly, it’s torture.”

There’s even a saying that 500ml of beer is easier to drink than 500ml of water.

But potions are neither water nor beer.

No matter how much artificial sweeteners are used to diversify the taste, they’re ultimately medicine for recovery, so they’re not made with taste in mind.

‘Especially when you’re injured, it’s hard to get it down.’

That’s why expensive potions have smaller volumes.

The smaller the volume and the higher the recovery rate, the more expensive they are.

What does this well is Korea’s largest alchemist guild, Hwageum.

Choi Hyun nodded.

“When I renewed Daesan’s equipment, what I focused on was low prices relative to performance. Then it’s the same for the healing market. We just need to lower the price relative to performance. And create potions with maximum recovery rate in small volumes in the healing medicine market.”

Then Son Gang-won opened his mouth slightly and asked.

“Don’t tell me you know recipes for such healing medicines too?”

“Yes, I know them. Ones that can perform much better than Hwageum Guild’s Rainbow series.”

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

The eyes of the six alchemists widened.

Choi Hyun continued.

“And as I mentioned earlier, I said I’d take the healing market, not just the healing potion market. What was our topic when we first started this conversation?”

“It was about healers, right?”

“Among current job tiers, healers are royalty beyond nobility. Everyone’s scrambling to recruit them. And awakener specialty hospitals with only healers are expensive even with insurance. Even when hunters’ levels go up just a little, to include a healer in the party, you have to pay separate introduction fees to healer specialty guilds and bring them over. You even have to give them a higher share of loot distribution.”

“Right, that’s become established like a custom.”

“But what if we flood the market with amazing healing potions at cheap prices?”

“Huh?”

“Whoa?”

“No way.”

“…Then everyone would just buy potions with the money they’d spend bringing healers to parties.”

“That’s right. Unless they need holy attribute enchants or it’s undead-related gates or dungeons, everyone would stop thinking about paying expensive money to bring healers. They’d rather put one more dealer or tank in that spot to increase firepower.”

Kang I-hyeok narrowed his eyes and said.

“But that’s only based on the premise that there needs to be an innovative recovery potion revolutionary enough to shake up the market. Not only Hwageum, the largest alchemist guild in Korea, but also renowned overseas alchemist guilds have struggled, yet no matter how much they reduced the recovery potion size, 250ml was the limit, wasn’t it?”

“It would be the limit. That’s because they don’t really know what they’re doing. But I never said recovery potions had to be in liquid form, did I?”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“What do you…”

“Really?”

“The recovery potions I’ll be releasing come in three types. Powder version, pill version, and patch version. With these, there’s no need to worry about portability like with existing liquid potions, and no need to endure the ordeal of consuming large quantities.”

“W-wait a minute. You’re saying it’s not liquid?”

“Powder?”

“Pills?”

“Even patches?”

“Yes, those. Performance is naturally guaranteed, and since we’ll have exclusive supply rights, we can sufficiently control the pricing. The unit cost for production isn’t that high either, and we don’t need much manufacturing equipment.”

Choi Hyun spoke with a smile.

However, the six people listening to him couldn’t bring themselves to smile.

Astonishment.

No, it was shock itself, beyond mere astonishment.

That was possible?

They had clearly heard it with their own ears, but couldn’t believe it.

Choi Hyun continued with a smile.

“There’s nothing to be surprised about. It’s perfectly feasible. Just as Daesan currently has a near-monopoly on the equipment market, we’ll have a near-monopoly on the recovery potion market as well.”

“Then do you plan to release technology licenses for this later as well?”

“Yes, I plan to release licenses for this too after some time passes. My purpose isn’t to make money through these products, but to end the Great Upheaval era and improve humanity’s survival rate by increasing clear rates through the distribution of good items.”

“Ah!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Suddenly there’s light…!”

It wasn’t empty words.

For a moment, the six alchemists present felt as if they saw light emanating from Choi Hyun.

Choi Hyun said with a smile.

“Now then, shall we get down to business and talk about work in earnest?”

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