Chapter 144

 

We finally reached the entrance after passing through the wide-open path. I’d wondered why there was such a traffic jam—they were conducting security checks up ahead.

“Please put all A-rank or higher items with attack attributes in your inventory! There will be a delay of up to 10 seconds when using inventory inside!”

“There’s no parking space here! If you continue straight on the road, you’ll reach the parking lot!” 

“Please put all A-rank or higher items with attack attributes in your inventory!”

“Why are there even security checks?” 

“It’s a minimum protective measure, so please understand.”

The security check consisted of just one large gate erected in the center of the entrance. If someone refused to listen and entered with A-rank or higher equipment, an alarm would sound.

Even though hunters considered their equipment as precious as life itself, perhaps because they were storing it in their own inventory, there wasn’t much resistance.

“I didn’t expect security checks right from the entrance.” 

“We can’t always move with mercenaries. I installed scanners from the entrance so we could at least be free around the workshop. Fortunately, because the district grew larger than expected, many supporting guilds have joined, and the business owners seem to welcome it. Still, don’t let your guard down.” 

“Got it.”

I wouldn’t be able to move around freely like before, but this was better than nothing. As soon as I got back to the workshop, I needed to upgrade my equipment and make plenty of potions for emergencies. Then I could walk around with more peace of mind.

Naturally, we didn’t go through the checkpoint but entered through a side door. Seong San-ha’s ID alone resolved everything.

As soon as we pushed through the crowd and entered the street, my mouth fell open at the sight before my eyes. The vibrant street filled with countless people couldn’t even be compared to the empty place from a few days ago.

All the previously closed shops were now open, drawing customers into their bright interiors, and the faces of people with shopping bags in both hands were blooming with smiles. 

Among them, my gaze was naturally drawn to workshops where people were lined up outside because it was so crowded.

‘My workshop will have an even longer line, right?’ 

I couldn’t help but smile widely, showing my teeth at the exciting thought. Seong San-ha said.

“While we were in the meeting, the first interview and articles announcing your return were published. Everyone came after seeing those.”

It was exactly the future I had dreamed of. My name on everyone’s lips! A bustling workshop. Of course everyone would come to my workshop. It’s the Potion Master’s workshop after all!

The deeper we went, the more frequently I heard my name around us.

“Did you see Kang Eui-jin’s interview photo? His face is insane.” 

“I saw it, but don’t expect too much. Reviews from people who’ve seen Kang Eui-jin in person are being posted on HuntPro. But…” 

“Really? They say he’s not great? Show me too.” 

“Yeah. There are some eyewitness accounts and photo evidence… They say he’s shorter than expected and his face is just average.”

What are they talking about? I haven’t even gone there yet. 

My head turned involuntarily. Seong San-ha stopped walking too. A man was showing his phone screen to a woman, and I caught glimpses of several photos. The woman sighed in disappointment as she scrolled down.

“He does look a bit different from his photos.” 

“They probably edited them heavily.” 

“Still, since we came all this way, I’d like to see him once… How’s the line at Kang Eui-jin’s workshop?” 

“They say you can’t even get in there. There are too many people. Let’s just have coffee and go back today.”

Normally, I would have approached them saying “I’m right here!” But now I couldn’t even speak up because I looked like a child.

Feeling frustrated, I fidgeted. Seong San-ha chuckled and held me more firmly while stroking the back of my head with his other hand.

I flinched momentarily at his hand, which seemed much larger now that I had shrunk, but knowing it was Seong San-ha, I just looked up at him. Our eyes met as he had stopped walking and was staring at me.

“What’s wrong, Eui-jin? Are you dying to jump in?” 

“No? Just because I’ve changed temporarily doesn’t mean I’m actually a kid… Anyway, aren’t we going?” 

“Yes, we are.”

We soon arrived near the workshop, but the street itself was packed with people. We decided to enter through the back door and turned around. But I noticed unfamiliar buildings had appeared around my workshop.

‘Did someone move in?’ 

As I was examining the uniformly different exteriors with interest, I opened my eyes wide upon seeing the two names on the nameplates: ‘Baek Da-in’ and ‘Baek Da-hye.’

“What is this?”

The neighboring houses were the same. Ha-yan noona’s family, Manager of Daisy Trading Company, and even Jin-myung! As I looked around in confusion at the names of people I knew, Seong San-ha’s voice came from above my head.

“I built a few houses while developing the street. Not that they’re in as much danger as you, but the others aren’t completely safe either. I thought it would be good to keep them close.”

“You built the houses for them?”

Seong San-ha nodded with a smile at my wide-eyed question.

“It’s Cheon Rang’s sponsorship.”

“Sponsorship?”

I didn’t think Seong San-ha was this type of person… Already trying to get on my good side.

Of course, I completely understand his intentions. I am the world’s first and only S-rank Potion Master! It could be considered a wise move.

I was already worrying about this issue, and now it’s been resolved so easily—I felt much lighter. I glanced at Seong San-ha’s gloved hand.

‘This time for sure…’

The back entrance to the workshop also had quite a few people, though not as many as the main entrance. But the scene was quite a spectacle.

“Ugh, urgh!” 

“Shadow Stealth! …Argh!”

Various skills were being used everywhere—one person charging with bare hands, another stabbing the ground as if trying to dig it up. But they were all blocked by something and thrown back, unable to cross the barrier.

Seong San-ha, who had been watching the scene with indifferent eyes from a distance, took the opportunity during a momentary lull to move forward.

“Wait! If you go in like that, the baby will get hurt!” 

“Excuse me!!”

Despite the protests, Seong San-ha grabbed the doorknob, and the door opened very smoothly. Leaving behind the dumbfounded hunters, he closed the door and set me down on the ground, muttering to himself.

“…It was a good choice to give him elfwood from the beginning.”

I too acknowledged the abilities of elfwood.

‘There should be some kind of fertilizer for plants. I haven’t made any yet, but wouldn’t the formula be similar to herbicide?’

While contemplating the recipe, I followed the side path into the garden. Soon I encountered Yang Su-cheol, who was pulling weeds with a hoe in his hand.

“Working hard already, I see.”

At my words, Su-cheol, who had been bending over, raised his head. Then with an incredulous face, he muttered:

“How did you get in? The workshop isn’t open today.”

“Why isn’t the workshop open?”

Looking around at this unexpected information, I finally noticed the quiet garden and the closed doors of the workshop. People were packed densely only outside the walls. Thanks to the elfwood, the noise didn’t come through, but…

“Hey, kid. I don’t know how you got in here, but leave quickly. If you enter carelessly like this, you’ll be in big troub— Huh! M-Mystic!”

Su-cheol, who had been approaching while dusting off his hands, froze when he saw Seong San-ha following behind me. His eyes, darting between me and Seong San-ha, widened as if they might pop out.

“B-Boss?”

“Yes. It’s me.”

“What happened? You’ve become so young—did you get cursed or something?”

“It’s not that. Let’s go inside first.”

After glancing at the people coming and going outside, we went into the workshop. I immediately went to my room and removed the bracelet, returning my body to normal. 

After changing clothes and coming downstairs, everyone was already gathered in the lobby, presumably having been informed. Seong San-ha beckoned to me as soon as he saw me.

‘Tch, I thought he might have forgotten.’

I tossed the bracelet to Seong Sanha’s hand and asked Seung-yeon:

“There are so many customers outside, why didn’t you open? Were you waiting for me?”

“W-well… We don’t have any potions.”

“What do you mean there are no potions… Oh.”

It finally dawned on me what Seung-yeon meant. Of course there would be no potions after the workshop had been vacant for so long. Potions had a long shelf life, but the ingredients were a different story…

“We do have some left in storage, but since we’re not prepared, I wanted to discuss it with you before deciding. And there are too many customers.”

“I completely forgot. We need to restock ingredients too, right?”

“Yes. Jin-myung said he’d bring supplies this afternoon. But we need to decide which potions to focus on producing first.”

“Focus? Do we need that? Can’t we just make everything…”

“You won’t be able to handle it.”

I frowned at Seong San-ha’s blunt comment.

“What are you saying? There’s no potion I can’t handle.”

“Your mana must be limited. Can you really manage that many people?”

I followed Seong San-ha’s gaze out the window. The crowd clung to the walls like a horde of zombies.

“More customers is a good thing. I can certainly handle that much…”

“For your information, less than 5% of pre-registered people have arrived. People from outside Seoul will be coming too.”

“…”

I quickly calculated the numbers in my head. Joo Ho-hyun’s tiny amount of mana, assistant Seung-yeon, the list of potions that needed separate research, and the time remaining after excluding all that…

The calculation was complete. I turned around, with my back to the window, and folded my arms.

“As a Potion Master, quality matters more than quantity!”

“Good thinking.”