“I will buy it at the highest price… the highest price!”
Yerin Jeong’s answer was practically offering Kanghyeon Lee a blank check.
‘I must secure this.’
Even an ordinary Terrilif Mana Potion could easily exceed tens of millions of won per bottle.
The problem was, what good was money?
The situation was that it couldn’t be bought due to a lack of supply.
Some might say, “Why is a potion so expensive?” but in dungeons where a slight difference could mean life or death, the presence or absence of such a potion made a huge difference.
Moreover, the difference widened as one went into higher-ranked dungeons, so everyone eagerly sought out good items or potions, no matter the cost.
It was relatively cheap if you considered it a kind of life insurance.
The problem lay elsewhere.
The precious potion Kanghyeon Lee handed over had completely different effects than ordinary ones on the market.
‘If it not only restores mana but also increases it to the maximum limit…’
Yerin Jeong had already drunk the mana potion he gave her.
As soon as she drank it, her mana not only recovered, but she also felt her own mana capacity increase.
Ordinary Terrilif Mana Potions did not have such an effect.
‘I must buy it, even if it costs hundreds of millions!’
If it were put up for auction, influential guilds would surely try to buy it for billions.
That was why Yerin Jeong had offered a blank check.
If Kanghyeon Lee was not satisfied with their transaction and canceled it, Yerin Jeong would be the most inconvenienced.
Above all, Yerin Jeong had ambition.
She was scheduled to become the next Vice Guild Leader of the Fire Bird Guild, but her one weakness was being a support-type healer.
And she was B-Rank at that.
But what if she could increase her healing range by increasing her total mana capacity?
She might be able to rise from B-Rank to A-Rank.
In short, this transaction was essential for herself, and furthermore, for the Fire Bird Guild.
“However…”
Yerin Jeong continued.
The price would be settled at the highest offer anyway, and the problem was the next step.
“May I ask specifically how much you can sell?”
Normally, she would have assumed he only had one bottle, but Kanghyeon Lee had even offered her a sample.
This meant he could supply at least a few bottles.
In response to Yerin Jeong’s question, Kanghyeon Lee maintained his smile and pretended to ponder for a moment.
In reality, the Terrilif trees managed by Ciel were growing by the day, and he could produce dozens of bottles right away.
However, there was no reason to directly reveal that fact to Yerin Jeong.
“Initially, I’m thinking about ten bottles a month.”
Yerin Jeong’s eyes sparkled.
Ten bottles!
And ten bottles a month meant a continuous supply in the future!
Compared to the amount supplied to the market so far, it was a groundbreaking statement.
“H-how about, Kanghyeon-ssi…”
Yerin Jeong trailed off.
She had originally intended to ask, ‘Do you know how to cultivate Terrilif trees?’ but she realized she shouldn’t pry into such secrets.
‘Let’s not misunderstand.’
Kanghyeon Lee’s role was purely an advisor to the Fire Bird Guild, a mutually beneficial relationship.
He was not a guild member.
There was also a lingering anxiety that Kanghyeon Lee might leave for another place.
However, the more unstable the situation, the more she had to maintain boundaries.
If she fixated on him out of anxiety, he would inevitably leave.
‘Then how much should I think about?’
She had expected at most two or three bottles, but it was a whopping ten.
‘This is unbelievable!’
Her 고민 deepened.
‘100 million?’
That was obviously an absurd price.
If they just advertised it, hunters willing to pay billions would line up.
‘…1 billion?’
It was still absurd, but even if each bottle cost 1 billion, that would be 10 billion a month.
Even for the Fire Bird Guild, the expenses would be substantial.
As she pondered, Kanghyeon Lee spoke first.
“I don’t care what the Fire Bird Guild does with the Terrilif Potions we sell.”
Hearing that, Yerin Jeong changed her perspective.
Kanghyeon Lee wasn’t simply selling these potions!
Perhaps he intended to sell them under the guise of the Fire Bird Guild.
If that were truly the case, the Fire Bird Guild could sell them for an even greater profit.
“Kanghyeon-ssi.”
After much deliberation, Yerin Jeong spoke.
Didn’t she just say she would buy at the highest price?
“I’ll give you 3 billion per bottle.”
3 billion for one mana potion!
It was a sufficiently high price.
However, Kanghyeon Lee’s expression was not good.
It was an expression as if he disapproved.
‘Oh, no!’
If the deal fell apart here, everything would be for naught.
“L-let me think, I’ll give you 5 billion per bottle!”
A moment later, Yerin Jeong finally took the plunge.
It was 5 billion won per potion.
* * *
5 billion per bottle?
Suddenly, with the price jumping by 2 billion, I was the one who was surprised.
‘Why did she suddenly raise the price?’
Actually, I had a personal friendship with Yerin Jeong, and I was currently serving as an advisor to the Fire Bird Guild, so I didn’t intend to sell it at an exorbitant price.
‘Isn’t about 1 billion acceptable?’
I was thinking exactly that.
After all, I had Ciel, an elf.
With Ciel, the Terrilif trees could be replicated, so what did the price matter?
But Yerin Jeong’s thoughts seemed to be different.
– I’ll give you 3 billion per bottle.
Yerin Jeong’s words actually surprised me.
No, was it okay to sell it so expensively?
Still, more money was always good.
But if I readily accepted it, wouldn’t I be branded as a greedy person?
“Um…”
I was contemplating.
But the contemplation was brief.
– L-let me think, I’ll give you 5 billion per bottle!
Yerin Jeong’s statement, that she would increase the price by 2 billion from the current price.
‘Wow…’
I didn’t know why she changed her mind in such a short time.
However, there was one aspect I could anticipate.
‘Could it be that she’s confident she can sell it for more elsewhere?’
I’m not really selling this rare mana potion to help the Fire Bird Guild.
Naturally, I’m selling the Terrilif potion using the Fire Bird Guild as a backdrop.
‘There’s a difference between an individual selling and a guild selling.’
If an individual sells something with amazing effects?
They might face significant backlash immediately.
In a worst-case scenario, there could even be threats to their life.
But if the Fire Bird Guild sells it, the story changes.
My existence would be thoroughly concealed, and people would believe that the potion was produced using the Fire Bird Guild’s secret methods.
‘Hmm.’
I was contemplating.
Yerin Jeong was destined to become the Vice Guild Leader of the Fire Bird Guild.
If she was confident in sales, wouldn’t it be acceptable to accept this price?
‘Come to think of it, it wouldn’t be good for either of us if I gave it away too cheaply.’
If such a rare potion was sold at a low price, the buyer might feel uncomfortable.
I immediately changed my expression and extended my hand.
“I look forward to working with you.”
Terrilif Mana Potions made by Azmo and Betta, grown by Ciel.
They do the work, and I make the money.
‘That’s great.’
If money flowed in from this transaction, I would have to take care of Ciel and Azmo as well.
‘They’re working hard now, so it’s only right to give them some reward.’
Moreover, Azmo and Betta had mentioned selling this potion through other channels.
That meant they were working diligently.
Of course, it wasn’t as effective as the one given to Yerin Jeong just now.
What they were selling was a mana potion with a reduced content of Terrilif leaves.
Even so, while the recovery effect was good, it didn’t have the effect of increasing mana capacity.
‘Now’s the time to move near Azmo and expand the production process.’
Thanks to the Fire Bird Guild, a plan I had vaguely dreamed of was about to be advanced.
* * *
A warehouse district on the outskirts of the port where darkness deeply settled.
It was a quiet night, with only the occasional scurrying of rats.
Betta, the subordinate officer of the incubus Azmo and a slime monster, stood in front of warehouse number 13, looking around as if guarding the surroundings.
He was in a perfectly transformed human state.
Betta, who had lived as an experimental subject for a long time, was a slime proficient in transformation, and he was currently in the form of a tall businessman.
No one could guess that he was a slime monster.
Precisely at midnight, he knocked three times on the warehouse door.
A moment later, a small observation window opened from inside the door.
“Who is it?”
“The Night Crow is more valuable than gold.”
After a moment of silence, with a creaking sound, the warehouse door opened.
The air was filled with the mixed scent of dust and rusted iron.
Betta entered without hesitation. The door closed softly behind him, and he felt a sense of disconnection from the world.
The interior of the warehouse was different from its exterior.
Dozens of transaction tables were arranged under dim lighting, displaying various illegal items and rare goods.
Surprisingly, Betta wasn’t the only one there.
People with their faces hidden by masks or veils wandered around the warehouse, browsing items they might want to buy.
This was the black market.
A place where goods outside the control of the government or the Hunter Association were traded.
Monster parts illegally excavated from dungeons, forbidden artifacts, and even live dungeon monsters… a place where anything could be obtained if you had the money, the black market.
Betta passed by a man of massive physique leaning against a wall.
He was a man whose face was not hidden, and Betta recognized him as an individual wanted by the Hunter Association as a B-Rank villain.
Thus, the black market was a place where the boundaries between hunters and villains blurred.
Only necessity and desire existed there.
Even high-ranking guild hunters visited this place to obtain special items for dungeon raids, so it was practically operated with the tacit consent of the government.
Betta walked towards a section separated by red curtains, deep within the warehouse. That was the meeting place.
When he opened the curtains and entered, a man with a pale face was sitting there.
“Are you Crow?”
Betta asked.
Naturally, Crow was not his real name, but an alias.
“I go by Betta.”
Betta introduced himself by his real name, but he didn’t mind, as the other party would surely mistake it for an alias.
“And I have the item you’re looking for.”
Betta placed the bag he brought onto the table.
The man called Crow’s eyes sparkled as he examined Betta and the bag.
“Yes, you said it was a Terrilif Mana Potion. It’s almost legendary now. Do you actually have it?”
Betta carefully opened the bag.
Inside were several small glass bottles.
All of them contained a liquid that emitted a blue light. The bottles gave off a pearly glow, faintly illuminating the room.
“Here, I recommend trying one of the bottles you desire.”
Betta said, opening his hands to the other party.
It meant that they were all Terrilif Mana Potions, so there was no need to doubt.
Crow carefully reached out and picked up one of the glass bottles.
He held the bottle up for a moment, as if to catch the light, then opened the cap. A rich scent, like a mixture of leaves and clear oxygen, spread through the room.
Crow did not hesitate and brought the bottle to his lips, taking a sip.
“……!”
A refreshing feeling of mana surging within him.
It was different from ordinary mana potions.
His eyes widened in surprise.
“Wow, it’s true.”
Crow’s voice contained both surprise and desire.
He set down the half-empty potion and slowly looked back at Betta.
His expression had completely changed. He now looked serious about the transaction.
“What’s the price?”
Betta closed his bag and replied.
“100 million per bottle.”
“That’s expensive.”
Crow frowned.
Terrilif Mana Potions were actually traded for tens of millions of won.
Even with the price increase due to its rarity, 100 million per bottle was expensive.
But Betta had no intention of backing down.
“You just confirmed the quality yourself, didn’t you? If you’re not willing to trade…”
“No,”
Crow interrupted Betta by raising his hand.
“I’ll trade. Then how much can you supply?”
“As much as you want.”
Betta said confidently.
Crow’s eyes twinkled.
“Then I’ll buy all you have. Let’s meet tomorrow at this time at a different location.”
“Very well.”
The two shook hands briefly, and Betta got up with his bag.
As he left, he did not look back once and exited the black market directly.
“…”
A moment after Betta left, Crow opened another door hidden behind the curtain.
Inside was a small room, and a man was waiting there.
“Confirmed. Boss.”
Crow said to the man.
“It really was a Terrilif Mana Potion.”
At Crow’s words, the boss nodded. Then he opened his mouth and commanded.
“Gather all the hunters for tomorrow night.”
“Understood.”
Crow replied with a bow.
They were planning to kill Betta and rob him of the potions.
