"Is this the right count?"
"If you take into account the one you blew up, then yes. Don't complain."
Lennok and Mila quickly returned to the outpost and divided the eyes of the creatures they had caught.
The number of contaminated creatures Mila had taken care of after breaking through Maoren's restraints was nineteen in total.
When Mila blew one up in excitement and Lennok excluded it from her share, the count was perfect as Lennok received 12 pairs and Mila 7 pairs.
Although her lips protruded in dissatisfaction, there was no chance for her to argue because it was her own fault.
Still, she didn't seem unhappy considering she earned 7 million cells in such a short time.
Lennok was also satisfied with the money he earned from this hunt.
Including the eyes of the contaminated creatures he had collected before meeting Mila, he had a total of 19 pairs.
When converted into money, it was a huge amount equivalent to 19 million cells.
It was a little short of the 20 million cells he aimed for, but it was enough since he made this much money a day ahead of schedule.
"Good job."
Lennok, who received the reward for the hunt at the outpost, first thanked Mila with a grin.
After all, it wasn't a bad thing that they were able to catch many contaminated creatures at once in the ruins.
Although nothing went exactly according to her plan, it wasn't a big deal.
Mila also grinned and shook the hand he extended.
"Yeah. The magic you showed today was impressive. You should come visit our office sometime."
"Do I have to?"
"Dylan talks about you so much that the boss is curious. These days we're doing well and getting a lot of good jobs, so if you need a well-paying job, drop by."
She didn't seem to put much thought into the invitation, but Lennok didn't forget her words.
Certainly, the type of requests when working alone and with an office are different.
When working alone, it's difficult to participate in joint requests that require group work.
Getting on good terms with mercenaries like the Antares office isn't a bad idea for getting a foot in different places.
But Lennok didn't show any of these thoughts and just chuckled.
"Sure, I'll think about it sometime."
It wasn't something he needed to worry about right away.
After sending off Mila, who was planning to loiter around the undeveloped zone some more, Lennok moved his steps back into the city.
As soon as he reached an area where the network was fully restored, he sat down in a nearby alley and pulled out his phone.
He put a cigarette in his mouth and went straight to the auction site to place a bid without hesitation.
An overpay that easily exceeds from the usual market price.
However, not many people are interested in the elixirs that go up for auction, so the competition doesn't get too fierce.
"Haah……."
As he let out a sigh, blowing out a cloud of smoke, Lennok leaned against the dirty cement wall.
He could finally relax for now.
If no one bids a higher amount until three days from now, he just needs to deposit the money into the auction then.
He can watch the situation and if a competitor appears, he can bid a higher amount with the remaining money.
That was the best he could do alone.
"It should be better after the registration on the deep web is properly done……."
As he rubbed his face with the hand holding the cigarette, Lennok mumbled blankly.
How nice it would be if he could get his hands on rare elixirs or relics through the rewards of the requests instead of looking for them himself.
Lennok was ready to bear some risk, even if it meant disrupting his current lifestyle, for that purpose.
What was left now was to experiment with the effects himself.
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
It had been a week since he returned from the undeveloped zone.
The cluttered items in the old one-room apartment were all cleaned up.
In the middle of the room, which was small and spacious at the same time, a bright red cloth with an exquisite pattern was laid out.
The pattern that symbolizes the Stania Pharmaceutical Group and the combination of red color signifying elixir.
There is only one thing this means.
Lennok had finally succeeded in obtaining the elixir Stemmonia through the auction.
Although he ended up spending all his money because a competitor caught up the day before, Lennok had finally gotten the elixir.
The packaging was reminiscent of a traditional health supplement for the elderly, but Lennok didn't care at all.
With his trembling hands, he tore the wrapping paper and carefully took out the hidden case.
As he carefully opened the lid of the brown wooden box coated with gold leaf, a strong fragrance arose.
Although its appearance was not clearly visible because it was wrapped in white paper, it seemed as if he could already feel its profound energy.
"Phew……!"
All preparations for perfect consumption of the elixir were already complete.
The barriers around the one-room apartment were reinforced two or three times, and to prepare for any possibility, he even had a separate conversation with Jenny.
He spread a blanket in the middle of the room and bought twenty bottles of water and placed them nearby.
He was prepared to contact the local fire department with one button, as he didn't know what would happen with the consumption.
The task Lennok was about to undertake was nothing less than a great adventure in his life.
‘Logically thinking, there's a high chance there won't be much improvement.'
No matter if the elixir trades for a price easily surpassing 100 million cells, fundamentally, it's a medicine created to enhance the health of the consumer.
It was better not to expect that it could eliminate the penalty that Lennok is currently burdened with from its roots.
Rather, there might be side effects. If excessive vitality is injected, it might actually have a negative impact.
Considering how empty Lennok's current physical condition is, it was a step he needed to take at some point.
Whether it's possible to improve Lennok's penalty with the elixirs in use in this world.
And if it is possible, how much effect it would have.
It's necessary to prepare himself to take on more risks and roam the backstreets of the city in the future.
It had been decided long ago, and he had come to terms with it.
All that was left was to confirm it.
He removed the white paper and took out a small plastic cylinder inside.
A blue round pill was floating inside the glass bottle visible beyond the transparent glass wall.
Lennok, with his trembling hand, slowly put the elixir into his mouth.
Gulp.
The hard texture that seemed so to the touch, as soon as it hit his tongue, it melted like cream and disappeared into his throat in an instant.
From now on, it's an unknown territory that Lennok has no knowledge of.
Although he had read a few reviews posted by those who took the elixir on the net, there is a huge difference between reading about it and experiencing it firsthand.
His heart is pounding like crazy.
The raw elixir that went down his throat is burning hot, making him feel exactly where his esophagus is.
The heat that kept flowing down into his stomach, the moment it went over to the stomach, Lennok's body started to heat up.
Whoosh!
"Haah……!"
He let out a rough breath due to the heat that quickly rose from his stomach.
This is dangerous. The effect of the medicine was significantly stronger than what he had anticipated.
It was probably because Lennok's body was too weak compared to the energy of the elixir, but there was nothing he could do about it now.
This was something you could never know unless you experienced it yourself.
He had no choice but to clench his teeth and completely digest the elixir.
It reminded him of a scene from a martial arts novel, but Lennok was neither a robust martial artist nor could he handle something like inner energy.
If it goes on like this, he might pass out without being able to endure much longer.
And that would be the worst situation for Lennok, who couldn't control his own condition.
‘Mana… Damn it… I didn't want to resort to this if I could help it, but I have no choice.'
Lennok gritted his teeth and started to draw out his mana and inject it directly into his body.
"Ugh!!"
He had been strictly refraining from pouring his mana directly into his body due to the penalty of mana addiction, but at this moment, it was more urgent not to pass out.
If he loses consciousness and the fever keeps rising without an end, he could die without anyone knowing.
Lennok didn't plan to end his miserable life just inside this one-room apartment.
As he started to strengthen his entire body with mana and control his bodily functions directly, his body began to stabilize.
Once this is over, he would have to suffer from excruciating pain for at least two weeks due to mana addiction, but stabilizing his body was the priority.
By enhancing his physical abilities and endurance directly with mana, it became much easier to endure than before.
It wasn't that the heat had subsided, but rather, it felt as if the limit of endurance he could withstand had significantly increased.
Lennok slowly laid down on the blanket he had prepared in advance in that state.
"Hoo… Hoo…?"
He took deep breaths calmly, trying to somehow calm his racing heart.
Sweat was already pouring out of his body like rain due to the excessive heat.
It was difficult to tell right now whether his condition was improving or getting worse.
Lennok had no knowledge of such matters, and there was not enough time to learn.
The only reliable evidence was that there were multiple cases where people older and in worse health than him took Stemmonia and didn't get worse.
That was the minimum safety measure Lennok could trust.
Gulp, gulp!
When he felt like he had sweated too much, he opened a bottle of water and poured it straight into his mouth.
The water that couldn't be fully contained flowed down his chin, but he didn't care. That wasn't important right now.
He maintains his consciousness and endures until the heat inside his body disappears.
He replenishes the lacking fluid with the bottled water he prepared in advance.
Continuously circulating his mana, Lennok made an effort to keep himself fully alert.
Time continues to flow.
The heat that was continuously gushing out of his body subsided after staying up all night, well past half a day.
He didn't expect to stay up another night like this.
Lennok sighed as he looked out the window at the dawn with bloodshot eyes.
Heroes in stories might pass out after taking a potion and wake up much stronger, but if Lennok did that, his body was in such a condition that it wouldn't be surprising if he ended up on the road to the underworld.
Only after his pre-prepared blanket was soaked with sweat and overflowing, and after he emptied all but two bottles of the prepared bottled water, did the effects of the potion finally wear off.
Taking the potion didn't make his body feel particularly lighter.
However, it was clear that his condition didn't worsen even after staying up all night.
"Ugh…"
Groaning, Lennok, who struggled to sit up, silently looked down at the blanket he had been lying on.
He had thought there might not be any visible effects from taking the potion, but that was a misconception.
His blanket was already beyond saving due to all kinds of waste that Lennok had sweated out.
"I can't use this."
Lennok shook his head as he looked at the blanket, which was far beyond just being stained yellow.
Even if he washed it for use, there was no guarantee it would return to its previous state.
It seemed much better to buy a new blanket.
Rather, it was surprising that so much waste had built up in his body.
"Hmm…?"
Before putting the blanket away, Lennok crouched down, dabbed his sweat that had soaked into the blanket, and sniffed it.
It was unpleasant, but he did it because he had a hunch.
The color of the waste that soaked the blanket wasn't the normal color.
If Stemmonia really has the effect that Lennok thinks it has…
"As I thought…?"
Lennok nodded his head after confirming a faint smell of tobacco mixed in with the foul waste.
It's clear.
Just now, while taking the potion, Lennok had managed to expel the pollutants that had accumulated in his body from smoking over time.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
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