CFZ

Just moments ago, the mixture had been intact, yet now it had completely decayed, rendering it useless.
"As you can see, this is the situation," the Poison King said.

"…Yes, I see that now."
With things in this state, there was no way to produce an elixir, let alone something as significant as the Dokcheon Pill. Judging by the sheer amount of failed mixtures in the room, it was clear how many attempts had ended in failure.
"How much money must have been wasted on this?"

It wasn’t as if only a few expensive herbs were used.
"At this rate, they’d have been better off just rolling up the mixture and eating it as-is."
I wasn’t an expert on elixirs, but the intact mixture I had seen earlier was of considerable quality. If I were to compare, it was less potent than Shaolin’s Great Elixir but still superior to their Lesser Elixir.

Even that level would make it an extraordinary elixir.
"But, of course, the Poison King won’t be satisfied with that."
The Poison King had seen the original Dokcheon Pill with his own eyes. How could he forget its unparalleled brilliance?

An elixir on par with the legendary Great Elixir.
After witnessing such a miracle firsthand, there was no way he could settle for anything less. Especially now, when they were so close to completing the final step.
In that position, he turned to me and asked, "Can you truly resolve this issue?"

I had, after all, declared that I might be able to solve the problem. At this point, his hope was impossible to suppress. The real issue was…
"Tsk…"
…I wasn’t entirely confident myself.

"Seeing it in person, I understand better now."
The problem was clear.
"It’s just as I expected."

The demonic energy within the powdered mana stone. As soon as it was introduced to the mixture, it caused an immediate reaction, corrupting the fresh ingredients and dispersing the once-brilliant energy.
It was as if the energy within the stone refused to coexist with any other force.
"What a primitive and violent energy."
With such a reaction, it was no wonder the elixir couldn’t be completed. Even if the formula was sound, this process was doomed to fail.

"There must be a reason the mana stone is required."
I didn’t dismiss the method entirely. After all, the formula had been handed down by an elder of the Tang Clan. It wasn’t the recipe that was flawed; it was the execution.
With that conviction, it was time to try my approach.

"I can’t say for certain, but… I have a few ideas I’d like to test," I said.
"We’ve already tried countless approaches, only to fail each time… Finding a new method won’t be easy," the Poison King replied.
"Yes, I imagine it wouldn’t be."

Still, I had something others didn’t. A unique edge.
"I can do what others can’t."
There were bound to be methods that others couldn’t attempt because of their limitations. And I had the means to try them.

When it came to mana stones, I was confident.
"How many mana stones have I consumed over my lifetimes?"
Including both my previous and current lives, the number was beyond counting. I had absorbed more mana stones than I could remember.

If the final issue lay with the mana stone, I knew I had a chance.
"Do you have any more mana stones?" I asked.
The Poison King pointed to a cart in the corner of the room. Inside were a few mana stones.

There weren’t many—three at most. It was fewer than I had expected, but I wasn’t disappointed.
Mana stones that retained their original color were rare. Over time, they naturally lost their hue.
And these were red mana stones. Even if the frequency of Crimson-Rank beasts had increased, hunting them solely for their stones wasn’t common practice.

It was impressive that the Tang Clan had even gathered this many and conducted experiments with them.
"This will do."
I nodded and grabbed one of the stones. As I brought it to the prepared mixture, I turned to the Poison King.

"Clan Leader Tang," I said cautiously, "I need you to promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
"Whatever you’re about to witness, you must tell no one."

"…"
The Poison King’s face showed a flicker of unease. The very nature of my request was alarming—it was clear that what I was about to do wasn’t ordinary.
Under normal circumstances, he might never have agreed. But…

"…Fine. I swear it upon my name and the Tang Clan," he said, understanding the gravity of the situation.
"That’s not enough," I countered. "You need to swear on Tang So-yeol as well."
Even his prior promise wasn’t sufficient for me. I needed something greater.

"…!"
The Poison King’s expression darkened. He seemed both offended by my lack of trust and angered that I had invoked his daughter’s name.
"Do it," I pressed. I had no intention of backing down, and he had no other choice.

"…Alright."
"Good. I’ll hold you to that. Oh, and one more thing," I added, still holding the mana stone.
"Stop with the formal speech. You don’t need to address me so politely anymore."

I distinctly remembered him dropping honorifics with me in the past. Was he still sulking over the "incident" last time?
"…That’s—"
Before he could finish his thought—

Buzz—!!!
"Huh?"
He didn’t get the chance to say another word. I had already begun.

His jaw dropped as he watched.
The mana stone in my grasp was losing its color.
I had activated Demonic Absorption Technique (Mado Cheonheupgong).

The energy from the stone flowed into my heart, filling it with demonic energy. Though the mana stone held a substantial amount, absorbing it didn’t take long.
In the blink of an eye, the stone had turned completely clear. Its once-vivid red hue was gone. I tightened my grip.
Crack—!

The now-translucent stone crumbled in my hand. Transparent mana stones were inherently fragile.
I added the powder to the mixture and stirred it a few times.
"Hmm."

As I touched the mixture, there was no reaction.
Assessing the situation, I turned to the Poison King. "The first attempt was a failure… Clan Leader?"
His expression was priceless. His widened eyes and gaping mouth made it clear he had just witnessed something beyond belief.

The Poison King stared at me as if he were seeing me for the first time. I had anticipated a reaction, but this was more than I’d expected.
Then again, extracting the color from a mana stone instantly was an absurd feat.
"What… What did you just do?" he stammered.

"Nothing much. Just don’t forget the promise you made," I replied.
"There’s no way that was ‘nothing’—"
"Next."

Ignoring his astonishment, I moved on. I didn’t have time to address his every reaction.
"The first test was a bust."
The Poison King had already tried using colorless stones before, but I had tested it just in case. The result, as expected, was failure.

The only difference was that the mixture didn’t rot. But even so, it still failed to meet the desired outcome.
"Now then…"
It was time to move on to the next method.

Now the real work would begin. I was about to attempt something no one else had tried before.
Ssss—!
 

I focused my energy, deep in thought.
"The demonic energy causes a backlash when introduced."
It completely ruins the materials, making them unusable.

"And yet, the mana stone must be included as an ingredient…"
However, if you use one without energy, there’s no reaction.
"This means the mana stone must play some crucial role."

Even as I tried to make sense of it, a lingering question arose.
"Why does it have to be a red mana stone?"
Why had the elder from the Tang Clan specified a red mana stone? There were green and blue mana stones as well, so why red in particular?

What role did the mana stone play in the creation of the Dokcheon Pill? The questions swirled in my mind, yet my actions didn’t pause.
Sssaaaahhh!
The energy from the mana stone flowed into my body. Just like before, I was draining the stone of its color.

Using the same method as earlier, I noticed the Poison King watching with suspicion. It was only natural—doing something that had already failed might seem absurd.
But this time was different.
My real attempt would begin once the mana stone was fully drained. I confirmed that the energy was completely gone and the stone was empty inside.

Now.
"Hoooo."
Exhaling slowly, I changed my approach. Instead of drawing out energy—

"Hup."
—I infused it back in. The energy from my heart flowed into the mana stone, filling the once-empty interior.
The difference was that I wasn’t using demonic energy. Instead, I was channeling the energy from Nine Flames Wheel Technique.

As the mana stone filled with energy, its appearance transformed. The once-red stone now radiated a pale blue hue, almost indistinguishable from a blue mana stone.
"Is it reflecting the color of my energy?" I wondered briefly but didn’t dwell on it.
"The color doesn’t matter right now."

What mattered was the Dokcheon Pill, not the hue of the mana stone. Determined, I reached out to the Poison King.
"Give me what you’re holding," I said.
"Ah…."

The Poison King, as if entranced, handed me the tool he had used earlier to grind the mana stone. I grabbed it and, without hesitation, began grinding the stone once more.
Screeeeech—!!!
With deliberate force, the grinding went faster this time. The process didn’t look any different from before. The powdered mana stone fell into the mixture and began to integrate.

Once enough powder had been added, I set down the tool and stone. It was time to knead the mixture.
But then—
Crack!

"Hmm?"
I turned to see the newly infused mana stone shatter into pieces.
"What now…? Damn it."

Though I was briefly startled, my focus quickly returned to the mixture. With steady hands, I kneaded it thoroughly, ensuring the powder blended evenly.
That’s when I felt it.
Ssssshhhhh—!

"The energy is moving."
The energy within the mixture began to stir. However, I didn’t let my guard down—similar activity had occurred during the earlier failures, resulting in the materials rotting.
I kept my focus, kneading slowly and observing the state of the mixture.

Saaaahhh—!
The energy continued to flow. This time, though, there was no foul odor. And then—
Flash!

"Huh?"
Suddenly, the mixture emitted a bright light—a familiar pale blue glow.
"What the… Could it be?!"

The Poison King, equally startled, hurried closer. I, too, smiled faintly as I observed the glowing mixture.
"It’s done."
The light grew stronger as I continued kneading. There was no mistaking it.

If it wasn’t a failure, there could only be one conclusion.
"Success."
At this very moment.

The Tang Clan’s greatest lost treasure.
An elixir said to rival even the Great Elixir. The Dokcheon Pill had been successfully recreated.
"This… This can’t be…" the Poison King muttered, approaching in disbelief.

I looked at him and spoke with a smirk. "See? Clan Leader Tang, didn’t I tell you I had a method?"
Surely, I deserved a little praise for this. As I caught my breath, the Poison King spoke.
"My son-in-law… Did you truly accomplish this?"

"Son-in-law…? What did you just say?"
Something about his choice of words struck me as utterly strange.