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Chapter 201: Abyss (3)

A potion of potential and an elixir even higher than the finest elixir.

He coveted both.

“Can’t I have both?”

—Have you lost your conscience?

—This is an exchange for our Raven School’s recipe, not a personal deal.

—No special treatment. If you exchange everything for just three mental defense potions, there will be backlash.

Tsk.

Kim Minwoo clicked his tongue.

It was true that exchanging both of those for the Three Legendary potion’s recipe was close to profiteering. Just hearing about them, both seemed incredibly valuable.

‘And they would be much more useful.’

Then he had to choose one of the two.

A more potent elixir would be beneficial for the guild members.

Their potential was probably already high.

But for Kim Minwoo, what mattered wasn’t stats, but potential.

‘The answer is clear.’

How much he had yearned for it.

If only he had just average potential, no, even a little talent, he would have benefited in terms of skills or stats.

The recipe was his, so there was no burden in using it for personal gain.

“I’ll take the potential potion.”

—Good. Take it.

[Acquired the Potential Potion Recipe.]

Kim Minwoo also handed over the paper with the Three Divine Instruments recipe.

—Hmm. So this is how it’s made.

—You’ve put in all the most unpalatable things in the world.

—The proportions are exquisite…

Leluya, curious as always, examined the paper with sparkling eyes. Kim Minwoo also registered the recipe.

[New potion recipe registered!]

[You possess Elven Alchemy!]

[Skeleton Intermediate Alchemists gain new insights!]

[Alchemy proficiency greatly increased….]

Like fireworks exploding in his head, information about the potential potion and the necessary ingredients flooded his mind.

[Potential Potion]

[Upon consumption, slightly and permanently increases the target’s potential.]

[The required ingredients vary slightly depending on the potential stat.]

[Special Condition (Fixed Physique)]

[Your potential is ‘fixed’ at -999!]

[Special ingredients are required to release the fixed state!]

[Required Ingredients]

[1. Ancient Dragon’s Heart (10,000 years or older)]

[2. Flame of the Sun]

[3. Demon Lord’s Horn (Top 10)]

[4. Angel’s Wing Feather (Highest-rank Angel or above)]

[5. Crystal of Chaos]

[6. Pearl of the Abyss]

…Huh?

Kim Minwoo’s brow furrowed as he saw the required ingredients.

‘What the hell is this?’

The difficulty level was insane.

The Ancient Dragon alone was a problem.

The Dragon race was divided into Young Dragons, Elder Dragons, and Ancient Dragons. Among them, Ancient Dragons had the highest hunting difficulty.

The other ingredients also seemed extremely difficult to obtain.

Seriously, for a potion that only slightly increases potential, are these the right ingredients?

“Hey, Leluya. Is this really right? The ingredients are too outrageous.”

—Outrageous?

—What did you get?

He listed the six ingredients for the puzzled Leluya. With each ingredient, Leluya’s eyes widened.

—So… your potential is fixed at a negative value?

—Really?

—This is the first time I’ve seen this…

Leluya’s face turned serious.

The Potential Potion was one of the Raven School’s main products.

The unique aspect of this potion was that the ingredients varied depending on the target’s potential range.

Therefore, those who purchased the Potential Potion would first analyze their potential and then buy the potion made accordingly.

Leluya also had experience checking the potential of countless creatures across dimensions.

Based on that experience, Kim Minwoo’s case was very unusual.

-999 was a terrifying lower limit she had never heard of before.

And it was fixed?

Of course, Ananke had hinted at it before coming here. She said Kim Minwoo’s physique would have rock-bottom potential.

But she had only imagined it to be between -10 and -100, never such a low number.

—…I understand why those ingredients are needed.

—It means that such rare ingredients are necessary to break that fixed state.

—But I think I know where to find some of them.

“…Where? The Flame of the Sun, the Crystal of Chaos, the Pearl of the Abyss. I’ve never even heard of these.”

There were only three ingredients he could guess at.

The familiar Ancient Dragon’s Heart.

He had also met a Demon Lord once.

Mr. Ahn, who was ranked 72nd.

If it was within the top 10, it would be a Demon Lord far above Mr. Ahn.

He might be able to meet them somehow. He had an invitation to a masquerade ball where the Demon Lords were supposed to gather.

As for the Angel’s Wing Feather…

‘There’s a clue for this too…’

The Celestial City.

Wouldn’t he be able to meet angels there?

Or maybe meet Popo’s higher connection, the Intermediate Angel Jipael.

If he could somehow connect with the higher-ups, he might be able to obtain it.

On the other hand, the remaining three ingredients were mysterious items he had never heard of before. It probably wouldn’t be easy to obtain them from Earth’s Gates.

Merhen and Cedric were also shaking their heads, seemingly clueless.

Help me, Lelu-mon.

At least tell me where I can get them.

—…I’m sorry, but…

—I don’t know either.

—Wait a moment. I’ll ask the Grand Witch.

Leluya closed her eyes.

A moment later.

All three pairs of eyes opened wide.

—Oh.

—She’s willing to answer.

—And directly, too.

At that moment…

[Connecting with ‘Ananke’.]

The perspective completely shifted.

A pitch-black tree came into view.

A multitude of ravens perched on its branches. Ananke, who had been meditating, opened her eyes wide.

“Long time no see, Kim Minwoo.”

Her vision was completely shared with his.

It was familiar.

He had experienced it once before when he met Ananke. It was still a mystery how she, so far away, could share vision with him in the Outer Sea.

But that wasn’t important right now.

“Try to convey your thoughts. You should be able to do it now.”

‘…Like this?’

“That’s right. It’s faint, but I can hear it. The sound of your heart.”

‘Where are we?’

“The First City. And inside the Raven Tower. It’s also my training ground. Anyway, I heard the story. I was expecting it to some extent, but… it’s surprising. Fixed potential…”

Ananke, lost in thought, muttered to herself.

“We’re connected, so we can closely examine each other’s physical condition. Of course, with your current low proficiency, you’ve been unilaterally observed by me, but…”

Thud.

Thud.

She stood up and approached the pitch-black tree, stroking its bark.

“Something is interfering with your body. A lot of it. The fixed potential is probably because of that. But… it’s interesting.”

‘What is?’

“Your body is the worst, but your mind is more brilliant than anything. It’s like a chimera, forcibly joined together. Your soul and body.”

‘…’

Ananke was right.

Kim Minwoo’s body combined with Kim Woo-jin’s mind was his current self.

“You should have died. Your body can’t handle the soul. The vessel is too small. But it did. How? By giving you a massive penalty like fixed potential. That’s what I think.”

‘So, what are you trying to say?’

“Something impossible has been attached. It’s something even I wouldn’t dare to do. So I became curious. What was the purpose of it…”

Ananke smiled softly.

“That’s why I’m giving you information. That’s why I’m cooperating with you on fairly decent terms. Curiosity is the driving force of a witch.”

At that moment.

Rumble!

The inside of the tower shook violently.

The ravens hanging on the branches began to convulse.

—Caw! Stop!

—Caw! Curiosity is!

—Caw! Kill the rat!

—Caw! Kill it!

“Hmm… it’s difficult to say more. Anyway, you must be curious about the ingredients, right? You already know three of them. As for the remaining three…”

Ananke didn’t say anything more.

Instead, information was injected into Kim Minwoo’s mind.

“That’s all I know. It should be a hint. One of them is nearby.”

‘…I have a question.’

“What is it?”

‘When I increase my potential, will I always need these kinds of ingredients?’

“No. It’s only for the initial stage of breaking the fixation. It’s a kind of seal. Once the seal is broken, the ingredients will change to much easier ones.”

He roughly understood.

‘Thank you for the information.’

“It’ll be soon.”

‘…?’

“I found the main location of the Dragon Corps. When the time comes, we’ll move. You need an Ancient Dragon’s corpse, right? It’ll be a good opportunity. Take care.”

[‘Connection’ terminated!]

His perspective returned.

Light returned to Kim Minwoo’s dazed eyes.

The imbalance between soul and body.

The reason for the fixed potential.

He had heard quite a lot from Ananke.

‘Looking at this, connecting with her seems to have been a decent choice.’

Instead of being observed, she was informing him of his body’s condition like a doctor.

It was quite helpful information.

He also got hints about the remaining three ingredients.

Among them, the last sixth ingredient, the Pearl of the Abyss…

‘She said it was here, in the Oblivion Sea…’

It was truly an insane level of difficulty.

The Outer Sea, Inner Sea, Deep Sea, Extreme Sea, Oblivion Sea.

To think it would be in the Oblivion Sea, the very edge, not even the Extreme Sea?

The only fortunate thing was that this Abyssal Sea wasn’t a place he couldn’t return to unless it was this expedition.

The Abyss Lord only went out once every 100 years, but coming here was possible anytime. The witch could open a portal.

Leluya had said it.

The Oblivion Sea was a place where even the Grand Witch had difficulty operating. Since he couldn’t immediately make the Potential Potion even if he got the pearl now, he planned to withdraw if necessary.

‘I can come back later and get it.’

It would be much less dangerous to visit and search for the pearl when he was at a higher level than when he was at a lower level.

—The Grand Witch…

—Did she know?

—About the ingredients.

“Yeah. She said one of them is nearby. In the Oblivion Sea.”

—…The Oblivion Sea?

—The Pearl of the Abyss… Ah, the Abyss.

—It’s probably better to get that later.

He nodded casually.

‘By the way…’

Friedrich Nietzsche had said:

—When you gaze into the abyss. The abyss also gazes into you.

The same was true for Kim Minwoo.

Ananke had peered into his inner self.

The same was true for Kim Minwoo during the connection. It wasn’t just the observation of each other’s physical state that was shared. Their thoughts and emotions, albeit faintly, were also shared.

That’s how he could tell.

Ananke was curious.

To be precise, she was intensely curious about him entering the inner sea.

Because of the Abyss Lord hunt?

‘No.’

From Ananke’s perspective, the Abyss Lord was just a troublesome monster to catch because it was hiding, not a particularly formidable one.

That curiosity was directed precisely at him. As if something would happen when he entered the inner sea…

‘What is she curious about?’

…He didn’t know.

He would find out when he got there.

After a brief exchange of recipes and rest,

The group diligently moved forward.

The hordes of rats that had filled the outer sea seemed to have been wiped out in the last battle, as only small groups were occasionally seen.

After walking all day,

A giant gate appeared ahead.

—The entrance to the inner sea.

—Open it, and you’ll move to the inner sea.

—Be careful. It won’t be easy from the inner sea onwards.

Han Siah nodded.

She had been responsible for the mental well-being of the group. Although they had potions, her role would become even more crucial in the inner sea. As she steeled her resolve,

“Then, I’ll open it.”

The gate opened, and

[Entering the Abyssal Sea – Inner Sea!]

A much darker mist came into view.

At that moment,

—Coo!

Hayang, who had been quietly following the group, flapped its wings and began to fly rapidly towards the mist.

Its pupils sparkled as if it had seen delicious prey.

Its beak opened wide.

[Divine Beast, Hayang, activates its racial trait!]

[Starting attribute adaptation!]

[Perfectly adapted to the Abyss attribute!]

[Hayang consumes the Abyss attribute!]

Whoosh!

Like a vacuum cleaner, the fog began to be sucked into the wide-open beak.