A brief moment of rest arrived after Dong-sik and I switched roles supervising the site.
I lay back on the sofa, closed my eyes, and let my thoughts wander.
To be honest, it still didn't feel real.
Just from orders placed through online shopping platforms alone, we were looking at hundreds of thousands of units of Luktic Cream.
At this point, with our current facilities and manpower, we simply couldn't handle any more orders.
So we temporarily marked Luktic Cream as out of stock across all online sales channels and blocked additional purchases.
The production cost of one 200 ml container of Luktic Cream was about 2,000 won.
We sold it for 10,000 won, leaving a margin of roughly 80%.
Of course, if we eventually built a large factory, automated the process, and hired full-time staff, the final net profit would fluctuate.
Still—
The numbers were staggering.
Orders through our official website totaled around 40,000 units, while orders through Naver Smart Store reached roughly 300,000 units.
Combined, that amounted to 3.4 billion won in revenue.
After subtracting raw material costs, platform fees, and other expenses, we'd still be left with around 2.6 billion won.
Even after accounting for corporate taxes and the wages paid to part-time workers responsible for packaging and shipping an enormous 340,000 units, the remaining profit would still be immense.
There was also the fact that Naver Smart Store only released payments after products were delivered and customers confirmed their purchases.
Even so, the 400 million won worth of orders placed directly through our official website alone would keep us afloat for the time being.
"Alright…"
I pushed myself up from the sofa.
Physically, I was exhausted—but thinking about the incoming orders and revenue gave me renewed energy.
Was this what people meant by financial therapy?
Before my next shift with Dong-sik, I decided to stop by home briefly.
When I checked the quantum computer yesterday, the "progress to next knowledge" meter had reached [189/200].
Producing the Skin Regeneration Agent in massive quantities to keep up with orders had rapidly filled the progress bar.
At this point, it felt like the conditions to unlock the next piece of knowledge might already be met.
I left the warehouse and headed home.
In the living room, I checked the Akashic Records interface on the quantum computer.
As expected—the progress bar was completely full.
***
[Skin Regeneration Agent] (Tier 1)Progress to next knowledge: [200 / 200]
Congratulations! You have achieved the required progress to unlock the next knowledge!
The moment I saw that message, the letters began flashing, and a triumphant fanfare-like sound echoed from the quantum computer.
It felt like something straight out of an old-school video game—The kind of graphics and sound effects you'd see after clearing a quest.
…Whoever designed this UI had some seriously retro tastes.
But that wasn't what mattered right now.
What mattered was what knowledge would be unlocked next.
While filling the progress bar by producing the Skin Regeneration Agent, I'd realized something—
The required production volume was far greater than I'd expected.
If I hadn't started the business with Dong-sik and mass-produced the agent, filling the progress bar would have taken far longer.
And I didn't have that kind of time.
If future knowledge required even larger production volumes, unlocking them could demand far more effort—and far more time.
As the doctor had said, my father's condition could worsen drastically at any moment.
Even tomorrow.
It wouldn't be strange if he suddenly took a turn for the worse.
Please—Let something appear.Something that could cure my father, or at least ease his condition.
A faint high-pitched tone sounded, and the Akashic Records screen shifted.
Characters inside rectangular boxes began changing.
New knowledge was unlocking.
Two items appeared.
[Stage 1 Elixir] (Tier 1)[Knowledge of the Galaxy I] (Tier 1)
"…Elixir?"
The word was painfully familiar.
Something straight out of fantasy games or novels—
A miraculous potion that cured all physical ailments.
"S-Seriously…?"
I immediately clicked the box labeled [Stage 1 Elixir] (Tier 1).
A detailed description popped up.
[Stage 1 Elixir] (Tier 1)
Description:Heals bodies afflicted by abnormal conditions and diseases.If complete recovery is not possible with a Stage 1 Elixir, symptoms will be alleviated.
It was real.
A technology capable of treating human illness.
I opened a DOS window and immediately asked the quantum computer.
[Input: The 'Stage 1 Elixir' knowledge that was just unlocked—Is it really a treatment capable of curing my father's illness?]
[System Message: Yes. It is a therapeutic agent applicable to the human body.However, as stated in its description, certain diseases exceed the curative capacity of a Stage 1 Elixir.In such cases, the effect manifests as symptom alleviation rather than complete recovery.]
[Input: Even if it can't fully cure him…Does that mean it can at least extend his life compared to doing nothing?]
[System Message: Yes. That is correct.]
[Input: It's called a Stage 1 Elixir…Does that mean higher-stage elixirs with stronger effects will be unlocked later?]
[System Message: Correct.As you continue to unlock knowledge and technology from the Akashic Records,formulas for higher-stage elixirs with greater efficacy will eventually be revealed.]
So that's how it worked.
Even if the Stage 1 Elixir couldn't fully cure my father—
This was still a huge breakthrough.
It could alleviate his symptoms.
Modern medicine could only slow the rate at which his body deteriorated.
It couldn't reverse the process.
But with the Stage 1 Elixir, I could restore his damaged body to a better state—even if only partially.
Just like the Skin Regeneration Agent, this elixir would undoubtedly demonstrate effects that far surpassed modern science.
Even if it couldn't cure him immediately—
It could buy time.
And during that time, I could expand the business, accumulate resources, and continue unlocking the Akashic Records—
Until I eventually obtained a higher-stage elixir capable of curing him completely.
Without hesitation, I moved the mouse.
[Stage 1 Elixir] (Tier 1)
Do you wish to begin decrypting this knowledge?[▶ Yes] [No]
I clicked Yes.
Elsewhere
"Director, have you seen the news?That celebrity—Min Seo-ah—apparently recovered completely from the burn scars she suffered in the sulfuric acid attack…"
"Ah, yes. I remember her.Back then, when that incident happened, we were quite busy too—investigating the import and distribution of hazardous materials.I also saw the recent report that a venture company's technology fully restored her skin."
"The company that developed that technology…It's reportedly run by Hyun Si-woo, the same young man linked to the simultaneous government and financial institution hacking incident."
"…What?!That kid is running a company now?There was no such report."
"Apparently, after that incident, he founded a company called Luktic with a childhood friend.But how they managed to develop such advanced medical technology remains a mystery…"
"No… how is that even possible?He was just an ordinary young man.Could it be that he was actually the hacker behind that incident after all?Maybe he stole technology from a government research institute during the hacking and used it."
"We investigated that possibility.So far, no government-affiliated research institute has ever researched or possessed technology of that level.Some experts even say that not even U.S. research institutions currently have capabilities matching what Luktic demonstrated."
"…That's unbelievable.Founding a company out of nowhere, then developing technology even the U.S. doesn't have…Have we detected anything unusual from the wiretaps or surveillance devices we installed?"
"No, sir. Nothing noteworthy so far."
"Keep watching him closely.There's something about this kid that's been bothering me."
"You mean Hyun Si-woo?"
"Yes.After reviewing the reports, I noticed something—his father was horribly wronged by a major corporation.Chemical poisoning at a factory, now on the brink of death.As usual, the company denies all responsibility."
"Yes, sir."
"We overlooked something.We dismissed the possibility entirely because we thought a man in his twenties couldn't pull something like that off alone.But think about it—what kind of ideology would someone develop if their father suffered something like that?"
"…Ah."
"He might have become an anti-corporate radical.Seeking revenge against the establishment, he could've orchestrated cyberterrorism in ways we never considered—Or acted as a bridge for groups capable of carrying it out."
"We'll increase surveillance on Hyun Si-woo immediately."
"Good.Something feels off.After decades in this field, my instincts are telling me we missed some variables—important ones.Dig deeper."
"Yes, Director."
Cambodia
"AAAGH—!! I'm telling you, I really don't know!!"
A man screamed in agony.
This was a secret NIS safehouse in a remote area of Cambodia—A concrete underground facility designed so that no sound could ever escape.
The interrogator frowned and shook his head.
"This bastard's stubborn. Still not talking?Alright—shock him for another fifteen seconds."
"Yes, sir!"
Bzzzt—!Zzzzz—!
"AAAAAAAGH—!!"
A current—insufficient to kill, yet more than enough to cause unbearable pain—coursed through the man strapped to the chair.
Far from South Korea, methods reminiscent of the military dictatorship era were openly used against so-called 'threats to national security' captured overseas.
The man being interrogated today—
Was just an ordinary hacker who had launched a ransomware attack against Hyun Si-woo's computer.
He had done it purely for money.
But the NIS believed he was a foreign operative—an advance agent sent by North Korea or China to establish an attack route for large-scale cyberterrorism.
Fifteen seconds passed.
The current stopped.
"Ghhk… huff… huff… I told you, I don't know anything…!North Korea, China—I don't know!I just spread ransomware to get Bitcoin!"
"…Tch.What kind of threat could make him keep his mouth shut this tightly?"
"Team leader, is it possible he really is just a small-time hacker who knows nothing?"
"…Hmph.For now, keep interrogating him.Just don't kill him."
"Yes, sir."
That night, screams echoed through the NIS safehouse until dawn.
For the hacker, it was a truly unjust fate.
***
After issuing the decryption command for the Stage 1 Elixir, I returned to the warehouse.
I briefly checked that Dong-sik was supervising operations, then went back to the office to catch a short nap.
That was when my phone suddenly started ringing.
An unfamiliar number.
Probably a call from a media outlet—or a distributor wanting to discuss supply.
That's what I thought as I answered.
But the unfamiliar voice on the other end said something completely unexpected.
[Is this CEO Hyun Si-woo of Luktic?]
"Yes, this is he. Who's calling?"
[My name is Park Jae-seok, Chief Secretary of Daesung Group.There is an urgent matter I'd like to discuss with you.Would it be possible to meet in person at your earliest convenience?]
Daesung Group.
One of the top five conglomerates in South Korea.
A place often referred to as a dream workplace.
Back when I was job hunting, I'd applied countless times—only to be rejected at the document screening stage every single time.
And now—
The chief secretary of that very conglomerate was calling me directly, asking for a meeting.
I felt a strange mix of emotions as I replied.
"Of course.Please let me know a time and place that works for you."