"Ah, I'm not trying to single you out, sir."
"Yeah."
"Anyway, do you think your rating is low enough now? If not, you might need to drink the weakening potion too."
Cha Eui-jae moved his limbs slightly, assessing his own physical condition. It was far from sufficient. Even getting a B-grade would be a blessing at this rate. Cha Eui-jae shook his head.
"I think it's still not enough."
"That's what I thought. Just a moment."
Coincidentally, the light was red. Seo Min-gi took out a large cardboard box from his inventory and handed it over. When Cha Eui-jae opened the lid, there were ten glass bottles neatly lined up, filled with a hazy liquid.
"These are A-grade weakening potions. They're masterpieces made overnight by the potion makers of the Pado Guild."
"...Really?"
"Yes. The guild leader promised a 300% bonus, so everyone volunteered for overtime."
What a waste of money. But that thought was fleeting.
'It's not my money anyway.'
With a considerably lighter expression, he took out one of the bottles and held it up to the light. Seo Min-gi muttered with a determined look on his face.
"They're meant to be applied to weapons originally... but drinking them shouldn't cause any major issues. We conducted a perfect biological test yesterday."
Cha Eui-jae's head stiffened as he scrutinized the opaque liquid. Who on earth did they test it on? Cha Eui-jae glanced suspiciously at Seo Min-gi for a moment, then opened the lid and drank the potion without hesitation.
However, the sensation that came over Cha Eui-jae's body was somewhat different from what Seo Min-gi described.
'It doesn't seem any different.'
Unlike the bracelet, which showed immediate effects, the potion didn't seem to cause any change. For something created from ominous biological tests, it felt too anticlimactic. With a perplexed expression, Cha Eui-jae opened a second bottle.
"How do you feel?"
Without answering, Eui-jae drank the second bottle. But his condition remained unchanged.
'There's really no difference?'
Seo Min-gi cautiously asked.
"If it's not too much trouble, could you let me know? If you feel unwell, you should take the antidote immediately."
"Seo Min-gi."
"Yes, sir."
"Does it take time for the effect to show up?"
"No. According to our tests, the effect is immediate upon consumption. The potion is so well-made that even one bottle can lower physical abilities and rank. We even got a system warning."
The story was getting stranger. Did he test it on himself? Cha Eui-jae kept inspecting the empty bottle and asked again and again to confirm.
"You said it triggers a system warning?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
Cha Eui-jae opened the third bottle without saying anything. By now, Seo Min-gi had noticed something was off. Drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, he asked,
"Um, just in case. I mean, it's unlikely, but just in case."
"Is it having no effect at all?"
Gulp.
