"Oh, I won't shoot you."

"Yeah."

"Anyway, have you been lowered enough? If it's not enough, you need to drink a weak potion."

I measured my physical condition by gradually moving my limbs. It was a long way. That was why it was barely a B-rank. I shook my head.

"I don't think it will be enough."

"I knew it, and I've been preparing for this. Hold on."

Just in time, the light turned red. Ming-ki took a large paper box from the inventory and handed it to me. When I opened the lid, ten glass bottles of white liquid were neatly contained.

"This is an A-rank weakening pot. It's a masterpiece made in one night by the potion makers of the Pado Guild."

"Really?"

"Yes. The guild leader promised a 300% bonus, so everyone worked overtime."

That's a lot of money. I thought for a moment.

It's not my money.

I pulled out a bottle with a brighter expression and reflected it in the air. Min-ki muttered with a somehow determined face.

"It's supposed to be used on weapons... You won't get any serious problems if you drink it. It went through a complete biopsy yesterday."

My head, looking around at the opaque liquid, jerked up. Who the hell were you experimenting with? I stared at Min-ki with suspicious eyes for a moment, then opened the lid and drank the potion without hesitation.

However, the feeling that came over my body was a little different from Min-ki's words.

What difference does it make?

Unlike the bracelets that worked as soon as they were worn, the potion did not change. The name alone is too useless to say that it was the result of some terrible biological experiment. I opened the second bottle with an enigmatic face.

"What do you think?"

Without answering, I drank the second bottle. But my condition remained the same.

Is there really no difference?

Min-ki asked carefully.

"If it's not rude, can I ask you for an answer? If you don't feel well, you should take an antidote right away."

"Min-ki."

"Yes, sir."

"Does it take time for the effects to kick in?"

"No. Experiments have shown that the effects are immediate upon ingestion. Maybe it's because I made it with all my heart and soul, but even one bottle of this reduces my physical ability and rank. There's a system warning window. I was afraid that my weakened ability would be "fixed" as it is.

It gets a little weird as it goes on. Are you the one who was tested on this? I looked at the empty bottle and kept asking as if I had checked it several times.

"The system warning window appears.

"Yes. What's wrong?"

I opened the lid of the third bottle without saying another word. At this point, Min-ki also noticed that something was wrong. He asked while nervously tapping the steering wheel.

"Well, maybe. It's really a joke. I don't think so, but just in case."

"......."

"No effect...at all?"

I swallowed.

Even after drinking the third bottle, there was no change in my body. Min-ki, who was watching the scene, looked almost crying now. Why isn't it working? I agonized for a while, then suddenly raised my head.

"Minki-ssi."

"Yes."

"In your system, the Weakening Potion is treated as poison?"

"Ah, yes. Yesterday, our guild leader also took one, and since all poisons were ineffective against him, the Weakening Potion was also ineffective against him..."

Min-ki's eyes began to tremble relentlessly as she replied. I silently covered the box. The basilisk's venom seemed to decipher it on its own, without saying anything about drinking the Weakening Potion. It must have decided that it was not even worth displaying the system window, since it was A-rank.

"Don't tell me, are you resistant to poison? I didn't hear that. If anything, I was told that you are highly susceptible to poison and that I should take care of you properly..."

Min-ki asked nervously. At the end of the sentence, it was almost as if he was talking to himself.

"Excuse me."

"Yes? Yes. Go ahead."

"Is there any other way to lower the rank besides this?"

Min-ki, who had lowered his head and was lost in thought, suddenly raised his head.

"...How about I go to the Hunter Market right now and buy a bunch of Weakening Curse items with my Corporate Card. I've always wanted to do something like that at least once in my life."

"I refuse."

"Of course you do. The rumor will spread immediately."

Murmuring darkly, Min-ki let out a long sigh.

"I'm really sorry, but I didn't foresee this situation at all... Yes, the silver bracelet is all I have right now."

The atmosphere in the car suddenly dropped. Min-ki was mumbling with empty eyes, maybe because he was shocked by the failure of the plan.

I was a little at a loss in this situation, but I tried some small talk that I learned while working at Haejang-guk, because the person next to me was more depressed than necessary.

"Are you a Buddhist?"

"What, what? I have no religion."

Then what is that prayer bead dangling in the rearview mirror? I wanted to ask for a moment, but I just rubbed my nose in the thick smell of failure. But my honed verbal skills weren't about to crumble here.

"Here's a prayer bead."

When I tapped the prayer bead with my fingertips, Min-ki seemed to realize that he had left it on. He gave a little exclamation and nodded.

"I bought it at a souvenir shop in Bulguksa for 20,000 won. For the reality show. Doesn't it go well with this vehicle?"

He likes reality shows. Is this coming from a guy who drives a car in a suit? My eyes cooled, but fortunately the small talk seemed to do its job. Min-ki murmured with a slightly excited face, as if his momentum had been revived a bit.

"If it makes me look like a Buddhist, then it's done its job and it's worth buying and hanging."

"Oh, yes."

I opened the glove compartment on the passenger side, listening to Min-ki's rap-like words in one ear and letting them out in the other. It was filled with things like a rough massage machine, a foot iron, and a folding fan. When a fan was taken out and unfolded, the Buddha joined in the lotus flower smiled gently at me. I slammed the glove compartment shut.

Didn't he just catch a weakling?

As Min-ki's confidence in him plummeted, the car drove diligently and arrived near the registration center. Min-ki stopped the car in a paid parking lot overlooking the center.

The temporary registration center was a large container placed in the parking lot of the district office. At the entrance of the container was a life-size statue of Jung-bin with his thumb up and Lee Sa-young with her arms crossed and wearing a gas mask. There was also a banner over the door.

Congratulations on your Awakening registration! -Awakening Management Bureau'

It is an overwhelming image that can be trusted, even if it is set up to kill anyone who comes. Lee Sa-young's life-size figure was neater than Jung-bin's, as if it had been built according to a public service announcement. Min-ki turned his eyes slightly to avoid seeing the life-size figure of his boss.

"We got here first, but I don't think a pair of bracelets is enough to get a D-rank. Why don't you make a strategic retreat and come back?"

"When?"

"I have an overseas business trip scheduled, so I won't be able to do it until three weeks from now."

Does this make sense? I had to register as soon as possible and make an alibi, stared with cold eyes, Min-ki bowed his head.

"I'm sorry."

"Other ways."

"Actually, it's best to do it today. This container is to be used until the construction of this building is completed... Maybe until I come back from my business trip..."

"If you're going to rob an empty house, is it today?"

"Your choice of words is unusual. Yes, it is, and that bracelet."

I clenched my wrist. Min-ki said bitterly.

"If you don't get checked today, you'll have to stay like this until the next time, because this thing is actually disposable."

To be honest, it didn't really matter that I was under a weakening curse all the time. However, I read the inner thoughts behind Min-ki's words.

"Just go get checked out now."

"Actually, yes."

"Earlier, you said we should make a strategic retreat."

"That was a courtesy remark."

"......."

"You can do it. I trust you."

Min-ki clapped his hands in support. I was stunned. What does he believe in that he's so positive? Min-ki muttered again with a determined look on his face.

"Don't worry too much. If it doesn't work, I'll use the last resort."

"Don't think about using the last resort, just let me get D-rank."

"Well, don't feel pressured. I'll buy coffee and wait for you, so please take it easy. Go!"

I shouldn't hit people with prayer beads, right? I looked at the dangling beads and decided to give up. With my hands clenched and a supportive Min-ki behind me, I trudged to the makeshift center with my hood on.