Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Business Expansion
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"Already killed three people?"
In the impenetrable darkness where not even an inch ahead could be seen.
A voice like that echoed from somewhere.
"And who the hell are you?"
Sighing, Gonghyeok shot back.
He was certain that yesterday, after severing the Company King's head and promoting Jeong Hyeondo, he'd ingested about five times the normal lethal dose of sleeping pills and crashed into bed.
"What, some gathered-up goons? Or a mental attack from somewhere? My soul's already worn to the bone, so I'm vulnerable to精神 attacks anyway."
In this dreamlike, indefinable virtual space, he patted his pockets.
His hand grasped a familiar pipe.
Pulling it out, it was familiar, but it was 'Elise,' the very first pipe he'd made during his fourth regression.
'When I wake up, I might've gone mad and be in the middle of a killing spree.'
Recalling the past when he'd fallen victim to mental magic and turned everything into chaos, he took a puff from the pipe.
"I know what you're thinking, but that's not it."
The voice from beyond the space echoed faintly.
"So, what is it? What's your point? Why show up?"
Even with his irritated retort, the voice paid no mind.
"Don't you feel it? The pulsing from deep within Babel."
"What bullshit is that, spouting cryptic nonsense."
Just as he scoffed.
He felt it. A shock racing from his tailbone to his fingertips.
Gonghyeok's gaze subtly shifted downward.
Beneath the familiar Babel, at its very bottom, there was something he'd never noticed until now.
As if saying you'd only just realized, it emanated a brilliant light.
'Ah, so that's it.'
The moment he recognized it, he understood.
It had throbbed three times so far.
"What the hell is that?"
"What I want to say is simple."
The darkness lifted, and his perception drifted farther away.
"Don't do anything you'll regret."
With that bitter voice as the last.
Morning sunlight shone into Ju Gonghyeok's eyes.
He closed them briefly again, then slowly rose from the bed.
"Just a dream, huh."
The voice didn't return.
* * *
The mercenary business division chief who'd been dramatically promoted.
Now appointed as the manager of the entire business division, Jeong Hyeondo scratched his head.
"What happens now?"
"There's plenty to do."
Ju Gonghyeok wrote on the whiteboard in the corner of the conference room.
- Humanity Federation Formation Plan -
"Humanity Federation? Sounds like something out of a fantasy or sci-fi pitch."
Now fully in the subordinate role, Jeong Hyeondo used polite speech consistently.
"Killing monsters makes it fantasy, smashing machines makes it sci-fi. What are you on about now? Humanity Federation. Simple and catchy phrase, right on the nose."
Humanity Empire, Hunter Alliance, Pan-National Babel City Federation.
Whatever the name, it meant a new system surpassing the existing loose city alliances.
Gonghyeok jotted down the names of key cities.
"Gisa Association, Illibatus, Titanomachy. Including Company, these four cities will be the core."
"Titanomachy? The others, fine, but that's a demon realm city, isn't it? Ow ow ow!"
As the Heavenly Knight Guardsand piped up, the summoned Vampire Princess Dorothea beside him yanked his earlobe.
"A bug at the count level should keep his mouth shut. Necropolis is already in Master's hands. What's to fear about a demon realm city?"
"Exactly as she says. Titanomachy, Illibatus—we have ways to pull them in. This is just the final vision."
A new line appeared on the whiteboard.
'Company Development 3-Year Plan.'
"This is the important part."
He wrote a theme reminiscent of the 80s Saemaul Undong and listed the contents.
"Expand Company's combat personnel by over four times and maintain the minimum capability at C-grade or higher."
"Minimum C-grade is pretty high, isn't it? Basically, even the riffraff would need to become elites for that."
"First, the 180 nearby dungeons I cleared out."
Ignoring the question, Gonghyeok continued.
From his Special Forces 0 days, he rattled off the dungeons he'd madly farmed.
"Dungeons I hit while gathering holy beasts like Elder Dragons. We'll turn them into workshops for hunters."
"Workshops?"
- Ah, this is what you meant back then about building bases in dungeons and running lodging businesses?
Nathaniel clapped as if remembering.
The reason he'd smashed avatars bound to the 5th-floor dungeons wasn't just anger management issues.
It was to cooperate with this future plan.
"I've already sorted it out with the dungeon owners. The mercenary business division—no, now the Fixer Business Division—will use these 180 dungeons as bases. Prep to expand personnel, whether by recruiting from other cities or training up. Coordinate with the alchemy and equipment production divisions too."
"Specifically, how?"
"Build rest areas in the middle of the dungeons, run shops and inns."
"......."
Jeong Hyeondo's jaw dropped.
"What, this isn't some RPG game. Shops and rest areas mid-dungeon? That make any sense?"
Thwack!
A impact rang out on Guardsand's face.
"To survive from now on, you gotta level up like in an RPG. Right, Guardsand?"
"Human, why hit me when I said nothing?"
Ignoring the protesting Guardsand, Jeong Hyeondo asked.
"Other cities have tried building bases mid-dungeon. But monsters spawning right in the center, or the risks and effort not paying off, so they scrapped it."
"Monsters won't even approach human bases."
"Really?"
Gonghyeok highlighted it on the whiteboard.
"As I said, it's settled with the dungeon owners. No monster respawns near the rest areas, and they won't approach."
Jeong Hyeondo mentally crunched the numbers.
"Then dungeon expeditions get way less risky. No need to clear in one day due to food or water shortages, and if gear or lives are on the line, rescue from the rest area works."
"Not just weekly expeditions—you could live a full week inside the dungeon."
More items added to the whiteboard.
"Rest areas reduce dungeon risks and boost profitability. Initial setup takes manpower and people, but great for expanding combat forces."
"What about personnel from other cities?"
"Let 'em in if they pay up properly. If they copy us, they'll top out at half-assed success like before."
Screeech screeeeech—
Chalk noisily crossed the whiteboard.
- Half-Dong Mushroom Forest
- Silver Karah Mine
- Elder Dragon's Nest......
Twenty dungeons got marked as priority.
"These dungeons will be managed separately for alchemy materials, gold mines, etc. Limit access to relevant personnel."
"Not sure if we should expand this much."
Bam!
Flames erupted on Guardsand's head along with Jeong Hyeondo's grumble.
"Expand? To survive successfully from now on, this is the minimum. Can't? Better off dying early."
"So why keep hitting me?!"
Guardsand protested, seeming to take hits on behalf of others.
"You're getting hit 'cause you deserve it. Deal with it."
"Deserve it my ass! You've always inflicted unjust violence on this body! Hit me when bored! Hit me when your angel causes trouble! Can't live like this!"
He shot to his feet, eyes bulging.
"What's the reason you torment me?! For a healthy society with clear cause and effect, I can't let this slide!"
"Curious?"
"Of course! I've done nothing wrong!"
Gonghyeok rubbed his fist, eyeing the indignant vampire.
"Remember when you went from 3rd to 4th floor? 4th was your mission."
Guardsand's body stiffened.
He seemed to recall something.
"The mission there was 130,000 to 1. Survive against Heavenly Knight Guardsand."
"Uh, I remember that well enough..."
"And you alone racked up tens of thousands of kills babbling about bugs."
Crack!
Guardsand's head smashed into the solid wooden desk.
"Still got any grievances?"
"None, sir."
"Better not knowing why you're hit than knowing, right?"
- Lately he seemed kinda friendly and pitiful. But nah, total scumbag after all.
Even Nathaniel agreed, and the unparalleled scumbag Guardsand sank.
Jeong Hyeondo let out a heavy sigh.
"If we're about done, let's head out."
"Head out where?"
Gonghyeok pulled a simple nameplate from the table.
- Company Internal Affairs Director Ju Gonghyeok (Korean) -
"Starting today, this is my office."
Jeong Hyeondo was speechless.
* * *
"And who the hell are you?"
In the alchemy lab filled with cauldrons and mercury fumes.
"Make it to this formula."
Ju Gonghyeok showed up at the alchemy business division and slapped down a recipe sheet.
The alchemists' faces crumpled horribly.
Just hours ago, the parachuted Internal Affairs Director.
A thick-headed brute who only knew fighting.
'Here come the meddling higher-ups who know jack shit.'
They had recipes honed over decades, incomparable to this formula from some outsider who'd never even sniffed mercury.
'No way some non-expert barges in dictating recipes.'
'If you're a parachute, stay holed up in your office.'
Company's alchemy business division was the first group of alchemists to form a business.
The self-proclaimed best in Babel wouldn't buy into some outsider's words who knew zilch about alchemy.
"What the fu~ck is thiiiis?"
An old alchemist munching on mystery weeds in the lab corner shuffled over.
His drugged-out eyes scanned the sheet.
"Any good?"
"Shut up and smoke it."
Without hesitation, Gonghyeok jammed a cigarette up both the old man's nostrils.
"Crazy!?"
"What'd you do to the Development Chief, sir?"
As the surrounding alchemists freaked out, the old man sniffed, greedily inhaling the smoke from his nose.
"Hmm!?"
The old man's eyes popped open like a newborn on Viagra.
And then...
"Kuh-heok!"
He spewed blood and collapsed.
"Chief!"
"What happened? Get up!"
The alchemists rushed to the old man.
"Pupils are fine!"
"No almond scent, so not mineral poison."
"Ju Gonghyeok, Internal Affairs Director! What poison did you use? Developing a poison that could take down the Chief is our dream!"
Amid the alchemists' uproar, the old man sprang up.
"Left nostril: combat stimulant. Right: physical activator. The former mixes 45% excitants from 13 types, 27% inhibitors from 4 types..."
Gonghyeok smirked as the old man ranted excitedly to himself.
"So, what's the verdict."
"Mind blown! Yes! The taste, it's like the ideal product I make 20 years from now!"
He handed the sheet to the old man, who'd unknowingly hit the jackpot.
"Mix it as listed. Missing materials? I'll grab 'em from dungeons soon. Business and demand will multiply, so stockpile plenty."
"Who are you, really!"
The old man clutched Gonghyeok's pant leg.
"Even with the recipe, the blend's masterful! No amateur! Have you seen it?! The world beyond this drug! Have you seen it!?"
Silently, Gonghyeok pulled a tobacco pouch from his pocket.
He packed the pipe tobacco firmly.
"Remember this. The day you'll reach it."
The aroma brushed under his nose.
The old man etched into memory what awaited at the end of his path.