Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Two Rabbits
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I tried to calm myself down.
I steadied my chest with deep breaths.
*In times like this.*
Nothing beats having a conversation with someone.
[Skill: 'Great Skeleton Summon' (B-Grade) used.]
[30 stamina used.]
['Sun Spear' appears.]
['Eldrin' appears.]
['Demir' appears.]
I swung my staff to call forth the bones.
This was one of the perks after they became able to talk with me.
"Lord."
I could discuss things and seek their opinions.
In other words, I never had to feel lonely.
"How dare they dirty my lord's abode and even demand your presence? They must be utterly mad!"
Sun Spear gripped his spear upright, radiating a ferocious aura.
"That bastard Shin Jong-oh—I'll go sever his head right now. Grant me permission!"
Sun Spear was reliable as ever....
Just give the order.
And he'd charge off to tear Shin Jong-oh apart in an instant.
*Shall I?*
The thought crossed my mind because I trusted him so much.
Worst case, if Sun Spear got taken out, it'd just cost me 10 stamina.
I had nothing to lose.
It was the perfect way to serve up a massive humiliation to the enemy at minimal cost.
"Hoo."
Of course, I had no intention of doing it.
This was still a world crawling with hunters stronger than me.
Recklessness belonged in the dungeons.
Who knew?
There might even be a ranker there.
"Hmm."
As I pondered, Eldrin looked around curiously from beside me.
"Is this the world where you live, Lord?"
Her eyes, fresh from summoning, clearly sparkled with curiosity about this new world.
"Well, it's a new space with you in it, so of course it's where you live."
Demir appeared at her side.
Three in total.
These were the ones I'd summoned right after arriving.
The ones who could hold a conversation.
Demir glanced around briefly before shaking his head.
"But as your abode, it looks like it needs a lot of work. I can't bear to see my lord Demir living in a place like this."
"Ooh, are you about to start hammering away? Mind if I join the ritual?"
"Hmm, we should build a palace. One towering high enough to look down on all beings in the world, no?"
"Sounds good. I'll look into a protective barrier ritual. Let's leave traces of our kin in this world."
"Wait, wait."
I quickly reined them in.
Otherwise, they'd start swinging hammers and remodeling the place on the spot.
That wouldn't do....
I wasn't the homeowner here.
I was just renting....
Besides, the house wasn't the issue right now. Shin Jong-oh was.
"Thanks, but let's drop it."
"Got it."
Eldrin smiled brightly.
"By the way, judging from the tense atmosphere, does this place have something like a Giant Dragon too?"
"First, we need to figure out who this Shin Jong-oh is. I've never heard of him, so he can't be a ranker."
I pulled out my smartphone.
He ran a small hunter group, so maybe he'd show up on a portal site.
And sure enough.
"Shin Jong-oh, C-Grade hunter, eldest grandson of the chairman of Oseong Group, one of the top ten corporations in the country.... Ha, a chaebol heir? No wonder he was throwing money around like it was nothing."
"Chaebol? What's that, Lord? Is it impressive?"
"Yeah, you could say that. He's got a ton of money."
"Money...."
"In our world, money is power. Think chairman's son."
I scrolled through the info from the portal site.
Being a chaebol was fine and all.
But why pick a fight with me?
Still, there were limits to what you could learn online.
"Lord."
That was when Demir spoke up.
"Yeah?"
"If having lots of money makes you a chairman's son, does that mean this is a world where money is power?"
"Pretty much. Things are shifting a bit these days, but in the end, power moves with money."
You could even buy rankers with cash.
"Fascinating. Well, I can't judge a new world by my own values. So, how much money do you have, Lord?"
"My money...? Out of nowhere?"
"I want to know your standing here."
"Alright."
I opened my banking app and checked my account.
[Account Details]
[Account Holder: Joo Dong-hoon]
[Hunter Premium Account E-Grade]
[Total Balance: 5,805,000 won]
That was the deposited amount.
Add in the cash strewn on the floor below, and it was about ten million won?
Practically nothing for a hunter.
"You could say I have basically none."
Of course, selling the 'Fire Dragon Staff' I gave to Boneo, or the bag I carried, or the materials would change that.
But right now, yeah, I was broke.
"I see."
Demir fell silent for a moment, then called me again.
"Lord."
"Yeah?"
"How about we make some money?"
"Money?"
All eyes turned to Demir.
My gaze, Sun Spear's, Eldrin's.
"You're the one who sealed a Giant Dragon, Lord. Can you believe a great being like that lacks power in this world? I, Demir, can't accept it."
"....Damn, you're really laying into the bones there."
"Think simply. If power here is money, then having more money than anyone solves it, right?"
"...."
Was it the dwarf in him making it so straightforward? Or was it just not wrong?
Plus.
To uphold my creed of *an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth*.
Hitting back a money-flashing punk with money made sense.
"Is that so?"
Was it?
I'd thought about asking Gi So-yul.
One favor from a ranker would end it all.
But for some reason, I didn't want to.
As Demir said, I was the guy who'd sealed a Giant Dragon.
Now, I felt like I could stand tall in this world on my own.
You couldn't rely on someone's protection forever.
*Besides.*
There were endless reasons to make money in my world.
Materials to raise proficiency? Money.
Protection from vicious rankers? Money.
Take Baek Don.
He was a ranker, sure, but even higher rankers didn't touch him because of his wealth.
*And.*
I was a B-Grade hunter now, yet still holed up in a basement studio. It bugged me.
Didn't I have the right to live like a human being?
"Alright."
I nodded.
"It's something I can do alongside training anyway."
Train, and.
Use the spare time to earn cash.
Shin Jong-oh?
No need to play games with a small fry like that.
It was a challenge instead.
*Oseong Group, huh?*
Grandson screwed up, so let's target the parent company first.
*And I have.*
I set down the bag on my back and patted it.
Inside were the incredible materials that would make me rich.
I had to deal with them anyway.
*I even have the business item to make it happen.*
* * *
"Huh, a workshop in this day and age?"
"Look, skeletons too. Gotta be a necromancer, right?"
"Seriously, why bother with a workshop? Go hit dungeons instead. Workshops are dying out thanks to the big corps. Dying trade, dying trade. Tsk tsk."
"But gotta admit, it's impressive. More precise and faster than the laborers."
Goto Mall, the underground shopping arcade at the high-speed terminal.
The shop owners gawked.
Seven skeletons hustling with rebar and swinging hammers.
It was a rare sight, no doubt.
"Huh, who knew you could use skeletons like this. Amazing."
Word spread fast.
Even made the news as 「Goto Mall's Necromancer」.
Naturally, nearby owners took interest.
Especially the middle-aged lady next door, who looked about fifty.
She stuffed me with snacks, calling me her son and such.
"Hey, kid. I heard skeletons are dumb and hard to control for work.... That right?"
"Probably my ability's a bit special."
I brushed it off, and she covered her mouth laughing.
"So amazing. Hehe. Smart kid. These days, youngsters with power head straight into dangerous dungeons. This is better. Plenty of ways to contribute to society using your skills."
"You're right."
"Hehe, makes me proud. Anyway, we're neighbors now. Take care."
"Thanks, ma'am."
I invested all ten million won I had on hand.
Rented a prime spot in Goto Mall at high monthly rent.
Bought all sorts of interior supplies.
「Demir Workshop」
That was the sign first.
Since I planned to leverage Demir heavily, I named it after him.
"Haha, Lord! Spot on! You've got a knack for naming!"
Demir was thrilled.
Interior work sped up thanks.
Clang! Clang!
[Production-related skills usable without surrounding tools.]
No need for pricey makeshift gear, thanks to his cheat-level hammer.
Just swing it, and ore became ingots, ingots became rebar.
[Skill: 'Mid-Grade Smelting' used.]
['Iron Ingot' created.]
['Iron Ingot' created.]
[Proficiency +1.]
Proficiency gains were a bonus.
"Lord, I'll start the enchantment ritual now."
Eldrin didn't sit idle either.
"Enchantment ritual?"
"The air here's super impure. Stuffy throat and clogged nose just sitting here."
"Ooh, and?"
"So I'm doing an air purification enchantment ritual. It'll make this area as fresh and crisp as a forest zone. My proficiency's low, so it costs 100 iron ingots. Okay?"
"100 ingots."
The ore pile in my bag could make a mountain.
100 ingots? Worth it for clean air.
Skeletons don't breathe, but....
For my later Taecheong Heart Method training, fresh air was a must.
"Sure."
"It'll take a bit, so wait."
Eldrin built a simple altar and began the ritual.
Watching it come together step by step lifted my mood.
"Alright, keep up the good work, everyone."
I left the bone crew to the workshop and headed to the central plaza.
Goto Mall, dominating the entire Gangnam underground, was massive.
About ten minutes' walk from my spot to the center—says it all.
The center had a small auction house.
Since I was starting a workshop, I needed to build buzz gradually.
[Item: Demir's Mass-Produced Sword]
[Grade: B]
[Type: Sword]
[Description: A weapon swiftly crafted by blacksmith 'Demir.' Boasts solid performance for its grade.]
[Effect 1: All stats +10.]
[Effect 2: Stamina +20.]
[Effect 3: Skill power +30%.]
I listed one hastily made sword first.
The best I could do with current proficiency.
Of course, pouring my soul into it like before might differ.
But for business, steady production was key....
"Oho, quite the fine sword."
The appraiser at the auction house lit up.
"You're really selling this?"
"Yeah, made at Demir Workshop."
"Huh, this quality's almost on par with big corp gear?"
"Just testing the market with one."
"Hmm."
The appraiser examined it closely.
"Perfect timing—auctions are short on items. Starting bid at a million won seems right. With luck, ten million easy."
Ten million was average for a B-Grade weapon.
My goal wasn't max profit but name recognition, so I nodded readily.
"Please take care of it."
Business prep done.
I'd hear the results later. Now, training time.
I left only bones at the workshop and headed to the open area.
*Don't lose sight of the goal.*
Earning money was just a step to ranker status—not the endgame.
My ultimate aim: become a ranker.
No skipping training for that.
The money rabbit.
The strength rabbit.
I planned to catch both.
