Chapter 311

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 311

Chapter Title: I Cheer for You.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Tch, not many decent items up for grabs today, huh?"

Baek Woo wasn't what you'd call an exceptional Player.

A mid-tier one in the level 40s.

He barely pulled his weight as a Player, but Baek Woo was content with that.

Because his rare skill Market Appraisal was incredibly useful.

It let him spot hidden treasures in online auctions and snag them for a steal, or buy undervalued stocks dirt cheap and flip them for a fortune.

Sure, his low level meant he couldn't always gauge true value perfectly, but it didn't matter.

Just buying and selling what he could appraise was enough to rake in big money.

"These days, there are just too many appraisal-type Players around. The second something's even a little cheap, they swarm it like bees and buy it all up... Hmm."

The downside was that making money was getting tougher.

Inevitable, really.

This was the Iron Age.

An age where one appraisal Player yesterday could become three today and ten tomorrow without anyone batting an eye.

High-level Players above 60 might be fine, but with mid-tier ones overflowing, competition was fierce.

"Maybe I should hit up a dungeon again?"

That's why Baek Woo was mulling it over.

To not fall behind the growing competition, diving into dungeons to level up was the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠best bet.

"Eh, whatever. What I have now is plenty to live comfortably."

But he soon shook his head.

He'd already banked billions—no need to risk his neck in dungeons just to level up.

"Guess I'll grab some food first."

Beep.

"Let's see, what fancy feast today... Huh?"

As always.

Shoving ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠aside worries about the future, Baek Woo fired up his food delivery app to enjoy the day.

But as he went to pick something, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"What the hell is this insane price?"

Baek Woo was baffled.

His Market Appraisal triggering on food wasn't unheard of.

Legendary hole-in-the-wall spots sometimes showed inflated market values, while overhyped ones came in low.

But a plain bowl of jjajangmyeon appraising over 20,000 won? First time ever.

Especially from his usual go-to Chinese joint.

And the real kicker? It didn't stop there.

"What the—?!"

20,000 won for one bowl was crazy enough.

But watching it smash past 30,000 and keep skyrocketing left him stunned only briefly.

Baek Woo's face hardened.

Not just jjajangmyeon—every menu item at every restaurant was surging the same way.

'No way...?'

He bolted to his computer.

Searching specific categories on his always-open auction sites and home shopping pages, he let out a groan.

'All food-related market values are spiking several times over?'

It had happened before.

Like during that presidential hostage crisis, when panic hoarding hit over fears of national collapse.

But even then, staples like rice and bottled water only doubled or tripled at worst.

This five-fold-plus inflation left even Baek Woo scratching his head.

'What the hell is going on?'

'Come to think of it, there were those news bits about Russian military drills and the Pacific Fleet mobilizing.'

'No way it's actually war... Nah, couldn't be.'

The thought made him scoff.

This country had stayed untouched even when demons razed Europe or the Seven Dragon Society flipped Asia.

With the Infinite Monarch and Infinity Guild around, no new catastrophe could possibly strike—or ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so he firmly believed.

"Huh? Wait, what? What's this now?"

...Clothes, furniture, appliances.

Not just auctions.

Home shopping sites too—prices on nearly everything were following food's lead and exploding.

But that was nothing.

Sold-out stamps everywhere.

By the time Baek Woo snapped out of his gaping shock, over 80% of items were delisted or halted.

...As if hundreds of companies had all gone on strike at once.

'This...'

Cold sweat dripped from Baek Woo.

He had no clue what was happening.

But anyone not a total idiot could tell something massive was unfolding.

'F-First, stock up on essentials!'

He rushed to snap up whatever remained—especially food.

Market price be damned; not buying now meant no amount of money would help later.

But the instant he hit purchase on the first item...

He froze again.

Nothing to buy even if he wanted.

Money burning a hole in his pocket, but unusable.

In a nightmare he'd never even imagined, Baek Woo could only blink in dazed horror.

"...I see."

[Yes. We're mobilizing all affiliates to restock shortages, but the losses are massive.]

"Don't worry about losses—keep it going. We'll figure something out on our end too."

Click.

After hanging up.

Li Chingwei sighed.

Then she addressed Rimon, Aynsha, and Yuna Kyung, who were watching her intently.

"As expected, it's started on the Chinese Seventy-Seven Federation side too."

"Damn, they move fast."

"The economic sanctions were already in motion before the Seven Dragon Society incident—as a warning taste. Now they're serious, to keep me and Aynsha in check."

Yuna Kyung gaped at the calm Li Chingwei.

[...This is 'keeping in check'? The country's about to collapse!]

"It won't collapse. At worst, national bankruptcy, decades of economic regression sparking riots."

[That's what collapse means!?!]

Yuna Kyung was dumbfounded.

Imports halted on grains like rice and wheat, toys to cars.

Domestic farms and factories shutting down left and right, financial system paralyzed— nationwide chaos party in full swing.

Yet Li Chingwei acted like it was no big deal. Unfathomable.

"But with the Black Dragon Clan and White Dragon Clan going all-out, we can manage."

"Meaning they've only poked enough to keep us scrambling."

"Any real overreach, and Rose steps in."

Neither princess was panicking.

One reason: Compared to their worst-case scenarios, this was actually mild.

Without the neutral Blue Dragon Clan's absence.

And if Rimon hadn't targeted the Liberation Brigade, Charlotte and her trio would've gone full economic warfare for the kill.

"They figure this is enough to tie our hands."

"And while we're distracted, they hunt the Liberation Brigade and pull ahead."

"Most rational play."

Li Chingwei explained coolly.

The Seven Dragon Society wielded massive mainland influence.

But that cut both ways—they were vulnerable to mainland disruptions.

Post-London, the Blue Dragon Clan's recovery efforts had shrunk their activity. Exhibit A.

That's what Charlotte's trio was banking on.

The more Black and White Dragons scrambled on sanctions, the less bandwidth to chase the Brigade.

"Can't ignore it, though. Do that, and it really collapses. Checkmate."

Aynsha muttered blankly, gloomily.

She'd foreseen abandoning sanctions defense to hunt the Brigade.

Result? Disaster.

Chasing a scattered Brigade worldwide while the mainland burned? Like frying hotteok amid a fire—tasty maybe, but you'd end up homeless after.

[Argh, those sisters play dirty...! Team Leader, we strike back!]

"Strike back how?"

[Hit 'em with economic sanctions too!]

"Sanctions?"

[Yeah!]

"From hotel-heavy Leviathan and art-dealing Tiamat?"

[...Yeah.]

"Think that'll work?"

[...]

Her initial enthusiasm fizzled.

Under Rimon's deadpan "You serious?" stare, Yuna Kyung averted her eyes.

Hotels and services? Annoying without, but not life-or-death.

Arts and culture? Same deal.

Sanctions there would just boomerang bigger losses on Leviathan and Tiamat.

Rimon eyed the hyped-then-deflated Yuna Kyung pitifully for a beat.

Then asked Li Chingwei and Aynsha:

"Any countermeasures?"

"The Federation can coordinate production across the seventy-seven states, ramp up internal trade—hold domestically for a bit."

"I'll persuade the gods. Plenty scattered worldwide. Mobilize churches for aid and donations—get past the immediate crisis."

Worthy of Seven Dragon Society princesses.

Each leveraging national and religious might for responses.

But Rimon caught the nuance.

"'For a bit,' 'immediate crisis'... Meaning we buy time to find a real fix."

"Regrettably."

"Food, supplies, cash. Shortages worsen. No fix, we fall."

The princesses admitted their limits plainly.

Apophis dominating grains.

Bahamut, the world's factory.

Fafnir ruling finance.

Three mega-corps any one a handful—now allied in earnest.

Leviathan and Tiamat, weakest in funds and reach among Seven Dragon Group? Overmatched.

"Money, food, supplies... Food's the most urgent, then."

"Yes. Vital too, but food shortage hits people hardest, stirs most panic."

"Plenty of food calms chaos big-time. But nowhere to get it."

Rimon drummed fingers on the table thoughtfully.

Then spoke lowly.

"Got it. I'll handle food."

"...?"

"..."

[...]

Sudden silence.

Three awkward gazes fixed on Rimon.

So blatant the princesses and bird's stares made him frown.

"Why the faces?"

[Uh... Team Leader, not sure I heard right...]

Yuna Kyung glanced around cautiously.

Confirming via Li Chingwei's subtle expression and Aynsha's blinking that she'd heard correctly, she asked hesitantly.

[So... you're pressuring the Red Dragon Clan to resume food supplies?]

"Nah, not planning that."

This was part of proving worth.

Unless mass starvation hit, sanctioning them over grain cutoff to pressure Black/White wasn't fair.

[Then what?]

"If food's short, just procure that much."

[...Team Leader's providing the Federation and Holy Alliance's shortfall?]

"Something like that."

Yuna Kyung eyed him like he'd lost it—irreverently.

Massive quantities even Leviathan and Tiamat couldn't handle.

Rimon claiming he'd fix it? Hard to buy.

Aynsha, stone-faced in turmoil, clenched her fist decisively then.

"I believe in Rimon."

"Oh? You do?"

"Yes. So ignore the aftermath—loot to your heart's content."

"...Why assume I'm robbing them?"

"Simple. Only way to get that much food: raid Apophis and take it. And you can."

"..."

"We're at war. Loot from enemies is spoils. So... I cheer for you, Rimon."