Chapter 8
Chapter 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: 50 Times the Cost Price Should Be About Right, Right?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Hoo...”
Yoo Jihyun, who aimed to become a Hunter hunting gate monsters, was currently undergoing a rank examination at the Korean Awakener Association.
The rank examiner shouted in surprise.
“B-rank?!”
Most Awakeners started at F-rank.
The highest was D-rank at best.
Even Kang Seung-hyuk, said to be the strongest Awakener in Korea right now, was only A-rank.
And that was after a year of growth from hunting gate monsters.
Yet B-rank just one day after returning from the game world?
There was no one among Korea's Awakeners with that kind of potential—she was the only one.
It was a score that put even S-rank, of which there were only two worldwide, within reach.
“She's a talent who fought on the front lines until the very end in Another Real World. She could be far stronger than regular Awakeners.”
Jeong Seonghwan of the Gate Management Department couldn't believe the results right in front of him.
Players, different from Awakeners.
Their abilities were still unknown.
“All 'Players' possess potential that surpasses existing Awakeners. We must support them unconditionally.”
Jeong Seonghwan nodded at the staff member's words.
“We should... But did she say she'd work with us?”
“Yes, she said it's her mission.”
Jeong Seonghwan was a little moved.
“I heard she's the youngest daughter of DH Group?”
“That's right. The company that supplies parts to SG Group.”
“Noblesse oblige...”
Jeong Seonghwan spoke to his aide.
“Spare no support. Do everything to help her grow stronger.”
“Understood.”
In a situation where Awakener manpower was scarce.
They couldn't let top talent slip away.
Valkyrie Yoo Jihyun was leveling up by hunting monsters in gates.
'Hoo... It really is tough after the reset...'
She looked at her weapon and thought.
'If only Woojin had enhanced it...'
For her achievement in slaying the Demon King, Yoo Jihyun held the number one contribution in Unriworld and had one extra perk.
She could bring one of her items from there into reality.
Yoo Jihyun looked regretfully at her weapon, 'Gale Roll'.
'I didn't expect the enhancement stages to reset too...'
The spear she used needed at least +3 enhancement to be properly wielded.
Only then would one of its abilities unlock.
Gale Roll was a legendary weapon that unlocked special abilities at +3, +6, and +9.
She couldn't unlock the special abilities, but even so, Gale Roll's performance was tremendous, allowing her to level up in a C-rank gate that beginner Awakeners could only dream of.
It was insane growth speed to others, but she wasn't satisfied.
'I need to get stronger. If Earth stays like this, this place will be soon too...'
She pulled out her smartphone for no reason.
'Woojin... Why hasn't he messaged...?'
It wasn't like him, but her pride was a bit hurt.
All the men in her life had tried to make even a small connection with her.
'Should I go see him myself?'
They'd talked all night, but neither felt tired at all.
Because they'd seen hope for escaping this damn poverty.
100 million won spare cash? Settling for that would just pass poverty on to the next generation.
And Woojin felt good seeing Sangjin actively voicing opinions.
Sangjin was forced to attend university due to Woojin's stubbornness, but at a young age, he faced the world with a jaded, enlightened attitude.
No old soul was as old-souled as him.
Woojin felt sorry for such a Sangjin.
Sangjin cursed and acted weird around his brother Woojin, but Woojin knew he treated others coldly and professionally.
Seeing Sangjin's sparkling eyes after so long actually lifted Woojin's mood.
“...So we'll sell online, and the key is pricing... Bro? You listening?”
Woojin hurriedly responded to Sangjin.
“Yeah, yeah! I'm listening! Pricing! How much to sell for?”
Sangjin checked wholesale sites.
“Let's see. Standard chopsticks are 10,000 won for a set... Whoa... Cost is only 1,000 won?”
Sangjin pondered a bit, then said.
“Alright, bro! 50,000 won per set!”
“You crazy? 50 times markup?”
But Sangjin didn't budge.
In response to Woojin, Sangjin turned the laptop to show a site.
“Bro, look. They sell luxury chopsticks for 100,000 won. But ours? Total functionality! Once you use them, you won't want anything else. Just engrave something fancy near the handle so it doesn't look cheap!”
Woojin was dumbfounded but nodded at the surprisingly reasonable point.
“The key is whether it sells or not.”
“It's guaranteed to sell. One good review and it's a hit. No, it's definitely a hit. The question is mega-hit or not!”
With price decided, the brothers headed to bed.
Thanks to Sangjin knowing a lot about online malls, they didn't stay up all night.
The brothers laid out blankets and lay down together for the first time in ages.
Woojin was 20 and Sangjin 16 when they started sleeping separately, so 5 years for Sangjin, 15 for Woojin.
Lying down, Sangjin called Woojin.
“Bro.”
“What, punk. Bro's tired. No nagging.”
With all the sudden events, Sangjin realized he hadn't even greeted Woojin properly on his return.
Instead, he'd just punched his chest hard.
Sangjin hesitated, then spoke his true feelings.
He'd realized how much he regretted not saying what he wanted after Woojin fell into a coma.
“Thanks for coming back.”
A brief silence flowed.
“......”
'Damn! Shouldn't have said it.'
Before the surging regret could make Sangjin's limbs curl up, Woojin's voice came.
“You punk... So creepy... You're done for now. Bro survived hell and came back. I ain't going anywhere, what're you gonna do when you're tired?”
Seeing his brother awkwardly brush it off from embarrassment, Sangjin chuckled.
There hadn't been a day as joyful as this in the past year.
Day after day of despair, just enduring.
Woojin felt the loneliness and hardship in those few words.
Sangjin, smirking, played along with Woojin's joke.
“Ha... Yeah, damn... It was nice without the nagging.”
“Ha? Funny guy. Raised you on my back, now you call bro a nagger? You nagged me more, punk.”
With bro back, despair-filled days turned to hopeful future in an instant.
“Yes, yes~ Got it, boss. Time to sleep.”
His bruised chest hurt a bit, but feeling his heart warm, he slept peacefully.
“Bro! You know what to do today, right?”
To Sangjin's question, Woojin, just getting up, counted on his fingers.
“Register business, sign up as seller on online mall, make 20 sets of +2 enhanced chopsticks, decide engraving pattern... Damn, so much?”
Sangjin grinned brightly at his grumbling brother.
“Ah! All to get rich, do this and we're set. I'll make product pages, buy packaging on way back from school!”
Woojin nodded helplessly at the beaming Sangjin.
“Tch... Fine. What time you back?”
“Only morning classes. Home by 1 latest.”
Yawning hugely at energetic Sangjin despite little sleep, Woojin said.
“Alright... I'll try till then.”
“Don't slack! I'll really get mad if not done!”
Woojin, planning 30 more minutes sleep after Sangjin left, startled replied.
“Ah, not sleeping, punk. Ha... All nagging in the time apart.”
“Then I'm off!”
Last words, Sangjin dashed out.
This semester he had to go since tuition paid, but after yesterday's talk, Sangjin decided.
Attend this semester, then take leave.
'That's a mega hit. But too much for bro alone. I gotta help!'
Bro worked day and night to pay his tuition.
Even with scholarship, said money needed.
Being the younger brother, just receiving help felt so guilty and angry... But not anymore.
Sangjin thought it was his turn to help bro, heading to school happily.
Three days passed.
Woojin and Sangjin smoothly prepared to start the business.
– How's that? Woosang Company launched!
– lolol Looks good. Important day today, get all done. Gonna check.
“Punk... Not like a little bro, more like mother-in-law...”
The business name took first letters from Woojin and Sangjin.
Just registering made Woojin feel like a real CEO.
So he admired his business registration over and over.
“Kuh... CEO Kim Woojin... Kuh!! Rolls off the tongue!! Haha!! Yeah! Business in my name means I'm CEO! What's CEO? Big deal? Let's see next tasks...”
The magical CEO hat made Woojin even more diligent.
.
.
.
.
Sangjin, finishing school as usual, hurried home.
As soon as he entered, he called his brother.
“Bro! I'm back. All done?”
Woojin, smug, wagged his index finger side to side.
“Nah... Nah, Sangjin. It's CEO Kim Woojin.”
Sangjin, exasperated, pulled out his laptop and sat next to Woojin.
“Jeez, CEO shut up and sit.”
“Damn, gotta train employees first? CEO dignity...”
“Enough nonsense, show +2 chopsticks. Finishing product page today, registering on our store.”
“Product page? Wondered last time, what's that?”
“Short for product detail page. You know those detailed descriptions on online shop products? That.”
“Whoa... Gotta make that too? Thought just upload product? Hard?”
Sangjin clicked mouse, continuing.
“That's why your lil bro's here. No brag, but I handle Photoshop. Mostly done, just finish.”
“Hoo... Don't get it, but you got it?”
Woojin brought +2 chopsticks as asked.
“Before that, engraving pattern? Gotta outsource engraving, you got way?”
Woojin smiled triumphantly at Sangjin, lifting a +2 set.
Gathered mana at fingertip, pressed hard near chopstick end.
'Woosang Shop (祐相商店)' hanja engraved neatly.
Sangjin, shocked, yelled.
“Wh-what?! What'd you do?”
Woojin snorted.
“Punk, anyone with mana control can do this.”
Actually, Woojin's method was one of the trickier mana techniques in Unriworld.
Not anyone could.
Required exceptional control over quantity.
“Wow... Looks more pro and cool? Saved engraving cost?”
“When you Awaken, I'll teach you. So what's next?”
Sangjin glanced around, clearing a clean corner.
“Damn, no clean spot in this dump. Bro, lay paper here.”
Woojin took A4 sheet from Sangjin, laid on floor.
“Hey, this casual snap ok? Need good camera?”
“Our phone's latest. No big diff now. Snap, Photoshop tweak.”
Click-
Click-
Sangjin took dozens from angles, transferred to laptop, opened Photoshop.
“Product pages too long, people hate. Short, impactful! Oh right? Bro, named chopsticks? Product name super important.”
Woojin blank-faced at Sangjin's words.
“Huh? No? +2 Chopsticks no?”
“Who searches that? Ties to keywords, need searchable terms.”
Woojin head hurt at complex online shopping world.
“Gotta think.”
“I'll think too, think while I make. Just slot name at end.”
'Hmm... Name...'
Woojin pondered, then said like idea hit.
“Simple? Goblin Chopsticks?”
“Hmm... Not bad...”
Woojin explained naming to Sangjin.
“First, chopstick skills like possessed. But 'possessed chopsticks' weird, go friendly goblin. Reasons.”
“What?”
“Saw that K-pop exorcist thing. Goblins, ghosts, grim reapers various.”
“Oh? You saw?”
“Yeah, you said K-pop special, goblin kinda nice and dumb. Good image.”
Sangjin nodded, liking Woojin's on-spot name.
“Good! Goblin Chopsticks! English: Dokebi Chopsticks! Nice!”
Sangjin busied keyboard and mouse.
“Bro rest. Wake in hour.”
“Ha, hour later our product's online?”
“Yeah.”
An hour later.
“Uploading?”
Woojin couldn't hide pounding heart.
“Whoa... Why so nervous? You ok?”