Chapter 97
Chapter 97
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Company (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
My memory of how I got home last night was hazy.
I remembered falling asleep in the car...
But when I opened my eyes, I was on my bed in my room.
I kicked off the neatly tucked blanket and sat up.
Stretching my sore body, I turned on the computer.
This was my morning routine.
Naturally, the first thing I checked was the Mage Gallery.
It was like opening the newspaper every morning to see what's going on in the world.
[Demigod coming to Korea to promote his movie?]
[Author: Dungbeetle]
[He's even asking me to show up at the event? What is this?]
ㄴpkkotchu: As expected from top of the world lol
ㄴ마법은화력: Making another movie? I heard the last one flopped
ㄴ냉장고: Wasn't he originally an actor? Why do all his movies always bomb?
ㄴㅇㅇ(888.888): You trash-talking King Demigod right now??? Saying a third-rate actor got lucky with awakening and that's why he can make movies???
I checked all the comments that had piled up while I slept and left a few replies.
But it was just a place with barely five members.
There weren't even many posts.
Bored, I naturally moved over to the Hunter Gallery.
[Who would win between Kim Suho and Netero?]
ㄴIsn't Netero a hunter? First time hearing about him
ㄴJapan
ㄴJust checked the list, no such person?
ㄴRight. Actually, I just made him up
ㄴWhat the hell is this guy?
[Title: There's no such thing as too late in life]
[Kim Suho awakened at 21]
[Demigod awakened in his late 30s]
[Everyone has their own pace]
[Your time will come if you wait]
[No need to rejoice or despair]
[Learned a lot after losing big on stocks...]
ㄴGetting wrecked makes all sorts of dumb thoughts pop up, huh? lol
ㄴ(Автор) You bastard, wanna fight you punk? Pissing me off
ㄴWhat are you gonna do if you're pissed? What can you even do?
ㄴ(Автор) Fine, nothing I can do. Guess I shouldn't get mad anymore
ㄴ???
ㄴHe really learned a lot lololol
[Title: Stock update today lol]
[(Screenshot of blue chart)]
[Coming back to reality? lol]
ㄴWatch it drop more, then you can jump off~
ㄴCall them quick and get a refund lol
"Why so much stock talk today?"
Curious, I dug a bit further into the source of the bait.
Sure enough, digging through the best posts, someone had kindly compiled a recap.
Some shit stock mooned hard, drawing in a ton of people, then crashed the next day, screwing over a bunch of folks.
"Eh, nothing major."
I skimmed past it nonchalantly.
The usual WWE.
But one of the familiar templates caught my eye.
[Title: Can't wrap your head around this?]
[Why buy crap like that and get rekt?]
[NVIDIA is just shoveling out money]
[I'm invincible]
[NVIDIA is god]
ㄴTime for the foreign-currency-earning hero~ Bring on the booze and babes~
ㄴㄴHero~ Big guy~ Let's eat~
"Hmm... the company is god?"
Worshipping the company they'd invested in like a religion.
Rejecting other companies like heretics, proclaiming their stock as the world's only salvation.
It felt oddly familiar.
A thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
In modern society, isn't this religion? Faith?
I immediately consulted my faith consultant.
"Companies... could they be objects of faith too?"
[Only for a tiny elite of the strong, says Sandworm.]
[But Sandworm rates it an excellent idea.]
[Sandworm explains there have been cases in the past where massive merchant guilds or clans became the focal point of faith themselves.]
"So that's how it is?"
[Sandworm adds: In modern society, propagating belief through corporate activities is far more efficient and less off-putting than overt religious proselytizing.]
Sandworm's advice made sense.
Far more sophisticated than yelling like a cult leader for people to believe in me.
Infiltrate their lives with overwhelming tech and products.
People become my devotees without even realizing it.
The goal the broker uncle asked about yesterday.
I felt like I'd found the answer.
I called the broker right away.
He picked up before the second ring.
"President, what's up so early in the morning?"
"Uncle. I have a goal now."
"...Pardon?"
I could hear the bewilderment in his voice.
Ignoring it, I declared.
"I'm going to make our company, One Star Management, the best in the world."
A deep silence flowed from the receiver.
I guessed he was recalling yesterday's conversation.
After a long pause, he cautiously spoke.
"Ah, the best in the world...?"
I knew what he was thinking, so I struck first.
"You just thought it was childish, right?"
"N-No, of course not."
Adults are all like this.
If a kid says their dream is to be the world's best soccer player, they'd chuckle.
Of course, impossible for most kids.
But one of them becomes Ronaldo or Messi.
"Uncle, dream big. Be ambitious."
"...."
I could clearly picture him rubbing his forehead.
"Yes, fine. The best in the world. But how?"
"I'm going to sell items."
"Items? What kind?"
"That's for us to figure out from now on."
"Wait, we're a management company to begin with? A guild? What items are we selling...?"
Now that he mentioned it, yeah.
But no big worries.
"We'll just make another company. Grow the guild on its path..."
"Haa...."
Grow management into a major guild on its own path.
Hmm, for now, maybe start by recruiting unaffiliated folks from the Mage Gallery?
Eh, think about that later.
Right now, company.
Embed hourglasses in all products and sell them.
I replied confidently and hung up.
I could hear the broker's sigh, but I ignored it.
Alright, time to plan the business.
I opened the gallery again.
For market research.
I hopped between the A-rank Hunter Gallery and Mage Gallery, gathering info.
What items would make the most money?
What do people want most?
Reading countless posts, I narrowed down categories.
"Mass production is impossible."
Only I can craft items.
My clones could help with the work.
But those guys hate work more than death, and even then, about twenty is the limit.
No running a factory.
So, only one answer.
Craft limited high-end items and build a luxury brand.
"Plus, the goal is to make a famous company. This fits better."
Selling chicken to get famous won't build faith.
Need products that gather aspiration and faith.
Sell stuff that screams luxury and high-end to everyone.
Stuff not just anyone can buy.
"Armor over weapons."
From gallery info, weapons were a pain to sell.
But armor was different.
Items tied directly to life.
Every hunter wants the best armor.
"Let's find a suitable item."
I channeled mana into the Legendary Ring on my finger.
The item I'd neglected for a while because leveling it up was too annoying.
A thick book containing all the dwarf blueprints unfolded.
I found the strongest armor I could craft at my current production level.
[Blueprint: Dragon Guardian Armor]
[Materials: Dragon scales, Orichalcum....]
Checking the blueprint, I frowned.
"Takes a lot of materials..."
All stuff that looks hard to get just from the names.
I immediately texted the material list to the broker.
[Get these for me.]
Reply came in under a minute.
[Most of these don't even drop in the Tower?]
[Think they come from monsters that pop out of gates sometimes. Can't buy these with money.]
"Oh, really?"
My head got complicated.
Make and sell low-quality gear then?
But that doesn't fit the luxury brand strategy.
I spent the whole day combing through material and gear lists.
Nothing satisfied me.
Just as my head was about to ache.
"Ah, my head hurts."
I flopped onto the bed.
When tangled thoughts hit a wall, best to exercise.
"Let's hit the Tower first."
Who knows? Might get flooded with material items as rewards.
***
[Entering Tower Floor 39 (EXTREME).]
Familiar alert, and the scenery shifted.
A massive ruin spread before me.
The exact temple I'd seen at the end of Floor 38 a few days ago.
This floor's start point was right at the temple entrance.
"I've been waiting, Wise One."
A familiar voice came from beside me. Sharon.
She'd been steadfastly holding position right where I'd vanished.
"How long was I gone?"
"About a week."
"You didn't wait here the whole time, right?"
"Except when proselytizing to the soldiers as you instructed, yes, I've been standing here."
"Impressive..."
Had no intention of making her wait a week.
I felt a bit sorry.
"Huh?"
Then, a strand of milky light extracted from Sharon's body and entered mine.
The faith points I'd wanted so badly.
Not a huge amount since only a week had passed, but satisfying.
Confirmed my antenna Sharon was faithfully doing her job.
Now, with proper doctrine and organization, more efficient supply possible.
"Good job. Now, let's go in."
I stepped without hesitation toward the temple's crumbled entrance.
Just one floor to Floor 40.
The long, grueling 30s floors were nearing their end.
The temple interior was as expected: wrecked.
Collapsed in places, ceiling half down with sky visible.
"This... looks like an old Empire temple."
"You know it?"
"Not well. Just know this architectural style was common back then."
Sharon spoke in a vigilant tone.
Golden energy flowed from her bow, blocking curses from approaching.
She'd gotten quite used to handling holy power.
"Where's the enemy?"
I invoked Insight.
Mana like a giant spiderweb entangled the whole temple.
And its center. Where the spider should be.
"Something's below there."
The moment I stepped forward.
Rumble rumble rumble—!
The entire temple shook violently.
Stones rained from the half-collapsed ceiling.
Vibration like an earthquake.
Sharon swiftly blocked me, bow aimed.
"Wise One, fall back!"
The vibration's source was the central altar.
A mountain of unidentified bones piled there.
They began writhing like living things.
Clatter clatter!
Hundreds, thousands of bones clashing, making eerie noises.
Bones floating into the air, finding their positions.
Wings assembled, long tail pieced together.
Finally, the shattered massive skull slotted into place.
Red light ignited in the empty eye sockets of the bare skull.
A dragon.
A massive dragon of pure white bone.
Bone Dragon.
Shockwave blasted from its maw.
[Krr—————!]
A roar unbelievable from a skeletal being.
Just that sent mana storming like a gale.
"Urk...!"
Sharon's face went pale.
But I was different.
My eyes pierced its bones.
And the blueprint materials from before.
The ones impossible to buy with money. Dragon bones.
I couldn't help but smile.
"Jackpot."