Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Bucket List and Fate
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Ding!
[Next up are guild-related news. The recent controversy over White Night Guild's management rights has been a hot topic, hasn't it?]
[Yes, that's right. White Night Guild has been dealing with similar issues for quite some time. According to experts, the root cause traces back to fifty years ago when they distributed shares to professional managers to win them over.]
[It certainly is unusual to hand out guild shares to non-awakened individuals.]
“Now, Saebyeok. Eat up nice and slow. This is expensive meat, so savor it, okay? I bought it for myself, but I'm sharing it special with you.”
Kiiing!
“Hey...! Don't swallow it in one bite like that! I said savor it... Is it tasty?”
Kiiing!
[Yes, that's correct. Of course, the other top five guilds have adopted similar approaches, but not to the extent of White Night Guild.]
[So, is that why White Night's guild master, S-Rank Hunter Joo Ha-neul, has drawn her sword this time?]
Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Sip... Isn't diagonal slicing done like this? Is the knife no good?”
[That's right. Hunter Joo Ha-neul has launched what's being called a 'purge' under the slogan of reforming White Night.]
[But won't there be conflicts over the share issues?]
“Hey now. Molrang, Molkang! I said stop that! If you keep fighting over the mana stones, no more for you next time?”
Molrang!
[Regarding that, analyses suggest some groundwork has been laid behind the scenes. As a result, White Night Guild has recently put several gates up for auction.]
[That means they've secured immediately available cash. Are they planning new investments?]
Bubble bubble!
“Still, the fresh ingredients make it nice. You really can't skimp on food.”
[No concrete details are confirmed, but it's verified that they've changed the purpose of some buildings they already owned.]
[Purpose... what does that mean?]
[It looks like they're gearing up to enter the 'monster material manufacturing' industry, which they've only watched from afar until now.]
[Are they investing all their cash into that business?]
“Okay. Once I've prepped all the ingredients... I just dump them all in, right.”
Splash!
I added all the ingredients and closed the pot lid. A delightful aroma was already wafting up.
Now all that's left is waiting.
Leaving the bubbling pot of top-grade Hanwoo curry behind, I returned to the living room.
[One thing's for sure—White Night has changed direction. What results this will lead to...]
Ding!
I turned off the TV.
It was content I was interested in, but it didn't quite scratch the itch.
Instead, I picked up my smartphone.
Might as well check the hunter community while I wait.
“...Hmm.”
[Gate: Black Night][Rank: B]
[Owner: White Night]
[Change History: White Night → IWantToRaiseADragon → White Night]
Exactly one week ago, White Night Guild had transferred ownership of the Black Night Gate to me.
It didn't feel like a mistake.
'Gates are basically oil wells, so they'd manage ownership tightly.'
There are differences in profitability, but they guarantee steady income.
Why would anyone give away the goose that lays golden eggs?
That's why guilds scramble to buy ownership of new gates.
So, it left a bad taste in my mouth.
A bundle of cash dropping out of nowhere right in front of me.
Of course I'd want to spend it, but there aren't many who have the guts to take it.
'What if I eat it and get seriously burned.'
Gate management is incredibly tangled and complex.
Installation and operation of scanners and screen doors (barriers).
Dealing with escaped monsters and compensation for damages.
Settling conquest rewards for adventurers.
Operating cleanup teams.
Various taxes and mandatory contributions.
And so on.
It was grueling work for an individual like me. Basically taking on a live bomb.
So when I handed ownership back...
[White Night: We'll handle all management. You just take the gate profits.]
[IWantToRaiseADragon: ???]
[IWantToRaiseADragon: No. I don't need it.]
[White Night: How about keeping ownership but just taking royalties?]
We'll take responsibility, so you just suck up free money...
“Man... that's a new trick.”
It was an utterly incomprehensible move.
If I had to guess, maybe they like me.
From that news just now, it seems White Night was pretty shaky.
So they're investing in me?
I rejected the normal approaches outright, so now they're building goodwill this way?
Pretty aggressive. I like it, though.
Thinking about it, that makes sense.
If they want to work with me, they have to bend over backwards.
The other top five guilds always talk like they're doing me a favor, so I don't feel any connection.
[IWantToRaiseADragon: No. I'll pass.]
[White Night: I see. We'll send our regards anyway, so please accept them. We'll keep sending steadily.]
A message saying they'd send their regards.
That was the last note from White Night's guild master.
At first, I had no idea what that meant...
“Whoa... Saebyeok. All this from White Night?”
“Yes, that's right.”
As Hayoung said, towers of boxes piled up on the rooftop.
“All mana stones? D-Rank?”
“I haven't checked every one... but probably.”
“How much is this worth?”
Each box is at least 1kg, so no less than 30 million won total.
No worries about addresses or identity issues, either.
Gallery shipments handle all that meticulously.
Delivery folks don't even know what's inside the boxes.
No wonder shipping costs so much.
Screech!
“So, what are you gonna do with all that, Saebyeok?”
Hayoung asked as she dusted off her hands and came inside the rooftop room.
“For now, just use them. Too much hassle to send back... and I need a ton for mass production anyway.”
“Right. Buying mana stones in bulk is no joke.”
Exactly.
It was time for Molrangtori to shift into full mass production.
I had eight giant pudding slimes now.
Each needed 100g of B-Rank mana stones per day. And I planned to keep increasing the numbers, so even more stones.
“Have you moved all your stuff?”
“Yeah. Not much big equipment anyway. Took the end room on the second floor... that okay?”
“Of course. Wasn't planning to use it.”
For smooth mana stone supply, we'd moved Hayoung's workshop to the factory's second floor.
I was basically her only client, so it worked.
“But you're really gonna commute? It's pretty far...”
“It's fine. Good practice for driving, too.”
Bubble bubble!
“Ah...! Looks done. I'll grab it quick.”
“Probably hot. Want me to carry it?”
“No, it's okay. Can you set bowls on the table instead?”
“Sure.”
Whoosh...!
Opening the pot lid filled the kitchen with an ecstatic aroma.
Maybe I have a talent for cooking? First time doing it seriously.
“Bon appétit.”
The taste? No need to say.
Perfect. Perfect. Great ingredients make great dishes, naturally.
“Tasty. Saebyeok, you're good at cooking.”
“Of course. I've lived alone a long time.”
“Ah... Sorry.”
Hayoung made a face like she'd committed a crime.
It didn't bother me at all, but her expression was fun, so I enjoyed it a bit.
“Anyway, what'd you do about that gate?”
Maybe that's why Hayoung subtly changed the subject.
I stifled a laugh at her cute antics and spoke.
“Just turned it down. Felt fishy.”
“Good call. I thought so too. Kinda wasteful, though. Black Night, right? Seemed like a new gate.”
New gate.
Term for gates less than a year old since spawning.
“Yeah. Pretty recent.”
Talking this far brought back old memories unbidden.
Memory of entering a new gate, meeting a dragon, and dying.
That nameless new gate went to White Night and got named Black Night.
I'd become a woman, started a business, moved...
And now its ownership came to me.
'No coincidence like this.'
“Pfft...”
A ridiculous chuckle escaped at the absurdity.
Maybe I should pay a revisit. Wonder if I'd meet that dragon again.
“What? Why laugh? Let me in on it.”
“Nothing.”
I added a new item to my mental bucket list.
No idea when I'd get to it.
But if I did, it'd make for a pretty romantic tale.
**
[Take All This Stock!!! (+Additional Notice)][Writer: IWantToRaiseADragon]
Thank you always to customers using Molrangtori.
Su.per excited! I've massively increased Molrangtori stock!
From now on, steady supply on regular sales days (check calendar). (Will keep increasing...!)
Sales info as follows.
1. Molrangtori (New Version) - Total 6 units: 450,000 won each
2. Molrangtori (Old Version) - Total 4 units: 130,000 won each
3. Molrangtori (Fusion Type) - Total 256 units: 150,000 won each (Max 4 per person)
Sales Method: Lottery (Apply to only one of the three)
And additional notice.
New feature coming to Molrangtori within 3 weeks max. Lots of interest!
-256? Exactly 256, f*** lololol
→From now on, I am one with DragonWant. Anyone badmouthing DragonWant...
-Still too few, s***
→Mad? GTFO. 8x more than initial
→One less competitor is huge win
-But fr, how'd you ramp up? Solo op, right?
→Yeah. Built a factory? lolol
→Pudding slime factory possible?
→Lmaooo fr
-Upgrading again? Oi, top 5 guilds... attention!
→lololol fr different league