Chapter 149
Chapter 149
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: A Declaration of War
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“Then let’s proceed with this plan.”
The item creation meeting was drawing to a close.
The finalized options were enough to make the hearts of the combat personnel flutter with excitement.
Even Sa Seon-gi, who had been completely unimpressed, was now swallowing hard, so it was only natural that the others would be eagerly awaiting the next year.
However, there was a problem with the crafting materials.
“We need the Heart of the Steel Guardian.”
“We need Spider Queen Arne’s Web.”
“And we must have a Poisonous Mushroom of the Hell Swamp.”
The Heart of the Steel Guardian was for the hammer.
Arne’s Web was for two sets of robes.
The Poisonous Mushroom was a material for the dagger.
“Don’t worry. It won’t take long.”
It was not an easy mission.
The only time he had seen a creature with the Heart of the Steel Guardian was in front of a dungeon in a Stage 6 region he had previously given up on.
The Phantom Guardian.
It was the very creature that had forced Wang-sik to retreat from Stage 6.
As for the other materials, he judged that the four of them could acquire them without any issues.
“This is the least we can do.”
As Wang-sik said, when looking at the full list of crafting materials, the mission at hand seemed rather simple.
Every Mythic-grade item required at least three special materials, which the inhuman races could produce themselves.
Root Fragment of the Tree of Life.
Fruit of the Tree of Life.
Jaimon Honor Totem.
Ancient Beastkin Spellbook.
Abyssal Ore.
These core materials were crafted by the inhuman races using their unique, secret methods.
If not for this special situation, obtaining even one of them would have been a monumental task.
The process of producing just one was anything but simple.
There were other rare materials, but Oh Min-jae and Han Young-im were confident they could procure them somehow.
“We’re counting on you!”
With Wang-sik’s loud declaration, the meeting came to an end.
The representatives of each race stood up, ready to begin crafting immediately.
As the meeting concluded, the first person to step outside was Han Young-im.
“I have an important meeting, so I’ll be leaving first.”
She had a prior engagement, which was why she left ahead of the others. But as she turned to leave, she heard Doloi’s voice from behind her.
“I’m counting on you, partner.”
“Likewise. I’m counting on you too.”
There was a reason they addressed each other as partners.
—We’ve confirmed the weapon supply deal.
The dwarves’ weapons were finally going to be launched through the Guseong Group’s weapon brand.
—Our young artisans will handle the supply.
The dwarves didn’t officially divide their artisans by skill level, but they certainly had different areas of expertise and varying crafting abilities.
Thirty of their top masters were participating in the creation of the Mythic-grade items, but excluding them, there were still 40 other artisans, including the younger ones.
Apprentice artisans, due to the nature of dwarven society, only played supporting roles.
The reason Han Young-im was proceeding with the brand launch, even though the weapons weren’t made by the top dwarven masters, was that she had already personally verified their quality.
—Appraised as top-tier A-grade.
She had taken ten sample weapons, and all of them were judged to be of the highest quality within the A-grade.
There were two interesting facts about this.
First, the materials used were B-grade.
Second, weapons made by the same artisan were of an identical quality, as if by magic.
The fact that they could produce items of such consistent quality by hand, with almost no margin of error, was a testament to the dwarves’ exceptional skill.
‘The long production time is a drawback, but that’s not a problem. We’re going for a luxury brand anyway.’
The weapons they crafted would become the Guseong Group’s new gate brand.
Dwarf, the luxury weapon brand.
Han Young-im had chosen this name deliberately.
It was partly to honor the dwarves’ pride and partly because rumors of dwarf-forged weapons obtained through gates were already widespread.
“Hey, human merchant lord.”
Someone was waiting for Han Young-im as she left the conference hall.
A member of a race that stood about as tall as her waist.
It was the dwarf, Sodrick.
He was one of the artisans who had provided her with the sample weapons and was also the supervisor of the dwarven artisans assigned to craft weapons for the new brand.
“Here, your promised gift.”
Sodrick abruptly held out a sword sheathed in a rough scabbard.
It wasn’t too heavy for Han Young-im to hold. Sodrick whispered to her.
“I used a little more Mithril than I was supposed to. I’ll say it was at the request of the human merchant lord, so cover for me, will you? You know what I mean, right?”
“I have a feeling it wasn’t just used for this.”
“Hey, now. Most of it went into this, I swear.”
“You made beer mugs, didn’t you.”
“Sometimes, you’re sharper than the blades I forge. Don’t do that. It’s scary.”
“Fine. I’ll handle it. But I won’t lie.”
“So you’ll take care of it without any problems? Good enough for me.”
Having gotten what he wanted, Sodrick waved and disappeared. Only then did her Chief Secretary, who had been watching from the side, approach her.
“We don’t have much time. We should go.”
“Alright.”
Accompanied by her Chief Secretary, she passed through a gate and arrived at a restaurant inside the Seoul Hotel.
Walking quickly, Han Young-im stood before a private room in the restaurant at the exact time of her appointment.
An employee knocked and opened the door. As she stepped inside, a blond European man in his early fifties stood up and greeted her in fluent English.
“I didn’t expect the Chairwoman to come in person.”
The Asia Branch Director of the Invest Gate Exchange.
A key executive of the world’s number one gate exchange.
Han Young-im had met the man, Miller, before.
“Didn’t you come all the way to Korea to see me? I came personally to tell you to stop wasting my employees’ time.”
“Having the decision-maker here will certainly make things easier. Please, have a seat.”
Though their greetings were light, the conversation was far from warm.
“Let’s get straight to the point. I don’t have much time.”
Han Young-im said, glancing at her watch.
It was a common tactic used by the party with the upper hand in a business negotiation. The man across from her saw this and gave a slight smile.
“Invest Gate is prepared to offer the Guseong Group a great opportunity.”
“I’m listening.”
Han Young-im replied without a change in expression, despite his arrogant tone.
“We propose a large-scale big deal involving the Southeast Asian and American distribution networks. We could start with a joint venture and then solidify our respective territories through a share split. What do you think?”
“Just get to the point.”
“We’ll hand over the Southeast Asian market to you. In return, you give us the American region, where you’re currently operating at a loss.”
A long explanation followed, but the core of it was simple.
Guseong Group would consolidate the Southeast Asian and African exchanges, while Invest Gate Exchange would consolidate the North and South American ones.
“Since these are unprofitable regions for both of us, it won’t be a loss.”
“Is that it? You called this a great opportunity?”
“Of course not. Invest Gate recently made a substantial investment in the IJ Group. We now have enough sway to have a say in their management.”
The IJ Group was Guseong Group’s main competitor in the distribution business in Southeast Asia.
“So you’re saying you’ll stop pressuring us in Southeast Asia?”
Miller just smiled without giving a direct answer.
IJ Group, in partnership with the Royal Club, was the leading group pressuring Guseong’s non-gate businesses.
His offer was clear: accept the gate exchange merger, and they would give her breathing room in Southeast Asia.
“So we should be content as the eternal number two?”
“Hasn’t the match already been decided?”
The market share difference between the two exchanges was more than double and was now approaching triple.
Guseong was holding on thanks to its strong performance in Asia, but even that was becoming difficult.
“The Chinese government will soon revoke the Guseong Group’s exchange license.”
There it was, the final blow.
If she didn’t take the carrot, they would use the stick.
From a business perspective, China was a region one could never give up, and its revenue was immense.
The large population meant a large number of Awakened.
“The Royal Club certainly keeps itself busy.”
This time, Miller just gave a smug shrug.
In the end, they were pressuring the Guseong Group to declare surrender and withdraw from other regions.
The American region was just the most prominent example.
To be precise, they wanted them to pull out of the US.
It was the most fiercely contested region.
This move was a response to the Guseong Group’s recent surge in market share following the gate invasion incident.
“If we pull out of the US, holding on in Southeast Asia will eventually become impossible. There’s a limit to how long you can last after losing the central market.”
“In return, you will receive substantial support in your non-gate businesses.”
“And you’ll be the ones holding the leash, I suppose?”
Han Young-im stared intently at Miller.
Miller didn’t avert his gaze, and Han Young-im broke into a smile.
“Your declaration of war is rather childish.”
This wasn’t a negotiation. It was a form of blackmail.
They were telling her to back down on her own, or they would start with the revocation of her Chinese license and follow up with widespread pressure.
“If you wish, we are also considering a full acquisition.”
This was what he had wanted to say all along.
He knew she wouldn't accept, so he was starting with a slow squeeze.
But their pressure only made Han Young-im smile.
“You seem anxious.”
“About what?”
“The Royal Club. You’ve concluded that their future is difficult to predict, haven’t you?”
Han Young-im leisurely lifted her teacup, took a sip, and continued.
“A sports star addicted to drugs. What does it feel like to partner with someone like that?”
It was a metaphor for the Royal Club.
“From a business perspective, they’re a ticking time bomb.”
Miller, struck at his core, couldn’t offer a rebuttal.
Han Young-im’s counterattack didn’t stop there.
“Chief Secretary Kim, could you bring me that, please?”
Han Young-im called for her Chief Secretary, who was waiting outside the door, and was handed an item.
“Well, since I’ve received something, it’s only fair I give something back.”
She placed the sword in its rough scabbard on the table.
“You’re an Awakened, so you should be able to appraise it, right?”
Han Young-im pushed the sword toward Miller, inviting him to inspect it.
“The Guseong Group will be launching a new brand soon. I wonder if it will be able to compete with First Store.”
First Store was the luxury weapon brand they had created by recruiting Earth’s artisans.
“You’re dreaming an impossible dream.”
Arithmetically, it was impossible.
That was because they had a monopoly on nearly all of the world’s top artisans.
There were a few they had missed, but it was unlikely that the Guseong Group could have recruited them. And even if they had managed to get a few, it would be no competition.
“It’s a crafted item, I see.”
After checking the scabbard, Miller finally drew the sword. At that moment, his expression hardened.
As an Awakened, he had instantly appraised its stats.
“This is…”
So shocked he was, he swallowed hard. But he quickly regained his composure.
“It seems you’ve managed to recruit a rather skilled artisan.”
He wanted to talk.
‘It’s high-quality, even for an S-grade. Was there someone who could surpass our artisans?’
This was a special item crafted by the dwarf Sodrick.
He was an artisan capable of creating Mythic-grade items, but since no special materials were used, he had settled for an S-grade.
‘And its advantage is that it can be crafted quickly.’
In fact, he had promised to make more than one S-grade weapon per month.
‘The finished goods market is about to be turned upside down.’
A staggering 40 artisans would churn out 10 S-grade items and over 100 top-tier A-grade items every month.
And that wasn’t all.
‘There are accessories, too.’
The dwarves would handle the smithing, and other races would provide the blessings.
A minimum of 50 sets a month.
Each set consisted of earrings, a ring, and a necklace.
These would be special items, unique in both their stats and design.
‘They’ll be so popular we won’t be able to keep them in stock.’
Their decision to supply such a large quantity of items was also related to Mad Castle’s ideology.
—We must strengthen Earth’s power.
It was the same reason they had avoided interfering with Earth’s factions whenever possible, despite having the power to do so. Strengthening Earth was a fundamental prerequisite for confronting Azelan.
Supplying good items was a key part of that plan.
“I have a proposal of my own.”
Han Young-im said to Miller, who had been asking questions to extract information.
“I propose a merger with First Store.”
“What?”
“We will purchase one hundred percent of the shares in cash.”
In short, she was telling him to just sell the company. Of course, she didn’t expect him to accept.
“You must be joking.”
“Does it sound like a joke? It will happen soon enough, so you’d best prepare for it. Now, I’m busy, so I’ll be leaving.”
Han Young-im ended the conversation and rose from her seat.
Her expression was relaxed, but her heart held a drawn sword.
‘Prepare in advance. That way, your losses will be even greater.’
She had deliberately shown him her sword because she was confident of victory. She snatched the blade back from Miller, who was still unable to let it go.
“Don’t draw a sword so carelessly. It might be the one that takes your own head.”
With that warning, Han Young-im turned and left.