Chapter 118

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]

Chapter 118: Farming

After opening the door to the merchant guild and entering,

He immediately looked for the branch manager.

Since he had a story about money, or rather, points, meeting the branch manager wasn’t difficult.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Marco, the branch manager of the Malay Merchant Guild.”

“I’m Kim Minwoo.”

After exchanging brief greetings,

Marco, looking at Cedric and Märchen lined up behind me, carefully asked,

“So, you’re a Necromancer.”

“Yes.”

“But can you really mass-produce items like these? And thousands in a day?”

“If I have enough materials.”

Gulp.

Marco swallowed hard.

The swords and armors before his eyes.

The quality of those items could put most blacksmith-made products to shame.

He didn’t know how a Necromancer could mass-produce such items, but seeing my confident attitude, it didn’t seem like a complete lie.

Whether it was true or not, he had to check it out. If he was a scammer, he could just kick him out.

But if, by any chance, his words were true…

‘It would be amazing.’

A plus item.

Even after factoring in the cost of materials, the items produced would still leave a considerable surplus.

The Malay Merchant Guild would be hit by a point windfall.

“It seems a verification process is necessary… Would you like to accompany me to the workshop?”

“I just need the materials. Please bring them.”

It would be better to go to a well-equipped blacksmith’s workshop to start making things in earnest.

But right now, it was just a process of showing what was possible, so having the materials was enough.

Soon after, the verification process began.

A table filled with materials, from low-level to high-level.

Skeletons holding small bone hammers were summoned behind Kim Minwoo.

The skeletons then reached out their hands.

“Good heavens!”

Marco’s mouth dropped open.

The materials were instantly transformed into finished products.

And they were the same high-quality goods he had seen earlier!

[Sharply Honed Blade Sword]

[Level Requirement: 110+]

[Rank: Magic+]

[A sharply honed sword. It appears to be a weapon created by a skilled craftsman using good materials.]

[Effect 1. Strength +10, Agility +15 increase.]

[Effect 2. The blade is automatically sharpened.]

[Sturdy Thorn Armor]

[Level Requirement: 101+]

[Rank: Normal+]

.

.

From Magic to Normal.

A variety of plus items appeared.

‘Items made with high-level materials don’t have much significance, but…’

The level requirements were high, but the ranks were all common. The additional options were also mixed with traps. It would be fortunate if I could even recover the cost of the materials.

However, the items made with low-level materials that he was currently checking were different.

If 200 points worth of materials went in,

Normal rank items could be sold for over 400 points.

‘Magic items are rare, so… I could get at least 1,000 points?’

Even with a simple calculation, this was a business where he could make several times the cost.

‘And… a mere skeleton did this?’

Gulp.

Marco swallowed his saliva and asked cautiously.

“How many of those skeletons can you summon?”

“Many.”

As Marco examined the items, he also went through a verification process by making a simple transaction.

He sold one of the items he had just made, deducting the material costs.

[‘Sharp Blade Sword’ has been sold!]

[You have gained 800 points!]

‘The transaction went through.’

As expected.

Since it was not an item he already possessed but one made from the materials provided by the merchant guild, there were no issues with transactions.

Having bought a sword, Marco asked seriously.

“So, what do you want from our merchant guild?”

“Supply of crafting materials, distribution to other cities, advance payment of points. If you can do that, I’ll give you 10% of the profits.”

“Advance payment, you say…?”

“I want 90% of the profits upfront when I hand over the finished products.”

Even though it might only take a day to travel to nearby cities by carriage, what about distant ones?

Even just wandering around could take several weeks.

The given period was one week.

If settlements were only made after the merchant guild’s approval at the end of the week, he wouldn’t even break even.

Naturally, an advance payment was necessary.

“With those conditions, 10% is a bit…”

“Then what?”

With a shrug, he got up from his seat and headed outside.

Marco hastily grabbed his sleeve and said.

“Wait a moment! Why are you in such a hurry? We’re still in the negotiation stage.”

“You said you were not happy with those conditions, so I thought there was nothing more to talk about. There are plenty of other merchant guilds anyway.”

“…Ugh.”

Marco clicked his tongue.

It was true that there were a few other merchant guilds, even if they were smaller.

And distributing these items alone would strengthen the guild.

Especially in large quantities, not just one or two.

“Alright! Let’s go with 10%, 10%. I’ll accept all the conditions.”

“If you say so.”

With a shrug, he returned to his seat. From Kim Minwoo’s perspective, trading with this Malay merchant guild was more advantageous than with others.

‘Because they are the largest in the area.’

It’s one of the largest merchant guilds.

They should be able to provide materials and advance payment much more generously than other places.

On the other hand, the small and medium-sized merchants in the area?

They would probably only give points if goods were sold, right?

Especially if they were supplying thousands of items or more.

“Do you want us to disclose the name of the creator?”

“Let’s keep it anonymous.”

If the creator’s name got out here, it wouldn’t be a problem, but it would be an issue when he returned to Earth.

Even if he couldn’t do it in other cities, there might be a few Awakeners around, and rumors spread like wildfire.

At that, Marco nodded with a warm smile.

‘It’s better for them if I keep it hidden.’

If his name were known, other guilds would desperately try to contact him, which would naturally be a loss for the Malay Merchant Guild.

As long as they share the profits, they will keep it confidential.

“Is there a blacksmith’s workshop nearby where there aren’t many people? It would be better if it was a bit large.”

“There happens to be one like that. But there’s a slight problem…”

“What is it?”

“It’s located outside the city. We can assign guards to you, but…”

“That’s not necessary.”

The reason he asked about a remote location was simple.

Just the sight of thousands of skeletons bustling in the workshop would spread rumors.

A Necromancer is in a workshop with thousands of skeletons.

And thousands of special equipment are being produced every day?

It would be too easy to become a target.

‘The best thing would be…’

Like in reality, the plan was to make equipment in a secluded place and then transfer it to a Subspace Ring for delivery.

If the workshop was completely outside the city, it was even better.

“Please guide me.”

“Understood.”

They rode in a carriage and headed outside the city.

After about 20 minutes, they saw a fairly large building amid the open plain with fences.

“Here we are.”

Creak.

As the dust-covered door opened, the interior was revealed.

‘Everything profitable has been taken away.’

The workshop was almost empty.

“It’s quite large.”

“Yes. The land price is very cheap. It’s not easy to build a building of this size within the city. However, monster attacks have become too frequent since a few years ago…”

Monsters that track human presence.

In the end, the blacksmith’s workshop went bankrupt due to the overwhelming cost of hiring mercenaries.

That was roughly how it ended.

“I like it very much.”

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]

With monster attacks being frequent and no people around, and with a significant scale of the workshop, it was enough to make him doubt if the items were not prepared for him specifically.

Marco asked with a worried expression.

“…Are you sure it’s okay without an escort? There have been quite a lot of attacks…”

“Branch Manager! Monsters!”

The surroundings suddenly became noisy.

The guards who came with them were shouting frantically.

Soon, a group of monsters began to appear.

“It’s an ogre!”

“Th, there are Trolls too!”

One ogre.

Two trolls.

And they were accompanied by a horde of Goblins. Marco looked at the monsters with a tense expression.

This area wasn’t abandoned for no reason. It was far from the road used for trade, and all sorts of monsters were rampant.

Just like now.

‘Damn it.’

With a group of that size, it seemed like sacrifices would be inevitable.

Then.

“Take care of them.”

―Got it.

The woman with the parasol standing next to Kim Minwoo extended her hand forward.

Immediately after,

[Märchen uses Great Explosion (SS)!]

Boom!

With a huge explosion, the goblin group vanished without a trace.

The two Trolls collapsed, their bodies charred.

The Ogre right behind the Trolls wasn’t unharmed either.

One of its arms, which had been blocking the front, was completely torn off.

―Aaah!

The only surviving ogre let out a scream.

Soon realizing something was wrong, it turned around and fled.

Well.

Without being able to do anything, the entire monster group was wiped out.

Even the ogre, with its brain, would have understood that it messed with the wrong opponent.

Then.

A bone spear flew and deeply pierced the back of the fleeing ogre’s head.

Thud!

The ogre fell powerless.

“Oh, you can do spear throwing too?”

―It’s just basic.

With a shrug, Cedric approached the ogre and pulled out the spear. From Marco, the branch manager of the merchant guild, to the guards of the merchant guild.

Everyone watched the scene with their mouths wide open.

‘What did I just witness?’

An explosion spell erupted with a tremendous surge of mana. An ogre was struck and killed by a spear thrown from afar.

In an instant, everything was over.

‘No wonder he said he didn’t need an escort…’

With skills like that, there was no need to worry even if more than ten ogres came rushing in.

With just a gesture from the necromancer, everything would be over.

‘It’s a good thing I didn’t try anything funny.’

Marco inwardly wiped away his cold sweat.

If he had coveted Kim Minwoo’s abilities and tried to do something foolish, the merchant group would have been destroyed.

Thank goodness they didn’t pull such a stunt.

“It’s a bit empty here, could you fill it up?”

“Haha, of course. Please wait for about an hour. I’ll bring the materials and the goods right away.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. It’s nothing. Then, when can we expect the goods…?”

“I’ll deliver the first batch tonight.”

“Got it. We’ll have the payment ready.”

As the merchant guild personnel went back to move the goods,

Kim Minwoo looked at the message.

[Monster horde defeated!]

[300 points acquired!]

They said everything is converted into points, and monster hunting was no exception.

‘300 points.’

The points were a bit stingy despite the decent scale of the horde. Of course, there would be more to gain than this.

Selling monster byproducts would also turn into points.

But even considering that,

‘The points are stingy.’

Kim Minwoo was secretly convinced.

Mass production was indeed the way to go.

Before long, numerous cargo was moved from the merchant guild.

The desolate workshop began to function again in no time.

* * *

The Super Rookie Tournament.

A competition where highly skilled A-rank awakened individuals, just short of S-rank, could participate.

Naturally, with just a glance at the participants, there were no pushovers.

And being an international event, the participating countries were also not sitting idly by.

High-rank weapons, potions, accessories, and more.

Tremendous support went to each participant. Among them, the support from China was immense.

The participant from China, Liu Wei.

He recalled what the head of the Nine Dragon Guild had urged him.

―I don’t know about the rest, but make sure to take down Kim Minwoo!

From the President to board members, Kim Minwoo was firmly on the radar of the top figures.

‘It’s understandable.’

SS-rank Necromancer, Liang Xiaojun.

An awakened individual who had been backed by China.

But he couldn’t defeat Kim Minwoo.

And Kim Minwoo even went on NewTube to mock Liang Xiaojun.

It was fortunate that they at least managed to beat France, otherwise, they would have been utterly humiliated.

He’s the son of a wealthy conglomerate family, so persuasion doesn’t work, and his growth rate is alarmingly fast.

On top of that, he’s from a neighboring country?

The higher-ups were currently doing everything they could to curb his momentum. Thanks to that, Liu Wei, a druid, also benefited. He was able to receive support in the form of all sorts of items.

[Starting ‘High’ difficulty mission.]

[Exterminate all Cyclops in the horde.]

[Reward: 10,000 points]

Far away,

In the distance, a horde of Cyclops with an average height well over 10 meters could be seen.

Originally, Liu Wei wouldn’t have dared to challenge them easily.

Monsters with an average level of 600.

It was certainly not an easy task for an Awakened under level 500 to take them on.

But now it was different.

‘It’s possible.’

Unique-rank items adorned his entire body. Unfortunately, they were loaned, not given, due to their expensive nature, but it was still fine.

‘If I can just crush that guy…’

Perhaps a few of these items could become his own.

[Using Leopard Transformation (A)!]

[Effect of ‘Ferocious Beast Ring’ activated!]

[Effect of ‘Sharp Beast Helm’ activated…]

[Effect of ‘Howling Necklace’ activated…]

Roar!

Liu Wei, in the form of a leopard, roamed around, attacking the giants.

Was it due to the amplified effects of the numerous items?

With each swipe of the giant leopard’s paw, chunks of the Cyclops’ flesh were torn away.

[Effect of ‘Mystical Regeneration Boots’ activated…]

[Effect of ‘Tireless Endurance Ring’ activated…]

After nearly four hours of battle…

[All Cyclops within the village have been defeated!]

[10,000 points awarded!]

Liu Wei, returning to human form, showed a relaxed smile.

‘At this rate…’

An Awakened’s body is strong.

It means they won’t die from a few sleepless nights. After two days of continuously hunting Cyclops hordes…

[Current points: 120,000 points]

Liu Wei’s points were approaching 120,000. It was a score high enough to aim for the top ranks. A confident smile appeared on his face.

At that moment, a message popped up before his eyes.

[Day 2 has ended.]

[Ranking will be calculated based on points earned so far.]

[Would you like to reveal your name?]

It was a score that could potentially aim for first place if things went well.

‘Korean guys, I’ll break your noses this time.’

His eyes gleamed as he nodded.

That was the moment.

[All calculations are complete.]

[Day 2 rankings are revealed.]

[Point Rankings]

[1st: ??? – 2,133,800 points]

[2nd: ??? – 533,220 points]

[3rd: ??? – 361,210 points]

.

.

[5th: Liu Wei – 120,000 points]

.

.

[150th: ??? – 3,243 points]

“…2,130,000 points?”

Did he become lightheaded from hunting for two days straight?

Liu Wei blinked as he looked at the rankings.

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]