Chapter 118

Chapter 118

PSpendthrift Necromancer (118)

DuplicationAfter opening the merchant company's door and stepping inside.

He immediately asked for the branch manager.

He had come with a proposal worth money—or rather, points—so meeting the branch manager wasn't difficult.

“Pleasure to meet you. I'm Marco, branch manager of the Malay Merchant Company.”

“Kim Minwoo.”

After a brief exchange of greetings.

Marco cautiously looked at Cedric and Merhen standing behind Minwoo and asked.

“So, you're a Necromancer.”

“Yes.”

“And despite that, you can mass-produce items like these? Thousands every day?”

“As long as you have enough materials.”

Gulp.

Marco swallowed.

The swords and armor before him.

Their quality was enough to slap the work of most ordinary smithies back and forth across the face.

He had no idea how a Necromancer could mass-produce crafted goods like these, but judging by Minwoo's confidence, it didn't seem like pure bluster.

Whether it was true or false, he had to verify it first. If the man was a swindler, he could simply throw him out.

But if there was even the slightest chance he was telling the truth…….‘This is a jackpot.’Plus items.

Goods that would recover the material cost many times over.

The Malay Merchant Company would be struck by a literal point windfall.

“I think we'll need to verify your claim…… would you come to a smithy with me?”

“I only need materials. Bring some.”

A proper smithy would be better if he intended to produce things seriously.

But right now, he only needed to demonstrate that it was possible, so materials were enough.

The verification soon began.

A table covered with everything from low-Level materials to higher-tier ones.

Skeletons holding small bone hammers appeared behind Kim Minwoo.

Then the Skeletons reached out.

“M-My god!”

Marco's mouth fell open.

The materials transformed into crafted goods almost instantly.

And not just any goods, but the very same kind he'd seen moments earlier![Keenly Honed Blade Sword][Level Requirement: 110 or higher][Rank: Magic+][A finely honed sword. It appears to be a weapon born from good materials and a skilled craftsman.][Effect 1. Strength +10, Agility +15.][Effect 2. The blade sharpens itself automatically.][Sturdy Spiked-Crab Armor][Level Requirement: 101 or higher][Rank: Normal+]..

From Magic to Normal.

Plus items appeared across the board.‘The ones made from high-Level materials don't mean much, though…….’Their Level requirements were high, but their ranks were all Normal. Some of the bonus options were traps too. He'd be lucky just to recover the material cost.

But the items they were examining now, made from low-Level materials, were different.

If the materials cost 200 points.

A Normal-grade item would fetch at least 400.‘And Magic items are rarer…… I could get at least 1,000 points.’Even with a simple estimate, the business could return several times the production cost.‘And mere Skeletons are doing this……?’Gulp.

Marco swallowed and asked.

“How many Skeletons like these can you summon……?”

“A lot.”

Just as Marco had verified the goods.

Kim Minwoo also ran his own test through a simple transaction.

He sold one of the newly crafted items, excluding the material cost.[You have sold ‘Keenly Honed Blade Sword’!][You acquire 800 points!]‘The transaction works.’As expected.

These weren't previously possessed items. They'd been made from materials provided by the merchant company. Apparently that was why commerce worked without issue.

Marco, who had bought one of the swords, asked seriously.

“Then what would you want from our merchant company?”

“Supply of crafting materials, distribution to other cities, and advance payment in points. If you provide those, I'll give you ten percent of the profit.”

“Advance payment……?”

“Once I hand over the finished goods, you pay me my ninety percent of the profit first.”

The closest cities might be only a day's carriage ride away, but merchant caravans didn't travel only to nearby cities.

Once they started making the rounds, several weeks could pass in an instant.

He had only one week.

If settlement happened after the caravan finished its route, he'd never even recover his principal in time.

Naturally, he needed advance payment.

“Under those terms, only ten percent is a little…….”

“Then never mind.”

Kim Minwoo rose from his seat and headed toward the door without hesitation.

The branch manager hurriedly grabbed his sleeve.

“Wait, wait! Why are you in such a hurry? We're only negotiating.”

“You said it wasn't enough, so I figured there was nothing more to discuss. There are plenty of merchant companies.”

“……

Ugh.”

Marco smacked his lips.

It was true that several other merchant companies operated nearby, even if they were smaller.

And goods like these strengthened a merchant company simply by passing through its hands.

Even more so when they came in bulk rather than one or two.

“Fine! Ten percent. Let's do ten percent. We'll accept all your conditions.”

“If you insist.”

Minwoo shrugged and sat back down. From his perspective, dealing with the Malay Merchant Company was better than working with another company anyway.‘They're the largest around here.’They were one of the major merchant companies.

They could probably provide far more materials and advance payments than any competitor.

What about the nearby small and mid-sized merchant companies?

They'd probably say they could only pay after the goods sold.

Especially if he supplied thousands of items at once.

“Would you like us to reveal the craftsman's name?”

“Keep it anonymous.”

Revealing the crafter's identity wouldn't cause trouble here, but it could become a problem once he returned to Earth.

There were bound to be at least one or two Awakened in the other cities, and rumors could spread in an instant.

At his answer, Marco nodded with a warm smile.‘Keeping it secret is better for them too.’If his name became known, other merchant companies would desperately try to contact him.

That would naturally hurt the Malay Merchant Company.

Since their interests aligned, security would probably remain fairly solid.

“Do you know of any large smithies nearby without people around?”

“There happens to be one. But there's a slight problem…….”

“What is it?”

“It's completely outside the city. We can assign guards if necessary…….”

“I won't need them.”

There was a reason he'd asked for somewhere without people.

Thousands of Skeletons bustling around inside a smithy would spread rumors instantly.

Some Necromancer is working in a smithy with thousands of Skeletons.

And then thousands of pieces of unusual equipment start flooding the market every day?

It would be far too easy to identify him.‘The best method…….’Was the same one he used in reality: craft equipment somewhere secluded, move it with the Spatial Ring, then bring it over for delivery.

A smithy completely outside the city was actually better.

“Show me the way.”

“Certainly.”

They rode a carriage out of the city. After about twenty minutes.

A fairly large building surrounded by fencing appeared in the middle of a wide-open plain.

“There.”

Creeeak.

A dust-covered door opened, revealing the interior.‘They stripped out everything worth money.’The smithy was almost completely empty.

“It's certainly large.”

“Yes. Land is extremely cheap here. Building something of this size inside the city would be difficult. But monster attacks have become far too frequent over the last few years…….”

Monsters were drawn by signs of human activity.

Eventually, the smithy had gone bankrupt under the crushing cost of hiring mercenaries.

That was apparently how the story ended.

“I love it.”

Nobody nearby because monster attacks were rampant.

And the smithy itself was fairly large.

For a moment, Minwoo wondered whether the place had been prepared specifically for him.

Marco asked anxiously.

“……

Are you truly all right without guards? There are quite a few atta…….”

“Branch Manager! Monsters!”

The surroundings suddenly erupted into commotion.

The merchant company's guards who'd come with them began shouting urgently.

Before long, a group of monsters appeared.

“An Ogre!”

“Th-There are Trolls too!”

One Ogre.

Two Trolls.

And a large pack of Gnolls accompanying them. Marco stared tensely at the approaching monsters.

There was a reason this area had been abandoned. Not only was it far from the main trade road, but all kinds of monsters ran rampant here.

Just like now.‘Damn it.’With a group that large, casualties seemed unavoidable.

Then.

“Handle them.”―Okay.

The woman holding a parasol beside Kim Minwoo extended a hand.

Then.[Merhen uses Great Explosion(SS)

!]

BOOM!

A colossal explosion erased the pack of Gnolls without leaving a trace.

The two Trolls collapsed, their bodies roasted black.

The Ogre behind them hadn't escaped unscathed either.

One arm it had raised to protect itself had been torn completely away.―Graaaagh!

The sole surviving Ogre screamed.

Apparently realizing something had gone terribly wrong, it turned and fled.

Naturally.

It hadn't even managed to do anything, yet the entire monster group had been slaughtered.

Even an Ogre had enough brains to understand that it had picked the wrong opponent.

Then.

A bone spear shot through the air and buried itself deep in the back of the Ogre's skull.

Thud!

The Ogre collapsed helplessly.

“Oh, you can throw spears too?”―This much is basic.

Cedric shrugged, approached the Ogre, and pulled out his spear. From Branch Manager Marco to the merchant company's guards.

Everyone stared at the scene with their mouths hanging open.‘What the hell did I just see?’An explosive spell unleashed with an enormous surge of Mana. And then an Ogre killed by a spear thrown from far away.

Everything had ended in an instant.‘So that's why he said he didn't need guards…….’With ability like that, even ten or more Ogres attacking at once would be nothing to worry about.

One gesture from the Necromancer and everything would be over.‘Thank god I didn't get any stupid ideas.’Marco wiped away an imaginary cold sweat.

If he'd coveted Kim Minwoo's ability and tried anything foolish, his merchant company would've been obliterated.

Thank heaven he'd done nothing like that.

“This place is rather bare. You can fill it up, right?”

“Haha, of course. Give us about an hour. We'll bring everything over along with the materials.”

“Thank you.”

“Not at all. It's nothing. Then when might we start receiving the goods……?”

“I'll deliver the first batch tonight.”

“Excellent. We'll prepare plenty of payment.”

While the merchant company members returned to transport the supplies.

Kim Minwoo looked at a message.[You have eliminated a group of monsters!][You acquire 300 points!]

They'd said everything could be converted into points, and apparently monster hunting counted too.‘Three hundred points.’The group had been decently large, yet the reward was rather stingy. Of course, he could earn more than this.

He could sell the monster byproducts for points too.

Even accounting for that, though.‘Still stingy.’Kim Minwoo became convinced.

Mass production was the answer.

Not long afterward, the merchant company brought in massive loads of supplies.

The abandoned smithy was back in operation almost immediately.* * *The Super Rookie Selection Tournament.

A competition open to seasoned A-rank Awakened on the verge of S-rank.

Naturally, not one of the participants was a pushover.

And since this was an international competition, the participating countries didn't simply stand by either.

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

Each participant received enormous support. China's support in particular was incredible.

China's participant, Liu Wei.

He remembered the words the Nine Dragons Guild Master had drilled into him.―Whatever else happens, make sure you crush Kim Minwoo!

From the President down through the Standing Committee. Kim Minwoo had firmly landed on the bad side of China's highest authorities.‘Understandable.’SS-rank Necromancer Liang Xiaojun.

China had supported him without holding anything back.

Yet he'd failed to beat Kim Minwoo.

And as if that weren't enough, Kim Minwoo had appeared on NewTube and cheerfully torn Liang Xiaojun apart.

It was fortunate they'd at least beaten France. Otherwise, China would've been humiliated beyond belief.

Minwoo was the wealthy son of a chaebol family, so bribing him away was impossible, and his growth was threateningly fast.

And he belonged to a country right next door?

China's leadership was doing everything possible to suppress his momentum. Thanks to that, Liu Wei, a Druid, had benefited too. He'd been supplied with every kind of item.[Starting ‘High’ difficulty mission!][Exterminate every Cyclops!][Reward: 10,000 points]

In the distance.

A group of Cyclopes stood, each averaging well over 10M tall.

The original Liu Wei would never have challenged them lightly.

Monsters with average Levels in the 600s.

For an Awakened below Level 500, taking them down was anything but easy.

Now things were different.‘I can do it.’Unique-grade items covered his entire body. Unfortunately, because they were so expensive, the items had only been loaned rather than given to him. But that was fine.‘If I can crush that bastard…….’He might even get to keep a few of these items.[Using Leopard Transformation(A)

!][‘Ferocious Beast Ring’ effect activates!][‘Sharp Beast Helm’ effect…….][‘Howling Necklace’ effect…….]

ROAR!

Liu Wei raced among the Giants in leopard form and attacked them.

Perhaps because the countless items inflated his abilities so dramatically.

Every time the gigantic leopard swung a paw, chunks of flesh were ripped from the Cyclopes.[‘Mystic Regeneration Shoes’ effect…….][‘Tireless Stamina Ring’ effect…….]

A battle lasting nearly four hours.[You have eliminated every Cyclops in the village!][10,000 points are awarded!]

Liu Wei returned to human form with a relaxed smile.‘At this rate…….’An Awakened's body was strong.

Going a few days without sleep wouldn't kill him. And so, after spending two straight days exterminating groups of Cyclopes.[Current Points: 120,000]

Liu Wei's score had climbed close to 120,000. Enough to aim for the very top. A confident smile spread across his lips.

Then.

A message appeared before him.[Day 2 has ended.][Rankings will be calculated based on all points acquired so far.][Would you like to reveal your name?]

With some luck, his score might even be enough for first place.‘I'll crush those Koreans' arrogance while I'm at it.’His eyes gleamed as he nodded.

That was when.[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]

“……2.13 million points?”

Had two days of nonstop hunting drained his energy so badly he was hallucinating?

Liu Wei blinked at the rankings.