Chapter 108. Production Golem (2)
Flowing black hair like silk. Long, upturned eyes typical of East Asians and a beauty mark underneath.
“Hehe. Are there many beauties around here that you’re making that face? I didn’t expect that kind of expression~.”
A woman with a fitting appearance for the saying “a fox that bewitches people.”
As the woman’s eyes softened even more.
“Ah…… Uh……”
The face of the Night Hunter Park Jinwook blanked out. Even he was momentarily taken aback.
“What, when did you sneak in!”
Blushing slightly, he quickly approached the door with a mix of embarrassment and confusion.
“I clearly guided you to the reception room!”
“You guided me. But you didn’t tell me to stay there, right?”
With a sly grin. The woman effortlessly brushed off his remark.
“….”
Was he embarrassed by that?
Park Jinwook opened his mouth slightly but couldn’t say a word.
“It’s alright, Jinwook-ssi.”
Shimun sighed softly and patted Park Jinwook’s frozen shoulders. Then, he furrowed his brows slightly and looked at the woman with a flirtatious beauty.
“An important person like you is up to something here?”
“Oh my. It’s the first time I’ve received such a look from a man.”
“Stop lying.”
“Even snappy. Does that hurt your feelings?”
“Ha….”
This woman is formidable. Shimun forced a wry smile and swept her bangs roughly.
“Rin, I just finished at the arena and feeling tired, why are you here?”
“I just watched your broadcast on the way here. You were truly impressive as rumored. Thanks to you, the journey wasn’t boring. By the way…”
The Nine-Tailed Fox Rin. Now known as the owner of the Black Market, her eyes sparkled even more.
“Could you say it one more time?”
“Just finished at the arena and feeling tired.”
“No, something else~.”
“If not that, then… ah.”
Did Rin catch on to what I was saying?
“Is she asking me to call her name? For no reason?”
Shimun sighed deeper than before and tilted her head down.
“This woman always makes me tired whenever I deal with her.”
The owner of the Black Market. A woman who can deduce numerous information with just a few words. Already feeling anxious about every word I say, she now playfully ask me to say her name like this.
“Could she have figured out that I know her real name?”
Or maybe she’s just messing around. She has been a cunning character in her past life.
‘I shouldn’t get entangled in this woman’s mind games.’
With that thought, Shimun mentally armed himself.
“Hmm~ So this is Shimun-nim’s research lab.”
“When did you get all the way here! Stop right there! Don’t go in! Stop!”
Sneaking past the heightened senses of Park Jinwook, a Diamond-rank Assassin, Rin had already intruded into the research lab.
“This is where the cure is being made, isn’t it?”
She looked around the lab with eyes full of curiosity. Normally, it was somewhat rude to barge into the workshops of alchemists and other producers like this.
“Wow, using only mithril golems for work? Not using humans at all. Well, humans can’t be trusted anyway. That’s why Shimun-nim, you understand me,” Rin casually toured the lab as if it were her own room.
“Well… Shimun-nim? Is it okay to leave it like that?”
Park Jinwook, who knew the unwritten rules of the player’s workshop, asked cautiously.
“It’s fine,” Shimun casually shrugged.
“It’s not something she could copy just because she has seen it.”
Master craftsmen, including alchemists, each had their own unique work systems. Since Shimun was an alchemist categorized in the mage class, the differences were even more pronounced. Moreover, “Because most of the production of the Arena disease cure is made with future technology … Ever since the official start of the Arena, the materials for the cure are being made and completed with the most advanced technology.
Even if Rin was a craftsman, there was no way she could figure it out.
Inevitably, a rough voice spoke out, “Ah, that fox-like woman. She’s digging around so shamelessly.”
“Why does she seem to know so much? Why is she paying such close attention to alchemy when she doesn’t know a damn thing?”
Without the Philosopher’s Stone, the overall production of cures was impossible.
“If that’s the case…”
Rin, who had been observing the lab with sharp curiosity, surrendered.
“The labs of famous alchemists are usually bustling, but I just can’t figure out Shimun-nim’s lab.”
She looked at Shimun with a smile she always carried, but there was a hint of seriousness in her eyes.
“It’s like… I’ve seen the knowledge of the future?”
At those words, Shimun internally flinched but maintained an indifferent facade.
“Ah, it’s too difficult.”
Laughingly admitting her own absurdity, Rin gestured playfully, smiling.
“Is all this because of our esteemed customer?”
She approached with a charming smile.
“With such a magnificent lab like this, I just can’t get my act together.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Shimun replied dryly. Despite her appearance, there was some discontent visible.
“Haha, I was a bit impudent, wasn’t I?”
Rin, as always, maintained a constant smile.
“Quite, indeed.”
“Haha…”
As soon as Rin hit the counter, the façade of composed demeanor collapsed. With sharp eyes, Rin glanced at the counter.
“The owner of the black market personally delivered it. Is this how you treat customers?”
“You do realize I haven’t received the product yet, right?”
Rin faced the situation without backing down. Even her lips were slightly curled as she said, “Truly, no man has ever treated me like this before.”
“As I mentioned earlier, please stop with the lies.”
“Well, your intuition is quite sharp.”
With a wry smile at the wall of Shimun, she opened the inventory. Rin pulled out two solid packages that seemed quite heavy at first sight.
“I put in a bit more than requested. Please check it.”
Thud.
She nonchalantly placed the two packages on the counter with one hand. Shimun, who had been indifferent, showed a glint in his eyes for the first time.
“How did you manage to acquire this? If the amount decreased, I would understand, but I never thought it would increase.”
“I was lucky. There was a surplus from the recent shipments from the US and Europe.”
I used all my contacts to get it~!
She chuckled in a somewhat embarrassed manner.
Placing her hand on her forehead, Rin said, “So, just say it once. Rin~~ Thank you!.
Ignoring Rin’s banter, Shimun opened the packages.
“Oh.”
A sigh of admiration involuntarily escaped his lips at the pristine sheen. Shimun checked the information windows of each mineral.
『Adamantium Ore』
Grade: SS
A mineral from the demon realm. It possesses strong resistance and flexibility.
『Orihalcon Ore』
Grade: SS
A mineral from the heavenly realm. It boasts powerful strength and compatibility.
Unlike mithril, these two minerals are both graded SS.
While there seemed to be no significant difference in terms of mineral specifications, the obscure acquisition routes of the heavenly and demon realms, along with the characteristics of the two minerals, were sufficient to warrant an SS grade.
Moreover, ‘If I refine them well, they could even be upgraded to SSS.’
This was the key difference between adamantium and orichalcon and mithril.
Clatter.
Inspecting each mineral in the package, Shimun nodded satisfactorily with a smile.
* * *
Crash!
A high-quality table made of Arena Mountain wood shattered into pieces.
“What did you just say?”
Spitting out the words like chewing them, a middle-aged man with an insolent demeanor clenched his fist, causing splinters of wood to rain down. The man standing beside him flinched but remained silent.
“T-the moderate party has gathered around the guildmaster…”
Before his fist could be directed towards him, the man answered straight away.”Guild Master?”
The questioning gaze of the stout middle-aged man rose.
“Yes? Oh!”
The man who caught onto it quickly changed his words.
“I… I meant the former Guild Master! I was referring to the former Guild Master!”
“Ah, I see.”
The drooping eyes of the middle-aged man slightly lowered.
However, the fierce glint in his eyes had not completely disappeared.
“Even though Vice guildmaster Zhang Wanchi remains, the position of Guild Master has already been transferred, hasn’t it?”
“Y-yes! Vice guildmaster!”
One of the guilds known as the top two in the world.
Vice guildmaster Zhang Wanchi, known for his influential presence, touched the stout chin with his massive hand.
“Anyway, the scattered moderate faction is rallying together again…”
It was not entirely unexpected.
“Perhaps it’s because of the actions of Seo Wiryong?”
Seo Wiryong.
A rising star in the Continental known for his exceptional skills. However, he had a regrettable aspect. He was a supporter of the former Guild Master.
“It’s quite annoying.”
From Zhang Wanchi’s standpoint supporting Spear King, Seo Wiryong was like a thorn in his side.
“Well… although Seo Wiryong hasn’t done anything, to be honest…”
The cautious man hesitantly continued.
“Right.”
Nodding, Zhang Wanchi raised one corner of his mouth.
“Even though Seo Wiryong is exceptional, they’re not enough to sway the hearts of the scattered moderate factions.”
“….”
The submissive man couldn’t bring himself to say more. He knew, just like every guild member in the Continental.
“Oh, there is no need to be careful with your words. What can we do about the mess created by Kang Hwawi, that incompetent fool?”
This was why the balance of power in the current Continental had changed so abruptly.
“Because of that, we suffered a tremendous loss of 23 billion yuan in one month.”
23 billion yuan.
Roughly 4.3 trillion Korean won.
Even for a guild known as one of the top two in the world like the Continental, spending 4.3 trillion won monthly was a significant drain.
To think they had to shoulder this expense due to the foolish gold-rank player who caused this mess?
With a bitter laugh, Zhang Wanchi shook his head.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. There are plenty of players who can take that position, and we’ve already held someone accountable for it.”
As if it was nothing. Nonchalantly waving his hand, Zhang Wanchi’s words made the submissive man tremble slightly. Is there no place for such a man?
‘All because of one man…’
Even though Zhang Wanchi’s eyes were sharp, almost piercing through the window despite being buried in flesh.
‘Sword Saint Kim Shihyuk, and his sly tricks.’
Despite his young age in his twenties, even rivaling Spear King Zhang Liqiu, the player revered as the strongest in the Continental.
‘To have monopolized growth buffs like that for so long, this young man is truly sinister.’
With growth buffs like that, even his unbelievable rise as Sword Saint could be understood. That was the speculation until yesterday.
“The report from this morning, it must be true, right?”
“Of course, vice guildmaster-nim. It was reported that Riko, the rising star of Masamune, witnessed Seo Wiryong and Kim Shimun having a lengthy conversation.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
At that time when Kang Hwawi caused a commotion, those who observed the altercation were players from just four countries: Korea, China, Japan, and the United States.
Therefore, there was no way Masamune’s information could be wrong. Although it was funny to consider believing their words based on their usual relationship with Masamune.
‘Kim Shimun…..’
The name Kim Shimun kept circling in Zhang Wanchi’s mind.
Naturally.
‘He survived both Desperado and our side’s assassination.’
Moreover, looking back at the fact that Kim Shimun was a Gold at the time. Surviving two assassination attempts was truly unbelievable. Therefore, they couldn’t just ignore Masamune’s information.
‘Could it be that Kim Shimun harbors a grudge and allied with Seo Wiryong?’
It was a bit of a stretch. Even if it was known that Continental was behind the assassination, how could a mere Gold assist Seo Wiryong?
All Kim Shimun did was beat up the foolish Kang Hwawi. The fact that moderate party had gathered was because Sword Saint had designated Seo Wiryong as an intermediary……
“Wait.”
Zhang Wanchi’s eyes, buried in thought, suddenly widened.
‘Come to think of it, where have I heard the name Kim Shimun before?’
Where was it? Definitely somewhere……
Zhang Wanchi’s eyes darted back and forth as he searched through his memory.
Soon.
“Oh! It was from ten years ago!”
“Vice guildmaster-nim?”
Though the servant tilted his head in confusion, Zhang Wanchi was lost in his own thoughts. Unknown to the world, the incident that had occurred in Korea ten years ago had also affected Continental.
And the person who had extended a hand to them was none other than.
‘Kim Muyeol.’
The Ranker known as the Ironwood King of the first generation. Zhang Wanchi turned his gaze to the servant bowing before him.
“The current association president in Korea has been quiet lately, hasn’t he?”
“Well……. Communication has been a bit strained since the last assassination attempt. It seems like he has lost some trust in our side.”
“Ah, that’s understandable. Ironwood King is quite a sensitive man. In that case, that side might be difficult……”
As Zhang Wanchi subtly gestured with his head.
Swoosh.
His inventory appeared in the air.
“Is junior brother Seo Wiryong going to Korea tomorrow?”
“Yes. As indicated by Sword Saint, he will depart next month as a negotiator for the lease.”
“Then please hand this to him. Tell him it’s to convey an apology to the Korean side.”
Zhang Wanchi extended a glass bottle containing a crimson liquid from his inventory.
“I-Is this DS?”
The man’s eyes widened, but Zhang Wanchi nodded with a casual smile.
“We need to do this much to appease Sword Saint’s anger, don’t we?”
“Ah, understood. I will deliver it right away.”
The man who received the DS left the room. Silence filled the room. After savoring the silence with closed eyes for a while, Zhang Wanchi took a deep breath and opened his eyes.
‘If this gift were to go to Kim Shimun and not Sword Saint……’
All these doubts and speculations would be confirmed. At the same time.
“I suppose the leash that couldn’t be fastened to the Sword Saint could be fastened to him.”
Zhang Wanchi lifted the corner of his mouth in a sly smile.
TL’s Corner:
He’s gonna flip when he finds out that Shimun could take the DS without getting any side effects.