Insane Value for Money (1)

GateNet's awakener board was buzzing over a string of bizarre reports.

—(Proof attached) Holy shit, what a steal lmao. Ilseong's equipment stores actually have +weapons lol.

—They actually sell weapons like that? How much did you pay?

—9 million won lol. Get your ass to an equipment store right now. Apparently they're doing a special sale of just 20 a day per store.

—What? Is Ilseong trying to go bankrupt? That stuff would start at 20 million at auction...

—(Proof attached) This armor is insane. Got it for 7 million lol. I want more, but it's one per person. RIP.

—Oh, fuck. I ran straight over and they're already sold out?

—The store here is going nuts too. Must've had ten awakeners come in within five minutes...

—Has anyone heard anything about Lee Seoyun? She's been awfully quiet lately...

—Probably off clearing some hidden gate lol. Who cares about that right now? They're selling +items!

—Why are so many Plus items hitting the market? Aren't those things crafters can barely make even when they bust their asses?

—Yep. I'm a pretty seasoned blacksmith, and I hardly ever see Plus gear. Craft all day long and you might get two or three, if that. It's basically the lottery.

—That makes no sense. Ilseong has 100 equipment stores nationwide. Twenty each means they're selling 2,000 a day...

—They really are selling them, though. The person right in front of me just bought a Plus item.

—How do they supply 2,000? Are they dumping stock they've saved up?

—Nope lol. Ilseong just posted a notice on their website. Says the event will run for at least a month.

—... Wouldn't a month be 60,000? How is that possible?

—Dunno. But the notice says they'll keep stocking +items even after the event, so please visit often. They want to give us the thrill of a treasure hunt lmao.

—... Are they seriously trying to go bankrupt?

—Bankruptcy isn't the point! How are they supplying that much Plus gear lol? Did they recruit some famous master craftsman?

—Nope. Guess you don't know much about crafting, but even a top-tier master could never churn out that many Plus items. Maybe 50 a day at best?

—They're only making Common-grade stuff, and they can only manage 50?

—I told you, it's the lottery lol. You can't just make them whenever you want.

—Yeah. Besides, why would a craftsman that good mess around with low-level gear instead of making high-level stuff? That's just shredding money in real time lol.

—???? Anyone see the potions displayed in the corner? Those are + too!

—... Huh?

* * *

Dorim Group, the nation's second-largest conglomerate, convened a meeting of the presidents of all its subsidiaries. Its chairman, Jo Chunghun, surveyed them with a flushed face.

"... Report."

One of the presidents, dripping with cold sweat, staggered to his feet.

"... Home-appliance sales have fallen by over fifty percent this month. Overseas exports have also dropped sharply..."

"Hey, President Kim."

"... Yes, Chairman."

"What do you think the problem is?"

"... Our analysis suggests the advertisement on the Mangnani channel is the primary cause. The replay has over a hundred million views and has been a massive hit even overseas..."

"I know that already. So you just stood there and let them steal our entire appliance market share? Not just here, but overseas too?"

"N-no, sir! We've launched a countercampaign, bringing in a host of A-list celebrities for advertisements..."

"And hiring some entertainers will let you match that little bastard's NewTube views?"

"W-well..."

The president's face fell. A hundred million views wasn't a figure they could reach with a domestic audience alone. They needed to attract attention overseas.

Would hiring A-list celebrities work abroad? Not a chance. Those ads were strictly for the domestic market.

An ad that worked overseas? If they knew how to make one, Dorim would already have the largest share of the global appliance market. In reality, although they led the domestic market, they could barely hang on to seventh place worldwide.

"I asked if you could match him, you bastard!"

"I-I don't believe we can. The video is extremely unique..."

The president looked ready to cry. Ilseong's advertising model was simply too formidable.

The eldest son of the nation's top conglomerate family, and a world-record breaker to boot. He'd heard that Minwoo's bad-boy image had already earned him an enormous overseas fandom. Cedric, who had appeared alongside him in the ad, was also enjoying phenomenal popularity under the affectionate nickname "Bone Knight."

'How am I supposed to compete with that?'

The impact was already tremendous. Word was spreading that the Ilseong brand had begun commanding a premium. Kim Minwoo was known as the conglomerate heir who blew money like there was no tomorrow. With someone like him advertising their products, people were apparently starting to see Ilseong as a brand only the rich used.

"What the hell are you going to do? Those Ilseong bastards are riding this wave, even bringing out premium versions of their products and selling them like hotcakes! What exactly are you doing?"

"W-we're also developing premium versions to capitalize on the trend..."

"If all you're going to do is chase Ilseong's tail, why are you sitting in those chairs? You're supposed to come up with solutions!"

President Kim felt terribly wronged. Ilseong wasn't something they could catch up to just because they wanted to. They needed a card of their own to play.

Their quality was slightly better, but their image lagged far, far behind. Dorim had unquestionably been the name in home appliances in Korea, yet now people called it old-fashioned. How was he supposed to overcome that? Even someone far greater than the chairman would have struggled, let alone the chairman himself.

President Kim of the appliance division wasn't the only one trembling. Kim Minwoo had advertised far more than one or two products. Sales at every related subsidiary had long since gone into free fall. President Kim was merely being made an example of—a sacrifice to warn the other presidents.

"Pack your things and get out. Now!"

"... Thank you for everything, Chairman."

Looking utterly miserable, President Kim was expelled from the meeting. He had effectively been fired.

Chairman Jo's tirade didn't end there. He flung down a newspaper.

[Ilseong Group Makes Aggressive Push into Equipment Market! Massive Release of Plus Items! Daily Visitors Up Over 1,000%!]

[Plus Potions Also Released, Drawing Long Lines...]

"President Lee."

"... Yes, Chairman!"

"You've heard about this too, haven't you?"

"Yes. They seem determined to go all out. Selling equipment at almost half price must be costing them an enormous amount."

"Even so, they figure it'll pay off if they kill off competitors like us. Can't you picture it already? Every other store will be deserted."

"Indeed, sir."

"What are you going to do about this? Are you just like President Kim? Just taking every hit they throw at you?"

"No, sir! To secure Plus items, we've contacted craftsmen and asked them to produce as much low-end equipment as possible. We're also releasing our stockpiled Plus items at low prices..."

"Is that all?"

At that moment, President Lee's expression turned serious.

"... Chairman. The volume Ilseong is releasing isn't something we can match by gathering a few craftsmen."

"That's right. And?"

"A special craftsman must have emerged who's driving all this. Their skill is probably related to crafting Plus items. We'll stake our lives on recruiting them."

"Exactly. You need to get to the heart of the matter! A battle of volume will get us nowhere. We need to reel in whoever's behind this."

Only then did Chairman Jo's expression soften a little. If the man had foolishly tried to compete on volume, he would have fired him too. No amount of pressuring their craftsmen could produce those quantities. Ilseong must have acquired a special card to play.

"I don't care if it costs trillions. You'll have my full support. So find that person and secure them, no matter what."

"Yes, sir. We absolutely will. We'll pay whatever they ask. Once we secure that craftsman, the battle is as good as won."

"Yes! That's it! That's the fighting spirit we have at Dorim!"

At last, Jo Chunghun's face relaxed somewhat. He had charged ahead like a bulldozer all these years. Perhaps thanks to his painstaking efforts, the past twenty years had been a period of rapid growth for Dorim.

Ilseong's market capitalization had once been nearly twice theirs, but he had narrowed the gap to roughly a third. He could even see hope of reclaiming first place during his tenure with just a little more effort. Chairman Jo had no intention of being knocked back down now.

'This is a turning point.'

He had to break Ilseong's momentum. Otherwise, they might never be able to catch up. That was how alarming Ilseong's recent moves had been.

Just then, one of the presidents shot up a hand.

"Yes, President Choi. Something to say?"

"Chairman. The current playing field favors Ilseong. The reason is simple. They've built a sophisticated brand image through Kim Minwoo."

"That's right."

Kim Minwoo's advertisement. Considering how widely it had spread the Ilseong brand across the world, its value might reach tens of trillions of won. Its effects were still ongoing. Every move he made drew the spotlight both at home and abroad. One walking superstar had shaken up the entire playing field.

"Then the solution is simple. Why don't we create a star like that ourselves? You happen to have an outstanding son in Executive Director Jo..."

President Choi glanced at Executive Director Jo. Jo Piluk. An awakener with an A-rank Awakening Achievement, and one of Chairman Jo's two sons.

Despite his outstanding achievement and fairly high level of nearly 300, he wasn't entrusted with anything important. The reason was simple: like Kim Minwoo, Jo Piluk was an absolute delinquent. They had put him in a guild and given him an impressive title for his business card, but they didn't entrust him with significant company duties. That was his position.

"... Ahem! You're suggesting we use Executive Director Jo?"

"Yes. Of course, he was a little hotheaded at one time, but what red-blooded young man hasn't gotten into trouble?"

"Hmm..."

Chairman Jo considered it. Normally, there would have been nothing to consider. Red-blooded youth? Jo Piluk's history went far beyond that. He would already be in jail if they hadn't smoothed things over with money and power. Putting him in the public eye under those circumstances wasn't a particularly good idea.

But things were a little different now. Kim Minwoo had already blazed the trail with a spectacularly successful debut. Was there any reason Jo Piluk couldn't do the same? With public opinion so favorable toward delinquents, perhaps Jo Piluk could also make a name for himself cleanly with a bad-boy image.

Chairman Jo looked at his son.

"... Well? Can you do this without causing a scandal?"

"... Father! I've changed a great deal! Just give me a chance, and I'll throw myself into it with everything I've got!"

Jo Piluk brightened. Overshadowed by his older brother, he'd thought he would never return to the company. But now an opportunity had appeared, all thanks to the precedent Kim Minwoo had set.

"How do you plan to debut?"

"I'll need to make a big splash. I intend to clear an A-rank gate, then launch a NewTube channel. I'll really put Dorim's name out there!"

"Hmm... I'll speak to the Guild Master."

"Thank you, Father!"

Those words would ensure that every bit of the gate raid's spotlight fell on him.

'I'll use this chance to get back into the company, no matter what.'

Even a mere level-one awakener had generated such explosive public interest. Why couldn't he? Jo Piluk was brimming with confidence.

There was just one thing he hadn't anticipated...

* * *

[(Breaking) Kim Minwoo Copycat Syndrome? Conglomerate Families' Delinquents All Launch NewTube Channels Together!]

[(Breaking) Over 50% of Heirs from Top 100 Conglomerate Families Launch NewTube Channels! Critics Accuse Companies of Handpicking Their Worst Delinquents for Image-Laundering Channels...]

[(Breaking) Old Habits Die Hard? Some Channels Resort to Gambling-Style Prize Draws, Dousing People in Fish Sauce, and Other Outrageous Stunts to Attract Viewers...]

[(Breaking) Disastrous Backlash! Boycotts Send Sales Plummeting at Companies That Launched NewTube Channels Featuring Their Heirs...]

"What are these idiots doing?"

Reading the news section, Kim Minwoo gave a disbelieving laugh. Every one of them followed the same pattern: find a suitable awakened heir, send them to clear a gate, and use it as their debut. They'd even included all sorts of outright delinquents among them.

Old habits died hard. Could people whose everyday behavior was already rotten really do well on NewTube? Not a chance. In the end, they'd all been lumped together and condemned, leaving them worse off than if they'd done nothing.

'Do they think they can pull this off just by copying me?'

If that were true, every random nobody would be a star. Originals and knockoffs were in entirely different leagues.

COO.

"Yes, yes. They're complete idiots, you say? Daddy thought so too."

They were tripping over their own feet all by themselves. He couldn't have asked for anything better.