Chapter 367: Chapter 367

There was an awkward silence for a while, and Monali eventually broke it by asking, “Uh... Are you serious?”

“Why would I joke about this?”

“...You can’t develop a new material just like that...”

Monali looked baffled and didn’t know how to explain it to Choi Yeonseung. Usable materials didn’t fall from the sky.

First, they had to find a monster they could make use of, analyze the structure of the part they would use from the monster, figure out how to reproduce it, and test it multiple times. Only after that would the hunters use the material in their activities...

All the materials patented by companies in the industry had gone through this process. Even in the best-case scenario, it would still take a few years to successfully develop a new material!

Even if they dropped all the projects at Dragon Solutions and focused all their resources on developing a new material, it would still take at least a year.

“This isn’t something you can do in a hurry. Even if we somehow manage to do it in time, the material will be second-rate compared to what those three companies have come up with.”

“I’m not saying to rush or drop the ongoing projects. I was going to find some useful materials in the Abyss.”

“...I-is that possible? It’s not enough for it to be an unusual material. We also need to be able to mass-produce it. ”

“Alright. I’ll keep that in mind while searching in the Abyss.”

“!?”

Monali knew that other companies were also fearlessly searching for resources in the Abyss. How long had it been since the First Realm had been opened? There were tens of thousands of companies that had entered.

No matter how dangerous the Abyss was, humanity’s greed surpassed it.

As such, the Abyss had endless possibilities. Treasures for which hunters normally had to enter dungeons were scattered all throughout the Abyss!

Dragon Industry had also entered the Abyss, so it was likely that Choi Yeonseung knew something.

‘Certainly, there are many hunter clans under Dragon Industry that are active in the Abyss. Maybe Hunter Choi Yeonseung has information I don’t know...’

Monali felt a sudden surge of hope.

“Then I will trust you!”

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ is fascinated and asks how and where you will find it.] n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The cat constellation was curious. As it was listening to Choi Yeonseung, the cat constellation realized that this plan was actually quite tricky.

The humans had to mass-produce the material with Earth’s technology and it also had to be better than what the other competitors had invented...

The cat constellation didn’t think there was such a material in the Abyss. Were there any Abyssal races Choi Yeonseung knew that had such a material?

-Huh? You’re the one who’s going to make it for me.

[...]

***

The Cat of Lava and Magma initially cursed at Choi Yeonseung but quickly resigned to its fate.

[The ‘Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead’ asks why the cat constellation isn’t happy to help with something that is well within its power.]

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ is irritated and tells the goddess of balance to be quiet.]

The goddess of balance didn’t know why the cat constellation was sullen. If it had been her, she would’ve instantly accepted to help Choi Yeonseung.

-Have strength, cat constellation. You’re skilled enough to get this done!

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ is whining for you to be quiet as well.]

-Hey, I was cheering for you... Why are you being so mean?

-Skilled blacksmiths tend to be a bit eccentric.

[The ‘Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead’ agrees.]

The cat constellation ignored the chattering constellations and got lost in thought.

It would be easier if the cat constellation had to come up with a masterpiece with no restrictions. However, this task was particularly tricky for the cat constellation because it had to create a material that the humans on Earth could handle!

There was no use trying to make something like adamantium scales that no one could touch. It would be quite challenging to find the perfect materials for this unique task.

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says that the incarnation of training should do it himself.]

-What? Me?

[The ‘Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead’ is wondering if the cat is trying to bully him.]

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ is angry because it is the incarnation of training who knows humans best!]

-I understand. Calm down.

Choi Yeonseung tried to pacify the cat constellation, given that it was growling and growing angrier by the minute. He also felt a bit sorry for throwing all of this on the cat constellation.

In the end, Choi Yeonseung found himself in front of the Soul-Infused Smithy in his realm.

“...Wait. I’ve heard something about a new area in my realm, but what the hell is that?”

Choi Yeonseung paused at the sound of screams coming from the new factory area in the kingdom. He had been relieved when Odaigon had said, “We’re doing well on our own, Master!” However, now he was concerned about those screams.

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says there is no time for that now.]

“I see. Let’s go then.”

Choi Yeonseung stood in front of the smithy, and the cat constellation brought out all types of metal ingots and monster materials.

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ will tell you how to combine the things here, so try to make it yourself.]

“It must not be too unwieldy or hard to handle.”

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ understands. It tells you to stay focused because there is a lot of work to do!]

The cat constellation was very strict when it came to blacksmithing. As such, it scolded Choi Yeonseung for every tiny mistake he made.

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ tells you not to combine them like that. It asks you if you seriously think that anyone will be able to replicate such a lousy method.]

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says to coat the white jade stone with a thin layer of carlyle. Then raise the temperature and sprinkle the pulverized ice ingot. Next, try blowing away the impurities with the power of your internal energy...]

‘Ugh, this is difficult.’

Dealing with the materials was trickier than Choi Yeonseung had thought. There were many steps that were more complicated than just pounding, melting, and mixing.

‘I thought I could just ask the cat constellation to do everything, but...’

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ tells you not to think about anything else.]

After an arduous process, Choi Yeonseung finally managed to come up with something useful.

[The ‘Five Attributes Metal Ingot’ has been created!]

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ congratulates you for your hard work.]

‘Uh... Wait. I’m not sure if this is good enough to compete with those companies. Will this work?’

-I think the cat will get mad if you ask, so let’s just experiment with it.

The goddess of sloth dissuaded Choi Yeonseung from questioning the cat constellation about the quality of the material. She felt that the cat constellation needed to be praised for working hard on this.

***

“You received a call from Peleza?”

“Yes.”

It was said that high-tech materials were used everywhere, but it was the hunters who used them the most, which wasn’t surprising, given that a piece of equipment could make the difference between survival and death.

As such, companies that developed high-tech materials prioritized large hunter clans because they would make them good publicity.

“These bastards have the nerve to come out so blatantly? They’re basically saying that if we don’t sign an exclusive contract now, they’ll push us to the back of the queue later!”

Peleza’s message for the Six-Eyed Turtle clan was almost a threat. The person on the phone was polite, but they said in a menacing voice, “We’ll give you the chance to sign with us now. If you don’t, we might not be able to offer you a contract later because of the inevitable backlog of orders.”

They were essentially threatening the Six-Eyed Turtle clan.

“It’s infuriating.”

“But declining their offer is too risky. What if we don’t get another chance?”

The Six-Eyed Turtle clan was indeed one of the three major clans in South Korea and the one with the most hunters, but it was still an insignificant clan by international standards. Therefore, a company like Peleza could bully them like this all they wanted.

In addition, Peleza had joined forces with Raiden and Klein, two other international giants. It was likely that the three of them would dominate the high-tech materials market for a long time.

“Indeed, this contract is a huge opportunity, but when doing such important business, to the extent that our livelihood depends on it, we need to do it with a reliable partner.”

Kwon Yeonghyeong, the clan leader, frowned.

The A-grade hunter, Kwon Yeongseung, asked cautiously, “Do you find it hard to trust Peleza?”

“I once heard that the quality of the equipment depends on the clan. Some clans receive better equipment than others. Those guys won’t change much. Besides, neither Raiden nor Klein are close to us.”

In this day and age, being able to secure new magic and new products was a valuable ability. In that regard, the clans that were from the same country as the industry giants and had connections with them had a massive advantage.

Of course, South Korea could take pride in many areas, but it didn’t stand out in the high-tech materials sector.

“But it can’t be helped. I don’t know what will happen from now on, but we need to sign the contract. I’ll review it first...”

The clan leader was about to accept when he received a call from an unexpected person.

“...From Dragon Solutions? What’s going on?”

Since he was currently purchasing armor from Dragon Solutions, he could guess why he was contacted. Dragon Solutions would likely give them a discount and various benefits so they would maintain the contract with them.

‘However, I can’t do so.’

No matter how close he was to Hunter Choi Yeonseung, he had to make the right decision as a clan leader.

“...Huh?? Is that true?”

***

Peleza’s CEO, Bonnefant, was alone in a huge room and muttering to himself as if possessed by some kind of spirit.

“I dedicate my greed and money to you, so please give me more! I want more!”

[The ‘Greedy Owner of the Treasure House’ laughs loudly!]

[The ‘Greedy Owner of the Treasure House’ praises you for doing very well.]

“Khe... Khehehe!”

The treasure house constellation was unique because most of its subordinates were mostly regular people, not hunters. In a way, this made more sense, given that this constellation was interested in gold and treasures rather than blood, fighting, and fame.

For such a greedy constellation, Earth, dominated by capitalism, was a paradise from which it could siphon tons of money with the snap of a finger.

“But Master, looking at the unit price you told me this time, the cost is higher than I thought...”

[The ‘Greedy Owner of the Treasure House’ advises you to lower quality and raise prices after your competitors fall.]

“As expected...! But then the Congress and the Federal Trade Commission might come after me...”

[The ‘Greedy Owner of the Treasure House’ says he has generously bribed the lawmakers.]

“As expected of Master!”

Bonnefant fell flat on his stomach. People had rebuked him all the time, calling him a degenerate, a failure, and so on, but his life changed after meeting this constellation.

This majestic being had taught him how to live!

[The ‘Greedy Owner of the Treasure House’ tells you to shun the other two companies once you obtain all the technology.]

“I will do so! Haha! I never had any intention of taking care of companies from other countries!”

[The ‘Greedy Owner of the Treasure House’ praises Bonnefant for being a wonderful American.]

Among the constellations, the treasure house constellation was one of the best at giving praise, and Bonnefant was already drunk on it.

‘Borrowing technology from other companies to dominate the market... After that, use the power of capital to chase away the others... I’ll be the king of this market! All the hunter clans in the world will acknowledge me!’

Ring—!

Bonnefant got a call out of the blue, and he confirmed the caller with a frown. It was Jacob, the oldest son of the Parker family.

“What?”

-You son of a bitch! You stabbed me in the back! You think you can get away with this?”

“Ah, haha. It’s about that, huh?” Bonnefant snorted. Before the announcement, he had thrown out all types of blank cheques in order to suppress the other competitors, Parker Group being among them.

Bonnefant had beguiled Jacob by telling him that Peleza would fail, that they needed Parker Group’s technology to survive, that they should form a partnership, and so on.

“I can’t believe you fell for such words. You have a long way to go.”

Beep—

Bonnefant hung up without giving a proper explanation to Jacob, causing him to tremble in anger. It was understandable for Jacob to be furious. After all, the scumbag whom he had always seen as easy to handle had stabbed him in the back.

“You... You fucking...! Hey! Contact Dragon Industry!”

“S-sorry...? Dragon Industry?!”

“Yes! They’ll also try to put this bastard in his place! I’m going to join forces with them!”