11. Charm (1)
Snake Shield Alliance. Their leader was a character called Blacksnake. As a side effect of his technique, his pupils were like a snake’s, and his tongue was long.
He had many worries recently, as sales had fallen sharply and even the loan business wasn’t doing well. It was now the time to jump into the League Guild and Gate industry. It was good to attract funds from the guild and make a guild debut in the second division.
“Lee Jin-woo…”
Suddenly, the Raven Guild became strong, appearing with Lee Jin-woo on its back. Blacksnake dedicated most of the funds they had collected so far to please Lee Jin-woo. It came up with the name of compensation, but it was more of a bribe in reality. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to give such a large sum away so coldly.
It was the money that the guild had gathered by tightening their belts. Lee Jin-woo was rumored to like to take and give support. It didn’t seem like a big deal to live a life of a stupid conglomerate. After all, his past track record was ridiculous. However…
Blacksnake suffered a hard time.
“Lee Jin-woo, you crazy bastard!”
How could he just try to get off with that? The curse came out of nowhere. Blacksnake’s fists trembled. No, he used the name of compensation, but shouldn’t it be regarded as a bribe if it is common sense? But that guy said he just gave it all to the Raven Guild.
He even gave them consolation money because it was too little. Wasn’t this really crazy? Yes, it was tolerable up to that point. Anyway, it was hard, but the Snake Shield Alliance succeeded in entering JW Gate by bribing the judges with huge amounts of money. However…
A few Mercenaries were kicked out for making one mistake. All the tickets were confiscated, and the Mercenaries who were there were trembling for some reason and wouldn’t say anything. Now he couldn’t even track where they went. There was a record of bribery given to the judges, but it couldn’t do anything.
Bribery was legal at JW Gate, after all. It was a crazy neighborhood.
“Well…leader.”
“Why!”
“Furen Guild is disbanded. The operation of Smile Happy Loan is now…”
“What do you mean?”
“The building was demolished, and the affiliated company also…”
“The building?”
“It is said they’re going to build a city park there. They want to make it a resting space that Lee Jin-woo will give back to the residents…”
“Eaaaaaargh!”
That crazy bastard!
Blacksnake, unable to take it anymore, threw a fit.
“Do you know how much the building cost is?!”
Thud!
He slumped down in his chair. Their money lines were cut off one by one, and now they were almost gone. Any involvement in illegal activities had disappeared without question, and now their legal businesses were vanishing. Only the process of disqualifying the alliance from the Association of Competent People was left. Tomstom Coffee was also eaten up. The splendid golden age of making loads of money with cheap beans flashed before his eyes.
Blacksnake never thought that those he trusted would hit him in the back of the head for money. Some of which were those that Blacksnake thought of as brothers. Of course, business was said to be much better now.
“Lee Jin-woo…”
It was planned. He was dead as a viper, saying that he would take everything the Snake Shield Alliance had. Just because he didn’t like it, he would probably break it up and throw it away when he grew bored.
If it ended only with Snake Shield Alliance, it would be enough to leave Korea. However, even some of the related Japanese companies were experiencing the aftermath. Blacksnake had seen Lee Jin-woo in person. He somehow went to meet him, but he was beaten away at the door and had to watch from a distance.
The moment he saw Lee Jin-woo, his snake-like eyes opened wide. His tongue trembled. His tongue could read senses beyond human cognition, and it fiercely warned of danger.
‘He’s a villain…no; he’s the Devil himself!’
Blacksnake was also a villain. The villain had a way to recognize other villains. However, Lee Jin-woo was different. He was a vicious, supreme villain.
“The Red Arc Guild has decided to leave the alliance…”
“Hugh!”
It was impossible to access the JW gate or any other gates in Korea. Of course, they would leave the alliance.
“A-and I, too, will resign as of today. Well, the…”
“What, what? Hey! Chief Kim! Hey, dude!”
Chief Kim bowed his head and disappeared in an instant. Blacksnake couldn’t hide his dazed expression.
‘I can’t dry up and die like this!’
The Snake Shield Alliance was associated with several Japanese conglomerates and political circles. He couldn’t let go of his hand like this. Blacksnake combed through the data related to G&P, finding something that caught his eye.
‘Umm….’
Blacksnake also had a connection with the Seven Dragons Association of China. It was also the reason that they were able to greatly expand their business in Korea. The Mercenary guilds and the League guilds had a lot of Chinese and Japanese capital infiltrating them. The Seven Dragons Association also ground its teeth because of Lee Jin-woo. They approached him to reach the Choi Family’s Sword School but were promptly stabbed in the back and eaten.
‘…There must be someone I can use.’
He was a fool who was filled with only the desire for success and fame in his head. He thought of himself as the best guy in the world. Blacksnake clenched his teeth. He had to take a chance and make the tough decisions to live.
A blessing in disguise! It was a desperate idiom, suggesting opportunities were bound to come, but he didn’t have much better at hand.
‘I will have the last laugh.’
Blacksnake had always been like that. It would be the case this time as well. He tried hard to smirk.
Jin-woo didn’t need to sleep at night, thanks to the potion. He took just one sip, and his body was put at its best, allowing him to make full use of his twenty-four hours. It was an effect that couldn’t be compared to drinks such as Hot Seven. He drank it like water since it was cheap and effective. As a result, Jin-woo’s physical condition was always at its best, and there were no blemishes on his body.
He headed to the Sanctuary of Gold.
“Oh…”
He also came here three days ago, but the Sanctuary of Golden was completely different. The dark atmosphere disappeared, and it was replaced with the feeling of a medieval royal palace. A garden was formed where the Magic Crystal of the Sun was, with a fountain soaring high in the middle. The sky was drawn with magic on the ceiling, the very image of a real sky. The size of the space had been expanded so much that no one would have thought that it was underground.
It had changed so much that it was absurd.
“How are you, Master?”
Arina appeared and greeted Jin-woo. Her appearance had also changed quite a bit. Her rough skin became firmer, and her hair was shiny. Her clothes were also changed into luxurious butler clothes. Money changed people, or demons, in this case.
“I have completed all major upgrades for the warehouse, study, workshop, training room, training dungeon, garden, and Gate movement area. I also changed the interior.”
“A lot has changed so quickly.”
“Yes, it is the power of money. They’re all made of the finest materials, so you’ll be satisfied. Here’s the receipt for…”
“Oh, that’s fine.”
There was no need to bother checking receipts.
“Ugh, Master…I can’t believe you trust me so much…”
Arina was in tears. Contrary to her first impression, she was quite emotional. She used to be a cold, scary older sister, and now she was the other way around. She felt like the crybaby General Manager.
“The Dimension Store has also been upgraded to the highest level. Now, besides selling, you can use various functions such as purchasing premium products exclusively for VIPs, investing, and more.”
“Good.”
The VIP products and service were what Jin-woo was waiting for. His purchase amount was so huge that he rose to rank one among the VIPs. He reached the highest amount of transactions in the history of the Dimension Store, but Jin-woo only glanced at it. It was even said that an untimely boom had approached the Demon Realm’s economy thanks to him.
‘The development is slow with training, so I have to learn good techniques first.’
Thanks to the Emperor of Greed, he easily reached the Rank of Knight. Therefore, the Knights were no match if he mastered techniques.
Jin-woo was also considering becoming a Knight. First of all, it would be nice to have the title of Knight. It would be the best way to build honor. Also, if he became a Knight, he couldn’t be escorted because of his dignity. There would be no problem since no one could harm a Knight class even if they didn’t have an escort.
If he became a knight, he would have more freedom to move about. That’s why he thought about it.
“I am glad that you are satisfied. Hm. Ehem, it’s been a very hard time. I’ve been here for three days without going home.”
“Really?”
“Yes! All my heart is for you. Please show my loyalty…”
Jin-woo grinned at her words and gave her about 100G. Then Arina showed him the brightest smile in the world.
“I can speak proudly wherever I go! The Emperor of Gold, who defeated Calverto, the Emperor of Greed! Lee Jin-woo is my master!”
“Yeah, I look forward to your kind cooperation next time.”
“Yes! Just give me the order! I will do anything!”
Arina’s attitude didn’t feel pretentious. Rather, she was more reliable because she liked gold coins so openly and frankly. Jin-woo looked around the Sanctuary of Gold. It felt reliable to have a space to do anything he wanted and as much as he wanted.
The training ground was incomparable to Earth. He was able to summon monsters and high-level opponents with gold coins so that he could accumulate enough practical experience. He didn’t have to go through all the hard work to find and catch monsters.
Jin-woo accessed the Dimension Store. He also wanted to buy some techniques and specifically pick those that could go into the Gate jurisdiction, which he temporarily named the JW Cultural Center.
‘I once dreamed of having a private store.’
He wanted to do what he was supposed to do right. It didn’t matter if it failed anyway, so there was no burden at all. The Dimension Store was different from before. It was now embossed with a gold border and a new symbol indicating the highest grade. It seemed to represent the Emperor of Gold. In the VIP section, items made by expert craftsmen were listed in order.
The prices were high, however, so not many of them had sold so far.
[C+] Elonti Premium Furniture Set (Premium)
Luxurious elfish furniture. A furniture set made by Elonti’s elf craftsmen using the spirits of woods.
It is a masterpiece that has been slowly completed over a long time. It is characterized by the fact that the wood itself becomes furniture, and there are no cut edges. It purifies air and pollutants and has a great effect on physical recovery. It is characterized by the presence of the spirit of the wind to maintain a constant temperature. The water spirit also resides within, so water is automatically replenished.
*[D] Spirit Effect
*[C] Purification
*[D] Recovery
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Price: 7,000G
(37 years have passed since registration)
(Price is falling)
“It’s perfect.”
It was a beautiful piece of furniture that was born out from nature itself. The price was reasonable, and it was just right. Most of all, he liked that it held spirits. Jin-woo bought the premium furniture set and purchased all the tables and chairs that came with it.
‘Elonti…I think I’ve heard of it.’
The delivery was completed after waiting for a while. It was carefully wrapped in very large leaves. There was a letter enclosed with it; beautiful handwriting etched into the pages.
[Investment Proposal]
To the Emperor of Gold, who has the best eye.
Thank you very much for purchasing Elonti’s furniture.
I am convinced that Elonti furniture made of wood with the origin of the World Tree is the perfect product for the Emperor of Gold. It’s the only product in the world that’s been made with great care for fifty years.
For many years, Elonti has endured many aggressions and numerous insults with our tenacity for furniture. The Emperor of Gold has chosen our furniture so that many elves can continue their lives in touch with nature.
O, the Emperor of Gold.
Could you please be the strength that supports Elonti? Despite the shame, we beg you.
Investment proposal: 10,000G
Payment: Elonti Contribution, Certificate of Nobility, Direct Controlled Gate Portal, Produced Goods
-Elonti D’ Ella-
The word Ella reminded him. She had a relationship with the main character and was very arrogant, but she was hard to see. The main character seemed like a loser who just put up with her.
‘She was probably the queen, wasn’t she?’
She seemed to appear in the original with ‘elves appear in the fantasy genre, so let’s make elves appear! Heck, let’s make it the queen!’ kind of mentality. Still, since it was in the original story, he couldn’t ignore this.
“Umm…”
“I don’t want to recommend it. Elonti is as barren as the Demon Realm. Besides, elves are an incomprehensible race. They all look like they are going to starve to death, but they work on one piece of furniture for decades.”
If he invested, he could receive contributions and goods from the Elonti. There were things like Elf Tea and Elf Beads, but most of them had no rank.
Do elves need gold coins too? Such a question came to mind, and Arina explained it in detail.
“Dimensional gold coins are worth more than goods. You can think of it as a gem of pure mana and power. It is the purest unit of value.”
“I see.”
Anyway, even if it was said to be an investment, he should think of it just as support. But his money was plentiful. Ten thousand gold coins written on the proposal didn’t even feel like a waste. Rather, he wanted to give more. Anyway, Jin-woo invested without hesitation as she said that they would give him
Arina tried to stop him, but if he could get something by investing 10,000 gold coins, or 100 million won, it was practically free for Jin-woo.
[Elonti’s Contribution has reached the highest level.]
[The Elonti Gate has been formed in the Sanctuary of Gold.]
[You have obtained Elonti (Certificate of Nobility).] Title: [C] Elonti’s Emperor of Gold
Status: Guardian of Elonti
The Emperor of Greed is said to have eaten the roots of the World Tree. Elonti is in a state where the power of the World Tree has weakened, and the energy of the Earth has weakened. The arrogant Elonti D’ Ella bowed her head to the point of asking for help.
With the help of the Emperor of Gold, Elonti gained hope. The elves of Elonti will greatly praise the generosity of the Emperor of Gold.
It didn’t seem like much, but according to the messages, it helped quite a bit.
‘That’s good.’
It wasn’t a bad investment because his honor level had also risen. Soon after, a large wooden barrel was sent. It was a pretty good elf wine with a fragrant smell. It was a cool drink, with a refreshing feeling reminiscent of the forest breeze that swept through his whole body. He thought it would be instantly popular if he tried to sell it.
‘I think it goes well with meat.’
It felt awesome. Jin-woo put half of it in the subspace and kept the rest in the warehouse in the Sanctuary of Gold.
‘Now in earnest…’
It was finally time to learn a new technique. His mana was full, so he would be able to learn them all at once. In the case of technique books, he purchased everything visible. They were kept separately to master them all at once.
‘The distribution of stats is disappointing, but it doesn’t matter as I can supplement it with techniques. There’s also the honor stack.’
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Jin-woo thought so and nodded. His present body and mind were at their best. It was just the right time because the Magic Eye of information had grown enough. Jin-woo put the technique books to learn on the table. Each was carefully chosen.
[C] Circle Magic Book, [C] Spirit Magic Book, [C] Gracil Royal Swordsmanship were the ones of particular note. If he learned all of them, he would be a different level of multi-talented character. He could use swords, magic, and now even spirits! The road to becoming a Solo Player was wide open!
Jin-woo learned Circle Magic first through the Magic Eye of information.
“Hmm?”
Something was strange.
[C] Golden Circle Magic
It is reinterpreted as magic for the Emperor of Gold. A new magic system was created by completely reconstructing the advanced Circle Magic. Circle Magic is a trivial thing that exists only to glorify the Emperor of Gold.
*[C] Fancy Effect
“…”
Jin-woo was speechless for a moment. It was because he had mastered Circle Magic, but what he mastered wasn’t the Circle Magic from common fantasy. He wanted the kind of magic that commonly used fireballs, ice missiles, and teleports, but…
Jin-woo tilted his head and tried to use his magic. First, it was fire magic.
Whoosh!
The flames beautifully lit up Jin-woo’s surroundings. His hair fluttered as colorful fireworks exploded and flew around him. Every time Jin-woo moved, fireworks poured down like petals. Even the useless movement looked lethal.
“…”
When he checked with the Magic Eye of information, he found out that the useless technique was extremely complicated. It required enough concentration to spit out dozens of fireballs. A lot of complicated techniques were put in to make the flames scatter very naturally rather than artificially.
Just for that reason!
It was an efficiency failure. What was even more problematic was that the magic he had just learned was also affecting his swordsmanship. When he wielded his sword with mana, it had a spectacular effect as if a passive skill was being invoked. Jin-woo lost his mind for a moment as he looked at it.
‘It’s crazy…’
Jin-woo’s mouth opened slightly with bewilderment.
Clap-clap-clap!
Arina gave a round of applause with her eyes shining. Her cheeks were slightly red.
“It’s wonderful! It seems that all the sparks in the world exist only for you! Any woman, no, all beings, regardless of gender, will be drawn to you!”
Was there something wrong with the Circle Magic Book? Jin-woo learned the Spirit Magic and the Royal Swordsmanship next. The spirit’s energy sparkled, adding luster to Jin-woo’s skin and letting the hem of his clothes flutter naturally. The Royal Swordsmanship was also full of unnecessarily fancy chain movements.
‘Why?’
Jin-woo looked at the information in detail.
He could see that the techniques of Rank B or lower were changed to match the Emperor of Gold. Come to think of it, all of these were skills that he had learned for the first time without thinking. The technique, which he had thought nothing of, slowly rolled over and appeared in front of him as a huge landslide. The problem was that it worked as a passive effect.
The only normal thing Jin-woo learned was swordsmanship. Jin-woo checked his swordsmanship information. The basic swordsmanship of the Choi Family’s Sword School had been transformed so much that it was now unrecognizable. This was because Circle Magic, Royal Swordsmanship, and Spirit Magic melted into his swordsmanship.
[A] Golden Sword Master
‘The Emperor of Gold should always be beautiful and respected.’
‘There is nothing more attractive than him.’
‘His beauty doesn’t waver under any circumstances.’
Fascinating to the opposite sex, obedience from the same sex! A form developed independently by the Emperor of Gold based on the basic swordsmanship of Choi Family’s Sword School.
It is characterized by increased power as it becomes more glamorous and stylish. It is additionally affected by honor and charm rank.
*Technique lower than Rank B is reinterpreted as Golden Sword Master.
*Aurora of charm: Power increased by 400% (Charm [A+], Honor [F+])
*Charm increased by 35%
* 35% Dazzle Effect
*[A] Immune to Psychical Technique
*[B] Power increases the more glamorous and stylish it is.
*[B] The more praise you receive, the more your power increases.
Swordsmanship had grown to Rank A. Dazzling pieces of information appeared one after another. Although the power itself could be considered as Rank A…
‘…It’s a good thing, right?’
Was that a good thing?
It seemed to grow in a very strange way.