Thumbs Up, Level Up

Chapter 182

Cheok-Liang continued to talk.

?The money you earned from stocks is great, and the potion profit is also enormous.?

The net profit per bottle of potion was about two hundred thousand won. And since he sold around forty thousand bottles per month, Ji-Cheok earned around eight billion won per month.

This was insane.

Of course, Ji-Cheok wasn’t planning on just targeting the domestic market. He was thinking of exporting the products to other countries. In particular, he thought that if he exported his potions to China, he would profit tremendously.

He planned to gradually increase production. And for that to happen, he needed more skills and more items.

His Mana and Cultivation stats were already S-rank, so he realized that it was difficult to raise their rank in the short term. Therefore, he decided to increase his other ranks. He had to get more skills like the ones that he had bought last time, such as [Summon Limit Increase], [Summoner’s Talent], [Dimensional Echo], and [Holy Spirit of Compensation], or he had to increase the rank of the skills that he already had.

“How many Likes do I have right now?”

?We just passed 8.9 million Likes. The exposure you got due to [The Real Patriot]’s videos really helped.?

‘Thank you [The Real Patriot]! I owe you one! Now, give me some suggestions on the skills.’

?I have already prepared, Master.?

Cheok-Liang showed him additional skills to buy.

[Dimensional Power], [Soul of Sympathy], [Spirit Invitation], [Gesture of Vigilance], [Mind Relaxation], [Distant Call], [Restful Voice], [Scent of Comfort]. [Enchanting Spirit], [Heart of a Gardener]...

There were so many!

?These are less effective compared to the ones I prepared before, but….eh. In any case, they are all effective for increasing your summoning abilities. In total, they will cost you 3.2 million Likes!?

‘Hm… That’s a bit expensive.’

?If you learn all of these, you can increase your summoned objects to ninety.?

‘Ninety? I was producing almost forty-five thousand bottles per month with only thirty machines, so three times that would produce 135,000 bottles per month!’

“How is the monthly consumption in Japan and China?”

?China consumes a lot of potions. The monthly consumption of D-grade potions is said to be over one million bottles. But people say these statistics are inaccurate, and experts say that it is actually more than that.?

‘Holy… Korea only uses thirty to forty thousand bottles per month.’

?It is because the population of China is thirty times that of Korea. It is not surprising. In Japan, they consume about ninety to a hundred thousand bottles per month.?

‘I would make a fortune just exporting to our neighboring countries.’

?I think so too, Master. And your potions are exceptionally cheap. That is our strongest weapon.?

‘Haha… What will happen if I reveal this?’

?There will be no more stock fluctuations in Korea. However, there will be uproar abroad. But I think it is good to make it public.?

Ji-Cheok nodded. Cheok-Liang was right.

‘Disclosing that information is necessary in order for me to sell my potions overseas and make a profit. However, there is no need to advertise as dramatically as I did before. I’m going to sell these to China or Japan anyway.

?You are indeed my Master! I wish you a safe path to your success!?

‘Then…’

“Purchase skills.”

His mana was drained instantly as he learned and activated all of his new skills.

?Then, I will send them the work email.?

While Cheok-Liang was taking care of matters such as hiring workers and expanding the factory site, Ji-Cheok stood up and summoned his Mono Bike G. In order to summon additional potion makers, he had to go to the factory. There was still construction going on around the factory.

‘Cheok-Liang, buy all the surrounding land with the money we earned today.’

?Yes, Master.?

‘Alright, shall I go to my factory then?’

He got on Mono BIke G and started the engine.

* * *

“Damn it! Goddamn it!!”

Park Il-Sung hit the extended table. He was sitting at one of the best bars in downtown Seoul. It was a place where only the so-called VIPs could enter. This place, made for the rich and young, didn’t have the kind of hostesses who appeared as symbols of corrupt politics on TV, but the bartenders were all handsome and beautiful. They were all quite good at speaking with customers and had their ways of dealing with young and rich people. But today, none of the bartenders spoke to Park Il-Sung of their own volition. Il-Sung was constantly swearing while drinking strong whiskey, so they were worried that they would become his next target if they made his cocktail incorrectly.

“Haha. You don’t look so good, Director Park~”

Someone sat in front of Il-Sung and talked to him. Already drunk, Il-Sung looked ahead with bloodshot eyes.

“Jung Su-Gi… You son of a bitch.”

It was Jung Su-Gi, another one of the many people in the world who wanted Jung Ji-Han dead.

“Whoa, calm down, Director Park. Neither I, nor my father knew about this. It was all done by him alone.”

Su-Gi smirked and shrugged.

“Shut the fuck up! He is still part of your family! Your family is gonna pay for this!!”

Contrary to Su-Gi, Il-Sung yelled at him with a distorted face.

“Hey~ We’re all professionals here. I have some good news. That’s why I’m here.”

Su-Gi took out a black business card from his pocket.

“I heard that the Black Hound was annihilated by him. But I have people who are more useful than those guys.”

“What do you want…”

“I want him gone as much as you do. You know that our family has not yet decided on a successor.”

Il-Sung seemed to have calmed down a bit.

“So… You want me to do your dirty work?”

“Not for me, but with me. I’m annoyed too, but shouldn’t you put out the fire that is burning your legacy?”

“Ha…”

Il-Sung took another sip of his whiskey.

“Tell me more,” Il-Sung said.

“That Ji-Han bastard… I think he has some sort of divination ability. The profit he made all by himself has already surpassed my assets. You know that’s enough money to take down your family, right?”

Su-Gi had been keeping an eye on Jung Ji-Han, and he had recently discovered that the wealth that his ‘dear brother’ had acquired was beyond imagination. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the market capitalization of SL Chemicals was said to have been in the tens of trillions of won, but now it had shrunk and shrunk to less than thirty percent of its original market value. As things were, Ji-Han could buy off SL Chemicals in an instant.

Park Il-Sung had a serious expression.

“Are you serious?”

“I didn’t come here and talk nonsense to make fun of our beloved Director Park. You can find the details later. He’s not really trying to hide the information either. So this is also very problematic for me. Very, very problematic.”

Su-Gi poured a drink into an empty glass in front of him. Using his ability, he chilled the drink to a perfect temperature before he poured it down his throat.

“Keep talking. What is your plan?” Il-Sung asked.

“First, let me introduce you to someone.”

He gestured to someone to come to the table. A handsome man with swaying golden hair that looked like sunlight approached them. He was wearing a formal suit.

“This is my colleague. I am quite satisfied working with him these days.”

At the same time, Su-Gi tapped the black business card that he had put on the table with his fingers.

“Nice to meet you, Director Park Il-Sung. Please call me Miller.

In terms of skin color, he looked Asian, but his hair was a very light blonde. Miller turned the business card over. It had golden writing on a black background.

Golden Horizon.

“I am the Korean branch manager of Golden Horizon.”

His smile was as bright as the sun.

* * *

The World Tree was growing rapidly. Not only did it mature by itself, but it was also regularly fed fertilizers made using Alchemy, so it was only natural that it was growing nice and healthy.

?That is because the World Tree is different from ordinary plants. At this point, it would grow well even without the fertilizers, and if you add the fertilizers, its speed of growth will only increase.?

In front of that fast-growing World Tree, Ji-Cheok had built a small training ground and started training. He also watched Seong Kwang and Mu-Cheok train while he cultivated. In the meantime, Reable was always around, eating and playing around. After the hotel terrorist incident and destroying the potion industry, their daily lives were going peacefully.

?Master! I have good news!?

“Hm? What is it?”

?You entered the top five of the GobTube streaming event!?

‘Oh wow! Thank you, fans! Thank you so much!’

Sure enough, in the comment section of his GodTube channel, his fans wrote congratulatory messages and wished Um Ji-Cheok for a better future and good health.

‘I should do a thank you video for my fans!!’

After hurriedly washing up, Mu-Cheok, Ji-Cheok, and Cheok-Liang bowed on camera. Ji-Cheok thanked Gumji for pushing him forward, and the Shinsung Group for hosting the event.

And… As a surprise, Ji-Cheok worked on a new potion. A small bottle of potion would be given to everyone—both the Gumji that had won the streaming event and those who didn’t make the cut.

?It’s a detox potion, right??

‘Yupp. It’s great for hangovers.’

?Who would use an expensive detox potion for a hangover? It is especially effective for patients who need dialysis or for diseases such as heavy metal contamination.?

‘I heard that just drinking it is good for your skin.

?But it is too expensive to drink only for beauty purposes.?

‘It’s not that much anyway, just about as much as a bottle of eye drops. Still, it would be good to have for an emergency.’

?…Are you really trying to give everything to your fans??

‘What? What’s wrong with that? The new potion might go viral, you never know!

As if disapproving of the fact that his master was giving away too much, Cheok-Liang flapped his tail and then moved on to the next topic.

?Anyway, now you can prepare for the next step.?

‘Yeah, you mean the preparations for the destruction of the dungeon?’

Ji-Cheok took off his shirt.

Tsss.

Steam rose from his naked torso. This steam appeared to be pulsating in a rather strange manner, and at the same time, it radiated overwhelming power.

“Wow… I just raised the [Heaven and Earth Chaotic Divine Art] to B-rank, and it’s already so much stronger…”

?It definitely is a transcendental ability.?

Ji-Cheok had just spent five million Likes and raised his cultivation skill rank to B. He found that he was beginning to realize new things about cultivation that he had never thought of before. Adding in the Mana Combat Art that Reable had taught him, the synergistic effect was incredible.

His body also changed little by little according to his new skill. The Qi within him evolved, and it pushed him to new heights.

Now, he was able to use Augmented Qi. There were only a few Hunters in the world who could use Augmented Qi… Ji-Cheok felt amazing to be one of the few.

?Master, there is one more step left.?

‘Oh, right. I have to use this.’

He took out the World Essence from the Shadow Pouch.

[World Essence]

[Class: S-

Type: Elixir (Artifact)

A reward given by the world to those who defend it.

Those who consume it can gain a fraction of a world’s power.

Function: Increases any stat by one rank. The rank cannot exceed S.]

He could increase the rank of anything by one! With this, he was planning to raise the rank of the [Heaven and Earth Chaotic Divine Art] from B to A.

Gulp.

He swallowed the elixir. Then, he felt warm and powerful energy spreading inside him.

[Heaven and Earth Chaotic Divine Art]

[Class: Legendary (Upgradable Rank B) → Legendary (Upgradable Rank A)]