The Archmage’s Destruction Strategy - Chapter 59

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#059

It took about 20 days for Sung-jun to follow the Goddess’s Guidance clan and install all the base camps before returning to the surface.

Based on the know-how gained from installing Camp 1, from Camp 2 onwards they installed camps at a terrifyingly fast pace.

After completing the installation of base camps up to Camp 11 on the 55th floor, Sung-jun headed to the Goddess’s Guidance clan headquarters in Tokyo for the integrated meeting that Shindo Ayaka had convened.

And there, he met the five clan masters who held raiding rights to the five large dungeons that had appeared in Japan.

“Thank you all for listening to my request and coming here. While we all know each other, this is the first time our clan’s temporary member Ma Sung-jun is meeting you, so I would be grateful if you could give brief introductions.”

“Is there any reason why we, the masters of raid clans, must introduce ourselves in front of a temporary clan member?”

A giant man clad in silver-white armor frowned and glared at Sung-jun.

Then Kurosaki Ryusei, the clan master of Osaka Dungeon who had met Sung-jun before, looked at the man in armor and spoke.

“As expected of ignorant armor-wearing bastards, you have no interest in others’ affairs at all. If the clan master of Goddess’s Guidance deliberately called the five masters to make introductions, there must be a proper reason for it. At least as a master of one of only five raid clans in Japan, shouldn’t you have that much sense?”

“Are you picking a fight now?”

“So what if I am?”

As if they had a bad relationship from the start, the two men began baring their fangs and bickering.

Then Shindo Ayaka, who had convened this meeting, clapped her hands to focus the attention of everyone gathered in the conference room.

“If you want to fight, go outside and fight. And even if you fight outside, do it later, not now. Have you forgotten who has the authority to punish and execute disputes between Awakened that occur within Tokyo?”

The two men, who hadn’t intended to escalate to physical violence anyway, glared at each other once more before sitting down in their chairs.

Then they looked at the man sitting across from them, indicating they would proceed with introductions after their excitement had subsided.

“I am Soga Yamato, clan master of the Kyoto Dungeon raid clan ‘Wol-yeong’s Arang’. I’ve heard about Ma Sung-jun through guild information networks. They say you have remarkable abilities.”

Unlike the other clan master armed with fantasy-style armor, the man named Soga Yamato wore black kimono reminiscent of a samurai.

Looking at the man who unusually carried five Japanese swords on his back rather than at his waist, Sung-jun thought to himself.

‘That must be uncomfortable to sit in a chair with those hanging there…’

Whether he knew Sung-jun’s inner thoughts or not, a man in light armor who had placed a massive greatsword beside his chair stood up and looked at Sung-jun.

“I am Ro Yaiba, clan master of the Nagoya Dungeon raid clan ‘Infinity Blade’.”

“We’ve met before, right? Kurosaki Ryusei, clan master of the Osaka Dungeon raid clan ‘Black Spear’.”

“Hmph. Jūgōda Amano, master of the Yokohama Dungeon raid clan ‘Unbreakable Shield’.”

Since this introduction was meant to inform Sung-jun of their affiliations, Shindo Ayaka did not introduce herself separately.

Instead, she told the clan masters participating in the meeting about the conversation she had with Sung-jun during the second raid.

What help Sung-jun had provided to Tokyo Dungeon, and what compensation she had agreed to pay.

After finishing her explanation, Shindo Ayaka looked at the clan masters who had fallen into thought after hearing her explanation and said.

“I hope you will all agree to this plan.”

“So, to summarize simply, in exchange for installing base camps in the dungeons, we hand over all the magic stones dropped by floor bosses to that man Sung-jun? And we give up our existing priority rights to dropped items?”

The first man to speak was the armored giant who had been fighting with the Osaka clan master earlier, Jūgōda Amano.

“That’s correct.”

“Then aren’t we only losing out? Originally we would monopolize artifacts and only pay fixed amounts to raid participants, but now we’re distributing equally to all participants while also losing the magic stones. Surely you know how many credits we can get from the government when we deliver magic stones obtained from monsters at the floor boss level.”

“I know. Nevertheless, I’m asking for your cooperation because I think this way is more profitable.”

“Why do you think that way is more profitable?”

‘Is he a bit slow?’

Even though Sung-jun had already explained why this method would be more profitable, he thought to himself as he looked at the man demanding another explanation.

Then Kurosaki Ryusei, who had been lost in thought until just now, looked at Jūgōda Amano and spoke.

“As expected of someone whose brain is also full of muscle, you can’t understand even when it’s explained. Hey, your clan has a treasure trove too, right?”

“No, this bastard has been picking fights since earlier…”

“Shut up and just answer what I’m asking! I’ll fight you outside! Can’t you see I’m trying to explain this in a way even a blockhead like you can understand?”

After another round of pride-fueled sparks finished, Jūgōda Amano sat down.

Then he looked toward Kurosaki Ryusei with a dissatisfied expression and said.

“Of course our clan has a treasure trove.”

“Having a treasure trove means there are items that clan members don’t use. Why did you stuff those hard-earned artifacts in a warehouse?”

“That’s because those items don’t really help our clan’s combat style.”

“Right. And that’s the same for everyone here. You all have unused items piled up in storage, but never even imagined exchanging them with other clans. What’s the reason?”

“Well, an item I don’t need might be an essential item somewhere else…”

“That means an item from somewhere else might be an essential item for you.”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Yes! You bastard! It’s obvious! So let’s change to a new system to change that obvious thing!”

Kurosaki Ryusei’s explanation continued, with him occasionally jumping up from his seat and shouting.

After quite some time had passed, Jūgōda Amano sat down with a tired expression and said.

“…I understand.”

“Phew, really…”

“Good. I understand for now. But there’s one thing I can’t accept. Proper base camp installation is certainly a good thing. I’ve thought more than once or twice that I’d pay even billions just to take one bath inside a dungeon. But what I can’t accept is this.

Let’s say we get base camps and give up priority rights to items dropped by floor bosses. That’s a possible deal. In the long run, it might benefit us. But isn’t asking us to give up magic stones too an excessive demand?”

Hearing those words, Kurosaki Ryusei couldn’t close his mouth for a long time.

Then he placed his trembling hand on Jūgōda Amano’s shoulder and said.

“You…”

“What.”

“Does that Ma Sung-jun guy eat dirt for a living? This entire plan was established under the premise that base camp installation is possible! And the only person with the ability to accomplish all of that is him! So is there any reason he should install dozens of those massive base camps for free? While traveling back and forth between all five large dungeons in Japan?”

“Ah… now that you mention it, that’s true. I understand.”

“Phew… let’s not even talk about it, really…”

Looking at Kurosaki Ryusei turning his head with an almost enlightened expression, Shindo Ayaka spoke.

“Of course, the biggest reason for wanting to change existing raid rules is, as I mentioned, to raise the value of credits and more smoothly secure items needed by clans. But this plan has other reasons besides that.”

“Other reasons?”

“We can draw private capital into the artifact auction market.”

Previously, no matter how good an item appeared at auction, only scraps left over by raid clans came out, so auction prices couldn’t be set high.

In a way, this was natural.

Even Awakened belonging to general clans rather than raid clans wouldn’t want to put out hard-earned items at auctions where they couldn’t get proper prices.

But in a system where you can win priority bidding rights with credits inside dungeons, the story becomes completely different.

Even without being part of a raid clan, if you could participate in floor boss subjugation as a general Awakened, then participate in instant auctions to obtain legendary items, it would be possible to take them outside and sell them at higher prices in external auctions.

“Under the existing fixed salary system, it was difficult to get strong Awakened to participate no matter how hard we tried. No matter how hard they worked in boss subjugation, the amount they could earn was limited. But in the new system, it doesn’t matter much even if they fail to win item bids. The higher the price items are won at, the more money they receive in distribution.”

“What do you mean by drawing in private capital?”

“As you all know, the food currently sustaining the Japanese people mostly depends on harvests obtained from dungeons and disaster supplies the government stockpiled before D-day. But you all know this too. Besides the supplies the government stockpiled, some conglomerates have massive amounts of stockpiled supplies piled up in private warehouses. That supply isn’t being released now, but when the government’s stockpiled supplies run out, they’ll try to trade with those.”

“Trade with what?”

“Anything. It could be land, it could be business rights. Anyway, at this rate, even if we defeat all the Corrosion Entities that appeared in Japan, the country will already be full of holes. A few humans holding food hostage will have all the nation’s authority in their hands and shake it around.”

“You’re saying such things won’t happen under the new system?”

“Probably not. With large amounts of credits, you can obtain powerful artifacts of legendary grade or higher, and the easiest way for private conglomerates to obtain those would be to hand over the food and resources they have to the government in exchange for credits.”

“You think conglomerates will give up what they have and stake their lives on securing artifacts? Why do you think that?”

“Because rich people die the same way when you stab them in the belly.”

The last answer came from someone else’s mouth.

From the mouth of Sung-jun, the designer and executor of this entire plan.

Sung-jun, who had been silently observing the meeting until now, stood up and began speaking to the clan masters.

“Now is an era where no matter how much money you have, no matter how much food you have, it’s all useless. Now is an era where strength is everything. But until now, even holding credits couldn’t get you that strength. With raid clans monopolizing the artifacts that could give them the power they desperately need, there was a limit to the power they could obtain. The new rules are a system created to deceive exactly those people.”

“To deceive?”

“The illusion that with just powerful artifacts, with just vast credits to buy them, they could become the strongest.”

Feeling the clan masters’ gazes pouring toward him, Sung-jun said.

“And those of you gathered here probably have the same illusion.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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