The Chairman of Pharmaceutical Company is a Poison King - Chapter 93
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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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Chapter 93: Pioneer City Napan (1)
Like all pioneer territories, the Gobi Grasslands pioneer territory is also a land of opportunity.
Originally, it was a land where humans couldn’t live due to being a magical beast concentration zone, but the Imperial Pioneer Division expanded the territory through subjugation and built roads, allowing people to gather and live there.
The Gobi Grasslands are one of the Empire’s most fertile black soil regions.
Until now, they couldn’t even dare to develop this vast land because of the magical beasts.
But now things are different.
Since it has transformed into land suitable for human habitation, those who establish themselves first and settle down become the owners.
Although the remaining magical beasts pose a risk, if you demarcate the land and sow seeds to produce wheat or beans, it all becomes your property.
You’re also granted the right to purchase that land with priority later.
The land prices are ridiculously cheap.
That’s why people flocked like a tide to places where pioneering was completed.
Napan is one such city.
It hasn’t even been 3 years since it was pioneered.
Even searching the internet, there wasn’t much information available.
The neighboring pioneer city Barun has been around for over 10 years, so urbanization has already progressed and the first-mover advantage has passed.
Tae-ju flew all night and arrived at the outskirts of Napan.
Then he walked into the city center.
‘Wow! Really…’
Even the countryside isn’t this rural.
Although he could see concrete buildings of 3 stories or more scattered here and there.
‘This isn’t a city, it’s more like a township level.’
The only reason it’s called a city is because this place is very vast.
If there were at least mountains around, it would be different, but tiny buildings erected in the middle of a wide plain even felt out of place.
‘Should I look for a place to stay first?’
There were no hotels.
All inns.
Their exterior was even worse than New Seoul guesthouses.
‘I don’t like this.’
Should Kim Tae-ju, chairman of Taehong Bio who rose to the ranks of the Empire’s wealthiest with Saenggibulkkeun and Saesalssugsseug, have to stay in such a place?
It can’t be helped.
His identity must not be revealed here.
His face has become quite well-known in various ways.
He must have become so famous that even that True Demon called Handler whom he encountered in Chinatown ran away as soon as he saw his face.
So he changed his appearance using Reverse Dragon and Bone Shrinking techniques.
He also carefully folded away his trademark fantasy fox fur coat into the Infinite Space.
His current outfit is ordinary raid team member attire – a tracksuit with iron plates reinforcing vital areas.
There are many Awakened and Suitable individuals here too.
They hunt magical beasts to sell byproducts, and also take requests from farms to perform Quests.
These are requests like: Magical beasts have entered our farm and are ruining the crops. We’ll pay a reward if you catch them.
Suddenly!
Sambaek-i pokes his head out from Tae-ju’s chest.
“Niaaa…”
“Yeah, we’ve arrived.”
“Nyang?”
“Want to come outside? Just be patient a little longer.”
When he puts a piece of jerky in its mouth, Sambaek-i slips back inside his shirt.
Tae-ju chose a suitable inn.
The name also had an old Mongolian feel – Gur Inn.
A youthful-looking employee greeted Tae-ju.
“Do you have a room available? I’m planning to stay here for about a month.”
“Ah! You’re from out of town.”
“That’s why I came to an inn.”
“Hehehe, I don’t mean it that way, but because you don’t have a ring on your hand.”
A ring?
What’s that about?
“As you know, this is a pioneer city. It’s convenient for villains to hide… and there are rumors that some Mages have infiltrated too.”
“Mages?”
“Yes! Those Mages. New Seoul and the Imperial Peninsula have been in an uproar lately. So there are rumors that there might be Mages in our Napan too…”
If there are Mages, that would actually be good.
But what does this story have to do with rings?
“To operate here, you need identity verification. Whether you’re a civilian, Suitable, or Awakened, the ring signifies that you’ve received permission.”
“…Who provides the verification?”
“Oasis Guild. If you want to do anything in Napan, you must receive Oasis’s guarantee.”
“What if I don’t get it?”
“I can’t give you a room. You probably couldn’t even buy a bottle of water.”
“Getting that ring naturally costs money?”
“Goes without saying.”
If it’s a guild, then it’s a civilian organization.
What authority do these guys have?
Of course, there are cases where civilian guilds intervene in city security.
A representative example is the Gurye Nogo-dan Guild.
However, that was possible because Gurye was a free city and had received the Empire’s autonomous permission.
“Isn’t there a government agency here? Even if it’s a pioneer territory.”
“There is. Since it’s under the jurisdiction of the Gobi Plains Pioneer Corps, the military police take on that role.”
The employee looked around and then approached Tae-ju, continuing in a whisper.
“But there are rumors that the military police are also in cahoots with Oasis Guild…”
Aha!
Even collusion with the military.
Both civilians and military are all reaching out here and there trying to make a quick buck.
“Where is Oasis Guild?”
“Go out and head straight to the right, and you’ll see the guild building.”
“Thank you.”
“Please get your ring and definitely come back here. There’s a discount for monthly stays.”
Tae-ju went straight to Oasis Guild.
It turned out to be the tallest building in Napan – a 5-story structure.
When he entered, a female employee who appeared to be in charge of reception was standing at the desk.
“Welcome. Please state your business. Request? Raid team?”
“No. I heard I need to get some kind of ring to operate here.”
“You’ve come for new registration. Please fill out these documents and give me your ID.”
Tae-ju presented the fake ID provided by the Imperial Intelligence Agency.
His current face also matches the face on the ID.
Actually, it can’t really be called fake.
Because it actually exists in the computer system.
He also personally chose the alias to use.
“Kim Gunnak? That’s an unusual name.”
“I hear that a lot.”
“If you’re Suitable, shall I put your name on the magical beast extermination request waiting list?”
“That’s fine.”
“What about raid teams?”
“That too, I have a separate team I work with.”
The system is quite organized.
It’s like entering a government office.
The processing time was also swift.
The female employee entered personal information into the computer and pulled out a small box from under the desk.
“If you deposit ten million won, I’ll give you the ring right now.”
“…That’s expensive.”
“Think of it as a registration fee rather than the ring’s price.”
“May I take a look?”
“Yes.”
The ring was ordinary.
It didn’t even contain mana or crystals.
Just a copper ring.
Except for the serial number engraved in thick intaglio letters.
They’re charging ten million won for this junk?
“You need this serial number to purchase or sell items, perform requests, participate in raid teams, and such activities.”
“Hmm.”
It was a form of control.
At least in Napan, whatever you did, whatever you bought, your activities would all go straight to the Oasis Guild.
‘A mere guild…’
Even the Gurye Nogodan Guild wasn’t this extreme.
Suddenly!
Rumble rumble rumble!
People entering through the first-floor entrance.
Judging by their dark facial markings, most were Awakened Guards.
“Guild Master, welcome.”
“Yeah.”
The man called Guild Master went up the stairs.
Then he inadvertently made eye contact with Tae-ju.
He paused, then came back down the stairs and looked at the female employee.
“Who’s that guy?”
“Huh? Oh, he’s a new registrant.”
“Really? What’s his name?”
“Kim Gunnak.”
The man called Guild Master slowly approached Tae-ju.
“Kim Gunnak? Where are you from?”
“New Seoul.”
“Oh! An imperial capital citizen. But why did you crawl all the way to this backwater place?”
“Thought I’d try making some money.”
“Money? Right. There are plenty of places to make money here… But you’ve been speaking curtly since earlier?”
“If the incoming words are short, the outgoing words can’t be long.”
As if dumbfounded, the Guild Master stared at Tae-ju quietly then burst into loud laughter.
“Kekeke, this bastard has some backbone. I like it. But do you know who I am?”
“The guild master here.”
Then the Oasis Guild members beside him said.
“Fucking bastard, where do you get off staring straight at us?”
“I’ll suck the ink right out of your eyeballs!”
“Do you want to die?”
“Is the Napan Oasis Guild a joke to you?”
As the surroundings became noisy, Ilisambaeyi wriggled inside his clothes. Tae-ju pressed him down firmly to prevent him from coming out, then said.
“The hazing is too severe. Who would come to work in Napan like this?”
“Hazing? Fine! Good. I’ll show you what real hazing is.”
Swish, swoosh! Clank!
The guild members drew their weapons – swords, blades, spears, guns, and so on.
“Hey hey! Put your weapons away. What are you doing in front of people?”
The Guild Master stopped them, then said.
“Gunnak, Gunnak, read the room a bit. You’ll shit blood at this rate? Well, since you came to make money, I’ll let it slide just once. Buy the ring, register, and work hard. Okay?”
He patted Tae-ju’s shoulder and went up the stairs.
Then the Oasis Guild members glared at Tae-ju once each before following him up.
“I’ve memorized your face.”
“Avoid me if you see me outside.”
“Seriously! A bastard without even awakening markings.”
Tae-ju remained still.
Endure it, endure.
There’s nothing good about causing trouble unnecessarily.
Also, he didn’t smell the scent of demons from them.
The female employee asked cautiously.
“Will you be registering?”
Actually, ten million won was pocket change.
Even now, hundreds of millions were coming in per hour.
“I guess I have to buy it? To be active…”
That’s when it happened!
Ding ding ding!
A delivery signal appeared.
“Where is the restroom here?”
“If you go around that way…”
Tae-ju walked while checking the shared warehouse.
‘Huh?’
What’s this?
I’ll check later.
He emptied the shared warehouse and put in the items he had prepared.
Including the subspace substitute gourds he had packed full in advance.
Tae-ju sent various items he hadn’t sent before.
Since this was supposedly a multiplex business, there should be something like a proper shopping mall.
Now to check the received items.
One burner smartphone, an empty subspace bag, and just 50 Seondo.
‘Sigh…’
His heart ached.
The items coming from the Immortal Realm were decreasing more and more.
It didn’t matter that fewer items came.
So what if he received less?
Tae-ju knew Danggumak well.
Wasn’t Danggumak the immortal who would give away everything if he had anything?
But sending only this much meant his circumstances weren’t good.
‘How strapped must he be.’
Poor Dok-seon.
Thanks to him, Tae-ju had become the Empire’s richest man and was spending money lavishly.
Just moments ago, he was about to buy that ring thinking “it’s just ten million won.”
He felt so sorry to Danggumak he didn’t know what to do with himself.
Suddenly he became angry at himself.
Wasn’t there somewhere to vent this anger?
‘Let’s mess them up and get started.’
Oasis Guild.
I didn’t like them from the beginning.
Ten million won for one ring?
And what do these bastards think they are, trying to control people?
Tae-ju returned to the desk and asked the female employee.
“What floor is the Guild Master’s room on?”
“…Huh? It’s the 5th floor, but why?”
“There’s something I forgot to mention earlier.”
“W-wait a moment. You can’t go up there!”
But he was already climbing the stairs.
The female employee hesitated for a moment.
Should she call the Guild Master to tell him that Kim Gunnak had gone up?
* * *
Oasis Guild Master Ju Cheol-yong was having a conversation with 10 guild executives in his office.
“Tomorrow’s the day those military bastards are coming, right?”
“That’s right. They called saying they’d come.”
“The tribute money?”
“We’ve prepared it.”
“Fucking bastards, they usually ignore us calling this place the countryside and only went to Barun, but they never forget the tribute date.”
It can’t be helped.
In pioneer cities, the military is the law.
“But Guild Master.”
“What?”
“That Kim Gunnak guy we met on the 1st floor earlier, are you going to leave him alone? Seeing how he was barking back, it seems like he’ll climb over our heads later.”
“It’s his first time here. Let’s leave him be for now. If he stays here, he’ll learn who we are, and then his behavior will change.”
“What if it still doesn’t change?”
“Then you guys handle it yourselves.”
Actually, he could have just let it slide.
But the moment their eyes met, he got a strange feeling.
Eyes that seemed like they had something.
Definitely not an ordinary person.
He seemed clearly to be a compatible person.
That’s why he tried talking to him.
Even compatible people are valuable talent.
He had even thought about taking him in if possible, but to think he’d be such an arrogant bastard.
‘He kicked away the fortune that rolled to him.’
You never know though.
If he bows his head and begs for forgiveness, he might accept him.
He seemed useful.
Right then!
Ring ring!
A call from the front desk.
“Yeah, what’s going on? What…?”
Ju Cheol-yong’s eyes widened greatly.
“…He went up? Here? Got it for now.”
Click.
Slam!
As soon as he hung up the phone, the door burst open.
“Huh?”
“What?”
“What’s this?”
“Fuck, who is this guy?”
A man appeared holding a cat.
Tae-ju set Ilbaek down in front of the door.
“Guard this door here, don’t let anyone leave.”
“Meow!”
And then.
“I was trying to endure it if possible, but if I keep accepting it, there’ll be no end. Let’s decide this clearly here and go. Everyone bow your heads! If you bow, I won’t hit you.”
“…What?”
“I’m so dumbfounded I can’t speak.”
Ju Cheol-yong was also speechless.
Is he crazy?
“Hey! Just cut off one of his arms.”
“Yes!”
“Understood.”
“Don’t kill him though.”
As the Guild Master’s order was given, the guild members rushed at him all at once.
Tae-ju also walked forward.
“Selling trash rings for ten million won? Do you think I’m a sucker?”
Smack!
One slap to the face.
“Guk?”
Lightly avoiding the guy falling forward, smack!
“Kuhek!”
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack…
No need for hidden weapons or fists.
Just one slap is enough.
They came rushing and fell one after another from his lightly swung palm.
Thud! Thud! Thud…
‘Uh oh…’
Ju Cheol-yong watched that scene unable to move a muscle.
Those guys are all Awakened… but that bastard isn’t.
Did these guys conspire together?
Even B-grade movie action would be more realistic than this.
‘What is this?’
Smack smack smack!
Their necks spun around each time they got hit.
Crack!
There was even a guy whose jawbone was shattered.
If it had been just a little stronger, his neck would have spun around in a full circle.
Only then did Ju Cheol-yong realize.
He’s strong.
Not just strong, but ridiculously strong.
The guild members also realized it belatedly.
When about 7 people had fallen with one palm strike each, some tried to flee outside.
But there was a cat blocking the door.
“Meow?”
“Hey, g-get out of the way!”
He tried to push the cat away with his foot and open the door to leave, but.
“Kyaak!”
Tsspit!
Thwack!
“Aaak!”
He was struck by Ilbaek’s swinging front paw and flew through the air, crashing into the wall.
Whirrr! Thud!
“Meow.”
Tae-ju approached Ju Cheol-yong, who was still sitting in his chair.
“W-wait!”
“What?”
“I-I’ll give you the ring for free. Haha…”
“Don’t need it, you bastard!”
Smack!
“Keeek!”
Two teeth flew out of Ju Cheol-yong’s mouth.
‘Ah, I was trying not to cause trouble.’
Originally, he had planned to stay quiet.
Get a room, catch poisonous demonic beasts alone to add to his poison collection, and search for demons.
But that was all ruined now.
Since it’s come to this, let’s just take over the Frontier City of Napan and start from there.
* * *
The Swordsman’s anger flared as he watched Dok-seon carefully selecting only the finest swords from his dwelling.
These were legendary famous swords that anyone would recognize by name.
“That one won’t do for 100 Seondo, you’d need to give at least 200…”
“We already finished talking about this, didn’t we?”
“Ugh.”
So infuriating.
How could such an Immortal be the same soul as the great hero Tae-ju?
“Dok-seon.”
“What is it?”
“Setting aside your Immortal name, your real name is Gumak.”
“So?”
“Your name is so old-fashioned. Look at me – Wonbin, Hyeonbin, Woobin, and Dongbin.”
“…”
“Tsk tsk, I’ve never seen an Immortal with the character ‘ak’ in their name do well.”
Crack!
Danggumak ground his teeth.
Clatter!
He threw the swords he had selected onto the ground.
“I’m not buying! Let’s pretend this deal never happened.”
“What… wh-why so suddenly?”
“From now on, drag your Harley bike around by hand.”
“W-wait! I made a mistake. P-please calm down.”
The Swordsman grabbed onto Dok-seon’s pant leg and clung to him.
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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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