Chapter 363: Chapter 363

Various articles were published in numerous media outlets.

There wasn’t much of a reaction from overseas yet, but if the claims made by Howard Industry were true, it was only a matter of time before the news spread globally.

Some dismissed it as an overreaction to a single company’s debut, but those were the words of those unfamiliar with the industry.

-Is this real? Does this mean I can buy magic tools now?

└You can buy them, but they’ll be ridiculously expensive.

└Exactly. They said the supply would increase, but they didn’t say the prices would go down. Even with mass production, they won’t be able to meet the demand.

-If I sell everything I own, can I buy one?

-I want to be an Awakened! Or at least have a magic tool!

└This guy is spamming this comment everywhere.

A symbol of wealth and status, a lifeline in times of danger, a miraculous device that could achieve the impossible…

Magic tools, artifacts from other worlds, were objects of desire for both ordinary people and Awakened individuals alike.

They provided a sense of security, a way to indirectly experience the power of the supernatural, and for Guardians and villains, they were valuable tools, enhancing their abilities and increasing their chances of success.

And the demand for them had never decreased.

It was simply that everyone knew the supply was limited, so most had given up hope.

And now, a company claiming to have solved that problem had appeared.

Naturally, it had attracted a lot of attention, and among those watching with keen interest were various villainous organizations.

—And that included Heaven’s Turn Society, the largest and most influential of them all.

The Master of Heaven’s Turn Society, having emerged from his temporary hibernation in a hidden dimension, frowned as he read the information on his tablet.

An unexpected and potentially dangerous one.

Something even Oracle, with her precognitive abilities, hadn’t foreseen.

‘I knew things would change…’

He had been actively influencing this world for over twenty years.

It would be foolish to expect the future to unfold exactly as he remembered it.

‘…But this is… unprecedented. Even Doctor, who can bypass the laws of Earth, hasn’t been able to achieve mass production of magic tools. And Oracle didn’t even notice it…’

She had seemed quite flustered when reporting this to him.

Missing a minor event was one thing, but overlooking something of this scale was a major blunder, even for her.

But it wasn’t the first time this had happened recently.

South Korea, the epicenter of change.

It had started with Hahoe Mask, then the otherworldly Saint, Heinrich, and now, Howard Industry.

And its true owner was Phantom, Heinz, another variable!

‘It’s too early to act openly… but I can’t just ignore this.’

The world was already in a state of unrest due to Heinrich’s public appearances, which had exposed Heaven’s Turn Society’s existence.

And Scribe, a member of Pantheon’s Steering Committee, had been attacked and was now missing, further fueling the anxiety and fear surrounding the shadowy organizations.

“Tsk, I was planning to wait until Doctor woke up.”

Doctor, who had entered a regeneration pod to modify his weakened body after his resurrection, might be able to analyze Howard Industry’s technology and uncover their secrets.

But he couldn’t afford to wait.

‘I have to… slow them down, buy some time.’

He made up his mind and then continued reading the information on his tablet.

A video file at the end caught his attention.

He casually played it, and a beautiful woman, standing on a stage before a crowd of reporters, appeared on the screen.

-“Let the showcase begin. We’ll take questions later, so please remain silent…”

It was the Howard Industry showcase, a recent event that had just taken place.

‘How did things get this big?’

Jin So-ran sighed deeply, her heart pounding in her chest.

She was at the showcase venue, preparing for the event.

And she wasn’t just a staff member, she was the MC.

‘I was hoping to enter the mainstream… but this is too sudden, Lord.’

She had been content with her current situation.

The public’s perception of vampires hadn’t changed much, but at least among those in the know, they were no longer treated with fear and disdain.

They were now recognized as protectors, guardians of the night, and the morale of the Blood Alliance members had improved significantly.

After all, they had been ordinary humans before becoming vampires. They craved acceptance.

“It’s time! Please come on stage!”

“…Yes, I understand.”

Jin So-ran took a deep breath and walked onto the stage.

She wasn’t Jin So-ran, the spokesperson for Heterosis, the first servant of the Divine Blood vampire, a level 8 vampire.

She was ‘Orchid’, a rising star in the online streaming world, the MC for this event.

“Let the showcase begin. We’ll take questions later, so please remain silent…”

Orchid, a name derived from her own name, So-ran (Orchid).

Her online streaming channel, a hobby she had maintained despite her busy schedule, was her only connection to the world outside the Blood Alliance.

‘But still, I’m not… famous enough for this.’

She was the one in charge of this event, but she wouldn't have chosen herself as the MC.

But she had been ordered to do so by her Lord, Heinz.

“…Now, let’s move on to the product introduction.”

“These are our main products. Subspace storage devices, strength enhancement gear, defensive armor, speed boosters… Their specifications are…”

He had been planning an influencer marketing campaign, and he had suddenly appointed her as the MC, remembering her hobby.

He had also wanted to have a high-ranking member present at the event… but it was mostly a gesture of goodwill.

As the MC for such a high-profile event, her name would become known, and her channel would grow.

“Next, we have our potions. These have been certified by the Returnee Association and the Otherworldly Industrial Resources Department of the Supernatural Management Bureau. Depending on their grade…”

She was grateful for his consideration, but it was also… incredibly stressful.

She had been streaming for a while, but it was just her talking to a camera in her room.

It was just a hobby. She hadn’t intended to become famous.

She had become a level 8 vampire, one of the strongest in Korea… but she couldn’t help but feel nervous under the barrage of camera flashes and the scrutinizing gazes of the reporters.

She would have preferred a battlefield, a place of blood and violence, to this.

“Now, let’s move on to the next segment. Please remain silent. The Q&A session will be held after the presentation…”

“These are the high-grade magic tools crafted by Howard Industry! These are just samples, but we can custom-make items with similar specifications, as long as the conditions are met…”

But thanks to her experience as a streamer and as Heinz’s representative, managing the Blood Alliance’s affairs, she managed to complete the showcase without any major problems.

No, that wasn't entirely accurate.

The aftermath of the showcase…

…was far more effective than she had anticipated.

After the showcase, Howard Industry officially launched its operations.

The physical stores weren't fully prepared yet, but in this age of the internet, online sales were more than enough for now.

After all, the actual transaction, the exchange of money and goods, occurred during the delivery, which was handled in person.

The stock market reacted accordingly, related stocks fluctuating wildly.

Howard Industry wasn’t a publicly traded company, but its influence extended far beyond the supernatural industry, affecting various sectors.

And there was another place where things were heating up.

The internet, where people from all walks of life gathered and shared their thoughts and opinions.

1. Both magic tools and potions are certified by the Returnee Association and the Supernatural Management Bureau.

2. Despite being a new company, they’ve been distributing small quantities of their products for a while, verifying their safety and effectiveness.

3. The ‘high-grade’ magic tools are incredibly powerful, enough to make even experienced Awakened drool.

-That’s four lines, not three.

└That’s not the point!

└Agreed. The last line is the most important.

-Who is she? She’s gorgeous.

The showcase was a hot topic, discussed and dissected in various online communities.

Its content was interesting enough, but the photos of a certain individual, taken from various angles by the reporters, further fueled the fire.

-Wow… Her usual streaming persona was actually nerfed? I thought she was using makeup, lighting, and filters, but it was the opposite!

-How can every single photo be a masterpiece? The reporters didn’t even edit them.

The reactions spread beyond Korea, reaching people all over the world.

The showcase, with her as the face of the company, was a viral sensation, exceeding even their expectations.

Her appearance, both on and off stage, was captivating, mesmerizing both men and women.

-Look at her charisma. I’m a woman, and I’m falling for her.

└I can’t look away. I feel like I’m awakening to a new world…

-Kyaa! Unnie! Marry me!!!

Of course, it wasn't just her beauty. It was also the new power she had acquired.

「Refined Blood Essence」, bestowed upon her by Heinz the Second after his ascension to Divine Blood, to facilitate the management of his organizations.

It had not only maximized her potential, but also awakened a new ability, 「Charm」, a mental manipulation skill, by transferring some of Heinz’s traits to her, like inheriting a bloodline ability.

It had also enhanced her existing bloodline ability, 「Concealment」.

“Ugh… I thought I had it under control. I must have lost focus due to the stress.”

“It’s fine. It shouldn’t be a problem. The reactions aren’t too excessive.”

Jin So-ran, reading the online comments, covered her face with her hands and groaned.

Heinz the Second, sitting in his office, watching the showcase video, nodded slowly.

「Charm」 was a mental manipulation ability.

It would have been a problem if she had used it indiscriminately on ordinary people.

But thanks to her already impressive beauty, enhanced by her transformation into a level 8 vampire, even the Awakened individuals present at the showcase hadn't noticed anything unusual.

‘Not bad. Actually, the results are excellent.’

He smiled with satisfaction, pleased with his own judgment.

The video had reached the latter half of the showcase, the demonstration of high-grade magic tools.

Blue sparks flickered on the screen.

It happened as the Awakened demonstrator gripped a short-handled hammer.

Its aura, even through the screen, was intense.

If it wasn't for the barrier they had erected, the ordinary people in the audience would have fainted.

A bolt of lightning struck the hammer,

…and then, like a flash of lightning, it shot towards its target, incinerating it and the surrounding area before returning to the user’s hand.

It was like a scene from a movie… or rather, a reenactment of Norse mythology.

They had deliberately chosen a large, open-air venue for this demonstration.

‘I had Howard modify the design, so there shouldn’t be any copyright issues.’

The hammer was one of Howard’s masterpieces, a meticulously crafted work of art.

Of course, no one would dare to question him even if he had copied the design exactly… but there was no need to invite trouble.

‘And it’s just a promotional item. I’ll adjust the reward based on the quality of the elixirs they offer. I wonder how many people have valuable elixirs…’

It had to be at least High-grade to be worth his time.

As he watched the showcase nearing its end,

“…Lord? We just received a call from Branch Manager Yoon of the Association…”

Yoon Ji-yoon, the Lightning Empress, one of Korea’s top three Awakened.

He had caught a big fish.