Chapter 275. Shareholders’ Meeting (3)

Inside the Labor-Management Cooperation Team’s newly repurposed office, formerly the chairman’s secretariat, Kim Ji-Eun stood before a whiteboard nearly as tall as herself.

“All right, everyone! Attention, please!” Clapping her hands sharply, she began writing in neat, deliberate strokes at the top: Preparation for the Inauguration Ceremony. “The chairman has entrusted the ceremony entirely to us, both the authority and the responsibility. We absolutely cannot afford any mistakes. Understood?”

“Yes!”

“Of course!”

The team members, seated in a row of hastily arranged chairs, nodded in unison.

“We have three days until the ceremony!”

Screech— Screech—

Ji-Eun drew two vertical lines across the board, dividing it into three sections. “Day one will be stage preparation. Day two will be equipment installation. Day three will be the morning rehearsal and the main event in the afternoon. Promotion will continue throughout all three days.”

She began filling in tasks, her handwriting as precise as her speech. “For day one, I propose we divide into a stage team and a chairman support team. Any objections?”

“I get the stage team, but what does the chairman support team do?” someone asked.

“They’ll handle things like preparing his suit for the ceremony, arranging easy-to-eat meals since he likely won’t have time for proper dining, and taking care of anything else he might need.”

The star of this entire event was Lee Eun-Ho. He had been dressed in nothing but a white shirt and black slacks the entire time, giving him an air of someone without strong preferences. Hence, it would seem like they could just pick anything for him, but that wasn’t the case.

This isn’t like when he was just the union leader.

To the employees, Eun-Ho was now a revolutionary who had seized the throne through rebellion.

“He’s new, so he probably doesn’t know how to run things.”

“He gained power through violence. What if he turns that on us?”

“He’ll favor only those who supported him...”

They had to shatter the undercurrent of distrust in one fell swoop and replace it with trust. To do so, they had to craft an image of a chairman who would lead the company to greatness, someone people would willingly follow.

We can do this. No, we have to!

It was far harder to correct a painting already marred by bias than to draw one on a blank canvas. That was why this task mattered more than anything else.

Feeling the full weight of responsibility on her shoulders, Ji-Eun explained, “We’ll prepare two black suits, and one each in dark gray, navy, and beige. The chairman can choose from them the day before the event. As for shirts, I think around fourteen should be suffi—”

“Hold on. What was that? Five suits and fourteen shirts?” The cleaning lady’s rough hand interrupted her. Arms crossed, brows furrowed, she radiated disapproval. “That’s way too little!”

“Pardon?”

Too little for a single ceremony?

“Once he’s inaugurated, he’ll be wearing them every day! You think five suits will cut it? You need at least five each for each season! And what about coats? You’ll need at least a couple, cashmere and fur!”

Such wisdom, born of experience, Ji-Eun thought.

“Didn’t you say there are snowy regions and deserts? You can’t send him out in just a thin layer in the cold! He’ll freeze his joints off! Absolutely not!”

Ji-Eun nodded vigorously, beaming with admiration. “You’re right! That would never do!”

I still have so much to learn, she thought.

After steadying herself, she resumed the briefing. “The suits will be handled by Soeju. If an in-person fitting isn’t possible, she’s asked for his measurements by the end of the day.”

Ye-Ji, who had been listening, chimed in, “Then we should measure him first. His build’s probably changed since his strength stat increased.”

“Right? You noticed too, Ye-Ji?”

“Of course. Maybe not as much as you, though.”

Ji-Eun tilted her head in confusion. “What?”

Ye-Ji narrowed her eyes and let out a mischievous smile.

Realizing what she meant, Ji-Eun quickly looked away, blushing. The high school girls immediately pounced on her like a pack of hyenas.

“Unnie, your face is red!”

“Your ears too! Oh my god!”

“I wonder if that’s something we can heal too. Should we try?”

“Enough, enough! Everyone, focus please!” A professional to the core, Ji-Eun pushed through the teasing and continued. “The inauguration ceremony is the official day the chairman takes control of the company and announces it to the world.”

Screech—

She underlined the word inauguration with a star for emphasis.

“There’s one thing we need to get right above all else.” Ji-Eun turned to face them. “Our chairman has to look like the most impressive person in the world.”

It was simple and childish, even. However, it was the most important point.

A speech? Eun-Ho will handle that himself. Charisma? He will exude it just by standing there. Security? He has already slain a Heavenly Dragon. Besides, with Skeleton Knights guarding both air and ground, there is nothing to worry about.

Their job was simple. It was to make sure Eun-Ho stepped onto that stage looking his absolute best. Nothing else mattered more.

“Hehe. Don’t worry, Unnie. I’ll make the best stage possible,” one of them said confidently.

The cleaning lady grinned. “Alright, alright! Guess it’s time I show off my skills again.”

The team’s resolve unified instantly. They clenched their fists and began splitting off into their respective roles.

Then, Ye-Ji suddenly said, “Wait, where’s Eun-Ho? I haven’t seen him all morning.”

“Good question,” Ji-Eun answered calmly, snapping her fingers with a smile. “He’s in the treasury. He said he’ll be back soon.”

“The treasury?”

***

[The entry pass has been activated!]

[Moving to the Primordial Vault.]

The Primordial Vault was the place Eun-Ho had sought out in search of a replacement for his broken sword.

[Ownership has been confirmed.]

[Welcome to the Primordial Vault!]

With a name like vault and the mention of an entry pass, he had expected something like a treasure hoard, perhaps a cavern filled with rare items.

“Whoa, damn, a dragon’s treasure vault?! Then isn’t that basically a dragon’s lair?!

He had even imagined, thanks to a certain loudmouthed companion, a massive cave where a red dragon coiled atop piles of gold and jewels.However, what unfolded before him was nothing like that.

A village? Eun-Ho thought.

Three thatched-roof houses and two small huts stood scattered across a quiet, modest settlement.

Did the chairman create this space?

A stream flowed gently in front, while rugged mountains rose behind. A waterfall cascaded down the mountainside, feeding into the clear water below. As if it were a paradise for immortals, a delicate wooden bridge arched over the stream, giving the entire place an almost otherworldly serenity

I’ll find out once I look inside.

Leaving the soft murmur of the stream behind, Eun-Ho approached the nearest thatched house and pushed the wooden door open.

Creeeak—

Inside was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside.

“Huh.”

The moment he saw it, a thought crossed his mind, I’m sure Swear-Master will love this.

That was because the interior of the first house was, for all intents and purposes, exactly what his companion had imagined, a dragon’s hoard.

[Seven-Colored Gold]

- A lump of gold that shimmered through red, orange, yellow, green, and blue in real time.

[Bloody Diamond]

- Despite its name, it radiated a beautiful soft pink hue.

[The Tomb Guardian]

[The Queen’s Crown]

[The Last Princess’s Earrings]

...

Legendary artifacts that could have defined entire eras filled the space. Precious gems and accessories glittered in every corner, each one gleaming as if begging to be noticed.

Though he had no immediate need for jewels, Eun-Ho pocketed a few just in case and moved on to the next house. “Store.”

Creeeak—

What a smell, Eun-Ho thought.

This one was even larger inside, lined wall-to-wall with old wooden drawers. With aged wood and countless, palm-sized compartments, the furniture seemed like something out of a historical drama. An unfamiliar yet strangely nostalgic scent filling the air.

Rrrk—

He opened one of the drawers, already having a good idea of what he would find. Inside was a transparent bead the size of a fingertip, filled with milky-white liquid.

[Azure Essence Oil]

- A milky fluid that had accumulated inside stone within a thousand-year-old cave.

- A medicinal substance with both sweet and sour properties.

- When consumed, it instantly removes all status effects and permanently increases the rate of Stamina growth by five percent.

It removes all status effects and even boosts stat growth? Such a thing exists?!

There was no reason not to take it, as it would allow his stats to grow faster even without effort.

“Store.” Given its status-effect-clearing effect, Eun-Ho decided to save it for when he truly required it. Then, he began opening every drawer in the room. “Elixirs... pills... even sleeping aids... quite a variety.”

Some had incredible effects, while others were no better than shop-bought goods. Yet they all shared one thing in common: they were rare items he had never encountered before.

Waaah!

Waaah!

Waaaaah!

[Child Ginseng]

- A wild ginseng resembling a small child.

- It buries itself underground during the day as if sleeping, but at night, it wanders around imitating a child.

- When consumed, it cures all diseases and increases luck.

- Best prepared as a decoction or ground with other herbs for better absorption.

- Warning: there is a low chance of inducing sleepwalking.

The ginseng’s tiny, childlike face twitched before letting out a piercing wail that echoed through the house.

As a chill ran down his spine, Eun-Ho quickly stored it away and shook out his hand. “Ugh.”

Why didn’t the chairman use any of this?

Given the sheer value of these items, it made no sense for them to be left untouched.

Maybe they stopped working for him.

Considering how the former chairman’s wounds had regenerated endlessly during battle, it wasn’t an unreasonable assumption. It could also be that he had been saving them for some other purpose. Either way, Eun-Ho wasn’t about to complain.

Creeeak—

After finishing his sweep, he stepped back outside. His hands were already full, but he had only cleared two houses so far. With steps that felt both heavy and strangely light, Eun-Ho headed toward the third house.

Bingo.

The armory was the real reason he had come here.

Wow. Everything’s gleaming.

Weapons lined every wall of the thatched house, while suits of armor rested neatly on wooden racks. The entire space shimmered with a quiet, imposing brilliance.

Swords, spears, bows, axes, maces, hammers...

It was like a gallery showcasing masterpieces from every category of weaponry. Among them, a few stood out even more.

[Gravity Hammer]

- A hammer blessed by stone and earth, capable of generating its own gravitational field.

- It can apply gravity to itself or pull in designated targets.

- However, the user may also suffer recoil damage.

- Attack Power: 20-80

- Unique Skill: Gravitational Field(Lv. 9)

A gravitation field... that could be useful.

The hammer alone felt massive just to look at, matching its overwhelming presence. There were also blades crafted with such precision that even the Sky-Shattering Blade seemed like a toy in comparison.

And this one is...

Swoosh—!

He grasped a sword with a sheath engraved in swirling, smoke-like patterns and drew the black blade. At once, a sinister, dark green mist began to seep out.

[Rotting Flesh Sword]

- A blade buried within a decaying corpse for a thousand years, capable of corrupting anything it strikes.

- It emits a foul stench due to prolonged decay, though it can be cleansed with the blood of living enemies.

- Attack Power: 20-70

- Additional Effect: 5 damage per second

A horrific stench assaulted his nose. It was like rotting garbage left out in the summer heat, amplified a hundredfold. His head throbbed instantly.

It says it can be washed off with blood, but...

He grimaced.

I’m not sure my sense of smell will survive long enough for that to matter. Next.

Another sword caught his eye, its sheath etched with patterns reminiscent of storms and blizzards. Its appearance was understated rather than flashy, and he didn’t expect much from it.

Sssaaak—

The moment he drew the blade from its gray-blue sheath, a gust of wind surged outward. As the pure white blade emerged, the air itself seemed to be cut away, as if the world had turned monochrome where the blade passed.

Before he realized it, he swung it.

Swoosh—

Swooooosh—

The empty air split diagonally. Where the blade had passed, space itself darkened, as though the air had lost its light and died.

[Wind Slayer]

- Forged by an unknown blacksmith, this blade awakened after cutting through an eternal storm.

- Attack Power: 30-50

- Unique Skill: Wind Cutting(Lv. 9)

So this is level 9 Wind Cutting. How impressive.

There wasn’t a single flaw including the attack power, durability, and unique ability. In fact, most of the weapons here were more than sufficient to replace the Sky-Shattering Blade. The only problem was that they were all too good.

I can’t choose. The raw attack power is higher on the rotting blade...

Especially when factoring in the damage-over-time effect. He could theoretically dull his sense of smell with potions, but that would affect his allies as well.

That’s not ideal.

As he sank deeper into thought, he almost felt relieved that there wasn’t any armor here comparable to the Sun’s Armor. If he had to choose that too, his head would actually split in half.

I’ll check the huts first.

He had cleared all three thatched houses, but there were still two small huts remaining. If he couldn’t decide now, he could look at everything first and choose at the end.

With that in mind, he approached the fourth building, the first hut.

What’s this place?

Creeeak—

The moment he pushed open the narrow door, darkness greeted him.

The interior appeared abandoned, completely empty. The lights flickered weakly, and dust had settled thickly across the wooden floor. For a moment, he thought it was just an empty storage space.

Crackle—

Then, as the flickering light steadied, something revealed itself within the darkness. A sword was bound to a pillar.

Why is it chained up?

Red chains coiled around the blade, binding it to the wooden post. The sword itself was so long that it almost rivaled the height of a person.

Then, sparks erupted from the chains surrounding it. Flashes of gold, red, and blue burst out in violent pulses.

Bzzzt— Crackle—

The flickering light wasn’t from a faulty lamp. There had never been any lighting in this place to begin with. All of it came from the sword, from the blade the former chairman had bound like a prisoner. Even without a wielder, it radiated power on its own. Perhaps, it was searching for a master.

Eun-Ho stared at it.

This might be more than enough of a weapon to replace the Sky-Shattering Blade.

It wasn’t just more than enough. It was far beyond that.