...
Monday, 08:16 AM.
The sky was clear, a blue and infinite canvas over the Cube complex. The soft morning sunlight bathed the futuristic structures, reflecting off the glass panels and polished steel of the buildings. In the central courtyard, a river of uniformed cadets flowed towards their first classes, their voices and footsteps creating a constant melody of activity and ambition.
Theo walked beside Nayun, feeling the pleasant warmth of the sun on his face. Beside them, Yeonha, newly returned from her family visit, was already immersed in her natural element. He himself had picked her up at the Teleportation Portal earlier, and the young heiress already seemed to have left behind any remnants of family rest, diving headfirst into her usual routine: business.
"So, how was it at home?"
Theo asked casually, breaking the comfortable silence between them.
"Quiet, nothing much happened... Just my mom bugging me about a few things."
Yeonha replied, her tone of voice showing that dealing with her mother had been harder than it seemed.
"...But work never leaves me alone. By the way..."
She continued, her agile fingers already dancing over the smartwatch on her wrist. With a tap, a bluish holographic screen expanded before them, floating in the air with impressive clarity.
"I need to show you this."
On the projection, the "Essential Armory" website shone. The online store she ran with a firm hand was a model of design and functionality. Theo immediately recognized the main page, but what caught his attention was a new featured tab, marked with a small golden star that pulsed softly.
"Just look."
Yeonha said, a glow of pride in her eyes as she swiped her finger across the screen.
"I created a special category just for your creations."
There, in a gleaming display, were the weapons Theo had created. Each one seemed to jump off the screen: swords whose blades seemed to cut light itself, heavy axes that promised overwhelming power, spears of such perfect balance they seemed destined to fly, and even shields of robust design, engraved with subtle runes that seemed an intrinsic part of the metal. Each item carried its own detailed attribute sheet and a golden "Masterpiece" seal.
But what made Nayun's eyes widen were not the catchy names or technical descriptions, but the numbers that shone next to each item.
"Fifty... up to 60 million won!? Hey, isn't that a bit too high for High-ranking weapons?"
She exclaimed, her voice a mix of shock and admiration. She leaned forward, almost touching the projection, as if the numbers would change if she stared at them hard enough.
"That's big-time money! It's the price of a Unique-ranking item for a sword, which normally costs forty million won."
Yeonha smiled, a satisfied smile, as if Nayun's reaction was what she had expected.
"And even so, we've already sold more than five units in less than 24 hours."
She stated, her tone barely hiding her satisfaction.
"Weapons of this level don't appear on the market every day. This quality, with these special characteristics, you usually only find something like this in high-level dungeon drops or in the towers."
She tapped the screen, and the projection changed to a detailed analysis of the attributes of one of the swords. Complex graphs and numbers filled the hologram.
"Think about it, Nayun. There's no forge, no raw material, no risk of enhancement failure. Even for a Master-level Mage in craftsmanship and weapons, the process of enchanting an existing weapon to get close to this is absurdly complex and expensive. What Theo does..."
She paused, looking at him with an expression of admiration.
"...Is an anomaly. One that's worth a fortune."
Nayun leaned in even closer, her mind as a somewhat knowledgeable swordsman struggling to grasp the magnitude of it. She began to read the specifications:
"15% increase in cutting speed," "Passive mana infusion," "Enhanced Durability for 5 seconds."
These were stats that weren't added to a weapon; they were "born" with it.
"Huh!?"
She turned abruptly to Theo, her voice filled with genuine disbelief.
"You created this!?"
Theo scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed by the way she asked, his voice having attracted the attention of other nearby cadets.
"Uh? Don't you remember? I'm almost certain I mentioned it to you a few days ago."
Nayun blinked, a momentary blank in her expression. Her mind went back a few days, vaguely remembering Theo talking about something about "sales."
"Oh, really?"
She said, a slight blush rising on her cheeks.
"I think I forgot."
Nayun gave a nervous little laugh, trying to cover it up.
"With so much going on, my head's been a little full. Studying is consuming all my neurons."
Yeonha deactivated the hologram with a quick gesture, and the air returned to normal.
"Well, now you know. And most importantly." She added, her gaze fixed on Theo.
"I think we'll need to move up your creations a bit earlier. We have a whole market to monopolize."
While Yeonha was already planning the next steps of her commercial empire, Nayun considered something mentally.
And then, she went to her smartwatch and sent a message to her brother.
Seeing Nayun typing so quickly, Theo asked curiously.
"Uh, that?"
"Oh, nothing much. I just sent a message to Oppa."
"Your brother?"
Theo repeated, a little confused.
"Yes. I told him to go to the Essential Armory website and buy the best weapons he finds, especially those in the new category."
She explained, gesturing with her hand in a nonchalant way.
Theo stared at her for a few seconds, processing the information. The idea of his girlfriend spending her family's money on things he could simply create for her for free bothered him. It was a waste.
"Oh. Are you sure? If you want, I can create more and..."
He began, his intention clear.
"No. That won't do."
Nayun cut him off, her voice firm, but with a playful glint in her eyes.
"Huh? But I didn't say anything,"
Theo protested, taken by surprise.
"Yes, you didn't, but I know very well what you were about to say now."
She said, a small, victorious smile forming on her lips. Yeonha, beside her, watched the exchange with amused interest.
"Fufu!"
Yeonha laughed in amusement, and Nayun continued:
"Sometimes it's better to keep quiet, Theo. Don't worry, even a few billion won is nothing to my family."
Yeonha intervened, supporting Nayun with a nod and a classic smile.
"That's right, that's right... Money is no problem for us, so be quiet. Besides, my love, an official and high-value transaction like this sets a precedent. It validates the price and generates more market buzz. Her brother's purchase is the best marketing we could have."
Just by having the heir of the Daehyun group involved, it would make the entire world pay attention to Essential Armory.
"Errr? All that can happen just because I told my brother to buy a few things to help you guys?"
"Haha. There are things you're better off not knowing, Nayun."
Theo patted her head, telling her not to get too hung up on it.
"Since you two want to do this, fine. I won't interfere. And as for being able to create more, Yeonha, when you get back to the guild, I'll do that, okay?"
With a confirming nod from Yeonha, they entered the corridor, heading for the Veritas class.
...