Just then, another message arrived from Yun Tae-seong.
[Ah, Owner. If the issue is the Rocket Store’s stock and profit, how about this?]
— How?
[We could officially broadcast the selection trial.]
— Broadcast?
[Yes. We’ll broadcast it live to the entire world. It will show a transparent selection process and introduce the new Beast Warrior class.]
I tilted my head. ‘I’ve never thought about it that way.’
It wasn’t something I could do while stuck in my room anyway.
[Broadcasting it will create several sources of revenue.]
— Such as?
[First, there are the broadcasting rights. We can sell the rights to each country’s association and broadcasting stations.]
— Will the media really be that interested in a selection trial?
[Owner, this is a first.]
— What’s a first?
[The appearance of other races. This will be the first time they are officially revealed to the entire world through mainstream media.]
— Ah, so until now, they’ve only been seen on a limited basis within the Tower, and only by Korean Hunters who are members of the Rocket Store?
I had been thinking too much from my own perspective. Besides, I could see everything through the holograms.
[Exactly. While different races like Leon, Kargar, and Finch have been active, their exposure was limited to the Rocket Store members inside the Tower. Not only the general public but even foreign hunters only know of their existence; they’ve never seen them firsthand.]
“Ah.”
I finally understood. Even among Korean Hunters, only those who were members of the Rocket Store—or those who saw them through colleagues—had actually confirmed their existence. It was a tiny minority. Furthermore, because the Tower was a closed space, media coverage had been impossible.
[But this selection trial will be held outside the Tower. Gray will make a public appearance, and that will be broadcast live globally. It will be the first moment that a demi-human race like the beastmen is officially captured by the media.]
— So you’re saying people will be curious.
[It’s more than just curiosity. Up until now, the general public has only heard announcements that other races exist, but they have never seen them with their own eyes. For the first time, the whole world will witness the reality of these races.]
Thinking of it that way, this was an event that would generate much more buzz than I had anticipated. If I were a broadcasting executive, I would never want to miss this opportunity. That meant it would translate into an enormous amount of money for me.
[And since their own hunters will be participating, at least the participating countries will definitely want to broadcast it.]
— Ah, so that’s why the broadcasting rights will sell for a high price.
[Precisely.]
Yun Tae-seong’s messages continued.
[Second, there’s sponsorship. We can naturally expose Rocket Store products. The world will see hunters using Rocket Store items during the selection process.]
— So it’s an advertising effect.
[Yes. Furthermore, we can sell products on-site. Of course, it would be difficult for you to manage that directly, so how about letting the Association handle it on your behalf?]
— I would appreciate that.
[Yes. We will operate a temporary shop during the trial period and sell to the hunters and officials who come to watch.]
— Then, what should I provide in return?
[There’s no need for that. I’ve already coordinated with the higher-ups to give you the entirety of the sales profits, with the Association providing only operational support. Of course, we won’t take a separate commission either.]
— What?
No commission? That was an incredibly unconventional offer. But I wasn’t a fool; I didn’t take it at face value. That meant they wanted something else in return.
— Does that mean you want something else?
[That is correct. Instead, what matters to the Association is that we can project an image to the world that we are cooperating closely with the Rocket Store. By taking on the miscellaneous tasks like mediating broadcasting rights and on-site operations, we can raise the international prestige of the Korean Hunter Association.]
I nodded. I understood Yun Tae-seong’s intention. In short, the Korean Hunter Association wanted to act as the agent for the Rocket Store. Korea was lagging behind the United States, China, and Japan in Tower conquest, but by showing cooperation with the Rocket Store, they could appear as an internationally important nation.
Since I needed a window to the outside world anyway and didn’t have any other partners right now, it wasn’t a bad proposal.
— Then, will the Association handle things like broadcasting rights and sponsorships on their own?
[Yes. We will handle everything from negotiating with various countries’ associations and broadcasting stations to drafting contracts and settling payments. You only need to give the final approval.]
— Sounds good. But wouldn’t we need to extend the schedule for the broadcast preparations? And set aside supplies for the pop-up store.
[Yes. We also need to finalize the list of overseas participants. Since entry procedures are the Association’s job, we’ll handle the logistics at a national level, but the broadcasting stations also need to set up their systems. If possible, it would be best to extend it by one week.]
— One week?
[Yes. If we set it for D+7, that should be sufficient. During that time, we can negotiate the broadcasting rights, prepare the site, and the foreign participants will arrive.]
— Is all of that possible in just one week?
[It is. We’ve already been coordinating things behind the scenes. I will draft a rough plan and send it to you.]
He was doing everything for me; I was grateful. So now, all I had to do was coordinate the schedule with Gray and just sit back and watch?
***
Having finished my work, I lay down on the bed and logged into the community. I wanted to see the reaction after the additional notice regarding the Beast Warrior selection trial was posted.
[Notice: Change in Beast Warrior Selection Trial Schedule]
The date for the selection trial has been extended by one week. Anyone know why?
— I heard it’s because of the registration for foreign hunters.
ã„´ For real? Foreign hunters are participating too?
ã„´ Yeah, they say several countries sent official letters of intent.
ã„´ How do you know?
ã„´ The Association just released an official breaking news update.
— Extending it by a week is awesome. More time to prepare.
ã„´ Lol, how are you going to prepare when you don’t even know the standards for beastmen? haha.
— Wait, if foreign hunters are joining, isn’t the competition going to be insane?
ã„´ It just shows how much interest other countries have in the Beast Warrior elite class.
ã„´ Low-rankers should just give up early instead of wasting their entry fee, haha.
[Why are foreign hunters participating?]
Just curious. They can grow enough in their own countries, so why come all the way to Korea for the Beast Warrior selection trial?
— If you’re a hunter, you should know.
ã„´ (OP) Why? I’m a hunter and I don’t know.
ã„´ã„´ As soon as Lee Jun-ho became the first Survival Chef, the class advancement conditions were revealed. It was about learning a few Halfling recipes and cooking them. So while it was hard, it was possible overseas if you could get the recipes.
ã„´ (OP) And?
ã„´ã„´ I just told you, and you’re asking “and”? You’re so lazy.
ã„´ã„´ The Beast Warrior class was unlocked a long time ago, but since no one has advanced to it yet, no one knows the conditions.
ã„´ (OP) Oh, I see. So it’s because this time, a beastman warrior is revealing the method and teaching them directly?
— Unlike production classes, doesn’t the warrior side have Magic Knight as an elite class? I didn’t think they’d be jealous.
ã„´ Magic Knight is crazy expensive. Think about it. You have to manage both Strength and Mana, and how many elemental skill books do you have to buy? There’s a reason why only people at Sim Jae-seong’s level go for it in our country.
ã„´ True, Sim Jae-seong was the grandson of the former Association President, right?
ㄴ Yeah. He’s a total cheat character—wealthy, talented, and even handsome.
— Won’t our hunters’ opportunities decrease because of the foreigners?
ã„´ No, because they didn’t set a fixed number of winners in the first place. Would it really have that much of an impact? They call it a selection trial, but it feels more like they’re looking for suitable candidates.
ã„´ Still, how can one beastman warrior manage and supervise everyone? There has to be a limit.
ã„´ Well, that’s true. Then there’s nothing that can be done. It’s not like I’m the one training them anyway~.
ã„´ True.
ã„´ For real, haha.
[Breaking News: Possibility of TV Broadcast for the Selection Trial]
I heard from an older guy I know who’s a PD at a broadcasting station that major networks are moving to secure the rights for the selection trial.
— Whoa, really?
ã„´ Isn’t that a lie? Any proof?
ã„´ (OP) He has no reason to lie. He said the station already set up a special production team for the trial.
— Watching it on TV? That’s crazy, haha.
ã„´ My parents will be able to watch it too.
— Is this the first time a beastman’s actual appearance is being revealed on broadcast?
ã„´ Oh, that’s right. I’ve seen other races because I’m a member, but I am a bit curious about the beastmen.
ã„´ Public curiosity is going to be through the roof.
— I heard foreign stations are interested too.
ã„´ Curious about the international reaction, haha.
[Just tried the bread made from Silver Wheat]
The stuff made by the Survival Chefs is starting to hit the market. I tried it, and it’s so good. They say it has a mana recovery effect too.
— Where do they sell it?
ã„´ You can get it delivered through the Rocket Store, or it’s in famous bakeries.
ã„´ (OP) I bought some at a bakery run by a Survival Chef in my neighborhood, and they had it there.
— How’s the price?
ã„´ More expensive than regular bread. But considering the taste and the mana recovery, it’s cheap.
ã„´ It would be amazing to eat before entering a dungeon.
— This is a local specialty from the world of Ceres where Leon is, right?
ã„´ Yeah. It seems the Rocket Store is officially bringing in ingredients as their exchange with Ceres increases.
— The Survival Chefs must be so excited, haha.
ㄴ Every time a new ingredient comes out, they’re busy developing recipes.
ã„´ I heard Hunter Kim Yu-seong is making something with Silver Wheat too.
[Are demon materials even worth the purification costs?]
They’re selling things like demon horns and obsidian, but if you have to pay for purification, the cost is going to be insane. Is it really worth buying?
— There’s an American YouTuber who had the same thought as you, haha.
ã„´ What? So? Tell me more.
ã„´ He bought obsidian and blew it up like a bomb. The power was around that of a mid-tier spell.
ã„´ Whoa, really?
ã„´ Link please!
[Link to the post above: American YouTuber blows up demon obsidian]
Wait, he blew up something that expensive like a bomb?
— Who is it?
ã„´ An American YouTuber named Mr. Monster.
ã„´ I saw it; it’s insane. It really had the power of a mid-tier spell.
ㄴ For real? It’s that strong?
ã„´ What a flex, haha.
ã„´ Do you know how much a single piece of demon obsidian costs? He just blew it up?
ã„´ (OP) Exactly, lol. It’s an idea I never would’ve thought of.
— Ah, so it can be used like this too.
ã„´ Isn’t he a genius? It’s a completely new way to use it.
ã„´ Genius? Who uses that much money for a bomb?
ㄴ If you think about military missiles, it’s not even that expensive.
ã„´ That’s… actually persuasive!
— Depending on the terrain or if you’re facing a swarm of monsters, it would be broken.
ã„´ It’s perfect for a throwing weapon in an emergency.
ã„´ But isn’t it dangerous? You could get caught in the blast.
ã„´ He said he consulted with an alchemist and a mage who accompanied him. Normally, you’d have to be careful.
— The Rocket Store brought in something innovative again.
ã„´ I didn’t know demon materials could be used this way.
[Korea’s Tower conquest ranking has gone up a lot, right?]
After clearing Floor 25, it feels like the world ranking has risen significantly.
— Yeah. We’re in the top tier now.
ã„´ Above us are probably the US, China, Germany, and Japan?
ㄴ There’s a bit of a time gap, but we’ve caught up a lot.
ã„´ The expedition team is legendary.
ã„´ They really worked hard. Floor 25 had so many undead that it was much harder than other floors.
ã„´ They wouldn’t have made it without the Rocket Store supplies.
— We really benefited from the Rocket Store.
ã„´ There are shelters and even holy grounds.
ã„´ Other countries are so jealous, haha.
ã„´ Naturally. The Rocket Store is only in our country.
ã„´ I’m so proud of the expedition team.
ã„´ The Association did well, and the Rocket Store is a huge success.
ã„´ At this rate, we’ll reach Floor 30 in no time.
Watching the community’s reaction, a smile naturally formed on my face. Expectations for the selection trial, interest in new materials, and even the rise in Korea’s Tower ranking—everything was moving in a positive direction.
“Good, let’s keep this momentum going.”
Next, I needed to focus on consistently resolving new requests while making the selection trial a success.