< Howard Industry (3) >
< What kind of place is 'Howard Industry,' a company that claims to be the world's first producer and supplier of isekai goods? >
< Howard Industry reveals the schedule for a live showcase to flaunt its technological prowess. Will there be food at this rumored feast? >
Various articles poured out from countless media outlets.
Although there hasn’t been a significant reaction from abroad yet, if what Howard Industry announced is true, it’s just a matter of time before the flame spreads that way.
Some saw the excessive reaction to just one company emerging as an overreaction, but that was merely a shortsighted viewpoint of those unfamiliar with the industry’s situation.
– Is this for real? So does that mean I can buy magical equipment now?
└ You can, but it’ll probably cost an arm and a leg.
└ Seriously, they said there would be a stable supply, but didn’t say it would be cheap. No matter how much they produce, they can never meet the demand.
– If I empty my entire fortune, can I buy something?
└ How much do you have?
└ 890,000 won… haha
└ No chance.
– I want to become an Awakened One too! If not, I want at least some magical equipment!
└ This guy is spamming this comment everywhere.
Items that can indirectly satisfy the longing of ordinary people for supernatural powers.
They are luxury goods for the privileged and safety devices that could offer a lifeline in times of crisis.
Miraculous equipment that helps accomplish tasks impossible even with modern technology efficiently.
Whether it’s weapons for Guardians to suppress criminals more effectively, or ace tools that can raise the success rate of Villain’s crimes.
At the base of all this are the items that came from returnees along with the things that crossed over from another world, and the demand for them has never once dropped since they became inseparable from daily life.
Everyone simply knew that there were limitations on supply and hence most had secretly given up.
But now, a company boldly claiming to solve that problem had appeared!
Naturally, public interest was bound to focus on it, and among those keenly observing the changes were various Villain organizations as well.
—And the Buncheon Society, known for being the largest in the world, was no exception.
“Howard Industry…”
The undercover world that he painstakingly prepared to escape Earth’s influence.
The Head of the Buncheon Society furrowed his brow as he checked the information on the tablet while waking from a temporary slumber.
“… A variable.”
And a deadly variable that could not even be anticipated in advance.
Even an Oracle with foresight could not have guessed it.
‘Still, I never imagined something like this would be possible.’
He already recognized that things were bound to change from the future he knew.
It hadn’t been a short time since he began taking proactive measures; it had been over twenty years.
If he expected that the future information he had gathered would fit into his strategies after moving about freely during that time, it would be excessive greed.
‘But how is this even possible? Even the Doctor, who can circumvent Earth’s laws, has yet to find an answer to this monumental puzzle. The fact that the Oracle didn’t catch on to this change is also a problem.’
When he received this information, she had shown signs of considerable distress as well.
It wasn’t a small issue if it had been something trivial, but missing a matter of this scale was a profound blunder on her part.
But if he thought about it carefully, it hadn’t been so rare for such incidents to happen recently.
“Is it in Korea again?”
At the center of this change, the Republic of Korea.
The variables that began with the emergence of the Hahoe Mask had steadily continued to the Saint Heinrich of another world and now extended to Howard Industry.
Wasn’t the practical ruler there a variable in itself, Phantom Heinz!
‘It’s still too early for me to step forward… but I can no longer remain idle.’
The world was already stirring due to Heinrich’s public discourse, and the organization was in disarray.
To make matters worse, the Secretary of the Pantheon’s Operations Committee had been ambushed by unidentified entities and went missing, raising fear of dark powers to an unprecedented level.
“Tsk, I was planning to hold off until the Doctor woke up again.”
The Doctor, who had gone into hibernation claiming he wanted to modify his weakened body right after his resurrection, might analyze the technologies of Howard Industry once he opened his eyes.
But if he continued to dawdle with the excuse of being unprepared, he might end up in an irrecoverable state.
‘For now, I need to hold things back a bit and buy some time.’
Determinedly, he quickly skimmed through the information displayed on the tablet again.
At the very end, a video material popped up in his mind.
He casually hit play, and a beautiful woman stepped into view on the spacious podium before the eager crowd of journalists.
– “Then let’s start the showcase. I’ll take questions later, so please remain silent for now…”
The event that unfolded just before his report.
It was the grandly held showcase of Howard Industry.
*
‘How did things get so big?’
Jin So-Ran let out a deep sigh without realizing it, just before the showcase began.
Right now, she was directly present at the venue for the event.
Not just as a simple attendant, but as the host in charge of the showcase.
‘I was expecting to step into the light boldly, but… this is way too sudden, Lord.’
In truth, she had been satisfied with the previous state of affairs.
Although public perception still hadn’t drastically changed, those within this industry had greatly reduced incidents of being treated with contempt simply for being Demons.
Recently, Vampires in her Blood League had even been unofficially recognized as vigilantes who protect the streets, naturally boosting the morale of her subordinates.
They had merely become Vampires in their struggle for survival, and since they were originally ordinary humans, they desperately craved societal recognition.
“Time’s up! You may head to the stage now!”
“… Yes, understood.”
As her name was called, Jin So-Ran took a deep breath and climbed slowly up to the podium.
At this moment, she was not just a representative of Heterosis, nor the first rank 8 Vampire of Pureblood.
But as ‘Orchid,’ an internet broadcaster who was currently experiencing a surge in popularity.
“Then let’s begin the showcase. I will take questions later, so please remain silent for now…”
Taking the English name ‘Orchid’ from the character behind her name.
Amidst the busyness, she had managed to keep her personal broadcasting hobby going, establishing it as her only channel to communicate with the world she had become disconnected from ever since becoming a Vampire.
‘Still, I’m not really someone of this caliber to be in this kind of place.’
Although she was the one responsible for the event, Jin So-Ran had no thoughts of bringing herself here.
Nonetheless, this opportunity was entirely due to the order of her Lord, Heinz II.
“… Next, we will introduce the products.”
“Here are the main products that we at Howard Industry are focusing on. Starting with Spatial Dimension Magical Equipment, we have a variety of options such as strength-enhancing, defense, and speeding items with specifications that…”
Heinz had been planning influencer marketing and suddenly thought of her hobby and placed her right in that spot.
While certainly wanting the best person responsible to be present at this key event, fundamentally it was an order drenched in goodwill.
Given that the public’s attention was riveted, simply coming out as the host would allow her to gain recognition, naturally contributing to the growth of her broadcasts.
“Next is the potions. These potions have been certified for safety by the Returnee Association and the Supernatural Powers Administration and can be categorized according to their ranks…”
As gracious as his intentions were, it felt overwhelming for her.
Even though she had been doing personal broadcasts for a considerable time, that had only entailed solo talking in front of a computer screen.
After all, it was only a hobby, and she had never planned to scale it up to such heights.
Click— Click—
Murmurs—
Even though she had recently reached rank 8 as the only Vampire in the Republic of Korea, she couldn’t help but feel extremely tense under the flashing lights and piercing gazes of the journalists, an experience she had never encountered before.
She would have been much more at ease on a battlefield where blood splattered everywhere.
“Now let’s move on to the next segment. Please remain silent. The question time is scheduled for after all the presentations…”
“This is it! These are the top-quality magical equipment produced by our Howard Industry! The items present here are prototypes, and if conditions are favorable, we can produce items that equally match these specifications…”
Yet perhaps thanks to her experience in broadcasting and her command over the Vampires under Heinz, she managed to successfully conclude the showcase without any issues, contrary to her worries.
Wait, simply saying it ended without a hitch didn’t completely capture the situation.
The reactions following that showcase far exceeded her expectations.
*
Immediately following the showcase, the activities of the newly launched Howard Industry began in earnest.
Though the offline stores weren’t fully established yet, in an age where the internet had developed immensely, operating online was sufficient for immediate activities.
After all, real transactions involving money concluded only after receiving the goods in direct trade after placing orders, didn’t they?
Accordingly, stocks related to the market fluctuated continuously.
Of course, Howard Industry was a private corporation, but the industry’s profound influence was so rooted in society that numerous areas were impacted indirectly.
And alongside those reactions, another place starting to boil was the internet community, where prominent individuals from various sectors gathered to chat.
< Three-line summary of the Howard Industry showcase >
1. Both magical equipment and potions have received certification from the Association and the Supernatural Powers Management Bureau.
2. Although it seems like a new company, they’ve reportedly been distributing small amounts for a long time and verifying stability.
3. Particularly the ‘top-quality’ items left everyone who attended drooling with their phenomenal performance.
4. Wowww!!!
(Photos from the showcase)
– Wait, that’s four lines!
└ That’s not the point right now, is it?
└ I agree. In fact, the last line could be considered the most important.
– But who is she? She’s incredibly beautiful.
└ Orchid.
As many were captivated by the showcase, the community buzzed with conversations.
Though the content itself was intriguing enough, the photos taken by journalists from various angles of a particular individual contributed significantly to that excitement.
– Wow… Is this the real deal? I thought she was nerfed on her streams! I was sure they fully utilized makeup, lighting, and filters, but it was the opposite!
– How could every single photo not been edited by the journalists yet still look like a high-fashion spread?
Such reactions spread not only across Korea but throughout the world via the internet.
The showcase had become a hot topic, evoking even more than the expectations held for her… No, more than that; it sparked a huge response.
Thus, the stunning appearance she made before the public was enchanting enough to enthrall not just men but women too.
– Look at her charisma! As a woman, I think I’d fall for her!
└ Something about this makes me feel dazed. I think I’m waking up to a new world…
– Gah!! Lady! Take me!!!
In reality, the cause of such reactions wasn’t merely her beauty; it also stemmed from the powers she had newly acquired.
After Heinz II ascended to Pureblood, he granted her the refined blood essence “Refined Blood Essence” to ensure effective organization management.
That drastically elevated her potential while allowing some traits of Heinz to blossom within her as if inheriting his Bloodline abilities.
As a result, not only did her existing ability of “Concealment” become more potent, but a new ability known as “Seduction” also awakened, leading to such a stir.
“Ugh… I thought I was controlling it properly. I must have let my guard down a bit due to the nervousness.”
“Hmm, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem. The reactions on-site don’t appear to be excessively over the top.”
When Jin So-Ran moaned and buried her face in her hands after seeing the online reactions, Heinz II, who was sitting in the office chair and reviewing the showcase video, nodded slowly in response.
“Seduction” was after all a mental-type supernatural power.
If she had released it indiscriminately on the general public, it surely would have raised eyebrows.
Yet because her already outstanding beauty had taken a significant upgrade upon reaching rank 8 as a Vampire, even the Awakened present hardly sensed anything amiss.
‘Not bad. No, by the results, it’s downright excellent.’
Praising his own judgment, he looked with satisfaction at the screen.
By now, the video had transitioned to the latter part of the showcase, depicting demonstrations of top-quality magical equipment.
Sizzle—!
In the video, a blue spark flew out.
The moment an Awakened One held a short-handled hammer, a phenomenon erupted.
It radiated a powerful aura, even perceivable beyond the screen.
Had there not been special barriers installed at the venue, mere ordinary folks would likely have fainted from just experiencing the indirect effects.
Crash—!
Afterwards, lightning fell upon the hammer.
That bolt, shot like a spear, completely obliterated targets in the distance and the surrounding area, before returning to the user’s hands.
A scene reminiscent of something out of a movie… or rather a re-enactment of a Nordic myth.
This showcase had deliberately been held on a spacious outdoor stage for such effects.
‘I’ve altered the design a bit, so there shouldn’t be any worries about copyright issues.’
That hammer was considered a masterpiece among the items Howard painstakingly crafted in the workshop.
While it probably wouldn’t matter even if it were made exactly the same, there was no need to invite unnecessary trouble.
‘Of course, since that’s a bait product, I’ll make sure to put a lot of thought into it. The grade of rewards should vary depending on the level of potions offered. I wonder how many will have potions of that caliber to trade.’
It would be necessary to ensure they received something of a higher level.
As he contemplated that while quietly watching the end of the showcase—
“… Uh, Lord? I just got a call from the head of the association, Yoon Ji-yoon…”
The transcendent known as the Thunder Emperor, Yoon Ji-yoon, who was said to be among the top three in South Korea.
A big catch had come up right from the start.
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