Malphegor
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MoP: Ch. 67
🕑 Added 2025-03-03 17:58:53 +0000 UTC---Viktor's POV---
"A deal?"
NeverShowOff subconsciously straightened his back, his face serious.
"What kind of deal?"
"The supply of spider silk you rely on is far too unstable. If I don't leave my house, what are you going to do when your stock runs out?" I asked, studying their reactions carefully.
"Uh…" ProGamer_Daddy scratched his face awkwardly. "Wait until we get more?"
"We can go find it ourselves," Hedgehog suggested.
I slowly shook my head.
"That's far too inefficient."
I shifted my position and continued,
"Operating intermittently is bound to cause problems every time you prepare for production. And going out to find it yourself? Do you think the thread spiders are just sitting there waiting for you?"
"Thread spiders are rare creatures. The one nearby is only staying here temporarily because it's pregnant. Once its breeding period is over, it'll leave quickly. Where are you planning to find it then?"
ProGamer_Daddy was speechless.
I knew I was right—it was troublesome. Just assembling the manpower needed for the entire silk fabric production chain was already challenging enough.
Other games could pull off things like this because they didn't have the level of freedom found in Chronicles of Aeltia.
Running a processing and trading operation here was no different from starting a real-world company.
Hedgehog wasn't convinced. "But after the thread spider lays eggs, won't the baby spiders produce silk?"
"By the time they mature enough to produce silk as good as their mother's, the whole area will practically become their nest."
"When the thread spider that laid the eggs leaves, I will personally destroy the entire spider nest."
"…"
NeverShowOff looked at me thoughtfully. "So, you can solve this problem for us?"
"I can provide you with a steady supply of spider silk—but only if I acquire your silk industry," I said directly.
To be honest, I had been eyeing the weaving business of this Lucky Stars Team for quite some time.
Although their products were currently subpar, they had great potential.
If I could capture that bold female thread spider, I could develop it into one of Honeyvale Town's specialty industries.
Even without today's events, I had planned to approach them once my current tasks were done.
NeverShowOff was silent for a moment before responding calmly, "You want us to work for you?"
"No, not working for me. It's a technology partnership," I corrected.
"I'll provide the facilities, spider silk, and sales channels for finished fabrics and clothing, as well as handle any other issues that arise."
"I'll only step in for major decisions affecting the silk factory. The rest is up to you."
The three players exchanged glances.
I could almost read their thoughts.
After all, silk-based clothing couldn't be listed on the in-game market. Dealing with other players over pricing disputes was too much trouble.
Sure, they could make more money doing it themselves, but it was time-consuming and exhausting—completely not worth it.
The reason they bought spider silk from me in the first place was because other players were ridiculously overpricing it, often quoting prices as high as finished silk garments.
Those other players completely ignored the labor costs and material wastage involved, nearly driving these three insane.
With me providing the silk, they could avoid the whole issue of player price gouging.
I could see NeverShowOff was tempted. "And what about profit sharing…"
"Eighty-twenty split."
"We get eighty?"
"What are you dreaming about?" I looked at the three daydreaming faces with exasperation.
"I'm providing the materials, facilities, and sales channels. Of course, I get eighty."
The most valuable part of silk production was the raw material, not the craftsmanship.
The profit I referred to was sales profit; they could waste as much silk as they wanted in production—I would absorb the loss.
This was already extremely generous.
The three faces immediately fell, their voices dragging.
"Ohhh—"
"Don't rush. I haven't finished yet."
I knocked on the armrest of my lounge chair, the sound of wood and bone meeting slightly muffled.
"I can also provide manpower. I know you're planning to attack the goblin nest."
"To satisfy the monster they worship, goblin nests usually hold many intelligent captives."
"Once you rescue them, they'll need to rest temporarily in Honeyvale Town. They can work in your weaving factory, which will ease your labor shortage."
Although this was just a pipe dream, it successfully brightened NeverShowOff's eyes. "You can assign us NPCs... eh, workers?"
I could see why he hadn't thought of this.
Players worked inconsistently and complained a lot; finding reliable help among them was almost impossible.
Most would play for a couple of days, lose interest, and leave.
Only the four members of the Lucky Stars Team had stuck with it consistently.
Even so, productivity had always been low. If they handed all the work to NPCs, they could just sit back and collect money.
I nodded firmly, painting an enticing vision. "That opportunity will come in the future."
As soon as I finished speaking, three pairs of hands shot out, grabbing my hands and shaking them vigorously.
"Deal!"
"It's settled!"
"You better keep your word!"
A vein pulsed on my forehead. Still, I insisted on laying out the final condition. "But you must also ensure regular technological innovation. After all, you're entering this as a tech partner."
The three players agreed wholeheartedly.
"No problem at all!"
"Easy! We'll just find some design blueprints and copy them!"
I felt my eye twitch but said nothing.
Pretending not to hear that last part, I continued, "In that case, let's sign a contract."
From my inventory, I pulled out a blank parchment.
I scribbled a few words on it and handed it to the players for their signatures.
The parchment wasn't even a special contract paper, just an ordinary sheet.
Since players were mere consciousness projections, signing an actual contract wouldn't have any binding consequences for them.
This was just for show, to go through the motions.
Enforcing the agreement was my job, thanks to my access to all player accounts.
The players didn't know how to use a quill, so they simply pressed handprints onto the parchment.
At the same time, their in-game interfaces displayed a cooperation announcement.
After reading the detailed contract terms, NeverShowOff marveled at how quickly the game processed things.
It was as if the system had anticipated this moment.
Hedgehog eagerly closed his game panel and looked at me.
"Lord Viktor, can we get the spider silk now?"
"No rush. I'll handle your factory space first."
I stood, folded my lounge chair, and slowly left the spider silk array.
The entire silk drying area was protected by an isolation barrier the Lucky Stars Team had purchased from me to keep other players away.
But the barrier didn't last long because the players couldn't afford more magicoins.
Now that this was my industry, I naturally had to take it more seriously.
I drew a formation on the ground as the three players followed closely behind me.
When a blue pillar of light shot into the sky, the players had to crane their necks to look up.
"This is what it feels like to have a big boss backing you, huh?" Hedgehog's mouth formed an "O."
I clapped my hands together.
"This barrier not only keeps out outsiders but also shields against wind and rain, preventing the spider silk from being blown away. It should suffice for your current needs."
"Later, I'll arrange for a warehouse to be built specifically for storing strands of spider silk."
"Hand over any finished clothing you've made. I'll sell them at the mission hub on my way out..."
"..."
The more ProGamer_Daddy listened, the more drool ran down the corner of his mouth.
Gross.
He nodded vigorously. "Great! That's great!"
He suddenly paused, and asked, "But don't you think our organization is missing... a weapons factory?"
"Weapons factory?" I repeated.
They were still using Thornleaf Blade, and he dared to dream of a weapons factory?
The idea was so far-fetched that I dismissed it without a second thought.
"This isn't a wishing well."
"No, no, no! I have a fully fleshed-out proposal for the factory!"
ProGamer_Daddy pulled out a plan from his game inventory.
Although it was just a collection of crude doodles, it was enough for him to explain his vision to me with enthusiasm.
"One part saltpeter, one part sulfur, and one part charcoal. With these materials, we can create something that could change the course of warfare—gunpowder!"
"Gunpowder can have small-scale uses, like fireworks, or large-scale ones, like deciding the outcome of battles regardless of numbers!"
"In a jungle setting, gunpowder's natural burning effect would cause even greater devastation than in open plains!"
"In short, its potential..."
He rambled on about the power of gunpowder, describing it as a miracle tool capable of holding a line against a thousand foes.
Finally, he paused to sip water and moisten his throat before continuing to make grand promises.
"Didn't you want to rescue a dwarf craftsman? With gunpowder, nothing is impossible!"
"Let's hear it for the idea!"
"Clap, clap, clap!" Two players clapped like seals.
Hedgehog quietly gave him a thumbs-up.
NeverShowOff listened in amazement and muttered, "Wow!"
Just as the players were getting more and more fired up, I abruptly stopped them.
"Wait, stop talking about the power of gunpowder or any explosives."
This kind of 'dream-selling' was something I usually did for others, not the other way around!
"So, to summarize: You have no materials, no results, but you want me to invest?"
"Uh... The materials will come, and the samples will, too. I just need a little time." ProGamer_Daddy's voice wavered, betraying his lack of confidence.
I didn't respond.
The once-confident ProGamer_Daddy started to panic.
After observing the players for over half a month, I had a solid understanding of everyone's capabilities.
I knew he genuinely had a knack for invention.
Not just gunpowder and bombs—he could create a wide variety of items.
The Thornleaf Blade now used by all players for logging were his creation.
He had also made three-wheeled wood carts, retractable ladders...
If given the shell of a weapons factory, he might really come up with modern weaponry.
But ProGamer_Daddy's bargaining chips were too limited.
If I agreed too easily, word would spread on the forums, and soon, every player would come to me with grandiose ideas.
The bar for collaboration had to be set high.
After pondering for a moment, I finally spoke.
"The spider silk factory worked because you'd already demonstrated some success, and I know where to find the raw materials."
"Your situation is different."
Before ProGamer_Daddy could lose heart, I changed my tone.
"However, I've seen your contributions to the organization, and your contribution points speak for themselves."
"So I've decided to give you a chance."
"I'll grant you a loan of 3,000 magicoins. If you can produce gunpowder within five days, I'll invest in your weapons factory."
"Huh? A loan?"
Hedgehog reacted faster than ProGamer_Daddy, pulling him back a step. "No way, Daddy! Let's think about this!"
I smiled calmly.
"Consider it startup capital for the factory. If you produce gunpowder, the magicoins won't need to be repaid."
"The choice is yours."
From my tone, I didn't seem to care much about his decision.
ProGamer_Daddy was torn.
"Lord Viktor, who said I don't have materials for explosives? Didn't we almost demonstrate their power for you today?"
My smile froze.
"You mean... the flame serpent?"
"Exactly!" ProGamer_Daddy nodded eagerly. "The scales of the flame serpents are highly flammable, making them an excellent raw material for gunpowder!"
"As long as we capture enough flame serpents, I can make plenty of weapons—grenades, TNT, you name it!"
"We can follow the same model as the spider silk factory. You provide the materials, I provide the technology!"
My hand trembled slightly.
He really dared to dream!
Did he think Level 2 magical creatures were as abundant and easy to catch as Level 1 ones?
And the flame serpent's blast radius wasn't practical for fighting tough, numerous goblins.
Using them to make bombs instead of crafting player equipment was a complete waste!
"Impossible!" I rejected him firmly. "The flame serpent corpses are already allocated. Come up with another plan."
ProGamer_Daddy was crestfallen. "Can't you spare just one?"
"No." I stared at him with my skull-like face.
Then I turned to leave.
"If you don't accept my terms, I'll be on my way."
"No—" ProGamer_Daddy panicked.
Taking a deep breath, he clenched his teeth and made his decision.
"Fine! I'll take the gamble!"
