Chapter 396: The Theme Park on the First Floor (1)
The event zone within the first-floor event area featured hundreds of different activities. It was like a massive amusement park.
As such, this area was beloved by many, serving as a recreational paradise.
“Hello, everyone! This is BJ ‘Molang!'”
A delicate, petite girl and a muscular man appeared onscreen. They were two popular streamers currently making waves in Korea.
Molang and “Monster Chicken Breast” were prominent BJs (broadcast jockeys), with 1.5 million and 2 million subscribers respectively. For this event, they’d invested weeks of preparation.
*-deux:* *Hell yeah, Molang’s here too!*
*-SeMuru:* *Wow, the two of them streaming together? Legendary.*
*-Juwangyi:* *I heard the rewards for this year’s first-floor theme park event are insane. Guess it’s true.*
*-LesserPanda:* *I heard they’ve got something even bigger planned than just streaming together. What is it?*
The comment section exploded. As expected, the viewers’ response was overwhelming. Within just five minutes of the broadcast starting, over a thousand people had joined.
On event days like this, streaming restrictions were lifted, leading not only famous BJs but also guilds to participate on a large scale.
“Kyaa! Nice to see you all! As we mentioned earlier, we have some surprising news! Isn’t that right, Oppa?” Molang exclaimed excitedly.
“That’s right. We’ve secured a very special guest,” Monster Chicken Breast replied with a confident nod.
Both streamers glanced to the side. Following their gaze, the camera angle shifted.
A man in a sleek suit smiled brightly and waved.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Oh Ji-Won, here as a guest. I look forward to today.”
*-AlmondNextLevel:* *Wow. Holy crap. It’s Oh Ji-Won.*
*-Yeonhee:* *Is that the Oh Ji-Won from Korea Automotive? Didn’t the news this morning say he just created a guild? And now he’s showing up?*
*-Mikael:* *Yeah. Big corporations are finally stepping into the Tower strategy scene for real.*
*-Jieun:* *I’ve only seen him in news articles before. This is surreal.*
Until now, guilds had mostly formed based on past connections—people reuniting based on their shared memories of playing in the Tower of Trials.
There had been instances of guilds receiving massive corporate investments or collaborating for synergy, but this was the first time Korea’s largest corporation had decided to intervene directly.
The fall of the Dangun Guild following the last raid opened the door for a rising star with immense capital backing: *Red Fang*.
As its name implied, “Red Fang” was determined to devour anything in its path.
Leading this guild was none other than Oh Ji-Won, the third son of Oh Kang-Won, the chairman of Korea Automotive.
After building anticipation about Oh Ji-Won and the Red Fang Guild, Molang hinted at wrapping up.
“Ah, sorry everyone! We’ll have to end our first live stream here!”
“Now? Oh… okay, okay. We’ll see you again shortly after a break,” Monster Chicken Breast added, nodding.
This was the perfect moment to pause.
After soothing the protesting viewers, the two ended the broadcast.
“Whew.”
“Good job. Once we restart during the main event, trending number one is in the bag.”
The golden opportunity they had secured with great effort could catapult them into the dream territory of 10 million subscribers.
Not only that, they might even become the public faces of a massive guild.
To achieve all this, however, they had to stay on good terms with the man across from them.
For ordinary people like them, groveling was the only way to survive in such a competitive field.
“Um… Mr. Oh Ji-Won? Did the broadcast go well for you? Was there anything uncomfortable or…?” Molang asked cautiously.
Normally, conglomerates were a distant concept—something one only saw in the news. She had no idea how to approach him.
“Feel free to speak comfortably. We’ll be working together for a while,” Ji-Won replied kindly.
“Oh… sure. Haha.”
“It’s an honor. We never imagined we’d get sponsorship from Korea Automotive.”
“That’s how seriously our company is taking the Tower of Trials,” Ji-Won explained.
The Tower contained boundless resources and treasures.
Though risky, corporations had previously taken a passive, observational approach. Now, they’d decided to create their own guild and actively engage with the Tower.
“As you know, failure isn’t an option here. But don’t worry, we’ve prepared thoroughly to avoid any mishaps,” Ji-Won continued.
With major guilds like Dangun, Silla’s Warriors, and Balhae stepping back from this event, no force dared to interfere with Red Fang’s debut.
However.
“Hm? Who’s that?” Ji-Won’s gaze suddenly fixed on someone.
A familiar face was smiling brightly.
—
*Crunch!*
“Aaagh! Let go! Please… stop biting me… aaargh!” Chun Yoosung screamed as a fluffy creature bit into his hand.
In this event zone, participants faced relentless shrieks and groans as these adorable yet aggressive furballs bit down if they didn’t get what they wanted.
“Kyah!”
“Growl…”
The monsters bared their tiny fangs menacingly. Despite their cuteness, getting bitten by them brought tears to one’s eyes.
Except for one person.
While everyone else struggled, there was one player who effortlessly drew all the furballs’ attention.
“Purr…”
“Grrr…”
With their bellies exposed, the creatures purred happily.
For Kang Jinhyuk, who had mastered [Mantra Taming], understanding and providing the exact treats each monster desired was child’s play.
“Dammit. How the hell do you give them food without getting bitten?” Chun Yoosung asked, his hands covered in bite marks.
“Sigh. This is why you’re always swinging your sword mindlessly. Can’t you tell by just looking? If you approach them with genuine affection and—”
*Swoosh!*
A cold blade pressed against Jinhyuk’s neck.
From the sword imbued with sharp energy, a deadly aura radiated.
“…Actually, you need to touch the slight hollow below their neck while feeding them. It’s an instinct leftover from how their mothers fed them as pups,” Jinhyuk corrected himself calmly.
“Ah, so that’s how it works.”
Chun Yoosung immediately tried to replicate what Jinhyuk had taught him.
However…
“Kyah!”
“Shaaa!”
*Crunch!*
*Bite!*
“Aaaargh!”
Dozens of fluffballs, extremely agitated, lunged at him.
“Oh… I misspoke. I meant the head, not the back of the neck,” Jinhyuk said nonchalantly.
In truth, touching the back of a fluffball’s neck was equivalent to declaring war—a challenge to the death.
“You… bastard!”
“Sorry.”
[Player Chun Yoosung: Contribution Score 0 – Eliminated.]
Just as Jinhyuk thought things would quiet down, Chun Yoosung disappeared, and Alice tugged at Jinhyuk’s sleeve.
“I wish to gain the attention of these little ones. Tell me, what must I do?”
“Hamong rabbits, huh? Hmm, for them, you just need to mix these dried herbs. Here, watch this,” Jinhyuk explained, combining different types of dried grass and handing them to Alice.
“Ooooh!” Alice’s eyes sparkled with fascination.
The Hamong rabbits began munching on the bundle of grass with their tiny mouths.
“Squeee….”
“Sniff sniff.”
The scent of food quickly drew a swarm of baby rabbits to Alice’s side.
A rare moment of peace.
“They’re… cute,” Alice said softly, stroking a Hamong rabbit that had climbed onto her lap, her gaze warm.
‘Well, I guess this isn’t so bad once in a while,’ Jinhyuk thought, finding her rare smile oddly pleasant.
[Top Contributor: Player Kang Jinhyuk]
[Second Contributor: Alice von Ataraxia]
[You have received rewards, including a Free Pass for the Event Area, cooking supplies, and provisions. Detailed information is available in your personal subspace inventory.]
When the time limit expired, only two players were recognized for their contributions.
—
At the *Veteran Corporation’s Second Half Shareholders’ Meeting*, Jinhyuk was busy bossing around the “employees” under a blood-red tent.
The event would last three days. Since comfort matters even in a chaotic situation, Jinhyuk was focused on setting up an ideal base camp.
Fluffy cots, firewood, charcoal, and other necessities were being prepared. The list of things to do was endless.
“Come on, folks, we’re not here to relax! Get moving!” Jinhyuk clapped his hands to urge them on.
“Wait… we’re not here for fun?” Alice asked, her eyes widening in disbelief. Her elegant dress was now covered in dust.
“Oh, how naive. A company workshop and shareholders’ meeting aren’t just for play. Back in my prime, we lived and breathed the company. The company is me, and I am the company. These days, people lack dedication,” Jinhyuk lamented, shaking his head.
Yoo Yeonhwa and Lee Taemin, who had just arrived, exchanged glances and sighed in exasperation.
“Hyung, you never change. Did you really drag us here for this?” Taemin asked.
“Seriously, Oppa. Taemin and I haven’t seen each other in ages, and you pull this?” Yeonhwa complained.
“You’re a trash human being. Or maybe I’m just stupid for coming here,” someone muttered, voices brimming with discontent.
At that moment…
“Master,” a warning came from Jinhyuk’s shadow.
Wolyoung, who had been vigilantly scanning the surroundings, spoke sharply.
“Someone has been observing you for a while. I didn’t act since there’s no killing intent, but… it seems they’re coming this way now.”
Even in a crowded space, Wolyoung could see through the intentions of others with precision. As a member of the Demonic Cult, she had already mapped out everyone within the vicinity.
Just as predicted, a group of people approached Jinhyuk.
*Step.*
Their demeanor immediately set them apart from the usual event participants.
“Haha. I never thought I’d meet such a famous individual here,” the man at the center said with a bright smile, extending his hand for a handshake.
“Who’s that?” Alice tilted her head in confusion.
“Dunno. Some random guild, I guess? Judging by their clothes, maybe gangsters,” Jinhyuk replied with a shrug.
The man’s friendly smile vanished instantly. The atmosphere among his companions grew icy.
“Gangsters? Watch your mouth! This man is none other than Oh Ji-Won, Executive Director of Korea Automotive!” one of the escorts barked.
“‘Oh-jing-eo?’ (squid?)” Jinhyuk said, feigning confusion.
“Executive Director Oh Ji-Won!” the man corrected, his tone harsh.
“Oh, Korea Automotive… Now I remember,” Jinhyuk said with an exaggerated nod.
“Good, at least you—”
“You’re the guy who caused a fuss with the police after getting caught drunk driving, right? The one under investigation but still free thanks to your daddy’s connections? Wow, money and power really are amazing,” Jinhyuk said with a bright smile.
