Chapter 14: Rise of a tycoon

The aroma of herbs lingered in the dense air as Lee-Oh's feet touched the fertile earth of the Eastern Jungle once more. It had been a week since he officially took the Alchemist path, and in that time, his routine had changed drastically. Gone were the days when he and Daey-ib merely hunted to survive. Now, every kill had a purpose beyond cultivation points—it was raw material for their growing empire.

Armed with a storage capacity of 300, an upgraded system, and a mind sharper than ever, Lee-Oh had set his sights on more than just strength. He wanted domination—economic, martial, and political. And it would all start with potions.

Lee-Oh's workshop, constructed on the eastern border where trade routes crossed, had become the epicenter for cultivators looking for a power boost. With the help of the system's recipe guidance and countless field-tested experiments, he had crafted over 300 different potions—each tailored for a specific stage of cultivation. Speed-boosters for fast foot soldiers, recovery potions for forest scouts, and even poison antidotes for merchants dealing with jungle beasts.

The market was hooked.

Daey-ib, now at Beginner III, was managing logistics. He used the map feature of the system to optimize resource gathering routes, deploy low-level helpers, and collect carcasses from contracted hunters. Lee-Oh paid well—$20 per low-novice corpse, and bonuses for rare beasts. This system ensured a steady supply of materials, keeping the potion-making cycle thriving.

Meanwhile, the upgraded shop revealed something else.

[SHOP LV.3]Craftable: Basic weapons (bronze-tier), Enhanced Potions, Basic Buffing ScrollsNew: Merchant Contracts, Potion Recipes (Rare), Market Analysis Feature

This "Market Analysis Feature" changed everything.

It allowed Lee-Oh to scan buying trends in different regions, calculate the average selling price of any product, and even predict which resources would spike in demand based on recent cultivation trends. It was like having a business consultant fused into his brain.

**—

A week passed. Word spread fast.

Lee-Oh's store wasn't just another potion stall—it was a fortress of wealth. People started calling it the "Brewed Dominion." Its blackwood shelves were lined with rows of crimson, azure, and emerald flasks, each with a hand-written label and guaranteed effects. He introduced a money-back policy to instill trust. No one had asked for a refund yet.

The merchant guild took notice.

A trio of suited cultivators visited one foggy morning. They introduced themselves as agents from the [Eastern Commerce Pavilion]—a powerful merchant faction that monopolized weapons and potion markets in the northern regions. They claimed to want a partnership, but their eyes glinted with control. They asked for a 60% cut in exchange for large-scale distribution.

Lee-Oh refused, with a smile.

Daey-ib, behind him, had his fingers on the hilt. But Lee-Oh raised a hand to stop him.

"I am not in the business of giving up empires for crumbs," Lee-Oh said.

The merchants left, but not quietly. "You'll regret this. The jungle isn't kind to those who stand alone."

Lee-Oh did not stand alone.

He had the system, Daey-ib, and now an entire network of contracted cultivators relying on his potions. Every dollar he earned was reinvested. His $10,000 had grown to $25,000 in just three weeks. And with it, came the real challenge—production scaling.

**—

Lee-Oh solved this by developing the "Auto-Brew" station, a crafting blueprint revealed in the system at Level 3 Alchemist mastery.

Using monster cores as a power source, the Auto-Brew could process ingredients at triple speed and zero error rate. He built six. The jungle began to glow at night from their faint blue pulse.

Each day, Lee-Oh brewed for an hour. The machines did the rest. That freed him up for something more valuable—knowledge and preparation.

He had not forgotten Kang Joon-Oh.

The prodigy who humiliated him before all eyes. The goal was still vengeance, but it was no longer rage-driven. It was calculated.

Lee-Oh studied techniques from old cultivation scrolls bought from auction houses. He created minor explosive potions that could damage weapons and armor. He tested scentless stamina boosters to endure long fights. And most of all, he brewed defensive potions—his trump card.

Meanwhile, Daey-ib expanded their influence.

He recruited minor clans and offered them tiered contracts. The more they sold Lee-Oh's potions, the more discounts they received. The clans loved it—cultivation became affordable, and Lee-Oh became indispensable.

In two months, Lee-Oh's revenue hit $50,000.

The shop pinged again.

[System Alert: SHOP UPGRADE OPTION AVAILABLE]Requirement: 30,000 PointsConfirm Upgrade? [YES] / [NO]

[System Alert: A New Class is Available – Merchant King]This class allows the user to dominate trade networks, manipulate market demand, and initiate cross-region monopoly strategies.

Lee-Oh stared at the prompt.

He had a choice now: stay as Alchemist and deepen his potion mastery, or split his focus and begin controlling the economic world as a Merchant King.

"Why not both," Lee-Oh whispered.

And the system agreed.

Multi-Classing Unlocked.

Class: Alchemist (Level 3)Class: Merchant King (Level 1)

Daey-ib blinked as he read the screen over Lee-Oh's shoulder.

"Bro… what are you becoming?"

Lee-Oh closed the panel with a faint smirk. "A problem."

**—

Three days later, things began to change.

Merchants who once ignored Lee-Oh were now begging to carry his products. The Commerce Pavilion doubled back, offering a 30% cut instead. Lee-Oh declined again, and this time, added a clause: "You want in? I take 70%. You do logistics. I do creation."

They stormed off.

The same night, a band of masked attackers raided the Brewed Dominion. Explosive tags, poisoned arrows, and even low-level assassins.

They failed.

Lee-Oh had seen the signs—tracked market fluctuations and spy movements via the system. He planted defense potions on the walls, buried volatile herb traps under the entrance path, and armed Daey-ib with his first crafted blade, "Serpent's Fang."

The attackers were captured, interrogated, and let go—with their faces painted in luminescent blue powder. A mark. A warning.

From then on, no one dared touch the Brewed Dominion.

**—

By the end of Chapter 14, Lee-Oh stood taller, stronger, and wealthier.

Cultivation Level: Beginner VFunds: $62,000System Points: 18,000Shop Level: 3 (Upgrade Pending)Classes: Alchemist (Lv. 3), Merchant King (Lv. 1)

He looked to the north, where Kang Joon-Oh was rumored to be training under a Grand Master.

Lee-Oh didn't flinch.

"Keep training," he whispered. "I'll be waiting."

And with that, the gears of a deeper plan began to turn.