Chapter 167

Premium (2)

For merchants selling goods, promotion wasn’t optional—it was essential.

They needed to let the public know what their products were before they could persuade anyone to buy them.

And in this world, there existed the Gallery, a worldwide community rather than one confined to any single nation.

Although not everyone used it, there was no denying that countless people did.

That was why merchants worked hard to promote their products not only in the real world, but also on the Gallery.

Title: That thing the anon just advertised.

I’ve used it before, and it’s fucking trash, lol. Don’t buy it.

└ What do we call a claim with no proof?
　└ I’ve used it too. You’re better off without it, lol.
　└ I seriously can’t tell if these bastards are lying or telling the truth, lol.

But what kind of place was the Gallery?

It was somewhere you could encounter every conceivable type of person—and experience humanity’s pure, unadulterated malice.

A poorly handled promotion could become entangled in fabricated rumors and deal the seller a devastating blow.

There were occasionally products whose performance was genuinely exceptional, but most of those had already been selling well to begin with.

Therefore, anyone who wanted to advertise on the Gallery had to prepare thoroughly.

They might ask a famous adventurer for an endorsement, sponsor a sports team, or employ any number of similar methods.

Title: Didn’t the Head Manager personally post ads back in the day?

I’m pretty sure the Head Manager three generations ago did. You don’t see that much these days.

└ It just depends on personal preference. That Head Manager got assassinated after running a scam.
　└ What kind of scam did he pull?
　└ He said he’d advertise something, but never did. Then he went into hiding and eventually died, lol.
　└ So he just took the money and ran, lmaooo.

As such, even the Gallery had its own established framework for official promotions.

One might ask how effective it was, but... honestly, its upper limit wasn’t especially impressive.

Cases where word of a product gradually spread, its performance was eventually proven, and it suddenly exploded in popularity?

Those were practically nonexistent.

As previously mentioned, the Gallery was something anyone could use.

Whenever a product began attracting some attention, people frequently exploited their anonymity to muddy the waters.

Apparently, this product is bad for your health. It’s deadly to certain races. It’s highly addictive.

All sorts of baseless rumors would spread, often rendering the entire advertising campaign meaningless.

Title: So, do you have proof?

Do you have any proof that we did it? Lmaooo.

Enough with your suspicions. Show us some hard evidence, lololol.

└ What if it really does have side effects?
　└ Not everyone can react the same way to everything~

Therefore, people had to determine whether something was malicious slander disguised as advertising, genuine advertising, a legitimate complaint, or a retaliatory complaint made to counter another one.

That was why Grylls’s product review caused such a massive stir.

I tried it, and it was good.

From Grylls’s perspective, he had merely stated the truth. But it also served as proof that the product worked even in the Forest of Four Seasons.

It was effectively a seal of approval that no one else could possibly match.

└ You really can’t argue against that, lmaooo.
　└ Ah, lololol. If you’re upset about it, go into the Forest of Four Seasons yourself, lol.
└ Has he ever criticized a product before, though?
　└ Nope. He praised the insect repellent this time, but he’s hardly ever criticized anything.
　└ To begin with, there usually aren’t many defective products among the highly rated ones.
　└ Then why don’t they usually sell out?
　　└ Because they’re fuuucking expensive. And unless you’re an adventurer, you generally don’t use repellent.

Title: Forget everything else.

The fact that it works in the Forest of Four Seasons is just ridiculous, lmaooo.

If you want to survive there, you absolutely have to use good equipment. What if he’d used a defective product?

Knowing Grylls, he would’ve cursed the shit out of it, lololol. He would’ve asked what kind of garbage it was.

Title: I’m not an adventurer. I’m a farmer.

I had an idea after watching the video Grylls uploaded.

Wouldn’t pests avoid it if you applied it to stones? The place I live is warm, so there are a lot of insects.

I placed those stones between my crops, and now no bugs come near them, lol.

After seeing this, I’m convinced it’s essential for farmers. Buy it, no matter what. At the very least, you won’t have to suffer because of pests anymore.

└ Was repellent originally meant to be used like that?
　└ As far as I know, it’s mostly used by adventurers.
　└ Farmers use it too. Insecticides exist, after all.
└ Aren’t most of those insecticides bad for crops?
　└ That’s why this repellent is so fucking overpowered.
　└ What the hell did the Icon Merchant Company create...?

For these reasons, the repellent quickly sold out.

The same thing happened in the real world, not merely on the Gallery. The Icon Merchant Company’s warehouses had been completely cleaned out.

In truth, something similar had happened once before—during the saber-toothed tiger attack.

Title: Grylls was wearing a uniform, right?

That uniform survived a tiger’s claws without being damaged. Why wasn’t there any news about it?

└ Because Chae-yu uniforms already sold well to begin with?
└ I think it was because of his level of fame. Back then, people merely thought it was interesting.
　└ His fame really exploded after the Immortal King incident, lololol.
　└ It’ll probably sell well if people rediscover it later.
　└ A uniform capable of withstanding the claws of a tiger from the Forest of Four Seasons!
　　└ But its teeth pierced through it, right?
　　└ Fuck, the fact that he survived at all was a miracle, lmaooo.
└ Besides, uniforms are more about their design than their performance, so it doesn’t really matter.

Since uniforms were primarily valued for their design rather than their performance, the incident hadn’t produced much of an effect.

Still, sales had increased, so it couldn’t be said that there had been no effect whatsoever.

More importantly, Grylls’s fame had risen dramatically after he exposed the Immortal King.

Naturally, the impact he could have now was completely different from before.

The mere fact that a simple user review from him could produce such a terrifying promotional effect was enough to make merchants salivate.

Title: Hey, you bastards!
Wild Grylls

Give me back my fucking repellent.

└ Why is it yours, you bastard? Lmaooo.
└ Ah, lololol. We’ll put it to good use, so you can use something else, lol.
　└ You’ve enjoyed it long enough by yourself, lol.
　└ Buuurp~!
└ Hey, Grylls. Do you need any other products? I can recommend something incredible.
　└ Wild Grylls: What is it?
└ There’s something called XXX Repellent in the Auction House. Try it.
　└ Wild Grylls: K, wait there.
　└ Wild Grylls: (Video of insects swarming all over the repellent) Wanna die? You smeared honey on this thing, didn’t you?
　　└ That reverse effect is insane, lmaooo.
　　└ So it really was honey instead of repellent, lololol.
　　└ Isn’t that basically fraud? Lol.
　　└ Breaking news: The repellent that was just listed in the Auction House has been taken down, lololol.

There were, however, some demanding conditions.

First and foremost was performance. If someone recommended a product and it failed to work, there was a high chance Grylls would curse them out.

└ Do we really have to assume that product is defective? This is the Forest of Four Seasons we’re talking about.
　└ Exactly. Honestly, I think the Icon Merchant Company’s repellent is the abnormal one.
　└ A product that works even in the Forest of Four Seasons is exceptional by definition...
　└ Now that you mention it, you’re right.

But what was the important part?

Even if a product proved completely ineffective, its seller could simply blame it on the Forest of Four Seasons and move on.

Working in the Forest of Four Seasons was extraordinary. Failing to work there wasn’t unusual at all.

From an advertiser’s perspective, it was the very definition of low risk and high reward.

It was an especially valuable opportunity for those who were confident in their products’ performance but had never received the attention they deserved.

Title: Grylls, could you please use this just once?

(A photo of what appears to be an insect screen.)

Our merchant company invented it. I think it could be useful in regions with a lot of insects.

We’ll give it to you for free, so please try it just once. We don’t care if you curse us out—just test it for us.

└ Wild Grylls: K, give me a minute. But are you going to list this in the Auction House?
　└ Yep. We’ll be listing it soon.
　└ Wild Grylls: (Video of an insect screen installed over a container holding fish) This works pretty well. I could use it to make a mosquito net too.
　　└ Thank you ;.; I’m going to start selling it right away.
　　└ I’m jealous.
　　└ Hey, Grylls. Let me ask you for a favor too.

It was mutually beneficial, since Grylls received all sorts of products for free.

Of course, people occasionally sent him strange items, but he simply laughed them off as part of the Gallery’s usual nonsense.

Many people were delighted to send Grylls their sponsored products, but naturally, there were also those who weren’t pleased.

“We cannot simply stand by and watch! At this rate, the sales of our flagship product will take a hit!”

“……”

The merchant companies competing with the Icon Merchant Company were particularly unhappy.

Commerce was, by its very nature, a game of chicken in which victory could only be secured once one’s competitors had been completely eliminated.

Given the era, the concept of a “monopoly” barely existed.

It was a world in which the victor took everything. Therefore, they had no choice but to remain conscious of products sold by highly competitive rival merchant companies.

“Fortunately, the Icon Merchant Company’s repellent isn’t one of its flagship products. Even now, their inventory has been completely depleted, so they can’t maintain proper sales.”

“……”

“Therefore, we must use this opportunity to devise a method—”

“Let me ask you one thing.”

The company master quietly interrupted his secretary’s impassioned proposal.

The secretary closed his mouth and waited for him to continue.

A heavy silence lingered for a moment before the company master finally spoke.

“What can we do?”

“...Pardon?”

“I asked what we can possibly do.”

His words expressed resignation rather than offering a solution.

Who was the company master?

He was the owner of the merchant company and the one responsible for determining its direction.

It was hardly something anyone would expect to hear from a man in his position, so the secretary couldn’t help but feel bewildered.

But the company master hadn’t said it because he was a fool. On the contrary, he had grasped the reality of their situation faster than anyone else.

“Do you intend to forcibly drag that man out of the Forest of Four Seasons? Or will you spread propaganda claiming that the product’s effects are fraudulent?”

“Can you guarantee that he has absolutely no connection to the Icon Merchant Company? No, even if he doesn’t, we could still find some way to—”

“I’m sure that will work wonderfully against a man capable of harvesting fully grown mandrakes as though they were ears of corn.”

“……”

“There’s nothing we can do. Go grab some popcorn and enjoy the show.”

In the end, the secretary couldn’t find anything wrong with his reasoning and had no choice but to withdraw.

That didn’t mean the company master had given up, however. He carefully assessed the current situation.

Would our products work in the Forest of Four Seasons?

That was the crucial point. Did their products possess performance so overwhelmingly superior that they could work even in the Forest of Four Seasons?

He could honestly say with certainty that they did not. If the Icon Merchant Company’s repellent had been that exceptional, they would already have treated it as one of their flagship products.

This entire situation had arisen from one coincidence piling upon another.

Unless the master of the Icon Merchant Company is a complete idiot, he’ll turn the repellent into one of their flagship products. Once that happens, our company’s products will inevitably be regarded as inferior by comparison.

It was already too late to ask Grylls for help.

The perception that the Icon Merchant Company’s repellent was the best had already begun to spread.

This was the moment the Gallery’s maximum potential became unmistakably clear. It wasn’t something a single merchant company could stop.

Ultimately, that meant they had to seek another solution. The company master thought long and hard.

I’ll have to negotiate with the Icon Merchant Company.

The outcome of the battle had effectively already been decided.

The company master sighed. He didn’t like the idea of bowing his head to them, but he still had to make money.

Merchant companies were established to earn profits, not to engage in contests of pride.

While one company master was graciously accepting his defeat...

“M-Master! The volume of orders is still skyrocketing!”

“Damn it! I clearly told them to wait! This product uses crops grown on my father’s land!”

“They’re telling us to procure more somehow! There are even rumors that it’s good for the skin...!”

“Good for the skin, my ass! How does it make any sense for insect repellent to be good for your skin in the first place?!”

The Icon Merchant Company was plunged into chaos by the tidal wave of work pouring in.

They had already anticipated that the repellent would sell better in the future.

But wasn’t this far too extreme?

“Why the hell is it selling this well?!”

It wasn’t as though all their customers were living in the Forest of Four Seasons like Grylls.

***

Grylls had unintentionally stirred up a tremendous storm throughout the commercial world.

Meanwhile, he was still staying inside his cave because of the swarm of insects running rampant outside.

As an added bonus, he was going through the items he had received for sponsorships and promotional purposes.

“Why the hell did someone send me women’s panties?”

Although he occasionally received strange products, plenty of them were useful.

He had decided not to write any more reviews because his praise would cause products to acquire a premium. Still, he couldn’t simply take the goods and run after receiving them for free.

He would test their performance and give his honest opinion. Just as he reached that conclusion...

Bwooooooo.

An unfamiliar sound came from outside the cave.

It easily drowned out the buzzing of the insects, drilling deep into his ears.

Grylls stopped organizing the products and poked his head outside the entrance.

He had already applied insect repellent, so none of the insects approached him.

Bwooooooo.

“...What in tarnation is that?”

Grylls could see it clearly.

A “whale” swimming freely through the sky despite there being no ocean.

It looked exactly like a blue whale, the mammal known to be the largest creature in the world.

The Forest of Four Seasons had always been a place that casually twisted common sense, but this was simply...

This was so absurd that common sense didn’t even enter the equation.

Bwooooooo—

The whale that had been gliding freely through the sky came to a halt directly above Grylls’s head.

Then it turned toward the buzzing swarm of insects and opened its mouth.

A colossal mouth befitting its enormous body.

Whoooooosh!

Before long, its mouth began sucking in the insects like a vacuum cleaner.

The suction itself wasn’t particularly powerful, but the insects were a different matter.

They were numerous, but also exceedingly weak, and they were pulled straight into the whale’s mouth.

In an instant, the sky whale devoured the entire swarm.

Bwooooooo.

As though satisfied with its meal, the whale leisurely swam away through the sky and disappeared.

Title: Do flying whales exist, by any chance?
Wild Grylls

(Video of a whale flying through the sky.)

That whale is flying through the sky. Whales here normally fly around like that, right?

└ Heavenly Demon: That is a creature one would expect to find only in legends.
└ SwordMaster: No, a sky whale is the sort of creature that should only exist in myths... ;;
　└ Heavenly Demon: Myths? Do you mean beings such as the Vermilion Bird or the Azure Dragon?
　└ SwordMaster: I’m saying it belongs in a myth, not merely a legend... ;;
　└ It’s a legendary creature, and we’re actually seeing one in real life... ;;
　　└ This is insane. Absolutely insane... ;;

After briefly being rendered speechless, Grylls thought,

Hmm... This is a fantasy world, so I guess flying whales exist too?

If unicorns existed, then there was nothing particularly strange about sky whales existing as well.

Hmm. Or was there?

Apparently, sky whales were regarded here in much the same way unicorns were regarded on Earth.