Terry Owen gave a speech at the opening of the event. The stage lights shone on him, drawing the audience's attention in the auditorium. They were glued to the host. Some were quiet, some were very enthusiastic.
"I see some of you can't wait. Let's call the first order. A technology company that has been in the field of dungeons and awakeners for 5 years. BattleTech!"
The applause echoed through the auditorium as a blonde woman in a turtleneck took the stage. The giant screen panel on the stage lit up and displayed a red background and the "BT" logo in a minimalist style.
The woman took out a pair of black gloves, and one of them contained a round screen. The audience squinted when she put them on and showed them off.
"This is the Smart Glove. Although it looks simple, the awakeners will need it the most in the dungeon."
Then, the woman began to present the functions and features of the glove. It was a device capable of measuring the body condition of its user, such as checking heart rate, temperature, breath, and muscles. But what caught the audience's attention the most was that it could measure the user's remaining mana.
Klaus nodded his head as he listened to her explanation.
"Not bad. But isn't that a bit markety, like a Smartband but in glove form," he said.
"Yeah. It's exactly the same as the Smart Band made by Open Hardware. It's just an upgraded version." Jonathan opined.
"Maybe they'll compete on price," Sheila chimed in.
Notably, 13 companies and 55 guilds participated in this year's Golden Hammer Expo. Of the 68 vendors, only 50 participated in the product launch presentation. They were divided into three clusters and distributed in different auditorium rooms. Each representative would get 8 minutes to present their products and 2 minutes for a question and answer session.
This event was the highlight of the expo. Various major media and bloggers would review their products honestly and publish them in the public. The results of the presentation would determine how the audience responds.
Assuming that the presentation was perfect and their product had potential in the market, the company would likely attract new business partners. This was one of the reasons why the Golden Hammer Expo was a highly anticipated event every year.
After the lady representatives from BattleTech finished presenting their products, Terry Owen called the representatives from other vendors to come on stage. In turn, they took the step, introducing and explaining their products.
Time passed quickly. Fifteen representatives had took to the stage, but none of the products stood out to Klaus.
"I wonder how they sell the same shit every year and call it new." Klaus yawned as he said it.
"We're the same as before. A new smartphone comes out every year, but they keep giving us the same features." Jonathan replied.
When Klaus started to get sleepy, the host mentioned the guild name that would refresh his eyes.
"This time, we're welcoming a representative of a renowned guild from Queens. They protected New York for the past 17 years and contributed to providing gear for the awakeners—Morning Star."
The audience clapped, and Klaus woke up to the echo of his voice. A handsome man with neatly combed brown hair took the stage. He carried a large box about one and a half meters long.
Everyone in the audience seating area began to look serious as the Morning Star representative stood on the stage. Aside from the Five Pillars title that made people reluctant, Morning Star was famous as a manufacturer that produced high-quality weapons.
In New York, they were second only to the House of Blacksmith. At least, that was how people saw it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Shane Ladd. Before introducing our products, I want you to put 100% of your attention to me."
The audience began to give the man some attention, some sleepy-eyed reporters rubbing their eyes.
The brown-haired man continued. "So far, we know that weapons sold on the market always have the same criteria. Lightweight, high durability, and sharp. But have you ever seen a non-arcana weapon that can increase the power of its user?"
An echoing sound of interest escaped the audience.
Shane put the large suitcase on the floor, opened it, and took out a greatsword. The audience was amazed as he raised it into the air.
The sword was shiny under the lamp's light hanging from the ceiling. It was large and had two edges. At the joint of the hilt and the sword body, there were two pairs of holes on both sides.
"Look carefully," Shane said.
Swinging the sword, the wind whistled as the blade's edge cut through the air. Shane showed off his sword skills and demonstrated several techniques in front of the audience. After Shane was satisfied with his demonstration, he stuck it to the floor.
"It's not what it looks like. This Greatsword is big, but it's very light. Made from a mixture of [Wind Stone], [Dark Iron], and osmium, this sword was forged with the highest techniques from our forge. You can barely feel the weight when you swing it."
Journalists took a picture, and some bloggers wrote the presentation on their laptops.
"However, this is not the only advantage of our sword," the brown-haired man continued.
Shane intended to demonstrate more sword moves by raising his sword. The audience was getting more and more curious.
The holes in the sword emitted flames like the nozzle on a rocket. When Shane swung it, the impact of the wind hit the audience, causing their hair to fly up.
They were instantly excited, and Shane smiled with satisfaction.
"This sword is Caliburn X21. Besides being made of quality materials from the dungeon and earth, this weapon is equipped with a booster. You simply flow mana on the sword, and the engine inside will provide a power boost equivalent to 10 S-Class fighters."
The audience was dumbfounded as the brown-haired man explained the advantages and features of the weapon in detail. This product was a significant breakthrough.
So far, no weapon manufacturer had combined melee weapons with technology.
"And you can get one of these for 60,000 dollars. It's much cheaper and more powerful than buying a common-grade arcana."
Naturally, the audience responded positively to Morning Star's weapon products. While journalists and bloggers were enthusiastic, other competing companies and guilds were the opposite. They were biting their fingers, not ready to compete with this product in the market.
The representative from Morning Star opened the question and answer session.
"Sir, can you tell us the price of weapons from the market?"
"Is there a minimum class for crew members to use the weapon?"
"Since this sword incorporates machinery, what if there is a malfunction?"
Dozens of journalists and bloggers raised their hands before they asked their questions. Patiently, Shane pointed and answered their questions one by one.
Thinking that he had given plenty of turns to the journalists sitting in the front row, Shane looked at the audience members raising their hands in the middle row.
"You!"
A man with black hair and brown eyes stood up as Shane pointed at him.
"Please ask the question," Shane said.
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity. I'm Klaus Lee. I'd like to ask you a few questions about your products."
