Chapter 199

〈Chapter 199〉 Part 1, Chapter 10, Section 2

The world’s first EX-ranked Special Ability user, <Beast Tamer> Cheongnyeon, is widely known as nocturnal, not engaging in any activities during the day.

With the exception of his official activities in China, whenever Cheongnyeon was spotted in Seoul, it was almost always from the evening after sunset to sometime past midnight.

On the rare occasions he was seen during the day, he was often sipping on a strawberry drink. People were highly curious about Cheongnyeon’s habits but had no idea what he actually did during the day.

-He must be sleeping since he moves around at night…

People couldn’t have guessed that under the blazing summer sun, he was using Magic Power to conceal himself while traveling all over the Korean Peninsula.

* * *

<5:57 AM, Near the Old Airport Site on Yeongjong Island>

“Who would’ve thought that the lady who threw up on me back then would turn out to be such an incredible person?”

“I never expected Master to be so open-minded either.”

When I got hit by a missile in the Western Sea and swallowed by Western Sea Weapon, this Park Elder wished to return to Yeongjong Island. In repayment for lending me a school uniform, I helped him set up a new place.

“Thanks to you, I’ve become a landlord. Ha ha, they say life works in mysterious ways.”

“Gratitude should be repaid. Thank you for the 20,000 won bus fare.”

“…Ah, so you knew.”

Park Elder scratched his cheek sheepishly. I pointed at the tall hotel building right in front of the old airport site.

“How does it feel? Turning 20,000 won into a 20-story hotel.”

“It’s overwhelming. Is this really paying back a favor? Feels more like burdening an old man and making him work.”

“Eh, just think of yourself as the innkeeper now. You’ll get bored if you only clean the beach anyway. The staff here will handle everything.”

I gestured towards the people wearing Blue Wind Sect uniforms. Dressed as hoteliers, they all had their faces hidden behind helmets.

Correction.

Their faces weren’t hidden—they don’t have faces or heads. Their heads were sent off pickled to former President Sun Icheol, and they’d need to reach a higher level to regrow them.

“Feel free to use them as you wish. Both these Xroids and those guys are under your command.”

“Ho ho.”

Park Elder scratched his head and looked up at the sign.

“Who would’ve thought I’d become the manager of a U-Sung Hotel branch at my age?”

“That’s all because you met good people. Hehe.”

Though the connections afterward turned out to be disastrous, Park Elder was definitely someone who taught me a lot.

“Don’t worry about Monsters. They’re all Special Ability users, and there’s a commander here too.”

I gave a pat on the back of Western Sea Weapon, dressed impeccably in a suit. Unlike other monsters, Western Sea Weapon surprisingly didn’t hide his face despite having a real monster head.

“Young man, you sure have peculiar tastes.”

“It’s a custom-made Y-Sung helmet.”

“Tsk. What a pity that your face got torn up fighting Monsters.”

Maybe because he lived far removed from worldly affairs, leading a detached life, Park Elder accepted my poor excuse without hesitation.

“Poor young man. Too bad.”

“I’m fine.”

Western Sea Weapon smiled calmly. Knowing their relationship made me feel somewhat complicated, but Western Sea Weapon didn’t want to reveal his true identity.

“If my son were still alive… Hmm? He would’ve been about your age…. Hoho! Sorry, young man! You’re much better-looking than my son ever was! Ho ho!”

“…”

Western Sea Weapon remained silent. To change the somber mood, I pointed at the vast old airport terminal to the north of the hotel.

“When I have time, I’ll come back and restore that too. Then the real Incheon Airport will be reborn.”

“These Special Abilities are truly amazing. With Magic Power, you can repair buildings like this in no time.”

“…Just changed the sign though.”

I know the truth. That sign wasn’t originally U-Sung’s. A certain money ghost sacrificed part of its Core to restore several hotels and simply replaced the signs with U-Sung’s name.

“……It’ll take about three months, but the infrastructure of Yeongjong Island will be restored quickly. This hotel will come in handy then.”

“Ho ho, you’re quite something, young lady. If I were ten years younger—no, even one year younger…”

“Why one year?”

“My thing hasn’t been standing properly for a year now! Ho ho! Ah, would I get arrested nowadays for saying things like that?”

“Alright. And what did you plan to do with me, Elder?”

I mimed slicing my neck with my hand.

“The Earth would’ve been destroyed, wouldn’t it? Hehe.”

“……Your jokes are pretty intense. Ho ho.”

Are they really jokes?

Ah.

The Architect rebuilt the hotel in ten minutes.

* * *

<6:36 AM, On the Incheon Bridge>

You can see all of Yeongjong Island from here. Standing atop the main tower, I greeted the rising sun on the horizon. As always, there was only one pose for greeting the sun.

“Can’t you stop doing that weird pose?”

“Join me, Subordinate No. 2.”

“Under orders, ugh!”

Rock Monster Deokbae grumbled with his mouth but followed my command, facing the sun and raising both arms diagonally high. Though Deokbae’s face reddened with embarrassment, the sunlight clearly illuminated his smooth head.

“This morning light feels nice here.”

“Damn…”

Deokbae sat down cross-legged on the top of the tower. Having grown accustomed to heights, he sat comfortably even at over 200 meters high, opening the lid of his canned drink. I also opened the cap of the strawberry milk I bought at a convenience store.

“What do you plan to do after reviving Yeongjong Island?”

Most of the infrastructure on Yeongjong Island was destroyed by Monsters, turning it into ruins. With the bridge blown up, Yeongjong Island had truly become an island. Even though Western Sea Weapon cleaned it up, it wasn’t a place fit for human habitation.

“I’m not reviving Yeongjong Island per se, but rather bringing back the airport infrastructure so we can board private jets here instead of going all the way from Seoul to Gimhae.”

“So you’re trying to eat the airport too? Wait, private jets?”

“Yes. Private jets.”

I rubbed the black band on my wrist with my index finger. A magical reaction occurred on the glass-like surface, projecting a large holographic screen in front of me. I pressed the screen to display a satellite image of Yeongjong Island.

“Oh wow. Is that it?”

“Yes. Magical Gear prototype.”

What would happen if a genius scientist obsessed with research were given unlimited budget, facilities, and materials? Himeji Hikari screamed while pulling all-nighters in her lab and finally succeeded in creating the legendary item she had only dreamed of.

“Wow. This is really…”

Deokbae showed considerable interest in the Magical Gear on my wrist. The design, which completely covered my wrist in black coating, had aesthetic value even as a prototype.

“Make one for me too. Eh?”

“No, it’s not mass-produced. One S-Rank Black Scorpion went entirely into this one.”

“What?! Are you crazy?”

“Yes. Completely insane. The production cost was insane, and the performance is insane.”

Every function you’d expect in the late game of the original story is packed into this wrist accessory that’s only 1cm wide. Unlike smartwatches that project flat smartphone screens into the air, the Magical Gear displays a 3D holographic map of the entire Yeongjong Island, showcasing technology one step ahead.

“One or two months from now, the mass-produced version will be available. It’ll be distributed to the entire Blue Wind Sect then, so please wait.”

“Ugh.”

Deokbae kept alternating his gaze between my wrist and the hologram, looking regretful. Since Hikari left the lab after making this Magical Gear and said she needed a break, there was no way to force her to make another.

“So, I plan to use the vast land of Yeongjong Island as Baegnaroh’s exclusive runway.”

“And you’ll travel abroad on it?”

“Yes. Because every time I go abroad, the plane seems like it’s going to explode.”

Although I’ve never been on a plane when it exploded, every time I travel abroad, planes get hijacked or blow up, and I’d have no face to show Yuhwa. Yuhwa is an investor who tolerates risk but is very sensitive to losses.

“So, I’ll use the safest private jet in the world.”

“That’s why you took it from China. But is it really safe?”

“Yes. It moves by the power of Special Abilities.”

I pulled up a profile from the Magical Gear. It was the dossier of a stern-looking woman with a white beret and short black hair: <Executioner> Baek Hee-a.

“Bai Hee-a is not only a battlefield commander but has a very unique Special Ability. She can synchronize with ‘vehicles.'”

“Like bicycles or cars?”

“Yes. The higher her Special Ability rank goes, the wider the category of vehicles she can control.”

“Wow. So she doesn’t need a license, huh?”

“…”

That’s correct. Though it’s a valid point, I was momentarily speechless at Deokbae’s lack of imagination.

“Subordinate No. 2. Is that all you can think of regarding the infinite possibilities of Executioner’s Special Ability? Your imagination is lacking.”

“Sorry, but what grand ideas are you coming up with with that great imagination of yours?”

I raised my finger high into the sky.

“Do you like space travel?”

“I’ve never tried it before, but…”

Deokbae’s eyes widened. Despite his limited imagination, his comprehension was excellent. From just a small hint, he deduced the right answer.

“So, if we have a spaceship, we can go space traveling?”

“Exactly. Although since Magic Power is the fuel, we might end up lost in space once it runs out.”

“Amazing. So that’s why you took a private jet back to Korea…”

Deokbae lifted only his pinky and grinned slyly.

“Which number is she?”

“The tenth.”

“…What?! Are you serious?!”

Deokbae jumped up, screaming. His voice was so loud that the cables connecting to the bridge shook.

“Do you have 10 ex-girlfriends?!”

“No.”

I corrected Deokbae’s statement.

“Sixteen, actually.”

“Y-Y-Y-Y-YOU SON OF A BITCH!!”

Though Deokbae let out a hearty curse, the filtering system worked perfectly. Evolving to B-Rank allowed him to slightly perceive some swear words.

“Why are you so surprised? It could happen.”

“It’s not just ex-girlfriends! According to what Gaeul told me casually, it’s more like lifelong partners! You even had seven twins with Yuhwa, right?!”

“……Deokbae.”

I cleared my throat and spoke seriously to him.

“That’s just a possibility in the future. Not now, right?”

“You piece of trash.”

“……Where did the filter go?”

Deokbae looked at me like I was garbage, and I cleared my throat again.

“…Don’t misunderstand. Just consider it a fantasy in my mind. Think of it as a delusion. Got it? Phoenix’s tenth wife in my mind is Bai Hee-a. Something like that.”

“Ho ho. Alright. Go ahead and indulge yourself. Whether it’s 16 or 17, do as you please. If you get stabbed in the stomach while spreading your legs, it’s none of my business.”

“I’ll take care of it myself. It’s unrelated to you, so don’t worry. If I wanted to kill you that day, I would’ve done it already.”

“That’s true. Phew, thank goodness.”

Deokbae patted his chest and sighed in relief. Our meeting started with the worst possible connection, but it’s undeniable that Deokbae has been helpful.

“Who would’ve thought you could achieve so much with just a D-Rank Core?”

“Then increase my operational funds a bit. What? I’m a senior member of the Blue Wind Sect. How long do I have to rely on Ji Hwa’s approval to spend money?”

“Even though you barely spend anything. Fine.”

I held up three fingers toward Deokbae.

“I’ll calculate your worth as an annual salary. Thirty million won per year. Sounds good?”

“Wha… While others play around with hundreds of millions, even billions… Are you kidding me?!”

“What’s the problem? Complain to the dead lawyer lady if you have issues.”

“AHHHHH!!!”

Deokbae stomped his feet on the ground in frustration. The tall tower shook violently, and I grabbed the back of his hoodie and flew into the sky.

“Don’t destroy the newly rebuilt bridge. Let’s go to work. Right? That’s still 2.5 million won monthly.”

“Hey! The average annual salary for a B-Rank Special Ability user is 2 billion won!”

“That’s general talk. This is my privately-owned villain organization, so toughen up if you’re unhappy. Do you understand?”

I flapped my wings toward New Seoul across the sea.

“There aren’t any B-Rank members among the executives except you. They’re all A-Rank.”

“AAARGH! It’s unfair! Give me the Water Monkey Core! That was the one I caught as a Flame Giant!!”

“What nonsense.”

I barely resisted the urge to throw Deokbae into the mudflats and headed toward New Seoul. Deokbae continued loudly claiming ownership of the Core.

“Phew.”

Deokbae became Deokbae (Tr).

Ah.

Architect restored the Incheon Bridge in three hours.