Episode 24
#24
When Sin Yua and Gang Inhan went out to scout people, Lee Sina looked at me and asked.
"Mr. Hancheol. Then should I take charge of the restaurant and shower facilities like I did before?"
At those words, I shook my head and said.
"Going forward, I'm planning to leave the restaurant and shower facilities to robots. I'm also planning to install them separately in the training center. Honestly speaking, I have no intention of leaving any facilities other than the training center to people. Rather, wouldn't whoever's in charge actually have a harder time?"
"Pardon? Harder?"
"The guests who'll come from now on aren't those who have contracted with Constellations or are skilled in combat like before. They're literally ordinary people. You remember, don't you, Ms. Sina? The people who vented their frustrations near the end of the rest area. Not everyone, mind you, but some might come to the facilities and act that way. And on a completely different scale than before."
Lee Sina nodded her head, seemingly understanding what I was getting at.
Before, those who came were people who understood the system of the changed world.
Those who had contracted with Constellations early on, hunted demonic beasts, grown their stats, and earned points. But now, we were selling to those who had given up fighting demonic beasts.
It was hard to believe there wouldn't be selfish people resisting fiercely like before.
"The training center is, in a way, me giving them a chance. I'm creating a way for them to earn points and letting them use the convenience facilities I've built. If they want to use the facilities, the choice is theirs."
"Ah…… I see. Then what should I do?"
"I do have something in mind…… I'll tell you later. Please listen to what I have to say then, both you and Hayun, and choose."
"Ah, yes. Understood."
"Um, Boss."
Just then, Gang Inhan and Sin Yua, who had gone to recruit people, returned.
Gang Inhan scratched his head with a slightly troubled expression and opened his mouth.
"I think I failed to ask the most important thing. Which building are you planning to use as the training center……?"
At his words, I grinned and answered.
"I'm also planning to build the building separately myself."
"Huh? You're going to build it?"
* * *
Leaving affairs on the surface to the group, I returned to the Sky Island.
I checked my current status window.
Name: Kim Hancheol
Level: 50
Unique Skill: EX-Rank Sky Island
Strength: 153 (↑25) Agility: 162 (↑23) Stamina: 167 (↑26) Defense: 156 (↑21)
Mana: 155 (↑20) Mental Strength: 155 (↑20) Divine Power: 0
I had reached level 50.
Well, it wasn't that strange.
I too had hunted countless demonic beasts in Ulsan for ten days, so it was natural for my level to rise.
But right now, more than that…….
I asked Noa.
"Noa, there are additional functions, right?"
[There are functions added at Level 50. Workshop item enhancement and fusion func-.]
"I'll listen to the Level 50 functions later. Didn't you say there was a function added at Level 30 that allowed constructing some kind of building?"
When I reached level 30, Noa had mentioned it, but since the demonic beast subjugation was the priority, I had brushed it off.
What was it again?
Didn't they say it was a function to construct some kind of building?
[Yes, indeed. Generating the building construction function list.]
Along with those words, a list appeared before my eyes.
[Please select a production method.]
(Building Purchase / Customizing)
It was a function that felt somewhat similar to the workshop.
For now, I felt like I could roughly understand Customizing without an explanation, so I chose Building Purchase.
{Purchase}
[Fountain 1,000,000 points]
[Public Bath 3,000,000 points]
[Restaurant 5,000,000 points]
[Workshop 10,000,000 points]
[Control Room 30,000,000 points]
[Tower of Enhancement 50,000,000 points]
.
.
.
.
"Huh……."
Well, there was a lot I wanted to ask, but among them, there was one listing that stood out the most.
[Sky Island 100,000,000 points]
Sky Island…….
I asked Noa.
"Noa, don't tell me this Sky Island……?"
[Yes. If you purchase a Sky Island, an additional Sky Island will be created.]
In other words, it meant I could make one more of this massive island.
To think I could make another one of these all-purpose islands…….
But wait? A fountain?
"Did the fountain have some kind of function too?"
That fountain, wasn't it just for decoration?
But since it was on this list as well, I had no choice but to conclude that it had some function.
In response to my question, Noa answered.
[To be precise, it was added upon reaching Level 30. Generating the fountain function list.]
{Purchase}
[Water of Strength Enhancement 50,000 points]
[Water of Agility Enhancement 50,000 points]
[Water of Stamina Enhancement 50,000 points]
[Water of Defense Enhancement 50,000 points]
[Water of Mana Amplification 100,000 points]
[Water of Low-Grade Vitality 100,000 points]
[Water of Mid-Grade Vitality 500,000 points]
[Water of High-Grade Vitality 1,000,000 points]
[Water of Low-Grade Healing 1,000,000 points]
[Water of Mid-Grade Healing 5,000,000 points]
[Water of High-Grade Healing 10,000,000 points]
What should I say?
I was simply amazed.
To think a seemingly ordinary fountain had such hidden functions.
The functions listed were ones I knew well.
I asked Noa.
"These are potions, right?"
[Yes, they are.]
In the Myeolsokhoe, potions were precious.
They couldn't even be purchased at the shop, and only an extremely small number of survivors—specifically, those with alchemy-type skills—could manufacture them.
'This would make good money if sold at the shop too, wouldn't it?'
Naturally, potions with scarcity value would be far more precious than any item sold at the shop. Those with alchemy-type skills were rare, and the materials needed to craft potions were not easy to obtain.
Precisely because they held that much value, I didn't hesitate.
Of course, there was something I needed to check before purchasing.
I asked Noa.
"If I purchase all of these, do the functions all get mixed together when they come out?"
[No. Function selection is possible according to Master's will.]
Then that was a relief.
Honestly, if low-grade and high-grade got mixed together, there would be no reason to purchase the low-grade ones.
Without hesitation, I purchased all the functions.
* * *
The building construction function wasn't simply a function to construct a building and use its facilities.
There were additional functions specialized in earning points—tied to the very existence of this Sky Island.
"So you're saying I can decide what items to sell and set the prices however I want?"
[Yes. Of course, if you lower the item price when selling, Master's points will be consumed, and if you raise the price, Master's income will be generated excluding the points required for production.]
"And I can add and remove building functions too?"
[Yes. Furthermore, functions can be merged into one building.]
"Merged?"
For example, did that mean I could put the fountain's functions into the public bath?
"Can I build these buildings on the surface?"
[It is possible, but there are also buildings that cannot be built there.]
Well, I could roughly guess what was impossible.
"The Control Room?"
[Yes. Including the Control Room, the Tower of Enhancement is also impossible to build on the ground.]
"Is that so? Can you not merge functions either?"
[The training function of the Tower of Enhancement can be merged, but the stat enhancement function is impossible.]
That alone was sufficient.
I hadn't planned to put the stat enhancement function on the surface in the first place.
"Then, could I build a building through Customizing and merge all the building functions there?"
[It is possible.]
At those words, I smiled widely.
I could picture it.
How I would build the building.
"Great, then let's earn some points before we start."
My current points were 34 million, not a small amount, but it could be seen as somewhat insufficient for building construction.
I asked Noa.
"When we traveled around Ulsan, we identified all the Gate locations, right?"
[Yes. There are a total of six Gates, and Meradon is currently waiting in front of the Gates.]
"Which is the biggest?"
[It is the Gate located in Yangjeong-dong, Buk-gu.]
"Then command Meradon, who is guarding the front of the Gate, to enter the Gate and hunt some demonic beasts. Don't kill the boss monster."
Right now, we must not clear the Gate.
As long as the boss monster wasn't killed, the Gate wouldn't close and would continue spawning demonic beasts.
That function of the Gate had been a great calamity for humanity, but now it was nothing more than a source of income for me.
* * *
Meanwhile, in Seoul at that time.
"Yes, so do you happen to know any information?"
[The Wizard of the Stone Mountain makes a dumbfounded expression.]
[The Executor of the Dark Shadow asks if that makes any sense.]
Kim Jinseong was asking the Constellations and gathering information.
Specifically, whether there was anyone among the survivors who had cleared a Gate.
It was the first time a Gate had been cleared.
There was no way the Constellations hadn't seen such a situation.
But the Constellations who heard this also seemed at a loss.
Well, thinking about it himself, it didn't make much sense either.
Who would clear a Gate before the Constellation War began?
Of course, looking at the current situation, there was no choice but to see that it had actually happened.
"Tsk-."
Then, the woman standing beside Jinseong, Gang Yuhyeon, clicked her tongue in displeasure.
She muttered something with a frown, then drew her sword and began pressing it against her own neck.
Startled by that sight, Jinseong snatched her wrist and opened his mouth.
"Hey! You crazy bitch! What are you doing?"
"Let go."
"Like hell I will! You let go of the sword!"
At those words, Yuhyeon sheathed her sword again with a frown and opened her mouth.
"Is there any other way?"
"Ha…… We need to figure it out first. Don't tell me you were trying to regress without even knowing who cleared the Gate?"
"You don't think Gates only opened in Korea, do you?"
"That's why I'm asking the Constellations. Just wait a bit."
At those words, Gang Yuhyeon remained silent, furrowing only her brow.
Jinseong's words certainly weren't wrong.
"Let's wait for now. I'm getting information from the Constellations."
At that, Yuhyeon merely looked at Jinseong with calm eyes.
It was then.
[The Fairy of the Gentle Breeze looks around curiously.]
[The Fairy of the Gentle Breeze asks what is the matter.]
"Ah, Constellation. It's nothing much, but I was wondering if you knew who cleared a Gate first."
With the appearance of a new Constellation, Jinseong opened his mouth with the utmost polite tone.
Fortunately, the one being questioned was also appropriate.
Fairies had a strong tendency to be busybodies, so information traveled fast.
In response to Jinseong's words, the Fairy of the Gentle Breeze answered.
[The Fairy of the Gentle Breeze quietly crosses her arms and falls into thought.]
[The Fairy of the Gentle Breeze says that come to think of it, the Princess mentioned something interesting happened recently.]
"Could you tell me where that Princess is?"
[The Fairy of the Gentle Breeze says that it was definitely in a region called Ulsan where something interesting happened.]
Ulsan…… It was quite a distance to travel on foot.
They could go by car, but since demonic beast attacks would never cease along the way, it was effectively impossible at present.
Of course, that wasn't the only problem.
"Information?"
Then Yuhyeon approached with a calm face and asked.
Jinseong spoke honestly about the information he had just heard.
"It's not exact. I don't have the details, but they said something happened in Ulsan, you know?"
"Ulsan? Where Han Inhan is king."
"Right."
Snake King Han Inhan.
As long as that bastard was ruling Ulsan, heading rashly toward Ulsan was dangerous.
But Yuhyeon's expression was unusual.
Jinseong had no choice but to ask in disbelief.
"Hey, don't tell me you're thinking of going to Ulsan?"
At those words, Yuhyeon instead began glaring at Jinseong.
One look at her expression made it clear.
If he didn't stop her right this instant, she was planning to head to Ulsan alone.
"You'd better quit. You died to that bastard Han Inhan once before too."
"I just have to kill him before he spouts nonsense."
"No. If that bastard is the one who cleared the Gate, we can't handle him. At least prepare before you go. There's a way to block the Subspace Well, the ability he received from a Constellation."
"What is it?"
"The poison of Kaldin. There's probably a boss monster called Kaldin somewhere in a Seoul Gate."
At those words, Yuhyeon, who had been silently thinking for a moment, looked at Jinseong again.
Jinseong let out a sigh and opened his mouth toward Yuhyeon.
"I don't know his exact location either. But we'll find him if we keep clearing Gates in Seoul. Hold out until then."
"Ha…… Fine. But there must be a place you suspect, right?"
At those words, Jinseong smiled widely and looked at Yuhyeon.
"It's not exact, but I have a rough idea. If we focus on clearing Gates around there, it'll come out."