Chapter 88: How To Conquer A Villain (1)
After chatting with Yumir.
I immediately left Sejong Island on my motorcycle.
I thought about stopping by Brewer’s for a while, but I didn’t really need to.
Vroooom.
I drove for a while across the sea, and when I arrived in the west, it was a somewhat familiar yet unfamiliar beach.
[…Huh?]
I thought I was heading in the right direction, but it seems like I may have gotten slightly off course, perhaps because I was deep in thought during the journey.
There were many people on the beach.
Even late into the night, people were out enjoying the water, wearing swimsuits, and having fun despite the chilly March weather.
Damn it.
I took my bike as far from the people as possible and looked for a sign.
The sign had both Korean and English on it, and at the bottom, ‘Gangwon-do Samcheok Market’ was engraved in gold leaf.
‘Did I come straight to Samcheok?’
Gangwon-do Samcheok.
This place, where many people used to gather to enjoy the East Coast beaches or for a vacation, had a completely different appearance in this world.
[Dissolve.]
I dispelled my transformation.
I only dispelled my Goblin transformation and immediately changed into Do Ji-hwan in a suit.
‘Keep the magic power at maximum power-saving mode.’
I also released my ethereal form, and I was only using my magic power to maintain my clothes.
I was naked for a moment, but it was just for a brief period in a place with no CCTV.
‘It’s ridiculously bright, though.’
This was my third time visiting, but it was my first time seeing Samcheok from the coast at this late hour.
And the Samcheok in front of me now was not the Samcheok I knew.
‘This is not Las Vegas.’
Neon signs were sparkling brightly on numerous high-rise buildings, and despite being late at night, lights were flickering everywhere.
Have you ever heard of a place called Samcheok?
I was sorry to those who lived in Samcheok. Still, excluding instances where one heard about it while serving in the military in Gangwon-do, it was a neighborhood you wouldn’t often encounter in life.
But here it was different.
The Samcheok of this world was different.
Just like how Ulleungdo wasn’t producing pumpkin taffy but rather ‘Pumpkin Babies’, Samcheok has transformed into something completely different from before.
It was the Las Vegas of Korea.
The streets were filled with Westerners rather than Koreans, and people adorned with luxury wristwatches and all sorts of flashy clothes, as if showing off their immense wealth, were filling the streets.
It was as dazzling as Haeundae in Busan.
A coastline of an extravagant neighborhood, which you would want to call ‘Chuck Srittle’ rather than Samcheok, was spread out.
‘Because it’s a city where foreigners are concentrated.’
Only millionaires lived there.
No, that was not it.
Even millionaires would have a hard time finding a single-room apartment in Samcheok.
You’d probably have to be at least a billionaire to be able to buy a 32-pyeong apartment in Samcheok.
The reason for this?
Of course, it was because of the ability users.
As soon as it became known that Sejong Island was beneficial to the power of the ability users, people gathered in places close to Sejong Island, and the government prioritized protecting Gyeongsang-do, which was close to Sejong Island, in order to take care of its citizens.
-Ah, I’m paying money!
-You can’t do it here! My country is keeping a close eye on this place, and if I sell it here, I’ll get arrested!
-Darn, even if you have money, you can’t buy it!
-Hey, Chris! Look at this! You can buy land if you go north from here!
-Isn’t this North Korea?
-It’s just barely South Korea!
So, foreigners began to settle in places the government couldn’t manage intensively.
-Darn, it’s already confusing. Why try to take someone else’s land…!
-Sir! The Vice President of Microsport’s family has applied for entry with a private jet! They are likely coming to buy land!
-What? Why are those guys…?
-Sir! President Muhammad Saladin Marsour, who is currently in Japan…!
-Ugh, I miss Heungseon Daewongun…!! Damn it, why do they keep trying to gobble up this small piece of land! Hey! Convene the National Assembly right now! We must immediately stop real estate transactions with foreigners!
-But we are the executive branch…
-Whether you’re the executive branch or whatever, if you don’t gather right now, I’ll consider you traitors or refugees!!
The government had no way to stop the big wave of foreigners continually pouring in.
-Whoo! Korea, lift the blockade!!
-Follow the logic of the capitalist market! We’re offering to buy with our money, why won’t you sell!
-I won’t sell even for a hundred billion!
-What if we bring 10 trillion?
-……Time out. Damn it! What’s with you wanting to blow 10 trillion on such a tiny piece of land! Are you thinking of throwing your money into a cesspit!!
-We’re investing it in the Korean Peninsula.
-Hey, shut up! Whose side are you on!
With the world’s major companies offering to pour in as much money as the country’s annual budget, and it wasn’t just one place; countries rich with money like the United States and Arab countries all flew in demanding that we sell our land. Could we stand up to this?
-Sir! Big trouble! Foreign companies are buying up our land in large quantities!!
-What? We legally blocked foreigners from buying land!
-They are exploiting loopholes! They are bringing people with Korean nationality into Korea, and they are buying land with them as the frontmen!
-Damn it! Relay to the on-site public servants! If they smell fishy, postpone all transactions!
-It’s too late…! Even relatives of the governor of Gangwon Province have been bought out! In fact…!
-Alright. Given the situation, we will abandon Gangwon Province.
-Excuse me?
-If we can’t stop it anyway, we can’t sell Gangwon Province land cheap. Tell the governor of Gangwon Province to come to Busan right away. From now on, we will enter the auction process for land in Gangwon Province.
So, the government of this world sold Gangwon Province.
-Show them the power of the Korean dump truck. Gather all the rotten eggs from all over the country. Show them exactly what it means to dump on them.
-Isn’t that a bit narrow-minded, sir?
-What did you say?
Although the tone was a bit off, they planned to create neighborhoods where foreigners gathered and lived in various parts of Gangwon Province, like Incheon’s Chinatown.
-Respected leaders from overseas. And the global leaders of companies that lead the world. We do not wish for any conflict. Therefore, we will create a large number of concentrated immigrant areas on our land. And the rights to that land…we will now put up for auction.
And they put up for auction the ‘companies’ or ‘nations’ that would use these neighborhoods.
-Ah. We will begin the Yanggu General Jang Yeong-sil Town auction, the furthest from Sejong Island and closest to the 38th parallel.
-What is the relationship between Yanggu and Jang Yeong-sil?
-The auction begins.
-10 billion!
-20 billion!!
-……I will raise the bid by 500 billion increments.
Some expressed their discontent, arguing that this act was selling off the land of the country or creating a base for their own religion.
Locals living there also raised their voices in protest.
-Maple Company has bid a quadrillion. Do you have any more bidders?
-No, those crazy people! Your market cap is only 2 quadrillion. What the heck are you doing!
-My youngest son is becoming an ability user. From now on, Maple is a Korean company. We look forward…uhem. We look forward to the smooth cooperation of Gangneung City.
-Ah, damn it! Hey! We can’t lose! We have to take Yangyang!!
Wasn’t there such a saying that was said in jest?
It was simply too much money to refuse.
-From now on, this place is Gangneung Maple Town. Mr. Mayor of Gangneung, do you like apples?
-I’m allergic to apples…I love them! I just can’t afford them!! Ha ha, welcome to Korea, Steven!
-Thank you. Do you have a place in Gangneung where I can build a factory?
-Even if we don’t, we have to make it! We will create land, even if we have to carve out the mountains! How much land do you need?
That was exactly what happened.
The global companies that anyone who had ever invested in foreign stocks would have bought into at least once all had branches in Korea.
All those branches were concentrated in Gangwon Province, and over the past 25 years, millionaires among the foreigners who have entered the country from overseas have essentially all started coming to Gangwon Province.
-Sir, we have good news.
-What now?
-The millionaires who have come to Gangwon Province are trying to settle down through marriage with Koreans.
-… Doesn’t that make it seem like we’re just marrying for money?
-But if they give birth to ability users?
-Ugh, I don’t know. Ahh, sir, you were right!!
So, from Goseong in Gangwon Province to Samcheok, various cities along the East Sea were inhabited by many foreigners.
Not people from Southeast Asia or Central Asia, but blonde European people.
‘This is problematic.’
When I started off for Sejong Island, I started from a quiet beach, but without any electronic devices, it was very inconvenient.
It seemed that the path had veered a bit in the middle even though I was running in a straight line, and I ended up arriving in a place with many people, especially ‘foreign ability users’.
‘This is a big deal.’
I guess I got sidetracked while thinking about Yumir.
It could also be because I was in a hurry and thought I had to get back to Seoul quickly.
-Hehe, I should call Master Sa. Oh, he’s not answering? I wonder why he’s not answering? I just talked to him, and he must be on his way home…
“Is she busy?”
While saying that, I was laughing, thinking about pulling one over on Yumir, who was busy. I tried to return quickly, but in my hurry, it seemed like I had taken a slightly wrong path.
“It’s alright.”
There wasn’t a real problem. I could just rush towards Seoul, whether it was through the highway or national road.
“The problem is my spirit form.”
I was fine right now, but running to Seoul in my spirit form would deplete my mana.
I thought I would be fine since I consumed the essence of the Chairwoman before setting off, but after riding my bike nearly 400 km in spirit form, I had consumed a considerable amount of mana.
“…….”
What to do. If I wanted to quickly recover my mana here…
“?”
“Hey.”
A woman approached me in the alley where I was hiding.
“Are you the prince on the white horse?”
“…….”
The woman with waist-length red wavy hair was wearing a black suit even late into the night.
The peculiar thing about her was the sunglasses she was wearing even late into the night.
And her burning, flame-like red eyes.
“I’m not the prince on a white horse…”
I reached out to the woman.
“But I have ridden a white horse before.”
“……Probably more than one. Well, anyway.”
The woman grabbed my hand.
“Welcome to Gangwonland, the Samcheoktopia. I welcome you to my jurisdiction.”
“…What nonsense are you saying?”
“Hehe.”
The woman shrugged her shoulders.
“Well, welcome anyway. Do you need anything?”
“If I need anything…”
I pointed a finger toward the woman.
“I need mana. Miss.”
“…….”
The woman blushed.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel