And Two Months Have Passed (1)
By the time I was finally able to shake off the dung beetle that had been clinging to Hye Ji, a palace-like grand mansion was already rising in my training ground in Sinchon-dong.
I told the construction company to spare no expense and build it as solidly as possible, even if a magnitude-9 earthquake hit. I picked the cleanest, most corruption-free firm among domestic builders and handed them the job.
Then Hwa Joong-kang’s sister-in-law tracked down the team leader of the architecture design firm that was supposedly the best in the world. He showed up with dozens of architectural models and blueprints, and laid them out in front of us.
“Oh, this one has a Versailles Palace vibe.”
“This one feels more like Windsor Castle.”
“It reminds me of Neuschwanstein, the German castle they call the Swan’s Song.”
I had asked for a palace-like house, but I never actually wanted a real palace or castle.
The three of us—Franc, Hwa Yeon, and Yeong Eun—pored over the blueprints and models, evaluating them with serious faces. None of the existing structures seemed to quite hit the mark.
“Since the Grand Blue Master requested a palace or castle, we created these ten pieces as modern reinterpretations of famous world landmarks. And these ten models and blueprints are our masterpiece—our team’s fusion of a palace and castle reimagined in a contemporary style!”
The three of us set aside the models based on real buildings and began examining the new ones the team leader had just pulled out. One of the blueprints caught my eye, and I let out a soft gasp.
“Whoa~.”
“Hmm.”
“This one’s good?”
It looked like a grand mansion wrapped in an old-world palace atmosphere, and even I could tell it had artistic value. The A2-sized blueprint below showed a D-shaped building rendered in realistic 3D graphics against a blue sky.
Seven stories tall at its peak, the structure blended palace and castle elements into something modern and striking. The central section and the left and right wings were divided into white, sky-blue, and deep blue roofs, while the mansion’s roofline rose in sharp, irregular peaks that gave it an almost wild, jagged silhouette.
“You like this one?”
“Yeah. Just looking at the model, it feels like the best option.”
At Franc’s words, Hwa Yeon and Yeong Eun nodded in agreement. The design team leader broke into a wide smile and kept thanking us.
Probably because he was the one who drew the blueprints. If his design was chosen, he’d get all kinds of incentives. Of course it would be good.
I estimated the actual size of the D-shaped mansion by looking at the scale. The longest side would exceed 250 meters, and the shortest would still top 130 meters. If it was completed as planned, it would become the largest single private residence in the history of our nation.
A few days later, the construction company president, the site supervisor, and the design team leader showed up with tense faces and handed over a cautious estimate. The projected construction cost was around 2 trillion won.
That was enough to make anyone tense. The cost of building Lotte Tower—the tallest building in Korea—was estimated at 2 trillion won. The Ability Users Association’s Korean branch headquarters, with its 140 floors combining underground and above-ground levels and all the latest technology, was preliminarily budgeted at 7 trillion won.
Anyway, even though it was a mansion, the reason the price was so high was because I told them to ignore cost and build it as strongly, safely, and quickly as possible. They would receive additional incentives every time the construction period was reduced by a month.
When I first heard the proposal, the two men grinned widely, their eyebrows shooting up as they calculated the cost. The estimate was even higher than expected, so they looked nervous.
“It’s fine. Just know that even with all this support and profit guarantees, if we have to cut corners in the name of industry custom…”
“Yes, sir!”
“Understood!”
The very next day after the approval, dozens of heavy machinery rolled into the training ground to clear the land. At the same time, all kinds of construction materials began piling up on the empty lot, and hundreds of CCTV cameras were installed to monitor every corner of the site.
The company said they would cover the CCTV monitoring costs. It was an effective way for them to keep the workers in line and assert, “We’re watching you closely!” (The company president seemed to think so.)
Once the 2-trillion-won construction cost became public, it turned into a massive overseas topic thanks to the name “Castle of the Destroyer God.” It sparked countless issues.
Photos of the building rising at breakneck speed circulated daily, and construction insiders muttered that it was “a crazy endeavor that ignores efficiency and focuses solely on speed.”
One media critic harshly criticized the 3 billion won it would cost to buy a grand mansion in the quiet French countryside, saying the 1,000-fold more money was being spent on just one house.
I don’t understand why I can’t just spend my own money the way I want to. I’m not even getting tax exemptions, and I’m still paying taxes in full.
Not all the issues were bad. Some people praised the construction industry for activating because of the trickle-down effect from my spending.
That made sense. Think of it this way: hundreds of pieces of heavy machinery moving at once, dozens of massive dump trucks and trailers hauling materials, and over 700 workers. It was like building a sports stadium.
One third-rate tabloid internet news site, which lived off people’s attention, ran an article claiming that spending 2 trillion won on a single house was likely a scheme to create hidden funds and commit corruption, and that the prosecution should be mobilized for investigation. The article was greeted with fervent support from people who felt their shoulders were empty.
They claimed it was impossible for Grand Blue to have no corruption, and that without it, how could someone build a trillion-won foundation and a 2-trillion-won palace in less than a month? Many of them tried to shift the blame toward me as if I were committing crimes.
Since it was amusing, I ordered the Grand Blue information team to investigate the background. They reported that the investigation was being conducted by hiring part-time workers for a certain local congressman and a chaebol family.
The troublemakers only appeared on one specific site, a place where people with extreme political views gathered. The site’s atmosphere was so filthy that they even created and posted humiliating memes combining my face with that of a pig and the leader of a communist state.
The moment I saw one of those memes, my blood pressure spiked and my intestines twisted with rage.
It was fine to mock me, but why were they touching my women?
To prevent seeing the faces of the humans arguing over my property, I pre-warned them and opened a YouTube channel to record and upload a video of the house under construction and my appearance.
[I don’t understand why there’s such a fuss over building a house on this small patch of land with the money I earned. Are you creating hidden funds? Are you trying to evade taxes by buying a phase stone refinery and founding a foundation? I’m really curious. Overseas, they’d offer me tax exemptions on direct and indirect taxes, free land spanning tens of square kilometers, personal phase stone transactions, and even a custom raid team made just for me. They’d try to lure me to immigrate to their country, but here you are doing all this troublesome stuff just to evade taxes?]
Instead of doing something as bothersome as tax evasion, I should just immigrate, I thought with a chuckle. Just before revealing the main point, I activated Mana Vision, turned the camera toward myself, and bared my teeth.
[And right now, if you look at the internet, there are people insulting me and making weird composite memes to slander me and my lovers. I’ll drag in every large law firm and sue them all without mercy. When that happens, I’ll make sure you see my face. You know what an in-sil-jo is, right? There will be no agreement.]
The video was uploaded, and within two days, tens of millions of views poured in as comments flooded in one after another.
-Whoa, is that a house or a palace? Just looking at the structural skeleton, it’s insane.
-They said they’d build a house with 2 trillion won, but they’re really building a palace. lol lol lol
-Providing tens of square kilometers of land lol lol lol. Is it America? Or Russia? China? Canada? Britain?
-Britain’s land isn’t that big. America one vote.
-Russia is just ice land. America one vote!
-China giving such benefits? It would be lucky if they didn’t just take it. America one vote!
-Canada is… ah, just America one vote.
-If it’s direct and indirect tax exemption… whoa;; If it’s the top-tier radar, the taxes I pay every year would be in the trillions of won, right? Giving that up?
-Our government’s 20% tax discount for ability users under the national branch disappears every year in the hundreds of trillions of won.
-The Blue Genius is selling high-grade phase stones he produces himself. He should add two zeros behind the tax.
-Those bugs who insulted and spammed me are in big trouble lol lol
-President, you’re saying in-sil-jo!!
-Take in-sil-jo, you bugs!
-Go! So! Mi!! Go! So! Mi!!
At this point, the troublemakers who realized the situation began frantically deleting posts made only of evidence memes and malicious rumors. But I had collected all the evidence by pouring money into it.
With money, I could hire unlimited manpower and time.
The trash who were anxious about being sued appeared in my sight, but if they were that scared, they shouldn’t have started the nonsense in the first place!
For now, since I had other matters to attend to, I left the domestic reaction to the Grand Blue legal team and ignored the toxic comments.
Thus began the full-scale lawsuit season. Hundreds of trash who had created and spread malicious comments and slander memes were arrested. They cried and begged for forgiveness, saying they would be in trouble if I drew a red line, but I ordered them to be punished by the law without any agreement.
A few days later, a bomb dropped on a certain local congressman and a chaebol family after they made a statement that a large-scale investigation into me and the Grand Blue raid team was needed due to suspicions of hidden fund creation and tax evasion.
Yeong Eun, furious at the slander, went all out and wiped the dust off those bastards.
Upon investigation, it turned out the hidden funds had been created by that congressman and the chaebol group.
Every day, news reported chaebols and local congressmen involved in hidden fund and tax evasion scandals. The Korean media focused not on me but on the congressman and chaebol group who committed the corruption.
During the investigation of the local congressman and the ninth-ranked chaebol group, hundreds of people who had created and distributed malicious comments and slander memes were marked with red lines for defamation. Hwa Joong-kang’s sister-in-law reported it.
Having commissioned the results to a well-known Korean portal site and newspaper, the results were plastered across internet articles, meaning no more malicious composite images or comments would appear.
Seeing the results, I smiled with refreshing coolness, like drinking soda.
It’s dangerous to casually break the scale on the internet. Damn right.
Now, I had purchased an additional 200,000 pyeong of mountain that had been turned into ruins on the right side of my training ground, which would become the house’s garden, and begun building a phase comprehensive research complex there.
Phase stone refinery, grand mansion, Evergreen Foundation, and research institute.
A huge amount of money was spent in one go, but I didn’t suffer much thanks to the sale of ten high-grade phase stones. I still had 32 high-grade phase stones left unsold.
The media and trash who had insulted me for spending trillions on building a house now praised me as if I was saving the nation’s economy. I sighed and just ignored it.
While securing the research institute site, I brought along Hwa Joong-kang’s sister-in-law and the Grand Blue legal team to formally headhunt Altina Meldios.
Seeing the branch manager’s face, which was extremely frustrated, made me feel a bit sorry… but that was the way of this world.
I picked up Dr. Woo Mingu and his children, who were staying at a five-star hotel, and moved them to my private office in the Grand Blue Building to formally sign lifelong employment contracts.
“We’ve rented out one side of the University of Eon University’s affiliated research institute. You’ll start your research there, taking on the tasks I give you.”
“What kind of task is it?! It must be about phase biology, right?!”
“We’ll decide after carefully observing Dr. Altina’s work schedule.”
“Eek!”
Altina pouted and threw a tantrum, sticking out her lower lip. I activated Mana Vision and stared at her with indifferent eyes. She pushed her lips forward and pretended to be busy.
I let out a silent sigh, then took out the Blue Stone—a phase stone made by feeding my TP to the heteromorph and created in front of Dr. Woo Mingu.
“The task is to analyze this.”
“This… this is…!”
As expected of the master of phase physics, Dr. Woo immediately saw through the essence of the Blue Stone.
Dr. Woo, who quickly grasped that it had superior properties to ordinary phase stones, examined the stone emitting blue light and asked how I had obtained it.
“I made it with my ability. Only I could make it. So, investigate every possible way to find out how it differs from ordinary phase stones.”
“Understood. A Blue Stone… It seems to have research value.”
“Ah, and please investigate how this was made too.”
The item I handed over was a phase stone that had condensed 899,997 TP—far exceeding the previously known maximum of 299,999 TP for superior phase stones.
“What is this?”
“It’s a superior-grade phase stone with phase power condensed to 890,000.”
“…Hah? H-how did you obtain this?”
“By chance.”
Dr. Woo’s three children, who had been quietly standing behind him, stared at the strangely flickering Blue Stone with faces full of disbelief and began whispering among themselves.
“A superior-grade phase stone with 890,000 TP…? How is something like this even possible?”
“H-how is this even possible?”
“I’m curious too! Phase stones can’t exceed the designated value due to the critical point and entropy problem!”
Grumbling, the three of them began a fierce debate over the superior-grade phase stone that had been condensed three times over, with the Blue Stone placed beside it.
Since only unfamiliar technical terms were pouring out, I scratched my ear with my pinky finger and said, “It would be difficult for four people to handle this task. I’d like to supplement the manpower, but since the research institute isn’t completed yet, it’s hard to recruit through public hiring…”
“High-level talent in this field is already known to people across one bridge, so public hiring would only attract inexperienced newcomers. If you want reliable manpower, how about giving us selection rights?”
Altina, who had been touching the sealed Blue Stone, suggested it. I thought for a moment and nodded.
“Of course it’s fine. People with abilities are always welcome.”
“Thank you!”
“However, even if many come, there won’t be places to assign them right now, so pick them appropriately. Dr. Woo Mingu and his three children are included in the story, so treat them well and bring all the talent you can.”
“Understood.”
“Yes.”
By the way, Sophia, Dr. Dwight’s daughter, was transferred to the International Ability Users Tribunal under the IWO through Korean Branch Director Kang Hyunwoo right after her vacation ended.
The Ability Users Tribunal was an institution within the IWO that judged ability users who committed crimes far more serious than ordinary ones, with five impartial grand judges and 45 judges selected from various countries.
It was like an ability users version of the International Court of Justice.
Thanks to the branch manager’s introduction, the trial for Sophia was held privately a week after the application. Yeong Eun had gathered extremely clear and solid evidence, the branch manager was on my side, and the Ability Users Association strangely supported me, so the trial was immediate.
“The defendant has acknowledged that she collected the victim’s personal information and provided it to the Greater Japan Imperial Enlightenment Society with malicious intent. Based on the additional first circumstantial claim added during this trial, the defendant is sentenced to pay 200 quadrillion won to the plaintiff and to be prohibited from using abilities arbitrarily for 9,999 years.”
There were a few minor additional restrictions, such as severe punishment if she didn’t faithfully perform the payment or lose her rights under the aggravated punishment law, or be made to crawl under me, but the important part was all written in the judgment document.
At first, I had wanted to sentence her to Alcatraz, the underwater prison. But because I personally filed a petition and donated a significant amount to the IWO, the sentence was adjusted to my liking. But what’s good is good.
After watching the entire trial, Dr. Woo and his wife seemed relieved that Sophia wouldn’t be sent to Alcatraz, ignoring the staggering 200 quadrillion won and the absurd 9,999-year sentence, and simply that she would work under me.
After that, Sophia worked with her mother Ichika as a set member of the Grand Blue raid team, conducting exploration and extermination missions.
“Dr. Altina should be doing something other than researching the Blue Stone.”
“What? No way? No way?”
“Don’t get your hopes up.”
Before assigning her to research the ova of the high-tier heteromorph Hiarid, Altina had secured a wide range of materials on heteromorph biology.
I had originally intended to have her research the effects of my TP, but I couldn’t assign something like that from the start.
Instead, I added instructions to interpret Hiarid’s language system. I was curious how Hiarid understood language and how it was automatically translated into our ears.
“Interpret and prove Hiarid’s communication method. Then we can consider ova research.”
“Kyaa!! Really?! You’ll really let me research that?!”
…When I first drew up the employment contract with Altina, I had secretly intended to bring in a mid or high-tier other heteromorph for research, but Altina had thrown a tantrum, saying she would die before working with Miho or Hiarid.
So, instead of providing the ova, I created a much stronger confidentiality clause and bound her with a lifelong contract.
“Understood, but all results and content from heteromorph biology research are confidential. If any sign of leakage is detected, you’ll receive a lifetime pass to Alcatraz. Be careful.”
“Haha. Ah, I know!”
“And what I want most is the part about Hiarid’s language ability, so don’t stop collecting data but make sure to research that part thoroughly. I’ll adjust the research based on results, so show me results first.”
“Got it! Leave it to me!! Oho ho ho!”
I gave Altina an evil smile I didn’t think she would notice while watching her jump around excitedly.
You thought you could research comfortably after hitting my back? Come on, experience how comfortable or uncomfortable it is.
I started grinding Altina, Dr. Woo, and his three children, but it wasn’t enough.
To research the items obtained from the Asumpfre Sunken Ruins, I would need to recruit even the authorities of phase properties, and the person suitable to be the research institute director… not just hire, but contract…
Then, a suitable person came to mind.
Oh Soeun, the director who had risen to her position at a young age right after rebirth… not the old Dr. Woo Mingu who was famous worldwide, but a doctor.
There was a mistake where I didn’t tell her about the return after the forced summoning, but it was at the level of a hospital nurse casually asking when the next shift would end, so I overlooked it.
Thinking of it, I went to the Ability Users Association building to headhunt her. Somehow, the moment I arrived, the branch manager jumped down and blocked my path.
“What are you doing here?! Go back!”
“What? Is the Korean branch director allowed to treat the master of Korea’s best raid team like this?”
“The Korean branch is not your talent bank! I didn’t know you were already poaching more than 20 talents from Grand Blue!”
Eh? More than 20?
The first one was Yoo Chae-rin… When we met during the museum incident, Hwa Joong-kang, the uncle who looked like a tank, had also started working for us in Grand Blue.
Yoo Chae-rin noona, Hwa Joong-kang uncle, and the subordinates below, and Choi Soohan… Yeah, it added up to about 20.
But when I gave him a look as if I didn’t know, the branch manager’s face turned sullen. He grabbed my shoulder and shouted in a complaining tone.
“I don’t even know how many times you’ve been scolded by the deputy director and three senior researchers at Grokis Research Institute for poaching them! Please, spare me!”
“Ah, my hair is really thinning.”
I flinched at my words and pointed to the bald spot cleverly hidden by my hair, but hiding it didn’t mean I couldn’t see it.
“But, Dr. Woo and Celia, Arol, and Ethan came because they wanted to. The British government even approved it, but what did Grokis Research Institute protest about?”
“You protest at me and what will happen to you! So you’re protesting at me, who’s relatively easy! Grokis Research Institute and the Ability Users Association have an organic cooperative relationship! And even the IWO’s research institutions are scolding me a lot because Altina Meldios went to you…”
The branch manager let out a frustrated groan, looking pitiful.
“Oh, but this time it’s really a different matter. Director Oh Soeun did one thing wrong to me, so I came to discuss it as a side matter.”
“What, wrong?”
“It’s like this…”
The branch manager looked visibly anxious, like he had GAD from my smile.