Creation Talent
"I'm rich now too!"
Kim Jihun felt great. His bank account was stuffed with tens of billions of won, sleeping soundly. People always feel at ease and happy when they have some financial breathing room—and that's exactly where Jihun was right now. He'd safely passed the school promotion exam, and money was piling up in his account. It was all too satisfying.
He muttered to himself.
"What should I do with all this money?"
Staring blankly at his bank app, he mumbled again. Not thousands, not even billions, but tens of billions. Looking at that balance made Jihun feel like he could do anything. He started brainstorming ways to spend it.
"Fix up the house, get Dad a new car, give Mom some pocket money..."
Kim Jihun was happy. No more scraping together money just to do what he wanted—he could finally afford to chase his dreams. The old him, who hesitated over every purchase because of cash shortages, was gone. Now he was financially comfortable, free to do as he pleased.
Jihun's smile deepened.
...
"Huh? Rusty water?"
"The pipes must be corroded."
Jihun was lounging on the living room sofa, watching TV, when he overheard his parents in the kitchen next door. They were talking about the rusty water coming from the sink faucet.
"Well, the house is old, so yeah, that makes sense. Should we replace the pipes?"
"Call someone?"
"It'll cost a pretty penny..."
Jihun got up and approached them. They were staring worriedly at the discolored water from the faucet, deep in discussion. He glanced down at it himself.
-Splash, splash...
Dark reddish-brown rust poured out in a weak stream from the kitchen faucet.
Seeing it, Jihun made up his mind. 'Gotta fix the house first.'
The place they lived in was rundown and shabby. Hastily built ages ago, the walls were uneven, crumbling in spots, and the exterior looked awful. Low water pressure made showers and dishwashing a hassle, and poor insulation and ventilation kept it uncomfortable. It was the epitome of a poor family's home, stacked with every inconvenience imaginable—that was Kim Jihun and his parents' house.
He'd been thinking about fixing it up. But suddenly, he felt his money burning a hole in his pocket.
'I could fix the house with my own abilities anyway.'
That's right. Kim Jihun had Creation Talent. That noble gift so rare even among the divine. Using creation power to renovate would turn it into a brand-new, comfortable home in no time. And hadn't he built countless structures in his subspace already?
Why waste his talent and pay someone else? Repairs would just patch the problems, while his Creation Talent could rebuild it sturdy and pristine like new. So Jihun decided to handle the house himself later.
'Can't use my powers right now while I'm recovering, but in a few days, I'll fix it completely.'
He was still drained from the battle with the Void, unable to tap his abilities. But a few days' rest would restore him. Then he'd renovate.
With that settled, he looked at his parents. They still seemed puzzled over the rusty pipes.
Suddenly, an idea struck Jihun. 'I've got plenty of money—maybe buy Mom and Dad a house?'
He wanted to get them a place of their own.
At dinner that evening, as they ate, Jihun casually asked his parents what kind of house they'd like for retirement.
"What kind of place do you two wanna live in later?"
He kept it light, not too direct. He wanted to surprise them, so no hinting at buying it right away.
His dad and mom took turns describing their dream homes.
"Well, I grew up in the mountains of Gangwon, so I'd love a house backed by a hill. A quiet two-story place near the mountains—that's always been my dream."
"Hehe, I had a dog as a kid, so I'd like to get one again. A big countryside house with a yard would be perfect."
Jihun listened, mentally noting it down. 'Near mountains, big yard, two stories...'
A plan for their house started taking shape in his head.
...
A deep, resonant voice echoed across the Boundary.
Dozens of Ma-shin Clan members had gathered there. They all glared at one female Ma-shin—the one who'd failed this mission, Alquinoa.
She knelt, head bowed, her face etched with despair.
"Forgive me, Grassut. Asrie's sudden appearance threw off our plans. Give me one more chance, and I swear I'll succeed."
She'd botched kidnapping Kim Jihun. Charging in with 300 void beasts and masses of Void from Grassut had seemed perfect—until it spectacularly failed. Jihun's Creation Force was stronger than expected, dragging things out too long.
"Please, one more chance, Grassut!"
She begged again. But Grassut refused. Two failures already—another chance was too much.
"No more opportunities, Alquinoa."
He extended his arm toward her slowly. Dark energy began boiling from his wings.
Alquinoa cried out desperately.
"Grassut! Please, just one last chance!"
"You've had enough."
Grassut ignored her final plea. He channeled Void power. Darkness surged. Then, two black shadowy figures materialized beside her—powerful intelligent constructs made from Void, known as void demons.
"Void demons...!"
Alquinoa gasped. She knew what summoning them here meant.
"Please! Grassut! One last mercy!"
"Devour her."
Grassut had no intention of forgiving. To him, a third try after two flops would end the same.
The void demons seized her arms. Black hands probed her body, soon extracting a dark orb from within—Void Essence, distilled pure Void power.
They pried open her mouth and forced it down. The black sphere melted, absorbing into her.
Alquinoa screamed.
"Kyahaha! Aaah! Kiiihehe!"
She writhed in agony from the lethal energy ravaging her. But the demons held firm; all she could do was scream in place.
After some time, her cries stopped. She lifted her head, eyes dull, faint black flames flickering in them.
"..."
Speechless. The forced Void Essence had stripped her will. Now she was a puppet, controlled by Void— a tool to fight creation, Grassut's limb.
Grassut commanded the changed Alquinoa.
"Stand by. And wait for the moment. We still have opportunities."
Darkness enveloped her body, fading her away.
Grassut muttered.
"Forced to use Void Essence."
Void Essence: Ultra-concentrated Void power, self-destructive even for Ma-shin. Immense strength, but at the cost of reason—reduced to primal oblivion.
Gazing at the spot she'd vanished from, Grassut murmured.
"If Alquinoa fails again after this, I'll step in myself."
If she blew it once more, he'd unleash his power personally.
Grassut chuckled softly.
...
Jihun's plan to get his parents a house progressed smoothly.
"When's completion?"
"About a week."
"Great."
After scouting around, Jihun found this under-construction countryside home. On the outskirts of Wonju in Gangwon, it had all the amenities and matched his parents' wishes perfectly.
He planned to contract it now.
"Price?"
"Around 10 billion won. The size bumps it up."
It was spacious: 60 pyeong building on nearly 150 pyeong land. Even in the countryside, that commanded nearly 10 billion.
But Jihun didn't hesitate.
"Alright, let's sign."
Tens of billions in his account—10 billion for his parents' house was nothing. He wanted to care for them the best he could.
After signing, Jihun reviewed the blueprints and renders again. The more he looked, the better it seemed. Designed for affluent retirees, it prioritized comfort everywhere. High-end materials gave it a luxurious vibe even mid-build. Finished, it'd be stunning.
Still, he thought, 'I could make something way better with creation power.'
True—he could craft a superior, luxurious home effortlessly. But he didn't. Legal hurdles: land purchase, permits, notifications, timelines, inspections. Too much hassle.
Simpler to buy this ready-made gem.
'Not as good as my own build, but plenty nice. Mom and Dad will love it.'
He had an eye for architecture from subspace practice—better than any Earth architect. They'd live comfortably here.
'Gonna shock 'em good.'
Imagining their reaction, Jihun grinned with satisfaction.
============================