Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Back on Earth
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All my schedules had wrapped up, and I finally returned to the Room Tower after a long time.
“Ugh, look at all this dust.”
As soon as I entered the studio apartment, I called the management office.
[Yes, Room 1803... It might not be safe for people, so please step out for a moment.]
“Got it.”
I pressed the nose on the Che-da device to end the call, then left the studio and closed the door.
Whoooosh!
A moment later, I felt the door trembling faintly, followed by the alarm sounding.
[Cleaning of Room 1803 is complete.]
I opened the door again and stepped back inside. The musty studio was now spotless, and even the bedding was fresh and fluffy.
I lay down on the bed and fell deep into thought.
“The premiere is still a ways off...”
Normally, I’d dive into transcription work, but with two special bosses heading to my castle and hordes of high-level inland monsters swarming, it wasn’t wise to advance Ardenia’s timeline.
On top of that, I was in the middle of dumping all my saved cash into stocks.
“In that case, I should focus on what I can do on Earth.”
I practically lived in the login pod, training my chakra. For physical development, I studied anatomy and exercise kinesiology. Thanks to the flame shop’s assistance, my cold element was fixed at the Hyunmun stage, so rather than cultivating it directly, I focused on incantations for simultaneous activation.
I researched martial arts too.
I scoured the internet for one-strike-kill techniques. Whenever I found something promising, I headed to the public library to hunt down manuals and mull them over.
Eventually, I visited the city hall.
“Hello, Mr. Han Jaeyeon. Here for a combat ability update?”
“Yes.”
I filled out about five sheets of forms and answered the questionnaire as required. Then I shared a coffee with the priest of the Truth God stationed at city hall.
“Have you broken any laws or used inhumane methods while growing your abilities?”
“No.”
“Have you been involved in crimes that could harm the 34th Earth, or is there any possibility you will in the future?”
“No.”
After about twenty questions, we’d finished our coffee.
“Thank you for your time.”
“You too.”
I exchanged goodbyes with the kindly smiling priest of the Truth God and stood up.
“Then, let’s head to the testing room.”
“Sure.”
As I followed the city hall staffer, I glanced back. Through the thick glass wall, I could see the priest of the Truth God.
It might’ve seemed like casual chit-chat over coffee, but those questions were designed to perfectly filter out any bad elements.
‘...I’m jealous.’
The longer I ruled as emperor, the more I realized just how cheat-like the Justice God and Truth God were as a social safety net.
As the sole emperor of the Human Empire, I wielded unchecked absolute power as the supreme leader.
A true dictator with unlimited authority—yet even I couldn’t fully control the empire.
Just recently, elite soldiers had raped a restaurant waitress. There were cases of soldiers smuggling class cards abroad to sell.
Noble-born elites discriminating against commoners, or slave-born elites committing hate crimes against nobles.
I handled those incidents decisively, but perfect prevention was impossible.
‘If we just had the Justice God—no, the Truth God, things would be so much easier.’
Everyone bowed before me, the wielder of ultimate power, but behind my back, they did as they pleased. Officials I appointed for administration committed corruption, and elite soldiers tasked with security abused their privileges.
I had to enact laws, investigate incidents, hold trials based on findings, and mete out punishments. What a Truth God priest could resolve with one question required grueling interrogations on my end. Without self-motivated Justice God priests patrolling and dismantling crime rings, I had to handle it all myself.
And even then, it wasn’t perfect. The whole process was messy.
‘Argh, seriously. How can it be this flawed and full of errors?’
Creating the [Slave Soldiers] had been a desperate measure because I couldn’t just execute or imprison every misbehaving elite soldier.
It wasn’t laziness that left me no time for training after becoming emperor. The throne came with responsibilities as heavy as its power.
“As pre-registered, we’ll measure destructive power. Ready?”
“Yes.”
“Then, begin.”
At the staffer’s cue, I picked up the test sword and approached the dummy.
“Login.”
I whispered without moving my lips. The location shifted to my study in the lord’s castle. Gazing down at Iron Castle, I opened my chakra.
Cold energy. Hyunmun. One Strike. Reception Gate. Activation.
Freezing Slash.
Cold energy enveloped my body—an incantation that added extra cold damage to my next attack. And in that state...
“Logout.”
Back on Earth, I gripped the sword.
Crunch! Crackle!
My muscles swelled dramatically.
Like a strongman or bio-enhancer, exaggerated bulges wrapped in pure energy pushed my physical strength to its limits, beyond what I could normally reach.
I swung down with full force.
Land Breaker.
Boom!
The testing room shook faintly. The dummy had turned blue.
“Wha...?”
Ignoring the staffer’s gasp, I whispered.
“Login.”
Back to Ardenia. And just like that, I toppled backward.
“Ugh... Ah!”
Tremble—
My body was bruised black and blue everywhere. Amid the pain of torn muscles, my grimacing face twisted further as my trembling hand snatched a songpyeon from the table.
[Consumed Mugwort Songpyeon (High-grade)! Recovery and mana recovery +100 points for 4 hours!]
Sitting in the chair for a short rest, my wrecked condition gradually recovered. In many ways, it was a body that transcended humanity.
“Ha. Still, this should hold me for a while without needing another update.”
The new martial art I’d learned wasn’t human. Nor was it even for combat.
It was a wrecking tool from Breaker Industries, a giant clan specializing in asteroid mining.
‘I really wanted to start with amplification studies.’
Yoon Yong-no, the youngest professor at Ouroboros, was famous for amplification studies—a brutal school that could trigger natural disasters or slay dragons with one conditioned strike. Applicable to martial arts or magic, even transcendents took his classes.
The problem?
‘I lack the talent in many ways. Didn’t meet the prerequisites.’
So I settled for demonic arts. They offered power boosts to offset penalties.
But what I found wasn’t a demonic art—it was the industrial wrecker, Land Breaker.
‘I wondered what I was doing... but it suits me better than I thought.’
One Sword World was an excellent finisher, but it was still just an internal energy technique.
What was my main stat again?
Strength.
Breaker Industries, which roamed the cosmos, had entrusted itself to the 34th Earth about thirty years ago. They were all Titan clan—descendants of giants, also called Titan heirs. An upper race with ogre-level physical prowess and stellar spiritual aptitude.
They specialized in resource extraction from asteroids, collapse, and disassembly. Their signature technique, comprised of a single form, was [Land Breaker].
[Recovery +1 for unknown reason!]
“Ha... Good in every way.”
A short break, but I couldn’t linger. Monster hordes were still approaching as we spoke.
“Logout.”
Back to Earth. My limbs quivered, but I straightened my spine and stood tall.
The dummy announced.
[Cast speed: Mid-High]
[Casting cost: Mid-High. Cost efficiency: Low-Low.]
[Calculating power...]
[Cold damage: Level 10]
[Internal energy damage: Level 11]
[Physical damage: Level 15]
[Total damage: Level 16]
“Whoa, Level 16? I’ve only seen that in Gigas ability tests... Or is this elder-class?”
The bored staffer was now making a fuss. In my fatigued state, I asked.
“Is that it?”
“No, four more times, one minute apart.”
“......”
A short while later.
I finished the level update and left city hall. Using a Titan clan technique close to bio-strength drained me; my hands and feet shook from hunger.
Conveniently, a restaurant sat right in front of city hall, named [A Steaming Bowl of Gukbap Fixes Everything].
“Ah.”
My mouth watered instinctively, but I held back and turned away.
Why eat a bowl of gukbap?
That price could buy a class card!
“Login.”
Back to Ardenia. I summoned the attendants.
“Dinner. Ten servings or more.”
A lavish feast appeared in seconds. Not just the tiresome wild boar meat, but snow-white wheat bread, stir-fried potatoes, and fried foods in corn oil.
I devoured it all in moments.
‘Ah, tastes aren’t there yet.’
Since ascending the throne and improving food supplies, Ardenia’s cuisine had reached a decent level. Especially the emperor’s table—top-tier.
However... History, tradition, science, and magic had elevated modern seasonings to heights medieval lands couldn’t touch.
I had to settle for “edible.”
“Logout.”
Back to Earth. At least my belly was full, clearing my head.
‘With the level update done... my options should expand.’
Updating at city hall was insurance against emergencies. Hiding your level could lead to penalties if involved in incidents or job hunting.
But it also officially certified my abilities.
‘Money-making options.’
No more factory work, convenience store gigs, or club bouncing. I was beyond that league.
Walking slowly, I pondered new job prospects.
‘First, I could enter martial arts tournaments.’
Of course, fighters didn’t rake in huge cash. Trends favored pro gamers or Gigas pilots—people watched game tourneys or Gigas fights, not martial arts.
Martial arts was a poor man’s sport.
Even so.
‘Decent results could net me a nine-figure salary.’
A solid option. Matches didn’t eat much time, leaving room for other work.
The issue?
Even that “mere” nine figures fell short for playing Revenge.
‘Next, police or military.’
High earners, worth considering. Plus, they offered special procedures to boost personal combat power.
‘And another possibility.’
“Huh?”
“...?”
I froze at the man suddenly pointing at me. I didn’t recognize his face.
He said.
“Uh, hey, long... time no see?”
“Do I know you?”
At my calm response, he looked embarrassed.
“Ah, no? Sorry... Weird.”
He laughed awkwardly and turned—only to scream midway.
“Emperor!”
“...?”
The sudden shout drew stares. As if remembering at last, he grinned brightly at me.
“Emperor! You’re the Emperor, right!?”
“Wait, that face...”
“Yeah! It’s the Emperor!”
“Photo, please!”
“Autograph! Autograph!”
People recognized me from all sides and crowded in. Only then did it hit me.
‘Ah, right.’
Time had flown by.
The movie had premiered.