Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Empire's Literary Boom
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Saruman's eyes gleamed coldly.
"Legendary pets are ours."
And so, the Golden Mage Tower, which had invested in the Human Empire, began its activities.
By writing.
Similar situations were unfolding across the empire.
"Legendary-grade pets...!"
"If only a Kassim owner came from our family...!"
"To think we could get that terrifying drake that saved us just by writing a story!"
The contest opened in the emperor's name was shaking the entire empire.
Jaeyeon didn't know. Or rather, he knew but didn't fully grasp it.
Kassim already was.
The symbol of the emperor.
From Jaeyeon's perspective, it was just a pet he used temporarily, and now he even had a Mythic-grade pet. He used it for travel, but once he got a flying Mythic pet someday, it would end up like the countless other pets filling his pet storage, never to be seen again.
But the people of the empire thought differently.
Every time an invasion was announced through global notices, the white drake crossing the skies was their pride and boast.
The great emperor.
Contrary to the name Human Empire, the empire existed under the care of one great superhuman—no, divine being.
The great emperor who saved their lives, fed them, clothed them, and provided them homes.
The drake that carried him across the skies was nothing short of the empire's glory.
No one dared ask, but there were plenty of imperial citizens who would gladly die tomorrow if they could ride Kassim today.
"Novels! How should I write a novel? Does the content even matter?"
"Find someone good at writing! Any playwrights?"
"Scout refugees from the Holy Empire!"
Imperial citizens of noble birth with some literary background took up their pens.
The same went for mages, doctors, and administrators. Even among the knights, some started carrying notebooks and scribbling away.
But it wasn't easy.
Even modern people exposed to games, movies, dramas, and novels their whole lives would hesitate if asked to produce a single work. Given the poor educational environment, it's no wonder the creations from Ardenia's people were all mediocre at best.
However.
"Yes! I told you to clean room 301, so where the hell are you hiding this time!"
"Ah! Yes, yes! Coming right away!"
When countless people dive into something.
"Grandma! Grandma! What's all this paper?"
"Hohoho. It's nothing much, dear. Just my diary entries jotted down whenever something came to mind. It's been ages since I pulled these out."
There are bound to be exceptional talents among them.
"Come on! Writing workshop tonight!"
"The contest details have been announced!"
"Those who want books, head to the newly opened Heavenly Bookstore!"
One year until the contest judging.
A fresh wind was blowing into the Human Empire, where life had been nothing but battles and training.
* * *
Realizing the existence of charging power put a brake on charging in Ardenia.
Of course, his Ardenia account had billions in diamonds and tens of thousands of unused cards, but he couldn't use them. It would burden his already negative charging power.
But that was just for Ardenia.
Things were different in Revenge.
[Transcendent Stat Unlocked: Agility]
[Target: Killians]
⤷AppleCatPhone: Wait, bro, you already transcended Strength...
⤷WindForestFireArrow: Two stats transcendent unlocked... Is this even real...?
A world message popped up. Not as flashy as getting a Mythic card, but this was no light matter.
Two transcendent stat unlocks.
It was impossible, really. Even maxing levels and completing collections, normal charging couldn't reach it.
But... Revenge had content that allowed reaching beyond that.
Charging methods that were ridiculously inefficient, like pulling a Mythic card without eating pie.
'Job mastery, combat growth consumables, class awakenings, gear imprints, fame unlocks...'
Even Revenge users for whom charging was daily life called them "money madness" content. They had effects, but the efficiency was so low that even whales balked.
But with 200 billion, it was a different story.
The downside?
'Ardenia doesn't have these options.'
So-called [nuclear charging] wasn't available in the cash shop. They were tied to main quests or required specific NPCs.
No wonder users complained.
'They clear tough conditions after hunting them down, then spend insane money... Of course they're pissed.'
Lately, he'd been busy breaking these quests.
UniverseHottestGuy(Whisper): Yo. Demon World Legion Commander raid at 5 PM, Count Bellisos. You know it, right? Don't be late, come for sure!
He replied to Seongjae's whisper.
Killians(Whisper): Can't your guildmates handle it? I got a class awakening quest.
UniverseHottestGuy(Whisper): Dude, that's 10 billion worth. You're doing that...? And what guildmates? We're doing it together!
Killians(Whisper): Ares Guild can take down top demons easy, right?
UniverseHottestGuy(Whisper): Intel says Ilseong Guild and Future Guild are joining! A Hanseong Ilbo reporter tipped me off...
"Whoa, what game raid pulls in reporters...?"
Amazed, he still replied. The class awakening was urgent, but event raid rewards weren't to be ignored.
More importantly, now that he'd confirmed charging power's limits, drop items were appealing with low charging power cost.
Killians(Whisper): Got it. Rift of Time and Space?
UniverseHottestGuy(Whisper): Yeah. Oh, guild meetup next week, you coming?
Killians(Whisper): Nah
"A meetup? Yeah right."
In this body condition, where could he go?
Sure, Ares Guild, ranked 5th in guild rankings, had impressive members, which was exactly why he didn't want to go. At an Ares meetup, high-rankers would likely attend, and they'd sense his condition.
"For now, time to transcribe the Grimoire of Magic."
He set auto-hunt, then sat down.
"Log in."
Whoosh!
A headwind hit as he moved. Skillfully controlling Kassim, he landed on the tallest target mountain.
Thud!
"This spot's good."
He sent Kassim back and manipulated the system UI.
Rumble!
The ground shook, rocks rolling down the slope. He quickly stomped the floor.
"Don't come out! Just the entrance for me!"
As if hearing him, the vibrations stopped.
Then.
Grind.
A hole formed under a large ridge rock.
"Oh. You're getting good at hidden spots."
Praising as he entered, the hole he came through shrank automatically. It was a ventilation shaft, no need to be too big.
[A walk?]
"Yeah, a walk. Let's head south more."
Rumble.
The Landworm burrowed straight 100 meters underground.
He planned to connect all underground paths later, so he kept depths uniform. Luckily, the Landworm's transcendent senses let it track depth precisely without numbers.
Crunch!
Watching soil and rock push past transparent scales, he pulled out the Grimoire of Magic he'd grabbed while bursting from the audience chamber.
Couldn't inventory it, so it'd dangled annoyingly during fights, but that inconvenience didn't justify leaving it behind.
'Can't upload this as a webnovel.'
An encyclopedia could pass as a setting bible at a stretch, but claiming a magic book—no matter how crude or primitive—as a creation was another level.
Trash or not, this was a functioning magic system, right?
So he made a new account.
ID: [Immigrant], novel title: [Grimoire of Magic Translation], synopsis: [Translating my homeworld's magic system into Korean for practice.]
Free serialization, of course.
'Charging for this would be trouble. Even if no one knows the magic, same issue.'
No money, but that was fine. He only aimed for donations.
"Ah, installed a voice app for nothing. Keyboard's better."
Magic book meant tons of symbols. Comfort: the doc program had them all.
"Log in."
Back to Landworm cockpit, read Grimoire.
"Log out."
Transcribe on Earth.
After hours shuttling between Earth and Ardenia dozens, hundreds of times, he checked minimap for position.
"Oh, right, entering Crystal League territory soon."
Pre-gate, Ardenia's powers divided into four.
Central continent Tianyuan and nearby: Ming Empire.
West: Holy Empire.
Southwest and north: Eight Kingdoms.
South: Crystal League.
Crystal League: so-called subhuman races. Beastkin, elves, dwarves—human-like but not human alliance.
Born from oppression by humans banding together, very exclusionary. Even after 20 Ardenia years, he'd had little contact.
'Just saw nobles' slave pets.'
That thought hit when.
Rumble!
Past transparent scales, not dirt but empty space appeared. Landworm pushed in, space collapsing, dirt spilling everywhere.
"...What?"
Stunned, set down Grimoire, stood.
Only he was surprised; Landworm didn't slow, barreling ahead.
"Wait! Hold up! Slow down."
[Why?]
Landworm acted like it was normal, like groundwater or bedrock.
"Artificial terrain. And... looks like a path going deeper."
He opened scales, exited.
Didn't forget Grimoire.
Items left with Landworm counted as in its inventory even if unsummoned, but non-items dropped if summoned away.
"What is it? No dungeon vibe... Mine?"
Puzzled, scanning around.
"Freeze!"
As he went to unsummon Landworm, a cold voice warned.
Turning, saw dull blonde, height under 150cm kid.
Problem: what she aimed at him.
"A gun?"
Absurd, mouth agape. Guns in this medieval land?
"I said freeze!"
Kid warned again, no threat. Ardenia's him shrugged off cannons, living bioweapon.
[What's that?]
"Hiiik!? I-it spoke!"
Landworm tilted head, girl freaked. Normal; building-sized monster moving, calm would be weirder.
Thud thud thud!
Footsteps afar, group approaching.
Couldn't sense mana without Qi Sense, but 600+ Agility gave sharper senses than any creature.
"Y-you, I said don't move! You don't know what this is, but one trigger pull and..."
Ignoring yapping girl, descended from Landworm head.
Clank!
Scales closed, girl panicked.
"W-what is this? What kind of body part is that?"
As she flustered, footsteps' owners appeared.
Step! Step! Step!
Dozens soldiers along narrow underground passage.
Seeing girl, thought line infantry, but unlike her, armed with small crossbows, shields.
"Freeze, human! How the hell did you get here?"
"Hands up! Any funny moves, we shoot!"
Fierce shouts. Looking down, he clapped.
"Ah! Dwarves."
Now saw: first gun-aimer not girl, dwarf woman. Expected beard, but looked human kid.
Meanwhile, his nonchalance enraged dwarves.
"I said we'll shoot if you move!"
"Hands up!"
Yelling, threatening crossbows. Landworm peeked head.
[What, leave? Or bulldoze?]
"Hiiik!? I-it spoke!"
"Eek!"
"What is that!? What the hell!?"
Mythic pet's majesty made dwarves freak out.