Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: Seizing Seoul
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Lee Ha-yeon was staring at the screen with her eyes wide open.
The numbers on the screen were changing in real time.
Nom nom.
Her small, pretty mouth was working away at sucking on a candy, yet it seemed to be conveying something else as well.
A message that lodged directly into the minds of her limbs—her subordinates—connected to her.
Beeeep!
It was immediately output on the screen as results.
Drip.
Before she knew it, beads of sweat were trickling down Lee Ha-yeon's forehead.
This level of concentration was even surpassing the stamina of her, an Apostle, and it had been going on for days already.
She was here, but her subordinates were elsewhere.
A mountain of candy wrappers piled high.
Crunch!
A chilling sound rang out from her mouth.
Swish.
Another crumpled lollipop stick was placed atop the pile.
"Hoo... ha."
A smile spread across her lips as she let out a rough breath.
How much time had passed?
The important thing was.
Slump.
She no longer even had the strength to stand properly and was collapsing.
That was when it happened.
"Are you okay?"
A voice reached her as someone caught and held her up.
"...Captain?"
A face that seemed like it belonged in a dream was looking at her from there.
"How long have you been here?"
"About five hours?"
"Huh?"
"I deliberately didn't make any presence known. You looked exhausted, so I just breathed a bit of divinity into you."
"Oh."
Only then did Lee Ha-yeon's eyes snap open wide.
The task of connecting her mind across the world, receiving reports, and handling responses accordingly.
Even the slightest mistake could cost an amount no ordinary person could dream of, so she had been fully focused and hadn't noticed.
"Thanks to you..."
Lee Ha-yeon deliberately leaned even more into Go Yohan as she spoke.
"The first phase is done."
Without Go Yohan, she might have passed out at a crucial moment.
It was only natural, considering it was important enough to even consider going public.
"First phase?"
"Yes. First phase."
All of this was merely the first phase.
There was still a ton of follow-up work left.
However.
"The important part is finished."
From now on, this level of concentration wouldn't be necessary.
Her subordinates were the capable ones she had specially selected, after all.
"You've worked hard."
"So give me a reward."
"A reward?"
"Just a little..."
Lee Ha-yeon cautiously closed her eyes.
"Just let me stay like this a bit."
"As long as you want."
A small smile spread across the lips of Lee Ha-yeon, who had closed her eyes.
A warmth that didn't grate on her nerves—instead feeling cozy and gentle—kept flowing in from the touching Go Yohan.
"Captain."
Lee Ha-yeon opened her mouth.
"Something I could talk about later."
At Go Yohan's words, Lee Ha-yeon shook her head.
"Now that all restrictions are lifted, can I stop with this appearance?"
Lee Ha-yeon's outward form was somewhere between a middle schooler and a high schooler.
A young, cute girl.
"Yeah?"
"School life doesn't suit me at all. It's just uncomfortable. So now..."
Lee Ha-yeon half-opened her eyes and looked at Go Yohan as she spoke.
"I'm asking permission to live in my adult form."
From the start, the minds and bodies of Apostles transcended those of humans.
All potential unlocked, and considering the time and pain endured to become vessels.
"It has to be..."
She tried to say something but trailed off.
Slump.
The endless influx of Go Yohan's energy had plunged her into deep slumber.
But it wasn't just because of Go Yohan.
"Seung-ah?"
Yoon Seung-ah, who had approached unnoticed, had infused Lee Ha-yeon with the energy of Sloth.
"You worked so hard, so she needs to rest deeply."
Yoon Seung-ah's smiling face looked different from usual.
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"Tch. Unfair, sis."
The long-overdue rest given to Lee Ha-yeon.
Her expression during the meal looked quite bright, thanks to her deep sleep.
Of course.
"Yeah, do that. No, hold off on that side for now and just monitor the trends."
Even at this moment, the fact that she was conversing with and directing her subordinates was truly impressive.
"Sis? Seung-ah?"
Go Yohan, eating with her, asked.
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"There's something."
Only two among the Apostles had adult appearances.
Yoon Seung-ah and Kim Se-hyun.
'She knows full well how much of an advantage that is.'
Despite seeming like she wouldn't, Yoon Seung-ah pulled dirty tricks at crucial times—or so Lee Ha-yeon thought.
"Captain. Aren't you curious what I did?"
Lee Ha-yeon asked after devouring two hamburgers.
"I am."
Lee Ha-yeon hadn't slept for nearly a week, even using her mana to cover the shortages.
From what he'd heard.
-I'm working to completely take over South Korea, so don't interfere.
She'd said something like that to Lee Jae-kyung.
Smirk.
Lee Ha-yeon flashed a grin.
Slurp.
She sucked down a huge gulp of milkshake and said.
"You know there's a limit to the assets people leaving this land can take with them, right?"
It was obvious.
"The first things they're dumping are real estate and domestic stocks."
There were various reasons for leaving, but the biggest one was single.
"They're betting South Korea is done for."
With the existence of the absolute being and villain Go Yohan, South Korea had no future.
Plus, it bordered North Korea, currently rated as the most dangerous area.
"The land abandoned by the gods. That's what they're calling South Korea."
It was exactly that.
Angels appearing all over the world overseas.
Go Yohan had torn them apart right in front of the world.
And after that, as if because of it.
"The systems of players affiliated with South Korea are breaking down even more, and mana is becoming increasingly unstable. Right now, gates aren't appearing, so it's fine, but if gates start activating again later."
Even more than that.
"If demons start properly rampaging, South Korea won't hold out. That's what they think."
So most of those leaving South Korea were the wealthy.
The so-called upper class.
Those holding over 80% of South Korea's wealth were fleeing.
"And the views of those staying and foreigners aren't much different."
"I get what you mean."
"Yeah. They're dumping everything."
Assets in a warzone will be worthless.
So they dump it all now while they can get even pocket change.
"Real estate at a tenth, domestic stocks basically toilet paper. That's the current situation."
It wasn't of much interest to Go Yohan, but it was to Lee Ha-yeon.
"That stuff."
Smirk.
Lee Ha-yeon flashed that signature smile again and said.
"I bought it all up."
"......!"
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Buy up all the assets of those leaving.
Easy to say, but Go Yohan couldn't even estimate the scale.
"Is that possible?"
Lee Jae-kyung, who had approached before they knew it, spoke.
He'd been listening since earlier but had stayed back to not interrupt Go Yohan and Lee Ha-yeon's time.
"I was buying some up too, but I just got a few buildings in Seoul and called it done."
It had bottomed out, but not completely.
Because Lee Ha-yeon was buying it all.
"Fool."
"What?"
"You could've gotten at least thirty. Just watch."
Lee Jae-kyung's face flushed red at Lee Ha-yeon's words.
"No! Is that even possible? No matter how insanely much money you're handling..."
"It's possible. I bought all of Seoul."
"......?"
"There were guys like you causing trouble, but I can say for sure."
Lee Ha-yeon said.
The first phase was done.
"Ninety percent of Seoul is mine."
"......!"
"And the Captain's."
"C-Crazy..."
Could anyone believe she'd scooped up that much of Seoul, where most wealth was concentrated?
"Was that... even possible?"
"Normally, no. Not with what I had."
"Th-Then?"
"So."
Lee Ha-yeon extended her hand.
If they wanted to hear more, pay up—that was so very her.
Swish.
What she handed over was a candy.
That was enough.
Chomp.
Lee Ha-yeon popped the candy in her mouth and sucked on it, speaking in a sugar-high daze.
"I sold off all my overseas stocks and assets."
"......!"
"Especially targeting places dominated by those calling themselves angels."
Lee Ha-yeon wore a victorious smile.
"They got hit hard. Because of the stocks and assets I dumped, theirs turned to toilet paper too."
Of course, Lee Ha-yeon had sold everything near the peak, no, at record highs.
The wealth fleeing South Korea, the assets poured into unstable places, now funneled into what they saw as the safest, most perfect spot.
"The angels' lands..."
Concentrated where angels had appeared.
"The news lately..."
"Yeah. My handiwork."
Lee Ha-yeon smiled sweetly.
"To make big money, you gotta go all in."
No wonder the economy was holding steady without fully crashing.
Lee Ha-yeon was the mastermind behind it.
"Ha."
Lee Jae-kyung exhaled as if defeated.
"Bold or insane, I don't know..."
"If needed, make more. And above all, Seoul is invincible. South Korea is invincible."
Lee Ha-yeon said.
"Because the Captain's here."
"True."
"Of course, I don't plan to swallow it all. I'll release some to the sanctuaries and holy sites, like I said..."
The first phase was done.
She had plans for the second and third phases too.
"Because I plan to 'own' South Korea."
The land wasn't just Seoul.
Her goal was to sell off these gradually rising assets and pocket a literal 80% of the entire country.
"That'll take a while."
Lee Jae-kyung, who had dabbled in investments before, nodded in acknowledgment.
"Fool."
But the response was the same as before.
"One month."
"......?"
"I'll recoup the investment within that."
Only Go Yohan, uninterested in such things, blinked in surprise.
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-Goldian announces headquarters relocation to South Korea.