Lord of the Equator
“So… how long do we have to stay here?”
“I don’t know… We’re running the excavators on emergency power for now, but it might take longer if we want to dig without collapsing the ground.”
‘Hmm…’
A day had passed since the volcano erupted. The magma that touched the air hardened quickly, so the lava itself wasn’t much of a threat. The real problem was the facility. The area near the crater entrance had collapsed, forcing us deep underground. Every possible exit was gone.
“We messed up big time.”
Baengnae’s words made me feel wronged. What, was I supposed to knock politely and ask them to open the door in that situation? Without information, there had been no other choice.
“Baengnae, remember that vacation I promised? From now until we get out, you’re free. Play as much as you want.”
“Eek…”
Baengnae had gained free time, but the water play she wanted was no longer possible. It couldn’t be helped. Situations and conditions change. Digging through the earth was the excavators’ job anyway. With some free time on my hands, I summoned Boots and the salaryman zombies. It was time to take care of some postponed business.
“Wh-where is this place?”
“Looks like some kind of building? Aren’t we supposed to be opening random boxes?”
The salarymen started chattering noisily the moment they appeared. I gathered their attention and began my explanation.
“Alright, quiet down. The time has finally come. It’s been a long wait, hasn’t it? You’ve all filled up your chances to receive new bodies, correct? That moment is here.”
“Ooh! Finally!”
“Damn it, I opened twenty-one extra boxes even after maxing out my chances! Give us compensation! Compensation!”
“H-hey. Shut Deputy Ju’s mouth already. What kind of trouble are you trying to cause now? Just stay still, please!”
“I don’t want to live as a cannon. Take this thing off me first!”
‘Still no sense of crisis. Is it because they’ve already died once?’
There was something I had been curious about for a while. Where exactly did skills originate from? If I separated the body and head of a creature that possessed a skill and moved them to different places, which part would the skill follow? It was a question I couldn’t help but wonder about. So I tested it—using Manager Park’s body, the one that had lost its mind after seeing Death’s Cat.
Manager Park Gibeom had reached Stage 6 and gained the ability to emit aura from his entire body. I discarded his head and replaced it with another salaryman zombie. The result was a success. In other words, the aura had resided in the body. However, the salaryman zombie who had wielded powerful aura died in the Stormy Strait. It wasn’t the sea creatures that killed him—it was the fact that a frail zombie tried to contain aura that caused the problem. The zombie had self-destructed from the side effects. It was a great shame. Even though that had happened before we started properly distributing the Fruits of Good and Evil, the strength of that aura zombie had been on par with core zombies like Bangsil-i and Nareun-i. That was why I had preserved his corpse.
When I brought out Park Gibeom’s body again, the salarymen recoiled in horror. They had all witnessed the process I had gone through.
“Wait! We’re not idiots. We saw what happened to the other guy. Who the hell is going to take that body?”
“Was that a lie?!”
“Properly compensate us! Compensation!”
I clicked my tongue.
“Now, now. The one who can handle aura will take Manager Park’s body. There’s only one body, so why all the fuss?”
At my words, the salarymen glanced at each other. They seemed to covet Park Gibeom’s body after all. My hypothesis was this: if abilities like aura remained in the body, then surely there were abilities that remained in the head as well. Perhaps one of them had awakened such an ability?
The box-opening punishment was over. From now on, I intended to use them as combatants.
“And there’s no need to worry. The zombie capable of handling it will receive Manager Park’s body, while the others will receive sea creature bodies. At the very least, living without limbs is over.”
I brought out a few of the guests we had encountered. They appeared as various seafood fishmen. If fishmen were compatible with the salaryman zombies, then these would surely transfer without issue as well.
“Well… seafood is better than nothing.”
“Just not having to crawl on the ground is enough for me to be satisfied…”
The audience seemed convinced. I began recruiting volunteers.
“Alright then, if you think you can handle Park Gibeom’s body, raise your hand. First come, first served.”
While the zombies were eyeing each other warily, Ju Giju raised his hand. I asked with a genuinely surprised expression.
“What’s your ability?”
“I was a Snail Summoner.”
“So?”
Ju Giju spoke with unusual logic. Perhaps because his life was on the line.
“I think any Stage 6 summoner could endure aura eating away at their existence. But the head has to withstand the aura itself, and I can secrete mucus to block it. Probably…?”
I pondered for a moment. Ju Giju was a strange guy, but he wasn’t fundamentally evil. That much was true.
“By the way, were you Stage 6?”
“Did I… not mention it?”
“Doesn’t matter. Since you’re confident, I’ll give you the chance first. If you feel like you’re dying, scream.”
We proceeded with various transfers. Moving the salarymen into sea creature bodies all succeeded, and many of them received suitable bodies that allowed them to manifest their original abilities to some degree. The greatest achievement by far was Ju Giju becoming a slime zombie capable of handling aura.
Among the user zombies, those who had reached Stage 6 unexpectedly retained some of their ‘transcendence.’ They had become zombies strengthened by this effect. As expected, zombies produced stronger results when made from good materials.
I stored them away and prepared for the next step. This was the main event. The users wouldn’t suffer major setbacks even if they failed, but what I was about to do would have a significant impact on the future.
From what Pink Dolphin had told me, he hadn’t known this world was a replica. That was understandable—he hadn’t been a ‘summoner’ participating in the climb. Instead, his ‘god’ had clearly been a participant. Pink Dolphin said the numerous sea creatures we had seen as guests were that person’s summons. He called him the ‘Sea Operator.’
This implied a great deal. If that was true, then we would eventually return to Earth and fight the enemy. These ‘stages’ were merely part of the growth process. As evidence, Pink Dolphin had once met the ‘Sea Operator’ when he was still weak. The Operator had fought enemies here and frequently traveled between the gods’ world and this one. According to Pink Dolphin, the Equator was the Operator’s hideout created during that process.
This suggested that the ‘Golden Lord’ had also been a user from a previous cycle. The endless stream of fishmen had been his summons, which explained why there had been so many. So the important part was this: had the ‘Sea Operator’ become a sponsor?
I had made a contract with Success Myth and requested delayed payment of rewards. Success Myth was an organization encompassing multiple corporations. I had judged that demanding compensation at the moment I clearly needed something would be most advantageous. And now was that moment.
The system clearly disliked interference from powers unrelated to the world. But what if the sponsor was native to this world? Perhaps the scope of interference he could provide would exceed normal levels?
I was about to test that hypothesis now. I spoke toward the empty air, addressing the sponsor who was likely listening.
“Heaven’s Rabbit, as compensation for the contract, I want something related to the Sea Operator.”
A response came immediately. But it wasn’t Heaven’s Rabbit who answered—it was other sponsors belonging to Success Myth.
[Sea Operator? Where’s that? Wasn’t there a newbie from the creek side with a similar name?]
[That’s right. I remember.]
[I’ll contact the director over there.]
It wasn’t the answer I had expected, but it seemed my hypothesis that he had become a sponsor was correct. Things began moving very quickly.
[Interesting. Only at Stage 5, and yet… Indeed.]
[Contact established. Measures will be taken shortly.]
‘Come to think of it, is the Rabbit away?’
Just as I was thinking that, I suddenly felt a massive presence descending around me. An overwhelming pressure. I gasped for breath and looked around. Only after Siling on my left arm began providing water breathing did I feel slightly better.
‘Water breathing all of a sudden…? We’re underground.’
At that moment, Pink Dolphin, who had gone to operate the excavators, came running. He prostrated himself before me and shouted frantically.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I can no longer serve the Operator. I’ll accept any punishment. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
The powerful presence I felt nearby—it seemed to be the Sea Operator himself. His gaze lingered briefly on Pink Dolphin before turning back to me. It was indeed the kind of pressure worthy of being called a ‘god.’ A similar aura to when I had encountered the ‘Lord of a Hundred Ghosts’ in Stage 4 pressed down upon the world.
Then, for just a moment, a message window appeared before my eyes.
[You have acquired authority over the Equator.]
‘Huh?’
[The promise has been fulfilled.]
After saying that, he vanished as if he had never existed in the first place. Heaven’s Rabbit, who had arrived at some point, clapped her hands.
[Excellent. To find the right world, the right position, and summon the right being! This deserves applause. Clap clap clap!]
My hypothesis had been correct. The mention of the ‘right position’ suggested that demanding power from the Equator had worked in my favor.
[You have obtained 137 times more compensation than originally promised. Please do not forget the efforts of Success Myth who worked hard for you! Now then, I’m busy, so I’ll be going!]
Heaven’s Rabbit seemed to have urgent business, but I wasn’t particularly curious. What mattered was that I had obtained the Equator.
‘Let’s check the reward…’
The reward the Sea Operator had given was full authority over the Equator itself. Detailed information about the island’s structure flooded into my mind. I could now manipulate it according to my will.
‘This is… incredible…’
Controlling the red reefs was also possible. But that was only part of it—I could even create illusions or trigger volcanic eruptions at will. Most importantly, I could separate the Equator itself and move it like a floating structure.
‘That’s more like it. Now the scale matches.’
The Golden Lord tearing down cities and moving them around? So what. I had obtained an entire island.