Well, They Say Ether Can Be Duplicated
Monica wagged her finger excitedly.
"…Double? Then 4.8 billion a day? Really, does the ether regeneration here produce that much?"
Yupri whispered to me at Monica's reaction.
"Mayor, it's best not to keep someone so money-obsessed too close."
"It's fine, you see. Even if she looks like that, she's someone with loyalty and convictions…"
I paused for a moment at the sight of her left eye spinning with dollar signs.
Tch… or maybe not.
Well, talk of 4.8 billion a day meant annual revenue pushing 1.7 trillion. The ether from just this one floor rivaled a mid-sized company's yearly sales. No wonder her eyes were rolling.
"But to keep the village running, we need a lot of things, you know."
Wandering outside the Abyss in abyssal bodies was far too dangerous. Sourcing food from the outside was off the table for now.
"Right now, Alexandr and I are managing somehow…"
I picked up a pickaxe and told Monica, "Making a self-sufficient village comes first, you know."
"True, self-sustaining food production won't be easy."
Monica gazed up at the star-filled sky.
"In an environment like this, plants can't photosynthesize."
"The local trees seem specially adapted, but we've confirmed all new plants die, you see."
Monica stroked her chin thoughtfully.
"There are grow lights for plants, but in a place with more ether than electricity, light-creation magic would be more efficient."
"Do you know any?"
"I saw a spellbook at a recent U.S. auction for creating light orbs."
I gave Monica a meaningful look.
"Could you help? With that magic, we could grow food, you know."
At my words, Monica glanced around.
"Hmm~ Once we start processing ether, the concentration will naturally drop, right? Then it'd make the perfect resort spot, don't you think?"
"So, will you help or not?"
Monica grinned widely.
"Of course I'll help! But!"
She pointed to a flat plot near the coast.
"Give me that land? I need to build my paradise there!"
I nodded. In this vast Foundation, that was nothing.
"Land's everywhere, do as you please…"
"Yesss! Deal!"
As the leader guiding the abyssals, Yupri proudly surveyed the village.
"A real home at last…"
Having a settlement inside an Abyss was a rarity after so long. Her kin had lived in unstable gaps between floors before. Some had even been driven from the Abyss to eke out lives in Siberia's permafrost.
And even that ended with us captured by those Spectrum bastards and turned into slaves.
Yupri bit her lip, stroking her prosthetic left arm. But this place was different. Abundant ether, warm weather, stable and vast land. Plus a sea teeming with fish, fertile soil, and a sparkling starry sky. Compared to the hells they'd endured, this was true stability.
Watching the children run about, Yupri clenched her fist.
"I have to protect this village…"
She was sick of being trampled due to weakness, of enslavement. And relying on the one capable kin, Alexandr, was no longer an option.
"Yupri! Success! The 'Light Of' spell Eunha brought seems to provide the light plants need!"
Yupri's face lit up at Alexandr's words. That meant the last major hurdle for settling here was gone.
"Great! Now all that's left is ether processing!"
"The factory transfer will finish soon, so we can have output in a week."
"Thank goodness. Really, thank goodness, Alexandr."
Moisture welled in Yupri's eyes.
"No more slavery, no more wandering."
"Yeah, looks like it."
They gazed at each other in silence for a while.
Yupri scanned the surroundings, her heart full.
"By the way, for the Foundation to have such a massive mage, what could the mayor's true identity be?"
Alexandr shrugged at Yupri's question.
"Who knows. Maybe blessed by an Abyss god."
Yupri chuckled. A human, not even abyssal, blessed by the Abyss? That was amusing.
"Whatever it is, we're lucky to have the mayor."
Alexandr nodded.
"Following that one feels like something big's coming. She's no ordinary human—totally nuts."
Knowing that was Alexandr's brand of praise, Yupri smirked and picked up her pickaxe.
"Then let's go help with the factory transfer magic."
Just one month after letting in the abyssals, my Foundation had transformed into something else entirely.
Well-groomed beaches and warm seas. Gleaming streetlights and straight roads. Geometric houses and an industrial zone processing ether. And vast fields of rice paddies and crops.
This place was becoming a world unto itself.
Feeling proud, I stood by a palm tree.
"…A palm tree?"
Why's there a palm tree? Does Korea even have beaches where they grow?
Frowning, I headed to the land I'd given Monica. There she was, lounging on a sunbed under a huge tent, enjoying a vacation. Sunglasses on, she was bizarrely stargazing at night.
"Ahh~! Kiddo's here! Yupri says processed ether output next week."
I gave a wry smile at Monica's words.
"Monica, staying too long in the Abyss messes with your head, you know."
"I know, I know."
"And the ether density here's lethal to humans."
"That too~"
"If you know, does that make sense right now?!"
Monica, in pretty bikini and sunglasses, nonchalantly stuck a straw in a coconut.
"But look at those stars. Aren't they beautiful?"
"…Take off the sunglasses first."
As I glared silently, Monica sheepishly removed them.
"Kiddo, even you need rest sometimes. You're always training at the grounds or Floor 1."
"No time for luxuries like rest when magic practice is lacking."
"You'll ruin your health pushing like that."
I pouted at her words.
"Still, I need to handle magic more delicately, you see."
"Ah~ Yeah, Wave of Stars and Abyssorium are inefficient with long casting times."
"If you know, shouldn't a master fix it?!"
Monica grinned at my gruff tone.
"I point you in the right direction."
"That's…"
"Magic stems from personal imagery. Growth comes from within."
"True, but…"
"Still, I'm smart, so I give tips and paths, right?"
"……."
Thanks to her training methods and improvement directions, I'd avoided tons of trial-and-error. No retort there. Honestly, these days I deeply felt how exceptional a mage she was.
"Well… thanks to you, I succeeded in miniaturizing Abyssorium."
"Really? You actually pulled it off?"
"……."
Her low-trust tone made me glare; she scratched her head.
"It was intuitive, no clear precedent."
Monica pulled out her phone, opening a magic calculator app.
"But I calculated safety first. Thoroughly."
She set the phone aside and pinched my cheek.
"Eek."
"Didn't expect you'd master it so fast. My disciple indeed."
"Just adjusting ether input—nothing hard."
Monica let out a hollow laugh.
"That's the hard part. Maintaining the same spell with less fuel."
"Felt like lighting a tiny candle, you see."
"Finding your image right away—pure talent."
Monica stood from the sunbed, stretching.
"Ooooh~ Takes most 1-2 years to awaken that sense. You're something~"
She shook her head, dizzy, then continued.
"Now you can handle Abyssorium easily. Next goal?"
"Mm. Thinking of climbing to Floor 6."
Monica wagged her finger.
"Put Abyss clears on hold. There's a tournament you should enter first."
"Tournaments are always welcome."
"The one for you is…"
Monica pondered, then spoke.
"J1 League – National Junior Mage Promotion/Relegation."
"Promotion/Relegation?"
"Gives qualification to go pro. Top 10 final rank debuts you as pro."
"Pro, huh…"
As I pondered seriously, Monica giggled.
"It's half-pro—can't enter Olympia till 15 anyway."
"Still, pro's different."
"Right."
Monica, after a moment's thought, added.
"Going pro means announcing to the world that Yu Eunha exists, kiddo."
"End of hide-and-seek?"
Monica giggled, then teased menacingly.
"People hunting Yu Eunha, harassing, picking fights, hate comments! Scrutinizing every move!"
"You think I should reveal despite that?"
Monica stared, then nodded.
"Yeah, with your skill, it's fine. You're ready for the world."
I smiled back.
"If you think so, then I'm good."
Monica blushed.
"You~ Picking exactly the words I wanna hear."
"Eep!"
I pushed away Monica's suffocating hug.
"So, J1 Promotion/Relegation is my next goal?"
"Yep, end of amateur, first pro step."
Monica gripped my shoulders, staring intently.
"J1 Promotion/Relegation—every junior's dream. The gate to pro."
"The Dragon Gate, eh…"
Monica smiled softly at my murmur.
"Dragon Gate's nice, but mages call this qualifier something else."
"?"
Monica paused, then said.
"Foundation Stone League."
"…Like a cornerstone?"
"Exactly. Decides your pro career, but unlike others, rankings can't be changed—ever."
Monica grinned.
"You get one shot in your entire pro life."
My heart raced.
"Then I must take first, no question."
"That so? First, meet the quals?"
"?"
Monica showed her phone calendar, packed with this month's tournaments.
"Foundation Stone needs pro-debut conditions."
She grinned, handing me a coconut.
"Two wins in J2 or J1. Level 3 proof. Easy, right?"
"…Monica."
I gripped the coconut, smiling.
"J2 or J1—I'll claim it right now."