One Week Until the Wave
The Stronghold conference room.
Everyone had gathered to discuss the direction of the coming battle.
They could all clearly feel Kim Hwang-je’s tension in particular. It was sharp and unmistakable.
“One week left…”
The Next Wave that had lingered in the status window as ??? had finally revealed itself. In exactly seven days, Kim Hwang-je was fated to face another wave.
“Last time the stealth monsters came straight through the back gate.”
Kim Hwang-je twisted at the waist as though the chair displeased him and lowered himself with care. The memory of being unable to sit properly for days afterward was still fresh.
“This time the detection spells will be flawless, yes?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
The Leather Artisan gave a confident nod. Kim Hwang-je decided to trust the gesture. Ever since the man had been dragged back from death’s door by Arbocil, he had become noticeably more courteous.
“The Magic Tower is now operating at near-normal capacity. Within a few days we will finish purging the last of the oil and complete all preparations for magical detection!”
That was genuinely welcome news. Still, the mere thought of the agony to come made Kim Hwang-je’s body shudder. He sincerely hoped it would not be necessary. If possible, he would rather pull the entire Adel royal castle out onto Earth and be done with it.
He glanced down at his own stomach. The castle rose, then sank again. Just what the hell happened in there?
“How should we prepare…”
One week. Long if you called it long, short if you called it short. Thanks to a lucky break, Kim Hwang-je had obtained the Book of Cracks and delayed the wave. Yet the wave advanced all the same, as inevitable as taxes or death.
He had sold Jung Da-yeon a mountain of Hangma gold and accumulated a staggering fortune. If he could sweep the black market with that money and hire mercenaries, it would be ideal… but the report on that front had not arrived yet.
Kim Hwang-je looked at the assembled subjects and spoke.
“Very well. We will begin with the hunter. Give me your reconnaissance report.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I shall report on the scouting mission. Together with my bulldogs, I surveyed the northern Shakuar Land.”
The kingdom’s north contained the Shakuar Land. It was a wretched place where even the rocks looked abandoned—crude, ugly, and forlorn. Low, swirling winds bit with threatening cold and dryness, and on that gale-swept ground not even the hardiest trees could survive for long. It was a truly desolate wasteland where only monsters could endure.
“The number of creatures waking from hibernation in that region is enormous. The mud is riddled with holes like honeycomb, and the monsters are crawling out of them, catching their breath.”
The hunter spoke in a low murmur.
“Before long the beasts will hold their assembly.”
Monsters fresh from winter sleep gathered to plan. Despite being beasts, they were trying to lay out a yearly strategy.
“Spring is indeed approaching.”
“Correct. The situation is serious. Their scouting parties are growing more active, and we have already repelled more than three incursions in the last two days alone.”
Kim Hwang-je remembered the Shakuar Land scouts he had encountered recently—kobolds and goblins reeking of fertilizer, seething with rage. They were not true monsters but servants controlled by them. The lowest-grade creatures that never hibernated. All winter they guarded their masters’ dens; when spring came they reported the locations of worthwhile prey.
“Has Envoy Rabanus crossed the border?”
Was offering meat to form an alliance truly wise? Kim Hwang-je could not yet be certain. Such a thing had never happened in history. The kingdom’s fall had been sudden, and there had never been enough food to hire them as mercenaries.
“He carried the message that we would supply meat. Whether he will succeed, however, I cannot say. It may be that Your Majesty will need to go in person.”
The hunter’s words made sense. When the weak brought food, they were merely submissive slaves. When the strong fed the dogs, they were masters. Slave or master—which would it be?
“We will not become slaves. We will be the masters.”
Kim Hwang-je muttered words he had heard somewhere before. The hunter’s face filled with emotion; he thumped his chest and bowed.
“I believe in you, Your Majesty. I will prepare for your personal expedition.”
“Good. What is the current state of Izukaya to the south?”
“Your Majesty, I shall report on that!”
The burly fisherman stepped forward. A thick, heavy net hung from his shoulder, brimming with seafood. Kim Hwang-je stared at it in confusion until the fisherman opened an oyster’s belly before him.
“…You?”
Had guarding the sea for too long while waiting for the enemy driven him mad? Fortunately, that was not the case.
“Behold, Your Majesty! This oyster’s belly is packed with demon powder!”
Inside was a dense layer of pale green dust.
“The Izukaya fleet must pass frequently over the waters where this oyster lived. I searched the seabed and have mapped many of their routes!”
Now this was welcome news.
In the south lurked the Demon King Izukaya, who had unified countless islands into a single realm. The sea there was beautiful and bountiful, yet the waters under Izukaya’s control boiled an ugly green. The curse flowing from their bodies dyed the ocean that color. Plants and creatures along their shipping lanes could not escape the influence. Since this fisherman could move freely underwater, he had been able to chart the enemy’s paths within their sphere of influence.
“Well done, Fisherman. Then we may be able to strike first.”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. Especially the yacht Your Majesty bestowed upon us—ah, what was it called? It sliced through the water with wonderful speed!”
“The yacht we took from Jo Chun-ki. Good that it proved useful. Larger vessels will arrive soon.”
Expensive yachts were expensive and fast. He needed to hurry and requisition several cargo ships from the resource company to erect a proper iron curtain.
Kim Hwang-je continued.
“They must have noticed the destruction of the Jakturus Fortress by now. For that, they are being strangely quiet.”
“Yes. Yet we have seen no movement so far.”
Kim Hwang-je recalled the Jakturus Fortress he had recently crushed. Izukaya had not confined itself to the southern seas; fortresses dotted the continent, extracting tribute from dragons and elves alike. He and Adel had demolished one of them.
“Izukaya’s army enslaved every territory once ruled by the Adel Kingdom and its neighboring nations. They took the survivors as toys and sacrifices.”
“Correct, Your Majesty. Brikia Island has become their playground.”
“Yes. Until we conquer them all, we must reinforce the port defenses even further.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The fisherman puffed out his chest and glanced around proudly, as if demanding admiration for his excellent report.
“Hmm… development speed is decent enough.”
Using World Observation, Kim Hwang-je examined the Sinal Port. He had diverted the trillions in funds originally meant for the fake “Kim Hwang-je Port” he had promised to build somewhere along the East Sea. Those resources were now pouring into Sinal Port. Through the gate created by his power, truck after truck unloaded vast quantities of materials today as well before vanishing. Sixty percent went to the royal castle, forty percent to the port. Yet even forty percent of a budget measured in trillions was enough to wage war.
“Still, two fronts at once will be difficult.”
The Adel Kingdom carried the heavy burden of facing beast-type monsters to the north and mineral-type demons to the south. They also had to contend with opening gates. Most serious of all was the fact that this world’s economic structure had been completely shattered.
“We’re already worrying about what we’ll eat next week…”
Inside the royal castle they were busy smoking the enormous surplus of beef. Every household lent its chimney; meat hung there to be cured. Thoroughly dried, it would last at least a week. The method itself was the problem. For now Kim Hwang-je could hunt and feed them, but how was this different from a primitive tribe? The people shouting “Long live His Majesty” were tribesmen, and he was no different from their chieftain.
“But Adel has its advantages.”
First, it produced oil. Hangma Oil mixed with Hangma gold coins created a repair system, while ordinary petroleum could be sold for huge profits. And then there was farming. Once proper agriculture took root, these vast plains would yield an incredible amount of food. Both Korea and America struggled with large-scale farming; if Adel could supply that much grain, the nations would welcome it with open arms.
Those were the benefits of trading with Earth. Adel’s true advantages, however, were these.
Kim Hwang-je had already constructed four of the nine available Tier 1 buildings: the blacksmith (steelworks), Druid Park (elf autonomous district), Magic Tower (Ruby Salon), and Mysterious Animal Exchange (oil production base). As a result, this alarm refused to disappear.
Your Imperial Majesty!
At last the Adel Kingdom’s development has truly begun to gain momentum.
To have created so many facilities in such a short time is truly admirable.
After all, how much gold has this humble eunuch prepared for Your Majesty?
Once you construct just one more building, Tier 2 will finally be unlocked. Please exert yourself.
Please cherish this kingdom that has taken residence within your body!
Tier 2!
Kim Hwang-je’s heart raced. One more building and Tier 2 would open. The tech tree was finally climbing!
He had already experienced how helpful these facilities were, not only in daily life but especially in wave defense. It felt like a tower-defense game where building a new tower granted special abilities. The problem was that this was his first time playing, and no strategy guide existed. He had no idea which building would be best.
He tried negotiating with the system.
“Come on, don’t just say it like that. If you tell me what opens, I’ll work even harder.”
His subjects did not bat an eye at the emperor talking to himself. They all knew he was conversing with the mysterious inner eunuch.
Very well, Your Imperial Majesty. These are the structures that will become available.
Information Guild, Library, Diplomatic Mission, Adventurer’s House, Ranch, Carrier Pigeon Nest, Training Ground, Holy Knight Order Fortress.
Kim Hwang-je’s eyes locked onto two entries immediately: the Information Guild and the Library.
Are any of the other Princes operating this way? Or are there historical records?
He still had no way to find out. One thing, however, was certain.
“Everyone return to your duties. Next we will construct the Potion Workshop. Produce as many potions as possible so we can secure victory in the coming war!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Once the Potion Workshop was complete and the Information Guild built after it, they would understand the workings of this world far more clearly.
“And I will go collect a few more things.”
The two sons of the Jo clan were probably choosing what to offer him right about now. Kim Hwang-je smiled quietly to himself.