The Emperor's Giant Debut
Kim Hwang-je installed a golden throne right in the middle of the imperial treasury.
“What a view.”
Every direction sparkled with gold coins. The throne placed at the center only heightened its majesty.
“Alright, shall we give it a try? How do I do this?”
“Your Majesty. Before I explain…”
“Hm?”
“This doll is still a work in progress. If anything feels off, please disconnect immediately.”
“How do I disconnect?”
“Simply command ‘Off!’ in your mind and the eyepatch will come undone.”
“…Got it.”
Kim Hwang-je stuffed the diamond eyepatch into his pocket.
The Leather Artisan pointed at the doll again.
“Your Majesty. Please feed it your blood through its mouth.”
“Feed blood to a doll? Ugh, that sounds gross.”
“Do not worry, Your Majesty. I can handle it properly.”
“If you say so…”
Blood magic!
It was the kind of thing that would make Dave turn green, but the Artisan stood confidently.
Kim Hwang-je approached, raised his finger, then flinched.
“…How much do I need to give?”
Pricking a finger hurts. And now he had to feed it blood? How much exactly?
“Just a little will suffice, Your Majesty.”
The Artisan drew a dagger so sharp it looked ready to draw blood for a blood oath.
Kim Hwang-je immediately called for his secretary.
“Seo Jun-seo! Jun-seo!”
His voice was so loud that Seo Jun-seo came tumbling out of the office in a frantic rush.
“Yes, boss!”
Seo Jun-seo had only just returned to reality and was about to get some actual work done, but that was not to be. His fate was to look after Kim Hwang-je.
“You have that blood collection kit for fainting, right?!”
“…Yes, of course!”
Seo Jun-seo ran off and returned with the medical kit.
“…Tsk.”
The Artisan shot him a slightly disappointed look, but Kim Hwang-je desperately ignored it.
Getting his finger pricked hurt, damn it.
Before the Artisan could step in, Kim Hwang-je stabbed the lancet into his fingertip.
As soon as a drop fell, he quickly pressed the precious blood to the doll’s mouth.
“Um, Your Majesty. You will need to do all ten fingers.”
“Wait, didn’t you say just a little was enough?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. With a dagger, a little is sufficient, but…”
Kim Hwang-je hurriedly pricked all ten fingers with the lancet and squeezed them over the doll’s mouth.
The blood droplets trickled in, and the doll’s eyes snapped open.
“Whoa!”
It looked terrifying, didn’t it?
In old stories, doppelgangers were supposed to kill the original person.
But although this doll had opened its eyes, it still didn’t move.
“Your Majesty. Please sit on the chair and concentrate. I will take this doll and place it in the royal castle.”
“The royal castle sounds good.”
His heart was pounding.
His fingers stung a bit, but the feeling was pleasant.
He would finally see the royal castle world he had been so curious about in person.
“Then I shall prepare on the other side.”
“Wait, at least put some clothes on it…”
“Of course.”
He pulled out a beautiful robe from his pocket and dressed the clone in it.
“Make sure it’s ready at the castle. I’m finally going to see Dave and Gemini for real!”
“Yes, Your Majesty. They are preparing a particularly splendid welcoming ceremony.”
“That sounds promising…”
He disappeared through the door.
Kim Hwang-je sat down on the chair.
“Me too, I wanna go too! But I still can’t use the clone spell yet…”
Poyu sucked on his index finger with loud smacking sounds.
He kept glancing back and forth between the door and Kim Hwang-je.
Then he suddenly jumped into Kim Hwang-je’s arms and shouted.
“Hmph. You can’t just leave Poyu behind. Poyu is your guardian dragon!”
Poyu flopped over and stuck his belly out.
Kim Hwang-je reached out, placed Poyu on his lap, and gently scratched the dragon’s tummy.
“Kyaaahaha!”
“O Fairy Dragon. Do not worry. Did you not prepare for this moment?”
The Artisan pulled another doll from his pocket.
It was a doll made of pink fur…
He placed the Poyu doll right beside Kim Hwang-je’s doll and handed Poyu an eyepatch as well.
“Whoa…!”
“Preparations are complete, Your Majesty. I will be waiting on the other side.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Kim Hwang-je and Poyu, now seated on the chair, put on their eyepatches.
The sensation of the body being sucked somewhere in an instant.
It felt like riding a waterslide at an amusement park with his parents when he was little.
Sliding down a slippery liquid, falling rapidly toward somewhere.
Then suddenly a status window appeared.
Your Majesty.
Isn’t it fascinating that you can see the status window even in darkness?
In this space, I can speak longer and say much more.
This is the boundary between dimensions.
A place where the convection of dreams and reality mixes.
It is a space where ‘their’ surveillance is weak.
“Huh?”
The eunuch suddenly spoke to him.
“You show up without warning. Who are ‘they’?”
His voice came out. He couldn’t see ahead, but he could feel his body.
Your Majesty.
I cannot tell you that.
They have eyes everywhere.
Only you, who are free from the laws of causality, can find them yourself.
At the center of Shirayen Forest.
Plant the roots of the now-withered World Tree Gardriel into the Earth.
In a land yet untouched by the curse, the World Tree will flourish.
And Gardriel will tell you the truth.
If you wish to speak with the World Tree, summon the [Farmer Who Digs for Rice].
“The farmer… aside, you want me to plant something from a fantasy world on Earth? Do you realize how insanely risky that sounds?”
Your Majesty.
You must trust me completely.
“…”
Why the hell should I trust this eunuch bastard?
Your Majesty.
I have also offered my manhood.
If no one else, surely you must trust me?
“…I haven’t offered mine yet, you know.”
Yes. Of course.
But if you wish to know more about me, examine the New Moon Tower in Shirayen Forest.
There you will find clues about who I am.
“You’re charging a ridiculous price for information.”
No matter how much he grumbled, the eunuch said nothing more.
Just how powerful was this surveillance that every single word had to be doled out so expensively?
Exploration of Shirayen, the Elves’ Forest
📍 Objective 1: Find the lost elves. (Unexplored)
📍 Objective 2: Collect Gardriel’s roots. (0/1)
📍 Objective 3: Plant Gardriel’s roots on Earth. (0/1)
📍 Bonus Objective: Explore the New Moon Tower and obtain the ‘Fragmented Memory’ regarding the Eunuch.
There was no avoiding this.
“Fine. I’ve grown a bit attached anyway. Let’s keep working together to stop the rifts.”
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Since another opportunity has come, I shall tell you one more thing.
The Demon King Izukaya is quite powerful.
Use every means at your disposal.
However, if it truly seems impossible,
offer your manhood.
Then I will take care of the rest…
Kim Hwang-je shoved the window away.
“Shut up and get me to the royal castle already.”
This time, light truly bloomed before his eyes.
“Waaaaah!”
“Ooooooh!”
Cheers and applause poured in from all directions in stereo.
He could feel an enormous crowd surrounding him—front, back, left, right, above, below, everywhere.
Warm sunlight.
Unlike Seoul, where the air was always thick with exhaust from the massive industrial complex nearby, the air here was fresh and clean.
It was so refreshing it almost tasted sweet.
How was this even possible?
“Ahjussi, are you awake?”
“Whoa.”
Poyu, why are you so big?
A majestic bull-sized fairy dragon was lying beside Kim Hwang-je.
When Poyu exhaled, small blue sparks of flame puffed out.
Poyu’s massive face extended a tongue and licked Kim Hwang-je.
“His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has awakened!”
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
Amid the roaring cheers coming from every side, Kim Hwang-je stroked Poyu’s face and looked around.
“It’s bright.”
The sunlight was bright,
and the people’s faces were bright too.
Familiar faces stood around those bright expressions.
People summoned through [Resident Summon].
Benedict, still somewhat pale but standing in human form.
Park Jo-woon with his deeply tanned face.
Park Su-ah, whose fingertips and lips were completely chapped from learning magic, working construction, and teaching children.
And above all, Dave and Gemini.
A spring breeze swirled around them and the citizens.
“It’s even more beautiful than I imagined.”
Tears welled up.
Flower petals danced beneath the blue sky, and the smell of steaming rice filled the air.
This was the center of Adel Castle’s garden.
A golden throne had been placed on a platform higher than the rest.
A beautiful flower garden spread out around it,
and the path where the ministers approached was lined with fragrant trees. Every step released a rich pine scent.
In the distant plaza, citizens stood in long lines, cheering endlessly.
“The Emperor has arrived!”
“Your Majesty!”
The royal military band played. Boys and girls ran through the crowd scattering paper.
The magical papers transformed into birds, glittering as they flew across the garden sky and reflected light.
“Your Imperial Majesty.”
While Kim Hwang-je was lost in the beautiful parade,
Dave, who had approached at some point, spoke.
Behind him, civil and military officials, Gemini, and Professor Labanus entered wearing long robes and knelt.
Dave bowed gracefully before Kim Hwang-je.
“It is good to see you.”
“…Oh…”
It felt like a celebrity he had only seen on TV suddenly acknowledging him.
Looking closely, Dave’s skin was a little worse than it appeared in the footage, but his eyes sparkled. His lion-mane-like golden hair and golden beard fluttered in the wind.
He lacked boyish freshness, but he looked exactly like the kind of American blond actor you’d point at in a fantasy movie and say, “That guy is definitely a king.”
“…You must be exhausted from the journey?”
Gemini asked cautiously from behind him.
She was incomparably more beautiful than in the videos. Her pointed ears clearly marked her as a quarter-elf.
But her eyes looked slightly anxious, as if she was worried she might suddenly get flicked on the forehead on such a good day.
One wrong word and it seemed she would throw both hands up in the air.
In the end, Kim Hwang-je gave her a bright smile.
“…Yes. Thanks to all of you.”
“Waaaaah!”
Just one sentence, and the citizens’ cheers erupted again.
Kim Hwang-je sat on the throne and gently raised his hand.
The citizens fell silent at once.
He had done it exactly like in manhwa, and the gesture worked here too.
They said body language was universal—maybe it really was among humans?
Seeing the people react to such a small motion sent chills down Kim Hwang-je’s spine.
Dave stepped closer.
“We prepared as soon as we heard Your Majesty would visit. Does it please you?”
“Mm.”
If he was asking whether it pleased him,
of course it did.
The citizens wore new clothes, food was abundant, and a warm breeze blew.
The army, well-fed and armed with good weapons, was full of vigor. The eyes visible beneath their helmets shone with loyalty.
Every single one of them looked like a true warrior.
“We have completed preparations for the march toward Sinal Port. Would you like to inspect them personally?”
“Yes. Let’s go take a look.”
“Hello, Uncle Dave?”
Only then did the situation allow Poyu to speak.
Having grown larger, he seemed more dignified as he greeted them solemnly.
“Oho… You were once an egg, and now you’ve grown this much? It is good to see you.”
“Hello, Gemini too! Ahjussi, now that I’m big, I look really cool, right? Everyone’s clapping for me!”
“…Yes, it’s been a while! You look amazing!”
“Yeah, you look cool, Poyu.”
When everyone praised him, Poyu flapped his wings and flew up.
“Ooh, it is His Majesty’s guardian dragon.”
“The dragon of justice that defeats evil…”
“Glory to His Majesty’s reign!”
Amid the people’s cheers, Poyu flew happily through the sky.
When a palanquin approached, he went over to the bearers.
“Can I pull it?”
“Y-yes… Please do!”
Following Dave and Gemini’s guidance, Kim Hwang-je rode the palanquin toward the rear gate.
Whenever Poyu walked with majestic steps, passersby cheered.
Poyu looked genuinely delighted.
Dave and Gemini rode in the same palanquin.
“You’ve all been through a lot, haven’t you?”
Kim Hwang-je asked.
Dave and Gemini looked at each other.
“Thank you for protecting us all this time, Your Majesty.”
“…I received a lot of help too.”
A former manual laborer becoming one of the world’s top 100 richest people?
It sounded like the title of some novel, but for Kim Hwang-je it was reality.
His body had hurt a bit, but…
It was fine.
This sight was more than enough.
Dave showed him various parts of the city.
“That is the Temple of Light. We are reconstructing the parts destroyed by the bombardment. Thanks to Sir Benedict, we have recovered the lost Holy Texts and are rebuilding it.”
That wasn’t in the [Tier 1] buildings.
It must be an [Additional Wonder] being built thanks to Benedict.
There were probably people suffering from the drug damage there.
He hoped they would get treatment soon.
As Kim Hwang-je looked out at the city through the window frame, flower petals scattered everywhere.
“Long live His Imperial Majesty!”
“Long live!”
Wherever Kim Hwang-je’s palanquin passed, countless citizens came out and threw flowers they had picked.
When Poyu gently shook his head, children cheered and ran around.
“The Magic Tower is being built over there. Thanks to Your Majesty’s support, it is progressing the fastest.”
“Still going to take some time, right?”
“Yes. We estimate about forty days until completion.”
No. That was too slow.
He needed to find Grim.
The bearers stepped on the fragrant flowers carpeting the ground as they advanced all the way to the rear gate.
As they approached the rear gate, Gemini and Dave exchanged glances.
“Your Majesty. The rear gate will never be breached again.”
“…I’ll trust you on that.”
Dave spoke in front of the rear gate.
This place was truly a scene of utter devastation.
Pits and scars so deep one would believe a moat had been dug stretched across the plain before the gate.
Why hold the military review here of all places?
It was to show Dave’s determination to protect Kim Hwang-je.
Thanks to that, when Kim Hwang-je climbed atop the rear gate and saw the army arrayed beyond it, he was genuinely impressed.
“…Seeing it in person is completely different.”
When this many people wore armor, you could smell the iron even from this distance.
“We conscripted every man who is not engaged in construction into the army. It is only possible because Your Majesty provides all the food.”
Wow.
That would be absolutely impossible on Earth.
“Your Majesty. Would you say a few words?”
“Mm. Sure.”
Then suddenly, Kim Hwang-je’s body began to grow little by little.
“Huh?”
Rumble rumble rumble—!
While everyone watched in astonishment, Kim Hwang-je’s body suddenly began expanding to giant size.
Dave and Gemini assumed from the start that it was intentional.
“Oh, Your Majesty.”
“As expected, he must be planning an incredible speech.”
The now-tiny Dave and Gemini spoke from below.
“Kyaha~”
Poyu flapped upward and landed on top of Kim Hwang-je’s head.
Having become a colossal giant accompanied by a dragon, all the soldiers gazed up in awe at the growing Kim Hwang-je.
“So majestic…!”
“Such powerful enlargement magic?”
But it was absolutely not intentional.
Kim Hwang-je was panicking.
It was truly fortunate that his expression was hidden within the clouds.
Your Majesty!
This looks like big trouble.
“I know that already. What the hell is this?”
Your Majesty.
Your clone is absorbing the ancient magic spread throughout this world.
At present, you cannot leave the castle grounds.
In this state, maintaining your life requires one Grim per minute!
* Grim consumed.
* Time until next consumption: [59 seconds]
“Get out here right now, [Artisan]…!”
Kim Hwang-je whispered.
As his body slowly grew larger, his head finally sank into the low-hanging clouds.
The Artisan appeared on Kim Hwang-je’s shoulder.
He looked around for a moment, then panicked upon seeing the giant face.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
“What the hell is going on?!”
The Artisan glanced around and answered.
“This is an unexpected error. The magic cast upon Your Majesty’s body is causing gigantism!”
“What?”
Kim Hwang-je’s head throbbed.
He had suspected something like this might happen when the stomach world entered his stomach.
But the Artisan had said he could handle it?
The Artisan quickly muttered something.
“If the rear gate is that area… then… to physically restore the circular shape… Your Majesty!”
“Yes?!”
“At this rate you will rise above the clouds!”
Kim Hwang-je gaped in disbelief. At that exact moment, the robe could no longer withstand the expansion and tore apart on both sides.
The magical robe the Artisan had given him.
But even it had a size limit.
Between the flowing giant robe, a whirlwind arose, revealing a vast universe that swallowed the clouds.
Like the sun rising over the castle gate, the vast universe ascended.
Stars of the galaxy shone within it. The moon and sun rose simultaneously.
It was a truly mythical sight.
Every soldier and the entire royal castle witnessed his whirlwind galaxy.
“…”
One knight drew his sword and shouted loudly.
“Behold His Imperial Majesty who holds the universe within him! He is a demi-god!”
“Ooooooooh!”
“We are his army! The Emperor watches over us!”
“Ooooooooooh!”
The roar shook the entire royal castle.
“Eyepatch… off.”
“Your Majesty!”
The Artisan bowed repeatedly, completely flustered.
When the eyepatch came off, his vision blurred, and the throne reappeared.
“Damn it!”
The moment Kim Hwang-je removed the eyepatch and returned to his original body, he bent over and clutched his head.
To end their long-awaited first reunion like this!