The True Ancestor's Castle

The outpost was engulfed in a brilliant light.

Every time the Labyrinth outpost leveled up, its size expanded as well.

At first it had been no bigger than a playground, but lately it had grown to rival a full-sized stadium.

This time, however, it far surpassed even that scale.

Whooooosh!

"Whoa, the scale is insane!"

"M-My eyes, Master!"

"Kieeeek! Captain! What is happening?!"

The goblins desperately covered their eyes and thrashed about.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

An enormous radiance poured forth and continued to expand.

The light kept spreading wider and wider.

Finally, the glow faded.

"...Whoa."

A brand-new Labyrinth territory now stood before them.

No, it was no longer merely an outpost.

The outpost had transformed into a territory, and its facilities had expanded dramatically.

This was practically a village now!

"...Whoa."

"Wow."

"Kerrrk..."

Every familiar, myself included, looked around in bewilderment.

"M-Master, what is this...?"

"It says it's my territory..."

The power of five Ether was truly overwhelming.

Every facility that had existed in the outpost had been upgraded by an entire tier.

Rows upon rows of massive barracks now served as living quarters.

The dining hall had become a proper building instead of an open-air space.

The training grounds resembled a medieval military academy.

The workshop now looked like an early industrial-era factory.

"They even added an education center and a disassembly plant."

Because the Golden Goblins had already been farming items, the previously locked outpost disassembly plant and education center had appeared automatically.

No, it wasn't an education center anymore.

"An academy...?"

The scale had suddenly grown far too large.

The power of five Ether... was terrifying.

"M-Master, look over there...!"

"...Whoa, what is that?"

"No, not that way! Over there!"

"...Waaaaah! The warehouse got modernized because we used Ether!!"

"M-Master!!"

I ignored the frantic familiars pointing in the opposite direction and walked toward the warehouse, which had evolved far beyond the other buildings after I consumed one Ether.

"M-Master, over there...!"

"Kerrrk! Captain, there's an enormous building over there...!"

"...Ooh, it's modern. Are all those boxes pocket dimensions?"

"Master!!"

I ignored the noisy familiars and examined the warehouse.

While the other buildings retained a medieval feel, the warehouse alone looked completely modern.

Had investing a single Ether caused this transformation?

An enormous warehouse filled with countless boxes stacked to incredible heights.

Even without opening them, I could sense it.

Every single one of those boxes was a pocket dimension.

"K-Kerrrk?! Ooh? Ooh?!"

At that moment, I spotted the warehouse keeper operating something in one corner.

"Ooh... modern conveniences."

A touch panel displayed every item stored inside the warehouse.

The panel showed each item's name along with the exact box it was stored in.

So this was how the warehouse would be managed from now on.

"Warehouse keeper, do you know how to use ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that?"

"Kerrrk! Of course! I am the manager of this place!"

"Yeah, yeah. Do a good job."

After checking the newly created warehouse as well—

"Master, Master, hurry! Over there! Over there!!"

Mongmo yanked my hair with all his might from atop my head.

"......"

I could no longer ignore him.

Was that real?

What the hell, it was scary. I didn't want to look. Why was something like that in the outpost...?

"Hurry, Master!!"

"Fine..."

I reluctantly turned toward the direction I had been deliberately ignoring.

I could see it even without walking closer.

It was the largest building in the entire territory.

"...What the hell is that?"

"Master, I understand now! That is your—!"

"Yeah... I can tell what it is too. But why is it...?"

At the center of the outpost stood a grand, gothic-style building radiating an ancient atmosphere.

People called such structures by one name.

A castle.

"Why is that here...?"

***

At the exact moment Park Hyun-gi was staring in shock at the massive castle within his Labyrinth territory, the real-world Hyeolma Building was on the verge of collapsing under the weight of countless reporters.

"Please give us a statement!!"

"Hyeolma Gentleman! Hyeolma Guard!! What is your relationship with the Shut-In Vampire?!"

"We heard a new CEO has been appointed here! Is that person the Shut-In Vampire?!"

From the top floor, Park Bok-hae watched the tense standoff between reporters and security guards with trembling hands.

"...Why is my son involved in this?"

Why were all these people acting like this? It was terrifying.

Mongmo, where did you go...?

Park Bok-hae had zero interest in rankings or whatever they were shouting about—he simply couldn't comprehend the Labyrinth as anything other than another world. Even if his son seemed to be doing something impressive and climbing the rankings, none of it made sense to him.

"S-Sir? What should we do?! They're about to force their way inside at this rate!"

"J-Just a moment!"

"Yes!"

After the secretary closed the door and left, Park Bok-hae rummaged through his desk drawer.

He distinctly remembered Mongmo writing a manual for situations like this...

Clatter, clatter.

"Where did I put it... Ah!"

Park Bok-hae pulled out the manual Mongmo had prepared.

It listed exactly what to do if something happened while he was away.

"First... call Hyun-gi... He's not answering!! Second... message Mongmo... He's not answering either!"

What kind of crisis manual only told you to contact your son?!

While reading through the various countermeasures, he suddenly found it.

"T-There it is!"

Among the many instructions was a section on how to respond when reporters asked about the Shut-In Vampire.

"...Really?"

The instructions were surprisingly simple.

Park Bok-hae took a deep breath and stepped out of the room.

His secretaries followed him into the elevator. The doors closed.

I am the CEO. I can do this even without Mongmo.

All I have to do is say one thing!

Ding!

The elevator doors opened. As he stepped toward the entrance—

Click-click-click-click!

Countless camera shutters fired at once as reporters shouted over each other.

"Sir!! What is the relationship between Hyeolma Guard, Hyeolma Gentleman, and the Shut-In Vampire?!"

"Are you the Shut-In Vampire yourself?!"

"What is your connection to that person?! Who exactly is he?!"

Amid the near-screaming chaos, Park Bok-hae raised one hand.

Instantly, the crowd fell silent.

Wow.

This was exhilarating.

So this was the view from the top of a major corporation!

Park Bok-hae steadied himself.

Just follow the manual!

"The Shut-In Vampire... That person is—!"

Gulp...

The sound of a reporter swallowing echoed softly.

"He is the founder of both Hyeolma Guard and Hyeolma Gentleman, and the chairman of this company!"

Click-click-click-click!

Camera shutters flashed once more.

"Who is he?!"

"How was he able to accomplish all this?! What is his rank?!"

"What is your relationship with the Shut-In Vampire?!"

The manual ended there.

Just say he was the chairman and claim ignorance about anything else.

"The Shut-In Vampire is merely the chairman of this company. We know nothing beyond that!"

Of course, the reporters refused to give up.

One journalist shouted loudly,

"Could it be that the Shut-In Vampire is actually @#$@#—?!"

In an instant, the surroundings fell completely silent.

"Is the Shut-In Vampire @#$%?! Or perhaps @!#$$%? What the—?!"

The reporter's voice became an incomprehensible garble.

Neither the sound nor the lip movements reached anyone properly.

The journalists knew exactly what this phenomenon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was.

Specialized awakeners' reporters from the world's major powers had lost their livelihoods because of it.

"...Personal information protection using Ether. Tch, these bastards are thorough."

"Ah... Even Choi Kang-hyeok didn't do this."

"They're already going this far? Sigh... How petty and disgusting."

The reporters began packing up their equipment.

Further investigation was meaningless.

If they tried to dig any deeper than the nickname "Shut-In Vampire," everything would be scrambled beyond recognition.

Newspapers, the internet, videos—none of it would matter.

Text and footage alike would become unreadable, just like the reporter's voice moments ago.

Having grasped the situation, the reporters grumbled as they gathered their things.

"...Um, everyone, aren't you curious about anything besides the Shut-In Vampire?"

He was the CEO of the company, after all—and of a company that had been performing exceptionally well lately.

But his secretary subtly stepped in front of him.

"Sir. Let's go back inside."

"...Right."

"And please don't do that again. The special advisor would dislike it."

"...Okay."

Watching the reporters turn and leave, Park Bok-hae dejectedly turned around as well.

I'm still the CEO, though...

***

—Could it be that the Shut-In Vampire is actually @#$@#—?!

The news of a new high-ranker appearing in Korea had been broadcast live worldwide when the reporter's voice suddenly warped into an unintelligible sound.

"Wow? Faster than I expected."

Elena widened her eyes in surprise.

Given his tendency to avoid revealing himself, she had assumed he would eventually use Ether, but this was quicker than anticipated.

"As expected, he's no ordinary Awakener. My guess was correct."

Since Elena already knew about the Shut-In Vampire, she wasn't affected by the information protection.

Of course, if she tried to tell anyone else, it would become the same for her as well.

Just then, a man opened the door and entered.

He had a large build, a muscular physique, and sharp features.

"What are you watching so intently?"

"News about Korea's rising star."

"Ah. That guy you mentioned before?"

"That's right. He seems like even more of a catch than I thought."

"Then push him up a little without making it obvious. Get him up the ranks quickly."

"Do you think I can do that on my own? Using Ether requires going through the President."

"I'll talk to him, so don't worry about that. What about China?"

Elena looked at the man and smiled faintly.

"Hmm. There should be some kind of reaction, but there's no major movement."

"They probably don't have the spare energy to look elsewhere. Still, it's fortunate that someone like him appeared in an allied nation."

"It's a shame. If he'd immigrated, we could've showered him with Ether right away."

"Even if he doesn't come, try giving him some anyway."

Alex Scar, America's number-one ranked Awakener, let out a quiet sigh.

"At this rate, I'm going to die first."

***

I stared at the enormous castle standing within my territory.

"Whoa... My real house has become a toy house in comparison."

It was a house worth five billion won, after all.

Well, I bought it cheap, but it was still a twenty-billion-won house.

What on earth was this?

As I slowly approached the main gate, it opened automatically, as if welcoming me.

Groooan, thud!

"Whoa."

A vast hall straight out of a movie, with a magnificent chair at the end of a red carpet.

No, that wasn't just a chair.

"Is that a throne?"

"Ooooooh, Master! That is your seat!"

"No, I don't need a seat like that."

"Kerrrk! Captain! Go sit there right now!!"

"No... that looks way too burdensome..."

A scene straight out of a movie or manga was unfolding right before my eyes.

The hall was ridiculously spacious—enough for all the goblins to fit inside.

"If it's a castle, there should be rooms and stuff, right?"

"It looks like they're behind the audience chamber!"

"Should we start exploring from there?"

"Iiiik!! Master!! Sit down first! Your throne is right there!!"

"Fine..."

Unable to withstand Mongmo's relentless tugging on my hair, I walked toward the center of the audience chamber.

Wow, this felt strangely surreal.

At the end of the red carpet, after climbing a few steps, sat an ornate, deep-red throne.

"I can't believe this is happening."

I plopped down onto the throne.

"Kerrrrrk!! All hail our Master!"

"Kerrrk! Kerrrk!"

"Kiyaaaaaaaah!!!"

When did all of you even get in here?

Turning around, I saw the five thousand goblins who had remained in the territory cheering loudly, along with a few kobolds whimpering.

At that moment, a system window appeared before me.

So these were the functions this castle possessed?

Don't tell me...

"I have to sit here to use them?"

This was way too malicious.

My face grew hot for some reason thanks to the goblins, so I quickly checked the functions.

Territory Status let me view and control everything—facilities, item stock, items being produced in the workshop, and more.

Familiar Status was an upgraded version of the third-person familiar view.

I could now see through their eyes and issue commands with greater freedom.

And finally, Authority Granting.

This was...

"Gob, come here."

"Kerrrk!"

Park Gob stepped forward into the center of the red carpet.

The goblins who had been cheering noisily fell silent in an instant.

Whoa. I needed to finish this quickly.

When I selected Authority Granting, a system window appeared.

Why was this so formal?

I'd just give him the surname casually. After all, Gob was family now.

"Surname: Park. Title..."

I looked through the available titles in the system window.

Since this was the first time, I'd start with the lowest rank.

"Baron. From now on, you're Baron Park Gob."

"Kerrrrrk!!!"

Ding!

Park Gob's status window updated.

"Kerrrrk! Park Gob! Park Gob!"

"Baron Park Gob! Kerrrk!"

"Gob has become Park Gob!! Kerrrk!"

The name sounded a bit weird when put together, but whatever. I was the only one who would be calling him anyway.

After granting Park Gob a surname and title, the authority window below became active.

This function allowed a noble I designated to use abilities I could perform.

"All authority over goblins, plus access to the community exchange under my name."

Park Gob, who had been kneeling, rose to his feet and looked up at me.

"Kerrrk! Glory to the True Ancestor!!"

"No, don't do that..."

"Glory to the True Ancestor!!"

"Glory to the True Ancestor!!"

"Glory to the True Ancestor!!"

"Stop..."

I covered my face with my hands.

This was way too embarrassing. Was this really okay? I felt like I was going down the wrong path...

"Kerrrrk! Glory to the True Ancestor!!"

I was starting to get used to it...

"Master! You've finally become worthy of being ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the True Ancestor!"

"Mongmo... I'm exhausted. My mental fortitude can't handle this..."

Sitting atop the throne in the audience chamber while thousands of goblins roared in unison, I thought to myself:

I don't want to be the True Ancestor. I want to eat garlic.

"Glory to the True Ancestor!!"

How did kings in the old days endure this level of shame?

The End