They Copied It In The End.
=======================================
A long time after Taeju left.
The bodies of Cheon Kyung-ho and his men had vanished, leaving the hotel room empty. Two men opened the door and stepped inside.
One was the hotel manager, and the other...
"This the place? The room that bastard stayed in?"
"...Y-yes."
"No one's here."
"Wh-where'd he go? He was definitely here until last night."
It didn't sound like a lie.
There were shoes and outer clothes in the closet that looked like they belonged to the guest.
"Name?"
"The registry says 'Sky.' Probably a fake name."
"You're sure he used Samhan Empire language when checking in?"
"Yes. I had a hard time translating for him."
"Get lost. I'll investigate myself."
"Ah, yes sir!"
The hotel manager hurried away with a terrified expression.
He had no choice.
The man with him was an executive from the Black Mafia's Free Varcel branch.
The Black Mafia was the largest villain organization in the European Empire.
They had branches in every major city, dominating Europe's nights.
Black Mafia executive Marco Santos thoroughly searched the room where Cheon Kyung-ho had stayed.
'Did he run? Then he'd have taken his shoes.'
The reason he was here?
One of their Expert-level Awakener operatives had died.
Dried up like a withered mummy.
If it had been a long-dead corpse, that'd be one thing, but this guy had been fine until the day before, then suddenly ended up like that.
The death itself was bad enough, but the cause was suspicious.
So they launched an investigation.
An operative turned into a mummy overnight.
He had a hunch.
Dissecting the body confirmed it: completely desiccated mana roads.
Suspicion turned to certainty.
They even secured black box footage from a car parked at the death site.
It showed an East Asian-looking man placing his hand on the then-still-alive operative's crown. The body shuddered violently and shriveled pathetically.
'Definitely Vampiric Touch.'
Vampiric Touch.
A black magic spell that sucked life force from the living to bolster mana.
And at an incredibly high proficiency.
At least 5th class black mage to wield that power—no, probably higher.
The problem was that the guy was an outsider.
Black magic could only be learned by Black Mafia members.
'Did black magic leak out?'
No.
Impossible.
Still, he'd vanished without a trace.
Was there any energy left from the guy called Sky in this room?
"Death Detection."
Death Detection
In an instant!
Wuuuuung!
An ominous energy spread from black mage Marco's hand.
And a thick scent of death bloomed.
'...Someone died here.'
Then?
"Phantom Vision."
Phantom Vision
When a person dies, their soul leaves the body.
The residue left behind is called lingering thoughts.
Peering into lingering thoughts lets you glimpse the moments before death, if only faintly.
Pap!
A scene floated up like a frozen frame.
There was one more person.
This was from the dying man's perspective.
In the dead man's view, one person smirked coldly.
It would've been clearer right after death, but time had passed, making it blurry.
'Which one is Sky?'
Couldn't make out the faces clearly.
But they were definitely the same race.
Monkey-faced types all look alike.
'...Both Samhan Empire folks, anyway.'
One of them used Vampiric Touch.
Not sure which.
'Gotta report to the higher-ups.'
His job ended here.
The big decisions were for the bosses.
※ ※ ※
America Republic.
Huaibai Pharmaceuticals, located in Atlanta.
CEO Fred Miller read the monthly sales report from his secretary's office, a pleased smile on his face.
"These numbers and graphs are impressive."
"They'll keep rising. Drink sales are booming, pulling up the others too."
"Great! Let's expand the factory and boost revenue more."
"Yes sir!"
The cumulative sales for the drink, Vital Juice, had exceeded 200 million dollars.
And it hadn't even been two months since launch.
It was a straight copy of Vitality Surge, the hit fatigue-recovery drink from that far-off Samhan Empire nation.
Taehong Bio Pharmaceuticals.
Fred had been watching the company for a while.
Three-striped mutant mosquito antivenom, spore poison camel goral antivenom, and Taehong restoratives that healed mana damage and internal injuries.
He acquired samples sold only in Gurye and analyzed them.
But of course they failed.
One after another.
The drugs developed by Kim Taeju couldn't be replicated.
That explained why Taehong Bio hadn't patented them.
Still, Fred didn't give up.
He sent industrial spies to the Samhan Empire en masse, always hunting for secrets.
Finally, opportunity struck.
Taehong Bio's push into New Seoul, applying for patent and food-drug approvals for a new drug.
New drug, huh.
What amazing effects would it have?
Production started at the factory.
The new drug turned out to be a fatigue recovery agent and trauma treatment.
He got samples and tried them.
Naturally, he experienced their incredible effects firsthand.
Fred went mad.
Fatigue recovery that worked on Compatibles, Awakeners, and normals alike. Trauma salve that perfectly restored wounds and scars.
If he could copy these?
Jackpot.
Forget the rest—just sell these.
Component analysis began.
And they succeeded in copying.
Not perfectly.
About 80% of original efficacy?
Couldn't source native Samhan herbs.
Luckily found substitutes.
More research could push it past 90%.
Secured materials, prepped mass production.
Meanwhile, Taehong Bio passed patents and approvals, started sales.
Huaibai launched fatigue-recovery Vital Juice.
Trauma ointment too.
New drugs applicable to normals, Awakeners, Compatibles.
Instant hit.
Huge success.
Swept America's health drink and trauma treatment markets overnight.
Then expanded to the European Empire.
Couldn't ship by sea, so air freight.
Expensive, but sold like hotcakes.
Of course, unauthorized drug copying was illegal.
So what?
This was the America Republic.
Already patented and FDA-approved.
"No movement from Taehong Bio yet?"
"They probably haven't noticed. Domestic sales alone overwhelm them—no thought of exports."
"Even if they do, doesn't matter. It's done."
Protests? Escalating to diplomatic issues? Not scared.
The lobbying funds poured into politics monthly?
Money ruled here.
Fred had power and cash.
※ ※ ※
Taeju handled Cheon Kyung-ho and returned straight to Gurye.
In Free Varcel, where he'd gone to hunt Heavenly Demon spawn, he'd found a Vitality Surge copycat drink.
Made in America Republic.
He headed right to company HQ.
"Oh? Chairman! Back sooner than expected."
"Job wrapped up easier than thought... Look at this."
"Hm? What?"
Taeju pulled out the drink he'd brought for Baek Seoyeonn.
"Hm? A drink—not our product."
"Try it."
Gulp.
Baek Seoyeonn drank it.
Moments later, changes rippled through her body.
"Ah! ...No way?"
"Yeah. Vitality Surge."
"A c-copycat? Or coincidence? Where'd you even get this?"
Checked the origin.
"America Republic's Huaibai Pharmaceuticals."
"Need component analysis. Confirm if it matches Vitality Surge."
"Insane!"
Baek Seoyeonn shot up, bottle in hand.
"I'll investigate right away."
The issue was serious, so analysis flew.
Results came quick.
"Confirmed copycat. Some lesser-efficacy substitutes, but main components match exactly."
"Ha... "
Huaibai's Vital Juice.
Later learned they sold Fresh Flesh Growth copycats and similar trauma treatments too.
Blatantly patented in America Republic.
Unlike Gurye drugs, Vitality Surge and Fresh Flesh Growth were made in New Seoul factory.
No Hunwon Musang Dokryeong Gong or Five Elements Divine Art energy, so copyable if you tried.
Hence the patent and food-drug reviews.
But America Republic?
"What do we do?"
Deliberate copying.
No concern for fallout.
"Protest officially first. If no good, other methods."
World trade wasn't booming now.
Sea routes cut by marine beasts.
Exports/imports via safe land and air only.
Why Samhan and Europe pioneered Siberia mutually.
Siberia overflowed with monsters.
Dense zones everywhere.
Clear them, restore Trans-Siberian Railway.
Nearly 90% done.
Clear a few sections, rail link opens between Europe and Samhan.
Less than a year away.
Yet copycats beat them to Europe?
'Can't let this slide.'
Must punish.
Ignore it, sets precedent.
Copied and won? Guess I'll copy too.
"Try legal first."
"How?"
"International law exists."
"...Think it'll work? No WTO-like orgs even, gone 300 years."
Taeju agreed.
But legal push built legitimacy.
Use every option.
Physical methods on deck too.
Most reliable, really.
"Chairman, I'll handle legal with Baekdu Group."
"Yes, but need government help."
"Contact Foreign Ministry?"
"No, faster way."
Taeju gave her Geum Suhu's number.
"Ah! Secretary Geum."
"He'll help."
Straight report to Emperor.
"I'll be in the lab awhile—keep posted."
"Yes!"
Baek Hongpyo promise first.
Time for mana rejection cure.
Lesson from this: make uncopyable drugs like antivenoms, restoratives.
Impossible to even dream of copying.
※ ※ ※
The Heavenly Realm.
Also called Great Thunder Heaven.
Supreme God's residence: Jami Palace.
Today, reps from each realm gathered for a grand summit. Divine generals, celestials, heavenly maidens, and fairies bustled welcoming guests.
"All here?"
"No, two still..."
"Who?"
"West Queen Mother of Peach Palace and Supreme Old Lord of Immortal Realm."
"Hm, odd. They're usually first."
Then.
A ornate flower palanquin entered Jami Palace.
Four fox yokai in human form carried it.
"West Queen Mother arrives. All bow."
The palanquin stopped before Jami Palace.
Divine generals and fairies bowed.
Two women disembarked first.
Moon Palace Fairy and Fox Fairy.
'Huh?'
'What?'
'...Uh.'
Their outfits were bizarre.
Tight tops hugging curves, short skirts barely past knees, legs in sheer black stockings like silk.
'Sc-scandalous.'
'Nowhere to look.'
'Heh, Fox Fairy's a fox, fine, but prim Moon Palace Fairy too.'
And the shoes?
Pointy toes, stiletto heels sky-high.
Could they even walk?
Then West Queen Mother descended.
Eyes bulged.
'Her too?'
Where'd Fairy and Queen get those clothes?
Women across Immortal, Heavenly, and Yellow Spring realms wore flowing fairy robes.
Queen's fit her figure perfectly.
Yet dignified.
How'd it suit so well?
"Let's go in."
"Yes!"
"We attend."
West Queen Mother savored the stares.
'Country bumpkins.'
By human time, Heavenly folk lived millennia to eons.
Ever seen clothes like these?
Sky-blue Hermès dress, Hermès bag on arm, Tiffany necklace and earrings, Jimmy Choo heels, stockings too...
West Queen Mother's group walked Jami Palace's jade path.
Click! Clack! Click!
Slim hips swayed.
'Queen that tall?'
'Calves so sleek.'
'Mm.'
All eyes locked.
Heavenly celestials, divine generals, fairies.
Dragon King's attendants.
Yellow Spring reapers and messengers with Yeomra.
Mouths agape at the unprecedented sight, speechless.
Women especially.
Right then!
"Caw! Caaaaw!"
A crane soared from the sky.
"...Supreme Old Lord arrives."
Crane landed.
Supreme Old Lord disembarked.
"All bow... Gah!"
Not the Old Lord they knew.
Thud thud.
Chest out, striding confidently.
Luxury suit, dress shoes, short waxed hair neatly styled, sunglasses, Mansur Gavriel clutch in hand.
'...'
'Heh.'
'Wh-what?!'
What happened in Immortal Realm?