Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Building the Foundation
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Wang-sik stood before an old building on the outskirts of Incheon.
“I told you to find a better place.”
A sign hung on the old three-story commercial building.
Our Child Foundation.
“It’s a good name.”
It was the phrase he had envied most during his time at the orphanage.
“Our child,” as spoken by a mother and father.
Since he had no one like that, the word “our” had always been one he envied.
When he entered the foundation's office on the third floor, he saw familiar faces.
All five people working there were people Wang-sik knew.
The people he had rescued from the gate.
This was the foundation office that Yang Dong-il, having accepted Wang-sik's proposal, had established to help children in need.
Though it was still early days, they were already busy at work.
“How about a company dinner? You can eat something expensive.”
At Wang-sik's declaration, his five friends cheered and followed him out.
After the meal, Wang-sik stated his purpose.
“I need people I can trust.”
“But there’s not much we can do…”
“There’s a training program. You’ll learn what you need and be assigned roles. You’ll never participate in combat; you’ll be technicians or supporters.”
Han Young-im could find capable people. But people he could absolutely trust were few.
—I only have about seven people around me.
Even Han Young-im only had that many completely trustworthy people. That was why Wang-sik had sought out his friends.
“Your current abilities don’t matter. What matters is what you can do from now on.”
Wang-sik’s friends didn’t answer right away.
It wasn't because they didn't want to.
“Can we really be of help?”
These were people who had been abducted as children and lived like slaves. Naturally, they had been deprived of educational opportunities, so even adapting to society now required more effort than it did for others.
Looking at his hesitating friends, Wang-sik said, “Help me.”
That one phrase changed the expressions on his friends' faces.
None of them answered immediately, but they exchanged glances and nodded.
They knew.
For Wang-sik to go this far, he must have given it an immense amount of thought.
“Alright. I’ll do anything. Cleaning, cooking, whatever.”
“If we contact the other friends, we can gather more people.”
To them, gates were a source of fear. It couldn't be good to be involved with them, even if they weren't fighting directly.
Nevertheless, no one hesitated at Wang-sik's request.
“Thank you.”
During the meal with his friends, Wang-sik stepped outside for a moment to call Han Young-im.
“Please prepare the training program.”
—That’s great.
“Honestly, I don't feel good about it. I wanted my friends to live ordinary lives.”
—This isn't a situation where we can afford to be picky.
Wang-sik had agreed for that very reason.
This was something he had to bet everything on. The most he could do was leave the decision to his friends.
“Please make my friends’ safety the top priority.”
—Of course.
“I’m counting on you.”
After ending the call, Wang-sik returned to the restaurant where his friends were waiting.
Having finished a pleasant meal with his friends, Wang-sik called Min Ha-na.
“Friend.”
—Yeah, friend.
“Let’s go make some money.”
Min Ha-na thought she had misheard.
—Did you get scammed or something?
“I don’t even have money to get scammed out of.”
—I’ll head to the uninhabited island. Wait for me.
Min Ha-na arrived at the uninhabited island two hours later.
The cost of purchasing the island and constructing the basic buildings was estimated at around 30 billion.
Daehyun Construction had spent far more than that, but there was no reason for Han Young-im to cover it all.
Since they were buying a property that had become a nuisance, it was only natural to negotiate the price.
Of course, this price only included the underground construction where the gate would be installed and a temporary building on the first floor.
—To build properly after the temporary structure, you should budget for 50 billion. That is, if you don't intend to just use it as an office and then abandon it.
As long as the gate was being built, it was a stretch to call it temporary.
—To perfectly create the resort facility you want, Wang-sik, it would be a hundred billion. Of course, the more you invest, the more luxurious it will become.
Wang-sik relayed the conversation he’d had with Han Young-im to Min Ha-na.
“And you want the top-of-the-line version, right?”
“No. I have a brain, you know. We’ll start cheap for now.”
“And how much is ‘cheap’?”
“50 billion. Chairman Han agreed to cover half.”
“You call that cheap? That's not something a guy who only eats ramen should be saying.”
At least it was cheaper than a submarine or a ghost base.
“Alright. Even so, the money we entrusted to the Guseong Group is more than that, isn't it? I thought it was over a hundred billion.”
“I plan to use the rest to support Min-jae. It’ll be for the gate construction costs.”
“Ah…”
The gate construction cost was one area where they absolutely couldn't cut corners.
Since the goal was to build as many as possible at once, they had decided to invest all their surplus funds.
“You’re spending a hundred billion like it’s a hundred bucks.”
“That’s just how I roll.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“This is disappointing. This is our home, too.”
“Our home? Now that you mention it, that place will be our home.”
“In that sense, let’s make it a little more luxurious…”
“That’s enough. No more.”
Min Ha-na, with a firm expression, shut down Wang-sik’s ambitions.
“So how much do we need to earn now?”
“The more, the better. The maintenance costs aren't cheap, and if we have extra, I'd like to gear up the others.”
“A hundred billion in the bank, and still broke…”
Min Ha-na felt a sense of emptiness but quickly shook it off.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
“You’re a really good friend.”
“You’re my only friend, so I have to look out for you. How could I watch you lose your mind over some base and ruin yourself? You’re perfect just the way you are—a little weird.”
“Still, I’m more normal than you, so it’s fine.”
“Are you serious?”
The two looked at each other.
Wang-sik, confident; Min Ha-na, incredulous.
“Whatever. Let’s just go make some money.”
“Let’s go, friend.”
Wang-sik and Min Ha-na headed for the Decartes Mountains.
The area where they began hunting was Stage 3.
They, who could hunt proficiently in Stage 5 areas, chose Stage 3 because it was nighttime in the Decartes Mountains.
“What are you doing?”
In Stage 3, aside from the boss monster, the strongest undead monster was the Dark Warrior.
But after taking down a Dark Warrior, Wang-sik didn't just take out the mana stone as usual. He split its head to harvest a darkstone and even took its shin bone.
After checking it with an appraisal tool provided by the Guseong Exchange, Wang-sik even pulled out the Dark Warrior's fingernails and toenails.
“What are you doing?”
“These things are more expensive than the mana stone.”
Byproducts from undead monsters inevitably sold for more than those from regular monsters. The supply was low, while the demand was enormous.
There were five fallen Dark Warriors in total.
They would probably be doing this all night.
“Wang-sik.”
“Yeah?”
“Come here. Let me give you a hug.”
“What’s with you all of a sudden?”
Ignoring his resistance, Min Ha-na hugged Wang-sik tightly.
“Sigh. The world’s greatest tanker, scrounging for scraps. It breaks my heart.”
Wang-sik composed himself in Min Ha-na's sympathetic embrace and said, “Ha-na.”
“Yeah?”
“You have to do it too.”
Only then did Min Ha-na realize she was in no position to feel sorry for him.
“This isn't why I became an S-rank.”
“Less talking, more hunting.”
They continued to hunt until dawn. And this work didn't end in a single day.
While Wang-sik and Min Ha-na were hunting, others were also carrying out their roles.
Han Young-im formed a special team of seven to begin negotiations for the purchase of the uninhabited island, while simultaneously starting preparations for construction.
Oh Min-jae was also having a busy day, starting with negotiations with Count Caria.
Oh Min-jae had requested a visit, but Count Caria was unable to meet in person.
At the very least, he was able to meet the master of the Delia Trading Company in the count's stead, where he handed over the sales rights for the southern region.
After negotiations, they agreed on a 25 percent distribution margin and resolved the issue by setting an initial supply volume.
Thus, the problem with Gellick was temporarily patched up, but the last words from the master of the Delia Trading Company got on Oh Min-jae's nerves.
“As an adult, I will overlook it this one time. But I will not be so lenient next time.”
Oh Min-jae smiled and bowed his head, but he vowed to one day return those words.
After returning to Majit, Oh Min-jae began to actively support Gellick and his team's magical research.
He ate with them twice a day at set times to check on their research progress and would even participate in their discussions.
Here, Gellick and his team were greatly surprised by Oh Min-jae’s knowledge of gates.
He possessed enough knowledge to hold a conversation with them, experts in gate construction.
“Remarkable.”
It was Gellick’s honest reaction.
“To be honest, I'm surprised myself. Your skills are far more exceptional than I anticipated.”
This wasn't mere lip service.
Oh Min-jae confirmed that their skills were so outstanding that he found it absurd they had been living as wanderers.
‘The consequences of a failed gate must be this severe.’
Then again, considering the cost of gate construction, it was understandable.
“But, Master, there is something I am curious about.”
“Please, ask.”
“What are your plans after the gate is complete? Just because you create a two-way gate doesn't mean you can acquire life stones.”
A characteristic of two-way gates is that they do not involve living creatures.
They are, quite literally, just passages connecting spaces. There is no life stone connected to the gate in the first place.
Oh Min-jae answered the question without hesitation.
“I plan to cross over to the other dimension and build a gate again. Not here, but from their side.”
At those words, the three who were eating simultaneously stopped. Oh Min-jae smiled at their reaction and asked, “Here, same-dimension monster gates are forbidden, but it doesn't matter in the other dimension, does it?”
“That is true.”
“What is the gate potential within the same dimension?”
“At least three times.”
“Exactly. With your skills, I think a potential five times greater is possible.”
Potential referred to the amount of mana a gate could withstand.
This potential drops drastically during the process of connecting dimensions, a phenomenon now considered normal and referred to as the loss rate.
But what if it was within the same dimension?
The effect had already been confirmed in the historical records of the Azelan Continent.
The dimensional connection loss rate is zero.
That would mean the potential is fully preserved, allowing the gate to hold much more mana.
“We'll be able to create a gate five times more powerful than the legendary one we made last time. With the same investment and the same materials.”
Gellick and his team had no choice but to agree.
“An incredible plan.”
“Isn't it exciting?”
Naturally, Gellick and his team had excited expressions.
It was because they could design to their heart's content without mana restrictions.
“But there is a problem. Not all materials will be able to pass through the gate. We might have to procure materials on the other side. If we can't find them, we might have to research substitutes. That's why I plan to open a few more gates once we arrive.”
“You have people helping you.”
“Of course. But please keep this a secret from outsiders. It’s a sensitive issue.”
As Gellick and his team nodded, a strong resolve, unseen until now, appeared on their faces.
“You will rewrite the history of gates.”
Oh Min-jae finished his meal and stood up from his seat.
Back at the trading company, as Oh Min-jae sat in a chair in the research lab, Aisi served him tea and asked, “Is that really your plan?”
At her cautious question, Oh Min-jae smiled and replied, “It's a lie.”
“What?”
Aisi was surprised.
“So you're a good liar, too.”
“Are you disappointed?”
“No. I'm just surprised.”
“Don't worry. I've never lied to you. I don't lie to my friends.”
“Then those people…”
“They're not my friends.”
Oh Min-jae's reply was firm.
Aisi found the emotionless expression on Oh Min-jae's face unfamiliar, but she accepted it and moved on.
‘He must have his reasons.’
She didn't press him on things he didn't volunteer.
“By the way, Aisi.”
Oh Min-jae, smiling again, changed the mood and called to her.
“Could you tell me a little about your homeland?”
It was a topic he had never once asked about.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“No, it’s fine. What part are you curious about?”
“I just want to hear everything. I want to hear your story, and I’m also curious about the other races that live there.”
“The other races?”
“I'm very interested in them. I feel like I'll have to meet them someday.”
“What?”
Aisi was momentarily surprised, but seeing Oh Min-jae's smile, she slowly began her story.
Mierba, the sanctuary of the inhuman races.
Oh Min-jae became engrossed in the story, like a child listening to a fairy tale.