The Concubine's Booming Empire

EP 6 Elite University Class at Retake Academy

Baek Seol’s SNS had recently entered a period of explosive growth. The position of concubine was one that even most women could not easily reach. The news that a retake student from the Refined Realm had claimed that spot sent shockwaves through the community. The fact ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that the person in question had a history of demon possession only fueled her popularity further.

Being selected despite such adverse conditions was precisely why she had become a sensation.

“I have no choice but to ride this wave.”

Baek Seol launched her advising business.

The countless women rushing toward her looked like nothing more than delicious prey in Baek Seol’s eyes.

“I’ll take their money, climb to even greater heights.”

“And in doing so, I’ll be helping Yoo Ji-tae-nim.”

Baek Seol, still in her hospital room, clenched her fist and made her resolve. Just then, a private message arrived from someone who had reached the Sacred Lotus Realm.

“Huh?”

Baek Seol kept trying to continue her advising business, only to be repeatedly blocked. Unable to watch any longer, Marbas spoke up.

“Hey, hey. Of course they’d throw you away if you say you’re a concubine who hasn’t even done dual cultivation. They’re filtering you out.”

“…Is that how it is?”

“Hey. You. You don’t understand the wise-wife-and-good-mother types better than I do? There are plenty of men who just toss a document at a woman and call it a day by making her a concubine. It’s their way of saying ‘take this and get lost.’ If you admit you haven’t done dual cultivation, they’ll naturally assume that’s the case, don’t you think?”

After thinking for a moment, Baek Seol posted a new message on her SNS.

Baek Seol’s SNS once again entered a period of explosive growth.

EP 6 Elite University Class at Retake Academy

I received a detailed explanation about constitutions from Han Ji-min. A mage’s constitution is divided into various categories. There are dual cultivation types, martial artist types, sword cultivator types, beast cultivator types, and many more. If you include rare types and undisclosed constitutions, the number becomes impossible to count.

The most common constitution is the dual cultivation type. It isn’t because everyone trains primarily in dual cultivation, but because the first basic constitution everyone obtains is the Dual Cultivation Body (B). The process of refining a constitution follows a set path: first obtain the Dual Cultivation Body (B), then choose a compatible category and evolve the constitution in that direction. After obtaining the Dual Cultivation Body, one might choose the Sword Cultivation Body or the Beast Cultivation Body, for example.

While listening to Han Ji-min’s explanation, I searched for the Ssangsu Mado Sinche (S). The Ssangsu Mado Sinche (S) was considered one of the highest-grade constitutions even among dual cultivation types. Because it was an area that could not be reached without a divine bloodline in the user’s body, it was a constitution that ordinary mages could only dream of. Even professors in the Dual Cultivation Department at Korea University only possessed the Dual Cultivation Magic Body (A) or the Dual Cultivation Unity Body (A) at best, and there were almost no mages capable of properly appraising the value of constitutions. Moreover, the constitution that had appeared before me even had the ability to copy the constitutions of others. It was truly a divine constitution. It would be foolish not to choose it.

“But… to use this constitution, I would have to overlap bodies with various women.”

“I hate getting involved with women, which is why I’m aiming for higher realms. If I end up dual cultivating with multiple women in the process, that would be putting the cart before the horse.”

For now, I decided to search through various constitutions and put off following the recipe for the Ssangsu Mado Sinche. “I’ll think about it more.” “Besides, there are too many required materials.”

My gaze turned toward the required materials listed in the recipe.

The materials were ordinary, versatile ingredients used in artifact crafting. The points were manageable to some extent. But the very first item was something I had never heard of before.

“…Dual Cultivation Technique?”

“Ji-tae?! Are you interested in dual cultivation?”

Han Ji-min excitedly clung to my arm, pressing her chest against me.

“I’ve raised my Dual Cultivation Technique to Lv.7. I can teach you really well.”

“No. I need the technique manual.”

“Ah. That’s sold online! I’ll add you as a friend!”

When I registered on the website Han Ji-min sent me, she immediately sent me a discount coupon. Because the Dual Cultivation Technique corresponded to a 3rd-grade common magic, the PDF containing the forms was sold online. With the discount, I could obtain it for around twenty million won. In the past, I would have trembled at such an expensive price, but now that I was earning money in units of one billion won per day, it didn’t move me at all.

“Of course, most of that money goes toward buying potions and elixirs, so I can’t exactly call myself wealthy… but at least it’s not at a level where I need to worry about money.”

“The real problem is the required materials.”

“To buy this many different materials, I would need at least several hundred billion won. The money I’m earning now is all being spent on enhancers and elixirs. If I divert it here, my growth will slow down.”

If the constitution I was trying to create was a basic one like the Dual Cultivation Body, it wouldn’t cost that much. But if I was going to choose one, I wanted the best possible. In the end, it all came back to money.

“A mage’s training really does require endless amounts of money.”

“…For now, I need to keep thinking of ways to earn money.”

After finishing Baek Eum Seonggun’s lecture in the auditorium and stepping outside, I could see expansion construction work happening on the outskirts of the third-floor city. When I expanded my view with the Four Heavens Returning Movement, it looked like they were building a bridge at the edge of a cliff and reinforcing the lower supports to extend the land horizontally. Below that stretched an endless sky whose end could not be measured. The moment one fell, it would be the end of their life. That much was clear.

“Is this also an effect of the space expansion formation? No, perhaps various space-time magic and civil engineering magic were used as well.”

“It seems they’re planning to expand the farmland. Food demand has increased this year as the number of residents on each floor has grown.”

Looking closely, I could see people farming, tilling the soil on wooden planks.

“Hmm. Right. If they built high-rise buildings there, the ground would collapse. It can’t be used for anything other than farmland.”

“It’s not necessarily like that? They can use anti-gravity space. Of course, whether it would turn a profit is another matter.”

“Ah. I see.”

I took in the scene and checked my watch. There was still time before I needed to head home. I wanted to wander around and experience the various facilities.

“Where should we go next?”

Han Ji-min pressed her chest against my arm and began rubbing her cheek against my shoulder.

“Ji-tae. Let’s go to the dual cultivation training ground together…?”

“Dual cultivation training ground? Huh? There weren’t any men in this academy originally. Did you do it with just women?”

“No. Even so, they wouldn’t do something like that. Originally, they used VR dual cultivation with dual cultivation artifacts. Still, training works much better when done with an actual man, right? So… let’s do it together?”

“Huh? Is that how it is?”

“Yeah. Modern magic was created for men in the first place. When you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠train together with a man, your magic level grows dozens of times faster, and if your feelings are strong, it can grow hundreds of times faster.”

“…Ah. So that’s why…!”

“The special scholarship for bedroom arts wasn’t to satisfy women’s sexual desires!! It was all for training!!”

“Hmm. Somehow it feels embarrassing.”

“Umm? What is?”

Han Ji-min pressed her entire body against me. Her cheeks flushed red, her expression as if she were melting, and even the way she stood on tiptoe to push herself closer.

“This isn’t just releasing sexual desire either. It’s purely a training act.”

I felt embarrassed at myself.

“Ji-min, you’re really admirable….”

“Want to do it together? I’m really good at dual cultivation, Ji-tae.”

“Sorry. I’m heading home for today.”

“……Huh? W-why? You said I was admirable….”

Han Ji-min’s disappointment was obvious. But I had received far too much information today.

“…J-Ji-tae. Did I do something to upset you…?”

“I’ll prepare properly and come back.”

Han Ji-min was truly serious about training. It wouldn’t be right to approach someone like her half-heartedly.

“See you tomorrow, Ji-min.”

I placed my hand on Han Ji-min’s head and gently stroked it. Han Ji-min’s expression became dreamy as she gazed at me intently.

“…Yeah. Okay… Ji-tae…. Hehe….”

“Good girl….”

“…Yeah. Mm-hmm…. Bye. Ji-tae.”

After returning home, I checked my attributes.

*****

Elite University Class, 5th Floor. Dual Cultivation Training Ground.

Han Ji-min ran up and held out her card.

“E-excuse me! You can customize dual cultivation avatars here, right?!”

“Yes, that is correct. Would you like us to create one for you? Or would you prefer to set it up yourself?”

“Ah. I’ll make it myself!”

“What about a massage?”

“I’m fine!”

“Understood. The cost has been calculated, but creating a usable dual cultivation avatar is quite difficult. If you don’t mind, I can adjust it for you directly.”

Han Ji-min hesitated for a moment. During that time, the receptionist whispered into her ear.

“Our training ground will never leak a customer’s secrets. Please feel free to speak.”

“Is it okay to use a real person?”

“Yes. If you provide a photo and name, we will create it based on the actual person. Of course, the creation cost is quite high, but we guarantee your satisfaction.”

“…Alright. I’ll trust you with it.”

Han Ji-min paid and entered the VR dual cultivation room. The cushion-like humanoid artifact had a flat body. Recognition codes were engraved across its entire surface, and beside it was a VR display device, making it clear that it was a humanoid artifact specialized for VR.

Han Ji-min put on the VR display.

“Please make it Yoo Ji-tae.”

“Ah. That gentleman. We just finished creating one. Let’s begin right away.”

Yoo Ji-tae’s appearance was projected onto the cushion before her.

“Ah… J-Ji-tae…”

Han Ji-min’s Dual Cultivation Technique level rose to 8.

*****

“Hmm.”

While training my mental technique at home, new gratitude point notifications kept appearing. I thought it was Wi Seol-ah, but the tone was a bit different. It was probably the students from the Elite University Class.

“…I’ll just ignore them.”

Following what I saw online, I filled a cup halfway with water and began checking my attribute. If I placed both hands on the cup and channeled mana into it, a reaction would appear. Through that reaction, I could determine my attribute… or so the internet said.

I placed the cup on the table and held it with both hands.

“Huu.”

I visualized the mana flowing inside me as particles and concentrated those particles at my fingertips. After about ten seconds, a change began to occur in the water. Gradually, the water inside the cup started to ripple.

“Good.”

The important part came next. This was the easiest way to check one’s attribute, but because the change was minute, careful observation was required. I opened my eyes and observed carefully. One minute passed like that.

The water inside the cup began to boil vigorously.

“…It said the change would be minute.”

My attribute had been identified in an absurd manner. Since the water had heated up, it was the fire attribute.

“Well, Hephaestus is also the god of volcanoes.”

I poured the water into the sink. As the water drained, it made a dripping sound.

“Huh?”

When I looked at the sink, there were countless black particles soaked in water.

“What is this?”

When I took them out and touched them, they felt like lumps of iron sand.

“…Is it not the fire ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠attribute?”

When I searched it up, the answer came out. The appearance of iron sand indicated the steel attribute. In other words, my attributes were fire and steel.

“Dual attributes….”

Dual attributes were a rare case that appeared very infrequently. If there was only one reason why it had suddenly manifested in me, there was only one possibility.

“It must be Hephaestus’s influence.”

I didn’t really know. I simply sat still and began operating the Taeguk Cheonji Simbeop. About three hours passed like that when a message arrived.

It was a message from Taeguk Singun, Lee Seon-hee.

Although Taeguk Singun looked to be around my age when only looking at her face, I had grown accustomed to sending messages like this.

Cold sweat poured out in torrents.