The Emperor's Territory
The ground rumbled and surged at Han Yujin's gesture.
Where there had once been nothing but ordinary soil, shimmering runes rose and seeped into the earth. The dirt transformed into elegant, pale-gray stone with a pleasing texture. Natural patterns emerged across its surface, giving the rock an air of refined beauty.
In some places, the stone was deliberately flattened and polished until it became as smooth and transparent as glass.
It is common knowledge that creation is far more difficult than destruction. Just as building a small earthen hut requires far more effort than tearing one down.
In that sense, what Han Yujin was doing now was more than enough to inspire awe of a different kind. He was single-handedly completing a construction project that would normally have taken several years, and at an astonishing speed.
Park Heewon, who had been watching the spectacle from beside him, finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"Be honest with me, man. Are you a returnee?"
"...What?"
"You know, regressor, possessor, reincarnator. Are you any of those three?"
Han Yujin let out a small snort of laughter and shook his head.
"If I had to pick, I'd say I'm closer to a dimensional traveler."
"...Holy shit! I knew it! I freaking knew it!"
The guy got excited as if he'd uncovered some massive secret. After cracking a few more jokes, he suddenly glanced down at the Spacer Ring on his index finger.
It was a gift from Han Yujin after the kidnapping incident had been resolved. Inside it were some of the Galactic Empire devices he'd shown him before.
Originally, Han Yujin had planned to give it to him after he finished the rift exploration training and officially became a hunter. But given everything that had happened, he'd handed it over early.
"...This is seriously from the Galactic Empire? The Lumina stuff?"
"It is."
"...The Galactic Empire? Like the one I'm imagining? The one with spaceships that warp across the universe, battleships that blow up entire planets with their main cannons, that kind of thing?"
"That's the one."
"For real? You're not bullshitting me?"
"If you don't believe me, don't ask."
After getting scolded, Park Heewon stopped doubting and pulled out the Lumina Sword. He examined the blade from tip to hilt, marveling at the faint golden SF-style weapon.
When he channeled mana into it, a soft glow spread across the sword, radiating a sharpness that felt like it could slice flesh just by looking at it. Park Heewon kept playing with the blade as if he were completely enchanted.
"Your family doing okay?" Han Yujin suddenly asked.
As he spoke, he moved his hand again. A section of the ground rose with a deep rumble.
Distracted once more by the incredible sight, Park Heewon nodded.
"They're fine."
He answered, then fell silent for a second before suddenly adding, "Ding ding ding ding ding."
"...What?"
The rising earth paused for a moment. The sudden childish onomatopoeia had thrown him off.
Yet Park Heewon looked completely proud despite the incredulous stare he received.
"You don't know this meme? Man... stop living under a rock and browse the internet sometimes."
"......"
"If I were you, I'd be ego-searching all day. 'Earth's Absolute Being Han Yujin,' damn...! That missile barrage dodge never gets old no matter how many times I watch it. You know the entire defense industry got wrecked because of you, right?"
"If only the defense sector was the only thing that got wrecked."
"Yeah, I heard the whole market rode a crazy rollercoaster. I don't trade stocks so I don't know the details, but apparently gold and mana stones went through the roof in the physical market?"
Han Yujin already knew this from the brief report he'd received from Neo Dominion, but he nodded along as they continued their conversation.
Meanwhile, at the same time.
Young Lee Won-hee, who had also been watching the 'construction' nearby, kept stealing glances at the quiet woman standing beside her.
She had already been introduced as someone with the same name, and the woman always kept her eyes closed. Even so, there was something strangely familiar about her that Lee Won-hee couldn't quite put into words. Her appearance also felt oddly familiar, stirring a faint sense of closeness.
"Sister... how long have you known Uncle?"
When the young girl finally asked cautiously, the woman who had been standing silently turned her head to look down at her.
Her eyes were still closed, and she wasn't even smiling, which sent a sudden, inexplicable chill down Lee Won-hee's spine.
"...Huh?"
The voice seemed to whisper right beside her ear. Lee Won-hee flinched in surprise and asked again, but the woman simply turned her head back toward Han Yujin without saying another word. Lee Won-hee didn't have the courage to speak to her again.
Rumble...!
Boom...!
In the midst of this otherwise peaceful and leisurely atmosphere, the only sounds that echoed softly were the wondrous noises of Han Yujin's construction.
This was no temporary base to be abandoned later. Han Yujin had poured considerable effort into building every single structure.
The materials created personally by the Origin True Person using his art of confusion could not possibly be shoddy. He had also paid close attention to structural integrity, and as each building was completed, he had carved essential formations into them. The result was extraordinarily sturdy.
Of course, they were far more than simply sturdy.
For formations to function properly, spirit stones were required. But Han Yujin didn't have mere spirit stones—he had a massive pile of Honwon Stones he'd brought back from the Primordial Forest.
While the ones embedded in the stone pillars had been left inside the Mountain Sea Pearl, the amount he'd gathered and dug up from the surrounding land was by no means small. There was more than enough to distribute throughout the buildings.
Thanks to this, not only did the formations activate properly, but the concentration of spiritual energy in the entire area had grown significantly denser.
He couldn't simply let that dense spiritual energy dissipate freely, so he had also built a wall surrounding the grounds.
On the surface, it looked like nothing more than an attractive stone wall. In truth, it was a formation structure that blocked external intrusion and attacks while containing the spiritual energy within.
The buildings inside the grounds included dormitories, a grand auditorium, annexes, and more. Outdoor facilities consisted of training grounds, sparring arenas, and spirit gardens. Scattered throughout were decorative structures with no practical use but which enhanced the aesthetics, along with rock gardens, artificial waterfalls, and similar features.
As the crowning touch, he had planted numerous ornamental trees from the Galactic Empire across the grounds, creating beautiful green spaces. Mu-yong had eagerly scurried about, using the White Cloud Moisture Technique and Black Cloud Deep Soil Technique to grow them beautifully in a very short time.
The plants had already been selectively bred to grow quickly without excessive overgrowth, but since Mu-yong had already reached the critical stage of her development, creating lush greenery was child's play for her.
And so.
The completed grounds were truly satisfying. All the spare moments he'd spent brainstorming and finalizing the design beforehand had been more than worth it.
The modern yet refined buildings blended beautifully with the greenery. The rocky peaks, rock gardens, small waterfalls, streams, and ponds created an exquisite Eastern aesthetic.
Since he could bring in as much as he wanted with enough Karma, he had invested Honwon Stones without restraint. As a result, the spiritual energy density inside the grounds was already three or four times higher than outside.
The preparations to accept students were now largely complete.
Having made that judgment, he summoned his augmented reality interface and contacted Park Seryong.
Sierra Blake, a Canadian woman in her mid-twenties, an A-rank hunter, and a personal broadcast influencer.
One week after arriving in Korea, she finally got to head out to attend Han Yujin's lecture.
From managing the attendee list to providing transportation, the Korean government had rolled up its sleeves and handled everything. Thanks to that, despite a few minor hiccups, there had been no major inconveniences.
"We're almost there, everyone!"
She had turned on her broadcast a little while ago and was relaying the situation to her viewers. Since she genuinely enjoyed broadcasting, she couldn't possibly pass up an opportunity like this.
And as if to prove just how much global attention Han Yujin had drawn recently, her viewer count—which normally hovered around one or two thousand—had now skyrocketed to nearly six figures.
Thanks to that, she was able to continue her broadcast in an even more excited state. Her excitement reached its peak when they finally arrived at the place that had already earned the humorous nickname "The Emperor's Territory."
The awakened hunters disembarked under the guidance of Korean government officials and stood in orderly fashion. She continued her broadcast while trying not to stand out too much and roughly estimated the number of people.
"There were definitely over ten thousand people who entered the country, but it looks like only a little over a thousand actually came here."
As she spoke, she subtly panned her camera across the hunters.
With so many viewers, the chat was scrolling so fast it was nearly impossible to read. Still, with the dynamic vision of an A-rank hunter, Sierra Blake didn't miss the most frequently appearing messages.
"Yes, yes, that's right. There are a lot of famous faces here, aren't there? Those of you watching through the screen might not realize it, but even the weakest person here feels like a veteran B-rank to me."
After chatting for a while longer.
Once identity verification according to the list was complete, people began entering through the wide-open main gate.
The moment she stepped inside, she forgot she was supposed to be broadcasting and froze in shock, speechless. The mana density was three or four times thicker than outside—if she wasn't surprised, she wouldn't be an awakened.
Only after a moment did she speak again, stuttering slightly from excitement, while turning her smartphone camera in every direction to show the interior.
"Oh my god... Can you believe this place was built in just a few days? And that one person made it all by himself...? Does that even make sense?"
It felt like stepping into an Eastern-style fantasy world. Looking at the grand buildings harmonizing with the beautiful scenery, she almost felt like she was dreaming.
She couldn't believe it was real, yet the sight before her eyes was undeniable reality.
Naturally, the hundreds of thousands of viewers watching her broadcast went absolutely wild. The chat flooded with requests to show more details.
But this wasn't the time to move around freely.
She and the other awakened were all guided toward the grand auditorium building.
It was spacious and comfortable enough to host a concert. The ceiling glowed like a galaxy, illuminating the hall with light that was clearly not electric. That alone sparked yet another wave of amazement.
Everyone took their seats and turned their attention to the platform ahead. A thousand people was by no means a small number, but since they were all verified talents with a clear purpose for being here, there was no significant commotion.
A short while later.
After the officials who had been guiding them all left and a quiet murmur filled the air.
Han Yujin finally appeared. Everyone—including Sierra Blake, who had been whispering nonstop into her broadcast—fell silent in an instant.
She had originally planned to point her camera at him the moment he appeared.
But strangely, she couldn't.
Watching him walk slowly to the center of the platform, she felt an inexplicable sense of overwhelming pressure. She couldn't bring herself to do anything rash.
In fact, for the first time in her broadcasting career, even though her viewer count had broken six figures, she couldn't bring herself to continue. She simply ended the stream.
Around that time.
Han Yujin swept his gaze across everyone. The moment Sierra Blake's eyes met his, a shiver ran down her spine.
Even though the distance was considerable, it felt as if he were staring directly into her eyes from inches away. At the same time, she felt a terrifying sensation as if every hidden thought inside her had been pierced through and seen through. Despite his appearance suggesting he was only in his mid-twenties, she didn't feel he was young at all.
No, it was more than that.
It didn't even feel like she was facing another human being.
Though he had the form of a person, he seemed like something far more transcendent—an existence of such lofty essence that it looked down upon all things from above.
Han Yujin spoke. Even without a microphone, his voice reached everyone clearly. At the same time, it felt as if it were ringing directly inside their heads.
His tone was calm, yet everyone understood that this was a serious warning.
The following warning sent chills down everyone's spines. Some even trembled slightly.
A brief silence followed.
Obviously, no fool who had come this far would choose to walk out.
Just as everyone wondered what they were supposed to receive, a dreamlike violet light flickered before each of them. A necklace appeared and floated gently down.
"Whoa...!"
"Hmm...!"
Suppressed gasps and murmurs leaked out from various places. Sierra Blake barely held back a short scream as she caught the necklace.
Its overall shape resembled a military dog tag.
However, the metal chain was crafted with exquisite precision, and the pendant was a white, translucent jade that felt light and pleasant to the touch. Mysterious, indecipherable patterns were engraved across its surface.
Sierra Blake was no fool; she understood every explanation perfectly.
However, understanding something and accepting it were two entirely different matters.
The fact that such a necklace had appeared before everyone was already astonishing. Yet the idea that simply dripping blood on it would make it function as both identification and an access pass—and that it would lose its power if taken too far—was beyond comprehension.
'Just... what kind of person is he?'
With that question heavy with many implications, she stared at Han Yujin on the platform with a slightly dazed expression.
Just from what she had witnessed so far, it was clear he harbored secrets as deep as the power he had demonstrated to the world.
Without even realizing it, a deep curiosity and a certain longing began to shine and flicker in her eyes.