Part 1 Chapter 10 13

The monsters showed no sign of decreasing, and the cities where people used to live gradually became desolate.

People searched for places they hadn’t lived before to establish new homes, and the power of their abilities became the driving force that allowed human civilization to take root even in the barren wilderness.

Underground Kingdom.

Sky Garden.

Antarctic Fortress.

Desert Palace.

Just as the Architect created a dugout underground in Dongjak to avoid the monsters, ability users with similar powers to the Architect each created habitats for humans to live in, avoiding the monsters in their own ways.

If issues arose regarding property ownership in Seoul, it would simply be a matter of creating a separate world for the existing residents and the Azure Syndicate.

Or creating a new empty space the size of Seoul in an area 1km underground in Seoul.

Or floating an island in the sky above Seoul.

It was a method beyond human common sense, but it was the most suitable way to solve the current problem.

Since it would go either above or below Seoul, there would be no need to travel far, and from the Azure Syndicate’s perspective, it would be extremely easy to manage.

A city exclusively for the Azure Syndicate, built either above or below Seoul.

This was a concept I brought from the original work, assuming the worst-case scenario, and it was the most appropriate solution to avoid conflict with New Seoul.

“First, a question.”

Cheon Gaeul raised her hand and asked, representing the executives.

“Is that feasible?”

“Of course.”

I drew a square with my finger.

“If only we had the Cube. But this requires several conditions….”

I glanced at the executives, sensing that the explanation would be long.

It was ironic that I, as the leader, had to gauge the executives’ mood before speaking, but fortunately, this time, they didn’t interrupt or preempt me.

“First, explain it.”

“Starting with whether it’s feasible.”

The executives seemed quite interested in the concept I had brought up. I cleared my throat, took a sip of my drink, and then explained as concisely and understandably as possible.

“Do you remember Seok Harang freezing the sea around Busan and freely controlling the Yangtze River?”

“Yes. That’s SS-rank power, isn’t it?”

“More precisely, it’s the power of ‘Spirits’. The ‘Earth, Water, Fire, Wind’ category, which I, Seok Harang, and two others belong to, has a close relationship with nature.”

I wanted to elaborate more on the theory of attributes, but seeing Deokbae’s decaying expression, I returned to the main topic.

“So, each Spirit can freely control its respective element of nature. For example, if ‘Hydra of the Earth Wheel’, an Earth attribute, awakens as a Spirit, creating an island the size of Yeouido would be no big deal.”

“Conversely, you could create that much space underground, right?”

“That’s correct, Architect.”

The possibilities of mana and abilities are endless, and those at their peak are Spirits. Hydra has the ability to overturn an entire land or to reclaim an entire land anew.

“Since I’ve already used Yeouido as an example, let’s continue explaining based on Yeouido. So, now for the next step. Whether it’s a floating island or an underground cavity, the land has been prepared. Then, what about the buildings?”

The executives fell into thought at my question.

“Isn’t the Architect’s ability restoration? Can new buildings be constructed above or below ground?”

“No. It’s impossible. It would take a lot of effort to create something new.”

“Then what do we do? Lift the land with the buildings on it?”

“If we did that, they’d chase us all the way to the sky and demand the buildings back.”

“……Are you guys idiots?”

Deokbae thumped the table with his hand.

“You said ‘Spirit’ of Earth attribute, right? Then you just need to awaken me and the Architect to S-rank?”

“……Can we?”

“Of course. It’s possible.”

Deokbae subtly appealed, hoping to become S-rank himself. Normally, I would have rebuked him, but he had hit the nail on the head, so I elaborated to the dumbfounded Architect.

“If your ability awakens to S-rank, you’ll probably be able to handle buildings like molding clay. Similar to your current restoration speed, you’ll create new buildings from your mind. Of course, that much mana will be consumed.”

“We, the Azure Syndicate, have the ability to supply that much Core.”

Just by restoring Seoul, the Architect’s ability and the Azure Syndicate’s Core supply capability had already proven their true worth.

“It’ll actually be easier. Frankly speaking, it’s just a matter of creating a city that only 60,000 Seoul residents and the Azure Syndicate will enter.”

“…….”

The Architect was dumbfounded. He seemed overjoyed and out of his mind at the thought of becoming S-rank and building a city.

“Ah, I see. So that’s why the Leader-nim said he needed time? Until the Earth-attribute Spirit awakens?”

“Yes. It will probably be two years before they truly begin their activities. So, at the very earliest, that guy will appear two years from now.”

“Can’t we catch them before then?”

“Impossible. I don’t know where they are. We’d have to search the entire world with a fine-tooth comb.”

The only Spirit whose whereabouts I knew was not an Earth attribute. Deokbae was quite disappointed, but there was nothing to be done.

“No, two years isn’t enough.”

The Architect, having regained his composure, shook his head and declared firmly.

“You can’t build a city in the blink of an eye! We’re not just going to replicate Seoul’s appearance, are we?! Boss, when are you setting the deadline?!”

“……I’ve said it once, it’s five years and six months from now. By then, deadline or not, the world might end.”

“Then that’s enough. I’m starting the new city project right away tomorrow.”

“It’s not completely decided yet.”

Gaeul calmed the Architect.

“Let’s say you build a city underground or above ground. What about transportation? Drinking water? Are you going to fly people around every time they need to move?”

“We’ll build elevators. Elevators that go up and down between the original Seoul and the new city. Would that be difficult when creating an entirely new city?”

“The highest floor an elevator goes in the Burj Khalifa is around 500m, I believe. Double that length would be easily produced if Core processing is involved.”

“So it’s a high-tech Core city? …That’s quite appealing.”

“Just a moment, please wait.”

Haneulseong poured cold water on the executives, who were swelling with sweet dreams.

“What about drinking water? Air? Sunlight? No matter how versatile the Core and Cube are, if those aren’t properly implemented, won’t the city’s functionality be ruined?”

“……Ryu Cheon-seong.”

I answered him clearly, as he was still judging with human common sense.

“If the Earth Spirit creates islands, the Wind Spirit circulates the atmosphere, and the Water Spirit creates rivers, isn’t that the end of it?”

“……That’s true, too.”

Ryu Cheon-seong was confused but nodded. In my judgment, Ryu Cheon-seong didn’t understand but nodded as if he did.

“Hmm…”

“It’s hard to grasp just by words, isn’t it?”

The executives also seemed to not fully grasp my words. Left with no choice, I stood up from the sofa and changed my body into a monstrous human form.

[Hmm. Just a moment, wait.]

I stepped about six paces away from the executives and gripped the air as if holding a ball with both hands.

Hwareuk, Hwareureuk.

Blue flames began to gather and coalesce in the center of my hands, and the executives were mesmerized and admired the warm light. I tossed and caught the blue ball, which had grown to the size of a tennis ball, in the air, showing it to the executives.

[Does this give you a rough idea?]

“What is that?”

“Isn’t it just a fireball?”

The executives seemed to have no clue at all. Even S-rank Gaeul seemed to have no idea about the identity of the blue flame sphere in my hand.

[It’s not just a fireball; this is my Ultimate Skill.]

“……What?”

All the executives froze. I spun the Azure Flame sphere on my index finger as if performing a trick with a basketball.

[Like Gwanggeom’s arena, SS-ranks each have a special move. Don’t S-ranks as well? Their own signature techniques. When that reaches SS-rank, it truly sublimates into an ultimate secret art. ]

“Th-that kind of secret art is that tiny sphere…?”

[Yes. I made it small for the demonstration.]

I gently rolled the sphere onto the table.

[Solar Core (太陽核). It’s a sun that infinitely causes nuclear fusion. I reduced its size for the demonstration, but if it explodes, it’s on the level of a decent atomic bomb-]

“Uwaaaah?!?!”

The executives screamed and hid behind the sofa. I felt unnecessarily embarrassed.

[Why such a strong aversion?]

“Are you crazy?! What if it explodes?!”

Gaeul yelled back in a fit of anger. I crushed the Solar Core with my hand.

Kkadeuk, Kkadeudeuk!

“Kyaaaah!”

“You crazy motherfucker!”

The executives made a fuss and exited the lounge. The Solar Core was consumed by the Azure Flame that bloomed from my hand and vanished, and I lightly dusted off my hands before sitting back on the sofa.

[Ahem.]

I changed back into my human form and called the fleeing executives back to their places.

“Well… I’m sorry for startling you, but I showed it to you to let you know that a Fire-attribute Spirit can do this much. I never imagined you’d be that surprised.”

“L-Leader-nim. Is it really on the level of an atomic bomb?”

Kim Ji-hwa pushed up her glasses and asked. The frame was slightly bent, perhaps from being stepped on when she fell.

“Of course not.”

“Right?”

“It far surpasses an atomic bomb. It’s an Ultimate Skill; would it end with just the firepower of an atomic bomb? It’s much stronger than that.”

It could become even stronger if it reached the mythical stage, but this was my current limit.

“L-Leader-nim. Then, if you don’t mind me asking…”

Yooishin asked me, trembling.

“The reason you usually fight with hand-to-hand combat…?”

“Ah. Well.”

I felt embarrassed, and a laugh escaped me naturally.

“Anyway, I’m trying to protect the Earth, so how can someone who claims to protect world peace end up destroying the Earth?”

“…….”

The executives fell silent. In that silence, I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles.

“Ah, anyway, what I want to say is this. If I use my ability, it’s possible to create a sun even underground. It won’t be exactly the same as a real one, but it’ll be almost identically reproduced. So don’t worry. I’m only talking about it because whether it’s a floating continent or an underground kingdom, it’s truly feasible.”

“Ha, haha, ha….”

The executives looked at each other and let out hollow laughs. As the absurd story became reality thanks to the trinity of mana, abilities, and Spirits, they seemed to need time to compose themselves.

“…This is just a plan based on the worst-case scenario. If the residents of Seoul and New Seoul dramatically reconcile, then this imagination would be completely useless. I’m just saying this is possible, so don’t take it too seriously-“

“Let’s do it.”

“I agree too.”

“I also agree.”

“I think it’s a good idea too.”

“Deal.”

“This is something we can’t not do.”

“……?”

All the executives adopted my suggestion straight away.

“Wh-what? Are you pitying me now? When have you ever accepted an opinion close to my deadline, and now you’re all agreeing as if you’ve conspired together? What does that make me?”

“Leader-nim. The Black Flame Dragon will also agree. Shall I go ask him?”

“Th-that’s fine.”

Yooishin dashed off like an arrow and brought back a video of him asking the Black Flame Dragon’s opinion. The Black Flame Dragon spread its wings and nodded vigorously.

[If it’s a utopia created by God, it’s more than welcome.]

“Wh-what…?”

“Okay. All seven executives agree. What will you do, Leader-nim?”

Gaeul pressured me as their representative. All of them looked as if they would stage a rebellion if I didn’t make a decision.

“……No, well. If you guys like it, then let’s do it.”

I was bewildered by how anticlimactically the meeting had ended. I never imagined Seoul’s problem would be resolved so easily. From now on, I could comfortably focus on conquering Spirits-

“It absolutely has to be a Sky Garden. A city floating in the sky, how romantic is that?”

“Romantic my ass. Of course, it should be an Underground Kingdom, shouldn’t it? A space like another world that unfolds when you take the elevator down…”

“My alias calls for destiny. It’s definitely the sky. We’ll build a castle in the sky.”

“Stop being so greedy. I’m the one building it, right? We’ll have to think about expanding the land later, won’t we?”

The meeting showed no signs of ending.

I regretted bringing up the topic unnecessarily, but the executives’ debate, where they logically persuaded their opponents and asserted their own arguments, was like watching philosophers gathered at the Academy of Athens.

“Hoo.”

Watching their heated debate from the side, my heart was moved.

‘It would have been a disaster if I had brought up another topic.’

I genuinely thought it was fortunate that the topic of terraforming hadn’t come out of my mouth.