Chapter 101

“What is this nonsense?!” I yelled out loud but…

The blonde man making games even after reaching Transcendent Realm wore a firm expression.

“No, it can’t be.” Suddenly, a thought occurred to me and I urgently opened my stock app.

Nemesis Soft – 1,786,230 won (+615,030 won) ↑

”…Indeed.”

The stocks were skyrocketing, likely due to Sky Soft aggressively buying Nemesis Soft’s shares.

“But for a hostile takeover, it should’ve been done secretly. Why so openly… ah.” At that moment, I realized.

“Shining was a disciple of the God of Truth.”

He had also risen to become an apostle of the Honorable God. Apparently, he tried to become a priest of the God of Justice but failed.

No matter how much he was a Transcender, it seemed difficult to gain favor from the God of Justice while running a business.

“Then…that interview just now must be ‘Declaration of Truth’.”

The ability possessed by the priests of the God of Truth wasn’t simply distinguishing between truth and falsehood. If that was all, wouldn’t they just be like excellent lie detectors? The essence of truth lay in words. While accumulating virtue through speaking and discerning truths, there existed a more powerful method for the priests of Truth. It was similar to how priests of the God of Justice accumulated greater merit by punishing evildoers rather than merely upholding justice.

The core principle was simple:

‘Speak first, then make it true.’

As a priest, declaring something and achieving it, whether running ten kilometers daily or improving test scores by ten points, would contribute to their spiritual growth. The harder the task, the greater the progress.

And as this process repeats itself over time…

The power of a Priest of Truth’s word also increases.

Once a priest reaches a certain level, their declaration is no longer just words. It becomes a command that receives a kind of “correction” from the universe. It’s like the world itself starts assisting them. Subtle coincidences align favorably with their declarations, ensuring positive outcomes whenever possible. Although it doesn’t turn impossibilities into certainties, the difference between having this correction and not can be night and day.

“So his public outbursts weren’t merely due to a bad temper?”

There was a reason for these actions. Indeed, a Transcender wouldn’t move so simply.

“Ah, what should I do now?”

I calmed my confused mind and calmly observed the situation. Then, a harsh reality became clearly apparent.

“I…can’t do anything.”

I had bought as many Nemesis stocks as possible. As an actor, writer, athlete, and worker, I earned money from various sources. Additionally, the continuously falling stock prices contributed significantly to increasing the number of shares I held. However, despite all that effort…

‘All I have is just over 2,000 shares.’

Nemesis Soft’s total outstanding shares amounted to approximately 23,920,000. In other words, owning 2,000 shares doesn’t even equate to 1%, not even close to 0.1%; it falls short at merely 0.01%!

With this number of stocks, I couldn’t become either a white or black knight in the sudden stock war. Among the numerous ants, I was just slightly bigger, perhaps equivalent to soldier #1 if anything.

“Well, it is obvious…”

Who was Bae Sarang, the representative of Nemesis? She was the daughter of Baek Jae-seok, the chairman of Il-sung, the largest company in the world. With ‘only’ 1 trillion won as her pocket money, she established Nemesis independently. Many people mocked her, stating that such success would’ve been impossible without her background and attributed it to a shallow business philosophy focused solely on making money. However, these criticisms couldn’t overshadow her extraordinary achievements. In a planet dominated by Game Masters, being the top-grossing game held significant weight.

And then there’s Shining. While Bae Sarang is considered a prominent figure, he is truly a giant of our time. As both a follower of Guan Daeha and an apostle of the Honorable God, as well as a high priest of the God of Truth, he holds the title of grand mage, one of the nine classes. He is also among the ten wealthiest individuals globally. People often refer to him as the epitome of existence within Zone 34.

Of course, even I now earn amounts beyond most people’s wildest dreams through my own efforts, but compared to them, I am merely an ordinary citizen. In terms of financial resources and influence, I pale significantly against these two titans.

Nemesis - 2,809,430 won (+1,023,200 won)

“…I guess I can’t buy stocks for a while.”

As I watched the insane surge in stock prices, it dawned on me that perhaps it was time to invest in diamonds instead.

“Brat! Stop looking at those damn stocks and help with the work! How long will you rest?” The loud shout echoed throughout the spacecraft, causing me to stand up from my seat. I had paused while putting on my spacesuit for work to stare at the screen floating over Cheeda’s back:

[A refund will be gradually provided to users who have used goods before the service is terminated.]

”…Really?”

There was nothing I could do. All I could do was watch…and worry.

“They really won’t terminate the service, right?”

I couldn’t imagine what would happen when Revenge’s service ended. Maybe I would lose all game abilities and return to how things were before, or perhaps Ardenia, which already existed, would remain unchanged but no longer allow microtransactions.

Furthermore…if Revenge disappeared and Gaetame entered, it might become my new game ability.

‘But now I don’t want that.’

I had already lived for more than 20 years in Ardenia and became an emperor leading countless people. The change itself was too big of a threat to me, yet there was nothing I could do about it.

“Just take away virtual reality…”

As I prayed this way, I received another call from the workshop.

“Brat! This stock trader is really something!”

“Ah, coming! Coming!” I headed towards the workshop with a burst of anger.

It was time to focus on my work.

A new building ‘Fairy of the Moon’ was established on the moon. Kim Sungshik, the representative of Dwarf Construction, smiled broadly and congratulated his employees.

“Everyone worked hard! Once you receive your final payment, you can disperse!”

After eating enough from the mountainous pile of food, I got up from my seat. Moro, the giant sitting next to me, turned around.

“Oh! Stockholder, are you returning to Earth now?”

“Ah, it’s really annoying with all the things happening there.”

Moro was a hybrid between giants and humans. His Japanese father had saved a female giant while working as a space mercenary, leading to their union. Since most of the workers at Dwarf Construction were pure giants, they treated me particularly well as a human.

‘When I think about it, it’s quite remarkable. Giants can be over four meters tall, so how did they meet?’

Every time I saw him, I couldn’t help but marvel at his unknown father. He must’ve been an extraordinary person in many ways. After all, someone working as a space mercenary wouldn’t be ordinary.

“Haha! It’s because you can’t focus on work properly. Still, you’re truly amazing. Among pure humans, I never knew anyone could be this strong. Despite your size, you’re even stronger than an ogre.”

Mamoru laughed heartily before suddenly recalling something. “Oh, right. Have you acted in any movies? My younger brother seems to recognize you.”

The professor candidate who achieved more than 60 million viewers domestically also recorded excellent results overseas. While not record-breaking, it was close to historical levels. Thanks to this, I was able to make huge profits myself. Now, everything had been converted into stocks…

“Well, that’s true.”

“Why is a movie actor doing construction work?”

“What kind of stupid question is ‘why do you work’? Of course, it is to earn money.”

Naturally, movies made more money but I couldn’t rely solely on them. Just looking at upgrading the Mythical Castle, the costs were astronomical. I needed to keep earning.

“Hrmm, then haven’t you decided your next project yet?”

“There are some discussions.”

In fact, jae-yeon had quite a few offers on the table, not just for movies but also dramas and variety shows.

The pay isn’t to my liking, though. Plus, there’s more restrictions than I thought. It’d be better to work construction or compete in competitions.

Most fixed contracts offered similar compensation with no guaranteed bonuses, so the more he looked into it, the more appreciative he was of Alan’s offer. It seemed Alan hadn’t been exaggerating when he mentioned investors would put pressure on him regarding this deal.

jae-yeon shook his head at Mamoru’s suggestion. “Hmm, how about you come to our Christmas party? My younger sister works in film as well, so you two should have plenty to talk about.”

“Ah, I can’t at that time. I already have a schedule.”

“Oh, indeed you are a celebrity. How about January 1st?”

“It might be possible then. However, I won’t be able to stay long due to many commitments.”

In this busy modern society, once work was finished here, I needed to find new employment elsewhere.

“You live on such a tight schedule… With just the money from this construction site, you could take several months off.”

“I don’t earn money just for living expenses.”

Finally, after completing all my tasks, I returned to Earth through a warp gate. There was no time to relax with so much scheduled ahead.

“Chung Corner! A terrifying rookie advancing rapidly towards pro status! Emperor! Han Jae-yeon!”

The opponents were still weak.

I had surpassed amateur level but was still semi-pro, so my opponents were of moderate quality. Among them, the strongest ones had just reached the Completed Being stage. There was no need for a license in this free-for-all environment, but I needed to participate in a minimum number of matches to become pro. Thus, whenever opportunities arose, I consistently competed.

“That’s a very audacious nickname. A bright blue newbie calling yourself ‘Emperor’?” My opponent provoked me.

My response could only be a punch.

Kwahng!

“Down! Down! Blue corner wins!”

After finishing the match, I returned home.

“But he always pondered. What is a sword? Is the meaning contained within these movements more valuable than life and death? Shine Sight amidst the battlefield…” The video recording continued as I slept.

“Ah, it’s a waste of time…”

Whenever possible, I preferred not to sleep on Earth. Sleeping meant losing potential earning hours. However, with Ardenia facing urgent circumstances, what choice did I have? Regardless, after waking up…

If possible, I didn’t want to sleep on Earth. Sleeping meant losing time that could’ve been spent making money. However, the situation was urgent in Ardenia as well.

Anyway, after waking up, I put on my usual suit and headed towards the hotel.

“Last year, they gave me accommodation vouchers but not this year.”

Despite Revenge’s steady revenue, the treatment of VVIPs had become careless. Rather than poor customer management by Nemesis, it likely reflected their dwindling cash reserves due to the ongoing stock war.

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

I stopped walking towards the hotel.

“Meow.”

As soon as I met Cheeda’s eyes, he understood what was wanted and jumped onto a nearby railing to display the stock screen.

‘Indeed, it is automatic. Maromaru would complain about being a stock addict.’

Despite not buying or selling any stocks immediately, I kept checking them whenever there was a chance. However, it couldn’t be helped. Anyone would’ve done the same thing.

Nemesis – 20,459,430 won (+2,011,800 won) ↑

“Wah.” Once again, I was impressed.

“Wow, really.”

The overwhelming red color was too striking.