Chapter 126

“You have tax issues.”

“What…what do you mean?”

“Tax issues. Were you unaware of it?”

I requested a space mercenary assessment from Seoul City Hall but ended up receiving a different kind of evaluation instead.

“Let’s see, your total unpaid taxes amount to 8,743,203,210 won… Wait, what? Are you the owner of a large corporation? This is an enormous sum…” The man in the distinctive blue uniform worn by Seoul City Hall employees rubbed his eyes at the numbers displayed on the screen, seemingly doubting them.

Meanwhile, I doubted my own ears. “8.7 billion won…?”

The staggering figure left me feeling disoriented. For a while, I had been unable to do anything as I tried to repay a debt of 1.3 billion won. Finally, after fully restoring my abilities and aiming to become a cosmic mercenary for new purchases, tax bills were now being thrown at me?

‘Ah, of course. Yes. Taxes… there would be.’

In Ardenia, I was in charge of collecting taxes so I naturally recognized their necessity. In order for society to function, it is obvious that taxes must be collected from its members. The problem was that until now, I had never paid any taxes myself. If I did pay taxes, they were indirect ones like value-added tax when buying goods or withholding tax when receiving sponsorship fees, not directly paying money somewhere.

‘No, are there separate taxes in District 34? I heard there aren’t unless you are rich…’

I stopped at this thought.

‘Ah, damn.’

Then I realized.

‘I am rich.’

My income already far exceeded that of ordinary people. Earning tens of billions per year couldn’t be considered normal by any stretch of the imagination.

‘Ahh.’

My head became dizzy.

‘No matter what… I had less than one million won in my account and now it is 8.7 billion?’

As I panicked, the government official explained, “Do you know that space mercenaries operate beyond District 34 in the macrocosm? Their status is so free that they can flee to other civilizations, which means tax payments must be settled before any review can take place. Based on your request for a space mercenary examination, it seems like you might be a high-level ability user. Please pay all taxes owed and reapply.”

”…”

I wanted to work as a mercenary to earn money, but they were telling me I needed to pay 8.7 billion won to become a space mercenary. Was this real or nonsense? I couldn’t distinguish between dream and reality.

“Excuse me?” The expression of the public servant seemed to indicate that he was ready for me to leave. With difficulty, I managed to gather my thoughts and asked, “It’s just… quite strange. Until now, I haven’t received any notifications about taxes.”

The public servant raised his head at my words. “That can’t be right. Come to think of it, these taxes have been delayed since last year… Did they say nothing last year? The National Tax Service isn’t so lenient.”

“Can you check?”

“Oh dear. Please wait for a moment.” He inserted both hands into the simple access device and closed his eyes. Then after a short time passed…

“Huh?” His eyes opened again. “Eeeh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“No way, what is this? The tax deduction is higher than the amount due. Isn’t there supposed to be some ratio? Does something like this make sense? I’ve never seen anything like this before. It isn’t just a few won but tens of billions…” He continued to verify various contents as if he couldn’t believe it. As he did so, his expression became increasingly dumbfounded. Finally, he spoke, “This is crazy…”

After completing the space mercenary review request, I left City Hall and sighed deeply.

“Wow, it is really scary.”

The number ‘8.7 billion’ made my spine chill. Even this strong body broke out in cold sweat. When I touched my forearm, there were goosebumps all over.

8.7 billion—it was more frightening than any formidable enemy.

“It’s good that there are tax deductions…”

Tax deductions referred to a certain amount or percentage deducted from the calculated tax after applying the tax rate to the taxable standard. In other words, it meant reducing taxes after calculation. Generally, there were tax deductions for work income, children, pension accounts, etc. There were also special tax deductions for donations, medical expenses, insurance, etc.

Of course, there couldn’t be any deductions of 8.7 billion won unless I donated all my earnings.

“Great and magnificent Game Master… Hooray!”

“Yes, hooray!”

“Hooray for the great Game Master!” My casual remark elicited responses from various people nearby.

“These days! They have no sense of gratitude!”

“They don’t realize how fortunate they are!”

“District 34 is paradise, paradise!”

”…”

Feeling embarrassed by these fervent declarations from seemingly not-so-old men, I flushed and quickly moved away. Nevertheless, even I couldn’t help but express admiration. After all, it was thanks to him that we could survive here.

The game tax deduction - it was a unique privilege not found on any other planet or civilization. This deduction could only exist because Earth-34 was literally governed by the Game God.

I still remember the incredulous look of the government official.

‘No, how can all your taxes be deducted? Haven’t you bought anything like cars or airships?’

Of course not. I am still walking everywhere.

‘Didn’t you buy a house?’

I currently reside in Room Tower, directly operated by the government.

‘Don’t you eat food and buy clothes?!’

Sorry, but it has been over a year since I last purchased food on Earth. It’s even longer since I bought new clothes.

‘No, really… he spent tens of billions of dollars on games…?’

It was the perfect answer. Since his spending was focused solely on games, almost 100 percent tax exemption applied. It wasn’t zero taxes but close to it.

“Ah, by the way, this suit looks really good.”

I checked my reflection in the window. A tall man wearing a dark gray, high-quality suit that fitted snugly against his body. Naturally, I didn’t buy it—it was a gift from Bae Sarang, the representative of Nemesis. In fact, I was practically a gentleman in rags, but thanks to this outfit, I could attend public events without discomfort.

“Ah, I’m sorry but this place is for staff only…”

“I am a player.”

“Ah… Ah! It’s Han Jae-yeon! How can you come now?”

“I arrived on time.”

“But usually people arrive early to warm up… Anyway, please hurry!”

I entered the building amidst the urging of the staff member.

“Down! Down it goes! Truly the Punch of Heaven! Nobody can stop it!”

“Waaaaah!”

“Hit harder!”

“Don’t lose! Tinkerbell! Show the pride of the fairy race!”

The heated atmosphere was felt at the Fight Hall located in Songpa-gu.

Yes, today was finally my debut as a pro player.

“Hurry and change your clothes.”

“Yes.”

“Your weapon is a sword or your fists?”

“Yes.”

“The association will be responsible for any injuries during combat, but there may also be accidental deaths. For reference, if it is determined that you intentionally killed your opponent, you will face strong civil and criminal responsibilities.”

“Yes.” I replied appropriately. There was no way I would die. I was slightly worried about killing my opponent… However, becoming a pro player with a combat ability from District 34 wasn’t ordinary. At the very least, they were Completed Beings. In other words, being a Sword Master was the basic requirement. No matter how strong my physical body became, it wouldn’t be easy to kill a Completed Being.

‘Ah, finally leaving amateur competitions behind.’

It was overwhelming to go from facing hobbyists like Assistant Manager Kim and Deacon Yang to now participating in professional matches.

“Corner Blue! A unique resume holder? The emperor who became famous for appearing as a movie professor aspirant! Competitor Han Hae-yeon!”

As I entered a ring covered with various spells and barriers, boos poured out.

“Wooooh! You should be acting, not making your pro debut!”

“You picked the wrong opponent today!”

“Get ready to be crushed!”

“You need to understand there is a difference between a well-made body and one honed through combat!”

Apparently, they didn’t seem to like me much. Then at that moment…

Tap.

All the lights in the stadium disappeared, plunging it into darkness.

“From Hong Corner ~! The Bronze Rank Superstar! A Wall of Despair for Debutants! Our Madonna loved by all! Shocking Chest! Olia Grant!”

As the introduction sounded, a beam of light shone on the ring. Suddenly, there stood a tall beauty wearing a bikini, showing off her sensual figure.

“Waaaaah!”

“Olia! Olia! Olia!”

“Shocking Chest!”

“I came to see you today!”

“Ah, don’t put Olia’s match so late! It’s hard waiting!”

Seeing the cheering crowd, I couldn’t help but be bewildered.

‘Wait, what kind of nickname is “Shocking Chest”? They don’t seem exceptionally large or shocking.’

Unfazed by my thoughts, the woman casually waved at her fans, acknowledging their cheers with ease.

‘Wait a minute.’

I felt something strange. As always, mainstream culture in District 34 was games. Movies, dramas, martial arts and songs couldn’t enjoy the glory of the past. Among them, martial arts were completely non-mainstream. Of course, it would be different if they reached the top ranks but having such a star with fans at bronze rank, not gold or platinum, seemed unusual.

‘Does he deliberately lower his rank?’

If so, this opponent couldn’t be ignored.

“It is the moment everyone has been waiting for! Now then! Let’s start the match!” Along with the host’s cheerful cry, Olia stepped forward.

“Uh. Is that sword just for show?”

“I’ll start with my fists.”

“Hahaha. You are the worst for wanting to beat a woman with your fists.”

“It’s more polite than cutting her with a knife.”

With those words, I stepped forward. In front of me was an impressive blonde white woman wearing a bikini and possessing a sensual figure. On the other hand, facing her was a man over 190 centimeters tall, filled with muscles all over his body. If this were any other civilization, the entire world would be criticizing me as we faced each other to fight.

‘But this is District 34.’

In the world of high-level ability users, appearance wasn’t important at all. It wouldn’t be strange for a bent-over old lady to tear apart thousands of men.

“Let’s start lightly.”

Wooong!

In an instant, Olia’s body shone blue.

‘Heaven Overturning Seven Colors…!’

This was a famous formula trained by Bae Jaesuk, chairman of the world’s largest conglomerate. It could convert all living things into vibrations and, at its highest level, cause natural disasters like earthquakes or storms with one strike. It was a technique that, despite being based on Physique, had applications close to magic!

Boom!

A massive shockwave hit my body instantly. Feeling dizzy, I stumbled backwards.

“You endured it? Amazing?”

I observed the surprised Olia while tensing all the muscles in my body.

‘For now, without using inner energy.’

Bang!

I charged forward. Even if there might be some damage, I decided to rely solely on physical strength alone.

“Hah! A flesh assault against a Heaven Overturning Seven Color cultivator?!”

With her high-pitched cry, Olia also rushed towards me. The moment our distance closed to zero:

Crack!

He adjusted his stance and unleashed a punch with all his might, drawing upon his extraordinary strength of over 800 points.

Olia blocked it with her right arm.

Then,

Boom…

A shockwave radiated outward, sweeping through the stadium with a low rumble.

“Huh… huh?” Olia’s confident face turned pale.

“W-wait. Wh-what…? One strike?”

Red light emanated from her body. It wasn’t an attack skill but rather the red color of Kyunghwanchilseok, which converts external impacts into vibrations for storage. However, she couldn’t store this force effectively.

What does having 800 Strength entail? If properly channeled, it grants enough power to uproot buildings. Although not quite at the level of lifting mountains, which would require around 900 Strength, everyone acknowledged that such strength transcended ordinary limits.

Flash!

“Kyaaak!” With her scream, her chest started shining red.

Bam!

Her breastplate burst apart.

“It came out! Shock Chest!”

“Wahhh!”

“The rookie is amazing…! How did she do it with one strike?”

The people were cheering even though their supported contestant had fallen! I thought they would boo but couldn’t help making a stunned expression.

“Is the shock of Shock Chest physical…?”

Shock Chest dealt with vibrations, and during the process of biological evolution, organs capable of storing shocks were created within the body. Usually, they formed around the abdomen…but this woman seemed to have made them in her chest. Then when an unbearable blow arrived? The accumulated shock was discharged from the chest.

Thud.

While I was bewildered, Olia collapsed. The host shouted in a loud voice:

“5! 4! 3! 2! 1! The match is over! A truly great upset! Amazing! Today’s debut emperor! Competitor Han Jae-yeon has knocked out Olia with one strike! Truly incredible power!”

”…,” I watched dumbly at the excited commentator. Beyond him, I could see Olia lying unconscious on the ground. Although it was due to a wrong judgment…I undoubtedly struck her with ‘full force’. At least physically, I put all my strength into that single blow. She fell after just one hit but without any visible wounds. Rather than fatal damage, she collapsed from biological overload. Olia wasn’t a weak opponent by any means.

‘If there were no skills or class buffs, she would be comparable to Haze.’

Who was Haze? She was the wielder of the holy sword Stella and the champion of the Knight Tournament. As the strongest knight from Chrome Kingdom, she was known as the Deciding Knight. Now, she is celebrated across the continent as a sword master.

And yet, a woman matching her caliber lay helplessly on the ground.

“Ah! I watch these matches for this thrill!”

“Yeah, but it ended too quickly…I wanted to see more of those chest explosions.”

“It’s not just about the climax; the process leading up to it matters too, tut-tut! Didn’t even have time to eat my chicken.”

“Eh, whatever! Let’s go, guys.”

The audience began rising from their seats, leaving Olia sprawled on the ground with her chest still exposed.

“This…is a pro match?”

I couldn’t even laugh at this ridiculous situation. When I was younger, I dreamed of being a professional fighter for quite some time. It was due to my innate competitive spirit, and there were only a few professions in modern society that could satisfy it.

However, the emotion I felt now from witnessing a pro fight was disappointment.

“This is a pro fighter…”

The situation was too pathetic.

Yet, what happened next caught me off guard.

“Hello! Han Jae-yeon, we just met earlier, right?” Olia, who had been lying in disarray before me, now stood confidently.

“Could you help with my training?”

She approached me privately, something I hadn’t anticipated.

“I’ll make sure your payment is generous!”

Her attitude, attire, and expression had completely transformed. Olia beamed brightly.