Chapter 152

Mana was surging around me, flowing through my body and communicating with the outside world.

“Wow.”

Indeed, my world was undergoing a dramatic change.

“Hehe. It seems to be going well.” Flower smiled at my stiffened form. I turned my head and saw a flow more intense than everything else combined right before my eyes.

‘Amazing.’

I could see mana wider and deeper than the sea. Just sitting on the bed, there was a massive flow compelling all the natural mana.

‘Is this a dragon?’

Not just any dragon but a chromatic dragon, considered the prototype of chromatic dragons despite being only one-fifth of her full power.

“Oh… Are you seeing me now? That’s remarkable considering your spiritual awakening is recent.”

With a gentle smile, Flower activated her magic power.

A powerful aura enveloped my entire body. I wasn’t sure but it seemed to be checking my condition.

“The surgery…was it successful?”

“It was successfully completed. Four grand mages were involved, so we couldn’t afford to fail Master Game Designer.”

Flower stroked my head gently. The sudden physical contact made me flinch, but it was an awkward situation where pushing her hand away would’ve been rude, so I calmly listened to her explanation.

“To put it simply, there are quite a few types of mana-related disabilities. From Vein Stenosis, where controlling mana causes physical impairments due to narrow veins, to Reversal Body, where conflicting attributes clash within one’s body, and even Magic Power Hypertrophy, where excessive magic power suppresses psionic energy… However, Jae-yeon’s condition was particularly unique.”

Flower places her hand on my chest. My heart races as I feel her touch through the thin hospital gown. It isn’t due to sexual excitement but rather because my heart is reacting to her immense magic power.

“There’s no problem with Jae-yeon’s physical body. Her veins are robust, and her heart and dantian are genius-level, almost prodigious. The issue lies with her soul.”

”…”

It aligns with my speculation. Ardenia residing within my ‘Eye’ defies conventional psychic energy principles. Each time I occupy a flower shop, the expansion of the Immeasurable Layers serves as evidence that Ardenia itself forms the core of my soul.

“Hehe. It was really hard work. I had to approach it as if creating a permanent warp gate. Jae-yeon’s soul possessed a channel detached from the physical world, requiring a connection transcending dimensions to awaken her psionic energy. This is a rare case that I’ve encountered only a few times.”

I am surprised by Flower’s words.

“Are there others like me?”

“Not among humans. It is commonly found in chaos beasts roaming between dimensions and Outer Deities.”

”…”

My mouth drops open in confusion.

‘Wait, weren’t you just doing a Jackie Chan cosplay?’

Why would someone who just reached Transcendence mention attributes of chaos beasts, which surpass ordinary Transcendents, and those akin to high-level Outer Deities as if she has firsthand experience?

Regardless of my confusion, Flower calmly finished her explanation.

“Jae-yeon’s heart… In other words, the Dimensional Awl Heart connects Jae-yeon’s soul and physical body with each heartbeat. Are you a chakra cultivator, Jae-yeon?”

“Yes.”

In response to my answer, Flower lightly touched my chest.

“It is firm… You have awakened the element attribute.”

“Ah, y-yes.”

‘Did she confirm that by touching me?’

Despite feeling flustered, I nodded, and she continued:

“In that case, you should be able to control your heart through awakening related elements. If affected by mental spells or curses, temporarily stopping your heart can help shake them off.”

“Oh…”

I had somewhat given up on acquiring spiritual immunity since I could detect mana, but now it was possible to obtain both.

“Wow…” At that moment, Flower brought her head close to my neck and took a deep breath. It made me feel slightly uncomfortable, forcing me to stand at attention.

‘Hmm… Am I mistaken? It feels like she is slightly trembling…’

Regardless of my feelings, Flower continued calmly, “Well, that’s enough about surgery for now. I’ll provide you with my contact information, so please reach out if any issues arise.”

“Oh, thank you very much. You shouldn’t have gone through all this trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Jae-yeon-ssi is incredibly adorable, plus…you’re one of our platform’s rising stars, right?”

”…Huh?”

I expressed doubt about her words but Flower seemed to think I was questioning something else. She smiled brightly and snapped her fingers.

“Meow!”

Cheeda cried out as if announcing a message. I pressed Cheeda’s nose at Flower’s gesture.

[Hello Author-nim!^^ This is Yongyong from Green Dragon Publishing.]

“Ah.”

I was surprised by the familiar sentence.

“No way, Olymon?”

“I am indeed Olymon. You really didn’t know? The name itself is Olymon.”

“Ah…”

“Of course, the other four aren’t interested in literature so I run it alone.” Flower spoke with another bright smile. “I have been interested in Jae-yeon’s works for a long time. They are unique in many ways, right? Including the sponsorship history.”

“Ah! By any chance, those sponsors…”

“I can’t reveal their details.” She lightly cut off my question as if she had anticipated it. “However, I will give you a hint—they aren’t human.”

“I kind of felt that.”

Despite being multiple individuals, they sponsored each work only once. Moreover, reading a piece within just 1 to 2 seconds and then generously sponsoring was not normal behavior for anyone.

‘Are they immortal beings related to literature or untouchable entities? Or perhaps dragons?’

Various assumptions crossed my mind, but I couldn’t dwell on them for long. Flower leaned her head against my chest and took another deep breath.

“Sigh…”

Her sweet breath tickled my chest, and her ample breasts pleasantly pressed against my arm.

‘No, what is this? Is she trying to seduce me?’

However, her eyes were innocently pure, making me feel embarrassed about my thoughts. She had long green hair, a curvaceous figure, and a calm appearance resembling an older sister. Yet somehow, her expression and demeanor seemed more childlike. Despite engaging in behavior that could easily be misunderstood by anyone, she appeared completely oblivious.

‘I-is this it? I’ve heard dragons sometimes perceive humans as pets…’

Some people instinctively touch cute animals they encounter on the street without much thought. Just like how they would casually pet smartpets—simple electronic devices—they also embrace adorable living creatures, stroking their heads affectionately!

Instead of saying I was cool, she expressed that I was cute, indicating this skinship might be due to our species difference. Indeed, Flower soon lifted her head and smiled.

“Ah, it feels good! Well, I’ve said everything I needed to say, so I’ll take my leave now! Just remember, if you have any heart issues, please contact me immediately. Bye!”

“Meow!”

Cheeda waved at Flower’s gesture, indicating that her number had been registered.

“Thank you for everything.”

“No problem. It’s part of my job anyway. Oh! By the way, do you have plans for any new works? You seem to write incredibly fast.”

I nodded at Flower’s question.

“I do have quite a few ideas.”

Approximately hundreds of potential stories.

“That’s good. Next month, Olymon is holding a competition. The total prize money is 10 billion won so participate if you are interested.”

“10 billion…”

Flower laughed cutely at my surprised appearance. “It is the total prize pool. Total prize pool. It will be divided among many authors, so it isn’t like you’ll receive an enormous amount of money.”

Wooong!

Mana gathered around Flower as she subtly stepped back. In the past, I wouldn’t have known anything but now I could feel the huge flow connecting from a very distant place.

“Well then, see you later!”

Pop!

She disappeared with her farewell.

“A mysterious fellow in many ways…” Murmuring this, I got up. My best physical condition and strong inspiration made me excited.

“A competition.”

The timing was good. I also happened to be participating in a competition at this time.

“Cheeda.”

I charged 3.5 billion won on Revenge and my balance instantly changed from full to 3 million won.

‘This month’s package is all gone.’

Thus, I bought everything with diamonds. Anyway, it didn’t matter since it increased my charging power.

“Log in.”

It was time for the competition.

[The perfect fortress city (hero) will be upgraded to Temple of Flames (legend)!]

[Temple of Flames (legend) is promoted to the mythological domain!]

[Castle Master’s Choice is in progress.]

I chose the theme.

‘Should I make World Tree Castle as a concept for crop cultivation? No, food rots easily.’

Ultimately, my chosen concept was obvious:

<Steel and Giant’s Castle!>

<Gigas Land (Myth) has appeared!>

Apart from the Earth Grandeur obtained after defeating the landworm, I upgraded six castles to mythical grade and installed defensive fortifications and siege objects. I didn’t build gigas factories or experience halls due to lack of funds. It was natural since upgrading one castle less allowed me to save money. Later, when there was more capital available, I planned to construct them.

Dudududu!

Along the winding road carved into the ground, five horses emerged.

Each one was a spirited warhorse but had large wagons attached behind them.

“These are the contest entries!”

“You have come a long way. How many works?”

“A total of 112 works!”

Due to lack of funds, the Great Earth Castle remained as a high-grade castle and didn’t accept any immigrants. However, since I was staying here as emperor, around 100 members of my personal guard were stationed permanently. Unlike when I was alone, various materials were now needed, but there wasn’t much problem with supplies. This was thanks to the underground roads made by the landworm, tens of thousands of riding-type pets, and the inventories of Players who rode on these pets.

Thud!

A pile of paper landed on the desk in my study. They were manuscripts that hadn’t been bound into books yet.

I grabbed the one on top.

Title: ‘The Myth of the Golden Magic Tower’

Author: ‘Seeker of Truth’

I had asked all authors to submit their works under a nickname. On the surface, it was because I wanted to evaluate them solely based on their work.

“However, I can see at a glance who wrote this.”

I laughed but didn’t bother to rebuke him. The reason for submitting under nicknames was simply because creating separate author IDs would’ve been too troublesome.

“Let’s see…”

After spreading out the manuscript, I quickly formed some seals.

Frenzy Writing, Acceleration, Gate Connection, Open.

Stormy Writing.

If other chakra cultivators saw these luxurious magic spells, they might foam at the mouth with envy. Then I turned towards Flower, who was waiting nearby.

“Thank you. Please deliver any subsequent works as they come.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Flower placed a steaming cup in front of me before leaving the study.

“Flower…”

Suddenly, I remembered the words of the green dragon with the same name.

“It is the total prize money. The total prize money. It will be divided among many authors, so it won’t result in an enormous sum for any single person.”

Her statement meant that this competition wasn’t structured to favor just one winner. Instead of having the first-place recipient claim half of the 100 billion prize pool, the plan was to award approximately five billion to the top author and distribute the rest among ‘many authors’. In other words, it implied not to expect too much.

‘No matter.’

Indeed, it didn’t matter to me. After all, I was precisely one of those ‘many authors’.