Chapter 84
A huge amount equivalent to the sponsorship fee was deposited into my account.
“Wait, then what is the balance?” I immediately checked my account.
Free Savings Deposit (G-Bank 1173-5511)
1,541,543,908 won.
This included the 1.2 billion won received after deducting the commission fees, the 250 million won advance payment for filming, and the previous balance.
“And the stocks…”
There were no notifications on the stock app. In other words, the automatic bulk purchase wasn’t executed. I quickly checked Nemesis’ stock status.
Nemesis – 3,409,500 won (+57,000 won) ↑
The stock that had plummeted was now rising again.
“Indeed, it didn’t fall below 1.5 million won… Even with alternative options emerging, they remain the market leader.”
I hesitated briefly but made up my mind. There was no way it would drop further from here.
“Buy.”
[You have purchased 300 stocks of Nemesis Soft.]
More than one billion won was withdrawn at once. I felt slightly despondent as the unit changed in my account but this amount exceeded my purpose.
“And…let’s do some shopping.”
I entered the cash shop and bought numerous diamond packages with the remaining money.
“Mew!”
Cheeda cried out. As I pressed his nose, he looked up at me and spoke,
“Hello, Han Jae-yeon-ssi. This is Cha Sangju, the intermediate director of the Financial Supervisory Service. Can you talk?”
“Ah, yes…” It was my first time receiving such a call, so my response sounded uncertain.
A friendly voice, presumably belonging to a young woman, asked kindly, “I just have a few questions for you. Are you indeed Han Jae-yeon, the owner of this phone number?”
“Yes.”
“You recently purchased 300 shares of Nemesis Soft stock. Was this your own choice and not due to pressure or offers from someone else?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for your quick and clear answer. This is Intermediate Monitor Cha Sangju. Have a happy day.”
The call ended. It was simpler than I thought, causing me to momentarily stare at Cheeda’s face. After briefly surfing the internet, I found out what the phone call was about. Many people had received similar calls.
“When large amounts of money move, they confirm it like this. That monitor person must be a priest of the God of Truth.”
Recently, voice phishing issues were very serious. Furthermore, the people living in District 34 where the God of Truth resided were vulnerable to lies, so many victims were being created through communications linked from other star systems or dimensions.
The jurisdiction of the three gods was only Earth-34 and the game master wouldn’t move unless there was a military invasion. Thus, criminals were taking advantage of this gap! Moreover, since most victims were immigrants, it fueled deep-rooted xenophobia.
“Login.”
I entered Ardenia. The castle had automatically recovered its original form, with every piece of furniture restored to its previous state, leaving the entire bedroom neat.
“Good.”
As I got up from my seat, I opened my mouth:
“I wish to open the skill shop.”
[306 stocks → 272 stocks]
The stocks decreased as cracks emerged in the air. Then at one moment,
Pop!
A man descended before me. Above his head, these words appeared:
Some NPCs in Revenge possessed high-level artificial intelligence, making them appear ‘almost human-like’ in their intelligence. During the tutorial, I even wondered if the hero-grade NPC Soul Master Arcane was being controlled directly by a person through chat.
‘However, not all NPCs can be like that. There is no need for it.’
The cost wouldn’t justify it. Considering the reality where additional fees were attached to AI technology due to Reisen regions, it made sense. Therefore, in Revenge, NPCs without the need for intelligence performed their roles like vending machines spitting out pre-set dialogues. This man, whose role name replaced his own, must also be one such NPC.
“Huh? Where am I? Who are you?”
“Ah, it is as expected.” I smiled bitterly at his human-like reaction. Indeed, this was what I had guessed.
‘Just like with the monsters.’
Even ordinary goblins, who didn’t have proper dialogue lines, spoke all sorts of things. Some even displayed desires towards human women and kidnapped them out of lust—a behavior unheard of in typical game monster scripts.
“I came to buy items.”
“Huh? Items? Items…”
His stumbling response made me feel uneasy.
‘Oh no, could it be that he doesn’t have any?’
In the game, shop owners weren’t realistic entities but rather convenient NPCs. The skill books they sold weren’t crafted or acquired by anyone; instead, they were literally ‘infinitely’ available for purchase without any specific origin.
However, what if it changed when they became real?
‘How can he sell without any stock?’
What would happen if such words were spoken? Fortunately…
“Ah yes. Welcome, customer.” He spoke somewhat awkwardly.
Ding!
The shop window opened.
[Sales List] [Sorted by Proximity]
Full Swing Lv.1 (General) (Shop) 6,500 gold.
Power Strike Lv.2 (Advanced) (Shop) 77,000 gold.
Full Dash Lv.1 (General) (Shop) 6,500 gold.
Speed High Lv.2 (Advanced) (Shop) 77,000 gold.
Endurance Lv.1 (General) (Shop) 6,500 gold.
Iron Body Lv.2 (Advanced) (Shop) 77,000 gold.
Hard Breathing Lv.1 (General) (Shop) 6,500 gold.
Mana Regen Lv.2 (Advanced) (Shop) 77,000 gold.
‘It is possible.’
I immediately started buying them. From active skills like Power Stroke and Endurance to passive skills such as Sword Mastery, Bow Mastery, Staff Mastery… I bought thousands of books at once.
Woo-roo-roo!
Skillbooks spilled out into my bedroom. There were too many to fit in the inventory.
“You are making massive purchases.”
“I need a lot. By the way, although it might be late to ask…what is your name? Do you remember anything about yourself?”
After resolving some matters, I asked the man who had been standing blankly. He frowned slightly.
“My name…I don’t know. Apart from being the owner of the skill shop, I can’t remember anything else.”
‘Does he have no backstory?’
He possessed enough intelligence and ability to perform his role but still lacked any past history. Perhaps ordinary monsters without background settings were similar.
”…Cancel Store Master.”
“Huh? What do you mean cancel…”
Beep!
[272 stocks -> 283 stocks]
The man disappeared, and my stock count recovered somewhat. However, it wasn’t as much as I initially had.
“What? No way… Log out!”
I returned to Earth and checked the number of stocks. Fortunately, the real-life stocks remained unchanged.
“That was scary. Well, even if my stocks decreased here, there is no reason for my rights on Earth to be affected… Login.”
I calmed down while watching closely. Then after a moment:
[283 stocks -> 284 stocks]
“It’s recovering… It isn’t like mana or anything.”
It was frustrating, but at least my stocks didn’t disappear entirely. Relieved, I proceeded with the next step.
“I’ll open the general store!”
I still had plenty of gold and stocks. Now was the time to use them.
The castle gates opened and my army charged forth. It numbered an impressive sixty thousand strong! Additionally, one-third of them were elite soldiers armed with class cards and items.
“The numbers have increased dramatically.”
“As soon as immigrants complete their training at the academy, they join our ranks if they possess decent physical attributes. This is currently the fastest way for themselves and their families to gain citizenship,” Flower reported.
I turned towards her.
“That must generate quite a bit of resentment among those left behind.”
Flower appeared momentarily flustered before shaking her head vigorously.
“But why would you think… No, not at all, Castle Lord Sungchul. Rather, there’s been a surge of children and elderly people flocking to the Wild Boar Education Corps despite not meeting the requirements. The Swordsman Education Corps Commander hasn’t slept, working tirelessly on creating rigorous tests to sift through applicants.”
”…Everyone wants to join the army?”
“Of course they do. My lord underestimates the power of these classes.”
With a class card equipped, even a frail girl could potentially overpower a giant with brute strength. Those previously unable to sense mana due to lack of talent suddenly gained access to it while those physically uncoordinated became agile enough to track incoming arrows mid-flight. The transformation was overwhelmingly dramatic and surprising even for the recipients themselves. Imagine how others felt witnessing such changes from afar?
“The military offers the most certain path to obtaining a class. It’s only natural that competition is fierce.”
I looked at Flower. She was once a determined yet frustrated 14-year-old girl limited by her gender and social standing despite her intelligence and decisiveness.
I remember how small she looked when I first met her, but now she has grown tall and matured perfectly under the weight of authority without being crushed by it. Having spent twenty years witnessing firsthand just how trashy humans could be in this godless world devoid of justice or truth, her transformation is akin to a miracle for me.
Thinking about it…I’ve been quite fortunate.
Despite being betrayed more than ten times since my arrival in this brutal medieval land, there remain those who stayed loyal to me. Flower, Stonestone, Swordsman, etc…
Perhaps my greatest achievement isn’t the territory itself, but rather the people within it.
As these thoughts crossed my mind, Flower continued speaking.
“Sungchul led those who lost their homeland and family. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that our current power was entirely established by Sungchul alone, and people know this.”
Her words bordered on worship, yet her expression remained remarkably composed.
“What if participating in war means risking death?”
“Originally, we were like flies with uncertain lifespans. Of course, since you brought them peace and security, their minds may change someday. But for now, they remain steadfast. Your overwhelming reputation and reverence ensure that.”
In contrast to typical nations where the few exploit the many at the top, my approach is quite unconventional.
I was different as ‘Han Jae-yeon’, spreading my influence over the entire country and its members.
‘It is abnormal.’
In normal times, all the nobles on the continent would’ve become my enemies. Whether it was from the Empire, Kingdom or Federation, there would be many who foamed at the mouth while shouting at me. Weren’t these existing nobles the ones who complained about my low territorial taxes? Even if my ability didn’t harm anyone, rather quite the opposite, various people would’ve been hostile towards me. Indeed, an extermination army spanning across the continent might’ve been formed to define me as a demon and try to eliminate me.
‘But now it is different.’
With the continent devastated by monsters, I had become a savior.
“I understand.” I nodded and looked at the marching soldiers. Despite walking a long distance, their formations were excellent. However, most of them were new recruits, so there was definitely a limit to their combat power.
‘Perhaps significant damage will occur.’
However, it couldn’t be helped. No matter how strong I had become now, I couldn’t fight a war alone. If I entered the dungeon by myself and failed to assassinate the Ice Queen? Even if I repeatedly logged in and out to recover stamina and health, there would be no way to avoid death.
‘Above all…the soldiers must grow, both level-wise and experientially.’
They were elite soldiers accustomed to combat while raiding dungeons, but party play and war were clearly different. Even if there was damage, we had to fight head-on, gain victories, and accumulate experience.
“Kasim.”
Thud!
A white drake appeared in mid-air and landed on the ground. I could hear murmurs from the nearby marching soldiers.
“The White Dragon Kasim! Seeing it up close for the first time!”
“Really, its scales are as white as snow! It is dazzling…”
“Look at those teeth…so frightening.”
For a moment, I felt their marching speed slowing down. Before they completely stopped, I climbed onto Kasim’s back.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes.” After replying, I opened the chat window. The 300 stocks I bought were quite generous, allowing me to operate the group chat room.
Han Jae-yeon: ‘I will go ahead and greet them first. Maintain formation while advancing.’
After sending this message, two knights, one mage, and thirty Heavenly Generals responded affirmatively. I briefly glanced at their replies before controlling Kasim.
Kwahhh!
A violent takeoff! Now it was his signature move, so none of the soldiers stumbled like they did initially.
“Kuaaang!”
With a light roar, Kasim shot up into the sky like an arrow. At that moment…
Pop!
”…!”
Something suddenly appeared before my eyes and I caught it with my hand. For a moment, I thought someone had thrown a javelin but that wasn’t the case.
“What is this…a staff?”
It was an item with a familiar design, resembling something like a traffic sign.
“No, wait…isn’t this the thing Bram was holding? Why is it here…”
I was surprised as Kasim crossed the sky, sitting on his saddle while examining the staff. Then right in front of me, a window popped up:
[Staff of the Black Sun.]
The staff proving the divine miracle. It was given to contractors of the Black Sun, operating with extreme power in exchange for the faith and reverence from their followers.
[Highest Grade Pressure]
It reduces the owner’s rank by one step and seals all skills of targets below this rank.
[Except Low Grade]
One person can be exempted from range skills.
”…”.
Quietly reading the description, I recalled what Sungjae had said before:
“Actually, I am curious about it. The performance is literally unheard of? Police noona told me that the police couldn’t figure out how it was done…”
“This…is the method? An item?”
However, the item explanation seemed too different. There were no attack power or stat adjustments, only the origin and special effects of the item were described. Then I realized,
“This… isn’t Revenge style?”
The moment I realized this…
“Log Out.”
I returned to Earth and patted Cheeda’s belly. The result came quickly:
[Staff of Black Sun]
[Special Weapon: The Staff of the Black Sun can be used after normal clear. Despite having an S-grade power modifier, it only requires strength 14 and intelligence 13, making it seem like a cheat weapon at first glance. However, its risk is too great as it downgrades the wearer’s rank by one level. Thus, it isn’t preferred in Arc Demoniac with its focus on boss battles. Mainly used by veterans for entertainment purposes.]
PS. If you insist on using it, consider employing it as a field-clearing weapon for beginners.]
“This…this.” For a moment, I stared blankly at the screen.
“It’s from another game…an item?”
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