28 - 37

Around one hour after he started selling the socks, the owner of the stall appeared and bowed to him.

"Boss-nim! I'm really sorry in many ways for today. Bong-cheol and I are deeply reflecting. Please keep the contract until the end. I will give you 30,000 won a day."

"I'll think about it."

"Heheh! Please tell me if you ever feel any discomfort."

His tone was completely subservient compared to before. Maybe it was due to Hw.a.n.g Seong-gil.

Lee Bong-cheol and Oh Young-sik were both visibly struggling.

Didn't they covet this spot?

They brought a gang to bully him into giving up the location.

In fact, customers gathered in front of Kang-jun like they were spellbound.

However, Kang-jun only intended to sell socks here for eight days.

This wasn't a good place to trade.

He needed to use the skill Draw In Customers at a location with a better floating population.

Towards the centre of the market, the floating population increased by more than 10 times.

It would be better to find a stall in that location, even if it was much more expensive.

He would be able to earn a few hundred million won a month.

Of course, he needed to work to collect that money.

Kang-jun was climbing up step by step to the top.

"Now, selling socks! Durable, lightweight and comfortable to wear. Come and look just once!"

The sale of the socks went smoothly.

He steadily used the Draw In Customers as well as Art of Communication whenever there was a critical hit.

He sold all 10 boxes by the time it was 9 p.m.

He made 1.53 million won in a day.

His goal had been to achieve 1.5 million won.

Kang-jun had an enthusiastic smile on his face.

Up to now, it had been so hard to earn money.

He was poor and ignored.

Kang-jun had been miserable and barely had enough for one meal a day.

Kang-jun now gripped bills of won in his hand.

He would earn more. Much more money.

He would be the owner of money.

The next day, Kang-jun also sold socks at the market.

And finally, the time came to return to the world of Hwanmong.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to sign a contract for Room 401.

10 p.m.

Kang-jun paid a visit to Room 413 before falling asleep. The door opened and revealed Hayun.

"Omo! What is happening this time?"

Hayun behaved like an ordinary woman. Kang-jun laughed.

"This is the time. Watch over me very well tonight."

Kang-jun let Hayun know in advance to look after him.

"It is finally that day?"

"Yes."

"I also want to visit that world."

"I will call you if necessary. And starting from tomorrow, you will be able to head down to the PC Room on the 3rd floor."

Hayun could remain a human on the 4th floor but that didn't last once she headed down to the PC Room. Kang-jun thought that today would be enough to occupy the entire Dafeng building.

"Really? Huhuhut, you promise? Then I will be like an expensive watch."

"Expensive watch?"

"Sang-min told me that it is a game trending among the citizens these days."

Hayun told me.

Playing a game?

A naive innocent expression.

A slender figure that stimulated the protective instincts.

She really was a very beautiful human.

It wasn't easy to recall the appearance of a virgin ghost with sharp nails from a few days ago.

They returned back to Room 406.

Kang-jun lay on the bed to try and fell asleep. Hayun sat in the chair to watch over him.

"Asleep?"

"Not yet."

"Should I be your lap pillow and sing you a lullaby?"

"Ah, no. That's okay."

A lullaby from a ghost! And lying on the lap of a ghost?

It was vaguely creepy. But sleep was running away from him.

Hayun shot him a look and said.

"Don't be so prejudiced. There is nothing wrong with ghosts."

"Then sing me a lullaby."

"In the shadow of the mother island…"

Curiously, he really did fall asleep. The moment that Kang-jun fell asleep.

[The door to Hwanmong is open.]

[You have entered the world of Hwanmong.]

Kang-jun stood in the middle of his Room 406 base.

His hand was holding the Solid Wooden Stick and his health had recovered.

[Resource Status]

Money – 55 nodes.

Essence

of Earth – 1

Information about his resources and current summoning status also appeared.

[Stage 1 Barrack]

-Capacity 3/10

[Ratian archer summoning: 1%]

[A giant ratian is scheduled to be summoned]

The three ratians that Kang-jun summoned last time were waiting in the corridor in front of Room 406.

Kang-jun checked his current status.

Lee Kang-jun

Lv.5 (Exp 43.00%)

[War] Beginner

Health: 170/170

Black Magic Energy: 100/200

Strength: 8

Agility: 9

Intelligence: 6

Good Luck: 6

Charisma: 8

'I have some money so I should summon more ratians.'

Having more troops would be nice.

He would be able to summon them in the punishment field and battle field.

Currently he had summoned three ratians.

There were two more scheduled to be summoned.

He placed three more in reserve. It cost 50 nodes.

[A ratian archer is scheduled to be summoned]

[A giant ratian is scheduled to be summoned]

After they were all summoned to the barrack, Kang-jun would be able to command eight troops.

It would just take a bit of time to summon them.

Meanwhile, Kang-jun decided to occupy the PC Room on the 3rd floor.

"Let's go! 3rd floor!"

"Yes, Lord. Kekekeke!"

"Kikikik! We will follow your words."

Kang-jun took the lead with the Solid Wooden Stick while the two ratian infantry followed behind. The ratian archer was bringing up the rear.

[Rainbow PC Room]

-Invasion is possible

[Would you like to invade? Yes/No]

The question appeared as soon as he headed down the stairs to the 3rd floor.

'Yes! Invade.'

Kang-jun expected it and replied without any hesitation.

[Attack and destroy the door to the Rainbow PC Room.]

[Rainbow PC Room Door: 100%]

"Attack that door!"

Kang-jun instantly commanded.

"Keket! Attack!"

"Kikiki! Break down the door!"

It wasn't a joke to say that the PC room used up the entire 3rd floor.

Kang-jun wielded the Solid Wooden Stick and triggered Aura of Earth.

Kw.a.n.g kw.a.n.g kw.a.n.g!

The ratian infantry and archers also diligently attacked the door.

Sometimes the door would open with a gust of wind and dramatically reduce the health of the ratian infantry.

Every time, Kang-jun would have the ratian infantry return to the barrack. It was because the health of the ratians would spontaneously recover in the barrack.

Then they would join the attack again once their health was full.

Fortunately, Kang-jun received almost no damage thanks to the defense of Aura of Earth.

So after a while?

Before he knew it, an additional ratian archer was summoned and joined in.

Following that, a giant ratian was called.

[Rainbow PC Room Door: 0%]

[The Rainbow PC room door has been destroyed.]

[You have occupied the Rainbow PC Room.]

'Oh! Finally!'

The Rainbow PC Room was occupied.

People would call him crazy in reality but it was possible in the world of Hwanmong.

Sususu.

Then a scroll appeared beyond the door.

Kang-jun instantly looked at it.

[Inferior PC Room knowledge has been acquired.]

[The power of the management skills inside the PC Room will increase.]

Last time it was the gos.h.i.+won, but now he had acquired knowledge about the PC Room. In the future, it would be easier for Kang-jun to earn money in the gos.h.i.+won or PC Room.

Kang-jun exited and continued to the 2nd floor.

[The Iris coffee shop has been occupied.]

[Star Star Karaoke has been occupied.]

The door destruction speed was much faster thanks to the giant ratian. He took over the 2nd floor a lot quicker than the 3rd floor.

[Inferior coffee shop knowledge has been acquired.]

[Inferior karaoke knowledge has been acquired.]

He obtained some loot on the 2nd floor. Of course, there was knowledge.

Coffee shop and karaoke.

Kang-jun felt somewhat proud. This knowledge would be useful someday.

He continued to the 1st floor.

[The Tasty Soondae House has been occupied.]

[Dafeng Real Estate Office has been occupied.]

He also succeeded in the occupation of the 1st floor. The relevant industry knowledge was acquired.

Finally, it was time for the bas.e.m.e.nt.

At this time, the summoning of all his troops to the barrack was completed.

Two ratian infantry.

Three ratian archers.

Three giant ratians.

The total of eight troops marched vigorously behind Kang-jun to the door of the karaoke bar in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the Dafeng building.

"Attack that door!"

"Kuooh! As you command."

"Kekekeket! Yes, Lord."

The three giant ratians rushed without mercy to the door.

The ratian infantry wielded their clubs while the ratian archers leisurely fired their bows from the back.

Kw.a.n.g kw.a.n.g kw.a.n.g kw.a.n.g! Kwa kwa kwa kw.a.n.g!

Papapak! Syuok! Papapak!

The karaoke bar door didn't have significant durability so it was quickly destroyed.

[Roma Salon has been occupied.]

[Inferior karaoke bar knowledge has been acquired.]

'It is finished!'

Kang-jun cheered. He had succeeded in occupying all of the Dafeng building.

[The Dafeng building has been occupied.]

[Mission 4 has been completed.]

A bright light started to s.h.i.+ne through the entire building.

[200 nodes have been given as compensation.]

[3 Essence of Earth have been given as compensation.]

[As a reward, enough experience will be given to increase your level.]

He rose two levels to reach Lv7.

In addition, there was the compensation of 200 nodes and three Essence of Earth.

'Okay! Now I can summon the ratigers.'

Currently, the most powerful monster that could be summoned from the barrack – the ratigers – had a wide area earth attack skill.

The boss monster of the Ratian Dungeon!

The speed was a bit slow but it had formidable attack and defense.

At the time, Kang-jun had managed to somehow finish it off.

Now it could be summoned as a subordinate.

However, enormous resources would be consumed when summoning it.

100 nodes and one Essence of Earth.

He hadn't dared summon it until now.

Kang-jun immediately summoned two ratigers.

[Ratigers summoning: 1%]

[A ratiger is scheduled to be summoned.

After they were summoned, the ratigers would be in the vanguard with the giant ratians.

Fighting in the battle field as well as Hwanmong!

Thinking of that scene was somehow rea.s.suring to Kang-jun.

'By the way, why is the building continuing to s.h.i.+ne?'

The entire Dafeng building was engulfed in a bright light.

That light was becoming increasingly more intense.

His eyes started hurting.

At that moment, the light disappeared without a trace.

A message surfaced at the same time.

[You have been selected by the power of Hwanmong!]

[Pa.s.sing Mission 4 had given you the qualifications to become a sovereign.]

'Sovereign?'

What was this?

'I am a sovereign?'

Kang-jun was confused by the message.

[A token will be granted to show your sovereign qualification.]

[This token is unique and only given to you.]

A small treasure box covered in radiant light appeared in front of Kang-jun.

'A treasure chest? This token is proof that I am a sovereign?'

Kang-jun instantly opened the box.

'Ring?'

A golden ring. There was a patter of a dragon carved on it.

[The Demonic Dragon's Ring has been obtained.]

[Demonic Dragon's Ring]

-Rating: Only One

-A sign that you are a sovereign in Hwanmong.

-Charisma +3 when worn.

-Sovereign t.i.tle: Lucan

'Oh! Amazing!'

He didn't know what a sovereign was. However, the option given when wearing this item was literally the jackpot.

It gave three points to the fixed stat, charisma.

Higher charisma meant he could summon more powerful monsters.

Kang-jun currently had eight charisma.

If the three points from the Demonic Dragon's Ring were added, it would be 11 points in charisma.

[After obtaining the Demonic Dragon's Ring, you will be called Sovereign Lucan from now on.]

[The Demonic Dragon's Ring is your alter ego.]

[If you take the token from other sovereigns, they will be deprived of their qualification as a sovereign.]

Kuuong!

Kang-jun was startled.

What did this mean?

Other sovereigns!

'There are sovereigns other than me?'

In addition, it could be taken away!

Then he could

attack other sovereigns.

Sure enough.

[After obtaining the power of Hwanmong, you can launch activities against other sovereigns.]

Kang-jun's expression became determined.

Other sovereigns!

It wasn't just 'two.'

If so, there was no knowing how many sovereigns there were.

And where did they exist?

In addition, how strong were they?

Could he survive against them?

[You can attack other sovereigns and steal their token.]

[Obtaining the token of other sovereigns will make you stronger.]

[The chances of pa.s.sing the last mission will become much higher.]

Kang-jun had to pa.s.s 100 missions in order to be freed from the crisis of dying in Hwanmong.

Now he had only completed Mission 4.

He couldn't guess how tough the future missions would be.

Let alone how enormous the last mission would be?

Reaching Mission 100 wouldn't be an easy task.

But he could become stronger by obtaining the tokens of other sovereigns.

Perhaps he could absorb their abilities?

Then he would need to steal from as many sovereigns as possible.

That's right.

A crisis was an opportunity!

He needed to change his mindset.

The fact that sovereigns could be robbed meant that he needed to pay attention to his surroundings.

The question was the location of the other sovereigns.

He also needed to be able to recognize their capabilities to some degree.

Attacking recklessly without knowing the opponent's power was a stupid thing that would get him killed.

'Where are they? Don't tell me they are otherworldly existences?'

It was an absurd idea, but possible.

This was the world of Hwanmong, so they could appear.

In the meantime, a new message appeared.

[The shadow sovereigns were originally sovereigns who lost in Hwanmong and became ghosts.]

[They are frantic to rob the tokens to become a sovereign again.]

'Shadow sovereigns?'

It meant they were sovereigns in the past but not any longer.

They drifted like ghosts.

Kang-jun felt somewhat appalled.

'Will I become like that if I am defeated?'

Flesh and body separating as he floated around as a ghost.

It was at that moment.

[Keirun, the shadow sovereign wandering the area has detected your presence.]

[Keirun will soon start the attack. Be prepared.]

'Eh?'

Kang-jun was surprised.

Something like this? The attack from a shadow sovereign!

How long had it been since he became a sovereign?

Yet a shadow sovereign was wandering around near the Dafeng building.

[Mission 5] Repel the shadow sovereign Keirun!

-Compensation: Experience, 300 nodes, Breath of the Wind

A mission showed up.

A mission regarding the shadow sovereign.

However, Kang-jun had to repel Keirun even if there wasn't a mission.

Otherwise, he would soon become a shadow sovereign.

's.h.i.+t! I need to win.'

At that moment, something black appeared in front of the building.

"Kukukuku!"

An elderly man wearing black robes with black hair reaching down to the waist.

He literally resembled a black magician.

"No, you are?"

Kang-jun was startled when he saw the old man. He had a very familiar face.

The face of the corpse Kang-jun met under the bed!

That's right.

This old man was the one who told Kang-jun about the power of Hwanmong.

But he was actually the shadow sovereign Keirun!

Keirun gave him a dark smile and said.

"Kukukuk! I have been waiting for this moment. You stupid boy! You have obtained the proof of a sovereign! I will take it."

Kang-jun stared at Keirun.

"You are the shadow sovereign? So you were after this from the beginning."

And Keirun quickly replied.

"Don't look so bitter. You just have to win everything. That is how to rule the world of Hwanmong."

"I have to win everything?"

"Of course. The loser has to give everything to the winner. But I'm not interested in anything else that you have. Only the sovereign token! I will go away if you give it to me."

"Shut up! You won't be able to take it from my hand unless you kill me."

Keirun looked completely like a warlock. It would be difficult for Kang-jun to resist with his own strength.

However, he wasn't about to give up the ring without a fight.

He would be deprived of the sovereign ring as well as fail the mission.

Defeat in the world of Hwanmong meant death.

He would die anyway so it was better to die trying.

Keirun just laughed like it was ludicrous.

"Silly, young fool. So you wish to die."

He then held up his right hand.

Swiing!

At that moment, a huge amount of wind blew and started rotating.

Kwa kwa kwa kwa!

Surprisingly, the origin of the vortex was Keirun's right hand. A ray of green light hit it and the swirling wind became increasingly larger.

'W-what on earth is that?'

Kang-jun's mouth dropped open.

It was obviously magic.

A huge swirl in the sky!

Keirun was a warlock with tremendous power.

"Do you see boy? This is why I was dubbed the sovereign of the black storm! Also known as, h.e.l.l Storm."

"H-h.e.l.l Storm!"

"That's right. You should have heard the name. The ultimate fire magic called h.e.l.lfire! This wind magic is comparable to that."

"Euh! s.h.i.+t!"

Kang-jun knew about the fire magic called h.e.l.lfire.

The ultimate fire magic that a dragon used!

He knew of its existence from fantasy novels.

Keirun was boasting that his wind magic h.e.l.l Storm was just as amazing as that.

If so, it would be impossible for Kang-jun to win over Keirun and he would die.

The only weapon he had was a wooden stick.

But he had to fight with Keirun so early on.

He had his subordinates, but they would be useless. The ratians would just be mere bugs in front of h.e.l.l Storm.

Keirun gave a wicked laugh.

"This is my final warning. If you hand me the sovereign token now then I won't kill you."

"Shut up! Won't I still die if the token is s.n.a.t.c.hed away?"

"You are mistaken. If the sovereign token is taken away, you will become a shadow sovereign and still have the chance to regain your position. But you will die if I destroy you here. Your life shouldn't end so soon."

There was a difference.

Keirun's eyes flashed with intimidation.

"Now, make your choice. Will you select eternal despair? Or will you choose humiliating survival with a chance to recover again?"

Eternal despair meant that he would be destroyed.

Once again, there was still a chance to recover from being a shadow sovereign if he lost his qualifications.

However, Kang-jun didn't consider the second option at all.

Would Keirun really spare Kang-jun if he received the ring?

There was no way that would happen. Kang-jun would absolutely never give up without any opposition.

'Fight to the death.'

Kang-jun was already prepared for death.

'Summon Hayun!'

He summoned his household member, Hayun.

Hayun was called, but the situation was slightly regretful.

Sususu.

Hayun appeared in her neat white dress. She opened her eyes and stared at the surroundings.

"This is Hwanmong. It looks just like reality."

"Look at it later. We are being attacked."

Kang-jun pointed at Keirun and said.

Hayun looked over and was puzzled.

"There is something strange."

"Yes. He is the shadow sovereign called Keirun. Right now he is using the ultimate magic h.e.l.l Storm."

"Wait! That is an illusion."

"An illusion?"

"It looks real but is actually nothing. My gut feeling isn't wrong and I wouldn't deceive you."

Then Keirun's expression stiffened. A sign that he was upset about something.

"Unbelievable! A senior ghost! Why can you already summon a senior ghost?"

Keirun thought that Hayun was a senior ghost.

A virgin ghost was the most frightening, so it made sense that she would be a senior ghost.

Looking at Keirun's panicked face, it seemed like Hayun's words were correct.

"So it really was an illusion? You tried to trick me into handing over the Demonic Dragon's Ring."

"Kuoh! Shut up. Why would I use h.e.l.l Storm on someone like you?"

With those words, he stretched his right hand forward.

Hwiing!

The vortex in the sky struck downwards.

Kwa kwa

kwa kw.a.n.g! Kwa kwa kwa kw.a.n.g!

It was a scene where the area was crumbling. The buildings were overturned.

"Kang-jun! This is just an illusion."

Hayun hurriedly exclaimed. Kang-jun nodded.

"Don't worry."

Kang-jun watched the scene in front of him without blinking an eye.

He figured out that everything was only an illusion.

Kang-jun knew that the sight of the buildings collapsing was just like a 3D hologram.

The problem was the ratians.

"Kyaaak!"

"Keeeek."

Unlike Kang-jun, they were confused and scattered in every direction.

"Gather over here."

Kang-jun urgently gave a command, but the ratians had fallen into a panic and didn't easily return.

Keirun gave a smile of triumph and chanted a spell.

"Kukuku! Nwahorulosukal niswigural! Vengeful spirits that never sleep! Now release your resentment…"

At that moment, dozens of sobs could be heard in the darkness.

"Huooooh!"

"Huhuhuhuk!"

Dozens of ghosts. They started flocking due to Keirun's spell.

An expression of ridicule appeared on Hayun's face.

"Leave it to me. I know these kids. The vast majority of them are those who died in car accidents near here. They didn't even dare approach me in the past."

"Aren't there too many of them?"

"Don't worry. They are weak ghosts. I alone will be sufficient."

Hayun showed her self-confidence. Indeed, the ghosts seemed surprised the moment they saw Hayun.

"Then take out the ghosts, Hayun."

"Yes."

Hayun shot like an arrow towards the ghosts. The ghosts turned into smoke every time her hands grabbed them.

'How great.'

Kang-jun watched with delight. Hayun was clearly the G.o.d of the area.

'I will take care of Keirun.'

He didn't miss covertly approaching Keirun while watching the ghosts.

At that moment, Keirun's face stiffened.

The illusion of h.e.l.l Storm had failed to scare Kang-jun, and even the attack of the ghosts failed.

All of it was because of the senior ghost.

'Oduk! Dammit! This was an unexpected variable.'

The abilities he had as a sovereign had long since scattered. Thanks to that, he was now only slightly stronger than a ghost.

He painfully gathered black magic energy over a long period of time and took advantage of it.

That was the illusion magic.

The illusion of h.e.l.l Storm that appeared earlier.

He had to somehow s.n.a.t.c.h the sovereign token from Kang-jun.

Of course, he would start again at Lv1, but his previous experience meant it would be possible to raise his level at a fast pace.

But his plan had failed.

Despite the illusion in front of him, Kang-jun never took out the sovereign token.

Then the senior ghost showed up and told him it was an illusion.

It was totally unexpected.

He had been careless because the other sovereign was someone who lived an ordinary life in the human world.

'I underestimated him. s.h.i.+t!'

A willpower that didn't yield to fear!

In addition, he had the good luck to have a senior ghost as a subordinate!

'I have to admit that he is a great guy. However, I need to kill him.'

The black magic energy he collected was almost gone. He only had six attacks left!

Despite being Lv1, his species characteristics gave him a natural affinity with the wind.

Therefore, he was convinced that a mere human sovereign wouldn't be able to defeat him.

Susuk. Susususuk.

Keirun's body flew like the wind towards Kang-jun. Kang-jun jumped with surprise as Keirun suddenly rushed towards him.

"Kukuk! Drop dead!"

A black dagger suddenly appeared in Keirun's right hand.

Swis.h.!.+

A fast and accurate attack that an elderly person wouldn't be able to see!

The dagger flew towards Kang-jun's chest in an instant.

'Ick!'

Kang-jun swiftly turned his body to avoid the attack. At that moment, Keirun's dagger also changed direction.

Chwack! Chwaack!

"Ugh!"

The dagger grazed his left side and forearm. There was a hot pain as he started bleeding.

's.h.i.+t! Fast.'

Usually, a warlock would only use magic. But Keirun's movements were as good as an a.s.sa.s.sin's.

Hwing hwing!

Kang-jun furiously swung the wooden stick, but Keirun seemed to predict the direction and avoided it.

's.h.i.+t! This isn't enough.'

Kang-jun threw the wooden stick. He would rather meet the enemy with his body instead of an uncomfortable weapon.

'It is easier with my bare hands.'

Kang-jun formed fists and took a stance.

Chwack! Chwack chwack chwack!

Kang-jun's body was cut by Keirun's dagger every time he moved.

Kang-jun instantly became b.l.o.o.d.y.

However, his eyes were still calm.

Dirt was falling from his skin thanks to Aura of Earth.

'Right. I just need one gap.'

Kang-jun slipped in jabs but he was waiting for a decisive attack. In addition, he thoroughly defended his belly and forearm.

Then Keirun roughly wielded his dagger.

"Drop dead! Go to h.e.l.l!"

Papapat!

Kang-jun continued to avoid the dagger coming at a dazzling speed. At that moment, Kang-jun used his right foot to kick Keirun's left knee.

"Cough!"

Keirun stumbled, losing his balance. Kang-jun's body jumped forward.

And that was the end.

Bam bam!

His feet successively kicked at Keirun's head.

"Keoooook!"

Keirun fell on his back. His b.l.o.o.d.y face looked like a monster.

"Kuoh! D-dammit!"

He instantly tried to get up. But Kang-jun was already stepping on his chest.

"Bye Keirun!"

"Ooh! W-wait a minute!"

Kwakw.a.n.g!

Kang-jun's foot fell towards Keirun's face like a hammer.

Kwajik!

There was the sound of a skull cracking. Surprisingly, Keirun was still alive.

How could he still be alive when his face was caved in?

A warlock really did have mysterious abilities.

"Your life is really tough. This time I really will finish it."

Kang-jun prepared for another strike.

"Kuoock! W-wait a little bit. Please…"

Keirun was too pathetic. He seemed to want to say something to Kang-jun.

"Speak."

And Keirun painfully got up. He didn't die and now he could raise his body? Speaking of which, Keirun's earlier injuries were noticeably recovering.

He really did have a mysterious vitality and resilience!

"A deal with me…let's make one."

"Deal?"

"That's right. I can give you very useful information."

Giving information in return for sparing him.

Kang-jun didn't know what great information Keirun had that would change the situation.

[A ratigers has been summoned.]

At that moment, one ratigers was summoned to the barrack.

There was a ringing sound as the giant stone golem immediately headed to the 1st floor of the Dafeng building.

"Please give me a command, Lord."

The golem walked proudly and gave off a truly imposing air.

In the meantime, the ratians and giant ratians gathered around Kang-jun out of fear.

That wasn't all.

Hayun had finished getting rid of the ghosts and was standing next to Kang-jun.

Keirun's expression became even more desperate. Apart from the senior ghost, there was also the golem ratigers! He realized that it was impossible to escape from Kang-jun.

Then Kang-jun asked him.

"Tell me. What great information do you know?"

"Will you let me go if I tell you?"

"I will hear it first. I will decide what to do with you after that."

Keirun gave him a strange smile.

"I know another sovereign in the area. Kukuk! I know his location."

Kang-jun was startled.

Having another sovereign nearby was an extremely dangerous threat to Kang-jun's survival.

If Kang-jun knew the position of the sovereign then he could attack first. A bonus was taking the sovereign token. At the very least, he could be prepared for the sovereign's a.s.sault, so it was really important information.

"How about it? Isn't that worth sparing my life?"

However, Kang-jun shook his head.

"I can figure that out on my own. I would rather kill you. Ratigers! Smash his head."

"As Lord wills!"

The Ratigers lifted its stone blade and prepared to strike.

Keirun felt some consternation. No matter how great his vitality was, it would be the end if he was. .h.i.t by the ignorant but strong ratigers.

"W-wait a minute! Then another piece of information…"

"I don't need it. I won't feel at ease if you aren't dead."

Kang-jun was prepared to send a signal to the ratigers.

Of course, Kang-jun didn't intend to kill Keirun straight away. He wanted to get a bit more information before throwing him away.

In the end, the terrified Keirun fell facedown in the dirt.

"S-Sovereign Lucan…! I will be your loyal and devoted subordinate. P-please spare me."

"Loyal Can I really believe that?"

"Please believe me. Don't

worry about betrayal. Once I am part of your household, it will be impossible to betray you unless you release me. Forever!"

"Forever?"

"Yes. So please take me into your household. I know a lot about the world of Hwanmong. In particular, my experience as a sovereign will be a great help to your survival."

Keirun hit his head against the ground while speaking. He had been aiming to become a sovereign again, so could Kang-jun really trust his words?

Then a new message appeared.

[Would you like to take Keirun into your household? Yes/No]

[The early conditions of completing Mission 5 will be automatically achieved if you accept Keirun into your household.]

It meant he didn't need to kill Keirun to accomplish Mission 5.

'Can I really believe him?'

If he didn't need to worry about betrayal then accepting Keirun would be a great help.

Kang-jun was immediately attracted by the vast knowledge Keirun would have as a previous sovereign regarding Hwanmong.

This would be a huge help to Kang-jun when it came to pa.s.sing the final mission. In addition, knowing the location of other sovereigns in the area would help with his immediate survival.

"But…there is a condition, Sovereign Lucan!"

Keirun, who was watching Kang-jun carefully said. Kang-jun's eyes instantly became cold. He was speaking about a condition in this situation.

"Now there is a condition?"

"No, it is more like a favour than a condition."

Keirun's entire body s.h.i.+vered. One signal from Kang-jun would have his head smashed in by the ratigers. It really was crazy for him to talk about a condition right now. So he quickly changed it to a favour.

"What favor?"

"The day you become so strong that I am no longer useful to you…will you set me free?"

"Free you from my household?"

"Yes. Then I can start again as a sovereign in another world."

Keirun still couldn't abandon his dream of becoming a sovereign again.

He was willing to join Kang-jun's household for a chance to become a sovereign again in the future.

Kang-jun nodded.

"Okay. I will think about it."

Keirun's complexion instantly changed.

"T-thank you. Sovereign Lucan! I will be a loyal subordinate to you."

However, Kang-jun had a strange smile on his face.

He only said that he would think about it.

Once they joined his household, they would be there forever.

He was going to win everything. The loser would give everything to the winner.

It was like Keirun said earlier.

[Would you like to take Keirun into your household? Yes/No?]

The question appeared again.

'Yes! I accept.'

[The shadow sovereign Keirun has joined your household.]

[Keirun will become your faithful subordinate in the world of Hwanmong.]

"Keirun! Now you are part of Lucan's household."

"I swear my allegiance to you, Lord."

Meanwhile, Keirun's body had completely recovered, so he stood up and bowed.

[Mission 5 has been completed.]

[As a reward, enough experience will be given to increase your level.]

[300 nodes have been given as compensation.]

[The skill Aura of the Wind has been given as compensation.]

His level rose again to Lv8.

300 nodes and a new skill.

[Aura of the Wind (Active)]

-Additional wind property damage will be added to all attacks.

-Movement and attack speed will increase significantly.

-Consumes five black magic energy.

-Duration is one minute.

-Wind, fire, water and earth can't be used simultaneously.

Thus far, he had obtained two of the four elements.

Unlike Aura of Earth that focused on damage, Aura of the Wind was a skill oriented on attack and movement speed.

Having both skills was comforting.

He could use them interchangeably depending on the situation.

Anyway, that wasn't important right now. Kang-jun asked Keirun a question he was wondering about.

"What does the power of Hwanmong want? What is the final mission?"

"I don't know that."

"You don't know? What about your old days as a sovereign?"

"To tell you the truth, it really isn't that important. This place is literally an infinite world."

"Infinite world?"

"That's right, Lord. I am a native dark elf warlock from the continent of Icaida. I have been a sovereign dozens of times but I still don't know much about Hwanmong."

"It is possible to become a sovereign dozens of times?"

"Whenever a sovereign is defeated and becomes a shadow sovereign, they will go to a different world. Once they give someone the power of Hwanmong, there is a second chance."

"So you aren't destroyed if you die?"

Keirun just smiled.

"I will now describe it in detail. In fact, a shadow sovereign doesn't completely disappear even if they die. They will spend some long years in h.e.l.l before being resurrected as a shadow sovereign."

"h.e.l.l?"

"It is a little different from the commonly known h.e.l.l. Rather than for sin, it is a place to go after losing the war."

"So those defeated are sinners."

"Kukuk! That's correct. Therefore, I absolutely recommend never going to h.e.l.l. After being defeated, you will have to spend unimaginably long years in agony. Of course, I've been to h.e.l.l a lot so I have methods to quickly escape. However, I will tell you those later."

Kang-jun shook his head.

"It doesn't matter."

Right now there was no need to know about h.e.l.l; it only mattered if he was defeated. He only needed to think about winning.

"Just tell me what I need to do to survive."

"I selected quite a few people on earth to receive the power of Hwanmong."

"There was such a thing?"

"Their start time is the same. In addition, they have the same capacity as a sovereign for management and war."

"So why did you throw the dice?"

At the time, he had thrown the dice of fate and received a coin with the word 'management' written on it.

"It is also the fate of the lord. The power of Hwanmong chose those with identical fates in order to make it fair."

Fair rules! Kang-jun thought it was fortunate and nodded.

He still had many questions, but he couldn't know everything. The important thing now was to survive! If so, he needed to remove the immediate threat first.

"Tell me the locations of the other sovereigns in the area."

"Right over there. Sovereign Herod is in that building."

Keirun raised his hand and pointed to one side.

A five storey building a distance away.

'That close?'

Surprisingly, it was only 50 metres away from the Dafeng building.

Kang-jun always pa.s.sed it when going back and forth to the convenience store.

Yugang building. The 1st floor was a pub, the 2nd floor a hair salon, 3rd and 4th floors a plastic surgery clinic and the 5th floor was housing.

But there was another sovereign over there.

"There was a fellow shadow sovereign wandering around the building. Of course, I sent him to h.e.l.l."

If so, the dead shadow sovereign must have been the one to give the power of Hwanmong to Herod. Naturally, the shadow sovereign was also aiming for Herod's sovereign token like Keirun.

However, he died early on due to Keirun. As a result, Keirun had two choices.

Kang-jun or Sovereign Herod from the Yugang building. He could s.n.a.t.c.h the sovereign token from one of them.

Kang-jun was somewhat curious.

"Why did you pick me over Herod?"

Keirun made an expression like he was troubled.

"That…"

"Why did you deliberately aim for me? Did I look weaker?"

It was unavoidable, so Keirun scratched his head and said.

"Herod! He is the owner of the building."

"O-owner?"

He understood what was meant by the word owner.

Rent! Kang-jun lived in a gos.h.i.+won, so the owner of a building was in a completely different dimension. And wasn't he a landlord in Gangnam?

Someone said this.

If he was born again, he would want to be the cat of a property owner in Gangnam! A cat meeting an owner like that would be the best fortune in the world. It was comparable to being the cat of a building owner in the Han River area.

Kang-jun stared at Keirun.

"That landlord is the reason why you aimed at me?"

"That's right. I'm not sure if you know, but being the landlord of the building can amplify the effect of your territory. The amount of resources received will also vary. Having enormous resources will make your forces more powerful. On the other hand, a poor lord paying monthly rent…"

"Didn't you say that the starting point is the same? Aren't there rules for fairness?"

"In this world, everyone is born the same as a newborn baby. Unfortunately, the fairness ends here. After that, fairness moves far away."

"s.h.i.+t! What are you trying to say?"

"In other words, all newborn babies have different parents. Their parents could have

a lot of money or they could be poor. The sovereigns in Hwanmong also differ like this. Those sovereigns with money will find it easier to grow stronger in Hwanmong. If you still don't understand this explanation then I can…"

"Stop. I have heard enough."

Kang-jun was in a lot of pain.

In reality, they were people who were born with a golden spoon. Now it was suggested that they also had an advantage here.

d.a.m.n! In the world of sovereigns, he would eventually feel some grief from not having a building.

"I won't think about it too much. I just have to make money. Sooner or later, I will own a building."

"I hope that day comes quickly. I don't want to see you dying to other sovereigns. Being a landlord will change everything."

"Anyway, I am currently at an overwhelming disadvantage."

"It was originally like that. But now it is different."

"It is different?"

"Lord has two advantages."

"What are they?"

"One is the senior ghost."

"Hayun?"

"That's right. It is fortunate that you got such a powerful ghost in the early days. Such good luck isn't normally given, even to the sovereigns with money."

"It is rea.s.suring that I have Hayun."

Keirun nodded in agreement.

Hayun had been sent back to the real world. Unless there was a particularly pressing situation here, her main priority was to protect Kang-jun in Room 406.

"So what is the other one?"

Keirun just laughed.

"It is me."

"Keirun?"

"Of course. Kuhuk! Compared to the senior ghost, you are even luckier to obtain me."

Kang-jun thought it was absurd that Keirun was praising himself.

"Are you that great?"

"I have been a sovereign dozens of times and gone through countless wars. Resources are beneficial in war, but they aren't an absolute thing. Those who are strong will win."

Those who were strong would win.

That saying resonated in his chest.

Keirun just smiled.

"Now it is almost time for Lord to return to reality. Kuhuk! Please earn a lot of money. Quickly become a landlord."

[A ratigers has been summoned.]

He received a message that a ratigers had been summoned to the barrack.

At the same time.

[Your time in the world of Hwanmong is over.]

[The door to Hwanmong is closed.]

'He asked me to earn a lot of money. Quickly become a landlord.'

Quickly become a landlord! Quickly become…

Keirun's last words rang in his ears. Kang-jun screamed as he woke up.

"I understand! I will do it. I will!"

Hayun stared down at Kang-jun with wide eyes.

"Do what? What is it?"

Kang-jun laughed and said.

"A landlord! I need to earn enough money to become a landlord and get more benefits in the war."

Hayun sighed.

"Yes, it is like that. This building will be very expensive. This is Gangnam."

"I guess so. Anyway, I will go visit the realtor's office to learn more."

In fact, he didn't want to learn more. He knew he would feel more desperate after hearing the amount.

"Then I will lend a hand."

"How?"

"At the very least, I can look around."

Kang-jun's chest heated up. He was thankful that Hayun was willing to help him.

"Thank you for worrying."

"Then shall I go play in the 3rd floor PC Room? Or I can get a part time job at the coffee shop on the 2nd floor. No. There is a lot more money working at the karaoke bar…"

"Hey! It's okay. I will earn the money. You don't have to worry about money."

Kang-jun snapped out. No matter how much money she could earn, he didn't want Hayun to work at the karaoke bar. It was a karaoke bar that also had room salons.

"Don't worry, I can do it."

"You don't know what troubles can happen in the karaoke bar. Don't you know what type of place it is?"

"Are you concerned that I will be molested? It isn't a concern. I will break the wrists of anyone who lays a hand on my body. Is that okay?"

Hayun asked like she expected something.

He didn't know what she expected.

Come to think of it, there was no need to worry about Hayun. Rather, he should be worried about the customers. And Hayun would beat up anyone who tried to pull her into a room.

"Anyway, you can go and earn money whenever I'm not sleeping."

"I will work hard, and I don't need sleep."

Hayun didn't require any sleep.

If he left it like this, she really might go and work at the karaoke bar. He had occupied the entire Dafeng building last night, so now Hayun could move around it in a human state.

'I don't know what incident might occur. I would rather let her work in the PC Room.'

At night she needed to protect Kang-jun, so a daytime part time job would be ideal.

"Go get a part time job at the PC Room during the day. Got it?"

"Yes."

It was 6.30 a.m. when he checked his watch.

Kang-jun took a shower before heading to his stall.

It was just a quick wash and he headed towards K Traditional Market after eating breakfast.

At that location, he used his power to sell socks.

A profit of 1.32 million. The average profit had dropped by 200,000 won compared to the last three days. This was because he offered the socks at reduced prices.

Instead, he managed to finish selling at 5.30 p.m. Usually the earliest he would close was 8 p.m. and sometimes he continued until 10 p.m.

Shortly afterwards, Kang-jun arrived in front of the Dafeng building. Instead of heading to the 4th floor, he entered the real estate office on the 1st floor.

"Welcome."

The realtor Kim Seok-cheol, a man in his late 40s and wearing a black suit, greeted Kang-jun.

"Please sit on this couch. Hahaha, is it hot? Is iced coffee okay?"

"Yes."

Why was he so friendly? Kim Seok-cheol's att.i.tude had completely changed from when he came to check the rent of a studio near here.

He was treating Kang-jun like a VIP. Did it have something to do with capturing the realtor's office last night? There was no doubt. Otherwise, his att.i.tude wouldn't have completely changed overnight.

Anyway, this was great. It would be easier to get the information he wanted.

Kang-jun sipped the coffee and asked.

"Can I know the price for the Dafeng building?"

Kim Seok-cheol instantly checked his monitor and said.

"The selling price for this building is approximately 2.8 billion won."

2.8 billion! 2.8 billion won.

Of course, he had been prepared before coming. It was probably going to be expensive.

However, he was dumbfounded when he heard the amount was 2.8 billion. 2.8 billion won wasn't an easy amount of money to grasp even after winning the lottery due to taxes. How could he save 2.8 billion?

Then Kang-jun suddenly shook his head. He shouldn't panic just yet. He now had the ability to make money.

'Indeed! I just need to gather it.'

He had the management skill Draw in Customers, so earning 2.8 billion wasn't an impossible task.

Soon he would move to an area of the market with a larger floating population and sell goods other than socks.

Once he had enough capital, he would operate several stores.

In particular, his skill would be amplified in a gos.h.i.+won, PC Room, karaoke, coffee shop, karaoke bar etc., and he could sweep in the money. Of course, the number of industries would increase in the future.

Once he returned to Hwanmong, he would occupy the nearby shopping street.

The problem was time!

Even if he could earn money, it would be time consuming to save 2.8 billion.

In the meantime, wouldn't Sovereign Herod with enormous resources come to attack him?

He had Keirun and Hayun so it wouldn't be easy. However, there was still a considerable chance that he could be defeated.

The realtor Kim Seok-cheol seemed to read Kang-jun's troubled expression and said.

"Boss-nim! You might not be able to buy the building with your money, but there is the bank. Usually you can get a loan for 70% of the value of the Dafeng building."

"A 70% loan is possible?"

"Of course, if the deposit money is considered then it might be possible to get up to 80%. In this case, the interest rate is a little higher."

Kang-jun gave him a long look.

Then Kim Seok-cheol gave an explanation.

As the prices lowered, there would be an upturn in the market. The banks would be affected by the appraisal value. In the case of Dafeng, the building already had a one billion won loan, so Kang-jun could get an additional loan.

As a result, Kang-jun only needed to gather approximately one billion won.

"Of course, this takes into account the credit history of Boss-nim. If you have good credit with a bank then you can obtain better conditions."

"Indeed."

Kang-jun laughed.

Credit! He probably didn't have a good credit history.

There was no communication when he had a part time job and his card balances were sometimes overdue. He had never had a full time job, so he wouldn't have a good credit rating.

But it was possible to get a collateral loan even with a bad credit rating. There would just be adverse conditions.

'Yes. I will also occupy a nearby bank in the world of Hwanmong. There might be something good.'

Just like the realtor Kim Seok-cheol, the bank staff might suddenly become friendly to him if that happened. Who knows? The loan might end up having very good conditions.

Anyway, his heart was much

lighter now that he needed one billion instead of 2.8 billion to buy the Dafeng building.

'Okay. Let's somehow raise one billion.'

He would be able to repay the loan once he bought the building.

Anyway, he had made eight million won so far by selling socks. He would soon gather 10 million.

Then Kim Seok-cheol said.

"I will talk to the building owner and get you the lowest possible price. Hehe, I don't want to brag but I am quite an expert."

"Today I only came to check the price. I'll stop by and ask again soon."

"Then feel free to contact me at any time. Would you like to learn anything else?"

"What are the prices of the other buildings around here?"

Kang-jun was full of expectations about the possibility of cheaper buildings around here. However, those expectations were returned with despair.

The narrow Dafeng building with outdated facilities was the cheapest.

"This building was sold for 3.7 billion last month. The price of that green building is a minimum of 5.5 billion…"

Even a four storey building was more than two billion. Of course, the building was several times more s.p.a.cious than Dafeng and the location was good.

But he started feeling pitiful while hearing the market prices of the buildings.

Someone was the owner of those buildings. Who was the owner of a building worth 20 billion won?

By the way, Kim Seok-cheol told Kang-jun the prices of buildings he didn't even ask for.

Some were even more than 80 billion. 80 billion! He just had to hope that the owner of that building wasn't a sovereign.

"That's enough."

Kang-jun raised a hand. Or else a skysc.r.a.per worth hundreds of billions might emerge.

Why would he want a lecture about the real estate in Gangnam? He wanted to give up after listening for a while.

This f.u.c.king world! He was living in a room worth 250,000 won while others were living on top of the world.

How many tyc.o.o.ns were in the world? They played in the world of hundreds of billions of won.

Kang-jun didn't care as long as none of them were sovereigns. No matter how unfair the world was, even it wouldn't make a tyc.o.o.n a sovereign.

However, it was a possibility when listening to Keirun's words. There was no guarantee that Kang-jun wouldn't have to fight a tyc.o.o.n in the future.

Kang-jun made a fist.

'Power. No matter how great the sovereign is, that is the only law that matters.'

Those who were strong would win. There was one enemy he would have to face first. Herod of the Yugang building! The first priority was getting rid of him.

"That's right, what is the value of the Yugang building?"

"Ah, Yugang? That is roughly seven billion."

"Seven billion?"

"Yes."

That person really was born with a gold spoon. Even the prices of their buildings were different, but Kang-jun took it more calmly than he expected.

'It doesn't matter if he is bigger than me.'

His pride refused to give up. He would not be defeated by Herod coming for him.

'I will win. By all means!'

He would not be defeated by any sovereigns.

After a while, he returned to Room 406.

Kang-jun sat on the bed and talked to Hayun sitting on the chair.

"His name is Jung Kw.a.n.g-hyeon. He is 35 years old and divorced. The building was given to him from his parents. Now he lives alone on the 5th floor of the Yugang building. Despite going to study abroad in the United States, he went to jail for s.e.xual a.s.sault and drug charges. The divorce seemed to happen then as well."

Hayun received information about Sovereign Herod from the ghosts in the area.

35 years old, divorced and had a lot of money. He had an expensive foreign car and was rolling in money.

The ghosts had quite a bit of information.

It was common for him to bring two or three women to his bed and to have orgy parties with his friends. He also previously had s.e.xual a.s.sault and drug charges. It was clear that he had a horrible personality.

But that wasn't important right now. The important thing was that he was a sovereign!

In other words, he had the same abilities as Kang-jun in Hwanmong.

"Continue to gather information about him. Even very minor details."

"I understand, leave it to me. I have an iron grip on the ghosts."

Hayun smiled confidently.

The next day at noon.

There was a large and luxurious bed.

A man and two women were sleeping. All of them were naked. The room was littered with bottles and underwear. It was easy to guess what happened here last night.

"Um!"

The man opened his eyes. He was a handsome man in his 30s.

"Euh! My head hurts. I drank too much last night."

He got up and staggered around to get water.

Snap! Snap!

The cold water refreshed his spirit. At the same time, the messy room caught his eyes. The two women were still asleep.

The man woke the two women up.

"He woke up already?"

"Yawn! I want to sleep. This bed is too soft."

The man stuck a cigarette in his mouth and exclaimed.

"Get up and leave."

"What?"

"Oppa! What did you say just now?"

"Shut up and get lost! Haven't you heard things about me? I am just a bad man."

The women were furious. The man from last night seemed completely different to the person in front of them now. Of course, the girls didn't follow him because of kindness. They came because he paid one million per person.

"f.u.c.k!"

"I have the worst luck!"

The women grumbled as they clothed themselves and left.

The man didn't show any interest as he smoked a cigarette on the sofa in his living room.

After a while. The man got up and looked out the window.

Noon. The streets were crowded with people. It was lunchtime so workers were looking for restaurants.

But the man's eyes were on the surrounding buildings, not the people. The reason was his recent mission.

Mission 5- Scout the neighbourhood to find a nearby, hostile sovereign.

-Compensation: Experience, 1000 nodes

That's right. He was Jung Kw.a.n.g-hyeon, a sovereign in the world of Hwanmong.

'I thought the whole dream and reality thing was ridiculous at first. I became a sovereign in a place called Hwanmong.'

There was a meaningful smile on Jung Kw.a.n.g-hyeon's face. He was a power runner and had rugged muscles.

'Huhu, these muscles! I didn't even exercise to gain these muscles!'

A perfect, muscular body that ordinary people would find hard to reach! Even his energy increased.

This was all due to the power of Hwanmong.

After pa.s.sing the first mission of gathering 100 black magic energy, he had gone through the flesh construction process.

The second mission required constructing a barrack. The compensation for this was 500 nodes and inferior knowledge about goblins and orcs.

Thanks to the barrack, he could summon the goblins and orcs. They were disgusting monsters that normally only appeared in fantasy books. He honestly found them so disgusting that he didn't even want to look at them. However, strong troops would make the sovereign more powerful.

So he had two barracks and he upgraded them to stage three. The stage three barracks could accommodate 30 monsters each. It was also the third mission.

The problem was the cost to summon the monsters. Fortunately, this could be covered by his taxes.

Every time he entered Hwanmong, he would be paid 1,000 nodes as taxes for his territories. Thanks to that, Jung Kw.a.n.g-hyeon managed to summon 30 goblins and orcs in each barrack. That was mission 4.

He got the t.i.tle of Sovereign Herod as a reward. A sovereign with a total of 60 creatures!

He also received the Wyvern Ring that made the wearer immune to fear and confusion.

[Wyvern Ring]

-Rating: Only one

-A sign that you are a sovereign in Hwanmong.

-Strength +5 when worn.

-Immune to fear and confusion when worn.

-Sovereign t.i.tle: Herod

His power rose tremendously thanks to the power of the ring.

Furthermore, his level rose! He had never done a combat mission, yet he was still Lv6.

He had no intention of fighting directly with monsters in the future. He had no reason to risk death in fights when he could just raise his level through the missions. He would leave the fighting to his subordinates! A sovereign was meant to give commands.

He thought about it.

'This time, I will add one more barrack after entering Hwanmong. I'm not sure how strong the sovereign in the area is, but it will be game over with my forces. Huhuhu!'

It would be enough with the tax money. Complete

victory! Once he found the location of the hostile sovereign, his troops would sweep through in minutes!

So he had to make a plan.

Susuk.

A man wearing a black hood appeared in front of him. The man lay down and cried out.

"I seek an audience with Lord!"

Jung Kw.a.n.g-hyeon glanced at him and asked.

"Colt, do you know where the hostile sovereign is?"

Colt could exist in both reality and Hwanmong. He was an intermediate ghost that immediately swore his loyalty after Jung Kw.a.n.g-hyeon became a sovereign.

"I didn't find them yet. The wandering ghosts in the area don't know."

"Look for any even slightly suspicious buildings. We have to find that person first."

"Yes, Lord."

Colt disappeared somewhere.

That evening.

Kang-jun came back from selling socks to find Hayun waiting in Room 406.

"Today a subordinate of Herod was asking the ghosts about you."

"Herod has started to act. Sooner or later, he will start attacking."

"He hasn't found this place yet. Like I said, I have a hold on all the ghosts. They won't say anything."

Kang-jun was delighted.

"Okay. Well done Hayun."

"I did great, right?"

"Of course. Well done."

Kang-jun stroked Hayun's head. Hayun's eyes started sparkling.

"Then buy me something delicious."

"Tell me what you want."

"Jajangmyeon, jjampong, sweet and sour pork!"

"I understand."

Kang-jun happily called a Chinese delivery restaurant.

Today he would eat a delicious meal with a ghost. Hayun had done something big for him, so it was worth spending money.

In this world, the ghosts were a source of information. All of them were controlled by Hayun, so the information belonged to Kang-jun.

Herod didn't know anything, but Kang-jun knew about him. This alone would create an opportunity to reverse the situation.

The next evening.

Kang-jun signed an additional contract for Room 401. Kim Yong-jae who originally lived in Room 401 was moved to another room, so the problem was easily solved.

It was necessary to spend money on Room 401 in order to build a research inst.i.tute in Hwanmong. His subordinates would become much stronger if he built a research inst.i.tute.

11 p.m.

It was finally time to enter the world of Hwanmong.

Kang-jun lay down on the bed and said to Hayun.

"I might call you later."

"I'll be waiting."

"Then please sing a lullaby."

"Good night our baby..."

Kang-jun's eyes closed as he heard the lullaby. It was like Hayun was singing a sleeping spell as he quickly fell asleep.

[The door to Hwanmong is open.]

[You have entered the world of Hwanmong.]

His base located in Room 406.

Unlike earlier, there was another person standing next to Kang-jun.

A youth with neat blue hair down to his waist. Pale skin that couldn't be seen on a human. Sharply glittering grey eyes. Eyeshadow seemed to be used to paint dark circles around his eyes. A gloomy but fascinating appearance!

What was the ident.i.ty of this youth? It was hard to know who he was. At that moment, he saw Kang-jun and bowed down.

"Keriun, seeking an audience with Lord!"

"Keirun? You are Keirun?"

Keirun was a rotting, elderly corpse with black hair. But this change! He looked good for a corpse.

"Kuhuk! I've regained my real face now that I am part of your household instead of a shadow sovereign."

"I'm glad to hear that. Then your abilities have become stronger?"

Keirun scratched his head and said.

"My capabilities are currently at level 1. However, my level will slowly rise in the future."

"Slowly?"

"Yes. The amount of experience I get compared to Lord Sovereign is small, so my levelling speed will be slow. This is a rule in Hwanmong."

According to Keirun, the only ones with the right to level up quickly in Hwanmong were the sovereigns.

"Then those guys can also raise their level?"

Kang-jun pointed to the ratians that were waiting in front of the base.

"Yes, of course. They will become stronger in battles. Increasing their level and skills will be very useful to Lord."

Kang-jun was surprised. Even the monsters summoned to the barrack could level up?

Keirun's eyes flashed as he continued speaking.

"But the most important thing is the level of the sovereign. One of the fastest ways to grow stronger is for the level of the sovereign itself to rise! This is the best way to survive in Hwanmong."

Kang-jun laughed. Keirun didn't need to tell him this.

"That's natural. Why else would there be sovereigns?"

"That's right, Lord. Most sovereigns, especially those with a lot of resources in the beginning, won't risk their lives fighting monsters to level up. It is dangerous so they would rather rely on strong subordinates. For example, they only raise their level through missions."

"Missions? I've only received fighting missions. There are missions that don't involve fighting?"

Keirun grinned.

"The missions given to each sovereign are different. In particular, it depends on what the sovereign wants! This is why Lord has only been given fighting missions."

"Then I would be given simple missions if I wanted it?"

"Of course. But that is a ridiculous choice. Those type of sovereigns will never last long. Let alone reaching the 100th mission, they normally have their necks cut by other sovereigns."

"Hrmm."

"Sovereigns should only roll in the blood and sweat of monsters! They will feel the crisis of death but will become frighteningly strong with each survival. In the end, the sovereigns that start off with a lot of resources will be trampled on by others."

"Is that right?"

Kang-jun's eyes were burning.

Keirun just smiled.

"Therefore, you must select a difficult mission. Of course, I'm not asking you to be reckless. You should choose the most difficult missions that you can realistically accomplish."

"I also want to do that."

Kang-jun simply nodded. Keirun was better than he thought.

Sovereigns born with gold spoons would be reluctant to perform dangerous missions! He would be able to push back those sovereigns.

"Then what is the best place to raise my level? Should I just attack and occupy the buildings nearby?"

Then Keirun touched a crystal ball in Room 406 and a 3D map was displayed. The 3D map showed a 100 hundred metre radius around the Dafeng building.

"In order to ensure the survival of the sovereigns, the early threats are very easy to overcome. However, the other buildings are different. It isn't easy to gain knowledge about the monsters."

"It is destroying doors like the Dafeng building. The monsters will also be quite challenging."

"Of course. Generally, the more dangerous monsters are in the high rise buildings."

"High rise buildings? Then skysc.r.a.pers with dozens of floors will be extremely scary."

At that moment, Keirun replied with an anxious expression.

"There is no guarantee that even a dragon won't emerge."

"Dragon? There is really such a thing?"

"Demons, evil spirits, dragons! There might be even worse monsters. This is the world of Hwanmong, Lord."

"d.a.m.n! I have to be careful."

It wouldn't be easy taking over another building. Dangerous missions were good, but they needed to match his capabilities.

"Therefore, I recommend you target buildings with four floors for the moment."

"I understand. I will take note."

"However, dangerous monsters can also be found in ordinary homes, in parks or on the streets. You should always be alert."

"Don't worry, I will be vigilant."

Every day was a struggle for survival. How could he be careless?

He didn't have the luxury to be careless. There was no room for Kang-jun to let his guard down. He was committed to doing his best.

"Then shall we try attacking the Sungkw.a.n.g building?"

Sungkw.a.n.g was a building with four floors, facing the Dafeng building. According to the realtor, the price of the Sungkw.a.n.g building was 3.7 billion.

"Yes, Lord. This building has the base of a sovereign, so it is likely that monsters in the area will come to plunder it. Some troops should be left behind for defense."

"I will do that."

This was the current status of his troops.

Two ratian infantry.

Three ratian archers.

Three giant ratians.

Two golem ratigers.

He decided to leave two ratian archers, two giant ratians and one ratigers behind as defense.

"How about upgrading the barrack to stage 2 and building a research inst.i.tute in Room 401 before leaving?"

"I thought of that as well."

It cost 100 nodes to upgrade the barrack in Room 403 to stage 2.

200 nodes were spent to build the research inst.i.tute in Room 401.

[Upgrade to a stage 2 barrack: 1%]

Construction of the research inst.i.tute: 1%]

The 300 nodes he received from Mission 5 were exhausted.

"I need quite a bit of money to summon more troops."

"Occupying the Sungkw.a.n.g building will get you money and treasure."

"Then shall we go?"

"Yes, Lord. Kuhuk! Somehow my heart is pounding. This is how we can raise our levels."

Kang-jun and Keirun immediately left the Dafeng building, and they arrived in front of Sungkw.a.n.g.

At that moment, a black cloud wrapped around the Sungkw.a.n.g building.

Ku ku ku ku!

Strange sounds were heard as the Sungkw.a.n.g building changed to an enormous size. The four storey building changed dramatically into what looked like a castle.

At the same time, some messages appeared.

[This is the area of the gnomes.]

[The gnomes have sent a warning to you and your subordinates.]

[Would you like to ignore

the warning and enter?]

"Gnomes? I don't know what they are but they are sending a warning not to enter."

Kang-jun's eyes shone as he spoke to Keirun.

"The gnomes are inferior spirits of the earth. They can change their features in order to attack."

"Their combat power?"

"The inferior gnomes aren't that strong. They are weak compared to the ratians. However, you should become nervous starting from the intermediate grade. They are the same grade as the ratigers."

"Hrmm."

"This is a gnome building so there is likely to be a mine inside."

"A mine?"

"Precious materials can be mined, including the Essence of Earth. If you are lucky then even rarer materials can be obtained."

Essence of Earth? He needed them to continue summoning strong subordinates like the ratigers.

"Okay, I will ignore the warning. Crack that barrier!"

"Yes, Lord."

In the meantime, a thick barrier had formed in front of Sungkw.a.n.g building.

[Sungkw.a.n.g building's barrier: 100%]

However, it was the target of the destructive power of a golem ratigers and two giant ratians.

Kwaang!

The strong attacks of the golem ratigers! The giant ratigers furiously struck at the barrier with huge logs.

Kwa kwa kw.a.n.g! Kwa kwa kwa kw.a.n.g!

Syuok! Syuok!

The ratian archers diligently shot their bows.

[Sungkw.a.n.g building's barrier: 78%]

The durability of the barrier quickly plummeted.

Susususu.

At that moment, shadows appeared in front of the barrier.

There were approximately 10 shadows. The shadows transformed into various beasts.

"Kwaaang! How dare you defy our warning!"

"Grrr! Get rid of the intruders!"

Keirun's gaze met Kang-jun's eyes. They both nodded.

"Sweep all of them up."

"Yes, Lord."

Kang-jun instantly used a skill.

'Aura of the Wind!'

Unlike Aura of Earth, this skill increased his attack speed and movement speed. This meant he would have a faster offensive.

Kang-jun quickly shot forward.

"Kwaaang!"

The gnome that looked like a lion rushed towards him with an open mouth. Kang-jun easily avoided it and used the wooden stick.

Bam bam!

"Kaeeng!"

The stick hit the gnome twice before it died. Despite the outward appearance, its physical attack power was low.

[Experience has been gained.]

[2 nodes have been gained.]

The gnome was so weak that not a lot of experience and money was gained. However, two nodes was still better than nothing.

Keirun also perfectly dealt with the gnomes. Keirun used his daggers and also easily killed them.

He displayed the characteristic agility of a dark elf! It was like he had a pa.s.sive Aura of the Wind skill.

[1 node has been gained.]

[2 nodes have been gained.]

These messages appeared every time Keirun killed a gnome. The experience that Keirun acquired belonged to Kang-jun.

Kang-jun killed eight gnomes and Keirun killed four of them.

The 12 gnomes were instantly turned to powder.

Meanwhile, the ratigers and ratians were still focused on the barrier.

[The barrier of Sungkw.a.n.g building has been destroyed.]

[A gnome treasure chest has been obtained.]

"Oh! A treasure chest!"

He acquired one treasure chest after the barrier broke. Kang-jun opened it to find blue coins and an axe.

[30 nodes have been gained.]

[Solid Iron Axe has been obtained.]

'Huhuhu, this is pretty good.'

This was only the beginning of the occupation of Sungkw.a.n.g building and he had already obtained this.

Kang-jun changed weapons to the Solid Iron Axe.

'A strong weapon is necessary.'

The axe had several times the destructive power of a piece of wood, so he could occupy the rooms more quickly.

It was right at that moment.

Mission 6 - Occupy the Sungkw.a.n.g building and find the gnome boss Rodiam living on the roof.

-Compensation: Experience, 500 nodes and the skill Soul Exploitation.

A mission appeared. It asked him to occupy the Sungkw.a.n.g building!

'It is like Keirun said.'

Kang-jun was given the mission that he desired. Kang-jun turned to Keirun and said.

"It is a mission. It told me to occupy the Sungkw.a.n.g building and mentioned the gnome boss Rodiam."

"As expected. Rodiam is probably the boss of this building."

"I guess so."

Kang-jun nodded.

Rodiam wasn't important.

He wouldn't let Rodiam obstruct him from completing his mission.

They entered the 1st floor of the building where gnomes were waiting with deadly eyes. Among them were a few larger gnomes.

Keirun said with a nervous expression.

"They are intermediate gnomes. Lord, you must be careful."

Kang-jun's hands clenched tightly while staring at the intermediate gnomes.

"We will occupy the 1st floor, then go to the bas.e.m.e.nt before heading back up to the 2nd floor."

"Yes, Lord."

Sungkw.a.n.g building, Paris Bakery on the 1st floor.

Kang-jun, Keirun, the ratigers and giant ratians were fighting against the gnomes.

"Kuweeeh! How dare you invade the area of the gnomes! I won't forgive you!"

An intermediate gnome in the shape of a human monster with four arms. The arms were holding a sword, axe, spear and s.h.i.+eld! An enemy that could brandish three weapons freely while defending with a s.h.i.+eld.

However, that was just the outside appearance. Kang-jun moved quickly due to Aura of the Wind and instantly arrived in front of the intermediate gnome.

Kang-jun avoided the dizzying flurry of offensive weapons and kneed the arm holding the axe.

Paak!

"Keok!"

The intermediate gnome screamed and hesitated, giving Kang-jun a chance to attack the axe in rapid succession.

Papak! Papapak!

"Kueeeeoh!"

[Experience has risen.]

[Your level has risen.]

[30 nodes have been gained.]

"Huhu, level up!"

"Ohh! Congratulations, Lord!"

The gnomes tried to resist but collapsed helplessly in front of the skillful attacks of Kang-jun and Keirun.

[The Paris Bakery has been occupied.]

[A gnome treasure chest has been obtained.]

The 1st floor Paris Bakery had been successfully taken over. Unfortunately, he didn't get any information about the bakery, but did gain a treasure chest.

[43 nodes have been gained.]

[Two fragrant garlic bread have been obtained.]

[Fragrant garlic bread]

-Food

-Physical damage will increase for 90 minutes after ingesting it.

-100% freshness (freshness and efficiency will decline over time)

Surprisingly, the bread gave him a buff that increased physical damage for 90 minutes.

There was no need to use it sparingly. The freshness and efficiency would drop so it was better to eat it as soon as possible.

'There are two so I will eat one.'

Kang-jun immediately ate one piece of bread. In addition, Keirun ate the other one.

[Physical attack power has increased by 10%.]

[The effect will last for 90 minutes.]

"Okay. Now we will go to the bas.e.m.e.nt."

"Yes, Lord!"

The bas.e.m.e.nt had a tonkatsu store. There was a formidable counterattack by the gnomes. However, Kang-jun had reached Lv9 so they were just like a hearty snack.

[Sungkw.a.n.g Tonkatsu has been occupied.]

[A gnome treasure chest has been obtained.]

He opened the box and obtained 74 nodes.

"Next is the 2nd floor! Ratigers! Smash the door!"

"As Lord wills!"

Swiik! Kwaang!

The ratigers attacked the door of the Tsingtao Pub on the 2nd floor.

They engaged in a fierce battle with the gnomes who came out straight away.

[Tsingtao has been occupied.]

[A gnome treasure chest has been obtained.]

[The elite mathematics school on the 3rd floor has been occupied.]

[A gnome treasure chest has been obtained.]

[The elite mathematics school on the 4th floor has been occupied.]

[A gnome treasure chest has been obtained.]

They all instantly collapsed in front of Kang-jun. When it came to experience and tenacity in battles, Kang-jun fell behind Keirun.

Thanks to that, Kang-jun easily reached Lv11 and Keirun Lv2.

Kang-jun gained three levels but Keirun barely gained one. Just like he said, he only obtained a very small amount of experience.

"Kuahahaha! Wuhahaha! Level up!"

Yet Keirun shouted with joy as he gained a level.

"Kuhuk! Lord! I finally levelled up!"

Tears even formed in his eyes.

He had been stuck at Lv1 in the past.

A lot of time was spent as a shadow sovereign. No, there was also the many years he spent in h.e.l.l.

Although he unfortunately didn't become a sovereign, he was able to join the household of one and level up again. Depending on his efforts, his level would continue to rise in the future.

Keirun's heart felt like it was going to burst. Kang-jun just smiled.

"Congratulations Keirun."

"I also have to congratulate Lord. Today you have gained three levels."

"It is the result of willingly taking risks."

"That's correct. It is just getting started. Lord has to become much stronger."

"Of course."

After opening all of the gnomes' treasure chests, the following items emerged.

284 nodes.

Three minor health potions.

Three minor black magic energy potions.

[Minor black energy potion]

-Drinking it will recover 40 black magic energy.

Kang-jun could finally recover black magic energy in Hwanmong. Although it was only 40 points, it would be a very useful item when needed.

"Now it's time for the last boss. We should go quickly before the effect of the garlic bread runs out. Before that, check if there are any threats to the base."

Kang-jun's eyes became more intense after his level rose.

"Currently, there are no real threats to the base. You can safely focus on targeting the boss."

Keirun's eyes also become fiercer. He didn't forget to frequently check on the Dafeng building.

"Then let's go."

Kang-jun grabbed the Solid Iron Axe tightly as he climbed up to the roof.

The extended roof area had a school playground built on it.

Dozens of gnomes were in the middle.

There were also four intermediate gnomes.

There was a cat monster with golden fur in the front.

Half-folded ears. Burning golden fur

that seemed to rise. Two large, sparkling eyes.

It was an odd monster with the head of a cat and the body of a boy.

"Bah! You managed to climb up to here. But this is where your luck runs out. I am Rodiam! I will let you know what it means to invade the area of the gnomes."

They were words that were intended to cause fear! It was unexpected that such words would emerge from the mouth of a cute cat.

However, Kang-jun and Keirun's eyes widened the moment they heard he was Rodiam.

The gnome boss! The boss of Sungkw.a.n.g building!

"Is that cute guy really Rodiam?"

"Lord, you should be vigilant against cute looks."

"Don't worry."

Kang-jun nodded. Just like Keirun said, he absolutely couldn't let his guard down.

Rodiam was a boss monster so he would have formidable attack power.

Not surprisingly, Rodiam's body then changed into a giant monster with the head of a cow. He was over four metres tall. Two red horns formed that reminded Kang-jun of the devil.

Keirun paled.

"Minotaur!"

"s.h.i.+t! Isn't he fairly big?"

Kang-jun was distracted by the fact that he grew to over four metres. It was questionable if a blow from an axe would damage it.

Keirun's eyes flashed as he said.

"The minotaur is a giant monster with the brute force of an ogre. A monster that absolutely can't be present in a low rise building like this. Despite the appearance, the actual combat capabilities won't be that great."

"The surface might look like that but he is still a gnome. I can face him."

Rodiam's mood seemed to worsen as he heard Kang-jun and Keirun's mocking words.

"Kuwaaah! Gnomes rise! Show these cheeky intruders your fury."

"Kuweeeh! Spread fears among the intruders!"

"Kwaaang! Show the anger of the gnomes!"

The gnomes came flocking. Kang-jun hurriedly exclaimed.

"Keirun, lead the troops to handle the mobs. I will deal with the boss."

"Yes, Lord. Please go."

Keirun started to give commands as Kang-jun moved.

"Ratigers, forward! Archers, aim at the intermediate gnome in front. Giant ratian no. 1 should escort the archers while no. 2 should support the ratigers."

Kwa kw.a.n.g! Syuok! Papapak!

In an instant, one intermediate gnome broke and returned to the earth. Two gnomes were laying still on the ground.

Kang-jun was filled with admiration.

'He is better at that.'

The ratigers, giant ratians and ratian archers moved naturally like they were Keirun's limbs.

'Huhu, I should go quickly.'

The sovereign directed the commander, who in turn led the soldiers.

Keirun was a competent commander. Kang-jun could feel very rea.s.sured with a commander like that.

Keirun gave a leisurely smile.

"Lord! Leave these wannabes to me. Please be careful."

"I understand. Don't worry."

In the meantime, Kang-jun confronted Rodiam, who was a large minotaur.

"Kukukuku! Let me how you what a real weapon is!"

Rodiam held up a large battle axe. Kang-jun was filled with tension.

'That is an oversized weapon.'

Whether it was transformed or not, he couldn't ignore the strength that would come from that oversized body.

It was the same for the weapon.

One blow would evidently have considerable strength.

Rodiam mercilessly wielded the battle axe.

Hwing! Hwing! Hwing hwing hwing!

Surprisingly, the speed was very rapid.

Sswik! Hwing hwing!

A vertical and horizontal offensive! It struck twice in succession.

'Ick!'

Kang-jun hurriedly bent over but the battle axe struck his left shoulder.

Chwaaaak!

"Ugh!"

His tattered left shoulder and arm caused him a lot of pain.

'Ugh, s.h.i.+t!'

Health: 208/290.

He lost 80 health from just one hit.

Snap!

Kang-jun reflexively retreated as he removed a potion from his pocket and poured it into his mouth.

"Kukukuku! Do you think you can escape?"

Rodiam came chasing after him.

'He isn't randomly singing. He isn't an ordinary opponent.'

Kang-jun looked at the axe being swung back and forth.

The attack patterns should be read. So that he could find any gaps to attack in.

Kang-jun drank another potion to completely restore his health.

Health: 290/290.

He needed to maintain the best conditions to knock down the opponent. Kang-jun avoided the axe and calmly waited for an opportunity.

Rodiam wielded the axe more violently as Kang-jun kept dodging.

"Kuoh! Are you going to continue to avoid it?"

Hwing! Hwiing!

However, Kang-jun effortlessly avoided receiving any damage.

He had somewhat grasped the attack pattern.

In addition, his movement speed was quicker due to Aura of the Wind. Otherwise the axe would have already hit him in the head.

"Kuweeeh! Please get hit! That's right!"

Hwing! Hwing hwing hwing!

A barrage of strikes from the battle axe!

Now Kang-jun was familiar with the pattern. Kang-jun moved like flowing water as he dodged the axe strikes.

Bam! Bam bam! Bam bam bam!

The knee, thighs, chest and sides. He struck in those locations.

"Kuuuuck! D-dammit!"

Rodiam seemed confused as he moved backwards. At that moment, Kang-jun continuously slammed against both of Rodiam's wrists.

Kuuong!

The axe fell to the ground.

"T-this!"

Before Rodiam could grab the axe again, Kang-jun relentlessly hit his head.

Paak! Papapak!

He reached Lv11 so his strength had increased! There was also additional wind attribute damage! Finally, there was the increased attack from the fragrant garlic bread!

Rodiam couldn't endure the c.u.mulative damage any longer.

"Kuooh! H-how annoying..."

Kuwuong!

Rodiam's huge body fell. At the same time, black smoke poured from his body like a fountain.

Chwaaaaak!

The body of the minotaur shrank as the smoke emerged.

"Ohh...!"

After a while, there was a b.l.o.o.d.y cat monster moaning on the ground.

"Now your true form has returned. Let's go!"

Kang-jun nonchalantly raised his axe, causing Rodiam's body to tremble.

"S-spare me."

"Spare you?"

"T-that's correct. Please spare me."

Rodiam pleaded with a tearful expression. Kang-jun was dumbfounded.

"You just tried to kill me. Why should I let you live?"

"Y-you are the one who invaded this place. I-I was just defending myself."

His words weren't wrong. However, Kang-jun still had a cold expression.

"Then you must know the reason for your death. I've come to occupy this place. I have to kill you for this place to become my territory."

"I will be a loyal subordinate if you spare me. Y-you are deserving of becoming my master."

His shoulders shrank back. The face of a dejected cat. Rodiam looked really pitiful. But the two wide eyes were quite serious.

Kang-jun glanced at Keirun.

"Keirun, will it be an advantage to leave him alive as my subordinate?"

At that time, Keirun had 10 gnomes s.h.i.+vering in front of him.

Two intermediate gnomes and eight inferior gnomes. After Kang-jun defeated Rodiam, they had stopped resisting and sat down.

Keirun walked over and whispered with a smile on his face.

'This is a windfall. You should keep the treasure.'

'This person is a treasure?'

'Most advanced gnomes would rather die than be someone's subordinate. Their pride is very strong. Such an absurd thing happened because of your charisma.'

'My charisma?'

'Of course. Rodiam won't even look at someone with less than six charisma.'

'My charisma is a little bit higher.'

'Come to think of it, my pride didn't mind bowing to Lord at all. The senior ghost Hayun probably had similar thoughts. All of us became your subordinates because of your high charisma.'

That was the case.

Kang-jun had eight charisma points. Furthermore, the Demonic Dragon's Ring had an option of +3 charisma. That was a total of 11 charisma.

Therefore, he managed to get Keirun, Hayun and now Rodiam as a reward. Even though he met them by chance, they entered his household due to the power of charisma.

'Huhu, this is the reason.'

There was a satisfied smile on Kang-jun's face.

It was worthwhile to have lower strength, agility and intelligence in the beginning in exchange for high charisma and good luck.

Keirun whispered.

'It will be easier to obtain resources with an advanced gnome. Hidden mines could be found and you can increase the number of workers. Rodiam's subordinates will naturally be yours as well.'

Keirun pointed to the 10 gnomes still sitting down. The golem ratigers and giant ratians were standing in front of them.

Kang-jun stayed silent as he thought about it and Rodiam begged one last time.

"Take me."

[Would you like to take Rodiam into your household? Yes/No]

[If Rodiam joins your household then the conditions for Mission 6 will be automatically achieved.]

He finally received the message.

Kang-jun wanted to make sure that accepting Rodiam would fulfill the conditions of his mission. Now there was no reason to hesitate.

Kang-jun stroked Rodiam's head and said.

"Okay. I accept. From now on, call me Lord."

Rodiam's face lit up.

"I-I understand, ong."

"...Ong? What is with that odd dialect?"

"It is an honorific, ong. I will use honorifics now that you are my lord, ong."

Rodiam attached the honorific 'ong' whenever he talked to Kang-jun.

[Rodiam has joined your household.]

[Rodiam will become your faithful subordinate in the world of Hwanmong.]

At that moment, Rodiam's body recovered from its injuries. Rodiam jumped to his feet before bowing low again.

"I give my allegiance to Lord, ong."

"Right."

Kang-jun patted Rodiam's head. Rodiam rubbed his head against Kang-jun's hand. It was the typical behaviour of a cat.

[The Sungkw.a.n.g building has been completely occupied.]

[Mission 6 has been accomplished.]

He finally finished Mission 6. Messages appeared one after another.

[As a reward, enough experience will be given to increase your level.]

[500 nodes has been given as a reward.]

[You have learnt Soul Exploitation as a reward.]

His level rose by one to Lv12. In addition, he gained 500 nodes as a reward.

The skill window was also updated.

[Soul Exploitation (Pa.s.sive)]

-Sovereign only skill.

The people defeated in the punishment field and battle field can be summoned to Hwanmong and put to work.

-It will be automatically triggered when the target is asleep.

-If a workplace is built, the amount of work and harvesting can increase.

"Soul Exploitation?"

Keirun's eyes shone after he heard Kang-jun's puzzled question.

"Oh! You received a really useful skill. That is quite good. The people you don't like in reality can be worked to your heart's content in Hwanmong, but only after they are defeated in the punishment or battle fields."

"They will work in the dream?"

"Yes. They won't remember anything that happened in the dream. Even if they remember it, they will just think that it is a nightmare. Huhu, they will be dragged to Hwanmong and worked to death."

"I'm glad they won't remember."

If they remembered. then living a normal life would be impossible. They would be dragged into Hwanmong and exploited while sleeping.

"In the

future, all those taken to the punishment field, battle field and the ones you have absorbed black magic energy from can be the target of Soul Exploitation."

"I can bring all of them here?"

"Yes."

Kang-jun was amazed. Even the people he absorbed black magic energy from once or twice? Of course, he only aimed for those trying to harm others.

"They will come automatically after falling asleep?"

"Just like the barrack, there is a limit on the capacity without a workshop. Lord can select a destination or exclude them."

The imported workers had weak attack power so they were mainly used for basic ch.o.r.es, production activities, harvesting, logging, mining, etc. However, they also played a role in defending the base if an enemy invaded.

It was at that moment.

[The skill Soul Exploitation has been automatically activated.]

[There is no workshop so a maximum of two people can be summoned.]

[Cho Sang-jin has been summoned to the base.]

[Hw.a.n.g Seong-gil has been summoned to the base.]

Cho Sang-jin had been drinking alcohol and fell asleep early today.

Usually he was active during the night and sleep in the day. However, he fell asleep at 10 p.m. today due to his drinking. He was surprised to suddenly find himself standing in a strange place.

"f.u.c.k! Where is this place?"

Then both eyes suddenly widened.

"Seong-gil hyung-nim! Why is Hyung-nim here?"

"Eh? You?"

Hw.a.n.g Seong-gil had fallen asleep in his bed only to wake up in a strange place.

A familiar figure was standing in front of him. It was Cho Sang-jin. Cho Sang-jun was his junior in the services office.

"You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Why did I come here after eating and drinking alcohol?"

"I'm not sure, Hyung-nim. I was sleeping early and suddenly found myself here was well."

"f.u.c.k! Where the h.e.l.l is this place?"

"It looks like a small corridor, Hyung-nim. The rooms are all cl.u.s.tered together."

"Euh! My body feels so heavy."

In front of them was a room labelled 406. They couldn't open the door to look inside and there was a strange pressure on their bodies, making them unable to move properly.

Meanwhile, Kang-jun was on the roof of Sungkw.a.n.g building and could see the through a hologram of the base.

Keirun looked at their appearance and said.

"It looks like you have already secured two people, Lord. Now they should be put to work."

"But what type of work?'

Kang-jun felt strange as he looked at Cho Sang-jin and Hw.a.n.g Seong-gil. Both of them had tried to commit acts of violence against Kang-jun.

At that moment, Rodiam approached and said.

"Leave the work to me, ong. There is a hidden mine, ong."

"Hidden mine?"

"Right there, ong. Follow me and I will show you, ong."

"Okay. Guide me."

Kang-jun followed after Rodiam.

The wide roof had a playground on it. The entrance to a cave was shrouded in darkness, making it hard to see.

"This is the mine?"

"That's right."

It was at that moment.

[The Blue Stone Mine has been found.]

[Mines located in your territory can be mined.]

[Please send mine workers.]

"Oh! It is real."

Rodiam rubbed his cheeks against Kang-jun's hand again and said.

"So please appoint me as supervisor of the tasks, ong."

"I see!"

Keirun sent Kang-jun an excited look and said.

"Lord, that cat guy is a professional so you can leave the work to him. You don't have to worry with him in charge."

"Will the workers really listen to such a cute face?"

"Have you forgotten the minotaur?"

That's right.

Kang-jun had mistaken Rodiam as a real cat because he kept rubbing against his hands.

Rodiam wasn't a cat. He was an advanced gnome!

Like Keirun said, having him become the supervisor would be the best.

"Okay. I will appoint you at the supervisor."

Rodiam jumped up.

"Hehe. Thank you, ong. There is a shortage of workers so you should create a workshop as soon as possible.

"Understood."

"Then I will go supervise the workers, ong."

Rodiam ran straight for the base.

[Rodiam has been appointed as the Job Supervisor.]

[The speed of the workers will become faster.]

"A workshop needs to be created as soon as possible."

"Right now, it is imperative that I strengthen the troops through the barrack and research inst.i.tute."

In the meantime, the barrack had been raised to stage two and the research inst.i.tute had also been completed.

[Stage 2 Barrack]

-Capacity 20/20

-Upgrading to stage 3 will cost 200 nodes.

Keirun and Rodiam weren't included in the capacity of the barrack.

However, his other troops were waiting at the barrack. Therefore, he couldn't summon any more troops unless the barrack was upgraded.

After Rodiam and his 10 gnomes joined, the barrack was at its maximum capacity. It was full, but he wasn't satisfied with this much.

Kang-jun immediately started upgrading the barrack.

[Upgrade to a stage 3 barrack: 1%]

Next was the research inst.i.tute.

[List of possible research]

-Combat Studies Stage 1

[Combat Studies Stage 1]

There will be a slight increase in the combat capabilities of your army.

-It will cost 500 nodes.

To his surprise, there was a study to raise the combat capabilities of all his troops.

In addition to the troops in the barrack, Keirun, Hayun, Rodian and even Kang-jun's power would rise.

But the price of 500 nodes was expensive.

Fortunately, Kang-jun received that much as compensation for today's mission as well as occupying the Sungkw.a.n.g building. Therefore, he immediately carried out the study.

[The combat study has started.]

[Combat Studies Stage 1: 1%]

He was able to catch his breath after that.

"Isn't it almost time for me to go back?"

"That's correct. Lord has been here for a while so you will soon return to reality. Rather, I wanted to ask Lord something."

"Tell me."

What did Keirun want to ask? He bowed to Kang-jun and said.

"Right now Lord requires someone to oversee your base."

"Keirun, I know."

"So I wanted to ask you a favour. Please appoint me as the military adviser. If you ever gain a more outstanding subordinate then I will step aside."

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