Chapter 174 – It’s Two of Them

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Translated by Pratt

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Three hundred years ago, mana’s invasion made the world face the nightmare of a demographic cliff.

Almost every industry had regressed or was busy merely maintaining the status quo.

After adapting to mana, humanity had slowly begun to develop, and now it had almost restored the civilization of 300 years ago and was moving forward.

Among them, if there was one field that had developed the most, it was medicine.

Various medicines had been invented, and even illnesses once called incurable had been conquered.

Even mana-rejection syndrome, which had tormented humanity until recently, had been resolved through the development of MRC.

But strangely, research into hair-growth medicine had been sluggish.

It had improved compared to 300 years ago, but perfect hair-growth medicine had still not appeared.

Because hair loss was hereditary.

Of course, Tae-ju knew that too.

However, a Heavenly Realm flower should be able to overcome even heredity.

He began research using an old medicine whose patent had expired.

Trying to enhance the medicinal effect by adding a Heavenly Realm flower to an existing hair-growth medicine.

The Heavenly Realm flower mainly used was Heavenly Flower.

It contained ingredients that cleaned the skin.

In other words, it cleaned out the debris clogging the pores and helped them perform their proper function.

First, animal testing.

He had a hard time obtaining one ordinary monkey whose fur had fallen out in patches.

After applying the hair-growth medicine for several days.

“Ukkik?”

The fur grew back thickly.

‘It works.’

There were some side effects, but after adding Yin-Yang Flower, they were soon resolved.

Yin-Yang Flower, which corrected the body’s balance, was also one of the flowers used in MRC, and since MRC production was gradually being reduced, there were enough materials to be used in hair-growth medicine.

‘Shall I try testing it on people now?’

Let him recruit volunteers.

And send it to the Immortal Realm as well to have its medicinal effect verified.

While he was researching like that, a message came to Tae-ju.

– I would like to see you for a moment.

‘Hm?’

It was Deputy Director Mun Gyeong-sik of the Imperial Intelligence Bureau.

When Tae-ju sent a message telling him he would be in Gurye, so he could come by anytime, he came running that very night.

After they exchanged simple greetings.

Mun Gyeong-sik immediately brought up the main point.

“Chairman, I heard you are planning a merger and acquisition of Fuji Construction. That you are currently buying shares…”

“Ah! Yes, it seemed like I would need the construction sector after all.”

What was this?

Was he here to tell him not to acquire it?

Well, from the government’s perspective, it certainly would not like a particular corporation expanding in octopus-like fashion.

TJ Group already held monopolistic positions in pharmaceuticals, shipping, and shipbuilding, and now it was entering construction too?

That certainly was not a desirable phenomenon.

So he had thought he had come to stop him.

But?

“Our Imperial Intelligence Bureau will also actively cooperate in the acquisition of Fuji Construction.”

“…Cooperate?”

“Yes.”

It was a bit bewildering.

Cooperate?

“There is a bit of a backstory to this.”

“What is it?”

“Have you perhaps heard of the anti-Samhan independence struggle?”

“Ah!”

Not the anti-Japanese independence struggle, but the anti-Samhan independence struggle.

In the past, 400 years ago, from 1910 to 1945, when the Korean Empire had been a colony of Japan, the resistance movement carried out to break free from Japanese colonial rule was precisely the anti-Japanese independence struggle.

But what Deputy Director Mun Gyeong-sik was talking about was the anti-Samhan independence struggle.

The subject had changed.

It did not mean resisting Japan, but the independence struggle of Japanese imperial subjects resisting the Samhan Empire.

“Some Japanese citizens harbor the ambition of recovering the land of old Japan and building an independent government.”

“Does that have anything to do with this merger and acquisition?”

“Fuji Construction is one of the funding sources of the anti-Samhan independence struggle.”

“Hmm, I see.”

There were still Japanese imperial subjects who had not forgotten the glory of old Japan.

The dream of rebuilding their lost homeland.

One of the main forces of that was precisely Fuji Construction.

“Originally it was a tiny organization not even worth dust, but when His Majesty was bedridden, its power grew greatly.”

“I can understand. That would have been a good opportunity. But in the end, they still failed to achieve their aim.”

“That is so. After His Majesty rose easily and displayed that he was in sound health, it was practically the same as their ambition being completely broken.”

The fact that Japan had become territory of the Samhan Empire was in large part due to Japan’s own mistakes.

At present, the Samhan Empire held Manchuria, part of Siberia, and the Japanese archipelago as its territory.

You could say that all of East Asia was Samhan territory.

It was also an achievement of Emperor Ryu Tae-hyeon, but it was also because he rode the currents of the times well.

First, China destroyed itself by detonating nuclear weapons in a magical-beast dense region.

The result was the outbreak of beyond-elite magical beasts.

The Chinese mainland became abandoned land.

Then what about Japan?

Half of Japan’s land disappeared because of climate crisis and earthquakes.

Using their own survival as an excuse, they invaded the Korean Peninsula without even a declaration of war.

But after being defeated piecemeal by Daejinguk, founded by Emperor Ryu Tae-hyeon, even the half of Japan’s land that remained was taken in reverse.

The idiocy of neighboring countries.

Thanks to that, Samhan built a great empire.

But Japan was different from China.

Half its land still remained.

So unlike the Chinese line, the Japanese line had grounds to seek separation and independence.

“They’re shameless bastards. We let those who wanted leave and migrate to the homeland, and for those who decided to remain in Japanese lands, we even gave autonomy. In truth, rather than ruling them, we broadly recognized their rights, and this is how they stabbed us in the back.”

Would Tae-ju not know?

The greed Japanese imperial subjects had for land.

He himself had been involved with it.

Was not the Paju territory incident caused by the Honda family, in a sense, a reduced version of the same thing?

“What is His Imperial Majesty’s thinking?”

“Hmm, this is a secret, but…”

Deputy Director Mun Gyeong-sik came closer to Tae-ju and whispered.

“Soon, he will approve the secession and independence of the State of Japan.”

“What?”

Not prohibition, but approval?

“It means, if they want to build an independent state in Japanese lands, let them do as they please.”

“Then don’t tell me…”

Permission for secession and independence.

The meaning of that was…

“Does that mean he intends to abandon Japanese lands?”

“That is correct. From the empire’s perspective, keeping useless Japanese lands as territory is only a burden. At a time when even focusing on the continent is not enough.”

That was right.

There was plenty and plenty of land to pioneer anyway.

“The Imperial Intelligence Bureau has already secured the list of the leadership of the anti-Samhan independence struggle. Chairman Tsuchida Shohei of Fuji Construction is one of them. An expulsion order will soon be issued. To Japanese lands.”

If they wanted separation and independence, then let them do it.

However, all the wealth and success they had achieved in the Samhan Empire had to be returned, and they would leave with nothing but their bodies.

That was precisely why the Imperial Intelligence Bureau was willing to help with the acquisition of Fuji Construction.

“It is not only Fuji Construction. All Japanese imperial subjects who dipped a foot into the anti-Samhan independence struggle are subject to expulsion.”

“…What about those who are unrelated?”

“Naturally, they will be given a choice.”

In a way, it was truly cruel.

What good would independence do?

Even now, Japanese lands were slowly disappearing.

And Japan was an island.

A sea crawling on all sides with ocean magical beasts.

In a word, isolated land.

It was no different from a giant prison, so what would they accomplish by building an independent state there?

It was the same as telling them to die along with the sinking archipelago.

“Acquire Fuji Construction. The Imperial Intelligence Bureau and the government will actively help you. I will be meeting separately with President Baek Seo-yeon as well.”

Baek Seo-yeon would be delighted too.

At this rate, they might practically swallow that huge company for free.

‘Well, it is self-inflicted after all.’

By the way, he wondered whether Vincent Moretti had been delivered safely to the Immortal Realm.

* * *

Vincent Moretti could guess where he was now.

‘Subspace…’

Or someplace similar to it.

Could it be a dragon’s subspace, perhaps?

Then was the soul behind Kim Tae-ju a dragon?

‘Even so.’

How could a living human enter subspace?

Even if more than half of his own body was a golem.

‘There is definitely something.’

He could not regard it as human power.

Maybe if it were a god.

Subspace or whatever, this was a strange space.

He did not even know how much time was passing.

A space full only of darkness, with no light and no air.

It was fortunate that his artificial heart was a crystal-energy engine; if he had been an ordinary breathing human, he would already have died.

Even his thinking was restricted.

Consciousness came and went.

How had it come to be like this, and what would happen from now on?

But one thought alone was firm.

Revenge against Kim Tae-ju.

Kill him.

He would kill him without fail.

There was a reason he had left one artificial fake dragon heart.

Like Daniel, Vincent Moretti too had inserted into his own body a dimensional gate generator equipped with an artificial dragon heart.

If it activated, the mirror gate would open and Jacques Deluan, the same soul from another world, would come out and merge with him.

Boom.

No life-form would survive a great explosion more frightening than a nuclear bomb.

And if that happened, both he and Jacques would be extinguished, but would he not feel sorry toward the same soul?

It was all right.

They had come to an agreement beforehand.

If a day like this came, they would become the subject of the final experiment for one another.

In truth, Jacques Deluan was living on borrowed time.

Because the world he had lived in had been destroyed, there was no way to supply the energy that could sustain his life.

At most, he had three months.

What was the ultimate purpose of the dimensional gate experiments?

To overcome the soul-merging state and safely bring Jacques into this world.

But every experiment had failed.

Only one path remained.

The moment he was brought outside, he would activate the generator immediately.

He would disappear together with Kim Tae-ju, that bastard.

Right then.

Sseut.

The environment abruptly changed.

Vincent’s eyes could see the sky.

There was a large building too, so did that mean it was outdoors?

In any case.

‘So I came out.’

There was no need to hesitate.

“Die!!!”

Vincent activated the soul-mediated dimensional gate generator.

Hwaaaaaak.

Jiiing.

At the same time the mirror gate opened.

Chijijik, chijik.

Chains of light bound his body.

“Now it’s over!!”

But.

“Sword Immortal.”

“Understood.”

Who was it?

‘What is this…’

* * *

Immortal Realm.

Tang Gun-ak coaxed the Great Sage Equal to Heaven in a soft voice.

“Just pull out one handful more.”

“…There’s nowhere left to pull from now. Look at my head. It’s completely bald mountains.”

“You always go around wearing a hat to imitate a hip-hopper, and now you’re talking about your head?”

“Th-then can’t I pull from my armpits or groin?”

“Eoheo! That’s a bit filthy. You still have a lot of fur around your side there.”

“…”

At this rate, truly, not a single hair on his whole body would remain.

“But why do you need so much of my fur?”

“Did you not see it too? The Sword Immortal’s trip to Earth.”

“…Ah!”

Of course the Great Sage Equal to Heaven had seen it too.

These days it was more popular than movies or dramas.

“You mean those yokai coming out of that gate thing?”

“That’s right. Of course there is no way our Tae-ju would be defeated by them, but… that world becomes dangerous.”

“That must not happen. If Earth is ruined, then where would we procure our goods from?”

With a grave expression, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven gripped the fur attached to his side tightly.

Buuuuk.

He tore out one handful and blew demonic power into it before handing it over.

“Heoheoheo, I shall never forget this favor.”

“…May I go now?”

“Do you have some urgent matter?”

“They say the cafe is selling Immortal Peach Bingsu, and I wanted to go try some…”

It was then.

Bzzzt.

The delivery signal rang out in Tang Gun-ak’s head.

“It came up.”

“Oh! Did you say it came up?”

An immortal passing by heard too.

“It came up?”

“Then did that bastard come?”

“Who?”

“Who else? That fellow called Vincent.”

The news of Earth’s delivery passed from mouth to mouth.

Tang Gun-ak tensed.

Would he really be there?

When he opened the shared storage.

‘Heo.’

There were two human bastards there.

Which one was it out of these?

One did not feel human at all, and the other at least gave off a sense of humanity, so.

‘It must be this bastard.’

After first swapping out the goods.

Word quickly spread, and the immortals crowded into the front yard of the multiplex.

“Judging by your expression, it seems he really came.”

“Quickly take him out and let us see.”

“Let’s have a look at bastard Vincent’s face.”

“There are too many things I want to ask.”

Tang Gun-ak took out Vincent Moretti.

At that moment.

“Die!!!”

The instant he came out, he immediately screamed at the top of his lungs.

The immortals were bewildered.

“Die?”

“To me?”

“Why?”

“When have I ever even seen this bastard…”

At the same time.

Hwaaaaaak.

Jiiing.

The gate opened.

Chains of light shot out too.

“Now it’s over!!!”

Tang Gun-ak immediately knew what this phenomenon was.

“Sword Immortal!”

He knew it too.

“Understood.”

He embraced Vincent and.

Spat.

Put distance between them.

Hudududududuk.

The chains of light broke.

Once he escaped the gate’s binding, Vincent was startled.

“Heok?”

What was this?

You escaped it in this way?

Simply by embracing him and running away?

‘What is this… th-this makes no sense.’

The binding formed when the gate opened was the power of a dimension, something like a rule that humans could absolutely never escape, and yet…

‘Wait.’

The person dragging him along looked familiar.

It was that old man who had come to the Sahara Desert together with Kim Tae-ju.

But what about the others?

Kim Tae-ju was nowhere to be seen.

If they had one thing in common, they were all old men.

There was even one monkey wearing clothes like a human.

‘Is this a seniors’ center?’

And then.

Suuuk.

A familiar face was coming out from the mirror dimensional gate.

“Y-you came…”

It was a welcome face.

The one who would share the final moment of life together with him.

Jacques Deluan, the same soul from another world.

Chijijik. Chijijijijik.

Chains of light formed again.

Jacques was being pulled toward him.

So that was how it was.

Now all that remained was the merging of souls.

Vincent cried out desperately.

“Jacques!!! Come here! At last we shall become one!!!”

But.

Sseut.

“Huh?”

He disappeared.

Jacques Deluan, that is.

Vincent blinked.

Where had he gone?

How could he know?

That Tang Gun-ak had put Jacques Deluan into the Infinite Space.

That in such a way he had blocked the merging of souls.

The immortals were impressed.

It was already amazing that Vincent Moretti had been delivered from Earth, but.

“It’s two of them?”

“One coming was enough to be thankful for, but another one came too?”

“This is like…”

“One plus one.”

“It seems it’s a promotional period.”

“As expected of Grand Hero Tae-ju. Thinking one might not be enough, he sent one more.”

Tang Gun-ak said as he took out the golem Daniel from the Infinite Space.

“Actually, it’s two plus one. There was one more bastard.”

“Eh?”

“It’s true?”

“No, this one is a different item category.”

“That’s right, let’s be precise. This one is the freebie.”

“Is that so?”

Vincent was dumbfounded.

He truly could not understand.

‘Who are these people?’

And where was this place?