A Shift in Perspective (2)
“It’s a communication satellite that integrates both GPS and communication functions. With just this one, not only will wireless communication relaying be possible as you requested, but navigation using GPS will also become available.”
Three days later, meeting again in Sejong, Cha Seong Hyeon was explaining diligently. Before the satellite was made, Seon Yul had told him that only two functions mattered: communication and GPS.
He had asked for a simple satellite focused solely on those two functions, and the result now stood before him.
“This can be continuously produced, right?”
“Yes, as long as funding continues, we can keep producing them steadily.”
“Then please keep making more. Oh, and there’s one more thing I’d like to make.”
“What is it?”
“Would it be possible to produce disposable mana-stone mobile phones with very simple functions?”
“Hmm… would those also need to be mass-produced?”
“Yes.”
“To mass-produce them, we’d likely need to establish another safe zone near Yongin.”
“You mean reviving the Ilseong factory in Yongin?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hmm…”
Hearing this, Seon Yul paused to think. He had created a safe zone in Pohang for the tungsten sphere, and now he needed another one in Yongin for the mana-stone phones.
“If I create another safe zone near the Ilseong factory and maintain it as I did with POSCO… can you supply as many mana-stone phones as I want, indefinitely?”
Seon Yul had no intention of working for free.
He planned to pay properly for the phones anyway, so offsetting that cost by creating and maintaining the safe zone didn’t seem like a bad deal.
“That’s possible. But we should set a supply limit… how about 10,000 units per month?”
“Let’s make it 50,000 per month.”
Having an extra supply was always better, so Seon Yul raised the limit significantly.
“Then, the mana stones used in the phones…”
“I’ll provide those.”
The amount of mana stone per phone Seon Yul had in mind was about 0.01 kg.
For 50,000 phones, that meant about 500 kg of mana stones.
Not a small amount, but considering the profits from selling them for mana stones or soul stones, it wasn’t excessive either.
A disposable mana-stone phone with 0.01 kg would last roughly 2 to 4 months under normal use, meaning steady sales were guaranteed.
That made this business inevitably profitable.
“However, all functions and additional settings of the phones must be exactly as I want.”
“Of course.”
“Then 50,000 units per month is doable?”
“We’ll make it happen no matter what.”
Negotiations complete.
All that remained was for Seon Yul to create a safe zone in Yongin and for the Korean government and management agency to revive the Ilseong factory under direct control.
***
Creating a safe zone by installing an anti-field generator at the designated point was easier for Seon Yul than flipping his hand.
At least for now.
In the future, who knew how the world might change… but at present, it was trivial.
After easily establishing the safe zone, Seon Yul left the remaining work to Cha Seong Hyeon and returned to Earth—104.
Of course, with Cheon Li Yu.
As soon as he arrived, Seon Yul began his next task:
Placing the completed GPS-communication satellite into the proper orbit.
To establish a proper network, at least 20 more satellites would eventually be needed, but first, the initial one had to be placed correctly.
Having done it several times before, Seon Yul and Cheon Li Yu completed the task quickly and efficiently.
The orbit had been calculated by Cha Seong Hyeon, so the chances of stable placement were high.
“So we need at least 20 of these up there?”
“Yeah. At least that many to get the business started.”
After placing the satellite, the two immediately moved to the Fortress of Freedom.
Because Seon Yul had scattered so many steel doors throughout the Dark Forest, it only took a few hours to get there.
“Wow… we’re finally back.”
When they returned to the shop, Jang Jun Hyeok greeted them, looking like he was on the verge of collapse.
“What’s wrong? Something happened?”
“Ah… well…”
With a deeply exhausted expression, Jun Hyeok began explaining what had happened while they were gone.
***
It started with a small quarrel.
After the two left, Jun Hyeok got bored staying in the shop. When it was closed, he went to a small pub inside the fortress to drink alone.
There, he got into an argument with an Irregular, and unfortunately, that Irregular belonged to the largest Irregular guild in the Fortress of Freedom.
There were many types of Irregulars from various dimensions.
They were classified differently… for example, those whose original worlds no longer existed and were forced to stay here were called “Closers,” while those who specialized in climbing the tower were called “Climbers.”
There were also criminals who neither climbed nor produced anything, but instead robbed other Irregulars; they were called “Murderers.”
Various guilds existed, formed by Irregulars from different dimensions… but most of them played negative roles.
Especially the guilds formed by Murderers, which were essentially violent gangs.
Efforts were made by Earth—001 nations to eliminate such Irregulars, but it was impossible to completely eradicate them.
Back to Jun Hyeok’s story, the Irregular he argued with belonged to one of those gangs.
As a result, the guild came to the shop and began causing trouble.
They didn’t physically harm him or damage goods due to fortress rules, but they constantly harassed him in a threatening manner.
Naturally, dealing with that every day was exhausting.
***
“These bastards were basically waiting for me to step outside the fortress. Not that I would, but still… they’re seriously nasty. If this were my old world, punks like them–ugh…”
“So what’s the guild called?”
“Mad Dog? Crazy Dogs? Something like that.”
“Mad Dog… I’ll go pay them a visit.”
After hearing everything, Seon Yul stood up.
“You’re going? Is that okay?”
“Nothing serious will happen inside the fortress… and even if it does, they’ll be the ones holding back.”
“But what if they target you outside?”
Cheon Li Yu added.
“That’s exactly why I’m going.”
Seon Yul answered matter-of-factly.
His intention was clear: to show himself and bait them into attacking outside.
And then… teach them a proper lesson.
“A mad dog needs to be beaten.”
That was his philosophy.
“Isn’t that dangerous?”
Jun Hyeok looked worried.
“Dangerous? For me? Jun Hyeok, if it were truly dangerous, I wouldn’t do this. You know my personality.”
Seon Yul wasn’t worried because he knew the level of such Irregulars.
The real threats were high-level climbers.
These thug-like guilds? Nothing to fear.
“I’ll solve this in a few days. Just wait.”
With that, Seon Yul headed to the Mad Dog guild house.
He entered confidently… and soon met the guild leader, Gamou.
Hearing that Seon Yul was the owner of a rising shop, Gamou agreed to meet him immediately.
He had already been planning to extort protection money from that shop.
***
“So… you want 5% of my earnings?”
Seon Yul asked incredulously.
“It’s a bit low, but we’ll clean up the area and promote your shop. No guild has more connections than us.”
Gamou spoke as if it were natural.
“We’ll even protect you outside the fortress. It’s dangerous out there… you know, full of Murderers.”
The irony of a Murderer offering protection from Murderers.
Seon Yul smirked.
“Is it because you’re a pack of dogs? You sure bark a lot of nonsense.”
“…You’ll regret saying that.”
Gamou glared murderously.
“Why? You are dogs. Your name is Mad Dog… why get mad?”
“You want to die?”
“Alright, I’ve heard enough barking.”
Seon Yul stood up.
“I’ve provoked them enough. Now, just need to show an opening.”
“If you leave like this, neither you nor your employee will be safe.”
“Hey, stop barking already.”
Gamou ground his teeth in rage.
“You don’t understand this world yet… you’ll regret it. I’ll tear that mouth of yours apart.”
“Woof.”
Seon Yul barked once and walked out.
BOOM!
“You bastard!!! I’ll kill you!!!”
Seon Yul calmly left, hearing the threat.
“They’re properly enraged now… they’ll come at me.”
He smiled, satisfied.
Back at the shop, he explained the situation and told Li Yu and Jun Hyeok to stay inside Absolute Space.
Now all that remained was to lure Mad Dog out.
He deliberately walked out of the fortress.
And as expected…
They took the bait immediately.
Mad Dog’s elites followed him.
Even Gamou himself.
Seon Yul had already opened Absolute Space behind his back and eaten squid rice with them earlier.
Inside, Cheon Li Yu used her divine vision to track enemies precisely.
With that, Seon Yul easily guided them to his chosen battlefield.
He intended to send a clear warning to all the thug Irregulars in the fortress.
After some time…
As he neared the location…
Mad Dog finally made their move.
Comments (0)