Chapter 175
If you were the World Magic Stone Exchange director, you would naturally learn about the size of the Magic Stone transactions and their use. It was also Jung Si-hwan’s job to thoroughly analyze and monitor it so that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it an asset of all mankind, but he found one strange thing while analyzing the trading flow of Magic Stone.
Magic Stone gathered in one place after several transactions weren’t being used for research or returned to the exchange for sale.
“It’s a huge company, and when I first found out that it was washing, I thought they were hiding technology development because of the competition with other companies.”
The car turned the corner. To Jung Si-woo, who thought he was going to his father’s lodging in the UK, John Smith informed him that he was going to the British Magic Stone Exchange headquarters. Jung Si-woo was listening blankly and asked Jung Si-hwan.
“So, where is it?”
“Yonghwa.”
“That’s very coincidental…”
Yonghwa, the largest company in China, and its third chairman, Lee Kang-hu, was at the same time the head of China’s largest guild, Yongseong. Jung Si-woo also knew it well because it was a name that he was recently sick and tired of hearing from Marina and Seria.
“Let’s keep talking for now. After washing it in many places and finally finding out that all the mana stones were flowing into Yonghwa, I investigated it in many ways with John’s resources. In the process, it would have been more comfortable if they had discovered a lab or a factory they had secretly built. But there was nothing. Nothing.”
“And?”
“I just discovered it.”
My father reached out and handed Jung Si-woo a picture. There was a mana stone, and a man was eating it. Jung Si-woo moaned briefly.
“How could I have this moment?”
“It means that mana stone consumption is already being done habitually and systematically. Moreover, John is a man who knows how to move secretly. They wouldn’t have recognized him at all.”
“But that’s it. Unfortunately, I cannot be aggressive as I can sneak around. Moreover, it is difficult to inform many people about this, and it is not clear yet what the consequences of human consumption of mana stone are, so there was no place to ask for help….”
“That’s when I thought of my son.”
In the end, he was right to call him because he had a matter of important business. Jung Si-woo stared at the back of his father’s head and sighed.
“It hasn’t happened yet, has it?”
“Yeah.”
“Then there’s nothing I can do right now.”
“If you know anything about this place, don’t be so discouraged.”
“Well…”
Jung Si-woo also raised a few levels by eating Magic Stones. Now he didn’t eat Magic Stones just because it was less efficient. But that’s not something anyone could do either. It was possible because of his ability to extort.
‘If a non-resistant human being consistently ingests Magic Stone…’
I’ve heard about it in this world and through the fairy Luta. They already knew how humans change as a result.
“Let me assure you, Magic Stone intake is taboo. I’ve heard from fairies they’ll become like monsters. More than that, if you’re dealing with mana, you’ll instinctively realize that it’s dangerous, but this Kang-hoo is also very brave.”
“Yes, I thought about it the moment I saw it. It’s very different mana, and it’s dangerous to use it directly…”
John Smith nodded in sympathy. Next to him, Jung Si-hwan sighed.
“Like a monster…like the power of God. This is serious.”
“If God’s power is an enemy that attacks from the outside, humans who consume mana stones are worms that eat from the inside. But this side seems to be a gradual process of change compared to the power of God…I can’t make an announcement not to eat Magic Stones right now, and people won’t listen to me properly.”
On that part, Jung Si-woo didn’t think it was that serious.
“If there’s any damage, people will know. But I’ll have to warn you first, so let’s use rankers who have a lot of opportunities to contact the fairies to make it similar to an anti-smoking campaign.”
“You don’t think it’s a big deal, son.”
“There’s nothing we can do to stop it.”
Jung Siwoo, Yonghwa…no, he didn’t like what they did in Yongseong Guild. Apart from ruining their situation, it was unbearable to consume mana stones in such a useless and unhelpful place on Earth where magic engineering was beginning to develop.
“But now it’s bound to diminish. I don’t think there’s a difference between Yongseong and the others.”
“Hmm…?”
Jung Si-hwan tilted his head when Jung Si-woo threw out a confident pitch. Then the car stopped.
“We’re here, Mr. Jung.”
“Thank you, John. Let’s go in first; we can talk more in the office.”
The car stopped behind a huge building. While the attention wasn’t focused on them, the group entered the building through the back door. In the process, Jung Si-woo felt Mana and narrowed his eyes.
“A secret passage…is it magic?”
“Similar. Only authorized people can use the passageway. Marina Bissett isn’t the only one who comes out of the dungeon with the magic principle.”
Why was it necessary to bring up Marina there? When Jung Si-woo shrugged, Jung Si-hwan glared at him with strange eyes.
“You’re such a talented man…so which one is it?”
“I don’t have any.”
“Then, are you into more than three?”
Even Soo Ah-rin, sitting next to Jung Si-woo at Jung Si-hwan’s words, concentrated with her ears pricked up. Fortunately, they arrived at Jung Si-hwan’s office when Jung Si-woo was seriously agonizing over whether to commit an unfaithful act against his father. When he opened the door, a modern and futuristic office that reminded him of SF greeted them.
“Secret Space, which the British Exchange manager doesn’t know about. Come on, come on.”
“Get caught and get punished.”
Looking around the room full of all kinds of monitors, John Smith closed the door and entered the room. First of all, Jung Si-hwan analyzed the reports that had been received. Soon some wrinkles formed on his forehead.
“What else did the dragon do? No, the change is too wide for that…”
“What’s going on?”
Jung Si-woo grinned and asked Jung Si-hwan as if he already knew what was going on.
“The trading volume of Magic Stone is down.”
“How much?”
“About three-quarters. The fact that it’s changed so sharply in one day means that something’s happening now, and it’s happening on such a large scale.”
“Well, it’s not much less than I thought.”
“That’s not the case, son. Except for those who hunt monsters and consume Magic Stone on their own in a big guild, a quarter of the mana stones traded around the world are truly enormous…what now?”
“Whoo.”
This was the response that Jung Si-woo had been waiting for. He grinned and pointed at John, and he nodded and stepped down.
“I’ll be waiting in the car.”
“John, excuse me; it’s not that I don’t trust you. I’m sorry.”
“Of course, I know.”
John Smith, who stepped aside as neatly as a picture and left the post. To be honest, the same man looked great. No matter how low the mana felt from him, he was easily in the top 10 on earth, but he remained humble. Jung Si-woo nodded, waiting for him to disappear completely.
“You can keep going with him, Father. It’s clean and nice to feel.”
“I think so, too…so; how do you relate to the world’s Magic Stone trading volume?”
It’s about time. Jung Si-woo flicked his finger without giving a long explanation. At that moment, a ghost appeared in front of their eyes.
[Master.]
He was a former member of the Imperial Guild and was now the highest-level ghost among those collected by Jung Si-woo at level 257.
[I have collected all the mana stones found today. With many people, it was possible to foster troops faster and safer and obtain mana stones.]
“Good job. Please take care of the low-level guys to grow faster.”
[Of course.]
The ghost delivered a small pocket to Jeong Si-woo and disappeared in the air again. For ghosts who don’t need to sleep, the battle level-up was the greatest joy! They wouldn’t stop fighting until the moment Jung Si-woo ordered them.
“It’s a ghost.”
Jung Si-hwan, who couldn’t breathe properly from the moment he appeared to vanish, muttered in a puzzled voice. Jung Si-woo responded casually.
“There’s two of them on you. I’m turning the rotation around because I don’t want to lose my level. So I knew he was guarding my father, but I didn’t even know his name.”
If he didn’t pay attention, he couldn’t see the situation there as a video. Now that more than tens of thousands of ghosts were in a position to act, their brains wouldn’t remain by grasping the details of their surroundings wherever they head.
“I’ve heard you deal with similar powers, but…no, no. That’s a quarter of the world’s trading volume.”
Jung Si-woo flipped his pockets out expressionlessly. A Magic Stone rolled out of it. As Jung Si-hwan watched how many would come out, there were over 100, 200, 300…they came out endlessly.
“What the hell…?”
“This is a subspace pouch. What do you think?”
“…My son, but how could he be so unlucky?”
Jung Si-hwan laughed at his bossy son. In the meantime, Jung Si-woo recovered the Magic Stones back into his pocket (it was an option for subspace pockets).
“Somehow, the remnants of the players’ death…I’ve come to collect a lot of ghosts. As they grow, the number of Magic Stone entering the exchange will decrease.”
There was more. If El, the head of the native monsters on the ground, successfully integrated them and repelled the alien monsters, there would naturally be less to return to humanity. It was no exaggeration to say that Jung Si-woo was in a position to encourage it, and in fact, he was standing at a point where he was opposed to Jung Si-hwan.
“Of course, Yongseong Guild and Lee Kang-hoo will be struggling, so they’re especially careful. I know you are the head of the Magic Stone Exchange, so there is a possibility that you will do something else.”
“What do you use all that mana stone for? Don’t tell me you’re eating.”
“I also have someone who makes things for me.”
“…Ha. My son, who thought he was strong,”
He even knew that his son was attracting attention from the world by becoming a player differently from the good and ordinary people. But now that he was reunited with Jung Si-woo, who knew and hid so much, he even had doubts that his son may be the one closest to the heart of all this.
“Si-woo, you’re my son, right?
“Isn’t that something you’ve been asking for a long time?”
“What? …Ha, so it is.”
At the end of Jung Si-woo’s words, Jung Si-hwan laughed.
“Well, my son was always great. I forgot about it for a second.”
He sighed after putting the report down. And he tapped his son on the shoulder.
“Today’s work is good. Let’s have a drink of soju.”
“That’s good.”
“May I join you?”
“Of course, Se-ha.”
So the three men joined forces and started drinking in their seats. Soon after the phone call, John Smith, who came back with a side dish, joined in, and Soo Ah-rin stared blankly at the scene for a moment…
“Oh, I don’t know. Father, I’ll pour you a drink.”
“No, Ah-rin! I’ll follow you first!”
Eventually, she decided to join the war. On that day, Soo Ah-rin succeeded in scoring enough to be chosen as a daughter-in-law by Jung Si-hwan.
