Chapter 21
Lions Inside(l)
A secret warehouse on the outskirts of Badass Town.
Looking at the mountain of gold and silver treasures piled up, Kang Hyeon broke into a broad smile.
“How much is all this worth!?”
“Whew, You’ve brought quite a lot.”
Ahn Yu-seong also whistled in amazement at the unimaginable amount.
Kang Hyeon threw himself down on the pile of gold and rolled around.
Tsk tsk tsk…
Then all kinds of precious metals collided, creating a brilliant ringing sound.
“This is life!”
“Ahem…”
At that moment, a cough was heard from the side.
When Kang Hyeon turned his head, he saw the chief court wizard of the Heigran Kingdom, sent by Olien.
“Oh, right. Court Wizard, was it? Good work.”
Kang Hyeon stood up and extended his hand to him.
“No. I simply did my job for the kingdom.”
The wizard smiled while shaking hands.
Although he was a bit tired from using demanding magic, seeing the piled gold made him feel reinvigorated.
“Without magic, it would have been several times more difficult. Thank you.”
“Haha. Thank you.”
If he hadn’t moved the gold with spatial transfer magic, things would have been much more complicated.
“Do you need any additional help returning to the kingdom?”
“Yes. Once my magical power is recovered, I plan to return to the kingdom with the promised gold.”
He had agreed to send a certain amount of gold to the Heigran Kingdom as compensation for helping this time.
He would use spatial transfer magic to return safely, so there was nothing else Kang Hyeon needed to do.
“Please convey my regards to Olien. I’ll visit formally soon.”
“Yes. Understood.”
With the conversation with the wizard ending, it was now Lim So-hee’s turn.
“Here’s the promised 30kg of gold bars.”
“Ooh…”
Lim So-hee’s eyes sparkled looking at the gold bars filling her arms.
“Are you satisfied?”
“Of course! It’s 30kg of gold!”
Despite having dozens of tons of gold right in front of her, she didn’t seem particularly greedy.
“But what are you planning to do with all that gold?”
Kang Hyeon was curious about what Lim So-hee intended to do with the gold. Gold is always good to have, but the places an individual can use it are limited. This was especially true in a time when the economic system was collapsing.
“Hmm… I’ll buy weapons and help people in need.”
“Well, it’s yours now, so you can use it however you want.”
Kang Hyeon hadn’t particularly meant anything by asking, so he just let it go.
“I’m off then! Kang Hyeon. Call me next time you have work! This lone wolf of the battlefield is always ready…. Phew!”
While greeting Kang Hyeon and running, Lim So-hee slipped on a gemstone on the floor and fell flat on her face.
“Goodness…”
Thinking she was a character he couldn’t quite figure out, Kang Hyeon shook his head.
“Okay. Settlement is done. Now, shall I really start my work?”
Kang Hyeon rubbed his hands, thinking about the upcoming schedule. The gold was merely a preparation stage for the work ahead. Now that he had collected the necessary funds, it was time to move forward in earnest.
***
Ippotranslation
***
Gold has been recognized for its value globally since ancient times. It has maintained its value for a long time and served as currency.
Is that why?
The harder it is to survive, the more gold’s value rises. Currency can become just a piece of paper, but gold remains eternal even as times change. Even if a country’s economy collapses. Even if the world falls into a financial crisis. Gold still proudly displays its nobility. Naturally, in the current era where global civilization has regressed and fallen into an anarchic state, gold still retained its value.
“What do you think is the most important thing in creating currency?”
At Ahn Yu-seong’s question, Kang Hyeon rolled his eyes around.
“Uh…”
“Don’t know?”
“Yeah. I don’t know, man.”
Ahn Yu-seong chuckled at Kang Hyeon’s response.
“Trust.”
“Trust? What are you talking about?”
“This 1,000 won bill that’s now useless.”
Ahn Yu-seong pulled out a bill that had lost its purpose.
“It once had value because of the South Korean government, but now it’s simply paper.”
“That’s right.”
“In other words, if trust disappears, this 1,000 won becomes worthless. Do you understand?”
“I roughly get it.”
When Kang Hyeon nodded, Ahn Yu-seong continued his explanation.
“Creating trust is more difficult than you might think. Transacting with money is like a dream in the current situation.”
“Yeah yeah. So what are you trying to say?”
Annoyed, Kang Hyeon prompted him, and Ahn Yu-seong giggled and continued.
“Have you heard about the exchange vouchers created by the Hyeseong Group?”
“Yeah. Something about buying items made by the group?”
“Correct. I’m planning to create a bank where these vouchers can be exchanged for gold. Implementing a gold standard.”
“Gold standard?”
“Simply put, what if this now useless 1,000 won bill could be exchanged for 10g of gold at the Hyeseong Group?”
“Ah…”
Kang Hyeon understood immediately.
As Ahn Yu-seong said, if Hyeseong guarantees this, the 1,000 won bill would instantly have the equivalent value of 10g of gold.
“There will be various trial and errors… But if we continue to collect gold and Hyeseong grows larger, it’ll be entirely possible. Of course, it will take quite some time.”
“I get it roughly. So I can leave the currency matters to you?”
“More precisely, to the group’s experts. To be honest, I don’t know the details either.”
“Anyway. So that’s one problem solved.”
If currency is created and the market starts functioning properly, the quality of life will surely improve gradually. And it would become much easier to collect taxes from the Badass Guild in the future.
“Money issue is resolved, what’s left is food and public security…”
Food hasn’t been a major problem yet.
This is due to the significantly reduced population. However, the stockpiled food is gradually decreasing. They can’t even farm properly because of monsters and creatures. If this situation continues, problems are bound to arise eventually. Some regions are already experiencing people dying of starvation, so Badass Town needs to prepare in advance.
“If we solve the food problem, establish city security, organize monsters, and set up a system to block dimensional rifts, it’ll become somewhat livable.”
“Not everything can be solved in a short period.”
“Is that so?”
Kang Hyeon was in a state of having drawn a rough outline, but when he thought about actually executing it, it didn’t seem easy.
“Well, somehow it’ll work out. Anyway, I’ll be free from now on.”
Kang Hyeon, who said this, stood up from his seat.
“Where are you going?”
“Oh. I need to go to the research lab.”
“Why the research lab?”
At Ahn Yu-seong’s question, Kang Hyeon smiled wryly.
“A gun has been made.”
The gun specially commissioned by Kang Hyeon from Research Director Jeong Seo-bin.
He had received news that it was completed.
***
Ippotranslation
***
Research Director Jeong Seo-bin’s research lab.
In front of Kang Hyeon was a massive 50cm revolver gleaming silver.
“Is this it?”
Kang Hyeon picked up the revolver and turned it this way and that while speaking.
“Yes. How does it look?”
“It’s bigger and heavier than I expected.”
At Kang Hyeon’s reaction, Jeong Seo-bin pouted her lips.
“Tch… If you reduce the size or weight here, the power decreases. Do you know how hard it was to compromise to this extent? I stayed up for several nights.”
“Oh, I’m not criticizing. I’m just impressed.”
As Seo-bin said, researchers around her were half-dead, hanging limply like corpses.
Among them, some wizards from the Heigran Kingdom could be seen.
“A comprehensive blend of magic and modern technology! There’s not a single place without magic. Even each bullet contains a magic stone and is manually engraved with magic to an extreme…”
Jeong Seo-bin continuously explained how extraordinary this piece was.
Roughly listening to her, Kang Hyeon was preoccupied with examining the gun.
“Can I test it?”
At Kang Hyeon’s words, Jeong Seo-bin nodded with a slightly anxious face.
“Making bullets is difficult, so not many. You can fire up to 5 shots, so just test that.”
“Let’s go right away.”
Kang Hyeon and Jeong Seo-bin immediately went to the open space behind the building.
“We can roughly test it here, right?”
Kang Hyeon pointed to a half-collapsed concrete building.
“It would be better to get a bit closer.”
“It doesn’t look like it’s even 100m away, and you’re saying get closer?”
“No matter how much magical assistance it receives, it’s fundamentally a pistol with such a large caliber that long-distance is impossible.”
“Well… Anyway, I wasn’t planning to shoot from far away.”
Originally, this gun was intended to be used during close combat.
Expected usage distance is within 20m. So testing within that range was correct.
Kang Hyeon, about 10 steps away from the abandoned building, held the gun.
“I hope it at least penetrates one exterior wall.”
The exterior wall of the abandoned building was about 20cm thick. If it couldn’t pierce this concrete wall, Kang Hyeon would have no reason to use the gun.
“Hehe. Try it. You’ll be surprised.”
“How do I use it? Just pull the trigger?”
“No. The magic spell must also operate, so you need to use magical power. The more magical power you use, the stronger the power.”
“Oh. To what extent does it receive magical power?”
“That depends on magical power control. The more precisely you adjust the spell, the more magical power you can infuse.”
“Hmm, so experience is needed.”
“That’s right. A wizard who participated in the production tested it, and even then it easily pierced this kind of wall. I think it’ll be similar when you do it.”
The top artifact makers from the Heigran Kingdom.
They are also excellent wizards.
In terms of magical power handling, they are incomparable to ordinary ability users on Earth.
Jeong Seo-bin probably expected Kang Hyeon’s magical power control to be similar to theirs.
“Sounds good. Let’s shoot.”
Kang Hyeon smiled and pushed magical power toward the gun.
‘I don’t know exactly what, but I can sense how the magical power flows.’
Anyway, the various magic circles engraved on the gun activate the magic.
Kang Hyeon’s job was just to adjust the magic circles and push magical power.
He felt the flow of magical power with an instinctive sense and continued to channel it.
Woooong…
The gun glowed blue due to Kang Hyeon’s magical power.
Seeing this, Jeong Seo-bin was amazed.
“Wow… This is…”
Much more tremendous magical power was flowing than expected.
Although she hadn’t greatly grown, Jeong Seo-bin was also from an ability user background.
She had met various ability users and conducted numerous experiments, but this was an overwhelming magical power she had never felt before.
Feeling a sudden tremor, Jeong Seo-bin came to her senses.
“Ah! Stop! You need to shoot now!”
Kang Hyeon’s magical power was surging much stronger than expected.
As it exceeded the permissible magical power level, overload made the gun visibly shake.
“Here we go!”
At Seo-bin’s urging, Kang Hyeon pulled the trigger.
-Kwaaang!
Fire burst from the muzzle with a loud boom.
The bullet instantly smashed the building’s exterior wall and went inside.
Boom! Boom!
The result was beyond imagination.
The bullet passed through the building’s interior and exited the opposite exterior wall.
As if it hadn’t lost power, it continued forward, making sounds of breaking something.
Kwaaaa…
Hearing the faint sound from far away, Kang Hyeon nodded.
“This is sufficient to use.”
“Huh…”
Seeing a result that far exceeded modern weaponry’s power, Jeong Seo-bin’s mouth fell open.
“You can call this ‘sufficient’!?”
“There are magic spells that can collapse a building with a single gesture. Honestly, this feels a bit lacking.”
“By the way, Director Jeong.”
“Yes.”
“It’s broken.”
“Yes…?”
Kang Hyeon scratched his head and held out the gun.
There, her gun was completely shattered.
“No way! Ryan!”
Despite giving it a completed name of LION and cherishing it. Her Ryan died the moment it saw the world.
“Nooooooo”
Jeong Seo-bin knelt on the floor and screamed, looking at Ryan’s remains.
