<638 – Theme Park of Oknodie (13)>
Executive Meeting of the Wahyhiemhai Foundation.
This meeting, where strong individuals from around the world gather, does not change its schedule for trivial matters.
“Mayor, I would like to take a vacation due to personal reasons.”
“Shut the hell up. If you don’t give me a proper reason, I’ll personally deny your vacation request.”
“…”
Unless you’re a leader of a faction, you must be careful about taking a vacation by reading the room.
The Executive Meeting requires 100% attendance, meaning every executive must take their vacations by the specified date.
With just over a month until the start date, among the executives preparing for vacation upon learning the location of the meeting room, was the new Director Pasible Yep.
“Everyone. The day of the Executive Meeting is approaching. Unless something special happens, I think it’d be good for you all to take a vacation and rest on the day I take off. What do you all think?”
“Jukeong.”
“Silheong.”
“The Jukeongmusae and Silheongmusae say they prefer to stay close to the Director. As his assistant, I too wish to accompany you to the meeting room.”
“Hahaha. I just can’t stop you. Let’s set off to the meeting room as if we’re going on a group outing.”
Excitedly, the Jukeongmusae and Silheongmusae sang a Jukeong-Silheong song, flapping their wings and shaking their heads like true Owl Beastfolk, hanging onto Pasible’s shoulders.
However, Kkamang, the crow beastfolk and secretary, felt that Pasible Yep’s friendly tone was no longer as familiar as before.
‘Memories are gradually fading away.’
Pasible, who sacrificed his humanity to save them from Professor Sadako’s Death Field.
As the memories he imitated to mimic lost humanity began to blur, his performance became slightly awkward.
At this rate, the kind gestures directed at him by Jukeong and Kkamang might soon disappear.
‘If that happens… what kind of orders will the flying skeleton Pasible, who has lost his humanity, give…?’
It was unsettling.
The unknown future.
There was a possibility he might be abandoned.
‘There’s only one person I can ask for help in times like this.’
Kkamang sent an emergency contact to someone who possessed both skill and trustworthiness.
All she could do now was hope to get help before it was too late.
*
“Hey Oknodie! Did you hear? Golem Studies have been added at the Academy! They will teach Golem Manufacturing, Golem Control, Golem Maintenance, and Golem Combat!”
While pondering whether to return to the Academy as they helped the Northern Army enjoy the theme park, Titosso exclaimed excitedly after reading a message on the Magic Watch.
“Tito likes golems too?”
“Hestia and Oknodie have been raising golems! During the exam, they swept everyone away. I was super jealous because they were so strong!”
Indeed, during Professor Plato’s triathlon, the golem overwhelmingly dominated.
“Are you trying to get a golem too?”
“I asked Papa to make me a sturdy golem that can also be used for city defense!”
“Wow, that must cost a lot!”
“That’s why I’m worried. Papa keeps saying how expensive the food for golems is and goes on and on about international mana stone prices and maintenance costs.”
“Golems are a bit pricey!”
“But Oknodie used to just pick up wild golems!”
“That’s why I don’t use them these days!”
“Wow, really?”
“Instead, I created a new security detail!”
“Awesome! That’s even better!”
When upgrading computers or smartphones to the latest tech, people often sell the outdated versions at rock-bottom prices or dispose of them.
In the ruthless world of golem upgrades, inferior golems being discarded is simply the law of nature!
“But where’s all this light coming from since earlier?”
“Right?”
As the Northern Army wandered around the theme park, pillars of light erupted unexpectedly, continually snatching attention with blinding enhancement effects.
“Ow, my eyes. Should we head back to the Academy?”
“Yeah, this place is too scary!”
“I’ll be a good student from now on, doing my assignments properly and listening to the professors.”
Like a child too scared on a roller coaster to have ever called on a deity before now, Jiang confessed his prayer, promising not to misbehave again.
Sometimes he wonders why Jiang is classified as maleficent.
He seems so harmless and innocent, maybe their classification system is simply mistaken?
*
The phenomena of the Theme Park of Oknodie glowing brightly drew no particular interest.
Unlike the Emperor’s successful divine item gacha, the light and pillars weren’t that intense; besides, Oknodie was experiencing some sort of status ailment or something similar at the time the divine item gacha succeeded in the Forbidden Research Institute.
Having no point of comparison, he simply thought it was a hassle that a lot of effects appeared when the Empire lifted its taboos.
“Who the hell is conducting illegal enhancements around here?”
“If our relations with the Empire deteriorate, it will become difficult for the theme park’s status. We must unmask the identities of these collective enhancers, even if it means risking a former Thief Guild member’s pride.”
“Before enhancements are officially permitted, we must regulate to ensure enhancement effects do not appear.”
Starting with the VVIP receptionist Valefor Wasabi, everyone, including the former Thief Guild member and head of the security detail, Professor Destroyer, reacted sensitively to the phenomena.
However, the reports that reached them were utterly ridiculous.
“What did you just say? There were enhancement effects, but no enhanced items were visible? That can’t be true!”
“No, I mean those guys were definitely here, but there were no items reacting strongly to enhancements. I even checked if it was a collection item they bought and enhanced, but it wasn’t that either. I even scanned structures and facilities with mana detection to see if they were tearing down walls or blocks, and the results came out clean.”
“Now that I’m in this peak form, even that looks normal. So, could this just point to one possible cause?”
Only the Destroyer noticed the cause of the chain enhancement effect incident.
“This is the Mana Flow Technique being enhanced.”
“Eh? Is that even possible?”
“It is. If not items, only the body could be the subject of enhancement. Yet, there were no obvious cases of someone missing an arm or leg, and no reports of missing persons flooding in. This implies the [Mana Engine] has been enhanced.”
“As an Academy graduate, that’s the strangest story I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s only natural you wouldn’t know. The competent ones have gone up north and aren’t pleading to be used as talents in barren lands; if they are not needed, it’s no wonder they don’t understand the northern sentiment.”
“The northern sentiment…?”
“The North lacks all resources. The threats they must contend with are significant. Growth is essential for survival, but if one possesses noticeable equipment, they become targets for foes and allies alike. Thus, they naturally cling to the basic supply Mana Flow Technique.”
The growth mechanism of the Northern Army is extremely simple.
They form a mana engine through the Mana Flow Technique.
With diligent training, when they have extra time, they form another mana engine.
What happens when they strengthen these two engines together?
Even the most talentless buffoon will experience an increase in combat power through the boosting effects of increased mana capacity, recovery rate, and output.
Moreover, all of this happens within their bodies, making it impossible for the Empire to nitpick about having violated their taboo enhancements.
All evidence is contained within their bodies; they can’t just cut someone open to check, ‘Hmm, this mana engine is +5 enhancement. Five-year sentence!’ It wouldn’t make sense.
If they’re guilty, they’d be dead from the split belly, and if innocent, they’d die if their belly was split anyway, so who cares about the sentence?
The Northern Army wouldn’t just sit quietly and endure such unfair treatment, therefore the former Emperor had no choice but to turn a blind eye, allowing the practice to exist tacitly.
“Then why are enhancement effects flooding here, not in the north, and right now?”
“Collecting items can improve health and strengthen energy. As new structures inscribed with new types of magic are unconsciously etched into their minds, their essential understanding and analytical abilities increase. This phenomenon is a result of a single step towards enhancing their enhancements.”
“…But if an enhancement fails, shouldn’t the body explode, and blood be everywhere?”
Valefor Wasabi’s question was valid.
If enhancement fails, items can break, or worse, dissipate entirely.
“The Northern Army has suffered countless failures, reinforcing their bodies through training. It’s no big deal for them to gather dispersed mana. They’re well trained enough in mana recovery and reformation of mana engines, so there’s no need to worry about fatalities.”
Moreover, fusion-type mana engines that elevate physical performance by integrating with actual body organs require a certain degree of mana flow technique proficiency.
Since this was a basic supply mana flow technique that could not mingle with any bodily functions, this uprising by the weak became possible.
“In conclusion, the Northern Army’s strength has surged tremendously. Soldiers have advanced from soldier level to commander level, but it’s also true that many officers have risen from commander to senior officer levels.”
Indeed, Oknodie was ramping up preparations for the showdown with the Foundation.
Feeling the tension akin to the calm before a storm just before a major incident strikes, the Destroyer glanced back at the Academy-bound disciple and Professor Sadako.
“With my current abilities, guarding the theme park is my limit. I’ll entrust the defense of Oknodie to you, Sadako.”
There was another professor who was favorably inclined toward Oknodie, Myung So, but he was unreliable.
It was needless to mention Professor Bronze, whose feelings were closer to curiosity than goodwill.
He also felt a grudge as a thief who had successfully stolen something from the ultimate thief.
‘Surely, if he has any conscience, he’d treat Oknodie well, at least out of concern for me.’
Ultimately, Destroyer’s worries about Oknodie were unnecessary.
He needed to focus on himself first.
The Northern Army’s visit to the theme park.
The exponential growth of the legion that followed.
It was clear what kind of reaction the neighboring countries would have once they realized the connection.
“The Kingdom of Troy’s theme park will now be incorporated into our Saxon Principality!”
“Nonsense! Our Tropica Principality will be the true owner of the Theme Park of Oknodie!”
Countries that were inflating themselves began to gather their armies, preparing to strengthen their soldiers for a confrontation.
“…They’ve come in droves.”
Stopping them was the task that lay before the Destroyer.
