Chapter 110

Episode 110: An Unconventional Walk (2) n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

A warm voice that conjured images of a kind face drifted over the phone. Go Young-cheol responded calmly, “Actions will prove your words.”

[Yes, yes. There’s no need to worry at all. Although there are rumors that the president of the association, Park Dong-jin, has been seeking support everywhere, he’s little more than a scarecrow without the government’s help. We never intended to have a lousy relationship with Kang Min-hyuk. The Korean Magic Association does not influence the world – Kang Min-hyuk’s tower shows great promise, and I believe its support is of national interest.]

The person on the other end of the phone was from the Korean government, and his initial tone wasn’t so soft. As the conversation progressed, he became aware of Ko Young-cheol and Kang Min-hyuk’s power and how much it exceeded the Korean magic association. It became clear which side was more valuable, and the government quickly changed its preference.

Click-!

Go Young-cheol hung up.

The secret of the red mana stone was a considerable advantage. Kang Min-hyuk ordered the purchase of all red mana stones to monopolize the distribution network at a time when no one had not yet revealed the secret. As a result, Kang Min-hyuk accumulated enormous wealth. He had a lot of cash, but alongside that, the red mana stones piled up immeasurably. However, Kang Min-hyuk’s plan did not end there. He was unsure if he’d work only on the domestic stage. Still, as the number of red mana stones that had to be processed on the world stage increased, information inevitably leaked out, so Kang Min-hyuk revealed the red mana stone’s secret and immediately patented the process. According to the international agreement (國際協約), patent management was strict for technology related to mana stones.

If the law does not protect intellectual property, there is the possibility that people would lose the means to get stronger; disaster would strike if anyone violated the patent laws. Therefore, Kang Min-hyuk used a very safe system as he disclosed his secrets. Mana stones from Korea were monopolized. Even though a total monopoly on the world stage was impossible, the fees received from fictitious patent rights extended beyond the realm of imagination. Also, he purchased many blue mana stones whose prices were falling immediately after the secret was revealed.

Eventually, the blue mana stone price rose again, but Kang Min-hyuk evaded the color division and became mana stone rich thanks to the temporary phenomenon. His wealth consisted of more than money; since the mana stone was the foundation of a fortified civilization, Kang Min-hyuk held power.

Kang Min-hyuk’s skill was phenomenal. As he watched the situation progress from the sidelines, Ko Young-cheol admired the results achieved in a short time. With that situation, the government had no choice but to change its attitude. The money Kang Min-hyuk made was at least in trillions, and the tax amount was huge. Kang Min-hyuk tried to maintain a good relationship with the government in the first place by transparently revealing the mana stone trading process.

In the past, the status of Sanyu-guk (産油國) was excellent. Likewise, now that an alternative mana stone energy was created, Kang Min-hyuk surpassed an oil-producing country’s rate, so the government’s calculations were over. Apart from his potential as a wizard, Kang Min-hyuk had a monopoly on the mana stone market. He was a precious person.

As soon as he hung up the phone, the government figure sent a text message.

[It was great to speak with you. I hope we can maintain a good relationship in the future, and if you have time, why don’t you come and eat with us?]

Go Young-cheol smiled. In the future, the government would be a good partner. However, Go Young-cheol did not have a meal with the government official. He was in Kang Min-hyuk’s shadow and would exert greater power if he did not disclose his identity.

* * *

Rumors spread about Kang Min-hyuk’s monopolization of the mana stone market. Naturally, the World Magic Alliance went wild. They met in an emergency meeting a few days before, and the incident forced them to gather together again.

“This is a huge problem. Kang Min-hyuk’s power is now exerting a strong influence not only in Korea but also in the global mana stone market. If you have trouble with him, you will have a problem securing mana stones.”

“Hmm.”

“It’s a tough situation.”

Nobody was sure how to proceed. Mana stones were a crucial factor. Reinforcement liquid was required to gain power as a hunter, and that was made from mana stones. If you couldn’t secure mana stones, what kind of problems would arise? It would directly impact growth.

Antoine Ballard, president of the French Magic Association, came out.

“It is true that we cannot ignore Kang Min-hyuk’s power. But, as you know, once you compromise, it ends. Kang Min-hyuk is a person who threatens us with only his magical knowledge. But what do you think about the fact that he secretly monopolized the mana stone market? Kang Min-hyuk is foreboding. We must distance ourselves from him”

“Yes.”

“The moment you present a compromised plan to Kang Min-hyuk, you will lose initiative.”

Everyone was in sync – they didn’t want Kang Min-hyuk’s power to grow, and they’d do whatever they could to prevent it. Cessation of trade with him was essential; they’d have to secure a new trading route.

“Bear in mind: The World Magic Alliance forbids working in conjunction with Kang Min-hyuk.

The meeting’s conclusion established a need to be firm in their lack of compromise with Kan Min-hyuk so that they didn’t legitimize the tower he was building. If that happened, the new tower would expand its power to the point where it becomes unmanageable. If he monopolized the mana stone market and added Kang Min-hyuk’s magical knowledge, the growth trend would defy the limits of his imagination.

The meeting drew to a close. They gathered their opinions, but the problem was Park Dong-jin in Korea, who had made an urgent call to appeal to the irrationality of the WMA’s decision.

“I can’t stop doing business with Kang Min-hyuk. Do you understand? The Korean Magic Association would crumble.”

[Sorry, but this has already been decided. If you need mana stones, it will be a little more expensive than the market price, but we have secured some of them…]

“These dogs!”

Pagak!

He threw the phone before the end of the sentence. Park Dong-jin couldn’t calm his rage. Just a few days ago, he thought that joining hands with the World Magic Alliance would lead him to the path of glory. What had happened? Due to the mana stone market, the Korean Magic Association encountered a complicated situation. Forces outside of Korea had the next best option, but the fire fell on Park Dong-jin’s feet right away. Inability to secure mana stones was a death sentence. There was only one solution.

That evening, Park Dong-jin eventually went to Kang Min-hyuk.

* * *

Park Dong-jin had the sensation of his life collapsing around his ears. The government turned its back on him just because he was hostile to Kang Min-hyuk, so the supply of mana stones – the core of magic – stopped.

Usually, the first class that acquired red mana stones was strengthened warriors. They have to go through Kang Min-hyuk to process red mana stones, but they were already promised a certain amount. So, for Ganghwa warriors, there was no reason to face issues due to Kang Min-hyuk’s market monopoly.

However, the Korean Magic Association was in a different position.

Most of their mana stone consumption was acquired through the market, so the situation became desperate.

Park Dong-jin immediately changed his attitude when he met with Kang Min-hyuk.

“I made a big mistake because I was blinded by greed. We will provide full support so that your tower can settle safely in Korea, so why don’t you withdraw the transaction and supply mana stones to us again? We are, after all, walking the same, magical path. If Kang Min-hyuk hopes for the growth of magic academia, I think there must be a way for us to coexist.”

He lowered his head, and his voice was gloomy. Park Dong-jin was neither a great man nor a great wizard. Although he was only a 4th circle wizard, he gained great advantage from his starting point of old politics and rose to his present position. There were many times when he couldn’t figure things out quickly due to his ego, but in a crisis, he could tell the difference between shit and miso. There was also a way to maintain a relationship with the World Magic Association and receive a supply of mana stones. Still, he was sure that path would lead to the destruction of the Korean Magic Association.

Kang Min-hyuk said, “Why should I do that? There seems to be no reason to coexist with the person who threatened me a while ago.”

“For me, it doesn’t matter what the Korean Magic Association chooses. Whether by cooperating with the World Magic Alliance or fighting against it, in a situation where the government has chosen to stand by, the Korean Magic Association’s name poses no threat. If you choose an all-out war, you can do it as much as you want. To be honest, wouldn’t I benefit from the collapse of the Korean Magic Association?”

Park Dong-jin’s expression hardened.

If war ensued, Kang Min-hyuk’s momentum suggested that the war would be immortal. As Park Dong-jin was still unaware of Kang Min-hyuk’s power, he was confused by his remarks about the Korean Magic Association’s weakness. In Korea, the Korean Magic Association had always been respected.