Everyone’s life was the same as they completed their own quests regardless of whether they could see the status window or not. Sometimes they succeeded while other times they failed. Below was my record for the past four months.

「Quest: Make New York, Isle of Man and London Investment groups completely escape from the overheated New York stock market.

Reward: Five hundred billion dollars.」

Succeeded.

「Quest: Succeed in aggressive merging and acquiring Predict, the multinational company that develops business software.

Reward: Increased probability to control the database market in the future.」

Succeeded.

「Quest: Kill the First Evil through the organization.

Reward: Reduces the risk to the world and realize justice.」

Failed.

「Quest: Observe the two pre-Awakened and the Second Virtue.

Reward: Reduced risk.」

In progress.

「Quest: Purchase as much land with sealed dungeons in North America as I could recall.

Reward: Expands the area I later influence in North America and gain monopoly ownership.」

In progress.

「Quest: Complete all the constructions on the F-class dungeon areas in Korea. 

Reward: Saved time.」

Succeeded.

When winter vacation started, I felt like I had broken the heavy shackles on my ankles. There was no more reason for me to go to school as I slept there the entire time. In fact, middle school technically ended two weeks after the break, but I didn’t need to attend as I already filled the attendance days required to graduate. My education would be done when I took the GED in February of 2000 instead of applying for a high school. 

“I’m free.”

I was happy but annoyed at the same time, and I hurried to my office building. New tenants were filling the empty building, and Daemin Bank’s foreign investment department was now bigger than it had been before the IMF. While Korea had not fully overcome the crisis, things were getting better quicker than it did in the past as the KOSDAQ dotcom boom had lightened up the mood. The mailbox was crammed with today’s daily newspapers. 

「The KOSDAQ craze. Raising concerns over the bubble.

The KOSDAQ market has a number of IT industries and is warning investors about the bubble. As the stock price has been rising, investors are buying more instead of being wary of the risks. Therefore, individual investors who have purchased stocks later might suffer if stock prices plunge suddenly.」

Bubble. Bubble. Bubble! The media had been talking about the stock market non-stop for months as if it wasn’t boring. When the KOSDAQ entered the correction phase, the so-called “financial experts” expounded on how the dotcom bubble finally broke, how Bal-geum Technology had caused the KOSDAQ to collapse even though they used to lead the market, and how the sales volume had reached its limit as thousands of stocks were sold at once. 

The market was shivering in fear just last week, but things had become optimistic within a few days. The market was now fluctuating in unprecedented amounts. When it crashed, people would say that the bubble burst, then it would increase as if nothing had happened. The entire Korean population had become stock experts.

However, no one could blame them as playing the stock market was the only solution to revive their business, pay off debts in the shadow of the IMF, and purchase a house of their own. The Bal-geum Technology stock had jumped over a hundred times within just two months. The investors who placed a million won earned a hundred million, and those who put a hundred million won gained ten billion. It would rise more, but it was time to liquidate.

 「Account name: Na Seon-Hu」

 「Account value: ￦21,193,550,000」

The market closed after school, so I reserved all of my shares to be sold tomorrow at market price. I could hear the participants scream by complaining about the sale barrier, but considering Korea was a seller’s market, they would snatch them up anyway. Other than the fact that my father had given me the money, my real account didn’t mean much in terms of profit…

***

I got a phone call from Jonathan while I was working on the investment proposal.

<Jonathan: Has anyone contacted or approached you?>

<Seon-Hu: From who?>

<Jonathan: These guys…They broke their promise. I’m sorry.>

His voice was filled with shame and nerves rose within my heart.

<Seon-Hu: Who are ‘these guys?’ Please don’t tell me they are the White House guys.>

<Jonathan: They leaked your identity to Forbes. They said it was a mistake, but they intended it. This had been their plan from the beginning. What the hell is wrong with them?>

Do you really not get it? They just didn’t like the way an Asian boy had delved so deeply into the U.S. financial markets. They were telling me to be a monkey under their control, and I became speechless. I thought they would concede at least once as I complied with their demand, but I had forgotten about their unsociable characteristics and desire to keep out anyone who didn’t love them. I had suffered from that during my time on Wall Street in the past. I explained while clenching my fist.

<Seon-Hu: I guess you have misunderstood my saying that I would reveal myself to the public next year, Jonathan.>

<Jonathan: …>

<Seon-Hu: My identity should never be disclosed to the public. I have too much going on now. Okay?>

My biggest reason for staying incognito was my parents. I didn't believe they were ready to face the truth yet. Also, I didn’t want them to be surrounded by bodyguards for the rest of their lives. It would look fancy, but it would be the same as being imprisoned for life. A few days ago, Father got promoted to an executive at Jeon-il Bank, and Mother had been enjoying gossiping with neighbors at her work. Despite Father’s attempts at dissuading her, she got a job at a curtain shop. We were a little better and more stable financially than other families, but going public with my identity would blow our peace and my movements would also be restricted. Saving money was as important as upgrading my stats by the Day of Advent, and everything would be ruined if there was a restriction. 

Shit. Oh, well.

I tried to calm down as the timing wasn’t too bad since it was the end of the year. London, New York, and the Isle of Man would be waiting for my orders after completing their year-end duties. 

<Jonathan: Forbes will publish an article about you in January. Sun, I’m thinking of taking out all the pension funds from the government. How about threatening to break the contracts on all the pension funds and say that we are on antagonistic terms with the White House to the pension committees? It might pressure them to a certain extent.>

<Seon-Hu: No, that’s not enough. Set up a meeting with the Russian acting state president and the Prime Minister of Japan. I’ll go myself.>

There was no need to hide since everyone would know about me. 

<Jonathan: Russian and Japanese pension funds…?>

<Seon-Hu: That’s option two.>

<Jonathan: Then?>

<Seon-Hu: I’m going to buy as many U.S. Treasury bonds as possible from those countries.>

There were many bombs worldwide that threatened the U.S, and the bonds were one of them. While they were pricey, it was cheap compared to what I would have to give up. I would collect and drop them all at once on the roof of the White House. 

<Jonathan: Russia and Japan wouldn’t want to be involved if they figure out the situation.>

<Seon-Hu: They would be conscious of the White House, but they have no choice. If they don’t, they’ll suffer from the consequences. I’ll purchase Japanese treasury bonds from Russia and Russia treasury bonds from Japan, then exchange them for U.S. treasury bonds from the respective countries. Money will solve everything.>

<Jonathan: I’m so sorry. This could have been prevented.>

<Seon-Hu: It’s all good. It was something we had to deal with anyway.>

One thing concerned me. If the U.S. government was under financial attack, the dotcom bubble would explode and the impact would be out of control. Of course, my goal was to make the White House surrender before that as the only thing they would need to do was to promise me that they wouldn’t reveal my identity. They couldn’t have expected that this ‘trivial’ thing would lead to a financial war.

<Jonathan: What is the target amount?>

<Seon-Hu: For now, the entire New York Group’s net worth. If they still don’t surrender, then we will have to contact London and the Isle of Man. That would mean an all-out war. We might lose or win from that, but I don’t know for sure at the present. We’ll find out when things actually happen.>

Genius financiers who had dominated the century were under my group. If the battlefield got expanded to Britain and the Isle of Man, the U.S. government would think having another Vietnam War would be better than that. 

<Jonathan: So, three hundred billion dollars for now?>

Three hundred billion was the current U.S. defense budget. 

<Seon-Hu: We will lose around thirty percent, so don’t stress out yourself too much.>

<Jonathan: …Haha>

He laughed suddenly.

<Seon-Hu: Why?>

<Jonathan: So many unbelievable things happen when I’m with you. We’re attacking the government now. Were you always this aggressive?>

<Seon-Hu: I need your consent.>

<Jonathan: Consent? They started this first. Do you know how much I was stressed out because of those fuckers?>

<Seon-Hu: Okay, then. I’ll do it.>

<Jonathan: Yes, please do. I desperately want to watch this.>

In fact, attacking Japan was the easiest way to pressure the White House as the two nations were closely connected. However, the history I knew would disappear then, and that was the only reason why I didn’t attack Japan. It could cause the second IMF crisis in Korea as the turmoil starting in Japan would trigger the second Asian financial crisis. Although the cash I had was only a small amount of the global liquidity, the New York firm was the only private company in the world that had amassed such individually controlled funds. This was true even without the funds in London and the Isle of Man. That was why the White House tried to make me their puppet, but they had picked the wrong person.

Then, I felt the heat on my face. I was upset because this would impact my parents’ happy life and now realized that I could bring on a global financial crisis just by keeping my identity secret. 

“Sigh.”

I took a deep breath and said.

<Seon-Hu: Jonathan, hint to the White House about what we’re willing to do for one last time. If they act stupid, we have no choice but to show them.>

<Jonathan: I was about to head out now, so will do that.>

<Seon-Hu: You already know this, but listen up. This became a problem because they thought of us only as an investment group. They are confident that we wouldn’t cut our own flesh. We only need to correct that assumption, and if so, we don’t need a war…>

That was the best-case scenario. I had to take care of this personally as Jonathan wouldn’t be able to fight against his own government like this. 

<Seon-Hu: No, just set up a meeting and wait. I’ll be joining you in that appointment.>