Chapter 166 – Growth of the Eagles (Part 1)
-Name: Kim Hyun-ho
-Class: 43
-Karma: +1,300
-Mission: rest until the next mission.
-Time limit: 62 days 10 hours
We still had over two months until the next exam.
I spent the time by going on dates and sparring with Cha Ji-hye. Now and then we met up with Yoo Ji-soo’s group for drinks.
Yoo Ji-soo and Cha Jin-hyuk said they were recently training to get accustomed to using the synthetic muscle suits they got from the Nordic exam Group.
But in order to use the synthetic muscle suits in Arena, you needed my virtual space skill so they were going to come find me in the next exam.
Anyway, other than the English TUK attack or the Maglun Research Agency and the deal with the Nordic exam group, it was a free and easy time without anything else special happening.
I even felt anxiety, like it is okay to live so peacefully after becoming an examinee? I’ve become very OCD about how my free time was spent.
Did she realize this was how I was feeling?
Cha Ji-hye suggested something.
“What do you think about letting the rake eagles out somewhere there aren’t any people so they can grow for the rest of the break?”
A suggestion to grow the adolescent eagles for the remaining two months.
“That’s a good idea. But it’s hard to avoid people. If those big guys fly around, they’ll be sighted by someone……”
“It’ll be okay on an uninhabited island.”
I sat up when I heard her say that.
Then again, the Korean Arena Research Agency was built on an uninhabited island in order to keep it a secret.
I have a lot of money, so much that maybe I should consider buying an uninhabited island far off somewhere in the middle of nowhere?
“Should I buy an island? Build a house there and set up a generator, I think it’ll be fun.”
“It is possible. What do you say of asking Chief Lim Chul-ho? The Korean Arena Research Agency was also set up by receiving a development permit on a government owned uninhabited island.”
“I’ll do that.”
Now that we’re discussing it, I went ahead and called Chief Lim Chul-ho.
Chief Lim Chul-ho listened to what I had to say and spoke with a tone of agreement.
-We were actually thinking of that. We were planning on getting a few uninhabited islands in the Chung Nam area to create a new ranch to raise the dairy cows that you bring back.
“In Chung Nam?”
-Yes, there is an archipelago of four islands, we are planning on buying them all. Jinseong group will be developing it, if you would pay for the additional cost of the development, we will prepare private land for you.
I thought about it and it sounded like a good idea.
It’s not like I could not be involved in the raising of the livestock I brought back from Arena anyway.
Rather, if I set up my own private land there and can enter the ranch easily, it would just make life easier in the long run.
“Okay. So I just need to tell the chairman?”
-It is fine for you to just tell Secretary Lee Jung-shik. I will let him know first.
“Please do.”
That day in the afternoon I made a call to Secretary Lee Jung-shik and I was able to hear a good answer.
-We will do that for you.
“Then how much do I need to pay……..”
-There is no need for you to do that. This is just a small favor so there was an order from the chairman to give it to you for free.
“Really? Please tell him thank you.”
-Understood.
“But how is the development situation going for those uninhabited islands?”
-It hasn’t been long since we got rid of the Big Rats and made plans to build a new ranch so we are currently in the preparation stage. We’ve only just set up temporary housing made of containers and installed saltwater purification equipment.
“Would it be okay if I spent about 2 months there?”
-Of course.
After the conversation, Secretary Lee Jung-shik sent me a file of a screenshot of a map app. It was a file with the location of the uninhabited islands.
Actually, I thought I might spend some money for the first time in a while but it got sorted out without a buck being spent. It somehow made me feel dejected.
Since we were already on the topic, we decided to start preparations to leave tomorrow.
A tent and assorted cookware and tableware, and most importantly tons of food. I shoved all it into the virtual space.
It was like I dumped everything from the vegetable and meat corners at the discount store. We each come out with a cart full of food and the employees looked aghast as they started at us.
We went to other stores and took food all the food we could find.
I, of course, filled my virtual space until I couldn’t shove anymore in and we also filled up Cha Ji-hye’s item backpack too.
The sea probably won’t have anything for the rake eagles to eat so I’ll have to go back and forth from the island to the city to provide food.
Anyhow, the preparations were done so we left that evening.
The reason we left at night was simple. We couldn’t be seen flying through the sky.
We flew up into the sky with Sylph’s power, and from high in the sky I took out number one from the virtual space and we rode it together.
It had grown to be rather large, so number one was plenty big enough for both of us to ride.
Cha Ji-hye was up front maneuvered number one while checking the map and compass.
I rode in back and just hung tight onto her hips.
Cha Ji-hye was keeping track of the map and compass and even checked the smartphone GPS and was busy finding the way, but in the back I had nothing to do.
“Are we well on our way?”
“Yes, we’re on the right path.”
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“There is not.”
“……”
“Are you bored?”
“Yes……”
“Hold on a little bit. We’ll be there soon.”
No mercy.
This woman. I felt like she didn’t have any thoughts of hanging out or messing around with me at all.
Probably, because she had been alone for so long, she had a strong tolerance towards boredom.
My thoughts to tease Cha Ji-hye grew and grew.
“I’m bored, can I stroke your hair?”
“You may not.”
Cha Ji-hye refused firmly.
I must’ve gotten to her because I sensed a little agitation.
“Why can’t I? I’m going to.”
“I said no.”
“Nope. I’m going to.”
“I won’t tell you twice.”
Her shyness was legendary.
“That’s unfair.”
“What is unfair?”
“Why can’t I pet what’s mine whenever I want?”
“Why do you think that you have ownership of my head?”
“Well isn’t it mine?”
“No.”
“Miss Ji-hye, you don’t like me do you?”
“I never said that.”
“You’re saying you don’t want me to touch you. You’ve grown tired of me and the affection you used to feel has gone cold.”
A bit later, I was stroking Cha Ji-hye’s hair and feeling proud of victory.
“I think we’re nearly there.”
“Already?”
With some enjoyable banter, the time flew by.
“Kasa!”
-Bark!
Kasa appeared and barked happily.
“Find the archipelago that has four islands.”
-Bark!
Kasa excitedly went down.
It was the middle of the night so I summoned Kasa instead of Sylph. Kasa’s entire body was lit in flames and his body was shining light around the area.
Kasa quickly found the archipelago. The image of the islands Kasa discovered was delivered to my head.
Four islands named the Sa Geum Islands.
An image of the four islands named East Sa Geum, West Sa Geum, South Sa Geum, North Sa Geum was delivered to me
When I gave the order, Kasa lit up even more and it let us view the entirety of the Sa Geum Islands.
Of the four islands, the South Sa Geum Island was a small rocky island like Dokdo Island, the other three islands were rather large in size and already had established forests.
Number one descended and followed the light that Kasa was making in the distance.
We landed in a field on South Sa Geum.
The scene laid out in front of us was the ocean spread out black in the darkness below the cliff.
First, I released all the rake eagles and they looked flustered at the sudden change in their environment.
But they soon calmed down and flew around Sa Geum and began to scout the area.
I took out the tent and set it up, had Sylph chop up a tree into firewood, and then made a fire.
Cha Ji-hye took out water and a pot from her item backpack and put two bags of ramen in it.
We sat side by side by the fire and watched the sea and ate ramen. Even this simple action felt special.
“Wow, seeing the sea stretch out endlessly, it feels refreshing.”
“It does.”
“Being like this with me, you like it right?”
My playfulness started up again and I threw out a question.
“Yes, I like it.”
“You don’t look like you like it.”
“I said I like it.”
“Your tone doesn’t sound good. Are you just forced to say you like it for my sake?”
“You’re being like this again?”
“Show that you like being with me.”
“I’m happy I’m with you.”
“With more aegyo in your tone.”
“You’re being like this again. I think you enjoy embarrassing me.”
“Humph, it’s because you never express any affection towards me. You sure you don’t actually dislike me?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Cha Ji-hye was getting more and more flustered at my incessant pressing.
It was when I was about to keep talking when.
Cha Ji-hye suddenly grabbed my neck and pulled and kissed me. Because of the dynamic visual acuity skill I had predicted her movement but I “innocently” gave in to the kiss.
She laid me down on the ground and then got atop and continued kissing.
Our warmth passed sweetly between our lips.
A long while after, Cha Ji-hye took leaned back and said.
“It’s actually just that I don’t show my affection towards people. Was that enough?”
“Hm, not quite.”
I hugged her and locked my lips to hers again. We kept kissing and naturally we moved into the tent.
The 10 rake eagles that were scouting nearby had already returned. Their screeching was loud but we didn’t hear it.
And like that, the first day on the uninhabited island passed.
***
The next day, I went back to the mainland and bought all the meat I came across for the rake eagles.
Because I had more space freed up from taking out the 10 rake eagles, I could shove a ton of pork and beef in there.
They ate the meat I provided vigorously and the rake eagles grew and grew.
The larger they got the more they ate and now I’m going back ashore nearly every day.
But soon there wouldn’t be such need to do so.
One day, a very large ship appeared on the Sa Geum Islands.
It surprised me and I called and hid the 10 rake eagles in the virtual space.
And then I called Sylph and sent her out to scout.
One group got off the ship.
The people started to unload an assortment of building materials from the ship.
‘Who are they? People from Jinseong Group?’
I was holding my breath and watching when.
“What is it?”
A disheveled Cha Ji-hye, who had just woken up, came out from the tent. Not even properly dressed, still just in her underwear.
“People have appeared, I’m wondering if they’re Jinseong’s people.”
“That ship is from the research agency. So those are research agency people.”
As a former research employee at the Korean Arena Research Agency, Cha Ji-hye recognized the ship at first glance.
She put on a comfortable tracksuit and haphazardly tied up her disheveled hair. She was pretty even like this, she really is a born beauty.
“It would be good to talk to them. At the very least, we can ask them to deliver the eagles’ meal provisions.
“Ah, that would be good. It’s been a hassle going back and forth every day.”
We approached the people who arrived to the island and struck up a conversation.
As Cha Ji-hye expected, they were employees dispatched from the research agency.
They would be in charge of Sa Geum Island’s security.
They had the job of blocking civilians from approaching the Sa Geum islands.
When I asked them if they could provide food for the eagles they contacted the headquarters and said yes. Research Agency Chief Lim Chul-ho was very cooperative with me so it was a given that he would help me with this.