Chapter 53

Chapter 52

They say you should strike while the iron is hot, so after eating the evening soup prepared by Jumo, I immediately boarded the regular ferry heading to Ulleung Island.

- What’s the purpose of visiting Ulleung Island at this hour?

- Tomorrow is my vacation! I’m going to eat raw squid.

- I see. When will you return? What’s your travel plan?

- I plan to see Dokdo in the morning when the clouds are bright, buy some taffy, and return in the afternoon or evening.

- Hmm, a perfect tourist. You’re cleared!

- Really? Senior, isn’t that reason a bit...? I’m trying to enter Ulleung Island.

- You’re a Sejong Island faculty member, so it’s fine. You’re not going with a foreigner, right? No, if you’re bringing a foreign daughter-in-law, you’d get a free pass. Hehehe.

It was Sunday evening, and I barely managed to catch the last ferry to Ulleung Island. If the inspection had been a bit slower, I wouldn’t have been able to enter Ulleung Island like this.

Squeak.

The ferry arrived at Ulleung Port.

"Stop. Please line up one by one and disembark. You must follow the agent’s control until your identity is confirmed."

After getting off the ferry, which was docked at Ulleung Port built on a scale reminiscent of Busan International Port, I went through the entry inspection, just like when I left Sejong Island, and exited the port.

'This is Ulleung Island in this world.'

It brings back memories of when I came here with friends to see Dokdo.

One slightly disappointing point is:

'Is this Ulleung Island or Guam?'

The Ulleung Island I knew doesn’t exist in this world.

It’s natural that there are all kinds of shade franchises, and even foreign franchises are plentiful.

The buildings, though weathered by sea winds, are managed with a design more sophisticated than those in Seoul, and neon signs twinkle like in the streets of Gangnam.

Below the phrase [Welcome to Ulleung Island, the Island of Miracles!], various foreign languages are written, and women dressed in uniforms similar to marine looks are stationed everywhere, soliciting customers, especially foreigners.

To summarize Ulleung Island in this world in one line, it can be described as a state-operated resort.

To the extent that calling it Ulleung Guam or Ulleung Saipan wouldn’t be an exaggeration, Ulleung Island has become a tourist attraction surpassing Jeju Island.

Because of mana.

People visit the East Sea, including Sejong Island, to absorb as much mana as possible, and everyone wants to come to Ulleung Island, which is closest to Sejong Island.

Those who enter the island are mostly ability users.

After entering the island and securing accommodation, they accumulate mana through their own methods of mana meditation.

There’s more mana in Ulleung than in Uljin or Gangneung.

However, many non-ability users also visit Ulleung Island.

Who are they?

Residents of Ulleung Island?

No.

"Baby, do you think we can really succeed?"

"We have to. We came to Ulleung Island for two days and one night with the money we would have spent on a three-day, five-night trip to Hawaii. I’ll make sure we succeed."

"Baby, if we really have 'that child' later, will we raise them happily?"

"Yeah. We’ll raise them as a patriot, not a villain."

Mainly newlywed couples in their 20s or 30s visit.

It’s rare to see young children.

Because 'ability users under 15' are not allowed to enter the island.

There’s no reason for children to enter Ulleung Island, this 'island for adults.'

This is an island for making children.

"Hey, young man. Did you come alone?"

An old man in a gray suit, who looked to be around 60, approached me.

When I came to Ulleung Island with friends before, the old man who picked us up wore a fishing vest sold at the market, but this old man’s attire is different.

Just the Rolex he wears on top of his Taeguk watch proves his status.

This old man is very wealthy, and he’s not the only one.

"What about the lady?"

"I came alone. I’m a faculty member of Sejong Academy."

"Oh, is that so? That’s a shame. I thought you were a newlywed couple here for the 'ability user conception course.'"

"Ha ha ha...."

Parents’ hearts are truly complex.

They hope their children will be better than others, and in this world, if you have 'ability,' you can overcome anything, even if you lack talent or knowledge.

"As you know, even those born before the Great Cataclysm can contribute to the country in the era of ability users. By having a child with abilities."

"Do you have any grandchildren who are ability users?"

"Listen, young man. My son is a B-class ability user. Even if having a child at 40 is considered advanced maternal age, it’s still a birth."

"Wow...."

A child born with a silver spoon?

So, can that child bend the spoon?

Even a silver spoon had to bow before a psychic spoon, and parents tried to awaken psychic abilities in their children, even if they couldn’t pass on vast wealth.

"Looking at the Ulleung Island natives, most have a family member or relative who is an ability user. The same goes for the young men and women who come to Ulleung Island. Why do so many people come here, even though we charge 5 million won per night? They all want to make their children ability users."

"'Pumpkin Honeymoon.'"

"Don’t use that slang. Well, it’s because of that we can make a living, but use our language."

"What do you mean?"

"Patriotic travel."

"......"

My child must be an ability user.

That’s why the Ulleung Island honeymoon for conceiving ability users was created.

There were actually meaningful statistical data, and the probability of children born after a honeymoon on Ulleung Island being ability users was quite high.

Even if living on Ulleung Island for a year costs hundreds of millions of won, people can come for one night to receive the island’s essence.

By 2025, most couples visiting Ulleung Island have chosen auspicious days.

Not only Korean couples, but foreign couples also have the same purpose.

This place is a conception spot.

The purpose is not tourism, but conception.

"There’s no reason for a man to come here alone.... Are you trying to seduce an Ulleung Island woman? If so, forget it. Ulleung Island maidens are untouchable, even by judges and prosecutors."

"......Ha ha."

"What’s that reaction? Are you an ability user?"

"I’m not an ability user. It’s just that the Ulleung Island I heard about when I was young seems quite different."

The old man’s eyes sparkled.

"When you were young? Hehe, my friend. When you were young, Ulleung Island was at its peak, surpassing Jeju Island."

"When my parents were young, they dated on Ulleung Island. I heard many stories from that time."

"Hehe, my friend. You’re talking about Ulleung Island before the Great Cataclysm."

The old man gazed at the distant sea, lost in thought.

Behind him, numerous neon signs twinkled, contrasting with his words.

"Back then, everyone used to dive and take boats here. But now there are no fishermen. The government forcibly converted everything into pensions and hotels."

"Weren’t there any protests?"

"Protests? If they had been driven out, there would have been riots. But fortunately, that didn’t happen. Making a living by serving tourists is a hundred, a thousand times better than diving in the sun every day. Who would refuse that?"

The profit was too significant to refuse.

"The Ulleung Island of your parents’ memories no longer exists. This place has only one purpose."

The purpose of patriotism.

Giving birth is, in itself, patriotism.

"So, you really came alone? Even as a Sejong Island faculty member, it’s a bit suspicious, isn’t it?"

"Ha ha. I really came alone. The truth is...I’m this kind of person."

I took out a business card.

"What kind of business card does a Sejong Island faculty member have.... Huh?!"

"Sir."

I winked at the old man, and he immediately handed the business card back to me, wagging his tongue.

"You’re a mysterious person.... Hehe. When Mrs. Joo called, I wondered who it could be, but now I see we have a very important guest."

"Please take good care of me."

The old man.

A local of Ulleung Island and also the manager of a pension directly operated by the organization.

"Welcome to Ulleung Island, the Island of Miracles and Patriotism."

The old man pressed the car key toward the parking lot, and a large black sedan flashed as if responding to him.

Vroom.

The car sprang forward on its own, and the old man opened the rear door.

"To this extent."

"At five-star hotels in Seoul, they offer valet parking. Shouldn’t we do the same at a 5 million won per night pension?"

"That’s true."

I leaned back in the seat.

"Then...I’ll take you comfortably to your destination, Director Do."

"Please take good care of me. Sir."

"Yes."

Does this old man know?

That the hot spring rising from his land and the surrounding pension are the most valuable places on Earth.

He doesn’t know.

He only knows that he’s a regular pension manager and a collaborator of the organization.

No one knows that the hot spring in the place he manages has such effects.

"Director Do. I’m really curious, so I have to ask."

"What is it?"

"...Who will you bring next? One of the managers? Maybe the chairman?"

Even if Ulleung Island has changed.

"Maybe all five...?"

"......"

"Oh. It’s fine even if it’s not. I’ll keep my mouth shut if you bring another woman. Hehe."

The elders of this country are still the same.

Ulleung Island.

Abroad, this place is called the Island of Miracles and Conception.