By the time Usinomics returned to shore, sunlight had begun to pour across the island in broad white bands.

Water streamed from his diving gear as he climbed onto the grass.

Behind him, the sea remained calm.

One of the dolphins surfaced once more, as though checking whether he had truly left.

Usinomics raised one hand.

The dolphin disappeared beneath the water.

A few seconds later, a small notification appeared.

Dolphin Interaction Complete

Friendship Increased

Usinomics stared at the message.

Friendship with a dolphin was apparently measurable.

He was not sure what the maximum level would unlock.

Perhaps a special gift.

Perhaps a new swimming technique.

Perhaps the dolphin would eventually arrive at headquarters and demand a private office.

Considering the strange logic of this world, none of those possibilities felt impossible.

He removed his diving equipment, changed back into his casual clothes, and checked the next assignment.

Construction Materials Required

Collect Timber from an Authorized Forest

Usinomics sighed quietly.

The headquarters still needed furniture.

The employee rooms already had beds, desks, chairs, closets, and laptop computers, but the conference rooms remained incomplete. The restaurant had tables but not enough chairs. The workspaces needed additional furnishings.

And, most importantly, the headquarters still did not have proper toilets.

There were sinks.

There were bathtubs.

There were showers.

There were private rooms.

There was even a kitchen.

But no toilets.

It was becoming an architectural tradition.

Usinomics looked toward the horizon.

The toilet problem would have to wait.

Again.

The authorized forest stood several districts away from Moo66.

Unlike the decorative trees surrounding residential areas, these trees were marked for controlled harvesting. Each one carried a small official symbol near the base of its trunk.

Usinomics inspected the nearest tree carefully.

Permit confirmed.

Resource collection approved.

No protected wildlife detected.

He equipped his tool and raised it.

The first strike echoed through the forest.

Thud.

A few leaves drifted down.

The second strike produced a small flash of light.

Thud.

The third strike released several neatly prepared bundles of timber.

Usinomics watched them fall onto the grass.

Three strikes.

One resource collection.

The process was simple.

The problem was quantity.

Furniture required a remarkable amount of material.

A chair did not merely require enough wood to resemble a chair. It required enough wood to satisfy the crafting system’s opinion of what a chair should cost.

Usinomics moved to the next tree.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Another bundle appeared.

Then another.

And another.

The work continued beneath the green canopy.

Birds moved through the branches above him. Sunlight flickered between the leaves. Every few minutes, a breeze passed through the forest and carried the scent of grass and bark across the hillside.

It should have felt peaceful.

Instead, Usinomics kept calculating.

Conference room chairs.

Restaurant seating.

Office desks.

Storage shelves.

Reception furniture.

Employee lounges.

Additional doors.

Possibly more walls.

Definitely toilets.

He looked at the timber in his inventory.

Still not enough.

He returned to work.

By the time he finished, his inventory had grown considerably, but the headquarters construction estimate remained intimidating.

Usinomics closed the building menu before it could ruin his mood.

A new notification appeared.

Summer Music Festival Now Open

He paused.

That sounded better than timber.

The festival grounds had already filled with visitors when Usinomics arrived.

Glowing decorations floated above the paths. White lights hung from tree branches. Musicians stood near the central platform while the crowd gathered across the grass.

There was no singer.

No microphone stood at the front of the stage.

Only instruments.

A bright melody moved through the evening air.

It was light, cheerful, and precise.

The musicians played without hurry, allowing each note to drift across the festival grounds before the next one followed.

Usinomics stood beneath a large tree and listened.

Around him, visitors wore summer clothing in every possible style.

Wide-brimmed hats.

Colorful shirts.

Shorts printed with palm trees.

Light dresses.

Sandals.

Some danced.

Some watched quietly.

Others appeared to have arrived solely for the event rewards.

Usinomics understood all three groups.

The sky darkened slowly.

The music continued.

Then the first firework rose.

A trail of golden light climbed above the hill and burst into a wide circle.

The crowd looked up.

Another firework followed.

Then another.

Red, blue, gold, and white reflections moved across the faces of the audience.

The performance remained instrumental.

No voice interrupted the melody.

The music carried the entire scene on its own.

Usinomics watched the fireworks and thought about the headquarters.

Even during a festival, the unfinished building remained in his mind.

He imagined an outdoor concert area on the headquarters island.

A place where employees could gather after work.

A stage near the sea.

Tables arranged beneath lights.

Perhaps a restaurant terrace.

Perhaps—

He stopped himself.

More ideas meant more timber.

The music ended beneath a final burst of light.

Visitors applauded.

Usinomics did the same.

A completion message appeared.

Festival Attendance Recorded

Reward Received

More acorns had been transferred into his account.

He smiled faintly.

At least the festival had contributed to construction.

The next morning, Usinomics returned to Moo66.

The building stood beside the road like a structure that had survived several different architectural plans without ever choosing one.

The rear section had become surprisingly impressive.

Tall windows stretched across the upper floors. Dark walls framed the structure. From behind, it looked unmistakably corporate.

An office building.

A headquarters branch.

A legitimate business facility.

The warp gate added another layer of importance.

From the left diagonal angle, its pale blue glow could be seen near the wall, giving the entire property the appearance of a commercial residence connected to a private transportation system.

From certain angles, Moo66 resembled a two-family home.

From others, a shop with living space attached.

From the back, an office.

From the front—

Usinomics stepped onto the road and examined it.

A warehouse.

Still a warehouse.

He folded his arms.

The structure refused to stop looking like storage.

The gas station styling did not help.

Neither did the dark exterior.

Neither did the large open frontage.

Yet, somehow, the design suited the road.

A residential mansion might have felt out of place.

A commercial building belonged there.

Moo66 looked as though delivery trucks could arrive at any hour.

It looked prepared for inventory.

It looked ready for business.

Perhaps that was enough.

On the right side of the property, the upper restaurant still looked slightly like a water tank.

Usinomics studied it carefully.

The unfinished steel frame remained visible.

The circular shape suggested dining only after someone explained it.

Without explanation, it could easily be mistaken for utility infrastructure.

Still, the newly added loft had improved the interior.

Guests now had a private area where they could rest without being watched from the main floor.

Moo66 had become a strange combination of gas station, warehouse, diner, hotel, office, residence, and experimental transportation hub.

Usinomics approved.

It was difficult to classify.

That made it harder to copy.

He entered building mode.

Walls shifted.

Floor sections expanded.

A window disappeared from one side and reappeared on another.

Furniture moved several inches at a time.

The process consumed materials rapidly.

Usinomics added another section to the rear structure.

The building grew wider.

A new upper space connected to the existing floor.

The proportions improved slightly.

Then the exterior began to resemble an office complex even more than before.

Usinomics stepped back.

He moved again.

From the front, it was still a warehouse.

He had accepted the truth.

A visitor icon appeared near the entrance gate.

Usinomics froze for half a second.

Someone had arrived.

A friend.

He looked toward the main doors.

The visitor walked into the property with the confidence of someone who had no intention of waiting for an official welcome.

Usinomics immediately became nervous.

It was not fear.

It was not dislike.

It was the familiar pressure of having to communicate.

He hurried toward the cooking area.

Cooking was safer.

Cooking gave his hands something to do.

Cooking also provided gifts, which reduced the need for conversation.

He opened the event menu.

Seasonal ingredients appeared across the preparation table.

He began to cook.

Behind him, the visitor explored the room.

Usinomics could hear footsteps moving from one area to another.

The guest paused near the furniture.

Then near the staircase.

Then near the large blue tub.

A communication signal appeared above the visitor’s head.

Usinomics glanced over.

The guest had sent a friendly gesture.

He returned the gesture while continuing to cook.

A few seconds later, the dish was complete.

Usinomics picked it up and crossed the room.

He offered it immediately.

The guest accepted.

Then, without hesitation, ate the entire seasonal meal on the spot.

A bright happy expression appeared above the visitor’s head.

Usinomics answered with the same expression.

The exchange required no translation.

Food had succeeded where language might have failed.

The visitor reached into their inventory and presented a handmade dish.

Usinomics accepted it.

Following the same rule, he ate it immediately.

The visitor jumped.

Not a small jump.

A full, enthusiastic leap.

Usinomics responded with an equally large jump.

The two of them landed, looked at each other, and jumped again.

For several seconds, they behaved like children who had discovered gravity could be negotiated.

Then they exchanged another round of food.

A high-five followed.

The gesture landed perfectly.

Both of them displayed smiling expressions.

The room felt unexpectedly cheerful.

The visitor looked directly at Usinomics.

A message appeared.

“I love you.”

Usinomics blinked.

He answered with a smile symbol.

The visitor sent another message.

“I love you.”

Usinomics considered the situation.

Perhaps the visitor’s health had not fully recovered.

Perhaps the meal had not restored enough energy.

Perhaps “I love you” was a warning.

He opened his portable food inventory.

A large seafood bowl appeared in his hands.

Rice.

Fish.

Vegetables.

A generous portion.

Usinomics gave it to the visitor immediately.

The visitor accepted the meal.

Then began speaking again.

Usinomics watched the message carefully.

He recognized a few characters.

Not enough.

The meaning remained uncertain.

Before he could respond, the visitor turned and sprinted toward the VIP room.

Usinomics watched them disappear upstairs.

Apparently, the conversation had ended.

He returned to the kitchen and began preparing more food.

A few minutes later, he needed additional ingredients.

He walked toward the double doors near the entrance.

At the exact moment he reached them, the visitor arrived from the opposite direction at full speed.

They stopped beside each other.

Usinomics almost laughed.

The visitor opened the doors.

Closed them.

Opened them again.

Closed them again.

Then repeated the process.

The large double doors moved back and forth while the visitor stood beside them, clearly entertained.

A message appeared.

“Kkkkkk.”

Usinomics stared at it.

It did not look like English laughter.

It resembled a form of Portuguese laughter he had seen before.

He decided to participate.

The visitor reacted immediately.

Another happy expression appeared.

The doors opened.

Closed.

Opened.

Closed.

“Kkkkkk.”

Usinomics answered again.

This apparently improved the game.

The visitor continued operating the doors with renewed enthusiasm.

Usinomics quietly stepped away.

There were blueberries nearby.

He began harvesting them while the guest remained fully occupied with the entrance.

One blueberry.

Another.

A third.

Behind him, the doors continued to open and close.

Moo66 had become an amusement facility without requiring any additional construction.

Near the front mailbox stood the access gate to the marine property.

Whenever a visitor entered the ocean district, a small icon appeared.

At that moment, a new marine notification flashed.

A dolphin had arrived.

Usinomics stopped collecting blueberries.

The same dolphin from earlier had come to visit.

He left the door enthusiast behind and activated the gate.

Blue light surrounded him.

The world shifted.

A second later, he stood in the marine district.

The dolphin waited nearby.

It had not been swimming in circles.

It had not wandered away.

It had simply remained there, facing the entrance.

Waiting.

Usinomics approached.

The dolphin moved closer.

A gift notification appeared.

Usinomics accepted the item.

The dolphin gave a soft sound and turned once through the water.

Usinomics interacted with it again.

The friendship indicator rose.

For a brief moment, the surrounding ocean district felt completely separate from everything else.

No construction menus.

No visitors.

No business calculations.

Only blue water, drifting plants, and the quiet presence of the dolphin.

Usinomics remained there longer than necessary.

Then he remembered the work waiting for him.

The dolphin stayed beside him until he reached the gate.

When Usinomics returned to Moo66, the visitor was no longer playing with the doors.

Instead, they stood near the entrance with both hands together in a prayer-like pose.

They appeared to have been waiting.

Usinomics paused.

He had disappeared without explanation.

From the visitor’s perspective, he had probably walked toward the mailbox and vanished into another world.

The guest looked relieved when he returned.

Usinomics displayed a gentle smile.

The visitor answered with another happy expression.

For a moment, he considered staying.

They could cook again.

Exchange more gifts.

Jump around the room.

Possibly continue the international door ceremony.

But the schedule had changed.

A business assignment was waiting.

Usinomics checked the notification.

Proceed to IMABURAI KINGDOM

He looked toward the warp gate.

Work came first.

He bowed slightly to the visitor, displayed one final friendly gesture, and stepped into the blue light.

Moo66 disappeared behind him.

IMABURAI KINGDOM rose from the sea like a vision designed by architects who had never learned to think small.

Silver towers reflected the sky.

Elevated transportation routes curved between districts.

Artificial beaches stretched beside futuristic buildings.

Aircraft moved quietly over the water.

Every surface seemed new.

Every structure appeared prepared for the future.

Usinomics had barely arrived when another notification appeared.

Photography Assignment

Destination: MIINAN MATTMA KINGDOM

Subject: King MiinanMattma

Usinomics read the message twice.

This was not an ordinary photography quest.

KingMiinanMattma was not easily accessible.

Ordinary citizens could not simply request an audience.

Celebrities could not expect to meet him.

Official invitations were rare.

Yet Usinomics had received one.

He adjusted his hat and proceeded toward the designated transportation point.

MIINAN MATTMA KINGDOM carried a different atmosphere.

The architecture felt ceremonial.

The public spaces were quiet.

Security remained present without becoming intrusive.

Usinomics followed the approved route toward a private performance area.

There, beneath an elegant roof overlooking a garden, King Miinan Mattma was already seated.

A stringed instrument rested before him.

The king wore casual clothing rather than ceremonial robes.

The fabric and tailoring appeared unmistakably expensive.

Usinomics recognized the design language.

IMABURAI.

The king’s outfit had come from one of the kingdom’s brands.

Usinomics looked down at his own clothing.

His shirt featured a watermelon pattern.

A mattmaina design.

Casual.

Bright.

Possibly too cheerful for a royal performance.

King Miinan MATTMA glanced toward him.

His eyes moved briefly to the watermelon shirt.

Then he smiled.

It was a quiet, kind expression.

Not mockery.

Not surprise.

Simple approval.

Usinomics felt slightly more confident.

He adjusted the Moo66 hat on his head.

The way he wore it made him resemble an old-fashioned traveling hero from a Japanese film.

Or, at least, that was how he imagined himself.

He stood a little straighter.

King Miinan Mattma began to play.

The first notes were delicate.

Then the melody expanded.

Chinese musical phrasing flowed across the performance area.

The king’s fingers moved with discipline and calm.

No one interrupted.

Usinomics raised the camera only when necessary.

He took several photographs while ensuring the sound of the shutter did not disturb the performance.

Five minutes passed.

Then ten.

Then fifteen.

The king continued without hesitation.

Usinomics watched respectfully.

Still, one question entered his mind.

He spoke so quietly that no one heard.

The Chinese-style music continued.

A few members of the gallery shifted in their seats.

Someone finally murmured,

“I’d like to hear some Tokyo music.”

Usinomics looked toward the voice.

Tokyo music.

He considered the phrase.

Did they mean festival music?

Traditional city melodies?

A modern pop song?

His mind arrived at one possibility.

He looked toward the sky.

Then another thought followed.

No one heard that either.

King Miinan Mattma continued playing.

The performance had the determined length of someone completing a quest requirement.

Usinomics understood immediately.

Fifteen minutes might not be artistic indulgence.

It might be mandatory.

He waited until the appropriate moment, bowed respectfully, and left without interrupting the king.

The music continued behind him.

He returned to IMABURAI KINGDOM and headed toward the artificial beach.

The sun hung low above the water.

Warm light stretched across the sand.

Futuristic towers stood in the distance while small aircraft moved between them.

The beach combined resort luxury with corporate precision.

Nothing appeared accidental.

Even the palm trees looked officially approved.

Usinomics had just reached the designated area when a communication request arrived.

Leemai.

He accepted.

A message appeared.

Usinomics looked around.

He had not seen her.

Another message followed.

Usinomics answered immediately.

There was a pause.

Then he added,

Leemai laughed through the communication channel.

Leemai continued laughing.

Usinomics ended the call before the conversation could become worse.

At that exact moment, the photography team arrived.

Assistants carried equipment across the sand.

A camera platform unfolded automatically.

Lighting drones rose into position.

A stylist approached with several garment bags.

Usinomics looked at them.

Then at the beach.

Then at the camera crew.

This was apparently not an ordinary corporate photograph.

It was a fashion shoot.

The stylist guided him into a changing area.

The clothing had been prepared as part of a collaboration between IMABURAI and Moo66.

The first item was a red shirt with a large Moo66 emblem across the front.

The design combined route culture, fantasy symbols, mechanical ornament, and the identity of Moo66 itself.

Gray pants carried a smaller matching emblem.

A cap completed the outfit.

A dark tote bag displayed the same insignia.

Usinomics changed silently.

When he stepped outside, the stylist adjusted the fabric at his shoulders.

Another assistant corrected the position of the cap.

A third checked the bag.

The photographer looked through the camera.

“Turn toward the skyline.”

Usinomics turned.

The photographer smiled.

“Lift your chin slightly.”

Usinomics adjusted his posture.

“Perfect.”

He raised it.

“Look past the city.”

Usinomics fixed his eyes on a distant tower.

The image suggested confidence.

Ambition.

Vision.

A man looking toward the future.

In reality, Usinomics was thinking about the headquarters bathrooms.

The photographer took several shots.

“Excellent.”

Usinomics shifted his weight.

He thought about the restaurant chairs.

Click.

He thought about timber requirements.

Click.

He thought about land expansion.

Click.

He thought about projected sales growth.

Click.

The more seriously he considered construction and business, the more convincing his expression became.

The photographer lowered the camera.

“That look is perfect.”

Usinomics did not explain.

They moved closer to the shoreline.

The artificial sea reflected the golden sky.

Yachts rested in the distance.

White buildings curved along the coast.

Usinomics carried the tote bag in one hand and walked across the sand.

The photographer followed.

“Natural movement.”

Usinomics continued forward.

“Look to your right.”

He turned toward the city.

The wind moved his hair beneath the cap.

The red shirt stood out against the blue water.

For a moment, he did resemble a Hollywood actor in a major fashion campaign.

Not because he understood modeling.

Because he understood responsibility.

He knew how to stand while thinking about budgets.

He knew how to look distant while calculating materials.

He knew how to appear serious while wondering why a restaurant looked like a water tank.

The camera captured all of it as confidence.

The shoot continued.

Close-up.

Full body.

Walking pose.

Beachside profile.

Tote bag detail.

Logo detail.

Another skyline angle.

Then silence.

The photographer finally stepped back.

“Perfect. We got it.”

Usinomics let out a quiet breath and relaxed.

Behind the cameras, the production team immediately began reviewing the photographs.

Usinomics let out a quiet breath and relaxed.

Behind the cameras, the production team immediately began reviewing the photographs.

In IMABURAI KINGDOM, results arrived quickly.

Editing systems adjusted the lighting.

Layouts appeared.

Typography was placed.

The magazine cover assembled itself on a large display.

IMABURAI KINGDOM

FASHION. FUTURE. FREEDOM.

The final image showed Usinomics against the futuristic coast, wearing the red Moo66 collaboration shirt.

He looked composed.

Professional.

Almost heroic.

Usinomics studied the finished cover.

The result was far more impressive than the experience had felt.

He had mostly stood still while thinking about construction.

Still, the image worked.

He nodded.

“Approved.”

A final project notification appeared.

IMABURAI had launched a small experiment.

Silent Presentation vs. Music Presentation

Two versions of the fashion campaign would be released.

One with music.

One without.

Audience reaction would determine which presentation received the stronger response.

Usinomics stared at the screen.

To Be Continued.