Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Designer and Summoner Player Negotiation
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Negotiations between the designer and the summoner player.
In the end, the contract was concluded with just "Soul Liberation" placed on the scales.
A result somewhat different from what the administrators had initially expected.
Just how much would the difficulty increase?
The 81st floor could absolutely never be conquered.
The administrators were certain of it.
The contract was completed.
Increased difficulty, but a guaranteed reward to match it.
Actually, there was a reason to believe.
The reason why the cowardly ordinary guy had signed the contract.
Kosak's scheduled grade breakthrough.
Thus, the overall combat power of the summoned beings would definitely improve.
The plan was to test the waters before sending Kosak.
Whether to attempt the mission now, or do it after sending Kosak and waiting two weeks.
"Shall we go?"
"Yes, sir!"
"This old man is ready as well."
Mari was left unsummoned just in case.
Her help might be needed.
He entered.
And then?
Hell Mode.
Hell difficulty.
'Hmm.'
Suddenly, he regretted making the contract.
Should he cancel it?
It wasn't permanent.
A temporary difficulty increase for the Hartmann Soul Liberation reward.
Succeed, and it reverts to normal.
Fail, and it remains in Hell Mode forever until conquered.
If things went badly, the North Korean Tower No. 2 might even collapse.
Even if it collapsed and a new tower was generated, the 81st floor would probably stay in Hell Mode.
Ah.
It'll work out somehow.
'Confirm.'
A guaranteed reward.
It seemed they were informing him in advance.
What exactly was the mission?
How bad was Hell Mode?
Joo-hyuk continued walking.
A vast grassland.
And a faintly rising mist.
Floor 81 Mission
📍 Objective: Defeat 1 Colossal Beast Titan Behemoth.
⏰ Time Limit: Within 2 hours.
🎁 Progress: Colossal Beast Titan Behemoth 0/1
"......"
What the heck was this?
A Colossal Beast Titan Behemoth.
'The naming seems unusual.'
Moreover, the time was very short.
Only 2 hours.
Well, since he was already here, he might as well poke it.
He started combat preparations.
Energy Shield, Blink Ring, took out a shield to hold, and shared the mission with the summoned beings.
"The environment seems acceptable, sire. Flat terrain, neither hot nor cold."
"Indeed."
It wasn't completely flat.
"There is a large mountain beyond that mist, sire."
A gentle-sloping, barren mountain.
But?
"Hmm, I wonder where this Behemoth monster is."
"It must be somewhere on the plains."
"Or perhaps we need to go up that mountain."
The modifier "colossal" meant it was quite large.
Then it should be visible immediately upon entry.
Could it be that he had to find and kill it?
A hide-and-seek type mission?
Was this also a form of time attack?
Looking at the mist, it seemed plausible.
Right then!
Thud!
"Huh?"
A sound echoing across the 81st-floor grassland.
Thud!
"Whoa..."
The ground shook like an earthquake.
Thud!
"It has appeared, sire."
"Where?"
"Well, the sound seems to be coming from that barren mountain over there."
The mountain.
Thud!
The mountain.
Thud!
The mountain?
Thud!
"...Uh."
Joo-hyuk doubted his eyes.
Thud!
Was what he was seeing real?
The other summoned beings were frozen stiff too.
"Good heavens."
"That is..."
"Hoeh?"
"Mi, madness!"
"...Ah, that's cheating."
"Hohoho."
It was a mountain.
No, he thought it was a mountain, but it was a monster.
Thud!
Colossal Beast Titan Behemoth.
Thud!
The barren mountain was moving.
As it got closer, its distinct form became visible.
A four-legged monster shaped somewhat like a bear.
Its exact size?
It was a mountain!
"...Can we kill it?"
And within 2 hours at that.
No one spoke.
A moment later.
"This old man will go and see. Let's find out if my Sword Qi works."
Whoosh! Fwapapapap!
The distance was immense.
Gwang-ma, approaching the Titan Behemoth at high speed, looked like a tiny dot compared to the Behemoth.
Ziiing!
Gwang-ma fired a crescent-shaped Sword Qi.
Tzupirit!
At the Behemoth.
Schwick!
A sound of something being cut.
However.
"Krrrrararrararak!!!"
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Behemoth stomped the ground violently, as if angered.
Even from a distance, its body shook the ground.
Fwapapapap!
Gwang-ma ran back to the group and spoke.
"I was able to inflict a wound. But only enough to cut through its hide."
But.
"Time is the problem. It's impossible to take that thing down within 2 hours."
It seemed so.
Its size was monstrous, to the point where physically walking around it seemed questionable.
Gwang-ma's attack was merely a sting.
A pinprick.
But if you keep stabbing it, it might die eventually.
"Also, among the summoned beings, aside from this old man, Sergeant V, and Lady Dalrae, it seems no one else can fight that thing."
Close combat was impossible.
How could you get close to that thing?
The moment you get close, you'd be stepped on and sent to the afterlife.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Behemoth wandered around as if the wound from Gwang-ma was nothing.
Anyway, there was no method at the moment.
"...Let's leave."
Joo-hyuk took out a Tower Conquest Mission Reset Ticket from his inventory.
As he held the ticket in his hand.
It would become an unconquered floor again.
If he challenged it again and achieved an S+++ grade conquest record, he could receive a Platinum Badge.
Though whether it could be conquered was another matter.
Squeak!
Whoosh!
Joo-hyuk and the group were back at the penthouse.
"Whew."
"Haa."
"......"
"Hue."
"Keeing."
Everyone wore grim expressions.
That level of difficulty...
Joo-hyuk felt the same.
His heart was still pounding.
The original mission must have been to deal with a normal Behemoth.
But because the Tower Soul Liberation was placed on the scales, the "Colossal Titan" modifier was added.
"...What would have happened if we had also placed the Trait Enhancement Rune on the scales?"
"Who knows. Perhaps it would have gotten even bigger, or faster..."
"Or the conquest time limit might have been reduced further."
And that was with just one item on the scales.
No matter what, how could they kill that huge thing within 2 hours?
"Sergeant V."
"Sergeant Veronica Caliber."
"What if you hit it with three large-caliber rounds in succession?"
"Hmm, I might be able to stop its advance, but I don't think I could inflict meaningful damage."
Right.
Large-caliber rounds had their limits.
In terms of Earth weapon power, it was about the level of a 155mm shell.
"We'd need something like a nuke to kill it."
"The explosive power of a nuke... if we could only detonate it on the 81st floor."
Modern scientific weapons couldn't be used inside the Tower.
No, they could be used.
To be precise, it wasn't that they couldn't be used, but that they couldn't be brought in.
Of course, among Earth's thermal weapons, there were items that could be brought into the Tower.
The representative example was a pistol.
Items judged as personal belongings.
Could be held in hand or tucked into a waistband for entry.
But thermal weapons larger than a pistol couldn't be judged as personal belongings.
For that reason, pistols were used for pulling monsters.
"What about the Homunculus bombs from the Bedroom Alchemist?"
"We used them all before. He's making new ones, but we'd need a huge quantity. A very large amount."
They'd need enough Homunculi to cover a mountain to deal damage.
When could he possibly make all that?
Plus, the most important thing.
He wanted to finish this conquest overwhelmingly as well.
Without feeling anxious.
With a relaxed mind.
'If it were a nuke, it could probably produce results.'
No matter how big the Behemoth was, how could it withstand a nuke?
However.
"There's no way to bring it into the Tower... huh?"
Wait!
Why wouldn't there be?
Joo-hyuk stared blankly at Laxius.
"Hoeng?"
The other summoned beings also turned their gaze to Laxius.
Simultaneously, everyone realized.
"Oh!"
"Right!"
"That's it. Our worker's backpack could bring it in."
"A camping car fits in the subspace backpack."
"If it's the Cosmic Hamster, it should be possible."
"As expected of the Supply Officer. You can even supply nukes."
"Hohehehe."
Laxius's backpack had no restrictions.
Whether it was an item from inside or outside the Tower, he could put it in and take it out freely.
But the remaining problem.
Bringing it in was possible, but...
"And where do we get a nuke?"
It was an item that couldn't be obtained by individuals even with money.
It was also very dangerous.
It was a national strategic weapon.
Well, if he tried hard, he could probably get one, but he'd be mistaken for a terrorist.
"What about asking Team Leader Jeon Gwang-il?"
"South Korea doesn't have nuclear weapons."
"The US? If we ask Secretary MacMillan..."
Ah.
"It's a nuclear weapon. No matter how friendly, giving a nuke to an individual is unthinkable... huh?"
Wait!
Why wouldn't there be?
Joo-hyuk stared blankly at Kosak.
"Huh? Why are you looking at me?"
"We have our proud Comrade Kosak, Minister of the People's Armed Forces."
"Uh, uh... Ah! Aha!"
Kosak seemed to have realized too.
"I shall, let the Behemoth taste the nuclear fire of the people. Just say the word!"
That's right.
South Korea didn't have them, but North Korea did.
"I shall depart immediately!"
"No. Let's all go together on this occasion."
"Chung! Long live Joo-hyuk!"
Let's go and just carry a few back.
Put them in Laxius's subspace backpack.
The direction for the conquest was decided.
The Behemoth would be conquered with a nuke.
Pyongyang, North Korea.
Chairman Kim In-jung was in an underground bunker.
Because Comrade Kosak of the People's Armed Forces, who would protect him, had left his post.
China's movements had been unusual lately.
From China's perspective, the close relationship between South and North Korea couldn't be pleasing.
Pressure was coming from all sides.
They might even send assassins.
China's economic support had been cut off long ago.
Well, that didn't matter.
Because support was coming from South Korea instead.
The Kaesong Industrial Complex had resumed, food was being supplied, and large-scale construction projects were planned soon.
Frankly, it was a good thing.
It was actually more comfortable being grabbed by the collar and led like this.
The problem was his own safety guarantee.
Could he really survive even after the unification work was done?
It would have been nice to get a promise.
Not from Kosak, but from the South Korean player he served.
He wanted to live.
He could even let go of this worthless power he couldn't protect.
He just wanted to live an ordinary life to a ripe old age on the warm southern island of Jeju and die of old age.
Suddenly!
Clank! The underground bunker's steel door opened automatically.
Who could enter like this?
"Co, Comrade Kosak!"
"Hey, Chairman Kim. You're doing well, I see!"
But he wasn't alone.
"Nice to meet you. Do you remember me?"
"Uh, yes, yes."
How could he not remember?
He had suffered for days because of this old man.
People were filing into the bunker.
People of various ages and genders.
The bat human he had met before, the woman with a large gun on her back, the huge-built man, the Westerner in armor holding a flail.
"Hi? Main enemy leader. I'm Sergeant V."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Gobang."
"Repentant lamb! The light!"
And.
Slither.
A fairy floating in the air and approaching like a ghost.
"This maiden is called Gyeon Dal-rae. I serve the Master."
Even.
"Huek!"
"Grrrr!"
A cute-looking hamster human and a large dog baring its sharp teeth.
But the truly important person was separate.
The young man standing in the center of all these people.
Kim In-jung had a hunch.
This was the person.
"Hello, Chairman. I'm Bong Joo-hyuk."
The "Joo-hyuk" from "Long live Joo-hyuk."
"Ni, nice to meet you. I'm Kim In-jung."
The person he needed to impress the most here.
Look even now.
The attitude of the other people.
They were surrounding Bong Joo-hyuk from all sides, protecting him meticulously.
"...Please sit here."
He quickly offered his own seat.
"Oh, no need to get up. Stay seated. I can sit anywhere."
Then chaos erupted.
"No, sire. The Master must sit at the head seat. Only then will order be maintained."
The fairy dissuaded him.
"Commander, please sit here."
The female soldier called Sergeant V pulled out a chair.
"Hoeh!"
The hamster human diligently wiped the chair with a microfiber towel he produced from somewhere.
The rest of the people positioned themselves to Joo-hyuk's left, right, and behind him.
Gulp.
Chairman Kim In-jung swallowed dryly, extremely tense.
"Chairman, I heard you've been having a hard time lately..."
"Huh? Ah! Ye, because of China."
"Tsk! I don't know why they keep meddling in other countries' affairs."
Bong Joo-hyuk frowned.
Then.
"Just give the order. I shall cut off the Chinese Chairman's head and bring it back tied with a ribbon."
"Send this old man. I'll bury him where no mouse or bird will know."
"Sergeant Veronica Caliber, I will put a hole in his forehead."
Jepetto, who had been watching, also raised his hand quickly.
"Me! Me! Master, send me. I'll handle it discreetly and return. That's my specialty."
Jepetto desperately appealed to get into Joo-hyuk's good graces.
A chance to earn merit.
He had adapted somewhat by now.
He wanted to earn the Master's favor and get a badge too.
But would the other summoned beings just let him be?
"How dare a rookie butt in?"
"Watch your manners."
Kosak growled threateningly.
"Vampire brat, you just crawled out of your ancestor's womb, huh? How long has it been since you came out? You only have Diamat's mother under you. Got it?"
Kim In-jung was bewildered.
When Bong Joo-hyuk frowned, everyone stepped forward saying they'd take care of the Chinese Chairman.
They were desperate to earn merit.
Ahhh.
He was nothing.
The real leader was here.
Amidst this, Joo-hyuk calmed the situation.
"Now, now, everyone calm down. We have something more urgent than China right now. Let's handle priorities first."
Then to Kim In-jung.
"I have a favor to ask."
"Wh, whatever you say!"
"I need nuclear weapons. Can you give me a few?"
"...What?"
"I'll pay for them."
What did he say?
Did he hear wrong?
"Nu, nuclear weapons?"
"Yes. I don't need missiles. Just the warheads."
"Uh, uh."
Kim In-jung wore a bewildered expression.
He didn't know what to say.
Seeing that, Kosak flared up and snapped.
"Chairman Comrade! Does the Republic need nuclear weapons now?"
"Th, that's not it."
"Didn't he say he'll pay? Sell the nukes and let the people of the Republic eat meat soup with their rice!"
"......"
Suddenly!
Swoosh!
A terrifying murderous intent that seemed to strip the flesh.
Gwang-ma whispered with a sinister smile.
"Shall I make the decision easier for you?"
Only then did Kim In-jung snap back to his senses.
What use were nuclear weapons in this situation?
They had indeed become utterly useless.
"I, I'll give them to you."
"I'll pay a good price."
"No need. Take them for free."
"Oh my, how grateful."
Nuclear weapons get!
After learning how to use them, let's try detonating them on the 81st floor.