Chapter 25
Chapter 25
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The Promise of Conquest and the Prayer for Legend
-----------------------------------------------------------------
About an hour had passed since Player Nam Ga-eun entered the 62nd floor.
Team Leader Jeon Gwang-il waited anxiously for the result.
Player Bong Joo-hyuk had said he was going to the Player Shop for a moment to sell some magic stones.
The more he interacted with him, the more fascinating he became.
The initial request to see him was to ask him to reach the 60s as quickly as possible, even a single day sooner.
Of course, it was an impossible request.
How could he go from the 29th floor to the 66th floor in just three months?
He had prepared himself for at least one tower collapse.
Given its location in the remote mountains of Gangwon Province, the damage from a collapse would likely be less compared to other countries, and while it was unknown where a second tower would appear, by that time, Player Bong Joo-hyuk might have entered the 60s.
But then he just showed up with a holy sword?
He even acted annoyed, asking what kind of item it was.
Of course, part of it was because he was mentally and physically exhausted.
'What if he had brought it just a little earlier...'
Maybe Yu Cheol-min wouldn't have naturalized.
No.
That was a dangerous thought.
If that had happened, the holy sword wouldn't have gone to Player Nam Ga-eun.
The Bureau would have undoubtedly handed the holy sword over to Yu Cheol-min.
Since he was the official Korean representative player.
Besides, would that bastard have decided to naturalize to Japan overnight?
He must have seen a better deal elsewhere and jumped ship.
He was definitely the type to have taken the holy sword with him to Japan.
Because of Yu Cheol-min, Bureau Chief Park Kyung-su was currently at the National Assembly.
Coinciding with the regular parliamentary session during the national audit, he was summoned immediately.
He was probably being grilled by the assembly members right now.
He wanted to inform Bureau Chief Park of this fact immediately, but nothing had been verified yet.
'A holy attribute.'
He had always thought the natural enemy of the Dark Aura was the light attribute.
But there was a holy attribute too?
He had never heard of it, nor seen it.
America probably hadn't secured a holy attribute item either.
The undead section of the Black Tower.
From the 61st floor onward, it's all undead monsters.
From what is known: mummies on the 61st, zombies on the 62nd, skeletons on the 63rd, ghouls on the 64th, dullahans on the 65th, specters on the 66th, phantom reapers on the 67th...
Exactly up to here.
America is currently trying to conquer the 67th-floor phantom reaper.
And it's supposed to be useful even up to the 67th floor?
If it's true, how much time could it buy?
Suddenly!
Knock, knock,
A cautious knocking sound on Jeon Gwang-il's office door.
"Come in."
Squeak—
Joo-hyuk peeked his head through the door first.
"Ah! You're back. Did you manage to hand over the magic stones?"
"...Yes, but is Player Nam Ga-eun still not back yet?"
"Haha, it's barely been just over an hour. The conquest time limit itself is 15 hours."
"That's a long time."
Jeon Gwang-il smiled bitterly inside.
Compared to whom?
Player Bong Joo-hyuk's average conquest time was about 20 minutes, and there were many times it ended much faster than that.
So, he could say an hour was long, but still.
That's when it happened.
Whoosh!
A cluster of light appeared in the center of the office.
This was the player return phenomenon.
She couldn't have conquered it already... Did she abandon the mission?
Was it impossible even with the holy sword?
Pop!
Player Nam Ga-eun revealed herself.
She looked quite fatigued.
"Pl-Player Nam Ga-eun, h-how did it...?"
"Just a moment, let me drink this healing potion first."
She gulped down a tower-exclusive healing potion from her inventory.
Did she get hurt while conquering the tower?
If so, then as expected.
"Whew,"
Nam Ga-eun took a deep breath.
Then she turned her head, looked at Joo-hyuk, quickly approached, and—
Whoosh!
Hugged him.
"Huh?"
What the?
"..."
Joo-hyuk froze on the spot.
His mind went completely blank.
"Thank you so much. I would have failed again without this holy sword. It was truly the best!"
Startled by her words, Jeon Gwang-il asked,
"Th-then, by any chance...?"
"Yes! I successfully conquered the 62nd floor."
"G-good heavens! H-how...?"
"Aja! What matters is an unbreakable spirit! I'm going straight into the 63rd floor tomorrow."
Tears welled up in Jeon Gwang-il's eyes.
He had been through so much mental anguish during this time.
"But isn't tomorrow too soon? You must be mentally exhausted."
"I'm perfectly fine because of the holy sword's radiance. The Dark Aura isn't that threatening to me anymore."
"Ah! To that extent?"
"I'm confident. With the holy sword, I think I can conquer even the 66th floor. Honestly, without the Dark Aura, undead are just ordinary monsters, right?"
That was true, but.
"Oh right! I recorded the conquest video, so please review it."
"Understood. ...Can we make this public?"
"Go ahead. As much as you want."
Meanwhile, Joo-hyuk continued to squirm uncomfortably.
"...Um, excuse me, if you're going to keep talking, could you let go of my arm first?"
"Oh my? I'm sorry. I was just so happy,"
Only then did Nam Ga-eun release Joo-hyuk, whom she had been hugging.
At the same time, she carefully handed the holy sword back to Joo-hyuk.
"I used it really well. But the blade is quite damaged in several places."
"Hmm,"
It certainly looked that way.
It was a worn-out sword to begin with.
"...It's fine. Umm, they said it could be repaired, so I'll have to entrust it to them."
Jeon Gwang-il quickly stepped in.
"There are many skilled craftsmen in the Player Shop workshops. We can ask them."
"What about the repair cost?"
"Of course, we'll cover it."
"Why don't you just buy it on this occasion? You'll need it for future conquests."
"Ah, th-that's..."
Buy it?
How do you buy it with money?
How could anyone dare to put a price on it?
He had to answer carefully.
Assuming it was only usable up to the 67th floor as Joo-hyuk said, the conquest targets weren't just Korea.
The undead sections of the entire world were the targets.
A hidden card that could prevent tower collapses.
Jeon Gwang-il pondered deeply.
What kind of offer should he make?
The answer came quickly.
"I think it would be best if you didn't sell this sword and kept owning it."
"...You're not going to buy it?"
Why the sudden change?
He was planning to sell it and buy a building or something.
"Instead, we'll rent it. For 10 billion per use,"
"Huh?"
Ten billion per use?
"Besides Korea, there are hundreds of towers worldwide. Some are in the 60s, but most haven't reached that high yet. We'll rent it to the countries that have reached those floors. Of course, we'll charge a rental fee."
A rental fee,
That's good, isn't it?
It's like a money tree.
If he gets rental fees, income from being a building owner would be laughable.
Should he be called not a god above landlords, but a holy sword lord?
But he couldn't handle it himself.
"Don't worry. The Management Bureau will handle the rental procedures on your behalf."
"Oh! I'd appreciate that. Then..."
Would Korea get it for free?
Could he even charge his own country's Bureau?
'No.'
He should charge something.
That would make the relationship more comfortable.
But charging too much also didn't feel right,
"...For the Bureau's rental, let's make it 1 billion. Since I lent it for free this time, 1 billion from the 63rd floor onward."
"Huh? Ah, no, you don't have to do that."
"I can charge other countries more. We can Just advertise it well. Worldwide."
"Th-thank you. Really, thank you."
Joo-hyuk was also satisfied.
But with this much money, where would he spend it all?
He was already getting scared.
"Oh right! There's exactly one place where rental is not allowed."
"Of course! I was about to ask you about that."
Where else could that be?
It had to be Japan.
"Hmph! That bastard Yu Cheol-min would faint if he found out, right?"
Nam Ga-eun said, unable to hide her excited expression.
At that, Jeon Gwang-il's gaze sharpened.
"I'll kill him before that."
"Wow! Team Leader, you're so badass!"
How could he live with people cursing him like this?
Walking down dark alleys would be terrifying.
No matter if it's Japan.
What could he do even if he was a player?
Outside, he's just an ordinary person.
Japan would also experience their blood drying up in the 60s from now on. Unless another holy attribute item like this appears.
Speaking of which, it was getting uncomfortable how Player Nam Ga-eun had been glancing at him since earlier.
"Um..."
"Oh my! Look at the time. I have something urgent to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
If he stayed any longer, he'd feel drained.
But it wasn't a lie that he had something urgent.
Really!
Yeouido National Assembly Building.
The day the Yu Cheol-min naturalization incident broke out happened to be during the National Assembly audit period.
All public officials responsible for this matter were summoned.
Awakening Management Bureau Chief Park Kyung-su, NIS Director Park Il-jun, National Police Agency Commissioner Kim Cheol-min.
The assembly members' barrage of questions continued.
"Is Player Yu Cheol-min's statement true? That there was no proper support, and that Bureau executives were only interested in political games?"
What nonsense.
That bastard who sucked up every possible privilege.
"It is not true. Among the Elite Team players, he received the highest salary, trait enhancement runes, and we spent a fortune to provide numerous light attribute items."
"Then why would he say such things? Hasn't he decided to naturalize? The result speaks for itself."
"Yu Cheol-min simply ran away because he was afraid of conquering the 66th floor. If I am at fault, it's that I was poor at judging character. If I had known he was that kind of person, I would have..."
"Anyway, you admit you made a mistake. That mistake is about to ruin South Korea."
Park Kyung-su gritted his teeth and replied.
"We have a Plan B prepared."
"You mean the female player who has been trying to conquer the 62nd floor for 100 days?"
"..."
The NIS couldn't escape either.
"How on earth was the protection detail handled? When Japanese intelligence agents took Yu Cheol-min, were you just standing there dumbfounded?"
NIS Director Park Il-jun bit his lip tightly.
"There is no excuse. I am responsible."
"Is that your answer? You need to come up with a plan."
"We will bring him back by any means necessary. First, we plan to contact Player Yu Cheol-min and request he cancel his naturalization."
"And if he refuses?"
"..."
NIS Director Park Il-jun fell silent for a moment.
Then, with a serious expression,
"He must pay the price."
"...How? Are you saying you'll kill him or something?"
"If necessary."
"Ha! Look here, Director! Do you know where you are, making such reckless remarks?"
Commissioner Kim Cheol-min of the National Police Agency also joined in.
"We are already looking in to it however, anyone involved in this matter will be thoroughly investigated and face the full judgment of the law."
"Why didn't you do it properly from the start? Do you think saying that now will lessen your responsibility?"
"I am prepared to step down."
It was almost like a public lynching.
What could they do?
Their mistakes were clear.
Not only Police Commissioner Kim Cheol-min, but also Awakening Management Bureau Chief Park Kyung-su and NIS Director Park Il-jun were considering stepping down.
But then,
'Chief.'
Park Kyung-su's secretary, seated behind the witness stand, quietly approached and whispered.
'What is it?'
'A message came from Team Leader Jeon Gwang-il.'
Why suddenly?
He knew very well what he was in the middle of.
'I'm busy, I'll check later.'
'I think you should check it now.'
'...Huh?'
What on earth could it be?
Park Kyung-su took the smartphone from his secretary.
A moment later,
"Huh!"
His eyes widened,
"Wh-what?"
It was a long message.
The details were described thoroughly.
But could he confirm it just by reading text?
Even with the assembly members staring daggers at him, Park Kyung-su immediately tapped the phone.
"Hello, Team Leader Jeon, ...is the message content true?"
His behavior made the assembly members furious.
"What are you doing right now? Making a phone call during testimony?"
"In the sacred National Assembly! Are you making fools of us?"
"No wonder the player under your charge naturalized!"
Park Kyung-su ignored them completely.
"You checked the conquest video? Really? Oh! It's sufficient? How long do you estimate? Hehe, good. Great!"
He raised his voice as if wanting them to hear.
"The item can be repaired? Really? That's a relief. So she's going straight to the 63rd floor tomorrow? Spare no support, do everything you can to help her manage her condition. And as for Bong..., no, I'll meet that person separately."
After hanging up, Park Kyung-su looked immensely relaxed.
"What is this? What kind of important call is it that you make a call during a national audit?"
"Is it a dismissal call from the President?"
"If you run away, you'll be in trouble, you know?"
Park Kyung-su spoke with a smile.
"I won't run. I'll take responsibility,"
"How?"
"We will conquer the 66th floor. We don't need the likes of Yu Cheol-min."
The atmosphere grew even more hostile.
"Are you kidding the Assembly?"
"Have you lost your mind? Do you think empty words will solve everything?"
"It seems not Yu Cheol-min, but the Bureau Chief should naturalize."
The assembly members sneered, but Park Kyung-su just smiled and said,
"Two hours ago, Awakening Management Bureau Elite Team member Player Nam Ga-eun successfully conquered the 62nd floor of the Korean Black Tower."
Out of nowhere?
Bureau Chief Park Kyung-su continued.
"She plans to conquer the 63rd floor tomorrow."
He's finally lost it.
The assembly members shook their heads and clicked their tongues.
"And within a month!"
Ignoring the assembly members' reactions,
"We will successfully conquer the 66th floor. I'll stake my life on it. Not just my position as Chief."
He declared it boldly.
Bureau Chief Park Kyung-su's bombshell statement dropped in the National Assembly Hall.
Murmur, murmur.
The reporters present in the Assembly also whispered among themselves, wondering why the Chief was spouting such nonsense.
Suddenly!
Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz...
The reporters' smartphones rang simultaneously.
"...What?"
"O-official statement released?"
"62nd floor conquest success? In just 1 hour and 20 minutes?"
"Confirmed?"
"A conquest video? Send that to me."
It was the beginning of a reversal.
The national audit scene, intended to hold people accountable for the naturalization incident, had turned into a stage for declaring the conquest of the 66th floor.
That evening.
Breaking news erupted from all media outlets in South Korea.
The situation was overturned in an instant.
And where was Bong Joo-hyuk in all this?
He had placed a bowl of clean purified water—not ceremonial water—on a small table, called over Kosak and Savage Gobang, and was now...
"I beseech you, I beseech you, please LSSR! Only LSSR! I absolutely must get Legend Special Super Rare!"
He was praying to the moon beyond the balcony window, performing a ritual.
"LSSR!"
"Definitely LSSR!"
"Eh, ehr, eh-su, eh-su... Al!"
"You brat! Pronounce it right!"
This was because the cooldown for his Random Summon was approaching tomorrow.