Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 006
Chapter Title: Overwhelming Power
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The era of despair declared by the system.
From the very first day, a massive dark cloud hung over the world.
Seven nations had already perished.
Unable to monopolize the Tower of Despair, they vanished.
Swept away by the Monster Impact.
The remaining 66 countries entered emergency countermeasures meetings.
Discussions on what to do next.
Whether to share strategies for conquering the Tower of Despair, and so on.
It was a meeting led by each nation's leaders.
But nothing was decided.
They already knew about Korea's precedent.
Only one representative per country.
The Tower of Despair only raises one person per nation.
On top of that, the power of the new record buff.
It was different from the guild buffs given by the Tower of Trials.
Everyone had seen it in videos.
The dimensionally superior power.
Kang Gut-geon's rapid growth. Strength reaching S-rank.
A buff on a completely different trajectory.
The result of merely conquering -1 floor.
And yet, share the strategy?
Why should we?
'We don't know anything anyway.'
Korea maintained silence.
They had nothing to say even if asked a hundred times about JYS.
Who he was, why he gave the buff to Taeguk Guild.
Korea knew nothing.
They could only praise him.
As the hero who saved them from national extinction.
"Then let's schedule the next discussion and deliberate closely."
It was the words of the U.S. President, Mark Rowaine.
He ended the video call first.
One by one, the connections dropped.
President Lee Su-hyeok called for someone.
It was right after the world meeting ended.
The long round table was filled with actual people.
"Phew, Director. How's the domestic public opinion?"
The director looked at him in response to President Lee Su-hyeok's question.
Jin Seong-cheol turned on the screen.
There, Kang Gut-geon was in the middle of an interview.
"Rather than dwelling on questions about JYS right now, attention has shifted to Hunter Kang Gut-geon, who saved us from the immediate crisis."
"It's a stall tactic. Regardless, securing JYS is our top priority."
They weren't trying to do anything to him.
The nation needed to identify him before any other country.
That way, they could protect and support him safely.
"I see this system change as both a crisis and an opportunity."
Everyone at the table nodded.
They knew it too.
This change was a chance for a comeback.
To make Korea, fallen to a weak nation, great again!
They instinctively sensed it was the starting point of a thrilling leap forward.
"So I need everyone's help. JYS. Even his blood relatives would do. Find him. Report immediately. Let's reclaim the glory of Korea proudly standing as a great power during my term!"
"Yes, sir!"
Clap clap clap!
A shower of applause followed.
Vitality surged through the leadership.
Meanwhile, Kang Gut-geon's interview was nearly over.
Flashes pouring down. Kang Gut-geon smiling broadly.
A woman watched from the side.
She furrowed her brow and bit her lip.
Lee Ha-rin, leader of Geon-gon Guild.
The young woman leading the nation's 8th-ranked guild.
The second-place guild close to Taeguk.
Her stomach had been hurting since dawn.
It wasn't bad food.
She was simply envious of the man before her eyes.
"The monster horde blocked our path completely. But that's when it happened! The benefactor, JYS, granted us the guild buff!"
Why not choose Geon-gon?
We could have done it too.
More devoted to the nation than anyone.
'What a shame.'
Kang Gut-geon might think differently.
But she saw him as a rival.
A mountain she would one day surpass.
Aiming to become the top guild.
But the limits were clear.
Guilds growing rapidly through collusion with foreign powers.
Even their representative powerhouse leaders.
'If only I had more talent.'
Her limits were stark.
At some point, her innate ability's growth halted abruptly.
A chain reaction stalled her other abilities too.
With the leader stopped, the guild hit the brakes.
That was why they stayed at 8th.
"Haa."
The interview finally ended.
Now, the top 10 guild leaders would gather.
A meeting was scheduled.
What to do going forward.
They had to move faster than foreign guilds in this changed era.
Seize the advantages first.
That was the purpose of the meeting.
And so they met.
A face approaching with a sly grin.
Was it because he was a rival?
He was still annoying.
"Oh, Lee Ha-rin! Watched the whole interview?"
"Don't act familiar. And it wasn't just me."
She jerked her chin to the side.
Other guild leaders had arrived early too.
Kang Gut-geon shrugged under their gazes.
"So stiff. And we're not the same as them. The few top guilds should stick together."
Hahaha! His hearty laugh rang in her ears.
Lee Ha-rin stood, twitching the flesh under her eyes.
"Let's head to the meeting room. Mr. Kang Gut-geon."
"Sure. Let's discuss thoroughly. The Tower of Despair. We need to identify the benefactor ASAP."
Same thought as Korea's leadership.
At the center of the changed era was the Tower of Despair.
The guild dominating it would stand at the pinnacle.
Thus, the nation favored loyal guilds.
Lee Ha-rin and Kang Gut-geon felt it.
If JYS granted another buff to a top guild.
Korea's guilds would undergo massive change.
"Hm? Not coming?"
On the way to the meeting room.
Kang Gut-geon turned his head.
Lee Ha-rin had suddenly stopped dead.
Staring into space, her pupils dilated.
Her breathing grew ragged.
What on earth did she see?
"Sorry."
Just like that, an apology.
Kang Gut-geon tilted his head.
"Something urgent came up. I can't attend the meeting."
"Guild matter?"
"Yes."
If that was it, fine.
He waved her off.
"I'll explain to the other leaders. Go ahead."
"Thank you for understanding. Mr. Kang Gut-geon."
What a tough woman.
Approach to get close, and she distances more.
Kang Gut-geon shook his head and left.
Lee Ha-rin hurriedly exited the building.
Maintaining a blank expression in case anyone saw.
But the moment she got in the car, her face crumbled.
"Kyaaa!"
A girlish scream of joy.
Her flushed face had been red for a while.
Feet stomping in delight, pinching her cheeks.
"It's not a dream!"
Her dedicated secretary was bewildered.
The always low-pressure guild leader was high-energy?
"Ah, yes. Seems not a dream, Guild Leader. Shall I take you to headquarters?"
"Phew, no. To Saebyeok University Hospital."
The secretary knew Saebyeok University Hospital well.
"Ah, for a donation?"
It was a place Lee Ha-rin donated to often.
Seemed like it today too.
"Yes. So let's hurry."
Lee Ha-rin was a famous philanthropist.
She'd even received a presidential commendation.
She was sincere about donations.
Quarterly visits to hospitals or orphanages.
No expense spared on volunteering or support.
And her guild ran well, so no complaints.
This time was similar.
The difference: not voluntary, but compelled.
This donation was for JYS.
'Ahh, he gave me a buff too!'
A buff in a completely new format.
Not for the entire guild, but for the leader.
A buff Lee Ha-rin desperately needed.
'A chance to grow my stagnant power.'
Her innate ability that wouldn't grow no matter what.
This buff would unclog those blocked meridians.
Kang Gut-geon was right.
JYS. He was a benefactor.
'Realize the prophecy.'
Lee Ha-rin checked the prophecy.
A concise sentence.
As if crammed into a message with data limits.
That was how the prophecy was given.
Even polite.
Was the Prophet JYS?
Somehow a cute prophecy.
Lee Ha-rin ordered her secretary.
"Prepare a list of patients with incurable diseases."
"What's the scope?"
"All university hospitals in the country."
"Understood."
Thus, the list was compiled.
Mobilizing guild resources made it easy.
"Around 50,000 inpatients."
Lee Ha-rin murmured softly.
Support their hospital bills for one month.
Geon-gon could afford that financially.
"An easy prophecy."
She immediately met the university hospital director.
After that, things proceeded smoothly.
Narrowed down recipients, finalized.
Contacted other hospitals too.
Offered to cover bills for a month.
Hospitals welcomed it with open arms.
"Did it work?"
Was that enough?
She waited in her guild office.
Staring at the prophecy, leg bouncing anxiously.
Soon, change occurred.
"Huh? The prophecy's gone?"
The prophecy vanished.
And then.
Aah...
Lee Ha-rin's mouth fell open.
Her anxiously trembling leg stopped.
Her shaking hand brushed the air.
Where the system alert had appeared.
"Oh, it went up."
No matter how many she killed.
Even piling monster mountains.
It wouldn't rise.
Her innate ability only suppressed boiling killing intent.
In those uneasy days.
Worried she'd commit a massacre someday.
She donated to atone in advance.
Hoping future sins might be absolved.
Donated out of anxiety.
That's why she wanted to raise her innate ability.
Thought it'd stay A-rank forever.
No.
Lee Ha-rin seized the opportunity.
Realized the prophecy, shattered the wall she thought was her limit!
Growth to control killing intent.
Her heart already felt lighter.
'Then someday, I too...'
Become S-rank like Kang Gut-geon today.
Control killing intent smoothly.
Anticipating that liberation. Thrilling.
To get there, she needed to believe more.
"JYS. I'm ready to realize anything. So please, a new prophecy..."
Lee Ha-rin. Atheist. 27 years old.
Today, she embraced faith.
Prayed to a god for the first time.
The god deeply etched in her heart.
Initials she didn't know: JYS.
Didn't know gender either. Prayed fervently.
"Please, a prophecy soon..."
JYS.
Cool, neat, courteous powerhouse, right?
With all sorts of fantasies piling up.
Lee Ha-rin's prayers continued into the next day.
"Ugh, so grimy."
I scratched my head vigorously.
How long have I been trapped here?
At least a week, feels like.
Face glistening with oil.
Hair matted badly.
Body caked in black grime mixed with dirt.
Body fine without eating or sleeping.
But bodily functions didn't stop.
Sebum, dead skin, all that comes out.
Problem is not washing it off.
"Time to head to the next floor soon?"
Hunters grow through experience.
Doesn't mean no growth from training.
Far from it.
So I stayed on -2 floor for training.
Kept practicing Radiation Manipulation.
Thanks to that, my passive is now level 12.
Level 10 from breaking dimension stones on -2 floor.
The rest here.
"Days to raise just one level."
Efficiency sucks.
Still, good time to know my body.
"About time."
There was a reason for this.
The carefully preserved Ability Awakening Pill.
I took it out.
"The better you understand yourself, the better the ability that awakens."
Hunter interview from NewTube.
S-rank, but forgot the name.
According to him, know thyself.
So I invested a few days.
"Hope it's good."
I closed my eyes and swallowed the pill.
Ability is simple.
If innate ability is the tree representing the awakener.
Ability is the branch from it.
In other words, something related to Predation.
Waited for the pill's effect.
It came immediately.
Rapid Digestion
- Boosts strength by consuming calories.
Abilities have no levels.
They follow the innate ability's level.
Efficiency and performance rise with level.
So this new one's level too.
'173, right?'
Not testing this immediately would be dumb.
Plenty of calories to invest.
Still 2,000 trillion left.
The trillions more untouched.
"Gotta retry this."
Performance test essential.
I stood.
Recent discovery.
Tower of Despair allows retries.
For new records or training.
No experience from retries.
No rewards either.
'For testing.'
Checking my weapon for next.
And planning new record too.
'Afraid of losing first place, huh.'
Not the overwhelming gap from -1 floor.
Close call.
Second clearer's record.
Nipping at my heels.
Don't know who GG is, but must block it.
Lose record, buff goes to new first.
Planned to keep external comms means.
'Keep it simple.'
Goal: new record.
Result: overwhelming.
Engraved goal in mind.
Took a breath in the restarted scorching world.
"Start light with 1 million calories?"
Negligible compared to what I have.
With ability, usage intuitive.
So not hard to use.
Control is the issue.
Boom!
"Huh?"
Meant to jump lightly.
Result totally different.
Reached dimension stone in blink.
Headbutted it.
Crack!
"Gah!"
Dimension stone shattered from headbutt.
Got it now.
Ability efficiency insane.
And only strength boosted.
Durability same.
Leg exploded from one stomp.
Head smashed.
All regenerated instantly. Understood.
'Until I get means to boost body durability or reduce pain, don't overdo.'
1 million did this.
10 million, 100 million?
Could I endure extreme power?
Goosebumps all over.
Stroked forehead, stood.
Body exploding? Pass.
Max safe calorie usage.
Need to find that limit.
"Phew, still..."
Satisfied result.
This should make new record easy.
'Whoever you are, that's how it is.'
Silent apology to GG.
Moved to break remaining stones.
Record freshly updated.
Truly overwhelming.
The day the record updated, GG vanished.
"Find Jin Jin right now. Nooow!!!"
China's Hunter Management Bureau Director was in chaos.
Shattering windows, flipping chairs.
A secret unknown to most.