Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 008
Chapter Title: Gotta Look After the Brother Nation
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The White Orb from the Upper Floor Designer.
There was a good reason it was such a high grade.
"Each country's Tower of Trials displays the challenger's name, right?"
In this modern age, security was the most important thing.
Hunters in particular were extra careful about protecting their information.
It was to avoid scrutiny from other nations.
'I've seen it in the news plenty of times. Promising talents dying mysteriously. Or getting kidnapped and locked away by foreign powers.'
He didn't know the full details, but he'd seen the headlines often enough.
Assassinations disguised as poisonings.
Other times, they lured them with fat paychecks.
They'd snatch up these still-weak promising hunters.
Lock them in coops like chickens and brainwash them.
Even escaping that was no guarantee of safety.
Cops in bed with gangsters.
The nation itself was complicit.
In some countries, their embassies were the real problem.
What had they said to a hunter begging for help?
Something like, "Business hours are over, can't assist"?
It had been so absurd he'd laughed in disbelief.
Even full-scale investigations went nowhere.
The nation just lopped off the gangs' tails.
Catching the criminals wouldn't stop it from happening again.
That was the era they lived in.
Which was why protecting hunter information was crucial.
That was why he was hiding as much as possible too.
Already under watch from every nation out there.
Did they think the country that monopolized the Tower of Despair would be safe?
'No way in hell.'
They'd dig for info by any means necessary.
Even use family ties if they had to.
He had to block that at all costs.
What if he finally got out, only for his family to get snatched?
"Obey us quietly, or else."
'No clue how I'd react.'
Just imagining it made his blood boil.
Anyway, he had to prevent that worst-case future.
Which meant using this orb wisely.
"For starters, I'm not just any hunter. I can see the names and nationalities of S-rank hunters."
A world map appeared before his eyes.
Towers dotted various locations across it.
He could see every nation that had monopolized a tower.
Counting them left him stunned.
"Only 66 left?"
The tower and the nation were one and the same.
This wasn't just talk.
When a nation fell, so did its tower.
"No reason to manage that territory anymore," they'd say, and poof—it vanished.
North Korea's tower had disappeared that way.
Now that land was Monsterland.
'Gotta keep the hunters busy.'
Monsters crossing borders daily.
To stop them, you needed hunters, not the military.
Korea was always short-staffed because of it.
An S-rank monster crossing over? Total emergency.
He had to choose carefully.
A powerhouse free from border duty.
And friendly to Korea.
"Here."
He found the perfect fit.
An S-rank hunter who loved Korea.
The guy openly enjoyed Korean food and K-pop.
Had even helped Korea for free.
Not for nothing were they called brother nations.
"And he's tackling the tower right now."
He was on -1 floor.
Like some towers, it glowed red.
A clear sign of crisis.
Most monopolizers were stuck on -1.
Honestly, he was curious.
Why struggle against monsters that melted away easily?
"All of them top one or two in their national rankings."
Well, he'd find out soon enough.
Without hesitation, he selected the Tower of Despair.
A guidance message popped up.
White meant even the monopolizer was safe, huh.
Did that mean the opposite color was dangerous?
'Monopolizer means the one who owns the Tower of Despair, right? Opposite color—Black Spirit? Red Spirit? No idea.'
He'd been worried about the constant radiation leak.
But luckily, the monopolizer was safe from it.
So he could intervene without worry.
"Let's go."
In an instant, his body grew hazy.
Moments later, he vanished completely from -3 floor.
In the past, Turkiye ranked 9th in military power.
Top ten out of 195 countries.
But now?
Turkiye had become a weak nation.
The age of Gates and Towers.
An era where hunter strength equaled national power.
Their hunters' overall level was low.
That decline had set them on the path to ruin.
At least they had one S-rank hunter?
One man couldn't carry a whole nation.
But this time, they'd scraped by.
They'd excavated underground faster than most.
Found the Tower of Despair first.
Blocked Monster Impact early on.
Took heavy losses from the monster flood.
But they'd stopped it before it worsened.
"Hoo."
The man who had entered the Tower of Despair like that.
Yurek Han. Turkiye's sole S-rank hunter.
He swallowed his heavy burden of responsibility and worry.
The eyes watching him, demanding he elevate the nation's status.
And his wife, lying in a hospital bed.
'Incurable disease. We can prolong life, but with current medical tech and items... a full cure is impossible.'
The sky had fallen.
Cause: An unknown pathogen from a Gate.
His wife lay bedridden because of it.
No hope of improvement.
Just slowly wasting away.
'I'll save you no matter what, Melissa.'
No cure even in Red Gates.
Tower of Trials was the same.
So Yurek Han turned his gaze elsewhere.
The Tower of Despair, promising rewards beyond the Tower of Trials.
Intel gathering complete.
Prep was thorough.
Thanks to the nation footing the hefty intel bill.
Yurek Han stood at the center of -1 floor.
He'd monopolized the tower and saved his country for now.
Time to conquer for his own goals.
"Five hundred goblins. One Goblin Hero. I can do it. I can..."
Yurek Han gripped daggers in both hands.
His innate ability: Footsteps of Mist.
A trait specialized in assassination.
'Take out the Goblin Hero first thing. Then pick off the goblins one by one.'
Solid plan.
But Yurek Han didn't know.
These weren't your garden-variety mobs.
That's why things went south.
"Cough! Gah!"
His insides churned.
Vision blurring.
Eyes bloodshot, everything red.
Kehihi!
The Goblin Hero laughed mockingly.
It approached slowly.
The rest of the goblins hung back.
'Didn't expect it to be this strong.'
These weren't goblins.
A monster legion.
Tougher than the hardest Red Gates.
'Insane mana resistance. Magic or aura would just bounce off their skin.'
That explained why every nation struggled.
Why records topped out at mere minutes.
You had to kill them with skills, one by one.
'Melissa. Sorry. Looks like this is the end.'
The hero raised its scimitar for all the minions to see.
Going for the finisher.
The Goblin Hero's strike fell.
Like a guillotine on the execution block, blade gleaming.
His mind blanked.
Life flashing before his eyes.
Awakening as a hunter.
Forming a guild with like-minded folks.
Meeting his wife now, blissful newlyweds.
And...
'I couldn't even save my wife, and now I die here...'
He exhaled his last breath.
Hah. Hah. Hah. Hah.
...
Wait, why was he still breathing?
"Huh, wha?"
Yurek Han's eyelids twitched.
His eyes slowly opened.
An unbelievable sight unfolded before him.
Kaaaaak!
Goblins screamed in agony.
One by one, vomiting blood, bodies melting.
In the sudden change.
Yurek Han's gaze fixed forward.
A Goblin Hero halted right in his face.
Kek. Keik!
It was holding out.
Against what?
The cause stood behind it.
'A person?'
A figure glowing white.
It stood before the Goblin Hero.
Reached out and grabbed its head.
Then—
Splat—!
Crushed the writhing thing's skull.
That was it.
"What?"
A reward was granted.
Not a new record or time rank one.
So it was the standard reward.
But something more important had happened.
"I-I'm alive. Thank you for saving me, benefactor."
Was this a messenger of God?
Or an angel?
Whatever it was, he'd lived because of it.
The glowing being before him had saved his life.
What if it targeted him next?
Yurek Han fretted inwardly but expressed his gratitude.
At least he sensed no killing intent.
It just extended a hand.
"Ah! Th-thank you."
He rose with its support.
What if it didn't speak his language?
That thought crossed his mind when—
"Can you hear me?"
The words were foreign, but he understood perfectly.
Tower function? Either way, relief.
"Y-yes! Loud and clear. Are you from Korea, by any chance?"
The familiar tone gave it away.
He knew his savior's origin instantly.
He loved Korea.
Got into K-pop through his wife, and it stuck.
The food, the culture—loved it all.
Especially kimchi.
"Good, auto-translation works."
"Yeah, lucky break. But if you're Korean... Hup! A-are you JYS?"
Yurek Han covered his mouth.
Was there anyone more famous on Earth?
Doubtful.
JYS's initials were everywhere.
First Tower of Despair conqueror.
Korea's shrouded enigma.
Strongest hunter of the era.
All who'd seen his records agreed.
"To meet like this. I-I'm stunned."
"I'm pretty dazed myself, getting to chat like this."
JYS murmured softly.
Face and build hazy.
Impossible to identify.
But the facts remained.
JYS had saved him.
A hunter from Korea, the brother nation, no less!
"How can I ever repay this debt..."
"Ah, this isn't charity. I have a favor to ask."
His words eased Yurek's mind.
A favor-backed kindness was preferable.
Otherwise, the guilt would've crushed him.
"Anything. I'm Turkiye's only S-rank hunter. Whatever I can do, say the word."
"Nah, I don't plan to end things here. I like you, Yurek Han."
"Pardon? But I'm already married..."
JYS waved his hands frantically.
"No, no! Not like that. I mean, let's keep in touch long-term. Mutual help, scratching each other's backs. Got it?"
At the urgent explanation, Yurek nodded.
"JYS, you're always welcome! Brother nations, right? Hahaha!"
Yeah, brother nations.
In the past, they'd rushed aid and support to each other.
Would they have grown without that?
Neither had lived it personally.
But the word carried weight.
"Right. Brother nation. Yurek? Mr. Yurek?"
"Yurek's fine."
"Cool. Yurek. Mind sharing why you're in the tower?"
"Brother JYS. Truth is, my country takes a backseat to something else."
Info he'd never shared with anyone.
If his wife's illness leaked abroad?
Vicious nations would exploit it.
Bound to happen.
But he told JYS.
The man had saved him.
And he was a brother from Korea.
"Wife with an incurable disease. I get it. Similar situation here."
"Huh?"
"Same deal. Family's sick. Gotta find a cure."
"Ah..."
Brothers in blood and now in hardship!
Yurek's eyes welled up.
Not even K-dramas hit this hard.
"Sniff! Let's power through. There has to be a cure hidden as a reward here."
"Yeah, hope so. Oh, right. Your wife's condition—mana oversaturation syndrome?"
"Yes. Mana keeps multiplying inside... eventually..."
The body bloated, organs bursting one by one.
A horrific incurable disease.
To prolong life, drain mana constantly.
The gear and items? Bank-breakingly expensive.
And single-use.
Money pit.
"This might ease it."
JYS offered something.
A single pill in a small box.
Looked like his savior's reward.
"Take a look."
Yurek glanced between him and the pill.
Hadn't checked the info yet.
Still, hope surged.
His heart pounded wildly.
"Yellow Gate level—that's like three or four S-rank hunters' worth, right?"
JYS's added explanation.
He read the description blankly, then again.
Yurek nodded dumbly.
"Y-yes... This. With this... Sniff! My wife..."
Hope blazed like wildfire.
Head hot.
Thoughts wouldn't form.
Just gratitude. Words failed.
"Whoever you are, you're my eternal brother. I'll defend you no matter what they say, support you against the world."
He poured out his max thanks.
Still felt short, groping for more words when—
"Yurek. I need your help too."
JYS needed help?
Yurek nodded.
Jump into fire? Done.
That's how he looked at him.
"Like you said truthfully, here's mine. My family's at Dawn University Hospital."
JYS's request was simple.
Check if they're getting proper care.
And protect them.
"But don't make it obvious. Other nations can't catch on. You get it? Oh! And check on two mana stone miners' status too."
Simple ask.
And JYS's following grace.
"Just in case, I'll share intel up to -3 floor that I cleared."
A brother who gave freely.
Of course, there was a price.
"Hospital bills for my family. That's plenty."
Dirt cheap, really.
Yurek grabbed his hand.
Nodded repeatedly.
"Whatever good comes my way, all to you, brother JYS."
Even that fell short of the intel's value.
Tower of Despair -2 floor? Astronomical prices.
Name your sum.
Handed over easy?
Brother JYS was an angel...!
"I'll move the second I exit."
"Nah, tend to your wife first."
Right. Total angel.
How could someone be so kind and strong?
"Got it. Heading out now?"
"Yeah. Time's almost up. I'll drop by next month, same time. Report then. Keep conquering the tower till then."
JYS faded slowly.
Vanished completely soon after.
Proof it wasn't a dream remained.
"All real..."
Goblin corpses strewn everywhere.
The pill in his hand.
Yurek clutched it to his chest preciously.
"For my brother."
He murmured and stood.
Thus Yurek Han exited the tower.
Soon, explosive news broke.
"What the hell. These headlines..."
Korea's Hunter Management Bureau.
Situation Manager Lee Seon-ho set down the paper.
Events from the past few days.
He couldn't make sense of the flow.
Korea's Tower of Despair had never opened.
Not since excavation.
JYS was still inside.
That worried him.
"This Despair isn't something you luck through..."
Another system message in the sky.
Had JYS seen it too?
[Succeed in the Raid.]
[237:37]
Ten days prep time.
Then a raid-only Gate.
Fail, and the outcome was obvious.
Gate Break.
Unknown boss monster.
Whatever it was, it'd rampage outside.
Lee Seon-ho's face darkened.
"Whoa, damn. Jackpot."
His face lit up like a spotlight.
He'd just given Yurek Han that reward and returned.
He'd wiped all the goblins.
The tower acknowledged it and tossed in extra.