Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Guild Masters Need More Than Just Games
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Images of Fulminak guild members emerging from the Babel Tower—some covered in wounds and supported by comrades, others carried out on stretchers and loaded into ambulances—were broadcast live in real time.
Thanks to the swift response, none of the injuries appeared life-threatening.
["For now, the word is that even healing doesn't work after exiting the Babel Tower, but thankfully, we have modern medicine on our side."]
["They really need to pull through safely."]
["The good news is Fulminak prepared ahead by splitting into parties and logging out the seriously injured hunters super fast, so no major casualties."]
["Truly a wise guild."]
["Honestly, zero deaths in that mess is a straight-up miracle. Europe over there? Uh, yeah, it's no joke right now."]
One of the hosts moved the mouse.
Several real-time breaking news photos from European websites popped up.
Even without reading the foreign-language headlines, the sight of ambulances, shrouded patients, and sobbing families made the gravity of the situation clear.
Apparently, the hunters killed by Error Codes had been found as corpses right where they'd entered the Babel Tower.
["...This is bad."]
["Our condolences to the deceased."]
The hosts fell silent for a moment, then quickly shifted gears.
["No updates yet on our Korean hunters injured by the Error Codes, but we're praying they're safe."]
["Indeed."]
["Kaisha must've been sweating bullets thinking she could end up like that. One against three! Damn, those crazy bastards. Still gets me pissed and chilled just thinking about it."]
["Let's celebrate Kaisha-nim's victory once more and wish a speedy recovery to the Fulminak injured."]
["Meanwhile, signs of a second round are emerging."]
The screen showing Fulminak's casualties switched to the Babel Tower interior, with three smaller feeds popping up simultaneously.
The guild masters were communicating, their lips moving as they talked.
["This time, SpaceKing and Goldbunker are sending reinforcements to Fulminak—wait, no, looks like they're leaving just a few behind and moving their whole guilds?"]
["What's going on here?"]
With most guild members left at the ongoing battlefield, the SpaceKing and Goldbunker guild masters began to move.
The hosts' eyes widened at the baffling development.
["Hold on. Pull up the map."]
The full map for Channel 1004 lit up right away, and the hosts gaped at the unfolding situation.
["!"]
On the overall map, hunters from every color-coded nation were converging on the central forest like they'd planned it.
["Whoa, if this keeps up..."]
["Killing the Error Code wasn't the end—it was the beginning. Feels like a massive showdown in the forest is brewing."]
["Tension's rising again."]
The World Hunter War was poised to kick off in Babel Tower Channel 1004.
* * *
Kim Je-hyeon bought a tablet PC with a pretty big screen.
After Ga-hyun entered the Babel Tower, he wanted to watch the live feeds anytime, anywhere on a large, comfortable display.
He wasn't the only one who'd thought of it—after the hunters entered, stores everywhere couldn't keep big-screen tablets on the shelves.
But in the end, Je-hyeon's purchase turned out useless.
A certain startup company—thanks to its chaebol-founder's massive wealth—boasted an incredibly comfy work environment.
Everyone was watching something together.
On the huge screen, a GodGold stream showed Kaisha locked in fierce combat with three Error Codes.
"Eek! Eeeek!"
"Nooo!!"
"Kyaaah!!"
"Camen! Caameen!"
"Unni, nooo!!"
There was a decent time lag between the Babel Tower interior and reality—the feed showed evening dusk settling in, but here it was bright midday.
Je-hyeon, sensing the shared tension among employees furtively watching or fidgeting, set up a large screen the first day, then bought and installed an enormous monitor the next.
The office basically turned into a Babel Tower viewing lounge.
Kwaaaang—!!
Employees clutching Starbucks coffees flinched, shoulders hunching.
"Huh!"
An Error Code unleashed an attack toward the Fulminak guild members.
After a nail-biting sequence that ended in a sacrifice, Je-hyeon and the others wore regretful expressions.
"Ah...."
"What now...."
"Kaizen went down with them, right?"
"Seems like it."
The viewing area went quiet.
It was tragic, but since the dead were from another world, the sorrow was fleeting—everyone worried more about Kaisha and the Fulminak hunters.
"Hope the ones who exited injured make it through okay."
No letting up the tension.
With Lea and Kaizen dead, and Kaisha nearly cornered to death in front of the military building before fleeing, she bolted for the forest.
The Error Codes dwindled to two.
"That one Error Code not coming out of the building means it's dead, right?"
"Hope so."
"Three Error Codes was way too much, wasn't it? One in Europe turned it into a slaughterfest."
"But Kaisha-nim already took one down."
"She can do it!"
"Kaisha, please!"
As Kaisha evaded pursuit into the forest and counterattacked with pillars of light, the employees' faces lit up.
"Yeah!!"
"Go go gooo!!"
"Whoa, is that a skill effect too?"
The startup's young staff craned their necks, eyes sparkling.
Few had never gamed in their lives, so they dove headfirst into the hunters' Babel Tower play, totally hooked.
Kaisha, cornering one Error Code with Abyss, landed a decisive blow.
Kwa—ang!
The Error Code—what Kaisha called Annihilator—shattered in that instant.
As the GodGold hosts screamed in joy on-screen, Je-hyeon shot up from his seat, hands raised high.
"Woooaaahhh!!"
"Aaaahhh!!"
"Kyaaaahhh!!"
Je-hyeon, pumped, bear-hugged a male coworker; soon everyone was hugging and whooping in delight.
The jumping staff paused, ears perking at noises from all around.
"Huh?"
"What's that sound?"
"Guess we're not the only ones."
"Knew it."
"Turns out the whole nation was watching together."
"You think only Koreans are tuned into the Babel Tower live right now? Word is the whole world's watching."
"World war and all..."
"Got no choice but to watch. Korea's status changed globally after the city war—how can we Koreans miss this? Plus, it's lunch break."
Peering out the window, they saw people everywhere cheering like the office staff, phones in hand.
After Kaisha handled the two Error Codes, things went incredibly smoothly.
"Whew, so satisfying."
"No need for action flicks anymore."
"This is why I live these days."
"It's real life, not a movie. Amazing, Korea."
"Where do they find talents like that?"
"People who were obsessed with that VR game Bipa, apparently."
"Man, should've gamed more myself."
"Should've treated Kaisha-nim better when she worked here."
Talk of Ga-hyeon made a few employees—who'd quietly resented her before—glance around nervously.
Yu Ga-hyeon, the parachuted relative of the CEO and VP, had rocketed to untouchable heights in the new world after quitting.
Of course, the newbie who'd clashed with her had jumped ship quick.
It was hushed talk now.
Her striking looks kept her mysterious and unapproachable to staff.
Je-hyeon using her for personal errands made her irregular hours seem like nepotism, breeding resentment.
But now that Ga-hyeon had soared to the clouds, it was all pointless.
"Hey, boss, any chance of an autograph through the VP's connections?"
"Whoa! Count me in!"
"M-Me too...."
"For employee welfare, I'll ask around."
The staff erupted in cheers at Je-hyeon's words.
Straight-up saying it was for them would get him throttled, but wrapping it cleverly might work.
As lunch ended, the Korean guilds wrapped up their Error Code hunts safely.
Watching with heart in throat over whether Yu Ga-hyeon got hurt or killed, the catharsis of ultimate victory was immense.
'This girl always knows how to scare people.'
Hunting was physical and risky, but done right, it brought fame and huge rewards.
In the entertainment age, hunters' flashy action was prime spectacle.
'And they're all stunningly hot, which doesn't hurt the view.'
Naturally, that fueled the masses' obsession too.
After a fun lunch with staff, Je-hyeon plopped at his computer, surfing sites as expected.
Hot topics flooded in, impossible to ignore.
[Breaking] Nation erupts over Kaisha's final victory... "So cool and proud"
[News] "Camen" echoes worldwide
[News] Korea ascends to true hunter superpower with Babel Tower feats
[Photo] Three Guild Masters, Three Vibes
Hunters got idol-level protection, comments blocked on articles, so real reactions meant hitting forums and SNS.
The city war hype, already blazing, exploded like oil on fire.
Hunter interest was huge before, but now it peaked.
Like a breakout rookie actor dropping a blockbuster smash hit nationwide and globally.
Checking foreign fan reactions was fun too.
US sites drowned in Dart hate; Korean ones overwhelmingly praised.
US and China griped the EU's 100-per-country Babel entry was flawed.
Some hard-hit EU nations mourned like funerals.
Korea? Pure festival.
Je-hyeon vicariously thrilled browsing it all.
'Yu Ga-hyeon, you're in deep now. Already popular, but now you're otherworldly celeb status. Just try coming back.'
Hunter site 'Hunters', where hunters bragged leaks, buzzed with GodGold praise, guild master hype, national analyses.
General public munched popcorn, juggling live streams, news, hunter reactions for massive secondary buzz.
The masses' fervor was wild; rumors swirled of Blue House prepping a special banquet for returning hunters.
Je-hyeon fidgeted in anticipation of Ga-hyeon's triumphant return—then paused.
"...."
With this popularity, maybe even his aunt had a change of heart.
Ga-hyeon's mom, that is.
City war might've looked like risky protests crushed by force to some elders.
But Babel Tower's otherworld flair had blockbuster appeal.
Should he send his aunt a few pics?
Je-hyeon pondered, clicking photo sections—then sighed involuntarily, a wave of doubt hitting.
If his aunt said something again, Yu Ga-hyeon's mental would shatter.
Unlikely with this hype, but...
'Parents, huh.'
Je-hyeon seemed the doting youngest son on good terms with Mom, but the reality was messier.
Je-hyeon wore a bitter look as he hit back on the photo page.