Chapter 228
Chapter 228
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 228
Chapter Title: Hungary (3)
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The gist of the bordering nations' conference was simple.
Pool our strength to set a reward, and put a bounty on those black monsters!
Each country might object, but the high rankers were the top dogs anyway.
Once the high rankers gave their direct approval, the nations would have little grounds to oppose.
The idea was to offer rewards tempting enough to sway them.
“But we don’t really have anything to give…”
“Our nation is in the same boat.”
“We could put up some dollars, but… as you know, we’re drowning in national debt. Well, if need be, we’ll just take on more debt to make it happen.”
But.
Sure enough.
The presidents of each nation were busy dodging the issue.
Who’d want to take a loss when there were no clear standards?
“I’ve heard…”
Serbia’s President Buchici adjusted his glasses.
“…that Romania’s national treasury holds an SS-grade item.”
“You bastard! Is this what you were gunning for from the start?!”
Bam!
Romania’s President Klaus slammed the table and shot to his feet.
He was utterly baffled.
How the hell did that guy know about an item in the national treasury?
On top of that, ‘SS-grade’ was still top secret to the public.
“That’s out of the question! How dare you try to take our national treasure without our people’s consent?!”
The SS-grade item, *Raphael’s Scripture*.
About three years ago, the Romanian Hunters’ Association had luckily acquired it.
When used, it granted invincibility for roughly one minute—a one-time-use item.
“Raphael’s Scripture? Oh my, you should have mentioned it if you had something like that.”
“That would definitely appeal to the rankers, wouldn’t it?”
“Oh ho, President Klaus, you said there was no way, yet you’ve been hiding a treasure like that?”
The leaders of the bordering nations’ eyes lit up.
Their expressions were no different from street thugs who’d just been waiting for a target to mug.
Like they’d all been itching for a chance to pull the trigger.
“Alright then, Romania prepares that item. The rest of us somehow scrape together ten million dollars each. An SS-grade item’s worth about that much on average, right?”
“So that’s sixty million total plus one Raphael’s Scripture?”
“Ahem. Yes, that’s how it shakes out.”
“Oh, nice and clean.”
“I’m in favor.”
Klaus was on the verge of losing his mind as the other six nations haggled away, excluding Romania.
‘Those damn bastards.’
An SS-grade item for a mere ten million dollars?
An unheard-of grade that hadn’t even hit the market yet?
High rankers, who knew the value of even a single minute, would gladly pay double—hell, quadruple—for something like that.
But he couldn’t exactly raise a fuss.
With all six nations in agreement, going against the grain alone could spell diplomatic trouble down the line.
“…”
As Klaus sat there trembling with rage,
“Does Romania have a better plan? Feel free to share. We’re all ears.”
Buchici replied with an infuriating smirk behind his glasses.
Grit!
Klaus ground his teeth.
If there’d been another way, they wouldn’t be holding this meeting in the first place.
This filthy game of diplomacy.
‘I’ll get you all someday.’
There would come a day.
When he smashed them all to pieces.
* * *
Apgujeong-dong.
「Demir Workshop」.
Second-floor reception room.
“Hmm.”
Kim Jin-ah crossed her legs and arms.
“So, you’re envoys from the bordering nations of Hungary, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Please accept this.”
The sharply dressed man offered a boxed set.
Inside the box lay two sleek, luxury car keys arranged neatly.
“…What’s this?”
“Limited-edition hypercar ‘Bugatti Ranker.’ Only a hundred made worldwide! Produced exclusively for high rankers like yourself, as a token of gratitude for your tireless efforts in maintaining world peace. The cars can be delivered within a week.”
“Ah, Bugatti… the company recently acquired by the Croatian side, right?”
“That’s right, haha.”
The man flashed a warm, friendly laugh.
Kim Jin-ah nodded as she accepted the gift.
“Well, since you’re giving it, I’ll gladly take it.”
It wasn’t for her anyway.
The two keys were surely for ‘Thunderclap’ and ‘Skeleton Emperor.’
“What’s the purpose of your visit?”
She shoved the box to the corner of the table and propped her chin up again.
The envoy gave a wry smile.
“As you’ve probably guessed, we’re here to request assistance from Bielcheongi’s high rankers…”
“No.”
Kim Jin-ah cut him off firmly.
Her expression turned icy and stern.
“We absolutely cannot spare our guild master. We appreciate the personal visit, but this is already a settled internal matter.”
A resolute refusal.
The man hesitated.
Normally, he’d back off here.
But he was the handpicked representative envoy from seven nations.
“Please, at least hear our reward offer. The ‘Raphael’s Scripture’ we’ve secured this time is an SS-grade item…”
All sorts of perks.
Rewards.
Money.
Honor.
Items, and more.
The envoy rattled off a laundry list.
But…
“…”
Kim Jin-ah’s expression didn’t change.
He bit his lip.
“You really won’t budge?”
“Hmm, want me to be honest?”
She looked at him with genuine pity.
“Yes?”
“You said SS-grade, right? Raphael’s Scripture? Do you really think something like that can lure a high ranker?”
Sure, SS-grade was rare.
Incredibly valuable, no doubt.
‘But for a high ranker.’
They’d probably handled one at least once.
And though it wasn’t public, the guild master had mentioned users with even higher-grade items.
“Of course, 60 million dollars? That’s about 80 billion won… Phew, not even half of our daily revenue yesterday.”
“…”
“We’re newbies, so we’re still building up. But guilds with high rankers? They’re all raking in at least that much… I’m just saying this out of genuine concern.”
Her point was simple.
Are you really that desperate?
Is this truly the best seven bordering nations could come up with?
“…”
The envoy was speechless.
Because.
He felt the same way.
‘Sigh, what a mess.’
Wiping away cold sweat, the man shifted tactics.
The woman before him wouldn’t budge for rewards.
“Phew, that’s just the reward side of things… Powerless weaklings are dying. Innocent people are being slaughtered even now.”
“We’re fully aware. The whole world is.”
“But why…”
“Does that mean the strong like us have to sacrifice because the weak are dying?”
“I’m not saying sacrifice. I’m asking for help.”
“Actually, I’ve got a question at this point.”
Kim Jin-ah, who hadn’t uncrossed her legs until now, smiled faintly.
“Are the seven bordering nations truly doing everything they can to save a devastated Hungary?”
She knew they’d hired a few rankers to dispatch.
But the seven nations still hadn’t united their forces.
Instead, they were busy checking each other, scheming to avoid losses.
That atmosphere reached even here.
Were they truly desperate?
In Kim Jin-ah’s keenly perceptive view, not a chance.
“To reiterate, we’ve already made our internal decision.”
“…I see.”
If they’d clashed head-on and failed before asking for help, maybe.
But demanding their guild master while stepping back themselves…?
‘Absolutely not. Never.’
No way.
They couldn’t undermine Bielcheongi’s value on their own.
“Yes, sorry… Please head back. If you need lodging or food, we can provide that much.”
She stated firmly.
* * *
Murung Do-won, training grounds.
“By the way, Professor.”
Arin, who’d been explaining the diligently transcribed book in simple terms beside me, suddenly asked.
“Yeah?”
“That video we saw last time.”
“Video?”
“Yeah, that video. Could we watch it again?”
If my Arin wants to see it, of course I’ll show her.
“Just a sec.”
I fiddled with the nearby projector beam.
And there they were again on screen—the black monsters laying waste to the city.
Arin, squatting in front of me, stared intently at the footage.
“But why this all of a sudden?”
We’d watched it once before.
And I thought she’d lost interest?
“I read another book recently.”
Arin mumbled around her words.
“It talked about SSS-grade entities? You mentioned meeting the ‘Ancient Magic’ entity, right, Professor?”
Oh, the book mentioned that?
Now I’m intrigued.
“Yeah. Well, to be precise, it wasn’t a full meeting—just communication.”
I’d never confirmed Ancient Magic’s true form.
I’d only sensed its existence through the status window.
“And you’re searching for the ‘War God Fragment’ too. Right?”
“That’s right.”
‘War God Fragment’ (SS-grade).
Just like the Magic Tower had been the ‘Ancient Magic Fragment’ (SS-grade).
Finding that would let me reopen the medium dungeon.
Of course, I’d already shared this with all my subordinates.
“The book said that in the universe, those SSS-grade beings are called ‘Constellations.’”
“…Constellations?”
My eyes flashed as I perked up my ears.
This was brand-new info.
Something I’d never heard on Earth or from Delaila!
“Yeah, Constellations. The book described them as [cosmic entities capable of exerting influence across various worlds].”
Whoa.
The vast universe.
It couldn’t just have worlds.
In the past, the ‘Shadow Shepherd’ had served an entity called ‘Light.’
So, was that ‘Light’ a Constellation too?
“But get this. Constellations occasionally scatter their fragments across worlds. Like the Magic Tower in the mana world or Earth’s Magic Tower.”
“Ahh.”
So that’s how it was?
Then Delaila must’ve confirmed other worlds’ Magic Towers during her travels.
“Look there, Professor.”
It was then that Arin pointed at the screen with her slender finger.
“See that gray entity behind the black monsters?”
“…Gray entity?”
Was there such a thing?
I narrowed my eyes.
I’d reviewed the video a couple times, but…
I definitely hadn’t spotted it.
“Yeah, it’s hard to see. It’s slightly transparent.”
“Ooh? Hold on!”
There it was.
I could see it clearly.
Like a hidden picture, blending with camouflage into the surroundings—an indistinct presence.
About five meters tall.
Similar in appearance to the black monsters…
Whoa, it’d been there the whole time?
“You see it, right?”
“Yeah, crystal clear now.”
“Even as the former Magic Tower Master who commanded fragments, I can feel it. That thing’s definitely a Constellation fragment.”
“…!”
My eyes widened.
A fragment…
“If you’re looking for the War God Fragment, Professor… shouldn’t we check that out first? I mean, I can’t say for sure it’s the War God’s, but…”
“Reaaally?”
This piqued my interest.
No, a lot.
Arin was a genius endorsed by the elder.
She wouldn’t steer me wrong.