Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Malice (2)
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I had sex with Han So-ra in the real world, not in the 'Taming Room'.
We had agreed not to act like we knew each other, but I never imagined she would be the one to suggest it first.
'...Was it possible because I was Park Sun-woo and not Mask Guy?'
It wasn't hard to understand.
If only I weren't so damn handsome.
Still, it was a shock.
A woman who had been a virgin just a short while ago had now reached the point where she was picking and choosing her men.
The disappointment was immense.
My hands and feet were trembling faintly.
'I need to keep a close eye on her.'
Screw respecting her privacy.
Protecting my exclusive hole was far more important.
— A question for Hunter Han So-ra.
Before the 'Haetae Guild' raid team entered the 'Tower', they were holding a press conference.
It was similar to interviewing national representatives before they departed overseas.
This event really drove home just how much attention was focused on the challenge.
It was also a morale booster, helping hunters feel responsible for their roles.
Even Han So-ra was fielding questions in front of the portal.
— After leaving the 'Joseon Guild', you've been on a tear without a single setback. What was the difference between the 'Joseon Guild' and the 'Haetae Guild'?
— The 'Joseon Guild' was weak on the inside. It might have looked impressive on the surface, but it was rotting from within. I think that played a big role in their failure to clear the 47th floor.
Han So-ra handled the questions with practiced ease.
She deftly deflected even the more awkward ones.
— Seeing that confidence makes us feel good too. I'm sure the viewers at home feel the same, right?
— Ahahahaha.
— Now a question for Guild Master Lee Hae-wan. I have a lot of things I've always been curious about, but I'll pick one that fits the mood.
The spotlight now turned to Lee Hae-wan.
This was the day the 'Haetae Guild' would begin its ascent.
The moment they cleared the 50th floor, Lee Hae-wan would become Korea's one and only top hunter.
National MC, national actor, national hunter...
He would ascend to a position where he received unlimited 'kka-bang rights'—immunity from all criticism.
No one would be able to badmouth Lee Hae-wan.
Anyone who tried would be branded a spy.
At least within Korea.
'When that time comes, a guy like me won't even be worth considering.'
I'd get utterly crushed in the court of public opinion from the start.
Even if Lee Hae-wan killed my family, more than half the nation would probably take his side.
Judging by the tendencies of Korean netizens that I knew all too well...
They'd probably come up with some excuse like 'there must have been a good reason,' and end up insulting my family instead.
As a 24-year veteran of Korea named Park Sun-woo, I could read the flow of Korean internet culture like a book.
Clearing the Tower's top floors was an achievement of that magnitude.
But I couldn't exactly pray for them to fail the 50th floor.
Failing the 50th floor meant the entire 'Haetae' raid team would be wiped out.
Han So-ra was participating in this Tower raid too.
'Better for Lee Hae-wan to become a god than for Han So-ra to die.'
For Han So-ra's sake, I had to pray they all came back safely.
'Even if she's a loose woman sleeping around with other guys!'
Since I'd been the one to take her virginity, it was still within acceptable bounds.
I figured I could manage her properly from here on out.
— There's the confident 'Haetae Guild'. Don't they look reliable? The future of Korea lies right here.
The press conference was being broadcast live.
Nertube viewer count was a whopping 500,000.
Not just Nertube—terrestrial and cable news outlets were covering the scene too. It was no exaggeration to say this was currently Korea's top story.
Han So-ra looked to be in great shape.
I hadn't gotten any taming settlement info since it wasn't through the 'Taming App', but she didn't seem worse for wear.
Just looking at her fair complexion told me her condition was top-notch.
The 'Haetae Guild' raid team was entering the portal.
Their backs as they marched in were the picture of valor.
The kind that stirred a man's heart.
'One day, I'll...'
I wanted to join a massive raid team like that and take on the Tower's upper floors.
As a man, I had to.
'...But first, I need to hit C-rank.'
That was still a long way off.
I had to finish my own homework first.
Clearing the 20th floor.
Departure was tomorrow.
* * *
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The 'Haetae Guild's 1st Raid Team was challenging the 50th floor.
Meanwhile, the 2nd and 3rd Raid Teams continued their assaults from their respective positions.
Today was the day the 3rd Raid Team entered the Tower.
The 3rd Raid Team was tackling the 20th floor alongside Park Sun-woo.
To nurture promising talents in the 'Haetae Guild', to rocket them up to the upper floors in one go, B-rank hunters who had been waiting without clearing the 20th floor.
And even hunters from the 'Blue Dragon Guild', the 'Haetae Guild's subcontractors.
They were all set to support Park Sun-woo.
"Hunter Sun-woo, good to see you. Get some good rest?"
"Body feels a bit sluggish, but not too bad."
Park Sun-woo arrived at the rendezvous point, stepped out of the car, and exchanged greetings with the 'Haetae Guild' B-rank hunters.
The 3rd Raid Team leader, B-rank hunter Sung Jae-yoon, gave Park Sun-woo a once-over from head to toe.
There was tint on Park Sun-woo's lips.
A faint feminine scent wafted from him too.
The black sedan that had dropped off Park Sun-woo drove away leisurely, as if its job was done.
A quick glance at the driver's seat suggested a woman had been behind the wheel.
Sung Jae-yoon flashed a friendly smile.
"The 20th floor isn't as tough as you might think. With full preparation, it's totally clearable."
"It's the 'Haetae Guild' after all. I figure the 20th floor will be a piece of cake."
They traded pleasant words as they headed toward the portal.
A total of 25 people were heading out to clear the 20th floor.
Every one of them was B-rank or equivalent.
There were C- and D-rankers among the 'Blue Dragon Guild' members, but each had their own specialties.
Specialties solid enough to qualify for the 3rd Raid Team.
'Gathered like this, they look seriously reliable.'
Park Sun-woo trusted them.
Or more precisely, he was letting his guard down.
He couldn't imagine anyone pulling any tricks on the 20th floor.
Not from the 'Haetae Guild' of all places.
"The 20th floor is a ruined city backdrop. The goal is surviving in a completely collapsed urban wasteland."
"Zombies... not my favorite genre."
"You'll grow to like them. They say it gets so comfy you'll wish the 30th floor raid could be this easy too."
They cracked light jokes as they passed through the portal.
All members of the 'Haetae Guild's 3rd Raid Team had cleared the 19th floor, qualifying them for the 20th.
They went straight there, and the raid began.
The method for clearing the 20th floor was already well-known.
Since it was the same backdrop every time, a standard strategy had been established to maximize hunter survival rates.
"Alright, let's move."
Shouldering large backpacks, they quickened their pace.
They were practically jogging toward the tallest building.
A 77-story skyscraper piercing the sky in a city where all infrastructure had collapsed.
That was their base camp.
The 3rd Raid Team set up on the 50th floor of the 77-story building.
Sung Jae-yoon explained.
"Using the 50th floor as base camp keeps the weak zombies from swarming us. Cuts down on annoyances big time. Confident hunters go for the 50th; the rest take the 49th."
Just one floor made all the difference.
Up to the 49th, the media-favorite regular zombies came in hordes, but from the 50th up, only grotesque enhanced zombies spawned and climbed.
"The 3rd Raid Team will rotate shifts on the 50th floor to push forward. We'll conserve stamina and hold out for 15 days. We packed plenty of food, so it won't be too hard."
The hunters set down their gear.
Preserved foods that wouldn't spoil at room temperature for 15 days, and water.
"Even if rations run low... we can scavenge the bare minimum from the city. Going down there assumes the worst-case scenario, though. Yeah, hopefully it doesn't come to that."
Sung Jae-yoon chuckled as he spoke.
He made eye contact with the rest of the 3rd Raid Team.
They'd strike a week in, once Park Sun-woo had loosened up.
'Beat this punk clean and ride Guild Master Hae-wan's coattails!'
Lee Hae-wan genuinely wanted Park Sun-woo dead.
He'd even loaned out the 'Biwa-Shaped Bronze Sword' for it—no need to spell out his rage.
'...It only works on Korean hunters, but the effect is solid.'
It sealed 99% of stats gained on the Korean Peninsula.
S-rank or F-rank, it leveled the playing field to ordinary human.
Using such a precious weapon on a nobody like Park Sun-woo felt questionable.
Like using a cattle butcher's knife on a chicken—no, an earthworm.
'I'll finish him properly.'
But Lee Hae-wan wanted more.
Not a clean death for Park Sun-woo, but a agonizing one.
Wielding the 'Biwa-Shaped Bronze Sword' to deliver an end so humiliating he'd shit and piss himself...