Chapter 333
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 333
Chapter Title: 74. Foreign Currency Earner (1)
What is patriotism?
If a heart devoted to one's country is present, then anything can be called patriotism.
In that sense.
‘If there are many who strip naked on the battlefield, Remu has to pay Japan more money, and that collected money comes to us according to the agreement. So if one is truly a patriot…….’
Swish.
Young-woo shifted his gaze once more to the empty air—no, somewhere in space beyond the ceiling.
‘You must strip. Those who strip are the patriots. In other words, not stripping is no different from not serving the country!’
As Young-woo’s eyes filled with madness, Yuuto across from him wore a worried expression.
He was concerned for the Korean people who had this madman as their leader.
《All procedures have been completed. The negotiation table will close shortly.》
Soon, along with the system message, the interior of the negotiation chamber began to shine brightly, and moments later.
Whoosh!
Portals opened one behind each proxy, sucking in everything nearby.
“Urk!”
Forced eviction.
Yuuto, and Young-woo as well, were pulled into the portals behind them, and soon the unique disorienting spatial sensation of portals colored their vision blue.
Flash!
Then the surroundings instantly changed to a hotel bedroom.
‘I’m back.’
Returned to the place just before entering the negotiation chamber.
Which meant the first thing to check right away was.
‘What time is it now?’
When Young-woo raised his wrist, the time projected over his Besedel armor.
Pop!
Current time: 5:48 PM.
About 1 hour and 12 minutes left until the locations of each company were revealed.
‘But I already have a rough idea of where Remu’s base is.’
Tokyo, the capital of Japan.
There was a very high probability that was Remu’s Earth base.
A fact easily inferred from the ‘Tokyo Conference’ card Yuuto had played at the negotiation table.
‘Then what about Mara? Don’t they negotiate separately?’
Young-woo vaguely turned his head westward, opposite Japan, but no system messages appeared even after time passed.
‘Looks like I need to prepare for the Tsushima war first.’
Even if locations were revealed, they had no choice but to meet Japan at Tsushima anyway.
Mara, whose location was still unknown, was different.
The moment the location was revealed, Mara could immediately charge into Seoul.
Of course, Tokyo could be their first target too.
‘But I can’t allow an attack on Tokyo anymore. All the infrastructure built there is mine.’
As Young-woo pondered his first-ever war, Ji-seon, sensing his presence, walked out from the living room.
—What, you’re back already? How’d the negotiations go?
“Yes. Very well.”
Practically a crushing victory.
To realize the profits from the negotiations with Japan, though, they had to win the Tsushima war, and to maximize those profits, they needed as many nude warriors as possible.
And that within 1 hour and 12 minutes.
‘Plenty of time to move troops. Just use the high-speed transit routes.’
The problem was Japan.
Could Yuuto and his 200 nude warriors assemble at Tsushima on time?
“I should’ve nailed down the exact war time… but the space closed right after negotiations ended.”
—What? We’ll know locations at 7 anyway, right? Doesn’t the war start automatically then?
“That’s true, but.”
As Young-woo tried to explain the negotiation details with Japan in more depth, the system spared him the effort.
「Proxies Togo and Remu have agreed through negotiations to wage war on Tsushima!」
「Starting at 7 PM today, Tsushima will change to a war zone, with a white occupation flag to be installed at the zone’s center.」
—Occupation flag?
This was an all-notice visible to Ji-seon too, so she tilted her head, and seeing this, Young-woo glanced toward the living room as he added.
“I was wondering how the war’s win or loss would be decided… and now it’s telling us.”
「The way to victory in this war is occupation flag monopoly.」
Occupation flag monopoly.
Young-woo already had an idea of the war’s mechanics.
「The faction that makes direct contact with the occupation flag will immediately enter ‘occupation’ status, and accumulating 2 hours in this status will grant immediate war victory.」
In simple terms, it was capture the flag.
Guard the occupation flag planted in Tsushima’s center for 2 hours to win.
Of course, there was a way to end the war faster.
「During the war, both factions must attempt to seize the occupation flag.」
「If one faction fails to attempt seizure for a cumulative 1 hour or more, the war ends immediately.」
—Keep fighting non-stop, is that it?
After reading all the rules, Ji-seon muttered this, but Young-woo shook his head.
“No need to guard the flag for 2 hours—if you wipe out the enemy on the battlefield, you can end it in 1 hour.”
—...Really?
“Starts at 7, wipe them out right away, it’ll end around 8… probably 8:30 at latest.”
—Then what happens after?
“No idea. First war and all. No clue what Mara might do in the meantime either.”
Tax payment at 10 PM, and at 11, anomalous weather would blanket the world again.
Would the war continue at night too?
‘I haven’t even negotiated with Mara yet… what happens then?’
Confusing.
The one certain thing: at 7 PM today, the war with Japan was system-prepared.
“Mom.”
—What.
“You’re Seoul’s guardian dragon now.”
—...So?
“So you need to watch over Seoul.”
—While you go have fun at Tsushima, I’m supposed to guard the neighborhood?
“Better if you stay here. Have to fight naked at Tsushima.”
Finally, as Young-woo brought up the issue, Ji-seon bristled the white hair spilling from behind her helmet and let out a near-scream.
—What? Do what how?
“This war has a special clause. Participants in the nude get paid by Remu. Big chance to earn foreign currency.”
—What... what bullshit is this?
“If you don’t get it, just accept it. Don’t try to comprehend the universe, Mom!”
—You crazy bastard… what the hell have you been up to?
Clank.
Ji-seon stepped back a couple paces, putting distance between her and her son.
Meanwhile, Jeong-gu rushed from the bedroom, having heard his wife’s scream.
“Wh-what’s going on?”
Young-woo pointed at his father like he’d been waiting.
“What do you mean? Preparing for war. Grab your weapons quick.”
“What? My weapons?”
“Yeah. You’re not sitting out the war?”
Jeong-gu pointed at himself with a dumbfounded look.
“Me too? Why?”
* * *
War.
The war starting in about an hour wasn’t an ordinary one.
A war unfolding in the post-Reset world.
A clash of survivors who had endured countless monster and mutant incursions.
But with the world so distorted by the Reset, even among survivors, the gap in prowess was beyond imagination.
For instance, like how even a hundred Dobong First Swords couldn’t kill one Young-woo.
So.
“No, why do I have to go to the battlefield? Aren’t we supposed to cherish our hard-found parents from now on?”
To Jeong-gu, being dragged to war made no sense at all.
Honestly, couldn’t Young-woo handle the war alone?
“Young-woo! Say something!”
As Jeong-gu yelled noisily from the back seat of the NegriG, Young-woo finally glanced back.
“You’re not proper parents yet. Gotta show you’re a true father.”
“No! That’s why the wedding’s tomorrow……!”
Groom-to-be, Kim Jeong-gu.
Only now did he tremble as realization hit.
“Damn it! Wedding tomorrow, and you’re sending me to war? Does that make sense?”
Young-woo glanced back again and murmured lowly.
“Huh? No mom around, and you’re bold again.”
“You……!”
“Send you to Mom?”
When Young-woo asked, Jeong-gu fell silent.
“…Why do I have to go to war anyway.”
“Why so worried? You think I’d make you a meat shield? No chance of getting hurt.”
“No chance of getting hurt? That sounds off. So other parts can get hurt?”
If not the body, what would get hurt?
As Jeong-gu’s doubts deepened, their destination appeared below.
The great city of the Red Foot Orcs, Darwin on the Australian continent.
“We’re here. Get ready.”
“Huh? Ready for what?”
Jeong-gu tilted his head, checking his gear.
Young-woo spat an ambiguous line.
“Ready to give everything… for this country—no, this son.”
And at that moment, the NegriG carrying the two dove into the tower in Darwin.
Boom!
The Red Foot Orcs guarding the tower’s upper levels spotted Young-woo and looked uneasy.
-Small Foot?
-What’s this sudden visit?
The orcs had learned well by now.
Trouble always followed Small Foot’s visits.
“Where’s the lord? In the city now?”
-Of course. He always guards the clan.
-We’ll inform him of your arrival.
One guard orc pulled powder pouches from his belt.
He pondered the red pouch and black pouch.
Red signal flare for welcome, black for warning.
Young-woo, quick to notice, rested a hand on Sasinsa and spoke.
“Have you lost your minds? Brothers?”
-Tough call.
-But you’re still our brother.
The guard orcs, resigned, tossed the red pouch high into the air.
The opposite orc shot an arrow, bursting it.
Screeech, pop!
A red Foot-shaped signal spread wide in the sky.
“Good.”
Only then did Young-woo activate descent, heading to the tower’s lower levels.
Screeeeech!
A wondrous beam enveloped the NegriG and father-son duo, crossing hundreds of meters in an instant. When the glow cleared from their vision, the northern Australian plains stretched before them.
-Small Foot!
-Small Foot’s here!
Far more Red Foot Orcs than before swarmed, surrounding the tower to greet Young-woo. Moments later, Bangtu Bangtung—the first lord who sold out the clan’s history—approached waving a massive hand.
-Small Foot! What brings you suddenly?
Young-woo scanned the brothers filling the area and said.
“News hasn’t reached here yet, huh?”
-News? What news?
“The first war is confirmed.”
-War? Found Mara at last?
Bangtu Bangtung’s face lit with joy after so long.
But Young-woo shook his head.
“No, but we’ll meet soon. Instead…….”
Young-woo paused, scratching his chin, and Bangtu Bangtung stepped closer.
-What is it? Don’t deceive me.
Young-woo nodded solemnly, as if agreeing.
“Before war with Mara… we’ve got a way to raise massive war funds.”
-What? War funds?
The same words can land differently based on phrasing.
As Young-woo predicted, ‘war talk’ hooked the brothers.
-What’s the method?
With Bangtu Bangtung highly interested, Young-woo grinned slyly and tossed the next question.
“How many brothers are in Darwin right now?”
-At sunup today: seventeen thousand six hundred four brothers.
17,604.
Young-woo couldn’t help flinching at Bangtu Bangtung tracking numbers to the ones place.
“Bang the Great Hero.”
-…Must blood flow again? Too rude. No more trading brothers’ lives.
“No. I don’t want brothers hurt anymore. Isn’t revenge time soon? Every single brother must share the glory.”
-What……? Then why call me Great Hero again?
“Bang the Great Hero! How heavy is revenge for you and the brothers?”
-Daring to ask the weight of our revenge. It’s already a mountain……
“Right! So heavy it’s crumbling your armor, right? Stripping you naked in an instant!”
-Wh… what?
In an instant, solemnity vanished from Bang the Great Hero’s voice, replaced by thick bewilderment.
-Armor… crumbling suddenly why?
Then he noticed Small Foot stripping off his top.