Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Why Can't They Do It? (2)
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Frustrated, I'll do it myself.
It's not just something famous people say. You hear it all the time on broadcasts filming construction sites or places like that.
Even in gaming streams.
No matter what game streamers are playing, if they're better than me, I'm impressed. But if they're playing like total trash?
TTS voices would spit out all sorts of nasty insults.
People might backseat game out of frustration.
Then occasionally, you'd get the classic "If you're so smart, you do it."
Usually, that shuts down the backseat gamer pretty quick.
Sometimes strategy videos get posted.
Fans upload them to the streamer's personal cafe or whatever.
Most of the time, viewers react with something like, "Ah, yes, must be nice having your life's greatest achievement be beating the streamer to the clear."
But what if this was a real-life tower?
What if it was Korea's last remaining S-Rank Tower, one the government was gearing up to tackle?
"Everyone seems pretty flustered."
"Can you blame them? They didn't even show us entering before declaring success."
Dry, who had been scanning online reactions, lightly raised his hand at my words.
"Want me to give you a real-time rundown of the government folks panicking?"
"Not really in the mood for voice chatter. Summarize it in three lines?"
"Three lines? Alright, short version."
Dry held up three fingers.
"One: You said two weeks, so why clear it now? Two: Does this mean you're heading straight to the US? Three: How much ass-kissing are you planning?"
"Dry, just one question."
"Shoot."
"No talk about rewards?"
"Hm? You want rewards or something?"
"Nah. Haven't expected any since clearing the one in Mungyeong."
After taking down three S-Rank Towers, not even a medal, let alone any "We'll take care of this!" promises.
"What I'm wondering is if they're thinking something like that."
"Like what?"
"Kiharu might not like hearing it, but since we cleared it on our own whim, they figure they don't owe us any rewards?"
"Whoa..."
Dry's face hardened at my suspicion.
"With Jeju's last one cleared anyway, no more S-Rank Towers left. Why reward some 'draft dodger' skipping out to the US for good?"
"You check any hacked data?"
"People are seriously saying that?"
"Uncomfortable truth, but yeah, can't say there aren't."
"What a troublesome bunch."
I'd just thrown it out there as a what-if, but damn, that's some shortsighted thinking.
"What happens if another S-Rank pops up in Korea later?"
"Even if it breaks and monsters overrun the place, no bowing to a guy who ditched the country for America! Something like that, right? Heh."
Dry chuckled lowly and switched the TV feed.
The split-screen showed national broadcasts from terrestrial to cable, all airing live footage of the Jeju S-Rank Tower site—now gone, everything back to normal.
At the center of the gathered crowd.
A good distance from the people, Elaine stood primly, gripping the mic.
[Ah. Aah.] One hand held the mic.
The other, my backup phone.
[I watched the footage from Korea's S-Rank Hunters' primary raid.] Elaine spoke up—the hunter who'd stormed the S-Rank Tower right after their primary raid regrouped.
[I went ahead and cleared it, just in case leaving it might cause casualties.] As pre-arranged, Elaine recited the script we'd discussed before entering the tower.
[It was just too frustrating to sit idle.] The on-site reporter's sharp question, flustered but probing the vague statement's intent.
[In... what sense was it frustrating?] I'd baited it on purpose.
The word "frustrating" could strike a nerve of inferiority in some.
[I watched the raid footage. If Blue Lightning hadn't drawn aggro up front, and someone else pulled eyes while gathering mana for a focused barrage, the boss would've gone down.] Up to here, it'd sound like backseat commentary on the raid.
Malicious reporters would snap their fingers, marking this clip for their headline spin.
[The tower would've been cleared, and Jeju residents could've lived without worry.] But they'd be disappointed by the follow-up platitudes.
[There's no more S-Rank Tower in Jeju. Tourists can visit without fear. Most importantly, you residents can finally set your worries aside.] A string of words that'd make anyone think she was a Jeju tourism ambassador.
[Seeing citizens so anxious... that frustration made me step up.] "Kinda cheesy phrasing, but after clearing Mungyeong Saejae Tower, Ganghwa Island, and Dokdo, I realized one thing."
[Most of all...] The higher-ups' thoughts on us are obvious.
"From the perspective of a regular citizen pre-awakening, whether S-Rank or EX-Rank, just clearing that ticking time bomb is enough to be grateful for."
[Thanks to the hard work of 'heroes' like Blue Lightning, we took down the boss faster.] Regular citizens share one common sentiment etched in their hearts.
"Gratitude."
[That's all. Thank you.] Fwump.
Elaine left the scene.
And soon after, just minutes later.
"Mission complete. I'm back, Master."
She returned to our room in one go.
"Calling the youngest now?"
"Yeah. Soon."
The fourth summon.
That one was our ticket out of Jeju, too.
"When you save someone drowning, they usually say thanks. But if the rescuer looks kind and naive, human nature kicks in—they try to milk it a bit more."
"Something like the government trying to restrain you, Master...?"
"Someone's bound to pull some crazy stunt."
Unthinkable to most, but some do wild shit for attention and fame.
"Before some psycho chick scales the hotel wall to attack, let's chopper off the roof. Lucky for us, it's barely helipad-viable up there."
"That'll take time, though. Releasing that to buy it?"
"Mm, Elaine. Your take?"
"I'll follow your lead, Master. Personally, though, I'd rather show the Ganghwa Island clear over this one..."
Click. Elaine detached something like a headband from her hairband.
"If it's just to buy time, sharing this footage is fine. Or... should we just upload it as the 'secondary raid video'?"
"Not a bad idea."
Not on a Korean gov channel, obviously.
"How about asking if we can post it on the USFK channel?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [30 minutes later, at a training center somewhere in Jeju.]
Screeech!!
A black sedan pulled up to the entrance with a harsh grind.
Before his secretary could open the door, a middle-aged man flung it wide and stormed out of the official sedan, face flushed beet red as he barged through the center's doors.
"Hunters!!"
Who was he calling?
The hunters gathered in the lobby, eyes glued to the big screen, glanced at the man before turning back.
"V-Vice Minister, calm down...!"
"You think I can calm down right now!!"
His aide tried to restrain him, but the man was the Vice Minister of Disaster Countermeasures.
Him coming to Jeju was in place of the minister in Seoul, sent personally by the President.
"Is this the time to sit around watching someone else's raid footage?!"
He'd raced here on presidential orders, but the hunters scowled like he'd crashed their movie night with peddler wares.
"Hey!"
"Shh, quiet down."
A hunter about the vice minister's age stood, waving him off like an annoying vendor.
"We're analyzing EX-Rank combat footage right now."
"This isn't the time for...!"
"Video could vanish anytime, downloads could get hacked—who knows when we'd get another shot?"
The middle-aged hunter pointed to someone beside him filming the big screen with a camcorder, head not even turning.
Filming footage with footage? But the screen's content was that crucial—and desperate—for hunters, especially A-Ranks.
"See that? Kicked the air with mana right before the sword connected. Countering shockwaves?"
"Feels like a boost. Air-stepping, basically."
"Aura on the sword in combat—doesn't it look just like Elaine?"
"That's mental prep. Mimicking game dev motions to ramp up mana quick."
"No, this isn't the time...!"
"Quiet."
The low voice from the front-row seat sent a jolt through the vice minister like an electric shock.
"Tower didn't break or anything. No new one popped up. What's the rush?"
"B-Blue Lightning...!"
"Can't you see we're studying the boss raid for tips?"
No matter his rank, he couldn't bark at a visibly irritated S-Rank Hunter.
Not even the minister or president would dare lightly.
The video rolled on, till the boss fell.
[Hoo.] The EX-Rank Hunter's quiet exhale after taking zero damage from the boss.
[Thanks to the primary raid, we cleared faster than expected.] The maid's words.
Captured on video meant public to the world.
[Thank you, hunters of the primary raid. Things are tense now, but... when a bigger crisis hits someday, let's fight together then. For humanity—] Snip.
The video cut out.
For a second, it seemed force-downed remotely—but no, the screen just lost power.
"What the hell!"
"The end... what was it?!"
"Hey!!"
Hunters raised voices at the one who'd yanked the screen's cord.
"Iron Blood, you!"
"If you've got time for this, move out now."
Iron Blood's expression unchanged as he pulled out his smartphone for the hunters.
"We can't let scum like this go to another country."
"...A guy who couldn't even scratch the boss thinks he can take the maid?"
"Boss was a bad matchup. Things are different now."
The moment Iron Blood lifted his chin.
"Oh, really?"
Flash. A blue bolt of lightning exploded.
"?!?!?!?"
Some attack?
It was.
"Fuck off already."
"D-Daram-ssi...?"
Iron Blood went flying outside.
Blood trickled from nose and mouth as he hit the ground.
"B-Blue Lightning! What the hell are you...!"
"What I should've done ages ago."
Blue Lightning clenched and unclenched his electrified fist, stalking toward Iron Blood.
"They clear every damn tower without asking for shit, and you pull crap like this? You human trash!!!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Whoa."
I was stunned.
"Was pondering how to intercept Iron Blood, but who knew the guy getting 'flying squirrel' jabs would lightning-punch his face."