Chapter 66
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Challenge Letter (3)
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A few days later, the day of the showdown was right around the corner.
The venue was a massive research facility in Gyeonggi Province, arranged by the Management Bureau. It was equipped with plenty of gear for blacksmith Awakeners, but the bigger reason for choosing it was the convenience and safety of America's Awakener, Clara Pierce.
Clara Pierce, more famously known as "America's Eye," was a non-combat Awakener. True to her moniker, she possessed abilities like appraising items, peering into the essence of targets, and clairvoyance.
She had been tasked with monitoring the duel to ensure the Korean side wasn't pulling any tricks.
To accommodate her visit for verifying Korea's special gates without schedule disruptions or crowds, this isolated spot was selected.
My assignment was to process the S-Rank material item "Root of the Great Otherworldly Tree" into an S-Rank item.
This "duel" had stirred up a storm in both Korea and the US.
The Root of the Great Otherworldly Tree was the material Midas had used to craft an S-Rank item. The main ingredient for one of the only six S-Rank items in the world.
In America, there was backlash over selling such a material to a foreign country at a bargain price just for a mere "duel." And that wasn't the only point of contention.
r/awakened • Posted by u/Ok_Dog_7189
[The US government selling the Otherworldly Tree's root for a mere few hundred billion won is a serious blunder.]
Everyone heard about it, right? That challenge Midas threw at Korea's ghost craftsman this time.
Confirmed that the material Midas put up is a piece of the "Otherworldly Tree's root." Yeah, that Otherworldly Tree. The one from the S-Rank erosion gate.
But they're selling it to the Korean government for just 15 million dollars (about 20 billion won)? Are they insane? That's America's asset! That money barely buys a decent house in New York!
Calm down. This isn't a sale; it's the stakes for the "challenge." If Korea fails the S-Rank craft, the material returns intact, and only on success does ownership transfer. It's a conditional contract where America risks nothing.
No risk? Midas's pride and America's honor are on the line?
It's fine. Korea doesn't have the skills to process it anyway. Free 15 million dollars. Lol.
r/awakened • Posted by u/Clara_Simp_Squad
[Oh God, Midas is acting like an arrogant idiot again.]
Why is Midas dragging "America's Eye" into his personal ego trip?
Clara Pierce isn't talent to waste on this petty show. She should be monitoring unidentified gates threatening the world right now.
Arthur Miller, please stop harassing Clara!
Midas is just protecting his honor as the world's top craftsman. And to verify if the S-Rank crafting process is legit or used a "trick" skill, we need someone credible.
Right. If a regular Awakener checks, the Korean government might bribe them. No one's more suited than Clara.
I heard Clara herself is pretty interested in this. She had business in Korea anyway.
r/awakened • Posted by u/RoyalyReferenced
[Honestly, Korea's S-Rank crafting ability is just a delusion.]
Everyone's taking it too seriously, but this is obviously a scam.
Look at the facts. Korea has never succeeded in crafting an S-Rank item even once. The items their guilds have were all bought from overseas auctions or Midas.
Suddenly some unknown "ghost" craftsman is mass-producing S-Ranks? This is just the Korean government hyping themselves up with media play.
All we have to do is watch Midas and Clara expose this scam on TV.
Let's see how much Korea embarrasses itself. Lol.
The outcome of this duel is obvious. The ghost won't show or will make some shoddy B-Rank item and embarrass themselves. I'll bet 100 dollars on it.
The American reactions were as expected. They treated me like a fraud, accused the Korean government of media manipulation, or spun wild theories.
'Eh, no need to worry about it.'
Once today was over, all those reactions would flip anyway. No point getting heated over it.
I arrived at the Gyeonggi research facility an hour early, as promised. To prepare for contingencies, an amnesiac ability user hired by the Management Bureau accompanied me, minimizing any risk of exposure through info control.
Once in the waiting room, I took a deep breath.
"Hoo..."
In the center of the waiting room sat a lone yellow cat mascot suit. I unzipped it familiarly and crammed myself inside.
"Heave, heave."
Learning from the last confinement fiasco, I'd modified it so I could easily open and close the zipper from inside. And that wasn't all.
Zip─
I zipped it up fully and donned the head. My vision darkened for a moment, then the internal monitor lit up, displaying the outside clearly. I pressed a button on the neck area.
[Ah, ah. Mic test. One two, three.]
A cute voice mixed with mechanical tones emanated from the speaker built into the mouth. Another addition to solve communication issues. No more humiliating dances while trapped.
"Are you sure you'll be okay? We can cancel the duel anytime if you want."
Yu So-jeong, who had followed me to the waiting room, said. She must think I was stiff from nerves.
Far from it. I was brimming with confidence.
[Huh? I'm looking forward to it. It's like getting two S-Rank items for free.]
The mechanical, childlike voice—forced to sound cute despite being adult-pitched—burst from the suit.
"Two items?"
[Yeah. The chalice Midas staked, and the S-Rank material he provided. That makes two.]
It was a bit odd fixating on spoils already, but with victory assured, what could I do?
"Filming and verification are all set!"
A Management Bureau staffer reported. Time to go.
[Alright, I'll be off!]
I stepped forward energetically.
Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.
The door to the workshop—the duel arena—opened.
Whirr.
The first thing I saw as the door slid open was the Management Bureau staff, American Awakeners, and a few reporters beyond the upper glass wall. Ah, Director Joo Deok-hwan was there too.
Their expressions twisted in various ways the moment I appeared: shock, confusion, anger. No sound through the glass, but their faces and lip movements told the story.
'Probably wondering what's going on.'
I waved hello as I waddled into the workshop.
Waddle, waddle.
Not trying to act cute on purpose. Anyone in a mascot suit walks like this.
'...Gonna look pretty shocking on camera, though.'
In the workshop center sat today's task inside a glass case: the "Root of the Great Otherworldly Tree."
About 2.5 meters long, impressively thick. Even with the suit's elevated view, it looked huge. Heavy too—heavy enough that my real body probably couldn't lift it.
'Let's check the info first.'
Root of the Great Otherworldly Tree (S)
Description: Root of a colossal tree that grows through dimensional rifts. Its power is dormant now, but it boasts extreme physical hardness and repels mana.
'Hoo...'
Midas's intent was obvious the moment I read the description.
A material with high physical hardness and mana resistance. Normal methods wouldn't even scratch it, let alone process it.
Even suspecting tricks, he'd layered two safety nets. To block the first step of "processing" in case I wasted the S-Rank material recklessly or pulled some stunt.
'Bad taste.'
Carving this would require at least an A-Rank hunter with an A-Rank weapon. Any regular craftsman would despair on sight.
But.
'You picked the wrong opponent, Midas.'
I grinned where no one could see and lifted the Otherworldly Tree's root.
Meanwhile, at that moment.
People watching the live broadcast airing worldwide couldn't hold back their shock.
The duel pitting Korea and America's pride at stake. The moment the identity of the "ghost" Midas had called out was revealed.
As everyone held their breath waiting for the door to open, it wasn't a stern craftsman, a cool-headed expert, or a mystical wizard that emerged.
The live chat flooded with question marks for a good while before proper messages started appearing.
?????
What the hell is that?
Seriously?
Cat?
Am I dreaming?
No way, insane;; Wearing a mascot costume?
Are they joking? The whole world is watching?
The on-site reactions weren't much different.
The American observers gaped speechlessly, while even the Korean staff, out of the loop, buzzed with bewilderment.
"What... what the hell is that?"
"Korean sense of humor is hard to grasp."
"Are they mocking us right now?"
Too absurd to even sarcasm, the American rep denied reality. Director Joo Deok-hwan wiped sweat while feigning calm.
"Haha, it's... mysticism, shall we say."
But amid the chaos, one person wasn't laughing.
"America's Eye," Clara Pierce.
She flung wide her usually closed eyes. Her blue irises fixed on the yellow cat mascot.
'No way Korea's joking even here.'
Eye of Truth (A+)
She naturally tried to discern the face and body info of the person inside. To check if fake, a stunt double, or a hidden master.
But she saw nothing.
'Blocked?'
Her gaze couldn't pierce the suit. Like facing a high-grade monster.
'A mere mascot blocking my eyes? Artifact? Skill? What?'
If an item's effect, the suit itself was at least an A-Rank artifact. Crafting and wearing such high-performance gear just for protection?
Clara's competitive spirit ignited.
'Let's see, then.'
Blue mana swirled in her eyes.
Eye of Truth (A+)
Still nothing. She mobilized other skills.
Eye of Truth (A+), X-Ray Vision (B-), Clairvoyance (A), Mana Sight (B+), Visual Material Analysis (A-)...
All skills activating simultaneously for momentary S-Rank output. Insight piercing even dimensional rifts targets the suit.
Crackle─
The suit's defense peeled back bit by bit. Cracks formed in the golden shield, the interior about to reveal itself.
And at that instant. Pierce felt her consciousness leaving her body.