Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Awakening?
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Awakening?
Korea’s one and only S-Rank Hunter, Kim Suho.
He was currently at the special training grounds of the World Hunter Association headquarters.
This was the testing ground where the top rankers from each country verified the success probability of conquering the next floor in advance.
The test here was an essential procedure for challenging the next floor.
Because failing to conquer the Tower didn’t just end with an individual’s death.
The Tower’s collapse meant national disaster.
Of course, precautions were necessary.
Today, the examiner measuring Kim Suho’s chances of climbing the 54th floor was just one person.
A man in a blue costume.
The current world number one ranker, the man closest to a god, Demigod.
Demigod enjoyed this role.
Because it allowed him to periodically confirm that there was no existence in this world that could threaten him.
Of course, there was one single exception.
‘Double O….’
That unidentified nickname wouldn’t leave Demigod’s mind.
A being continuously surging up at a frightening speed.
He had persistently asked the S-Ranks from each country who came here for tests about it.
But no one knew its identity.
Or they were pretending not to know.
‘As expected, finding it directly is impossible? I need to think of another way….’
Demigod shook his head to clear away the stray thoughts.
For now, it was time to focus on the task at hand.
“Test concluded. Yang Tai, conquest impossible.”
Demigod declared in an indifferent voice.
In front of him stood China’s S-Rank Hunter, his entire body covered in dust.
Yang Tai shouted as if he couldn’t accept it at all.
“No way! This is rigged! It’s a scheme to check China’s growth, right?”
“Rigged?”
“Obviously! Out of fear of us, you’re declaring it impossible even though the conquest potential is sufficient!”
Yang Tai claimed that Demigod had deliberately taken him down.
All of this to crush China’s spirit.
“Tsk. Not a pretty sight.”
The sound of other hunters waiting in the corner of the training grounds clicking their tongues could be heard.
Demigod’s brow furrowed sharply.
He slowly approached Yang Tai.
“Got a complaint, China?”
“Of course! This is blatant discrimination…!”
Before he could even finish, Demigod’s two hands shot out like lightning.
His massive hands gripped Yang Tai’s cheeks.
Yang Tai, an S-Rank Hunter, had his face turned into a sandwich without any resistance.
“Urk…!”
Demigod lifted Yang Tai up just like that. His two feet dangled in the air.
Demigod opened his mouth.
“Roar————!”
A lion’s roar accompanied by a physical shockwave.
The entire training ground vibrated violently from his voice.
The people nearby had to cover their ears and drop to their knees.
“Cough!”
Blood streamed from Yang Tai’s eyes, ears, and nose.
Thud.
As Demigod let go, Yang Tai collapsed to the floor.
The medical team rushed over familiarly and loaded his body onto a stretcher to carry him away.
“Worried about intimidating a guy who collapses just from yelling? What an absurd fool.”
The people sneered at the fallen Yang Tai as if he was clueless.
Demigod turned his head toward the next in line as if nothing had happened.
His gaze landed on Kim Suho.
“Next, Kim Cardian?”
Kim Suho silently walked to the center of the training grounds.
Demigod asked him.
“You got complaints or worries like that idiot?”
“No. I don’t.”
Kim Suho quietly shook his head.
Demigod lifted the corner of his mouth, pleased with the answer.
“Cool, I like that. Alright, let’s start. I’ll match the next floor’s data.”
The mock battle began the moment Demigod finished speaking.
The scariest thing about wind magic was that it gave no warning.
An undetectable attack invisible to the eye.
Just a single graze from the wind was enough to shatter the target to pieces.
Whoosh—!
With the sound, formless blades surged in.
An attack infused with S-Rank power.
With enough force to cleave a mountain in half.
But Demigod didn’t dodge.
He simply stood still.
The wind gently tousled his hair.
“That all you got?”
Kim Suho gritted his teeth.
As expected, surprise attacks held no advantage against powerhouses of this level.
He clasped his hands together, unleashing a massive storm.
His strongest attack skill.
Rainbow-grade skill. Storm Rend.
A whirlwind that tore everything apart engulfed Demigod.
However, Demigod showed no intention of dodging.
It was only natural.
Dodging the attack wouldn’t allow for an accurate assessment of its power.
Swish!
Demigod’s fist struck empty air.
A shockwave spread out.
A shockwave that overwhelmed the storm.
It wasn’t some skill. Just a phenomenon created by pure physical strength.
“That your ultimate move?”
“Urgh…!”
“No point in doing more. Seems pointless.”
Demigod looked down at Kim Suho with impassive eyes.
A cold verdict flowed from his lips.
“Hey, Kim Cardian.”
His low voice echoed throughout the training grounds.
“At this rate, you’ll fail to conquer the next floor. With this power, you can’t take down the boss.”
A notification filled with certainty.
Kim Suho couldn’t lift his head.
Because he, more than anyone, knew Demigod’s words were true.
Kim Suho silently returned to his quarters.
***
The sound of the door closing echoed through the empty hallway.
Kim Suho leaned against the door and slid down to the floor.
A feeling of strength draining from his entire body.
He raised his head to look at the mirror on the opposite wall.
What was reflected inside wasn’t Korea’s strongest S-Rank Hunter.
Just one frail human feeling powerless.
“…I’m still so weak.”
Kim Suho covered his face with trembling hands.
Rough breaths leaked through his fingers.
Forgotten memories resurfaced.
He could hear the sound of rain.
The memory of the smell of mud mixed with blood.
‘Hurry and go! I’ll handle this….’
The memory of turning his back on someone he had to protect and fleeing.
The sight of his own weak, cowardly back.
From that day on, Kim Suho had sworn.
That he would never run away again.
That he would take on the role of the person who died for him.
That oath became his very life.
He spoke like the person he admired, acted like that person.
Always brimming with confidence, never backing down from any crisis—a strong figure.
The title of Korea’s one and only S-Rank Hunter was the result of that oath.
“Whew… Get it together.”
After exhaling a short breath, he pulled himself up.
The person who died for him surely wouldn’t have crumbled in a situation like this.
He didn’t have time to sit slumped.
He was Korea’s one and only S-Rank.
And the person responsible for Seoul’s Tower.
Giving up meant Seoul would fall.
He had to find a solution somehow.
“I need to find a way. Somehow.”
He picked up his phone.
The cold metal touch seemed to cool his head a bit.
But who should he ask for advice?
The Association or the government?
He could get support, but it wouldn’t mean much.
He was already receiving the maximum support possible.
Other countries’ S-Ranks?
That was the worst option.
It would just expose his weaknesses.
“Damn….”
A wave of isolation and pressure washed over him.
A sense of hopelessness with no solution in sight.
In the midst of it, his hand habitually opened an app.
Wizard Gallery.
The moment he saw it, Kim Suho’s awareness snapped back.
“Why did I come here? In this situation….”
Kim Suho was bewildered by his own actions.
In extreme stress, he had unconsciously sought refuge.
A place that existed only for the five wizards in Korea.
Here, he wasn’t Korea’s S-Rank Hunter who had to protect the country—he was just the fixed nick Beetle.
The one place where he could reveal his true self.
One of the few spaces in the world where he could relax his mind.
[Title: How about changing the Korean flag to my crest later?]
[Writer: Anon(88U.8T8)]
[They’re already doing it inside the Tower. Let’s adopt that good Tower culture.]
ㄴPikaboo: You’re out of your mind.
The usual conversations.
Kim Suho blankly read the posts.
A feeling as if the weight of reality faded for a moment.
It was then.
His fingers moved on their own.
As if the dam holding back his pent-up emotions had burst.
[Me…]
A single letter in the input box.
Kim Suho hesitated for a moment.
But his already-moving fingers wrote on their own.
[Title: I got a failure verdict for climbing the 55th floor]
A single line with no explanation.
Before Kim Suho could even realize what he’d done, he hit send.
***
[I got a failure verdict for climbing the 55th floor]
“What the hell is this?”
S-Rank Hunter Kim Suho.
Korea’s strongest. For him to get a failure verdict?
I wasn’t the only one shocked.
The other wizards’ comments poured in one after another.
ㄴPikaboo: ???
ㄴFridge: ?????
ㄴMagicIsFirepower: ????????
Soon, Beetle added an explanation.
ㄴBeetle: Just got the official test results. They said firepower’s insufficient.
Firepower insufficient.
The moment those four letters appeared in the comments.
I had a gut feeling someone would show up.
ㄴMagicIsFirepower: Who dared say firepower’s insufficient??
ㄴFridge: I knew it.
ㄴMagicIsFirepower: It’s because wind magic is fundamentally weak in firepower. That wouldn’t happen with fire magic.
ㄴPikaboo: You can’t choose attributes, so shut up with the useless talk. Give a solution.
The following scolding.
MagicIsFirepower, feeling awkward, immediately suggested a solution.
ㄴMagicIsFirepower: If firepower’s lacking, just dual-wield staffs, duh?
ㄴAnon(88U.8T8): LOL what
ㄴFridge: If that works, stick one in your mouth for a triple wield?
ㄴPikaboo: I’d slot them on every finger joint for a six-way wield. Wolverine style.
I agreed.
There were limits to equippable gear.
“Hell, then stack three rings per finger and layer two or three outfits.”
But MagicIsFirepower insisted firmly.
ㄴ마법은화력: Come on, you guys don’t trust people. I tried it myself!
ㄴFridge: Hmmfming….
ㄴ마법은화력: Wait, I’ll upload proof video.
Soon, a post really went up.
In the GIF, two staffs were genuinely activating simultaneously.
It looked pretty hilarious, holding long staffs in both hands.
ㄴFridge: No way, it actually works…. Why does it work?
ㄴ마법은화력: Told you it works?
ㄴPikaboo: How the hell did you learn such a weird technique?
ㄴ마법은화력: There’s a really heartbreaking story behind that.
ㄴ마법은화력: Anyway, that’s not important. See? This boosts firepower a ton, right? I’ll write up the detailed tips now.
“Hmm… Don’t I have something to contribute?”
I pondered for a moment.
Beetle, Kim Suho. One of the few who knew my identity.
On top of that, someone I owed favors to, from A-Rank Hunter registration and more.
“Fixed nicks showing up like pros at times like this are kinda cool….”
I decided to help as much as I could.
For now, I suggested what came to mind.
ㄴAnon(88U.8T8): Want to borrow my staff? It’s Legendary.
ㄴBeetle: Nah, I’ll gratefully accept the thought.
ㄴBeetle: What if I die inside the Tower even by some chance?
ㄴBeetle: If that happens, that item’s lost forever. Can’t do that.
ㄴAnon(88U.8T8): No one plans around dying, idiot. You go in with the resolve to clear for sure.
ㄴBeetle: Fair point. Still won’t borrow gear.
ㄴBeetle: Attributes don’t match anyway, so it wouldn’t help much. Plus, I can get my own equipment.
A polite but firm refusal.
I acknowledged he wasn’t wrong.
My World Tree Root definitely wouldn’t suit him well.
As an S-Rank with government backing, getting another staff tailored for him would be no big deal.
“Then should I make something helpful?”
I reached out my hand.
The ring on my finger glowed.
A thick book of magic unfolded before me.
“Let’s see, staffs or magic-related items….”
A list of blueprints for countless weapons, armor, and accessories scrolled by.
Soon, a promising entry appeared.
[Dwarf Universal Staff.]
“Oh? This looks decent.”
I read down the detailed description.
[Description: A mana weapon crafted with dwarven wisdom and craftsmanship.]
[Firing the trigger launches compressed mana bullets.]
[Allows even dwarves without magic talent to use magic.]
[*Facilitates favorable negotiations and conversations.]
I doubted my eyes for a moment.
“…This is just a gun.”
A dwarven item true to their brutish nature.
I skimmed other blueprints.
But the situation was similar.
“No immediately helpful items, huh.”
Magic battery, at best?
Maybe if someone else’s magic was stored in it…
“Let’s think of another way.”
I sank back into thought.
If items won’t work, what else?
Anything I know?
A fundamental way to boost firepower.
“Ah.”
A memory suddenly flashed through my mind.
Gerard, the court wizard I met during the 32nd floor fortress defense.
Gerard’s unique mana flow.
I had seen and copied it with Insight.
“This might help?”
Not increasing total mana, but using existing power more efficiently.
Wasn’t that exactly what Kim Suho needed now?
I wrote in the comments again.
ㄴAnon(88U.8T8): I learned a technique in the Tower that…