Chapter 142
Chapter 142.
"President...?"
"I was heading to the Management Office for work anyway, so I came out to go with you."
"......Father really wanted to go together. Would that be alright?"
"Of course."
It's not like he's a stranger or anything.
Lee Ganghan nodded and got into the car.
"As soon as you cleared the Occupation Reservation tower, the change was immediately visible. If we say the Golden Gun Tower's current erosion level is 100, then 30% of it disappeared."
"30% is quite a significant reduction, isn't it?"
"Here are the photos."
Shin Yuri, who was in the passenger seat, brought up a screen on her tablet PC and handed it to Lee Ganghan in the back seat.
Looking at the photos, it was clear.
The before and after difference of the Occupation Reservation tower was stark.
The clarity of the Golden Gun Tower and the changes from the lower floors had significantly decreased.
The tower in Malawi had somewhat returned to its previous state.
"If it decreases this much by just clearing the 10th floor once...... the Occupation Reservation tower might disappear after clearing it just a few more times."
"Exactly. It's a very encouraging phenomenon. However...... I'm skeptical about whether players other than you can actually clear this."
Silver Tower No.24, which the Kobolds had made an Occupation Reservation.
Only Silver players could enter here, but how many Silver players would be able to withstand those bullets?
"Looking at it this way, I'm glad you didn't participate in the Transcendent vote."
"Why is that?"
"Didn't the Kobold Elder mention earlier that Transcendents can only enter Diamond towers?"
The President was completely aware of Lee Ganghan's tower climbing from just moments ago.
"The towers under Occupation Reservation aren't just in Silver, they're also placed in Gold and Platinum. Fortunately, there are no more in Bronze since you cleared them."
"So they're distributed by tier like that."
"If you had become a Transcendent, you would have only entered Diamond towers...... so the Occupation Reservation towers in the lower tiers would have continued to grow. I was somewhat disappointed when you withdrew from the Transcendent vote, but that feeling completely disappeared."
The Kobold Elder's statement that Transcendents can only enter Diamond towers was quite significant.
"But if Transcendents can only enter Diamond towers, how did Gershu and Son Goku come out of Bronze towers?"
At Shin Yuri's question, Shin Gyeongcheol pondered for a moment before answering.
"Hmm...... they appeared during the 11th floor or record-breaking moments, so it should be viewed differently from normal situations, shouldn't it?"
"Ah. I see......"
Well, if they could appear every time, a Transcendent would have come to guard from the 10th floor of the Occupation Reservation tower earlier.
Lee Ganghan nodded and said.
"But were you watching my entire TowerTube broadcast? I just climbed a moment ago."
"Of course. Your TowerTube is monitored by tower management offices in every country. Whether you do it at 1 AM or 3 AM, the duty officers immediately discover it and contact us."
It was a broadcast that received that much attention.
"Hmm. From now on, I should either match the entry time or give advance notice before entering towers."
"The duty officers would appreciate that. Still, your convenience comes first, so don't feel too burdened and enter towers comfortably."
While having such conversations with the President, they arrived at the Tower Management Office before they knew it.
"Ah. When today's discussion with the Chinese side ends, I'm also thinking of selling Human Race equipment."
"Ah. Good. I'll tell Manager Jang Junho to prepare immediately when he comes to work."
Lee Ganghan, having stopped by the Tower Management Office, decided to sell items from the Black Market as well and waited for the Chinese representatives.
And not long after, a group entered the conference room where Lee Ganghan was waiting.
A party consisting of two men with sturdy builds and one scrawny man carefully following behind them.
"Hello! Heavenly Demon!"
"We watched your dawn play with great interest!"
The two men in front greeted Lee Ganghan energetically in fluent Korean, but.
"......Hello."
The man behind greeted him haltingly in awkward Korean.
His accent felt like a foreigner who had only learned greeting phrases and was forcing himself to use them.
"Nice to meet you."
Lee Ganghan returned the greeting, and everyone took their seats at the conference table.
"......"
An awkward silence flowed for a moment.
Then.
"Let's skip the formalities and speak directly to the point."
Shin Yuri, who was sitting next to Lee Ganghan, spoke first.
"We have already withdrawn. Did the Chinese side bring the promised items?"
"Of course. The S-grade accessory is in my inventory, and the 'Divine Sect Secret Record' is......"
Swish.
The man who appeared to be the Chinese representative turned his gaze to the side.
There, a middle-aged man was tightly clutching something to his chest.
"Director Jin's father is carrying it."
"Ah. So that person is Cheon Gahyeon's father."
"Yes. He's quite a famous archaeologist in China."
He has a completely different image from that strong Cheon Gahyeon.
With a body that looks like it would collapse if poked, and his current expression so tense that he looked frightened.
"Then would it be alright to interpret for a moment?"
"Please do."
When the Chinese representative said something to Cheon Gahyeon's father, he rolled his eyes cautiously and answered the Chinese representative in a weak voice.
"Director Jin's father wants to personally confirm his daughter's life and death before handing over the Divine Sect Secret Record."
"Ah. I understand."
His daughter's life and death.
He would naturally be curious.
Lee Ganghan readily nodded and opened Ten Thousand Demon Battle.
'Cheon Gahyeon...... she cleared the tower?'
While other Lowest Grade Disciples were still going around towers, Cheon Gahyeon was certainly exceptionally strong among the Lowest Grade Disciples, so she had managed to clear the tutorial tower even without traits.
When Lee Ganghan connected the communication.
Whirrrr......
The communication screen opened, and Cheon Gahyeon looked at Lee Ganghan with a strange expression.
[Heavenly Demon...... what exactly did you do to me?]
"What?"
Besides telling her to climb towers, I didn't particularly do anything?
When Lee Ganghan looked puzzled, Cheon Gahyeon observed his facial expression and slowly opened her mouth.
[I...... gained a trait.]
***
She gained a trait?
'Is it because she cleared the tower?'
She definitely didn't have a trait when entering the tower, but after clearing it on her own, a trait was generated?
'I'll know when other Lowest Grade Disciples start clearing towers.'
Lee Ganghan thought so and asked Cheon Gahyeon.
"What kind of trait did you get?"
[Lowest Grade Disciple of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect...... that's it.]
"That's just your current status?"
[Still, it says the grade is D and I can use Lowest Grade martial arts.]
"Oh. Really?"
If she can use Lowest Grade martial arts, that's pretty decent, isn't it?
Cheon Gahyeon seemed to think so too, as her expression looked the brightest it had been since being trapped in Ten Thousand Demon Battle.
Then.
"Wait, Director Jin gained a trait?"
The Chinese representative across the conference table showed interest in this after hearing Lee Ganghan's words.
And perhaps because he heard his daughter's voice.
"......"
Cheon Gahyeon's father also stretched his neck out, focusing his attention on this side.
'Since I agreed to show her face, I should share the screen.'
Swish.
When Lee Ganghan turned the communication screen so the Chinese representatives could see it.
[Oh...... why are you here......]
Cheon Gahyeon and the Chinese person seemed to know each other, as they acknowledged each other.
"Father came too."
[What?]
And Cheon Gahyeon's father, who had been sitting quietly until now, suddenly stood up and showed his face on the communication screen.
Then.
"&$%%&$^$!"
Unlike his previously quiet demeanor, the middle-aged man rattled off words rapidly.
'It's Chinese, so I don't know what he's saying.'
Cheon Gahyeon also seemed to be answering in Chinese, but.
[Father, that's not it......]
"%$&$%$......"
[I'm fine. It's livable here.]
"&!$$......"
[There's not much...... bullying or anything. The Heavenly Demon...... doesn't really have interest in us.]
Since she belonged to Ten Thousand Demon Battle, her words were automatically translated for him to hear.
'This is fascinating.'
While Lee Ganghan was listening to the father-daughter conversation with only one side audible, the middle-aged man suddenly approached Lee Ganghan and knelt before him.
Then the man appealed to him with tearful eyes, saying something.
"What is he saying?"
When Lee Ganghan asked the Chinese representative.
"Ah...... he's begging you to please release his daughter. He's pleading that he'll repay you somehow, not just with the Divine Sect Secret Record, but please release his daughter from in there."
The Chinese representative spoke with a pitiful expression.
'Did they bring him to appeal to emotions like this?'
With the scrawny father begging to please release his daughter, anyone would naturally feel their heart soften.
Still.
"I cannot release her right now."
"I see......"
"Yes. The contract for Lowest Grade Disciples is set up that way."
Your daughter was practically dead, so in exchange for reviving her with the Sacred Fire, I accepted her as a Lowest Grade Disciple.
Since he couldn't give such detailed explanations, Lee Ganghan deflected by saying it wasn't possible because she was a Lowest Grade Disciple.
'And if I release her, Cheon Gahyeon would actually die, wouldn't she?'
She survived because she was bound to Ten Thousand Demon Battle.
If released now, she would ultimately come out as a corpse.
This was also a choice made considering Cheon Gahyeon's family.
Of course, the middle-aged man who didn't know the detailed circumstances.
"$ㅕ%&$......!"
Protested something after hearing this, but the Chinese representative quickly approached and stopped him.
Cheon Gahyeon also.
[Father, I'm fine. I'm getting along well here with my subordina...... I mean, other Lowest Grade Disciples. Especially since I became the player I wanted to be, I'll do well here.]
Desperately tried to calm her excited father from beyond the screen.
Then, Cheon Gahyeon's father, with drooped shoulders, bowed his head to Lee Ganghan again.
Then.
Swish.
He pulled out two books from his chest and handed them to Lee Ganghan.
"This is......"
"One is the original Divine Sect Secret Record, and one is the Korean translation of the Divine Sect Secret Record that we prepared."
"Aha. I see."
When did they even prepare a translation?
Lee Ganghan received the two books.
Then.
"And the accessory we prepared is...... the Ring of Monstrous Strength."
The Chinese representative handed over an item as well.
Lee Ganghan received the golden ring embedded with a red ruby and checked the item description.
[Ring of Monstrous Strength]Grade: SA ring that increases strength in proportion to the player's 'Strength' stat.The strength stat increase is fixed at a maximum of 2.
'It's a ring that gives additional strength proportional to my strength.'
Lee Ganghan recalled the earring he had given to Karana before.
That was limited to the Orc race, but even though it had Strength +1 and increased health recovery speed, it was grade A.
This one gives a maximum Strength +2 but is grade S.
'The grading criteria seem ambiguous sometimes......'
The Ring of Monstrous Strength didn't look significantly better than A-grade objectively.
'But this...... if I wear it in towers, my strength might exceed 20?'
However, for Lee Ganghan, this ring had meaning.
His current strength stat was 18.5.
If it added even just +1.5 to this, Lee Ganghan's strength stat would reach 20.
The stat 20 that his mother had constantly talked about.
Even if it was through item effects, he could reach this number anyway.
'I'm quite curious about what will happen when it reaches 20.'
Originally, the main item he was supposed to receive from the Chinese side was the 'Divine Sect Secret Record', and the S-grade accessory was just considered a bonus.
But this way, the main and bonus might be reversed.
Lee Ganghan looked at the Chinese representative with a satisfied expression.
"Thank you. This is exactly the item I needed."
"Not at all. We hope to maintain a good relationship through this opportunity."
"Well...... unless it's something like last time, is there any reason for us to have conflicts?"
"Th-that kind of thing will never happen again."
Despite breaking into a cold sweat at Lee Ganghan's words, the Chinese representative tried to end things on a good note.
"I look forward to it."
Lee Ganghan also had no particular intention of creating conflicts with China here, so he extended his hand first for a handshake, trying to end things on a good note.
Then.
"&$%$&......!"
Suddenly, Cheon Gahyeon's father started shouting something.
"What is he saying?"
"Ah. Well......"
The Chinese representative translated his words.
"He says he'll mobilize everyone to discover relics of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, so he's asking if you could release his daughter when decent relics are found."
"Hmm......"
No, if I release her, your daughter will die.
But.
'Maybe it'll be okay later?'
Right now she's a Lowest Grade Disciple, but somehow, if she adapts in Ten Thousand Demon Battle, the situation might change enough to release her.
In that case, exchanging her for Heavenly Demon Divine Sect relics didn't seem bad.
"Understood. Let's do that."
"Ah. Thank you......!"
"But right now, I can't release her even if I wanted to due to the Lowest Grade Disciple contract, so it would be better to wait."
"Of course. We'll also look into Heavenly Demon Divine Sect relics until then!"
When Lee Ganghan readily agreed, the Chinese representative brightened.
Thus, the meeting concluded in a fairly amicable state.