WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Mordor

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◈ Escaping the Tower at Hell Difficulty ◈

Episode 62

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The Orcs and Lizardmen each got their belongings back.

Their eyes kept sweeping over us.

Wariness toward a new race, and an attempt to gather information.

"Those weapons look strange... How do they work?"

"Careful. That explosion earlier was no joke."

Still, they wouldn't learn much just by looking.

Even Kaellis, the Elf hero who had reached the seventeenth floor, hadn't understood until he was hit by one himself.

"Are you leaving right away?"

"Yeah. Our backpacks are already full..."

The Orcs quietly headed for the exit.

It was a shame about the Lizardmen.

But they couldn't openly kill them in front of us.

If the Orcs did something like that, we'd think the same way about them.

Watching them head toward the exit with bulging backpacks made greed well up inside me.

It couldn't be helped. I was a hunter.

Still, principles existed for times like this.

I didn't want to blindly kill other races and create more enemies for humanity.

There seemed to be quite a few races already treated as public enemies.

There might not be any witnesses now, but what if a hunter with a skill like Psychometry showed up?

There was no such thing as an eternal secret.

'They gave us all sorts of information. Let's just let them go.'

The Orc team leader, who had kept a reasonable distance from us, scribbled something on a small piece of leather and handed it over.

The writing was a mess, but it looked like some kind of letters and numbers.

"Take it."

"What's this?"

"The code for an Interdimensional Communicator. They should have started selling them in your shops by now."

"Oh, so it lets you contact other dimensions?"

It wouldn't hurt to know a few Orc hunters.

They gathered among themselves to discuss what to do with the Symbol of the Death Priests.

"If they find out a Death Priest believer came from our team, we're all dead. Take what happened today to your grave. And you, stop doing this kind of crap. Got it?"

"But..."

"You should've at least told me, your team leader! You irresponsible bastard."

"Okay... I'm sorry."

The Orcs soon disappeared through the exit.

The Lizardmen couldn't do the same.

They were Prisoner Hunters.

If they returned empty-handed without any gains, they would die. No exaggeration.

"Wouldn't bringing back information about another race be enough?"

"But we can't prove it."

"Ugh, should we go mine Soul Crystals in the Underground Labyrinth or something...?"

"We have no choice. Let's go."

There were only three of them, yet they bravely set off.

After getting their contact information, we began discussing our plans.

To be honest, I wanted to gather some Soul Crystals in the Underground Labyrinth before escaping.

The team, on the other hand, didn't look thrilled.

Everyone lacked motivation, so I couldn't force the issue.

We had gathered quite a few Soul Crystals on the tenth floor already, so I gave up on the idea.

"Shall we escape?"

"Sounds good! What should we do first once we're out? We learned too much new information..."

"First, we need to make Team Leader king."

Yuki said it so naturally that the entire team froze.

"... Didn't you hear what we just talked about?"

"I did! It's only natural for a powerful hunter to become a ruler, and once someone takes the throne, there's almost no way to bring them down. So of course Team Leader should become one."

I was pretty sure we'd just heard about all the side effects caused by hunters becoming kings.

She had ignored all of that and only remembered the benefits.

And she said we just had to take that position ourselves.

What a remarkably healthy mindset.

"Yuki, I don't want that..."

"Oh, really? Why not?"

"Just watching Jiho hyung handle paperwork gives me a headache... I just want to clear the Tower in peace."

"Then it can't be helped."

She gave up quickly.

Still, she respected my wishes.

Sang Hajun, who had stayed outside, came down into the basement.

"Let's get out of here. The air isn't great, and I can hear fighting from the Sub-Temple."

"Okay."

Leaving while we still could was a good policy too.

In the end, we entered the exit.

Flaaash!

[Escape complete.]

[Transcendence skill level has increased to 8.]

[Adaptability skill level has increased to 3...]

Maybe because we hadn't stayed long this time, my skill levels didn't rise much.

Still, I'd gained a skill, so the actual rewards were substantial.

"Alpha Team, returning!"

Hearing words that were starting to sound familiar, I went to bathe and eat.

Before the memories faded, I recorded every story we'd heard.

The TV news was unusually loud today.

"That'll get mixed into the recording..."

"Should we ask them to turn it down?"

"No. Let's listen too."

[With the news that the Tower's eleventh floor and above have been newly opened, governments around the world...]

The eleventh floor we'd opened.

Other hunters could now use it as much as they wanted.

The quality of the loot was incredibly high too.

"But if they go in unprepared, they'll become food for the other races..."

"That's why everyone's in an uproar."

[Some are waiting for an official announcement from the Korean Hunter Association...]

Ah, I guess that made sense.

We were the only ones who had even set foot there.

"... They're waiting for our announcement?"

"Tell them to wait a little longer. People need to eat."

"How much are we revealing, Team Leader?"

"Most of it."

Other than information about the Death Priests, there wasn't much worth hiding.

We would reveal everything, including information about the other races and tips for clearing the tenth and eleventh floors.

Of course, we couldn't give it away for free. The Hunter Association would decide the price.

[Meanwhile, Russia is still holding an auction for Magical Medical Technology...]

What?

Those bastards still hadn't released it?

Russia's reason for securing that technology was obvious.

It was relatively cheap, and they had figured every country would want it.

In truth, Russia lacked the foundation to use it properly.

They must have planned to sell it at a high price from the start.

"Ah, can we do our announcement as a broadcast?"

"What? Why?"

"It's a familiar environment. And we can gain some subscribers..."

"Your selfish motives are way too obvious. I like it too!"

Kim Yuna naturally agreed.

The other team members couldn't stop her either.

Go Jiho, who had joined us later, immediately called the Hunter Association.

"They said yes. We'll do it at the Hunter Association studio, right?"

"Yes. And I want to set a condition before releasing the information."

"What condition?"

"Can we make Russia release its Magical Medical Technology as quickly as possible?"

It was useless if those bastards held onto it anyway.

Wouldn't it be better to release it quickly so everyone could use it?

Jiho answered unexpectedly fast.

"That? I heard the Americans are already making a move."

"Oh, really?"

Hajun looked confused.

"... Will they really release it just because those guys tell them to? They're the kind of people who wage war even under sanctions."

"Well... You'll see later."

Jiho said it with a bitter smile.

Did he have some good method in mind?

Around that evening, I was lying around in the rabbit room, looking through the comments piling up on our video channel...

[The Korean Hunter Association has officially requested a technology-sharing agreement before releasing the information...]

[What happens if a country does not participate in this agreement? Let's hear from an expert.]

[As this is an agreement, there are no explicit disadvantages. However, the Korean Hunter Association directly manages Dimensional Energy Reactor technology. Russia is a country where energy-related industries make up a large portion of its economy...]

I'd studied all sorts of things after becoming a hunter, but I still didn't get it.

Heentteok had flattened its ears and turned its back to the TV entirely.

It was focused only on the snacks Yuki and I had opened for it.

"Team Leader, don't you understand?"

"No. Do you know what it means, Yuki?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't really understand either... But we happen to know an economic expert."

"Huh?"

The person Yuki recommended was none other than Queenbell Hartman.

He was one of the richest people in the world, so if anyone counted as an economic expert, it would be him.

"But wouldn't that old man be busy? Is it okay to call him...?"

"Of course it is! Team Leader is the busiest person on Earth!"

It was nice to have a team member cheering me on.

I called him right away.

Ring!

"Hello? Mr. Hartman?"

[You're calling me out of nowhere. What is it? Is there something I can help with...]

"Ah, when do you think we'll get to see the Magical Medical Technology Russia has?"

[... You were interested in it too? Russia just said it would lower the price, so wait a little longer.]

"Oh. So we'll be able to buy it soon?"

Hartman let out a small sigh.

[Let me give you some advice as an investor.]

"I'll listen carefully."

[You don't buy Russian goods at their listed price.]

"... What?"

I understood what he meant the very next morning.

When I went to eat breakfast at the Hunter Association headquarters, Jiho told me instead of greeting me.

"Kang Hyun, America has acquired the Magical Medical Technology. They said they'll share it with us too."

"How did they do that?"

"They bought the person, not the technology."

"... What?"

Jiho's explanation was simple.

Even Magical Medical Technology was ultimately hunter technology.

Even if it had been purchased at the government level, one hunter would have bought it as the representative.

That hunter had defected to America with the technology.

"A hunter who could afford to buy that technology defected?"

"They didn't want to enter the Tower anymore, but the higher-ups kept pressuring them. So they took the opportunity to defect under favorable terms."

"Uh... Then what about that person's family?"

"The family had already escaped overseas. Families of Russian high-ranking officials barely live in Russia in the first place."

Ah, they smuggled out their families too?

What consistent policy.

This was corruption on another level.

"Smuggling is practically a Russian traditional game... There's no point being surprised anymore."

"Countries with tradition really are different."

Only then did Jiho get to the important point.

"So, what were the other races like? Were there lots of pretty women?"

"I'm telling your wife."

"N-no... It was a joke, obviously."

Until I left the Hunter Association that day, I got asked whether I had seen pretty women more than ten times.

Did everyone think the same way?

After finishing basic physical training, I went straight to the workshop.

I wanted to imitate the Orcs' Enchantment equipment.

Enchanting was also affected by Alchemy and God's Hand, so I got the hang of it quickly.

'Should I start by making my body feel lighter?'

I went through trial and error several times...

But catching up to their technology wasn't easy.

They had probably been ahead of me for decades, even centuries.

Just because I'd seen a sample once didn't mean I could immediately match it.

It wasn't like I was some once-in-a-generation genius craftsman.

Yuki asked anxiously beside me.

"Is it not working? Don't push yourself too hard."

"Hmm, I think I'm missing something important."

I only realized it after looking at the Soul Crystals piled up as materials.

Those Soul Crystals could be used to grant traits to skills...

Could they be used in a similar way for equipment Enchantment?

They were already used for equipment Enchantment.

But only in a supporting role.

They weren't used to grant the soul's attribute to the equipment itself.

"That's a really good idea... But wouldn't we have to enter the ninth floor?"

"That's the problem."

Attributes could only be extracted from Soul Crystals at the temple altar on the ninth floor.

But entering the ninth floor every time I wanted to make a piece of equipment didn't seem right.

The ninth floor was difficult to clear again...

And after clearing it, we couldn't go up to higher floors.

'Honestly, clearing the ninth floor is a complete pain in the ass.'

I really didn't want to enter the ninth floor.

Wasn't there some way to get an easy win?

For a moment, I remembered the statue on the ninth floor and built an altar on the spot.

It wouldn't hurt to try.

I immediately called Jiho.

Ring!

[Hello?]

"Jiho hyung. Bring me some ritual supplies!"

[Ritual supplies?]

"Yeah, things like folding screens and candles, please."

[What are you talking about all of a sudden? Did you kill someone?]

That was a disturbing kind of question.

Why did people have this image of me?

"Oh, and they sell Interdimensional Communicators at the shop, so bring one of those too..."

[Okay. I'll be there soon.]

Jiho was extremely confused, yet he delivered everything within thirty minutes.

After completing the altar while watching YouTube, I respectfully placed Soul Crystals on it.

Come to think of it, the temple altar on the ninth floor had only been a plain stone altar without even a folding screen...

There was no reason my carefully made Korean-style altar should be worse.

"Yuki, max output on the Dimensional Power Reactor!"

"Yes, Team Leader!"

Hummm!

I placed Soft Armor for Enchanting on the altar and drew the Instant-Death Dagger.

A Death Priest's ritual dagger.

Wasn't this exactly the kind of place it was meant to be used?

"Come out. If possible, give me an Intuition or Escape Attribute."

It was a ritual prayer filled with selfish desire...

But wasn't praying for blessings the root of rituals in the first place?

I was only asking the soul for blessings.

Had all my effort performing the ritual while waving the dagger around paid off?

Clang!

The exact same phenomenon I'd seen in the ninth-floor temple began to occur.

Power started being extracted from the Soul Crystal.

"Escape! You were originally a soul with the Escape Attribute!"

As I swung the dagger and recited the ritual prayer, the soul shuddered violently.

Kiiiiing!

The power leaking out of the crystal began to be absorbed into the pattern drawn on the Soft Armor.

Jiho muttered from behind me as if he couldn't believe it.

"Why is this working?"

"Because he's my Team Leader!"

Yuki answered in a voice full of conviction.

I was a Death Priest, after all.

There was no way I couldn't handle a single soul like this.

Fwoosh!

The Soft Armor shone brightly.

Enchanting successful.

[Escape Soft Armor: Makes the body considerably lighter when equipped.]

"It worked!"

After using Appraisal on it, it was even better than the Orcs' equipment.

At this level, it was practically an artifact.

Not every Orc Enchantment craftsman could be a Death Priest...

I seemed to have imitated it through some amateur method, but the result was good, so it was fine.

Just then, the Interdimensional Communicator Jiho had bought from the Tower shop made a crackling noise.

"Huh?"

Crackle!

The static grew louder and louder.

Then, as if it had found the right frequency, it suddenly went quiet.

An unfamiliar man's voice came through the communicator.

[You crazy bastard... You revived Necrosmith technology that was lost hundreds of years ago like that?]

"... Who is this?"

That thing had been completely powered off.

For someone to activate it on their own, they couldn't be ordinary.

The voice continued without caring about my reaction.

[So it required the caster's conviction and comfort for the soul... A whip alone wasn't enough. Human Death Priest, I am Bellion, a Death Priest.]

"A Death Priest?"

There were others besides me?

Could he be the guy who had sent me the mask?

... Probably not.

If he were the same person, he would have contacted me earlier and more naturally.

He wouldn't be introducing himself like this now.

[Thanks to you, I saw something interesting. I'll send you a gift now.]

"... A gift? Why?"

[It makes me feel better. If you accept my gift and still oppose me, I have no reason to spare you.]

What a strange guy.

Was that some kind of personal principle?

"... I'll take it if you're giving it to me."

[Good. Also, draw a Protective Formation around your workshop and residence. Others can interfere from outside whenever they wish, just like this.]

"I don't know how to draw one."

[... Prepare fresh blood, Soul Crystals, and Fog Grass, then mix them well...]

He taught me surprisingly kindly.

Was I finally going to benefit from having a senior?

I quickly took out my notebook and began writing everything down.

Footnotes:

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