WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B.
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 127: 127
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-Flash!
The glow faded.
I slowly looked around.
Towering mountain ranges rose before me, with a long canyon stretching between them. A shallow stream ran through the canyon.
I muttered under my breath.
“Hmm... So this is the Highest Floors, the place those Hard-rank commoners were so proud of reaching? It's nothing special!”
“Jiho, you're excited.”
“Of course I'm excited. The long years of humiliation and oppression I'd endured as a newbie... I was sick of it. But now it's time to return as Baek Jiho of the Highest Floors!”
“Return to what? Stop talking nonsense and follow me. This is the Highest Floors. It's fucking dangerous, so stay sharp.”
Choi Yejin scolded me as she gripped her bow.
I nodded.
“I should listen to someone experienced. Commoner Choi Yejin, I appoint you as our team's pathfinder. Lead the way.”
“I thought that lunatic was only crazy outside the Tower. He was like this inside too? Hey, was it Na Hyeji? How did you clear the Tower with someone that insane?”
“Other than his strange personality, he's a good person. And he's strong...”
-Iing! Iing!
“Oh, right, Iing Iing!”
Hyeji, who had been chatting with Choi Yejin, hurriedly took Iing Iing out.
She should've let Iing Iing out the moment we entered the Tower.
Slacking off like that!
Anyway, Hyeji opened her bag.
-Porororong!
Iing Iing sprang out of the bag as if bursting free.
Her sparkling rainbow dust swirled through the air in graceful, glowing trails.
Choi Yejin watched and muttered quietly.
“It's been a while since I saw that little thing.”
“Come to think of it, you already knew Iing Iing.”
“Yeah. Honestly, it still feels like a dream when I think about back then. A fairy actually existed in this world... But hey, doesn't she look bigger than before?”
“? Does she? Maybe she's in a growth phase...”
“Either way, it's fucking amazing. A fairy...”
Choi Yejin had experienced Iing Iing's fairy taxi when the Chinks, Ruskies, and Japs invaded before.
That was why she wasn't shocked.
She simply found Iing Iing fascinating.
“Anyway, I think we're ready.”
-Iing!
Pororong.
Iing Iing settled atop my head.
I shouted energetically.
“The assault on Tower Floor 41 begins!”
And let's rescue Kim Taeseok while we're at it!
We strode forward.
* * *
Floor 41 of the Highest Floors was an enormous map.
Apparently, the entire map was larger than the Korean Peninsula.
That meant Hunters of the Highest Floors had to start in the canyon and travel thousands of kilometers, overcoming all kinds of monsters and obstacles along the way.
Of course, that was someone else's problem.
“Iing Iing. Attack helicopter mode!”
-Iing!
Pororong.
Iing Iing's telekinetic flight began.
Na Hyeji, Choi Yejin, and I were lifted into the air in an instant and began flying.
Choi Yejin let out an incredulous laugh.
“Isn't a fairy completely fucking broken? Air travel? Terrain, obstacles, all of it is useless like this.”
“Our Iing Iing is amazing, right?”
“She is amazing. Fuck, I'm so jealous. Give me a fairy too. Why am I the only one without a fairy? Give me one too! This is pissing me off. I crawled around down there for years! I even wrapped cloth around my shoes so they wouldn't make noise! But you're flying? You're actually flying?!”
“Pathfinder, stop whining and guide us. Where do we go to rescue old man Kim Taeseok?”
“This unfair fucking world... Head north along that canyon. Stop when you see something like a stone mountain. We got separated around there.”
“Roger.”
With a pororong, we flew along the canyon.
There were monsters here and there along the way.
Ogres, Trolls, things like that.
Part of me wanted to go kill those bastards immediately...
But after thinking it over, I decided against it.
“It won't be too late to hunt monsters after we rescue Hunter Kim Taeseok. Old man Kim Taeseok must be desperately waiting for us... Finding him comes first.”
“Oh, Jiho. What's gotten into you? You can actually be thoughtful?”
“I'm always good to patriots. Unlike you, Hyeji, a traitor who dreamed of escaping Korea, I have no choice but to treat them better.”
“Are you seriously still milking that?!”
As the Extreme Lunatic Hell Patriotic Admiral Yi Hunter, I was sweeter than anyone to patriots, but I could become a demon to traitors.
For the record, the reason I always gave Na Hyeji such a hard time was because she'd once tried to flee the country.
I still hadn't forgotten.
She dared to abandon King Korea and dream of escaping Korea?
I would never forgive her...!
Choi Yejin, who had been watching Hyeji and me talk, grumbled.
“You said you're good to patriots, so why do you always give me so much shit? You always ignore me when I ask you out.”
“Choi Yejin, you're crazy. It's best to avoid crazy people. And what dates? You know perfectly well I don't drink. You always come asking me to drink with you.”
“You fucking idiot! Do you not know what it means when someone asks you to come over and drink?!”
“???”
Why was she suddenly having a fit?
I told her I didn't drink.
This was why alcoholics were no good.
They wouldn't leave people who didn't drink alone!
Anyway.
We flew north through the sky.
Over valleys, mountain ranges, and rocky mountains...
We ignored every monster we saw and moved quickly.
That didn't mean we avoided combat entirely, though.
“Wyverns over there!”
Choi Yejin shouted while we were flying.
I turned my head and saw three dots shooting toward us in the distance.
They had the shape of massive pterosaurs.
Spread wings and mouths packed with serrated teeth.
Wyverns.
-Screeeeeeeech!!!
One of them shrieked.
Its piercing cry echoed through the canyon.
Choi Yejin's face stiffened.
“Fuck...! Three of them?! Is it because the three of us are traveling together?! We haven't even been here long, and we're already getting multiple Wyverns...”
“Railgun, click.”
-Booooooom!
Electric light flashed, and a virtual Railgun appeared.
At the same time, I fired it.
A blue trail tore across the sky.
-Splurt!
The Wyvern's head exploded, and it dropped from the sky.
Fragments of its shattered skull scattered weakly through the air.
What a joke.
I aimed my staff at the other two and intercepted them as well.
-Booooooom!
-Booooooom!
The Wyverns fell from the sky one after another.
Choi Yejin spoke with a troubled look.
“W-wait... You killed Wyverns in an instant?”
“It's much easier than taking down Chink fighter jets and missiles.”
As Lunatic Marisa, I'd intercepted everything from subsonic fighters to supersonic missiles.
Like a seasoned bullet hell player, I was thoroughly used to aerial interception.
And Wyverns that couldn't even break the sound barrier?
They were easy prey.
I glanced over at Choi Yejin.
She was staring at the suddenly clear sky with her mouth wide open.
“Close your mouth. A fly might get in.”
“Hey.”
“?”
“Can I use that artifact just once? I saw it before, but that firepower is fucking insane. How do you one-shot a Wyvern...? Let me experience that rush once! I'll pay the Points. Just let me fire it once.”
“This isn't an artifact. I'm an Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard, a Transformation Realm Prophet, a Level 5 Electromagnetic Cannon Hunter, so I shot them down with Railguns. I'm not some commoner who relies on tools.”
“...Fine, forget it if you don't want to lend it to me. My Pshoongie is good too, you know?”
Choi Yejin pouted and began rubbing her bow.
Ah, did she say that bow was named Pshoongie?
Why did everyone around me have such terrible naming sense?
Pshoongie, Vroomie, Kkik Kkik, Iing Iing...
-Iing Iing?
“No, I was just looking because you're so cute. Good girl, our Iing Iing. Who do you take after to be so cute, pretty, adorable, lovely, and charming?”
-Iing iing iing!
Iing Iing giggled.
We crossed the sky as if we were on a picnic.
After flying for some time...
“We need to land on that stone mountain over there.”
Choi Yejin pointed at the ground.
I glanced in the direction she indicated.
It really was a stone mountain.
There wasn't a blade of grass, only rotting monster corpses and scattered bones.
It was a desolate place near the canyon.
I nodded.
“You heard her, Iing Iing. Let's descend.”
-Iing!
Pororong.
Guided by Iing Iing, we landed atop the stone mountain.
Then we slowly looked around.
For now... there were no signs of living creatures.
There were plenty of corpses and bleached bones scattered about, but they all looked like they'd been dead for a long time.
How were we supposed to find Hunter Kim Taeseok here?
I called Choi Yejin.
“Pathfinder. Where do we go from here?”
“...”
“Choi Yejin?”
For some reason, Choi Yejin was surveying the desolate stone mountain with a grave, conflicted expression.
She stayed silent for a moment before speaking quietly.
“This was where I got separated from old man Kim.”
Tap.
She nudged the ground with the tip of her foot.
A broken arrow rolled away from the kick.
It had snapped in half.
“Three Ogres, one Cyclops, and even two Wyverns... It was the worst possible situation.”
“...”
“I got caught in the Cyclops's gaze, and old man Kim stepped in front of me. He was always the type to put himself in danger first. Then he told me to run.”
Choi Yejin sighed.
Her face was full of guilt and regret.
“I ran away.”
“...”
“I came back the next day, but nobody was here.”
She slowly looked around the stone mountain.
It was desolate, littered with corpses and bleached bones, with dried bloodstains scattered everywhere.
“Every time I climbed Floor 41, I tried to find him. But fuck... I couldn't even make it this far. If Hunter Kim Taeseok had been with me, we could've worked together and gotten here. Alone, I really... I really couldn't do it.”
Her gaze fixed on a cliff that had partially collapsed.
Troll and Ogre arm bones and finger bones lay scattered there.
Maybe that was where the battle had happened.
“Because I'm so fucking weak. Fuck! Fuck this Tower! Fuck Korea! Why were Hunter Kim Taeseok and I the only Hard-rank Hunters? Why did those bastards all run off abroad over fucking money?! Fucking bastards! Do you know how much effort I put into raising them...?! Fuck!!!”
Bam!
Choi Yejin slammed her fist into a boulder.
It shattered in an instant, and fragments flew everywhere.
I watched her without knowing what to say.
She was pouring out years of grief, resentment, and rage.
It was hard to stop her.
Still.
I could at least help.
“Don't worry, Choi Yejin. Hunter Kim Taeseok is alive.”
“So what if he's alive?! I-I only thought about getting this far! I didn't think about what I'd do once I got here!”
Clench.
She gripped her bow tightly.
“It's already been over seven weeks, so there aren't even footprints left... And it's not like I have an artifact that can track people... How the hell are we supposed to...!”
“Instead, we have a cute, pretty, adorable, beautiful, and lovely fairy.”
“You bastard. Is this really the time for jokes...”
“Iing Iing.”
Pororong.
Iing Iing lightly landed atop Choi Yejin's head.
-Iing!
Snap!
Iing Iing, an elite veteran ace pilot, struck a sharp, stylish salute.
I gave Iing Iing an order.
“Iing Iing. Activate recon helicopter mode! Find the missing Hunter Kim Taeseok! Time is short. We must rescue Hunter Kim Taeseok, if only for the teary-eyed commoner over there who looks like she's about to bawl!”
-Iing!!!
“Good. Recon helicopter, sortie!”
-Iing!!!
-Porororororong!!!
Iing Iing shot high into the sky, then sped off in a certain direction.
Maybe because she was alone, she was incredibly fast.
She probably couldn't reach supersonic speeds, but she had to be moving just under the speed of sound.
Choi Yejin muttered with a dumbfounded expression.
“A fairy is going to find old man Kim? Come on. The Highest Floors are huge. There are trees everywhere too, so it won't even be easy to see from above. Even if a fairy can fly, she won't be able to find Hunter Kim Taeseok that easi...”
-Iing!
Whoosh.
Less than a minute later, Iing Iing returned.
Snap. She saluted and spoke.
-Iing! Iing!
“Jiho, Iing Iing says she found Hunter Kim Taeseok.”
“Translate properly, Lieutenant Hyeji. What did Iing Iing just say?”
“...She said, ‘Mission complete, General.’ Seriously, Jiho! Stop teaching Iing Iing weird things! She came back from China all strange! How can you make such a cute girl play soldier like this?”
“But isn't she cute?”
“Even so...!”
Do you know how cute Iing Iing was when she saluted?
Look at that tiny hand giving such a crisp military salute.
I wanted to buy her something from the PX.
Anyway.
I looked at Choi Yejin.
She was staring at me with a dumbfounded expression.
I spoke quietly.
“Commoner Choi Yejin.”
“...”
“There's nothing I can't save.”
The people of King Korea, its industries, its economy.
The world and people inside the Tower.
Even Korea's isolated hero.
There was nothing in this world I couldn't save.
Because...
“I'm an Extreme, Lunatic, Hell, Hunter.”
“...”
Choi Yejin stared at me for a moment with a blank expression.
Then she snorted.
“You're such a fucking idiot...”
“That's me.”
“You really are... a bundle of charm. The kind of charm that drives people crazy.”
“?”
Wasn't she already crazy?
Anyway.
We headed toward Hunter Kim Taeseok.
* * *
Hunter Kim Taeseok was in a dense jungle far from the wasteland.
The trees grew so thickly that it was hard to see from above.
It certainly looked like the kind of place where finding one person would be difficult.
If Iing Iing hadn't been here, we might never have found him.
Just as we entered the airspace above the jungle...
-Thump...! Thump...! Thump...!
Heavy vibrations pulsed through the ground.
I looked down.
Then I saw them.
“Monsters.”
Trees had collapsed, creating a wide clearing.
Monsters were gathered in that clearing.
Two Ogres, one Troll.
And behind them stood a towering one-eyed giant.
“A Cyclops...!”
Choi Yejin's eyes widened.
She spoke urgently.
“This is the worst! A Cyclops...! Even you, Baek Jiho, will gradually petrify if that eye monster catches you in its sight! It's dangerous! We need to go around and get out of its line of sight...?”
Choi Yejin rattled that off, then suddenly stopped.
Something had caught her eye.
In the middle of the monsters.
A middle-aged man stood with his back against a large tree, holding up a spear.
Everyone in Korea knew who he was.
‘Is that Hunter Kim Taeseok?’
Hunter Kim Taeseok.
Fortunately, he was still alive.
But he wasn't in a good situation.
-Groooooar!
He was surrounded by monsters.
And in the middle of a fierce battle.
-Slash! Crunch! Slash!
Kim Taeseok moved quickly and swung his spear.
Countless trails followed the spearhead.
The fingers of the approaching Troll and Ogres fell away in heaps.
-Roooooar!!!
An Ogre roared in rage.
Was this why he was called a hero?
His movements were agile and swift, with not the slightest wasted motion.
He made only the movements he needed to.
Every action was extremely efficient and precise.
He moved like an RPG character controlled by a professional gamer.
‘At least, that's what it looked like to me.’
Honestly, I didn't really know what I was looking at when I watched fights...
It just felt like a game character had jumped into reality and was moving around.
That was about it.
Anyway, we'd found Kim Taeseok.
I raised my staff and aimed it at the monsters to help him.
Then I saw it.
-Flap.
His right sleeve looked strangely loose.
No, it was more than loose.
The inside of the sleeve was empty.
And when I looked closely, I could see that the balance of his body was slightly off.
“...Ah.”
A short sound escaped from beside me.
It was Choi Yejin.
The color drained from her face.
Then I realized it too.
‘Hunter Kim Taeseok. One of his arms has been cut off.’
He was missing an arm.
That meant he'd survived for seven weeks in that state.
Alone, stranded in the Highest Floors.
“...Fuck.”
A curse slipped out before I knew it.
I raised my staff.
First, I had to save Hunter Kim Taeseok.
-Booooooom!
Electric light flashed.
The Railgun fired.
A blue trail plunged toward the ground.
Footnotes:
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