WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B.
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 141
──────
After returning from the hospital, I showered, ate, played games, melted my brain with Shorts, and even watched my secret collection of videos.
After killing enough time, I sprawled out on the living room sofa and opened Hunter Gallery.
“By now, my ban should be lifted, right?”
I had been killing time endlessly because of that damn Hunter Gallery ban!
But surely it had expired by now.
So I opened Hunter Gallery.
“Oho.”
And there they were.
[Is it true Hunter Kim Taeseok got his arm back?]
[Isn't this just a rumor? Korea doesn't have complete recovery potions.]
[FFF Daily was the first to report it, so I'm suspicious as hell. Calling exaggerated bullshit.]
[Didn't Blue Dot say earlier that he'd fix his arm?]
[Come on, you think that bastard really made one that fast? LOL. He's just showing off.]
[I heard a rumor he bought a complete recovery potion from America.]
[Would America even sell that? It's not something Korea can just buy.]
[Maybe he used some kind of artifact?]
[Blue Dot is close with Torumph, so he might've gotten one.]
[There are plenty of rumors, so why isn't there a single photo?]
[I don't care how, I just hope Taeseok hyung really got his arm back.]
...
Countless posts about Hunter Kim Taeseok's arm.
It seemed the rumor had already spread.
Well, there had been doctors and nurses at the hospital besides Kim Taeseok and me.
It would not be strange for the news to leak from somewhere.
Anyway, there seemed to be all kinds of rumors.
That it was the effect of a new artifact.
That I had bought a potion from America.
There were even posts claiming it was just a false rumor.
I clicked my tongue.
“Honestly, these ordinary people... The answer is right in front of them, yet they still can't see it!”
Didn't I say I would fix Kim Taeseok's arm?
Didn't I say I would make a complete recovery potion?
So why were they looking to America and artifacts...?
It couldn't be helped.
“I have no choice but to appear personally and reveal the truth!”
It was time to enlighten these foolish Hunter Gallery idiots!
With a broad grin, I pressed the write-post button.
Then, soon after...
I saw it.
[You are a blocked user.]
[You are restricted from creating posts and comments for violating operating policy.]
[Block removal time: 13 minutes remaining.]
“...”
It was a cruel notification that my ban had not been lifted.
I.
Was still.
Banned from.
Hunter Gallery.
Still!!!
Still!!!
“Heavens! Primordial Heavenly Venerable! Why has my Hunter Gallery ban still not been lifted?! Aaaaargh!!!”
I assumed the Platoon pose and screamed at the ceiling.
No, I had come home, showered, eaten, played games, watched Shorts, and even watched my secret bikini Zero Two video collection.
And two hours and twenty-three minutes still hadn't passed?
Why did time feel so damn long?!
“Einstein, you were right! Time is relative! Strong gravity warps spacetime and slows the flow of time itself!”
Wait.
Then...
The reason a six-hour Hunter Gallery ban felt like an eternity...
Could it be because of gravity?
I suddenly raised my head.
Somewhere in this house, there was a gravitational field powerful enough to distort even the flow of time!
And if there was anything in this house capable of creating such transcendent power...
“Could it be... watashi?”
My eyes widened.
Had I developed gravity magic without even realizing it?
“In other words... I am a wizard who controls gravity!”
“Jiho.”
“Urgh...! What is this melody?! The whole universe is singing to me! Gravity is control! I have controlled control itself! Get a grip, get a grip, get a grip! Let me go!!!”
“Jiho. You're being loud. Stop it.”
My sister, who had been watching me, stopped me.
Plop.
I dropped back onto the sofa.
I was anxious, uneasy, and frustrated.
Tap tap tap tap tap.
My leg shook on its own.
My sister spoke.
“Stop shaking your leg. You'll shake your luck away.”
“Noona, did you know shaking your leg is very good for relieving stress? It improves concentration, eases tension, relaxes your muscles, and even improves blood circulation.”
“Good grief...”
My sister let out a deep sigh as she watched me go berserk.
She was doing paperwork on her laptop in the living room, and with me causing a scene beside her, she probably couldn't focus at all.
Hmm. I had bothered her without meaning to.
Hunter Gallery bans were this harmful.
My sister looked at me as if she couldn't understand.
“Jiho, why are you so obsessed with Hunter Gallery? It's just an internet site. What's the big deal about getting banned for a little while?”
“How dare you! Do you think I'm like this because I just want to use Hunter Gallery?! There are people in there!!!”
Sadly, my sister seemed to be someone who did not use online communities and lived in the real world.
She did not understand the instincts of a community addict.
Suddenly, I wanted to smash the TV...!
Anyway.
After waiting through what felt like an eternity...
[Your block has been lifted.]
“At lassst!”
My Hunter Gallery ban was finally gone!
Delighted, I immediately wrote a post.
[Title: A Word to the Hunter Gallery Admins Who Dared Block the State Alchemist]
[Author: Blue Dot]
(A photo of Hunter Kim Taeseok sitting up in bed and giving a double thumbs-up)
Yeah, it's your big bro.
As you can see, Hunter Kim Taeseok's arm healed nicely.
His fingers move fine, his senses are normal, and I shook his hand, so I know he has strength in it too.
It's completely normal now.
Want to know who treated him?
Me.
Remember those valuable alchemy ingredients I posted earlier?
The ones the admins deleted as gross-out pictures and gave me a six-hour ban over?
I mixed them up and made a potion. Then I gave it to him, and he was healed.
So, to summarize.
To treat Hunter Kim Taeseok, King Korea's hero who lost his arm fighting for his country.
I personally entered the Tower and obtained precious ingredients.
Then I used cutting-edge Extreme Lunatic Hell Alchemist elixir-refining techniques to make a Complete Recovery Potion.
But what did the Hunter Gallery admins do?
They looked at those precious ingredients and called them...
“Gross-out pictures.”
Then they banned me.
You unpatriotic bastards!!!
You dare ban me using the electricity I earned for you???
Where is your conscience???
I bust my ass in the Tower day and night, saving the lives of the people, saving industry, saving the economy, saving energy, saving national security, saving hair, and even saving Kim Taeseok's arm, all through my angelic work.
Yet instead of supporting my smooth operation, thanking me, making me a moderator, giving me special privileges, and putting my username in bold, those Hunter Gallery admin bastards dared ban me???
I am simply devastated...
We must stop internet censorship like China and enjoy a free internet.
Until the day we can watch videos without using a VPN, we must all fight and seize our rights.
Netizens of the world, unite!
Anyway!
I have now restored hair and even an arm.
In other words, I have finally succeeded at the forbidden art of all forbidden arts.
Human transmutation...!
So from now on, call me Blue Dot Elixir.
Will you recognize my cool title, Alchemist of Alloy?
The government should immediately designate me as a State Alchemist and provide me with enormous annual research funds, a military rank, and a cool pocket watch.
Anyway.
I have dealt with the disability that was troubling Hunter Kim Taeseok, so rest easy!
And admins, don't ever ban me again.
This is your final warning.
I think I've said everything I wanted to say.
Later.
└?
└What's with that photo?
└Why is Hunter Kim Taeseok giving a double thumbs-up?
└For real though.
└Wait, that was really Blue Dot?
└The rumor was true?
└???
...
The moment I posted, comments began flooding in.
With a refreshed expression, I shouted.
“My heart is-! Whoooosh!”
Ah, that felt good!
After being sealed away from Hunter Gallery for hours, I was finally writing posts again.
All the stifling feelings I had been carrying vanished as if washed away!
People really needed Hunter Gallery.
I continued reading the comments.
└Hello. This is FFF Daily. We would like to request an interview.
└What is this, some hilarious hidden-camera prank? Isn't the Complete Recovery Potion incredibly rare? How did he make it?
└└He's an Extreme Lunatic Hell Alchemist, isn't he? He probably used alchemy.
└└To hell with alchemy, how did he really do it? Did Blue Dot just get lucky and farm a potion because he's a Highest Floors Hunter?
└Blue Dot: I said I made it?? I got lucky and found the core ingredient, so I could make a few bottles. I gave one to Kim Taeseok. I really made it.
└└No, just tell us straight. Did you luck into finding a potion? Or did Torumph give you one because you're friends? Either way, thanks. Hunter Kim Taeseok got treated because of you.
└└For real, whatever happened, it looks like Blue Dot got Hunter Kim Taeseok treated. Thanks...
└└Blue Dot: I said I made it myself, why does nobody believe me?! Argh!!!
└Wait, that is really Hunter Kim Taeseok? But no matter how I look at it, it seems like an AI image. Hunter Kim Taeseok would never do something vulgar like a double thumbs-up.
└└For real. Taeseok hyung would not do something that goofy. This is definitely an AI image. Nice try, not fooled.
└└A Blue Dot boo-story) Surprisingly, suspicions that Blue Dot's photos were AI-generated have existed ever since he became active, but every photo he has posted has turned out to be real.
└└Blue Dot: Kim Taeseok ajusshi is surprisingly funny. You people deify him as some hero and think he must be serious like a great historical figure, but he's just Hunter Gallery idiot number one. When we first met, he joked that he was Shanks because he was missing an arm, then made a Jjakgwi joke.
└└What the fuck are you talking about, Blue Dot? We've been praising you for a while, and now you're crossing the line, you bastard.
└└For real, slandering Kim Taeseok is too much... This might become a controversy. Shanks jokes and Jjakgwi jokes, what the fuck? LOL
└└Blue Dot: This is so unfair!!!
└The person who fixed his arm knows what kind of guy he is, so why are you people saying otherwise? LOL
└└But it's Blue Dot.
└└Hmm... Fair point.
...
“No, it's true, so why can't they believe it? You ordinary people...! You still can't open your eyes! When will you finally open them?!”
Had I been too devoted to my persona until now?
These people simply would not believe what I said.
I was an honest Hunter, and I had only spoken the truth...!
Fortunately, not every Hunter Gallery idiot was blind with their eyes open.
└Anyway, it is such a relief that Taeseok hyung got his arm back. Thanks, King Dot!!!
└When I first became a Hunter, I memorized ajusshi's strategy guide posts and climbed... Hearing good news like this makes me happy.
└He says crazy things all the time, but he really does a lot for us. For real...
└But he makes hair-loss medicine, so why would it be impossible for him to make a complete recovery potion too?
└Shining Blue Dot hyung saved the country. He saved us.
└He rescued people and even fixed someone's arm. At this point, he deserves lifetime immunity from criticism.
└Simply... Big Dot!
└The guy who said he would never criticize Blue Dot again if he fixed Taeseok hyung's arm, come out. King-Awesome-Emperor Dot really fixed it. Our King-God-Emperor-Emperor-Majesty Dot never lies.
└└That was me. I will never criticize him again, seriously... Thank you, Teacher Blue Dot. Long live our milk-white King Emperor Dot, long live, long live, long live forever!
└└Blue Dot: Good. Keep that heart and attitude of praising, respecting, admiring, revering, worshipping, and thanking me for the rest of your lives. I shall personally protect you all from now on.
└Damn it, Blue Dot, I like you!!!
└Seeing this, I am suddenly reminded how amazing Blue Dot is for earning Points and saving our country...
└Damn it, it's Big Dot again. I was going to sleep after reading just this post, but I have seen Big Dot again. Now I have no choice but to shout... Even knowing it will wake me right up, I must shout. It is the duty of one who has witnessed Big Dot.
└I believed in you!
└You're a hero, Blue Dot!
└Thank you!
└Good work!
└LOL, these guys are hilarious. If you look at their past posts, they kept refusing to believe Blue Dot, insulting him, and mocking him, but look at them changing their stance right away. It's like watching Petty Leaf Village.
└└Shh, read the room.
└└They're the Forest Friends rush-to-judgment meme...
└└Looking through their old posts is really hilarious. LOL
Comments recognizing and praising me poured in!
Feeling proud, I nodded.
“Right, this is how it should be. After all I have done for them, it is only right that I receive this kind of praise and reverence!”
As I slowly read through them, the unfairness I had felt earlier began fading away.
So what if a few people teased me?
So many people were thanking me!
“Anyway, this should have properly promoted our company too, right?”
After saving bald people's hair.
I had now saved human limbs too.
We had not even officially opened yet.
But I had already proven that our technical ability was world-class!
At this rate, whatever medicine we released later would get attention.
I clenched my fist and shouted.
“Make Human Health Great Again!”
Make humanity's health great again!
The day Extreme Lunatic Hell Pharmaceuticals fully began operating, it would save all of humanity's health!
As I was solidifying my ambitions as a medical tycoon...
“Jiho, let's go look at office buildings tomorrow.”
“Oh. Office buildings?”
My sister spoke to me.
She turned her laptop toward me.
The screen showed photos of impressive high-rise buildings.
They seemed to be the Yongsan properties we had discussed before.
I was excited.
“Are we finally finding a home for our Extreme Lunatic Hell Group? Good work, Vice President! You are very capable! The day draws near when I will sip wine in the chairman's office on the top floor and look down upon the ordinary people below!”
“I narrowed it down to a few. Let's see them before we enter the Tower. Is that okay?”
“Noona, we can put our company name in huge letters at the top of those buildings, right? I will install an enormous electronic sign. The name Extreme Lunatic Hell will shine brilliantly in the middle of Seoul-”
“I'll contact Yejin and Hyeji beforehand to adjust the schedule. Let me make a quick call.”
“-so that ordinary people on the ground can look up and see it from anywhere!”
“Oh, Hyeji? Yes. About tomorrow's climbing schedule-”
My sister began making calls.
She seemed to be contacting Hyeji and Yejin to change my climbing schedule tomorrow.
Come to think of it, did Noona and I just have a conversation as if we were talking to a wall...?
‘Hmm. It must be my imagination.’
Lately, Noona seemed to let my nonsense slide past too smoothly.
But it was probably just my imagination.
Anyway!
‘Tomorrow is an outing for once?’
Tomorrow, I would look at office buildings.
Then I would clear Floor 44.
I had to establish a company and climb the Tower.
The days of a successful man were truly busy.
* * *
Nevada, United States.
The conference room of the Military Base.
“Jiho has surprised me once again.”
Donald Torumph spoke in admiration.
Baek Jiho's newest post was displayed on the tablet in his hand.
The text and comments had been obtained and translated by the intelligence agency.
Baek Jiho, newly freed from his ban, was bragging that he had made a Complete Recovery Potion.
There was even a photo of Kim Taeseok with a perfectly healthy right hand as proof.
Torumph nodded.
“I knew it from when he restored my beautiful Freedom Blonde. He is a very great talent! But now he can even make limbs. Great!”
Torumph swept back his own hair.
Golden hair, now thick and full unlike before.
It was a sight that satisfied him every time he looked in the mirror.
It was thanks to the potion Baek Jiho had made.
That was why Torumph did not doubt Baek Jiho's claim.
He had personally experienced the effect already, so what was there to doubt?
The Minister of the Climber Management Department beside him, Simon Scott, spoke.
“However, it seems he cannot manufacture much of it. He said that even after using all remaining ingredients, he could only make a few bottles. The core material appears to be extremely rare. It is uncertain whether more can be obtained.”
“Hmm... Even Jiho would find it difficult to mass-produce a Complete Recovery Potion.”
Torumph scrolled down the screen and checked the reply.
Baek Jiho had said he could make a few bottles because he had luckily found the core ingredient.
Apparently, he could not make much due to the difficulty of acquiring materials.
It was somewhat disappointing news.
But that did not diminish the value of this achievement.
Because a Complete Recovery Potion was worth obtaining even one more bottle of.
“Scott. Our stockpile is nearly empty, right? We used most of it to save the Hunters who attempted to clear Floor 50. Have we secured any more since then?”
“No. We searched throughout the world, but we could not obtain even a single bottle.”
The failed attempt to clear Floor 50.
At that time, America had used a large amount of its stockpiled Complete Recovery Potions to treat the Hunters who returned alive.
This included David, who had lost limbs.
They had used them to heal America's top-ranked Hunters who had suffered severe injuries.
It had been a necessary expense.
They could not leave top-ranked Hunters maimed just to save precious potions.
The problem was that it was difficult to replenish the potions they had used.
The potion was found only extremely rarely in the Tower.
Other countries also wanted to stockpile it for their own Hunters.
They had no intention of selling it easily.
So even America could not keep a plentiful stock of Complete Recovery Potions.
“We should make a deal with Jiho. It would be best to secure even one more bottle.”
“I will prepare a budget. Since this is for securing Complete Recovery Potions, Congress will approve it quickly.”
“No, no. Money will not work.”
Torumph shook his head.
Minister Scott looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Torumph continued.
“Jiho already has plenty of money. He earns tens of billions of won every time he enters the Tower, and he is even selling electricity. Simply offering money will not interest him much.”
“Then what terms should we offer...?”
“Rather than that, it would be more effective to prepare beautiful women in bikinis and have them practice Zero Two.”
“...”
Scott fell silent.
Torumph smirked.
“A joke, a joke. If we did that, Korea would go insane. Korea's importance has risen, so we should not do anything so reckless.”
At Torumph's words, Scott wiped away a cold sweat.
Torumph was exactly the kind of person who might truly carry out something so crazy, which had made Scott nervous.
Torumph continued.
“Isn't the London Convention's regular meeting coming up soon? We can meet Jiho then and negotiate.”
The London Convention's regular meeting would be held soon.
It was a gathering where the top-ranked Hunters of the London Convention member nations, along with diplomats and politicians from each country, met to discuss international issues related to Hunters.
This time, Torumph planned to attend personally.
No, it was not just Torumph.
The heads of state of most London Convention member nations planned to attend in person.
The signs of the Great Cataclysm were growing increasingly clear.
Even world leaders who normally never left their seats had no choice but to hurry to London.
Torumph muttered quietly.
“Let's meet in London next time, Jiho.”
Footnotes:
Zero Two is a viral dance meme associated with the character Zero Two from Darling in the Franxx.
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
