WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B.
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 32: 032
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Morning.
When I woke up, I couldn't help but panic.
"What...?"
Something felt strange against my cheek.
I reached over and felt around, only to touch something hard.
It was the crystal ball.
The crystal ball I had displayed on my desk yesterday was sitting beside my cheek.
"The crystal ball? Why is this here?"
I got up and looked over at my desk.
"Ah. The stand broke?"
Yesterday, I had cut up and folded a ramen box to make a stand for the crystal ball.
It had been crushed and ruined.
Apparently, a flimsy ramen box stand couldn't bear the weight of the heavy crystal ball.
As a result, the crystal ball had slipped free during the night, rolled across the desk, and fallen onto my bed.
I'd learned something new.
'Hmm. Ramen boxes aren't good for everything.'
I'd have to get a proper stand later.
Would Daiso sell crystal ball stands too?
Thinking that, I roughly fixed the stand and placed the crystal ball back on it.
"Let's eat."
After that, I went through an ordinary morning routine.
I helped my sister sort through the spoils, giggled while browsing Hunter Gallery, and melted my brain a little with Shorts...
As I was busily wasting my morning, something I had forgotten suddenly came to mind.
"Ah, right. I need to ask for a Spatial Bag."
I picked up my smartphone.
Brrr.
The call connected after just one ring.
"This is Assistant Officer Han Seonga."
"Hello, Ms. Han Seonga? This is Baek Jiho..."
"I'll leave immediately. I'll arrive within ten minutes."
"What?"
Click.
The call ended.
What was that? I hadn't even told her why I was calling.
Then...
Ding-dong.
Eight minutes later, the doorbell rang.
Truly, this was the Korean people's famous quick-quick spirit.
What an incredibly fast visit.
It was a public official delivery service faster than food delivery.
That National Intelligence Service guy disguised as a spoils buyer was the same.
So was Han Seonga, the public official assigned to me.
Where in the world did these people stay to arrive within ten minutes every single time?
Anyway, Han Seonga had arrived.
With her calm, cold gaze, she gave me a small bow.
"Hello, Hunter Baek Jiho."
"Um, you came straight here without even hearing why I called?"
"There's a risk of wiretapping over the phone. It's safer to meet in person and hear your request directly."
"Ah."
The National Intelligence Service and the Climber Management Department even minimized phone calls to prevent wiretapping.
They really took security seriously.
Well, this was the Kingdom of Korea, where phone companies got hacked whenever they felt like it. Maybe they had no choice.
First, I exchanged the Points I had.
When I placed my hand on the crystal ball Han Seonga had brought, familiar words appeared.
[Please specify the amount of Points to transfer to the ‘Republic of Korea’.]
"All of them."
[Transferring 3,090 Points to the ‘Republic of Korea’.]
"Hunter Baek Jiho. We have confirmed 3,090 Points. We will deposit 30.9 million won into your designated account. The Republic of Korea will remember your dedication."
"Ms. Han Seonga, you say the same thing as the branch officials."
"It's a government directive."
As expected of public officials. They followed the manual thoroughly.
After handing over my Points, I revealed why I had called her.
"I need a larger Spatial Bag."
"You mean the one-ton Spatial Bag is insufficient?"
"Yes. I'd like a larger Spatial Bag, or several one-ton bags."
"I'll prepare one immediately."
At my request, Han Seonga tapped away at her smartphone.
Then, not even ten minutes later...
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang again.
"Jiho, I'll get it."
My sister stood and opened the door.
A man in a black suit stood outside.
"Excuse me."
Thud.
He set a plastic box down in the living room by the entrance, then quickly left.
It was amazing every time I saw it.
Public officials, artifacts, whatever I called for, they delivered it within ten minutes.
This had to be some kind of household delivery service.
I opened the delivered box and looked inside.
A worn white sack lay within it.
Han Seonga spoke quietly.
"It's a Spatial Bag with a ten-ton capacity."
"Ohhh...!"
Its appearance wasn't much different from the Spatial Bag I had received before.
But the artifact itself contained far more Blue Motes.
The greater the capacity, the more energy it must have contained.
Still, it was amazing.
"A ten-ton capacity should cost over a hundred billion won. You're just handing something like this over?"
A one-ton Spatial Bag cost at least ten billion won, and depending on the auction, it could reach tens of billions.
A ten-ton Spatial Bag commonly traded for over a hundred billion won.
It had ten times the capacity, but its price was more than ten times greater.
To think they would casually support me with something so expensive and rare...
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pleased.
'Our government does have an eye for people.'
They recognized the greatness of this Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter and supported me without holding back.
I'll repay this support later by saving the Republic of Korea.
They should consider it an honor.
Then Han Seonga said,
"Baek Jiho is our country's sixth Hard-rank Hunter. It's only natural that we provide this much support."
"Ahem! Hard...! Being a Hunter really is nice. You get so much support."
"...Why do you clench your teeth every time you pronounce ‘Hard’? And why is your expression...? Have I made you uncomfortable somehow?"
"Tsk..."
"?"
I take back what I said about them having good judgment.
To mistake this noble and great Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter for some Hard-rank commoner...!
I'll let it slide because their support was commendable.
They should consider it an honor.
"...Do you have any other requests?"
"No, not for now."
"I'll be on my way, then. Please contact me anytime if you need anything else. Well..."
Click.
Han Seonga closed the front door and disappeared.
She came like the wind and vanished like dew.
In the place she left behind was an inventory expansion item for Magnet Pet Na Hyeji.
I looked over the Spatial Bag and muttered,
"Is Hyeji evolving from an EX-rank porter into a Super-EX-rank porter now?"
Na Hyeji with a one-ton Spatial Bag was an EX porter.
Na Hyeji with a ten-ton Spatial Bag was a Super-EX porter.
If I took the initials, that made her an S-EX-rank porter!
That sounded a little dirty, so I'd just keep calling her an EX-rank porter.
Anyway.
I had obtained a ten-ton Spatial Bag!
Pretending to be a Hard-rank commoner was a little humiliating, but...!
The result was worth it.
* * *
That afternoon, my sister received her car.
"Hehehe..."
"Sis. Are you that happy?"
"Yeah!"
My sister grinned from ear to ear as she tore away the plastic wrapping from the delivered car.
She was grinning wickedly and tearing off the plastic without mercy, which made her look a little insane.
Still, she liked it, so giving her the gift had been worthwhile.
I looked over the car's exterior.
'Hmm. I recognize the logo, but I don't think I've ever seen this car before. Do people not buy compact foreign cars?'
It was from a familiar German car brand, yet it had a design I hardly remembered seeing before.
Well.
One little compact car cost a whopping ninety million won...
Rather than buying a foreign compact car for that much money, far more people would probably buy a Korean midsize or large car.
Maybe my sister just had unusual taste for buying a foreign compact car.
"You're scrapping Vroomie, right?"
"Yeah. Back in the old days, I could at least export it overseas as a used car, but most developing countries have collapsed now. Scrapping it is the only option."
"That's too bad."
For the record, Vroomie, my sister's beloved car, nineteen years old and Korean-made, would finally be leaving for the great junkyard in the sky.
Before the Tower era, it could have been reborn through the skills of the big brothers in Pakistan and lived a second life as a car...
But Pakistan and many other developing countries had already collapsed.
So scrapping it was the only answer.
A sad thing.
"What's this car's nickname?"
"Squeaky."
"...Squeaky?"
"It'll make lots of screech-screech sounds."
Why would a car make screeching sounds?
Was it because it was a compact car?
Maybe I should have spent more money and bought her a better car...
"Hehehe. I can't wait. I hope the engine break-in ends soon... It'll sound so delicious."
"What will sound delicious?"
"The screech-screech sound."
"What?"
I had no idea what she meant.
Well, it probably wasn't anything bad.
Then my sister started doing something strange.
Splash! Splash!
She suddenly took out a bottle of makgeolli and began sprinkling it over the car's tires!
"Sis! What are you doing?!"
"I'm holding a rite for it. Nothing elaborate, just a simple version. It's superstition, but... it feels unsettling if I don't do it, you know?"
"..."
A car rite?
Was this that machine spirit thing?
"Anyway, I'll go for a quick drive. There's bulgogi ready, so eat that for dinner."
"Okay. Drive safe."
"Thank you so much for buying me a car!"
Vrooom!
My sister got into the car, started it, and drove out of the villa neighborhood.
But the engine was louder than I expected.
I clicked my tongue.
"Those Germans. They charge a fortune for cars, but they can't even make them right. What kind of new car is this loud?"
Nineteen-year-old Vroomie had made far less noise than that.
Who would have thought the engine of a freshly delivered car would be so loud...?
Korean cars really were the best.
Our country's automotive technology was the best in the universe.
Ah. Come to think of it, hadn't most Korean car companies been sold off overseas too?
Anyway.
"Should I start getting ready to climb?"
* * *
After seeing my sister off and returning home, I opened Hunter Gallery.
Then I searched for "Floor 13."
[Ah, is this the end? I can't even imagine going any further.]
[I got scared the moment it started and took the Return Portal right away lol]
[Being chased by 300 Orcs is over the line]
[Ah, don't come, please spare me]
[Yeah, I'm giving up climbing]
[I'm going back to park at Floor 8, I don't think I'll ever clear Floor 13, fuck]
[I think this gets hard unless you're Normal-rank or Hard-rank]
...
Posts overflowing with resignation appeared one after another.
It made sense.
Floor 13 was where most Hunters from Easy-rank backgrounds, who had barely reached the entrance to the Middle Floors, gave up climbing.
Floor 13 of the Tower of Trials.
Hunters called it...
'A running map.'
The structure of Floor 13 was simple.
The moment you started, an Orc pursuit squad came charging from far away.
You had to run as hard as you could while avoiding them until you reached the Escape Portal, then take the portal.
In other words, it was a map where you just had to run for your life.
It might sound easy when described that way.
But it was by no means a low-difficulty floor.
After all, you could barely clear it only after outrunning roughly 300 Orcs for nearly twenty kilometers.
Click.
I read a post that caught my eye.
[Post Title: Being chased by 300 Orcs is over the line]
The moment it starts, 300 Orcs chase you.
And I have to run 20 kilometers while shaking them off?
Is clearing this even possible?
Those Orc bastards have fucking insane stamina and strength, so they don't even get tired easily.
And I heard there are Orc Warriors among them too.
No matter how hard I try, I don't think I can clear it...
For reference, I'm Tutorial Easy-rank;
└It's possible if you're from Normal-rank, but it'll be hard if you're from Easy-rank...?
└Floor 13 isn't called the Easy-rank filter for nothing lol. You seriously can't clear it with Easy-rank abilities.
└Even if you somehow shake off the regular Orcs, the Orc Warriors are fucking crazy. It's hard to lose them unless you're Normal-rank;
└Those guys suddenly burst forward and charge at you, they're fast as fuck. They're so strong they just tear Easy-rank people apart with their bare hands, fuck, how is that thing a living creature?
└Ah, this is so fucking depressing. I climbed so hard, but I have no idea how to clear Floor 13... Do I have to give up here?
...
Like this.
Floor 13 was considered the ultimate limit for Hunters from Easy-rank backgrounds.
It was because of the Orc Warriors.
Orc Warriors.
An elite Orc troop type with bodies larger than ordinary Orcs.
They were the enemies that could be called the first trial at the entrance to the Middle Floors.
They wore steel armor over their vital areas, making them incredibly tough.
They could suddenly explode forward with incredible speed.
They had monstrous physical strength...
They literally tore Hunters apart with both hands.
They were enemies Easy-rank commoners couldn't possibly fight.
There were around twenty Orc Warriors.
Along with them came roughly 300 regular Orcs.
An Orc army of over 300 charged at climbers the moment they began.
Floor 13 required them to flee from those Orcs until they reached the Escape Portal twenty kilometers away.
As a result, Hunters from Easy-rank backgrounds gave up on clearing Floor 13.
Hunters from Normal-rank backgrounds passed through it fairly easily.
Hunters from Hard-rank backgrounds cleared Floor 13 with ease.
Cruelly enough, Floor 13 was where the difference in growth rates, built up layer by layer from Floor 1, became glaringly clear.
That was why Floor 13 had another name...
'The Easy-rank filter.'
After Floor 13, it was regarded as a realm Easy-rank climbers could never reach.
Scroll.
I looked through the comments as I rolled the mouse wheel.
└Is this my limit...? I'll just go to safe Floor 8 and make a living by hunting Goblins. Going any further looks really hard... I'll leave the rest to the Normal-rank and Hard-rank guys.
└└You worked hard.
└└You earn over 1,000 Points every month on Floor 8. You're doing more than enough, so don't blame yourself too much.
└└You still did all you could. Most people are stuck on Floor 4, doing nothing but grinding for cash.
└└I gave up climbing at Floor 13 too lol.
└└Can't be helped. There's a difference in what we're born with... I think I was lucky just to make it this far.
They had reached Floor 13 through relentless effort despite coming from Easy-rank backgrounds.
I could feel their grief and resignation.
The old me would have mocked them.
They were only Easy-rank commoners, so I would have laughed at them for giving up on such a lowly Floor 13.
But I was different now.
This body was the noble and great Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter.
The world's only wizard.
The hero who would save the future Republic of Korea!
I wasn't a Hunter who only chased money.
Those who had climbed as far as the Middle Floors despite their weak Easy-rank origins deserved respect.
So I left a comment on that old post.
└Blue Dot: You worked hard, Easy-rank commoners. Leave everything beyond this to me, the Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter. Rest easy.
After leaving the comment, I closed Hunter Gallery.
I clenched my fist and declared,
"The resentment of the Easy-rank commoners who gave up climbing because Floor 13 stopped them...! This Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter will personally avenge them."
Floor 13, enemy of the Easy-rank commoners!
I would avenge them with my overwhelming power!
As always, that meant I would tear apart and smash every monster I saw.
Then I waited for Na Hyeji.
[Entering Tower Floor 13.]
The conquest of Floor 13 had begun.
Footnotes:
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