WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B.

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 50: 050

──────

Han Seonga came to our house.

The first thing she did was bow deeply.

"...I failed in my protection detail. I sincerely apologize, Hunter Baek Jiho and Manager Baek Jiye."

"..."

"I will improve the level of protection more thoroughly to ensure this never happens again."

Han Seonga spoke politely, her head still bowed.

"...Sigh."

I let out a quiet sigh.

I'd originally planned to complain at length, but I was only human. It didn't feel right to say harsh things to someone apologizing that sincerely, so all I could do was end it with a sigh.

That was when Han Seonga examined the pocket watch that had fallen to the floor.

"I wondered how they penetrated our security perimeter, but... it's a Grade 1 artifact."

"Grade 1?"

"Yes. An invisibility-type artifact. And that one is... an illusion artifact. It seems they came prepared. To use two Grade 1 artifacts..."

Grade 1 artifacts.

They were artifacts found on the highest floors, Floor 41 and above. Each was worth at least tens of billions of won, with expensive ones reaching into the trillions.

They were treated as national strategic assets.

For reference, Korea barely had any.

They'd sold them all because they needed Points. Apparently, the only Grade 1 artifacts still in the country were the personal equipment of Kim Taeseok and Choi Yejin, the two existing Hard-rank Hunters.

It seemed someone had used such incredible items to break through the National Intelligence Service's surveillance network and invade our home.

'Come to think of it, she was surprised when she asked if I could see her.'

I'd wondered why she reacted like some ghost saying, "Wait, you can see me?"

Had she been hiding herself with an artifact then?

I could see her perfectly well, though.

Anyway.

"Who is this person? Her ID says she's an American diplomat."

I glanced over at the foreign woman lying unconscious on the living room floor.

She was currently restrained.

Well, calling it restrained was a stretch. We'd only wrapped packing tape around her wrists and ankles. It was a temporary measure in case she woke up while we waited for Han Seonga.

Would something this crude even work on a Hunter?

As I looked over the unconscious woman, Han Seonga spoke quietly.

"She's an American operative. Rachel Turner, an agent assigned to the Central Intelligence Agency's covert operations division."

"You recognized her just from her face?"

"We already know each other... Wake up, Rachel. You're awake, aren't you?"

At Han Seonga's cold words, the Westerner called Rachel slowly pushed herself up.

"Long time no see, Seonga. Has it been two years since we met in Beijing? Have you been well?"

"I heard you were in Japan. When did you come to Korea?"

"Is the National Intelligence Service still that slow with its intel? I've been in Korea for over a week. You still hadn't figured it out?"

"..."

"Ah, my head hurts..."

Riiip. Riiip.

She effortlessly tore through the tape around her limbs with sheer strength.

Hmm. I guess packing tape really couldn't restrain a Hunter.

Then again, a Middle Floors Hunter who came from Normal-rank could break steel handcuffs and whatever else. Tape was probably a joke to her.

She rubbed the top of her head and furrowed her brow.

"That was harsh, Mr. Baek Jiho. I came to make you a wonderful offer, and you attacked me without warning. Isn't that too cruel to do to a lady?"

"I'm a pretty progressive person. Longbow Apache doesn't discriminate between men and women."

"...? Anyway. Since my cover identity has been exposed, I suppose I have no choice but to introduce myself properly. I'm Rachel Turner from the International Affairs Division of the Central Intelligence Agency. I came because I have a proposal for Hunter Baek Jiho-"

"Stop."

Click.

Han Seonga pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Rachel.

A real pistol.

Seeing this, she really was with the National Intelligence Service after all.

I'd only ever seen her carrying a crystal ball and exchanging Points, so she hadn't felt like an agent. I never expected her to carry a gun.

Han Seonga spoke without lowering the weapon.

"You're planning to offer him recruitment to the United States."

"That's right. So?"

"Mr. Baek Jiho is a Korean Hunter under our protection. We refuse American interference."

"Hmph. He hasn't even signed a formal contract with you yet."

"That's..."

"Does Korea, which hasn't even signed a formal contract with him, have grounds to restrict our recruitment activities? We haven't violated the London Convention."

"..."

Han Seonga bit her lip as though she had nothing to say.

What the hell was the London Convention, you nerd? Were they only going to talk about things they knew?

Then my sister, who was standing beside me, explained quietly.

"The London Convention is an international treaty that defines the treatment of Hunters. It includes clauses about Hunter recruitment. Hunters who have signed formal contracts with a country can be recruited or transferred through negotiations between countries, but Hunters who haven't signed a formal contract can be approached and recruited directly by foreign countries."

"Oh, sis, you're really knowledgeable. As expected of a Korea University graduate."

"This is common knowledge for Hunters. It's strange that you don't know it."

"No, even if you say that... It's been less than three weeks since I became a Hunter."

There was no way a newbie Hunter like me would know about the London Convention or international treaties.

Unless someone was normally interested in international politics or history, they wouldn't go around memorizing every treaty.

Rachel spoke then.

"And isn't Korea the crazy one here?"

"Crazy? How?"

"Look at this! You're imprisoning him in a basement dungeon like this twenty-four hours a day and forcing him to climb...! This is an obvious human rights violation and a breach of the London Convention!"

"What are you talking about? We imprisoned him?"

Han Seonga looked baffled.

So did I.

Imprisoned? What was she suddenly talking about?

Rachel continued.

"Don't pretend you don't know. Even if the country's destruction is close at hand...! You're keeping such a valuable Hard-rank Hunter locked up. He hasn't gone outside for days. If that's not imprisonment, what is? You even stationed National Intelligence Service operatives nearby to stop him from escaping."

"...Mr. Baek Jiho has simply refrained from outside activities-"

"Stop making ridiculous excuses. How can someone willingly stay inside their house for days on end?"

Han Seonga looked frustrated.

They hadn't imprisoned me, but because I rarely went out, they were suddenly being treated like kidnappers.

She seemed to feel unfairly accused.

And I couldn't understand Rachel.

Come on.

If someone didn't want to go outside, couldn't they hole up at home for a week or so?

Just because I hadn't gone out, she thought I was trapped in prison.

Get rid of that fixed idea that people have to see sunlight!

Whoosh!

Rachel turned toward me.

"Mr. Baek Jiho. Come to the United States. A country that violates human rights like Korea doesn't deserve a Hard-rank Hunter like you. Don't you want to escape this suffocating life of imprisonment and become free?"

"Um."

"Here. These are the conditions the United States has prepared for you. Take a look."

Rustle.

Rachel took out a document from her bag and held it out to me.

It was written in both English and Korean.

I accepted it and read.

'The conditions offered by the United States... I have no intention of abandoning Korea for America, but I am curious.'

It was America.

The America called heaven for Hunters!

The reason America was heaven for Hunters was simple.

First, it paid more than any other country in the world.

And like Americans who went crazy for superhero stories, they treated Hunters like heroes.

America was the country that gave out both money and fame in the greatest amounts.

You could literally call it Heaven America.

And that America wanted to recruit this Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter.

What conditions had they offered, I wondered?

I read the document, then had no choice but to stop at the first clause.

1. The United States shall pay Tower climber Baek Jiho a recruitment signing bonus of 100 million dollars.

'One hundred million dollars? How much is that in won? The exchange rate is in the 2,400 won range right now, so... 240 billion?'

That was insane.

They were going to deposit hundreds of billions of won directly into my account...!

"Do you dare try to buy me with money! Are you trying to insult me!"

"Uh... Is it not enough? If it isn't, I can contact headquarters and make some adjustments..."

"It is too much money to scold you for it, though...!"

"???"

Leaving Rachel with a confused expression, I kept reading.

2. The United States shall pay Tower climber Baek Jiho an annual base salary of 100 million dollars, and he may request a higher base salary according to the Floor he reaches.

3. Tower climber Baek Jiho shall be exempt from all tax obligations.

4. Tower climber Baek Jiho shall not be subject to criminal prosecution, except in cases of insurrection, treason, murder, or sex crimes.

5. Tower climber Baek Jiho shall have the right to request artifact support from the United States, and if deemed necessary for climbing, the United States shall be obligated to loan or grant its artifacts free of charge.

6. Tower climber Baek Jiho shall be guaranteed SES Level II status...

The rest was just as incredible.

Tax exemption was a given. They'd pay me 100 million dollars every year as a base salary. On top of being treated like a cabinet minister and receiving corresponding protocol as SES Level II, there were countless other privileges, such as being buried in Arlington National Cemetery after death.

And even immunity from prosecution!

"Wow, what the hell? Immunity from prosecution too? Isn't that something only a president gets?"

"That's the bare minimum for a Hard-rank Hunter."

"Huh..."

Immunity from prosecution.

Put simply, it was the privilege of never facing criminal charges for anything except rebellion or serious crimes.

It was an incredibly awesome privilege, something only a president should have.

They were adding privileges this enormous to the offer.

It showed just how serious America was about collecting Hard-rank Hunters.

I felt good about being treated as someone important.

"Hehe. Right. Someone as amazing as me should receive this much. A base salary in the hundreds of billions, incredible treatment, and immunity from prosecution. Isn't that amazing? These Americans really know how to recognize talent."

"...Jiho? You're not actually going to America, are you?"

"The terms are that good. Should I go to America? Should I really just go to America? I'm going to America-!"

"!!!!!!"

Thud.

Han Seonga wore an expression full of despair.

Ah. That was the expression of someone who had lost their country.

Her hollow, vacant face was painfully sincere.

I was only making a joke...

I hadn't expected her to react so sensitively.

I felt a tiny bit sorry for Seonga.

Flutter.

I returned the document to Rachel.

"I'll refuse the offer."

"...Why? Why would you stay in Korea while being imprisoned and watched like this? Just say the word. We can get you out even if we have to use force. Was the offer insufficient? We can contact headquarters and adjust it again..."

"I'm not imprisoned, and honestly, I was satisfied with the conditions you offered. But."

"But?"

"If I leave, my country will be ruined."

The conditions America offered.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted. The moment I went to America, I'd receive hundreds of billions of won and all sorts of privileges on top of it.

It was an opportunity to become an aristocrat in the world's greatest superpower and richest country.

But who was I?

The Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter.

The successor of the Goblin Sect.

The hero who would save the Republic of Korea in the future!

Could someone like me really be lured away by mere money and abandon my homeland?

Korea had all sorts of conflict, strife, and injustice.

It was full of trashy people.

It had titles like Hell Joseon and the Peninsula of Hellfire.

Even so, it was the place where I was born and raised.

If I could save it, I honestly wanted to.

"I'm going to save the Republic of Korea. If I leave, all fifty million people will die. How could I abandon them?"

"You can't stop a destruction that has already been decided. There are only ten weeks left until the Points run out. No matter if you're a Hard-rank Hunter, Jiho, it's absolutely impossible for one person alone."

"No. I can do it. If it's me..."

"..."

Had she read my firm resolve?

Or was she planning to withdraw for now and regroup?

She didn't argue any further. Instead, she took out a business card from inside her coat and held it out to me.

"Here. This is my contact information. If you change your mind later, or if you need America's help, contact me anytime."

"It says you're a diplomat, not CIA."

"Of course it's a cover identity. And... Seonga?"

Rachel turned her gaze toward Han Seonga.

Han Seonga was still aiming her pistol.

Ignoring the gun pointed at her, Rachel rummaged through her bag and pulled out several documents.

I glanced at them. They were documents written in Chinese.

She handed them to Seonga.

"These are the movements of the Ministry of State Security's Hunter Special Task Force. Take them."

"...Why are you giving me this? What are you plotting?"

"Baek Jiho will come to America after Korea falls. I'm giving this to you so the Chinese don't take him before that happens."

"..."

"Protect Baek Jiho properly so he isn't kidnapped."

Han Seonga accepted the documents and examined them.

Judging from how her expression hardened, there must have been something serious in them.

By the way, it seemed Rachel thought I'd go to America after the Republic of Korea was destroyed soon.

Korea isn't going to fall, so stop drooling over me already.

I'm going to save everyone!

"Mr. Baek Jiho, I'll be leaving now. I hope that next time, I'll see you as an American. Goodbye."

Clack.

Rachel bowed and left.

I asked Han Seonga, "Seonga, aren't you going to take her to the National Intelligence Service and interrogate her or something? She's an intelligence agent. Why did you let her go?"

"...Unless it's something serious, such as assassination, kidnapping, or terrorism, we rarely respond that aggressively. If something unpleasant happens between allied countries, the custom between agencies is to issue a suitable warning and let it go."

"Ah."

"If they had tried to kidnap you, Jiho, we would have responded aggressively too... but all they did was make a recruitment offer. At most, we'll send a letter of protest. They probably won't even respond to that."

In movies, they'd capture agents and torture them and stuff.

That was apparently fictional movie nonsense.

No. If it had been China or Russia, an enemy country rather than America, would their response have been different?

The world of intelligence agencies was complicated.

Anyway.

"I should get back to sleep already..."

I woke up at dawn, and what was all this chaos?

An American CIA agent broke in, a National Intelligence Service agent pulled out a gun, and I sat there smacking my lips while reading a document.

The international situation in a semi-basement home was truly dizzying.

Still, it was surprising that a Yankee suddenly showed up like that.

The Chinese bastards weren't going to come barging in too, were they?

...Probably not.

National Intelligence Service, you'll do better next time, right?

I trust you, okay?

Please do your job properly...!

* * *

Click. Click.

Rachel walked through a dim alley between villas.

As she walked, she thought.

'Baek Jiho. He's definitely no ordinary Hunter.'

She glanced at the pocket watch in her hand.

It was a Grade 1 covert operations artifact.

Just yesterday, she'd received authorization from the minister of the Climber Management Department and taken it out.

The artifact's effect was simple.

It consumed one Point per second to grant the user complete invisibility.

It concealed their form, blocked their presence and noise, and even hid their scent and body heat...

It was an item that enabled perfect infiltration.

Its effect was absolute.

Even Hunters of the highest floors would be unable to detect it.

And yet.

'He recognized me immediately. Even though the artifact was clearly active.'

Baek Jiho had noticed her the moment he saw her.

As though she were plainly visible.

Their eyes met.

Then he raised his staff and struck her on the head.

And then.

'He shattered even a Grade 2 Guardian Stone in one strike...'

She examined the necklace around her neck.

Normally, a small gemstone would have hung from its end, casting a dreamlike glow.

Now, it was miserably damaged.

The Guardian Stone attached to the necklace had been destroyed in a single blow.

It was unbelievable.

Even a High Floor Hunter would need to give their all to destroy this Grade 2 Guardian Stone.

Yet he had broken it so easily?

Hard-rank Hunters were said to possess superior abilities compared to others on the same Floor...

But could he already possess strength beyond that of High Floor Hunters?

Baek Jiho had shown several impressive qualities in that brief time.

A thought suddenly came to her.

'That absurd information collected by the NSA... Could it really have been true?'

Baek Jiho, the Hunter who climbed one Floor per day.

The intelligence service had considered it nonsense.

No matter how much of a Hard-rank Hunter he was, climbing one Floor a day should have been impossible.

They had no choice but to assume it was crude misinformation leaked by the National Intelligence Service.

But what if it was true?

What if Baek Jiho possessed astonishing potential unlike any previous Hard-rank Hunter?

What if that was why he displayed so many extraordinary feats despite only being on Floor 19?

Rachel considered it carefully.

Then she shook her head and organized her thoughts.

"Whether it's true or not, I don't know yet. But one thing is certain. We have to recruit Baek Jiho, for the national interest if nothing else."

He possessed extraordinary abilities in many ways.

If they recruited him, America's hegemony would become secure.

She would recruit him, no matter what.

With that resolve, Rachel's figure disappeared into the darkness.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried