WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B.

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 54: 054

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I activated the invisibility artifact Rachel had lent me.

Using it was simple.

-Click.

The moment I pressed the button on the pocket watch.

An odd sensation wrapped around my body.

Then, right afterward.

[Baek Jiho (Republic of Korea: Floor 21)]

[36,659 Points]

[36,658 Points]

[36,657 Points]...

The Points in my status window began dropping one at a time.

I'd heard it was an artifact that consumed one Point per second to grant complete invisibility.

I clicked my tongue.

"One Point per second. Does one second cost a whole month's worth for one citizen of my country?"

Sixty Points per minute.

Three thousand six hundred Points per hour.

That was the price of complete invisibility.

The Points were definitely a waste.

Well... I needed it, so I had to use it.

There could be trouble if someone saw me using magic.

I hadn't exchanged my Points yet, so I had plenty saved up.

I had over thirty-six thousand Points.

I could keep this up for at least ten hours.

"Then... shall we go?"

Tap!

The moment I opened the door, I took off running.

My destination was a medium-sized commercial building a few blocks from the villa neighborhood where I lived.

It was practically the next neighborhood over.

The straight-line distance was only a few hundred meters, so I arrived in seconds.

I looked over the building.

'So the Chinese Hunter special operations unit bastards are hiding here...'

It was an abandoned three-story commercial building.

The windows were broken all over from neglect.

The walls were covered in filthy spray paint left by punks.

A common, failed commercial building where business had dried up and only flies remained.

With the Republic of Korea's collapse drawing near, buildings like this weren't hard to find.

As I examined the building, I sharpened my spiritual senses.

'There are exactly thirty-six people inside...'

They were all gathered on the second and third floors.

Every one of them had a sturdy build and heavy footsteps, and each held something in their hands.

Some had guns. Some had swords.

Others were holding what looked like communication devices and talking into them.

I let out a hollow laugh.

"Guns, swords... They're even wearing bulletproof vests? They really came prepared."

Were all thirty-six of them High Floor Hunters?

The scale of the continent really was insane.

There were only sixty High Floor Hunters in all of Korea.

Yet China was using dozens, even hundreds, of those precious High Floor Hunters as soldiers...

They must have kidnapped so many Hunters from weaker countries that they could deploy Hunters for things other than earning Points.

Anyway.

I slowly raised my staff.

"I'd rather not kill anyone if I can help it..."

I was the Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter.

Every day, I massacred hundreds or thousands of monsters in the Tower.

Even so, killing humans bothered me.

Killing monsters and killing humans were very different things.

"I don't have a choice. I have to kill them."

Even so, I intended to kill those bastards.

Because they invaded weaker countries.

Massacred civilians.

Kidnapped Hunters.

Was that why?

No.

It was for a more personal reason.

'It doesn't look like it'd be easy to subdue thirty-six High Floor Hunters.'

My opponents were thirty-six High Floor Hunters.

And they were members of China's Hunter special operations unit.

They must have fought countless real battles while operating in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and India.

Compared to them, I was only a rookie Hunter in my third week since becoming a Tower climber.

The gap in combat experience was enormous.

If I acted tough and tried to subdue them because I didn't want to kill people, I might end up getting taken down instead.

I threw away those soft thoughts and decided to kill them all.

Once I'd decided to kill them.

It was time to do it without hesitation!

"FBI! OPEN UP!!!"

I kicked down the firmly locked front door and entered.

Crash!

The commercial building's front entrance shattered and scattered without resistance.

It was a glass door, so it broke easily.

Though even if it had been a steel door, I could have smashed it without much trouble.

After entering, I walked up to the second floor.

Then I saw the Hunters rushing toward the stairs.

"What?! What's going on?!"

"Is it Korea's National Intelligence Service?!"

"Find out what's happening!"

I didn't know Chinese, so I had no idea exactly what they were saying...

Still, they seemed to be reacting to the sound of me breaking through the glass door.

They turned their heads and looked around.

Even though I was standing openly in the middle of the building, they couldn't see me.

It was thanks to the invisibility artifact.

This artifact was really useful.

Even High Floor Hunters couldn't detect me at all.

It was worth eating up one Point per second.

-Clink.

I took the coins from my pocket, gripped them in my right hand, and aimed at them.

I'd hurriedly grabbed the coins from home before leaving.

Orc axe blades were a little too big to use as Railgun projectiles.

Coins seemed just right for shooting.

Anyway...

I invoked my magic.

'Railgun.'

Continuous fire.

-Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A thunderous roar split the air.

Brilliant electrical sparks flashed.

Each time, blue trails tore through the air.

They pierced through everything in their path.

Thud! Crack! Smash! Splat!

The coins I fired exploded their heads like watermelons and punched through the walls behind them.

Then.

Thump. Splat. Bang.

Headless bodies collapsed one after another.

Blood gushed from them and soaked the hallway floor.

I muttered a curse.

"Fuck... This feels disgusting."

The feeling of killing humans wasn't pleasant.

I'd thought I was used to blood after slaughtering so many Goblins and Orcs.

But humans really were different from monsters.

The discomfort didn't last long.

It quickly turned into irritation and rage.

"You fucking Chinese bastards! Because of you... You made the hands of this Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter bloody!"

If those Chinese bastards hadn't invaded!

Would I have had any reason to kill people?!

I gritted my teeth and kept firing Railgun.

-Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Whenever electric light flashed, a fierce roar followed.

Blue trails ripped through the air.

They smashed the heads of Hunters emerging from every direction.

Splat. Crack. Pop!

The sound of human heads bursting.

More than ten of them died in only a few seconds.

"We're under attack! We're being attacked!"

"I can't see anyone! It's an invisibility artifact!"

"Fuck! Open fire first!"

Were they not planning to just sit there and take it?

They began firing their guns in my direction.

-Bangbangbangbangbangbangbang!

Muzzle flashes flickered.

Gunfire thundered loud enough to deafen me.

Countless bullets rained down everywhere.

They seemed to be guns loaded with special anti-Hunter rounds, because their firepower was incredible.

They destroyed concrete walls and steel doors in an instant.

Even I wouldn't have been unharmed if I'd been hit.

But their bullets never reached my body.

-Clangclangclang!

The Water Protective Aura I had invoked had deflected them.

Violently spinning high-pressure water twisted the trajectory of the bullets.

The Hunters were shocked.

"Not just an invisibility artifact, they even have a defensive artifact?!"

"Throw grenades! Retreat!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

They threw grenades at me and leaped out the windows.

Then.

-Boomboomboom!

Multiple grenades exploded at once.

Blast pressure and flames engulfed my surroundings.

Of course, I was fine.

When they pulled the grenade pins, I changed the attribute of Protective Aura to earth and blocked the shrapnel and flames.

Whoosh.

Thick smoke blocked my vision.

I dismissed Protective Aura.

Then I aimed at the backs of the Hunters fleeing through the windows.

"Where do you think you're going?"

You were soldiers, yet you were running away with your tails between your legs!

Didn't they know wounds on a swordsman's back were a disgrace?

I had no intention of letting them escape so easily.

I fired Fireball.

-Boom!

The Fireball hit right among them.

A violent explosion erupted.

"Cough!"

"Aaargh!"

"...!"

Those caught in the blast staggered back with screams.

Were they really High Floor Hunters?

They were tough.

The Fireball could grind down dozens of Orcs or Goblins, yet they only staggered from the impact.

That hurt my pride!

I fired Fireball repeatedly.

-Pewpewpewpewpew!

I fired ten Fireballs almost at once.

Their tough bodies finally seemed unable to endure any longer.

-Boomboomboomboomboomboom!

They exploded into pieces, spraying blood mist everywhere.

So it took around ten Fireballs to deal with a High Floor Hunter.

I'd have to remember that.

Just as I finished off the ones who had tried to flee.

"Die!"

Whoosh.

Hunters gripping swords charged through the thick dust.

I was clearly using an invisibility artifact...

They must have figured out my location by watching the trail of the Fireballs.

-Swoooosh!

A sword wrapped in blue sword light rushed toward me.

It was a powerful strike, strong enough for the sword wind to blow away the dust around us.

But.

"Water-Blender!"

I wasn't only capable of long-range attacks!

-Krrrrrrrrk!

The Hunters who charged at me were shredded apart by swirling high-pressure water.

"Aaargh!"

"Ah! Aaaaargh!"

"Aaaaargh!"

Krrrrrrrrk!

The sound of their entire bodies being torn apart was horrifying.

They were just tough enough not to die instantly.

They screamed in terrible pain as they died.

Blood sprayed everywhere.

Thump. Splat. Flop.

The Chinese Hunter special operations unit members collapsed limply, their bodies reduced to rags.

I crossed the hallway filled with corpses and blood, then climbed to the third floor.

That's when I saw them.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"More than half our forces are dead! We have to retreat!"

"Those Korean bastards couldn't have done this... Was it America?!"

More than a dozen Chinese Hunters were gathered in the hallway before the stairs.

I'd ground up half of them on the second floor...

The other half had been upstairs.

They had clustered together, apparently intending to join forces and take me down.

It was a bad decision.

Grouping up in front of someone like me, who had several area-of-effect skills.

It was the same as saying they wanted to die efficiently.

I unleashed Storm.

-Rumble!

A swarm of electricity churned through the air.

Countless bolts of lightning raced between them, and flashing light brightly illuminated the building's hallway.

"Aaargh!"

"Ghk!"

"...!"

They trembled from the electric shock.

This was the spell that had turned Orcs into nicely roasted meat with one hit.

It seemed it still wasn't enough to kill High Floor Hunters in a single strike.

That was fine.

At least they were paralyzed!

I fired Railgun at them.

-Boom!

"Aaargh!"

"Cough...!"

Several of them died with every shot.

They had been gathered in a long hallway, so the projectiles pierced through them in a straight line.

Holes opened through their heads and chests.

I continued firing Railgun.

-Booom!

-Boom!

-Boom!...

Their heads and bodies were pierced through, their limbs severed.

The Hunters collapsed in groups, scattering blood mist everywhere.

A little while later.

Fssss...

The faint aftermath settled, and a quiet silence fell over the place.

I looked around and muttered.

"...Did I get them all?"

The inside of the commercial building was a complete disaster.

Human fragments scattered everywhere.

Blood covering the floor.

Walls and ceilings torn to shreds...

It was absolute chaos.

No more presences registered in my senses.

I had killed all thirty-six Chinese Hunters gathered in the commercial building.

But I had no intention of stopping here.

I took out my smartphone and called Han Seonga.

"Han Seonga."

"Baek Jiho! Are you safe?! There was a battle going on there..."

"You know where I am, right? It was a loud fight. I killed thirty-six Chinese Hunters here, so send someone to clean things up. I'm going to catch the Chinese submarine."

"...You killed Chinese Hunters? Don't tell me you took out the Hunter special operations unit?! No, more importantly, a submarine...?!"

"The documents I got from Rachel had information about the Chinese submarine too. We have to catch it before it escapes. Oh, right! These bastards are carrying a lot of artifacts. Those are all my spoils of war, right? Make sure you collect them properly. And please protect my sister too."

"Jiho! Stop doing dangerous things now...!"

Click.

I hung up.

She was obviously going to tell me not to fight because it was dangerous, so why listen?

I called Hyeji.

-Ring. Ring. Ring...

The ringing continued for a long time.

Hmm. Han Seonga answered after one ring.

Was Hyeji asleep because it was dawn?

A little later.

"Ugh... Hello? Jiho? Why are you calling at this hour?"

Hyeji barely picked up.

Her voice was hoarse, as though she'd been deeply asleep.

It would have been a problem if she hadn't answered, so I was glad the call went through.

I immediately made my request.

"Hyeji. Please send Iing Iing to me for a moment."

"What? Iing Iing? Why at this hour?"

"I need to fly somewhere."

* * *

I flew to the Yellow Sea using Iing Iing's telekinesis.

For reference, I hid Iing Iing securely inside my coat.

Someone might see her otherwise.

Thanks to the invisibility artifact, Iing Iing and I were completely invisible.

That meant we didn't have to worry about anyone discovering us, even while flying through the sky!

-Whoooosh!

I crossed the night sky with Iing Iing.

Looking down, I saw Seoul's nightscape spread beneath me.

Countless buildings, cars weaving between roads, and the gleaming lights of civilization.

It was the nightscape of the Republic of Korea that I had to protect.

I muttered softly.

"Flying inside the Tower is nice too... but flying in reality is nice as well. I get to see beautiful nightscapes like this."

The air quality was bad.

Pollution made visibility poor, and I had to worry about other people's eyes...

Still, Seoul's nightscape, seen from high in the sky, was beautiful.

A massive city shining like it never slept.

Seoul.

If Points ran out, it was a city that would disappear along with the Republic of Korea's collapse in two months.

No. It wouldn't disappear.

Chinese people would simply take its place.

I couldn't allow that.

I would protect the Republic of Korea no matter what.

-Whoooosh!

I rode Iing Iing's telekinesis across Seoul, past Incheon, and toward the Yellow Sea.

We arrived at an island in the Yellow Sea called Seonmi Island.

It was a small island thirty kilometers from Yeongjong Island, where Incheon International Airport was located.

The waters off Incheon were shallow, so the Chinese submarine was supposedly waiting somewhere nearby.

The moment we arrived at the island, I gave Iing Iing an order.

"Iing Iing. There should be a huge chunk of metal in the sea. A submarine. Find where it is and tell me."

"Iing!"

Iing Iing raised her fist as though telling me to leave it to her.

Inside the Tower, I could sense things over a hundred meters away...

But in reality, I could only sense things within around ten meters.

That meant Iing Iing's help was essential if I wanted to find the submarine.

Iing Iing was the fairy drone who had proven her usefulness on Floor 16!

With her overwhelming detection ability, finding a submarine underwater should be easy.

She circled the island a few times.

Then she told me.

"Iing!"

"Oh. You found it? Good job, Iing Iing."

"Iing!"

She puffed out her chest and held out her head.

Did she want me to pet her?

I gave her some head pats.

She was so praiseworthy that I couldn't help it.

Anyway, now that I knew where the submarine was.

It was time to deal with it.

I had already thought of a method.

-Fwoosh!

First, I created a Fireball.

Then I began stacking it.

-Fwoosh! Fwoooosh! Fwoooooosh! Fwoooooooosh...!

The wavering Fireball gradually deepened in color as it continued stacking.

I used air first, then rock, to keep super-compressing the Fireball.

A moment later.

-Rumble...

Hundreds of Fireballs were compressed into a single point, radiating a majestic presence.

A bowling ball-shaped mass of dark flames floated over my staff.

One spell containing the power of three hundred Fireballs.

I smirked.

"I thought this was too strong to ever find much use for... but I guess anything becomes useful if you make it first?"

Super-Fireball.

I'd used it once on Floor 17, then sealed it away ever since.

Its firepower was insane, but its mana efficiency was awful, and it destroyed the loot too.

There had been nowhere I could really use it.

But life was full of unexpected turns.

I'd finally found a use for it.

That use was none other than destroying the Chinese submarine lurking dozens of meters below the sea!

I slowly extended my staff forward.

Then I quietly recited.

"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."

I fired Super-Fireball.

It was such a heavy projectile that the dark Fireball drifted forward slowly.

It touched the surface of the sea.

At that moment.

-Flash.

A blinding burst of light erased the darkness of night.

-Booooooooom!

A massive explosion erupted.

A deafening roar that seemed to shake heaven and earth.

A pillar of fire shot high into the sky.

The enormous blast burned the sea's surface and spread outward in a vast cloud of steam.

For a moment, the wide ocean was dyed red.

The world became bright.

It looked like an underwater nuclear test.

With this much...

The submarine beneath the sea must have been completely destroyed, right?

-Boomboomboom!

After the explosion, shockwaves and white steam spread in every direction.

Watching the scene, I muttered softly.

"How will China respond now?"

* * *

That day.

Intelligence agencies all over the world went on high alert.

Footnotes:

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