I'm the Only Wizard Climbing the Tower - Chapter 61

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B.

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 61: 061

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“Look at this.”

Hyeji led me to one side of the ruins.

At the edge of the wrecked industrial complex, I saw it.

“...It really is a Magic Stone Reactor?”

“Right?”

It was a large box made of gray metal. Blue circuitry was etched across its surface, and a small hole sat at the top.

A Magic Stone Reactor.

A power-generating artifact said to appear only from Floor 42 onward.

Yet I had found one on Floor 22.

And now, I had found one on Floor 23 too.

“There’s another one over there.”

-Iing Iing!

“Ah! Iing Iing says she found another one. Does that make three in total?”

“...Huh.”

We had found three of them, no less!

Rather than making me happy, it only confused me.

“No. Why are these showing up? Aren’t they rare items that only appear from Floor 42 onward? The Magic Stone Reactor we got on the previous floor could have been a hidden piece, but these aren’t supposed to appear in bulk like this.”

Hyeji thought for a moment after hearing me mutter.

Then she cautiously offered her guess.

“Um. Maybe Magic Stone Reactors were originally items that appeared in the twenties? They were probably hidden inside buildings, but nobody had ever destroyed every building like you did, Jiho, so no one knew.”

“What do you mean, ignorant? There’s nobody in the world more intellectual than me, a wizard!”

“...Anyway. You just destroyed hundreds of buildings. And since there were only three of these, their drop rate was probably extremely low to begin with. Plus, there aren’t any Hunters who would suddenly go around destroying buildings. It’s not strange that they’re only being found now.”

So...

Magic Stone Reactors had originally appeared from Floor 20 onward.

But the existing Easy-rank, Normal-rank, and Hard-rank Hunters were commoners, so they had failed to discover them.

You had to destroy hundreds of buildings just to find a few.

There were no Hunters in the twenties capable of wrecking buildings.

Even if someone could destroy them, nobody would be crazy enough to burn down a whole village just to hunt Golems.

That was why nobody had found them until now.

But I had redeveloped part of the industrial complex with overwhelming firepower.

And thanks to that, I had discovered Magic Stone Reactors.

I grinned.

“Heh heh. As expected of the future director of the Extreme Lunatic Hell Power Plant. Magic Stone Reactors are rolling right into my hands. At this point, isn’t the whole world practically forcing me to build a power plant?”

“Jiho, are you really going to build a power plant? Wouldn’t it be better to sell them to the government? You could get trillions of won for each one.”

“Hyeji, do you trust this country’s civil servants?”

“...”

Even if I sold Magic Stone Reactors to the government...

There was a high chance civil servants would secretly steal them and sell them overseas.

The country was on the verge of collapse, so people were willing to use any means necessary to emigrate abroad.

That was why I intended to gather Magic Stone Reactors one by one and operate a power plant myself.

Everyone would be happy if I supplied electricity at around half the current price, right?

I’d make a lot of money too.

Anyway.

“Just wait, Republic of Korea! I will build the Extreme Lunatic Hell Power Plant and supply cheap electricity to every citizen! Make Korea Great Again!!!”

-Iing Iing Iing Iing!

“...Please don’t wear a red hat. And don’t raise tariffs either.”

“I will withdraw the U.S. Forces Korea from the Republic of Korea!”

“...”

For reference, there were no U.S. Forces Korea in the country right now.

That crazy bastard Torumph had actually pulled them out.

Since the Tower appeared, the United States had reduced its foreign influence and focused solely on defending its own territory.

Leaving Hyeji behind as she worried I might go dark and become Earth’s attention-seeking overlord...

[Baek Jiho (Republic of Korea: Floor 23)]

[You have completed Tower Floor 23.]

[You have defeated 247 Rock Golems (300).]

[Points are being calculated.]

[Tower Floor 24 has been unlocked.]

[Returning.]

I cleared Floor 23.

I had smashed the buildings to pieces and even obtained three Magic Stone Reactors as a bonus.

It had been a truly productive raid.

* * *

Right after returning to reality, I opened my status window.

[Baek Jiho (Republic of Korea: Floor 24)]

[74,100 Points]

There it was, the number seventy-four thousand.

I muttered quietly.

“Seventy thousand Points... Amounts in the tens of thousands are really starting to feel like nothing.”

Fifty thousand Points or seventy thousand Points.

They felt about the same.

I had gotten used to earning tens of thousands of Points every time.

I’d probably only feel satisfied once I started bringing in around a hundred thousand Points.

Hyeji muttered beside me.

“I’m amazed every time I see it. You earn tens of thousands of Points in just a few minutes...”

Well, it was worth being amazed.

Seventy thousand Points a day.

That was the amount Hunters who had only just entered the Highest Floors earned.

But I was not some Hard-rank commoner.

I was the noble and great Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter.

How could someone like me be satisfied with mere Hard-rank-level Points?

“Hyeji. My dream is to earn fifty million Points a month all by myself and save every citizen in this country. I’m going to save them all!”

“Your ambition really is incredible. It’s kind of absurd because it feels like you might actually pull it off someday...”

“It’s me.”

As the Republic of Korea’s white-horse-riding superhuman, the Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter had to save at least a country like this.

“Anyway. Today’s climbing is over too...”

It was time to leave a record on Hunter Gallery.

The moment I picked up my smartphone...

“Jiho, you’re going on Hunter Gallery, right? Then I’ll go to a nearby salon.”

“A salon? Why are you going to a salon?”

“I need to fix my hair. The blast wave ruined it completely. I can’t meet Hunter Choi Yejin looking like a mess!”

“...”

Na Hyeji looked at me with sparkling eyes, clearly excited about meeting Choi Yejin.

I wondered if she would end up disappointed.

Choi Yejin was probably a little loose in the head too, just like any other top-tier Hunter.

‘Admiration is the emotion furthest from understanding. Tsk tsk.’

I could already picture her meeting her idol and feeling disappointed.

Anyway.

-Clunk.

Hyeji left, and I took some photos before quickly writing a post.

[Post Title: Newbie... went to Floor 23 today...]

[Author: Blue Dot]

(A picture of ramen boxes and metal crates in the living room)

Newbie Hunter... went to Floor 23 today.

Just like I heard, there was an industrial complex.

Golems were wandering around it...

But the paths were way too complicated.

There were buildings crammed everywhere, and they were old too...

The whole place looked like it needed redevelopment.

So I just bulldozed it all T_T

I broke hundreds of buildings, and a lot of Golems died after getting caught up in the reconstruction work.

It makes me a little sad, like I drove out the original residents because of redevelopment...

This is the dark side of industrialization.

Anyway, today’s earnings!

247 Golem Magic Stones!

74,100 Points!

A total of 1.482 billion won!

And... three Magic Stone Reactor artifacts too!

I randomly picked up Magic Stone Reactors again today.

If I gather 120 of these, I can take responsibility for all of this country’s electricity, right?

I already have four, so I need to gather as many as possible.

The day I lower electricity bills and save this country’s industry and economy is not far away...!

Make the Republic of Korea Great Again!

Won’t you all praise this body for saving both the country and people’s livelihoods?

Oh, right.

I think I’m meeting Choi Yejin this afternoon for a real-life fight.

Cheer me on!

Honestly, I don’t think I’ll lose...

But she’s still a Highest Floors Hunter.

I'm a little nervous...

└Man, your concept is especially dizzying today.

└Usually you start your bullshit in the evening, but today you started in the morning... You really don’t care whether it’s day or night.

└Guys, I’m new to Hunter Gallery... What are redevelopment, Magic Stone Reactors, and Choi Yejin? Are those Hunter Gallery memes or something?

└└Not memes. Blue Dot is just a little mentally unwell. Just let it go.

└└Ah, I see.

└Crazy bastard, you crossed the line. You’re picking a fight with Hunter Choi Yejin? With Kim Taeseok isolated, she’s the only Highest Floors Hunter left in this country. Don’t cross the line, fucker.

└└Blue Dot: The fact is, Choi Yejin was the one who picked a fight with me first... She offered me 200 billion won for a real-life fight, so I accepted.

└└What the fuck are you talking about, you crazy bastard? Why would Hunter Choi Yejin give you 200 billion won? Stop saying insane shit and delete this post. You don’t mess with the Highest Floors.

└└Blue Dot: No, I’m telling you, she came after me first? This is so unfair... Fine. I’ll carry this injustice with me and hit Choi Yejin extra hard when I see her later.

└└Wow, this guy is a real fucking lunatic.

└└I’ll give him credit for his nerve...

└If your identity gets exposed, the whole country will lynch you. Damn. Hope you don’t get doxxed;

└What do you mean you destroyed hundreds of buildings?

└└Blue Dot: Floor 23 is the industrial complex floor. The buildings were old and cluttered, so I cleaned them up a little.

└└No, I watched interviews with Floor 23 Hunters, so I know roughly what the floor is like. How the hell do you destroy hundreds of buildings?

└└Blue Dot: It’s easy. They were really old and flimsy, so I gave them one little hit and hundreds of them went down with a crash.

└└??

└└Blue Dot: You should try it too, it’s fun lol. It feels great when all the buildings go flying.

└└You seem new to Hunter Gallery based on how you talk, but Blue Dot is a famous liar. He’s a malicious attention-seeking villain who posts impossible nonsense every day to bait people, so just ignore him.

└└Ah.

└└Blue Dot: No manipulation or fabrication. I am a conscientious Hunter Gallery user who speaks only the truth every day, so please refrain from calling me a liar.

└└Bullshit.

...

As I diligently replied to comments, I muttered quietly.

“Choi Yejin’s public image really is good.”

Choi Yejin was respected by the entire country, so people passionately defended her the moment she was mentioned.

A Hard-rank commoner getting more attention than she deserved.

Even this Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter was satisfied with being a well-liked regular on Hunter Gallery.

How irritating, Choi Yejin.

I was jealous, so I had to hit her hard.

As I spent my time on Hunter Gallery...

“Jiho! I’m back! Let’s go now.”

-Iing Iing!

“...You dressed up that much just to meet Choi Yejin?”

“Yes! I bought clothes at a nearby department store and got my hair done properly again. Do you think Hunter Choi Yejin will think well of me now?”

“...”

Hyeji had returned looking radiant.

Instead of Hunter equipment, she was dressed from head to toe in clean, luxury-brand clothes.

She was really trying her hardest to make even the slightest good impression on Choi Yejin.

How irritating, Choi Yejin.

To seduce my SSS-grade porter with nothing but fame.

I was jealous, so I had to hit her hard.

Anyway.

“Let’s get going.”

We headed to Choi Yejin’s house.

* * *

Choi Yejin’s house was in Itaewon-dong.

It was around thirty minutes from our house in Jungnang-gu.

For reference, we took my sister’s car.

Hyeji, who was sitting in the back seat, groaned.

“Ugh! The back seat is too cramped!”

“Just bear with it a little longer, Hyeji.”

“No, I said we should just take my car...!”

“You’re terrible at driving.”

“No, you just drive like a complete maniac...”

I felt bad that the car was so small.

I should have added a little more money when I bought it and gotten her a bigger car.

Should I buy her one now while I was thinking about it?

I spoke to my sister, who was driving.

“Sis. This car is too small and loud, right? Get a new one. I’ll buy you a large sedan. A foreign car, of course.”

“No, no. I like this car.”

“Is it because of money? Sis, I’ve made billions of won already. And I’m planning to get 200 billion won from Choi Yejin today. So...”

“It’s really okay. I’m satisfied with Squeaky!”

-Screeech! Screeech!

As my sister violently turned the steering wheel, the car swayed from side to side.

A scream came from the back seat.

“Aaaah! Jiye!”

“Heh heh.”

“Sis, please drive more calmly. Hyeji is having a hard time.”

Hyeji flailed around in the back seat, ruining the hair she had worked so hard to fix.

Serves you right, Na Hyeji.

This was her punishment for being charmed by someone like Choi Yejin.

The surprising one was Iing Iing.

-Iing Iing Iing Iing Iing~!

“Iing Iing seems to like it?”

“...Really?”

“Iing Iing, want to go racing through the mountain roads with me later? I’ll give you a nice ride.”

-Iing Iing!

She found my sister’s wild driving fun and clapped happily.

Did she like this sort of thing?

She was a strange one, just like a fairy.

But what did she mean by racing through the mountain roads?

I didn’t know much about car terms.

Anyway.

We headed to Itaewon amid the noisy commotion.

Soon, we arrived at Choi Yejin’s house.

“Wow. This place is seriously flashy.”

Choi Yejin’s house was the largest one in Itaewon-dong, a wealthy neighborhood.

It was a huge luxury home.

I heard she had bought and lived in a mansion that once belonged to the owner of a major corporation who had emigrated...

It had an enclosed courtyard layout, so it looked comfortable in many ways.

Privacy seemed secure, and the exterior was imposing too.

Once I received my 200 billion won, I should buy a huge courtyard mansion like this in Hannam-dong.

When we pulled up at the entrance...

“...Are you Mr. Baek Jiho and your two companions?”

A woman in a suit approached and asked.

Glancing over, I looked toward Hyeji in the back seat.

“Iing Iing, get inside.”

-Iing...

“Just hold on a little. I’ll let you out later, okay?”

-Iing...

Hyeji was putting Iing Iing inside her handbag.

They could not let outsiders see a fairy, so she was hurriedly hiding her.

Anyway, the fairy was safely hidden.

“I will show you in.”

“Where should we park the car?”

“We will park it for you.”

We left the car with them and entered the mansion under the employee’s guidance.

The place we reached was deep inside the mansion.

It was probably used as a living room.

A woman was there.

“So you’re Hunter Gallery’s Blue Dot... Baek Jiho? I thought you’d look insane because you’re such an attention-seeking bastard. You look normal enough.”

She held a bottle of whiskey in her right hand and broken pieces of uncooked ramen in her left as a snack.

She had so much money, so why was she eating crushed raw ramen?

It was strange.

‘Is that Choi Yejin? The Republic of Korea’s second Hard-rank Hunter.’

She looked like a young woman.

At a glance, she appeared to be in her late teens.

She had a fresh face that would suit a high school uniform.

But I knew better.

Her actual age was thirty-two.

Her age started with a three.

That youthful appearance had been created by drinking Reverse-Aging Potions like water.

I spoke quietly.