WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B.
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 66: 066
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Rachel's question, asking if I wanted to become richer than Elon Mengsk.
It gave me a slight chill.
‘No. How does this woman know that Elon Mengsk is my rival?’
I'd just mentioned Elon Mengsk while talking to Na Hyeji.
Yet she brought him up as if she knew all about it.
...Had she been wiretapping me?
Americans were famous for wiretapping people, after all.
The United States had the NSA and CIA, the best intelligence agencies in the world.
And the woman standing before me was a CIA agent.
It wouldn't be strange if she had been listening in on me.
Anger surged up inside me.
How dare they invade this body's privacy...!
I raised my staff and shouted.
“You crazy Yankee bastards! Don't tell me you've been wiretapping me! You put a listening device in my ear...! These despicable Yankee bastards, I'll crack your skulls-”
“Put that down! I only read the post you made on Hunter Gallery, Hunter Baek Jiho! What do you mean, a listening device in your ear?!”
Fortunately, it wasn't wiretapping.
She had only brought it up because she'd read what I posted on Hunter Gallery.
I clicked my tongue.
‘Looks like she knows Blue Dot on Hunter Gallery is me.’
Well, she probably had plenty of ways to find out.
For a country like the United States, tracing my IP address or whatever and checking my online activity would be easy.
If a government agency truly wanted to track someone, private internet activity meant nothing.
That was when Hyeji muttered.
“Jiho. What are you doing by yourself?”
“?”
“Why are you talking to the front door alone? It's creepy... Did you really lose your mind?”
It seemed Na Hyeji couldn't see Rachel in front of her.
Ah. Was she using an invisibility artifact right now?
Rachel was so clearly visible to me that I hadn't even noticed she was concealed.
Invisibility was impossible before the eyes of the Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter.
Rachel muttered.
“...The invisibility artifact seems to be working properly, considering that woman can't see me. I have no idea how Baek Jiho can see right through it.”
She took a pocket watch from inside her coat.
-Click. Shhh...
When she pressed the button, the invisibility artifact deactivated with a faint ripple.
“Eek! A person just appeared...!”
Na Hyeji cried out in surprise.
From her perspective, someone had suddenly appeared out of thin air, so she was understandably startled.
Rachel handed her a business card.
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Na Hyeji. I'm Elena Lee, an economic officer with the United States Department of State.”
“Hyeji, that's a fake identity, so don't believe her. This person's named Reimu, and she's an American CIA agent. She's a gloomy creep who keeps stalking me like she's in some angsty, obsessive drama. Don't get close to her. Gross, gross.”
“Ah. Is this the American agent? The one who got hit in the head by Jiho twice and passed out?”
“...”
Of course, Hyeji already knew Rachel's identity.
I'd told her everything beforehand.
Rachel let out a deep sigh.
“...Anyway, Mr. Baek Jiho. The United States government is prepared to pay a very great price to recruit you.”
Flutter.
She held the document out to me again.
“Please take a look.”
“...Hmm.”
I took the document Rachel handed me.
Of course, I had no intention of leaving Korea...
But I was curious what conditions the United States would offer.
She also looked quite confident as she held out the document so proudly.
As I looked it over...
‘Full tax exemption, immunity from prosecution, minister-level status and protocol, annual activity expenses...’
Overall, the terms were similar to what she had offered before.
I was a little disappointed, considering how confidently she had presented it.
Not much had changed.
Still, something confused me.
“Why is the amount blank?”
The part listing the amount.
The section for my recruitment signing bonus had been left empty.
Rachel answered quietly.
“Please write down the amount you want.”
“?”
“We've already spoken with the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve. An unlimited budget has been approved. Please write down whatever amount you desire.”
“Um... So it's basically a blank check?”
“Exactly.”
The terms the United States had brought.
They were offering me a blank check.
They were literally offering to give me unlimited money.
“You said you wanted to become richer than Elon Mengsk, didn't you? Write down two trillion dollars. Bonds will be issued immediately, the Federal Reserve will print the currency, and it will be paid to you within a week.”
“Two trillion dollars is-”
“At the current exchange rate, around 4,800 trillion won.”
“...”
I was dumbfounded.
Two trillion dollars was an enormous sum, around thirty percent of the United States' budget.
It was an astronomical amount.
They could hand over that much money in one lump sum?
I couldn't understand it.
“No, wait. Didn't you offer around one hundred million dollars last time? Why did the amount suddenly get inflated like this?”
“Because we've properly assessed your abilities.”
“My abilities?”
“A Hunter who is still somewhere in the twenties of the Tower, yet already earns tens of thousands of Points. A Hunter who clears one floor every day. A Hunter who, despite still being in the Middle Floors, overwhelmingly dealt with dozens of China's High Floor Hunter special operations unit members.”
“...”
It seemed the United States had finally figured out my activities clearly.
Not just my Point income and climbing record.
They even knew that I'd ground up the Chinese Hunter special operations unit.
Was American intelligence truly not something to be underestimated?
Then Rachel spoke very quietly.
But she put all her serious emotions into every word.
“...And a Hunter who may one day completely conquer the Tower. That Hunter is you, Baek Jiho.”
“Conquer the Tower?”
Was she about to tell me something important?
Rachel took a small breath, then began speaking carefully, as though she had to choose every word.
“Mr. Baek Jiho, since you aren't an American yet, I can't give you detailed information. But the Tower has a secret. A very great secret.”
“What is that secret?”
“Are you curious? Then become an American.”
“That's harsh. You make me curious, then refuse to tell me properly.”
“I'll give you one hint. The United States, China, Europe, Russia... There is a reason those great powers, which have achieved massive Points surpluses, don't bother selling Points and instead climb the Tower so fiercely.”
“...”
That was something I had wondered about too.
The United States.
China.
Europe.
Russia.
The great powers that recruited or kidnapped talented Hunters from around the world to earn massive amounts of Points.
They were also countries that had once sold Points.
But now, they barely sold any Points.
They stockpiled huge amounts of them and focused only on climbing higher.
Why?
If those countries sold their excess Points, they could gain enormous economic, industrial, military, and diplomatic benefits.
Yet at some point, they had shut off the flow of Points to the outside world as though closing a faucet valve.
It seemed there was a reason after all.
I had a feeling.
‘This sounds like incredibly important information.’
Rachel was a CIA agent, and even she was speaking so carefully about it.
It couldn't be easy information to obtain.
Maybe only great powers that had reached the middle to late Highest Floors knew about it.
Rachel continued.
“Jiho, the United States is prepared to pay any price for you. If there are conditions you want besides money, please tell me.”
“Eom.”
“Do you want to become the richest person in the world? We'll print dollars if we have to and make you the wealthiest person on Earth. Do you want honor? We'll make every American praise you. Do you want power? Tell us what position you want. We can put you in any position you desire, except the presidency.”
“Joon.”
“The Korean government fails to recognize your value. They haven't even signed a formal contract, and they're leaving you like this... Come to America. Talent belongs where it's appreciated.”
“Shik.”
“...What are those strange exclamations?”
I let Rachel's long recruitment speech go in one ear and out the other.
They could even give me trillions of dollars...
Honestly, the terms were incredible.
But I wasn't that tempted.
Part of it was because I didn't want to abandon my homeland, the Republic of Korea.
More importantly, wouldn't that be bad for my style?
‘Who am I?’
The Extreme Lunatic Hell National-Power-Level Wizard Hunter.
The future savior of the Republic of Korea.
The person destined to surpass Elon Mengsk and become the richest man in the world.
Becoming the richest person in the world was one of my goals!
But she was telling me to abandon my country and achieve that goal by taking money America handed over like charity?
There would be no sense of accomplishment in that.
It wouldn't be cool either.
Wealth gained for free was never recognized by others.
I wanted to save my homeland, the Republic of Korea, through my own abilities, and gain money and honor in the process.
I didn't want to be dazzled by money and coldly abandon the people I could save.
What would I even do if I went to a country where people were already well fed and comfortable?
I'd only be making full people even fatter.
The Republic of Korea, on the other hand, would face certain destruction without me.
So my answer was...
“I refuse, Rachel. It's an amazing offer, but I have no intention of leaving this country.”
Naturally, I refused.
A firm refusal that wasn't worth considering for even a moment.
Rachel nodded as though she had expected it.
“Just as I thought. I knew you'd say that.”
“Ooh. You expected it? Honestly, judging by the terms alone, they were incredible enough that nothing could surpass them.”
“Because you're the typical patriotic Hunter.”
“I didn't refuse for some grand reason like patriotism. I refused because selling myself for money wouldn't be stylish.”
“Hehe. That's exactly proof that you're a patriot.”
“?”
Rachel smiled with a complicated expression.
What? Why was she laughing?
She shrugged.
“Well, a refusal is still a refusal... But the United States won't give up. We'll keep trying to recruit you. There's a saying in the East about making three visits to a thatched cottage, isn't there? We'll visit regularly, so keep that in mind.”
“If you come again, I'll really crack your skull. For your information, skull means head.”
“That's too harsh.”
Creak.
Rachel opened the front door and walked outside.
Just before she closed it, she spoke quietly.
“And... Jiho. Be careful.”
“Be careful of what?”
“The United States is trying to recruit you in this gentlemanly manner... But China and Russia are different.”
“...”
“We've detected suspicious movements from China and Russia recently. Something will happen before long.”
China and Russia.
The countries that posed the greatest threat to me.
It seemed they were showing some suspicious signs.
Of course, I wasn't too worried.
‘I ground up thirty-six members of the Chinese Hunter special operations unit. Even if a few High Floor Hunters come at me, I think I could beat them easily?’
I was the one who had easily defeated the Hunter special operations unit.
Even if China or Russia tried something, I felt I could overcome it without much difficulty.
Unless a Highest Floors Hunter showed up...
That was when Rachel spoke.
“I heard a small number of Chinese Committee Members have gathered.”
“...Committee Members? Those Chinese Highest Floors Hunters?”
“Yes. So you should prepare carefully.”
“Huh.”
Why were actual Highest Floors Hunters really getting involved?
My mouth fell open.
“Are those Chinese bastards insane? They're mobilizing Highest Floors Hunters just to catch one Middle Floors Hunter?”
“China is a country that cares deeply about saving face. They likely intend to recover the prestige they lost in the previous incident.”
“...Why are you telling me such high-level information? The National Intelligence Service hasn't said anything, so it couldn't have been easy information to get.”
I wasn't American.
Yet Rachel was generously giving me information, from her hints about Points to China's and Russia's movements.
She said...
“Consider it a way to build trust.”
“Build trust?”
“If we build trust like this, won't you choose the United States when the Republic of Korea is nearing destruction?”
“...”
“And we don't want Baek Jiho to go to hostile countries like China or Russia either. So... prepare well. They won't be easy enemies.”
“Hmm.”
“I should get going now. When we meet next time, please put down that wooden stick.”
“No. Next time, I'm really smashing your skull.”
“You're really too harsh...”
Clunk.
Rachel left.
Silence settled over the semi-basement.
Then Hyeji, standing beside me, muttered.
“Jiho. You're kind of... No, you're really cool. You turned down those incredible conditions and chose to stay in our country until the end... I see you in a whole new light.”
It seemed she had listened to my conversation with Rachel and come to see me differently.
Heh.
I proudly raised my chin.
“Did you see that? This is the dignity of the Extreme Lunatic Hell National-Power-Level Patriot Hunter. I won't sell myself for money. Though a traitor like Hyeji would have fled Korea without looking back...”
“Calling me a traitor is too much! Back then, that was obviously the right decision! Now, I think Jiho can stop our country's destruction... So I won't abandon Korea either.”
“Sure, traitor.”
“No, seriously...”
“More importantly, shouldn't you let Iing Iing out quickly? She must feel cramped.”
“Oh, right. Iing Iing!”
-Iing...
It was a noisy evening.
Still, what the hell were those National Intelligence Service guys doing?
They kept getting breached.
Didn't the National Intelligence Service have any way to block invisibility artifacts?
King Korea sure had it rough in every way, being such a weak country.
Anyway.
Tomorrow was Floor 25.
The floor of the Steel Golem.
Footnotes:
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