WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B.

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 71: 071

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Morning.

The moment I woke up, I picked up my smartphone.

To check Hunter Gallery.

Several posts immediately caught my eye.

[Summary of Blue Dot's Activities]

["Yeah, it's your big bro."]

[They say a national hero appears whenever the Korean people are on the verge of extinction. I really like that saying.]

[Extreme Lunatic Hell Power Plant is great and all, but the name is so lame;;;]

[Still better than some government-style name. Otherwise, it obviously would've been called something like Smart Eco Safe Reliable Hope Leap Special Power Plant lol.]

[Are they just cramming in every government buzzword they know? lol]

[I'm an active Hunter. Let me explain what an utterly absurd monster Blue Dot is.]

[The government's detailed briefing materials are out.]

...

Had the servers been restored overnight?

There were all kinds of posts, and every single one was about me.

Posts about Blue Dot had risen to the recommended section and even made it onto the best-post board.

I felt pleased.

"My fame is spreading far and wide!"

As befitted the head of the Extreme Lunatic Hell Power Plant.

My fame was spreading not only through Hunter Gallery, but through other galleries too.

That's right.

I had gone beyond being Hunter Gallery's idol.

I was becoming the idol of the entire nation!

"The day I surpass Elon Mengsk isn't far off...!"

Just wait, Elon Mengsk.

I'll soon surpass your influence!

If I promoted myself on social media, I could gather around fifty million followers in no time.

Every citizen of the Republic of Korea with a conscience should follow me.

I saved the country, so they could at least do that much.

They should subscribe, like, and turn on notifications too.

Anyway.

"Sis! Make me soybean paste soup!"

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Scratching my stomach, I headed to the living room.

My sister was busy cooking there.

The rich smell of soybean paste soup put me in a good mood.

"You're up? Come eat."

"My sister's soybean paste soup really is the best breakfast."

"Don't talk nonsense."

I sat before the breakfast my sister had prepared and picked up my spoon.

That was when I heard something.

-Next, the news.

It came from the television playing in one corner of the living room.

The voice of a news anchor.

While spooning down soybean paste soup, I looked toward the screen.

-The government's Extreme Lunatic Hell... Ahem. Power Plan is progressing rapidly, and the relocation and installation of electrical equipment across the country has begun.

-The government has stated that it may stabilize the power supply within three days...

The news footage showed substations being relocated.

A procession of massive trucks loaded with house-sized transformers, thick extra-high-voltage cables, and enormous cooling units.

There were even freight trains following one after another.

The government had mobilized the military to overhaul the country's power grid.

With so many substations and power plants being reorganized and modified, the power supply would soon stabilize.

I muttered as I watched the television.

"They're even dismantling unused substation equipment and reusing it? It's like watching Operation Yashima...!"

"What's that, Jiho?"

"You just have to laugh."

"?"

Anyway, it looked like the government was working hard.

At this rate, the power supply really might return to normal within three days, just as they promised.

And I'd make a lot of money too.

I did some calculations in my head.

'Roughly... I'll earn one trillion won a month?'

According to those professor-level engineering nerds, the Republic of Korea currently consumed around 46 billion kWh of electricity a month.

The current price of electricity in Korea was around 300 won per kWh.

That meant the country's total monthly electricity bill came to around fourteen trillion won.

But because of my Extreme Lunatic Hell Power Plan, electricity rates would gradually drop...

Eventually, power could be supplied for around 85 won per kWh.

That would lower electricity bills to around 30 percent of their current level!

Of course, that was because I had greatly reduced the profit I'd receive.

I was cutting down the money deposited into my account so electricity could be supplied as cheaply as possible.

As the head of the Extreme Lunatic Hell Power Plant, devoted to loving this country and its people, I had to care about the wallets of ordinary Koreans.

After constantly shouting about saving the country's energy security, industry, and economy, how could I get blinded by money and charge outrageous prices?

Besides, one trillion won a month was already an income beyond imagination.

Anyway.

"Somehow, I'm happy because it feels like the country won't collapse."

I muttered that while watching the busy scenes on TV.

Honestly, it had been quite a while since I'd watched television.

Whenever I turned it on, all I saw were gloomy reports about the country collapsing, public safety breaking down, or companies being sold off and going bankrupt.

That was why I rarely reached for the remote.

But what was on TV now was different.

The entire Republic of Korea was pouring its efforts into accomplishing something.

Power facilities across the country were being rebuilt, power plants were being modified, and reality itself was being overcome.

Watching that scene, I could feel so much energy and hope that it was hard to believe the country stood on the verge of collapse.

It was a strange feeling.

That was when the phone rang.

-Ring-ring.

I glanced over and saw that it was Choi Yejin.

I answered.

"Mortal, hi."

-You did something pretty impressive this time, didn't you? Mr. Head of the Extreme Lunatic Hell Power Plant.

"It's me."

It seemed she had called after hearing the news about me.

She asked,

-So what Floor are you on now?

"I'm going to Floor 29 today."

-...You really are climbing one Floor a day. And you even brought back Magic Stone Reactors. How the hell did you do that?

"If you fire a few massive bombs, wipe out all the Golems, and blow away a few hundred buildings, you get one or two Magic Stone Reactors. I just brought those back. It's nothing special."

-Bombs, my ass. Everything about you is fine except that you're out of your mind. Go see a psychiatrist.

"I'm serious, though."

Why did people never believe what I said?

I was the noble and great Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter, someone who spoke nothing but the truth...

Yet there were far too few people who believed me.

Though, even I wouldn't believe it.

How could someone use bombs inside the Tower?

Unless magic existed, that was.

Choi Yejin continued.

-Anyway, people know you exist now. When are you going to reveal your face and name?

"Hmm."

-You're going to sign an official contract soon, right? You know that once you do, your name and face will be recorded and you'll be registered with the London Organization.

That's right.

Now that the general public knew about me, there was no reason to delay signing an official contract any longer.

The day this body's handsome face was revealed to the public was not far away.

After thinking for a moment, I answered.

"I'm planning to sign after I at least reach the High Floors."

-Why wait until then? Why not do it right now? The government's probably panicking because they want to tie you down.

"Please tell the government I'm not going anywhere, Yejin. It's nothing major... but if the Hunter who saved the Republic of Korea is only a Middle Floors scrub, it doesn't look cool. I should at least be a High Floor Hunter. There are only around sixty in the country. That'd have some style."

-You're worrying about something so fucking stupid. Who's going to look down on a Hunter who climbs one Floor a day?

"It's about how it feels!"

Honestly.

With my current combat power, I was confident I wouldn't lose to anyone.

As long as I had the overwhelming supernatural ability called magic, I could kill even a Highest Floors Hunter without much difficulty.

My climbing Floor was still only in the Middle Floors.

But my actual combat power was surely at the Highest Floors.

Or perhaps even beyond.

Even so, I was still only a Middle Floors scrub.

Wouldn't it be a little embarrassing if the Hunter who saved the Republic of Korea turned out to be a low-level Middle Floors Hunter?

Now that I had become the hero of King Korea, I wanted to appear before the public in a way that wasn't embarrassing.

'And there are only two Floors left until the High Floors anyway.'

In two days, I would reach Floor 31 and become a High Floor Hunter.

So I planned to sign an official contract after reaching at least the High Floors.

If possible, the Highest Floors.

-Whatever. I get it. Hurry up and shoot straight to Floor 41. We need to go save old man Kim Taeseok.

"Don't worry."

-Oh, right. There's something else I heard.

What? Why wasn't she hanging up?

Choi Yejin brought up a new topic, so apparently she wasn't done yet.

Ah, I wanted to hang up quickly, eat breakfast, and check Hunter Gallery.

I needed dopamine from watching Hunter Gallery users praise me.

Whether she knew how I felt or not, Choi Yejin spoke quietly.

-It looks like Japan is planning to pull something to recruit you.

"Japan? Don't tell me they're bringing in the Self-Defense Forces?"

-No. Those bastards are military weaklings. Their Hunter special operations unit is weak, like ours, so they don't have much force behind them. You don't need to worry about them breaking in during the middle of the night like last time. But they use a lot of underhanded, dirty methods.

"Like what?"

-The honey trap.

Pfft.

I laughed because it was so ridiculous.

Did they really think a mere honey trap would work on this body, the Extreme Lunatic Hell patriotic national-pride Hunter who would save King Korea?

"Come on, I was wondering what you meant. Don't worry. Do you really think I'd fall for some cheap honey trap?"

-You're forever single, aren't you?

"...What are you talking about all of a sudden? Me, forever single? There's no way someone as cool, handsome, nice, and intelligent as me has no dating experience."

-Guys like you, forever-single losers who sit in your room watching porn all day, are insanely weak against women. You little fucker, are you sure you won't fall for it if a bunch of Japanese girls come swaying their tits in your face? Huh? Do you know how many forever-single loser Normal Hunters like you got caught in honey traps and went to Japan?

"I'm not forever single, though."

-Stop bullshitting, asshole. I can tell you're forever single just by the way you talk. Anyway... there are truckloads of idiots who got all excited when Japanese girls showed up in bikinis and did the Zero Two dance, then went straight to Japan. Out of six hundred Normal-rank Hunters who left Korea, a hundred went to Japan and became Japanese collaborators.

"...!"

Bikini Zero Two?

That was... powerful.

Those Japanese bastards knew what they were doing.

Was that the power of a country of subculture?

-You little fucker. Just try going to Japan because you fall for a honey trap. I'll find a way to cut your dick right off...

"I'll hang up now."

Click.

I hung up.

It felt like Choi Yejin's rage meter was steadily rising because she had noticed how tempted I was.

Her mouth was always so foul.

What did she say she'd cut off?

'It's still a brand-new, unopened product. I can't let it get cut off yet!'

To protect my precious Extreme Lunatic Hell Neo Armstrong Cannon, I needed to watch out for honey traps.

Though honestly, I didn't think I'd fall for one.

"Not every man gets all excited over women."

Especially not a wizard with cool-headed rationality like me.

How could that possibly work on me?

Anyway.

"Today's Floor 29."

I waited for my porter and Iing Iing.

[Entering Tower Floor 29.]

-Kwhaaaaaaaaaang!

-Kwhaaaaaaaaaang!

-Kwhaaaaaaaaaang!

-Kwhaaaaaaaaaang!

[Baek Jiho (Republic of Korea: Floor 29)]

[You have completed Tower Floor 29.]

[You have defeated 487 Rock Golems (300).]

[You have defeated 32 Steel Golems (3,000).]

[Points are being calculated.]

[Tower Floor 30 has been unlocked.]

[Returning.]

I quickly cleared Floor 29.

I earned 242,100 Points.

And I acquired another Large Magic Stone Reactor.

The Large Magic Stone Reactor would be installed in the Extreme Lunatic Hell Power Plant once it was built.

Today had been another productive day.

* * *

Late that evening.

After finishing the raid and lying down in bed, I muttered quietly while looking at my smartphone.

"The reactions of the mortals have changed a lot."

After finishing my climb today, I dumped another post onto Hunter Gallery.

Like usual, I posted the process of clearing Floor 29.

In the past, Hunter Gallery's comments would have been full of sarcasm and mockery.

But now, they had changed completely.

[Post Title: Newbie Hunter... Went to Floor 29 Today]

[Author: Blue Dot]

└Wow, is this person the one from the news?

└Great Blue Dot!!! Please save our country!!!

└No, this doesn't make sense. How can a Middle Floors Hunter get hundreds of thousands of Points in a single day? And what's a Large Magic Stone Reactor?

└└Nothing is impossible for Lord King Awesome Dot. Lord King Awesome Dot uses divine movement techniques.

└└The streamers say a Highest Floors Hunter is just pretending to be in the Middle Floors.

└We don't have any Hunter who's reached Floor 42, right? They say Magic Stone Reactors start appearing from Floor 42.

└I don't know, just save our country, Mr. Hunter.

└You're not going overseas, right? Please, protect our country until the end. T_T

└There are so many newcomers that the comments are making me dizzy.

└You people who live in the real world, get out of Hunter Gallery right now!!! This is the home of internet shut-ins like us!!!

└Hello, I'm a reporter from A Daily. I would like to request an interview.

...

A huge wave of outsiders had flooded in.

The comments had become complete chaos.

Praise, suspicion, pleas, and even occasional interview requests were all mixed together.

The comment section had become a complete mess.

I clicked my tongue.

"Influencer life is hard. Look at all these dizzying comments."

But I had to endure it.

That was the life of an influencer.

Well, wouldn't the atmosphere settle down in a few days?

As I quickly skimmed through the comments,

└Hello, Blue Dot. What kind of woman is your ideal type?

Suddenly, I saw a rather random comment.

Without giving it much thought, I casually replied.

└Blue Dot: My ideal type is a woman who's good at cooking. Especially someone who can make soybean paste soup as well as my sister.

└└Understood.

└└Blue Dot, Blue Dot... Is your sister a good cook?

└└His ideal type is a woman who's good at cooking. Blue Dot likes family-oriented women!

└└Aren't Japanese women famous for being domestic? Fuck, is he going to Japan at this rate?

└└Come on, no way;; Lord Great Blue Dot would never go to Japan. Our Extreme Lunatic Hell patriotic Admiral Yi Hunter would never leave Korea!!!

└└Blue Dot, please protect the Republic of Korea...

Replies poured in after I left one comment.

I snickered.

Actually, I didn't have an ideal type.

Honestly, wasn't every man's ideal type just someone with a pretty face and a good personality?

Anyway.

"Should I get some sleep?"

I turned off the lights and pulled up the blanket.

Today had been another productive day.

I climbed the Tower, gained dopamine from Hunter Gallery, and earned lots of Points.

If I kept climbing like this, I'd save the country before long...

I closed my eyes.

Just as I was about to fall asleep.

-Flash.

My eyes snapped open.

I felt a strange presence.

Scratching my head, I got up.

"Ah, fuck. Who is it this time... Reimu?"

I sensed an unfamiliar presence outside the front door.

Those National Intelligence Service bastards really had holes everywhere.

How did foreign agents keep getting through their security without any trouble?

Such was the misery of a weak nation.

Anyway, after grabbing my staff and heading to the living room, I saw it.

-Creak.

The front door opened.

Someone entered the living room.

Raising my staff, I said,

"Reimu. I told you I'd crack your skull if you came here again, didn't I? This time, I really won't let you off..."

But then, I had no choice but to stop speaking.

"Uh. Who are you? I've never seen you before."

The person who had entered our home wasn't Rachel.

Unlike Rachel, a blonde white Westerner, this woman had black hair.

She was wrapped tightly in a coat from head to toe.

Her glossy black hair, downturned eyes, and beauty mark beneath one eye left a strong impression.

She smiled softly.

"Hehe. Hallow, Baeku Jiho."

"?"

Why did this person talk like that?

Rustle.

She threw off her coat.

And what I saw was...

"A bikini!"

"Hehe..."

Unbelievably, the woman was wearing a bikini beneath her coat!

How delightful!

For a moment, I remembered my phone call with Choi Yejin earlier that morning.

-Japanese girls show up in bikinis and do the Zero Two dance, and truckloads of idiots get all excited and go to Japan.

A woman who came late at night wearing a bikini.

Her strangely awkward Korean pronunciation.

It wasn't difficult to realize.

'Could this be Japan's honey trap?!'

Then could I see it?

The Bikini Zero Two dance!!!

But my expectations were brutally betrayed.

"Now. Baeku Jiho. You will look at this..."

Rustle.

She pulled out a strange card from inside her clothes.

It was an odd card shimmering with a pink aura.

Holding it before my face, she said,

"You will love me. You will be loyal to Japan. You will hate Korea. You will become happy when you look into my eyes..."

"?"

What was she doing?

Why wasn't she dancing Zero Two and instead saying weird things?

"You will become Japan's loyal Hunter..."

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to dance Zero Two?"

"You... Huh?! Don't tell me you aren't falling under hypnosis...!"

"Hypnosis?"

Was that card some kind of hypnosis app?

Anyway, she wasn't going to dance Zero Two?

Then there was no reason to wait any longer.

"Be quiet!"

Smack!

I brought my staff down on the top of her head.

Footnotes:

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