WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B.
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 78: 078
──────
I left the National Intelligence Service headquarters.
“I'll drive you home.”
As soon as I stepped outside, the older agent who had guided me earlier was already waiting with a car.
I shook my head.
“No, I'll get there on my own.”
“But aren't you tired? So much must have happened today...”
“I just want to walk home, get some fresh air, and clear my head.”
“Hmm... If that's what you'd prefer, then all right.”
Bow.
The man lowered his head deeply.
It was another textbook ninety-degree bow.
Then he continued.
“Every employee of the National Intelligence Service is grateful to you, Mr. Baek Jiho.”
“...”
“The Japanese Hunter special operations unit... They weren't enemies we could take lightly. If they had attacked us properly, many of our colleagues would have been lost.”
“...”
“Thanks to Hunter Baek Jiho's help before that could happen, we were able to defeat them without suffering much damage. Thank you, Mr. Baek Jiho.”
Well, that was true.
The Japanese Hunter special operations unit.
They were a bunch of weaklings with no real combat experience.
Still, there had been dozens of Middle Floors Hunters among them.
If they had gotten their act together and attacked properly, many of the National Intelligence Service's forces would have been wiped out. There were only a few Middle Floors Hunters in the National Intelligence Service's own Hunter special operations unit.
It was fortunate I had arrived before they could mount a proper attack.
The National Intelligence Service agents couldn't help being grateful to me.
I'd saved the lives of many of their colleagues.
“Please get home safely, Hunter Baek Jiho.”
Bow.
The special operations agent bowed once more, then got into his car and drove away.
I trudged toward the edge of the National Intelligence Service grounds.
That was when Choi Yejin, who had been walking beside me, asked, “So, aren't you going to tell me soon? Your real identity.”
“Why aren't you taking a car? Go take one. I'm going straight home.”
“Can't you do that flying-through-the-air thing again? I'm tired, and I don't feel like running home.”
“Tired from what? You didn't do anything.”
All she'd done after coming to the National Intelligence Service was grumble beside me, curse, get shocked, and explain things.
She was a Hard-rank-origin Hunter getting carried by someone else.
Calling her Na Hyeji Mark Two wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Why were all the people around me freeloading passengers?
Because I was too strong.
Even a Highest Floors Hard-rank-origin Hunter rarely got a chance to show off around me.
Was the Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter fated to become a bus driver against his will?
What a shame.
Choi Yejin kept whining.
“Come on, please let me fly through the air again. It was surprisingly fun. The sense of freedom was incredible. Is this why people go skydiving?”
“Go away.”
“You're fucking heartless. Shit. I want a fairy too. Where did you get one? It must be some hidden piece in the Tower.”
“Yeah. I want one too...”
“...? Isn't that fairy yours?”
“Unfortunately, because of some soul-size thing, she didn't make a contract with me. She made one with my porter instead.”
“Iing...”
Iing Iing let out a disappointed little sound from inside my clothes.
That's right, Iing Iing.
You like me better than that freeloading passenger Na Hyeji too, right?
“Anyway. Who are you really?”
Choi Yejin asked again.
She really was damn persistent.
Well, she'd already seen me using magic and met Iing Iing...
Was there any point in hiding it anymore?
“I'm actually the Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter, the director of the Extreme Lunatic Hell Power Plant, a wizard who sees Blue Motes, a junior disciple of the Goblin Sect and a Peak Realm master, Stealth Longbow Apache, a genius of slaughter who follows in Mao Zedong's footsteps, and the devastatingly handsome Baek Jiho who charmed even a fairy! That's my true identity.”
“Oh, fuck off.”
“Hehehe.”
For some reason, I didn't want to tell her.
Why should I tell a foul-mouthed woman with a worse temper?
Maybe she got really pissed off.
-Boom!
She stomped her foot.
The ground split apart with a crack.
Why was she suddenly losing it?
“You little shit. Are you going to keep acting so petty?! Huh?”
“Why are you suddenly acting like this?”
“If you keep doing this, I've got my own ideas too. Got it? It isn't fun if you keep playing hard to get.”
“?”
“You like stirring up shit on Hunter Gallery, right? Well, I like stirring up shit too. I've only held back because I had an image to maintain.”
“?”
“I'd like to settle this with force, but I'd get completely wrecked if I came at you... So I'll use a slightly underhanded method instead. Just wait.”
She stormed off, fuming.
She really was a crazy bitch.
As expected of a Highest Floors Hunter, there was something wrong with her head.
Throwing a fit like that just because I didn't answer one question.
Anyway, everything was over.
“...Let's go home.”
“Iing!”
Fwoosh.
I accepted Iing Iing's telekinetic flight service and headed home.
The long day was finally coming to an end.
* * *
“Hey! Baek Jiho!”
The moment I arrived home.
Slap!
My sister grabbed my cheek and pulled it.
“You! You said you wouldn't do anything dangerous!”
“Sorry.”
“I'm going crazy, seriously!”
Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow!
My sister pounded on me with her fists.
It didn't hurt at all.
After all, I was the Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter.
Still, seeing tears well up in my sister's eyes made my heart ache a little.
I didn't regret fighting.
If I hadn't stepped in, the Republic of Korea really would have been ruined.
But I couldn't feel at ease when I thought about my sister worrying that something might happen to me.
A thought suddenly came to mind.
‘If I get much stronger than I am now, will my sister worry less?’
I wanted to reach the Highest Floors as soon as possible.
I was the Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter, but my sister didn't know exactly how strong I was.
Of course she'd worry if she heard that I, someone who had only reached the upper floors, fought Highest Floors Hunters from other countries.
To ease her worries even a little, I needed to climb faster.
Anyway.
“Sis, I'm really fine. You heard the news from the National Intelligence Service, didn't you? I completely crushed the Chinese, the Ruskies, and the Japanese. Those Highest Floors guys were nothing special. Hey, Highest Floors, mess with me and I'll kill you!”
“Don't say such nonsense. They were Highest Floors Hunters! Didn't you barely win because Choi Yejin, that person, helped you?!”
“No, that crazy bitch was the one getting carried. If I hadn't been there, she'd be dead by now.”
“Stop showing off!”
“I'm telling the truth. This is so unfair.”
See?
She thought Highest Floors Hunters were unbelievably amazing!
Even though all of them were ordinary people before this Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter!
What was so special about their Floor numbers?
‘Getting to the Highest Floors quickly is the answer. No, what am I saying? If I can, I should go beyond Floor 50 too.’
If I went beyond the Highest Floors...
Would my sister worry less?
That was what I hoped.
Anyway.
“Sis, everything's over now, so relax and let's get some nighty-night sleep. It's already dawn.”
“Hey! Baek Jiho! Are you trying to brush this off so casually...?!”
“Hey, don't get mad. You won't be able to sleep if you get too worked up.”
I coaxed my sister into her room.
My sister worried far too much.
I wasn't the pathetic convenience store clerk I used to be.
Yet she still remembered who I had been back then and worried about me...
As I stood there looking at her closed door.
Click.
“Yaaawn... Good work, Jiho.”
Na Hyeji crawled out of my room, yawning.
That freeloading, button-clicking passenger!
While I was busting my ass protecting King Korea, Hyeji had been lounging around in my house!
I shouted with feeling.
“Freeloader!”
“...No, Jiho told me to stay home. You asked me to stay beside Jiye because she might feel anxious.”
“You still freeloaded. What did you do while Iing Iing and I were protecting the Republic of Korea? Your hair's all greasy and you're yawning, so it looks like you were sleeping in my bed.”
“No... I just dozed off for a little while. Look at the time. It's past midnight. It's practically dawn.”
“I left you at home to comfort my sister, and you got a full night's sleep by yourself? You lazy, shameless...”
“Iing Iing! Iiiing-!!!”
“Iing Iing! Even you?!”
Iing Iing and I continued our fierce condemnation of Hyeji.
She obviously wouldn't have been much help even if I brought her along.
The invisibility artifact was also only for one person.
Even if she was an Easy-rank ordinary person, she had at least reached the upper floors, so I left her home to protect and comfort my sister.
And she dared to sleep?
Where had her conscience gone?
As expected of a cold-hearted finance worker with no blood or tears, she was selfish and only cared about herself.
“No, honestly, I couldn't imagine Jiho losing... And the National Intelligence Service was protecting you too... Plus it was past midnight and I was so sleepy... I couldn't resist it and fell asleep. I'm sorry...”
“Iing! Iiiing!!!”
“Iing Iing! Don't say anything too harsh! No, where did you even learn such horrible insults?! Jiho! Don't tell me you use this kind of vulgar language when you're alone with Iing Iing?!”
I didn't know what Iing Iing had said.
But it seemed like she'd cursed at Hyeji really viciously.
Hyeji's eyes were wide with horror.
There could only be one reason.
‘Did she learn Choi Yejin's curses?’
Iing Iing had picked up the curses that foul-mouthed woman used.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
I fully understood why Hyeji looked at me with such deep concern over Iing Iing's education.
Iing Iing, please don't learn Choi Yejin's foul language.
I'm begging you.
As cold sweat poured down my face...
“Ugh... Jiho, I should get going.”
Na Hyeji stretched with a stiff expression.
“You're leaving now?”
“Yes. I need to go home and sleep. Um... From the news, it seems like you did something incredible. Good work. Thanks to you, the Republic of Korea won't fall apart. Thank you.”
“It was me.”
“...I mean it, Jiho. Let's keep doing our best. Just like I trusted you and slept soundly in the middle of all this chaos, shouldn't we make sure the people of our country can sleep with both legs stretched out instead of trembling in fear? Because you're that Extreme Whatever Hunter, right?”
“...”
“I'll get going. See you tomorrow.”
“Iing Iing!”
Click.
Hyeji and Iing Iing left.
I muttered quietly.
“Make sure the people can sleep with both legs stretched out...”
I liked that expression quite a lot.
Making the people of our country sleep with both legs stretched out instead of trembling in fear.
How direct was that?
In an age when something happened every other night before dawn, and countless people lost sleep because of disaster alerts.
The citizens of King Korea were even having their right to sleep violated.
This body had to protect the people's right to sleep.
But...
“Was that a clever turn of phrase to distract me? What impressive rhetoric, Na Hyeji. As expected of Korea University's top graduate...!”
Still, she'd left my sister behind and enjoyed a peaceful sleep alone.
Thinking about it made me mad again.
But I'd let her off this time.
I felt a little guilty about Choi Yejin negatively affecting Iing Iing's education...
I couldn't exactly blame Na Hyeji alone.
I needed to pay more attention to Iing Iing's education from now on too.
Anyway.
I'd calmed my sister down and put her to bed.
Na Hyeji and Iing Iing had gone home.
Everything I needed to do had been taken care of.
“Should I browse Hunter Gallery...?”
I really couldn't resist Hunter Gallery.
Especially not on a day like today, when my fingers were itching this badly.
I picked up my phone and logged onto Hunter Gallery.
Then I saw it.
[Photos of Russian soldiers found in Jungnang-gu, warning: graphic]
[Holy shit, is this actually war?]
[They say Hunter Choi Yejin's mansion was attacked.]
[I live in Jungnang-gu and I was fucking terrified. There were gunshots, explosions, smoke bombs...]
[I woke up because of a disaster alert. What the hell is going on?]
[Let's go, fifty million citizens, total national annihilation charge. I'm too fucking pissed to put up with this, let's have a war]
[Did you see the MewTube video? It was fucking brutal but weird. Blue lines came down from the sky and heads just exploded]
[Didn't that get taken down and censored right away?]
[Is it really aliens? Or some military weapon America is using? An artifact from the Tower?]
[Is Choi Yejin safe?]
[Breaking: The presidential office will release a statement this morning.]
[The country's ruined, run away~]
[Battle at the National Intelligence Service in Naegok-dong, Seocho-gu]
[They say the Japanese bastards attacked the National Intelligence Service, is that true?]
[I'm scared]
The forum was full of posts filled with confusion and fear.
Well, it couldn't be helped.
Unlike last time, when direct fighting had only broken out in Jungnang-gu, this time incidents had happened across Seoul, including Jungnang-gu, Itaewon, and Seocho-gu.
It had happened north and south of the Han River.
Of course people were anxious.
“Hehe. I should ease the anxiety and confusion of these ordinary people.”
As the guardian of King Korea, I couldn't just sit around watching the people of our country tremble in fear!
I definitely wasn't writing a post to stir up shit.
I only wanted to reassure people.
Anyway, I quickly wrote a post.
[Post Title: I'm an insider, so I'll tell you what really happened yeah...]
[Author: Blue Dot]
That was all actually me...
This newbie Hunter...
Was peacefully browsing the forum at night...
Then a CIA agent suddenly came to see me...
They told me to immigrate to America...
As the Extreme Lunatic Hell Patriot Wizard Hunter that I am.
Of course I refused...
But then this crazy bitch suddenly tried to kidnap me by using spatial jump to summon American special operations Hunters??
She was bragging a lot about some CIA SAC/SOG people coming.
Are those guys any good?
It was my first time hearing of them, so I don't know what kind of people they are.
But somehow, the spatial jump artifact got disabled and the move was canceled.
I guess the spatial jump artifact was Chinese-made.
The quality control was pretty terrible.
As expected, Korean products are the greatest in the world!
Let's use domestic products instead of cheap Chinese garbage!
Anyway, I knocked out that rude American who didn't wear a bikini or dance Zero Two.
Then I looked at the information I got.
Russian Hunter special operations people were coming after me.
Chinese Committee Members were coming after Choi Yejin.
And Japanese special operations people were attacking the National Intelligence Service;
How many countries attacked at once in one day;;
So I got fucking busy...
First, I killed all the Russian Hunter special operations guys coming after me.
Then I rushed to Itaewon and caught all four Chinese Committee Members after Choi Yejin.
Then I ran to Seocho-gu, where the National Intelligence Service is, and dealt with the Japanese too...
It was seriously fucking busy.
Way too much happened to me...
I'm exhausted, seriously...
Anyway, I saved Choi Yejin and the National Intelligence Service.
And I dealt with all the Russians, Chinese, and Japanese too...
Anyway!
This Raccoon Man dealt with the Americans, Chinese, Japanese, and Russians who were causing trouble in our country, so relax!
...
After I posted that.
Countless comments began pouring in.
└??? Those blue lights falling from the sky were Blue Dot's doing??
└What is it, some insanely powerful artifact?
└As expected, the mighty Blue Dot protects the country.
└Is this really Blue Dot's account? Did someone make a fake account and impersonate him?
└└It's real, holy shit. I checked the log, it's actually Blue Dot.
└? How can a spatial jump artifact be canceled?? Isn't that a Unique-grade artifact with no defects? More importantly, artifacts from the Tower can't have defects in the first place.
└└Blue Dot: Dunno, maybe it's Chinese-made. Thinking about it, isn't America also the United States of "China"? Isn't America secretly China too?
└└???
└Committee Members are Chinese Highest Floors Hunters. Isn't Blue Dot still in the thirties? How did he catch Highest Floors Hunters???
└└Blue Dot: You just do this and that, then you catch them. It's easy, so you should try catching some too. They drop Grade 1 artifacts, so the profit is S-tier. Easy money lol.
└└;;;
└└Choi Yejin probably helped him.
└└Blue Dot: That Choi Yejin girl just got carried. I did all the fighting.
└└Choi Yejin got carried? What bullshit lol. London says she's on Floor 41, but Big Sis Choi Yejin can even compete up to Floor 44.
└└You called her Big Sis Choi Yejin? Wow, another looks-obsessed fan. You disgusting simp, why are you looking at Hunters like they're idols?
└└Is it real that this guy has made over a thousand posts on Choi Yejin Gallery? I checked his log.
└└He must know it's embarrassing because he's deleting posts in real time. Look at the log disappearing lolololol.
└Info) CIA SAC/SOG is the CIA's special operations group, and it's known as the most elite Hunter special operations unit in the world. Its commander is a Highest Floors Hunter on Floor 47, and every member is at the Normal-rank limit in the late High Floors. You can think of them as the best Hunter special operations unit in the world.
└└Blue Dot: Oh, so they're pretty good? I should give them a proper beating if they come again. How dare these bastards try to kidnap me? I let them go today because I didn't have time, but there won't be any mercy next time, you rude fuckers.
└└Blue Dot, Blue Dot, even if you're Hard-rank-origin, how can you beat a Floor 47 Hunter...
└└Blue Dot: I told you I'm not Hard-rank-origin, fuck.
└So did he fight China, Russia, and Japan directly?
└Which of the three was strongest?
└└Blue Dot: China's physical stats were a little stronger since they were Highest Floors, but those guys were simple-minded idiots, so they were actually easier to catch. Russia was the hardest to catch. Their physical stats were only High Floors level, but their brainpower was insane. They launched coordinated attacks, used smoke bombs and gas, and swept in so chaotically that if they did it right, they could probably catch even a Highest Floors Hard-rank Hunter. Those Russian bastards made a name for themselves in Eastern Europe, and combat experience really does matter...
└How was Japan?
└└Blue Dot: Ah, those Japanese guys were just weaklings. Their specs were only Middle Floors level, they didn't have much real combat experience, and their brains were kind of blocked up too. They were basically Iron-tier.
└└Don't talk shit. There's no way our great Japan would be like that.
└└The king of Japanophiles has arrived. Please put down the sword.
└It's shocking that America tried to kidnap him.
└└The international community has always been ruthless. Those American bastards talk about being allies, but they don't even sell Points to us and they pulled out the USFK, fuck.
└└It's an era where everyone has to survive on their own... The world's falling apart, and there isn't a single country that will help us.
└└I miss before the Tower. Uncle America was so fucking reliable back then, but now they're like merchants obsessively calculating profits and losses. It's annoying.
└└It can't be helped. America lost Pacific hegemony. Now Points are worth more than dollars, fuck.
└So when are you signing a formal contract? I want to know what Blue Dot looks like.
└└Blue Dot: Probably soon?
└└Lol, I can't wait to see Blue Dot's face.
└└Wouldn't he look creepy, like someone who spends all day on the internet? You know the stereotypical image of a shut-in.
└└Blue Dot: Iing Iing said I'm handsome, you fuck, stop making shit up just to hate on me.
└└Who the hell is Iing Iing?
...
After replying to comments for a while, I gradually drifted off to sleep.
Maybe it was because I'd browsed Hunter Gallery before bed.
I was able to sleep soundly without feeling uneasy about having killed people.
It was the day I became a High Floor Hunter.
Tomorrow was Floor 31.
The Floor of the Ruined Magical Civilization.
Footnotes:
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