WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B.
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 92: 092
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I looked ahead with satisfaction.
People stood beneath the podium.
Korean and American reporters.
Officials from London and the United States.
Even President Trump of the United States and President Jang Daehan.
Every one of them had lowered their heads and couldn't meet my gaze.
The reason was obvious.
They were overwhelmed by my sacred divine power.
They couldn't bring themselves to look me in the eye!
‘Heh heh. The Holy-Divine Light effect is incredible. Feeding it a ton of mana was definitely worth it.’
Before entering, I'd planned to use only an appropriate amount of mana, like I had with Iing Iing and the Black Mage.
I wanted a soft halo around myself, creating a tranquil yet sacred atmosphere.
But just as I was about to open the doors and reveal myself to everyone, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
‘Wouldn't it look even cooler if I stuffed it with tons of mana and came out surrounded by truly dazzling radiance?’
This was my first public appearance.
Didn't I need to make a powerful impression?
So I did it.
I burned enough mana for hundreds of Fireballs and cast Holy-Divine Blessing on myself!
The output was ten times greater than the mana I'd used on the Black Mage and Iing Iing.
Thanks to that...
“Ghk...! That light...!”
“Why are my legs shaking...?”
“My strength is leaving me...”
The reporters staggered under this body's majesty.
“Holy light! Holy shit! Holy beautiful! What is that holy great light?! David! Do you know what that phenomenon is?!”
“...”
“David...? Why are you making that face?”
Torumph cried out in admiration at the sight of me.
And then there was David, the world's number one commoner, staring at me with terrified eyes.
But why was David making such a frightened expression...?
Had he spotted some cyber psycho somewhere?
Either way, everyone here had been overwhelmed by my sacredness and holiness.
It felt great.
This should have left a powerful impression on the commoner citizens watching through their TVs!
I leaned toward the microphone.
“I'll take questions. Ask me anything.”
At my declaration that the press conference had begun, reporters began raising their hands with tense expressions.
I nodded at someone who stood out.
The selected reporter asked, “I'm Im Daegi from A Daily! We have many prepared questions, but before that... what exactly is that light?”
Apparently, the golden halo around my body looked pretty impressive.
The reporter was asking about the nature of my Holy Effect.
I answered casually.
“It's holiness I obtained while fighting the Black Mage on Tower Floor 35.”
“Holiness...? What exactly does that... More importantly, it's too bright. Could you lower it a little...”
“Next question?”
The reporter looked like he was about to ask me to turn off the Holy Effect, so I quickly moved on.
This was an accessory effect that displayed this body's brilliant majesty and nobility.
Why would I turn it off?!
The next reporter raised a hand.
“I'm from B Daily. According to the government's announcement, Hunter-nim has only been a Hunter for about thirty-seven days, yet you have earned a total of 4,009,580 Points. What is the secret behind acquiring so many Points in such a short period?”
I was surprised by the question.
The Points I'd earned so far were fewer than I expected.
‘What? I've only earned four million Points this whole time?’
Just yesterday, I'd brought back almost six hundred thousand Points.
I thought I'd made much more than that by now.
To think it was only four million Points...
Still, it made sense when I thought about it.
I was earning six hundred thousand Points at a time now, but back in the beginning, I'd struggled while earning only hundreds or thousands of Points.
It turned out I'd only been earning Points in the hundreds of thousands for around ten days.
I still had a long way to go.
At this rate, when would I save everyone in King Korea...?
But regardless of my dissatisfaction...
“He earned four million Points in just over a month after becoming a Hunter? Is that really true?”
“And he isn't even in the Highest Floors yet...?”
“...Even hearing it again, it's an unbelievable number.”
“I find the fact that he climbs one floor every day even harder to believe.”
The reporters murmured among themselves.
The number was disappointing to me, but it must have seemed like an astonishing Point income to them.
Anyway, I answered in a low voice.
“The reason I earned more Points than other commoner Hunters is because I am the Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter.”
“...What exactly is an Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter? Please explain in detail.”
“An Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter is a Hunter who cleared a difficulty beyond the standard Tutorial Hard difficulty. It means a Hunter who cleared a Tutorial difficulty where a Goblin Shaman and Goblin Warrior appear at the same time. I cleared that difficulty, which is why I gained strength on a completely different level from ordinary Hunters.”
“Extreme Lunatic Hell Wizard Hunter... that was real?”
“I've been posting about it on Hunter Gallery this whole time. Please refer to Hunter Gallery for the details. Next question?”
I glanced around at the other reporters.
Hands shot up everywhere.
Should I take a question from a foreign reporter this time?
I pointed at a Black reporter standing to one side.
He rose and asked in awkward Korean.
“I'm from Times New York. So are you claiming that every post you've written under the name Blue Dot was true?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“But their contents are difficult to understand through common sense. Isn't the content itself strange? Your most recent post said... ‘I became a Holy-Divine... Extreme Lunatic Hell Heaven Hunter. I experienced Martial Arts 2.0. I awakened as a Holy Hunter.’”
Glance.
The reporter looked at me.
More accurately, at the golden radiance surrounding me.
He muttered quietly.
“Holy...”
“Holy Hunter. That's me.”
After that, questions from the other reporters continued to pour in.
I answered them one by one.
“Please reveal your true identity clearly!”
“My exact identity? Heh heh. It can't be helped. I'll reveal it properly on this occasion.”
“...!”
“I am the Extreme Lunatic Hell Heaven Patriotic Chungmugong Hunter who will save the Republic of Korea. I am also the director of the Extreme Lunatic Hell Power Plant, a wizard who sees Blue Motes, a Stealth Longbow Apache attack helicopter, the rising star of the Goblin Sect, a martial artist of the Peak Realm, and a genius of slaughter who will succeed Mao Zedong...”
“...”
“Are you currently dating anyone?”
“No.”
“Ah, but you were?”
“No, I'm not. Just no.”
“Do you have any plans to immigrate to the United States or another country?”
“I am the Extreme Lunatic Hell Patriotic Chungmugong Hunter. As long as the Republic of Korea doesn't fall, I'll protect this country! So citizens, rest easy! Unless an army of beautiful women in bikinis comes over and dances Zero Two, I won't go abroad!”
“Pardon? Bikini what?”
“The meaning of your title as the successor of the Goblin Sect is unclear. Could you tell us what it means?”
“Ah, that's because my master is a Goblin. I learned martial arts from Goblin Shaman-nim.”
“...Martial arts? More importantly, your master is a Goblin? What exactly do you mean by...”
“You. Are you suggesting a Goblin can't be someone's master? What an uneducated person! As Longbow Apache, defender of political correctness, I cannot forgive your hate speech! Leave this press conference immediately!”
“???”
“To dare insult my master...!”
“You just referred to yourself as ‘a genius of slaughter who will succeed Mao Zedong.’ What exactly does that mean?”
“Ah, that. Mao Zedong slaughtered eighty million people, right? That's an incredible kill score. I only kill a few hundred monsters per floor, or a few thousand at most... I could feel the wall before me. Whew... I still have a long way to go. When will I ever be able to kill eighty million monsters...?”
“...?”
“So I chose Mao Zedong as my rival and goal. Someday, I'll kill eighty million monsters in the Tower and take responsibility for my country's citizens' Points! Surpassing Mao Zedong's slaughter score. That is my dream!”
“???”
“Hitler? A commoner who only killed twenty million people. Genghis Khan? A barbarian who killed just forty million... But our big brother Zedong is different! Eighty million! The holder of the world record for slaughter! Someday, I will surpass Mao Zedong!”
“...”
“Watch over me from hell, big brother Zedong!!! I will follow in your footsteps and become a genius of slaughter!!!”
“You have previously clashed with Hunter special operations units from China, Russia, and Japan. What is your stance on that matter...?”
“If those foreign bastards act up again, I'll kill them!”
“Uh... That is an extremely strong statement...”
“Is there anything you would like to say to the citizens...?”
“I ask you. Do you desire total mobilization climbing? If it is necessary, do you desire climbing more radical and total than anything we can imagine today?”
“Uh, isn't this a total war speech...?”
“A specter is haunting the Republic of Korea. The specter of defeatism... The history of all Korea until now has been the history of a struggle for survival.”
“Wait. That's the Communist Manifesto...!”
“Let the traitors who fled Joseon tremble before the Points-Scrape-Kimchi Revolution! The Republic of Korea has nothing to lose in this revolution but its destruction, and everything to gain is the glory of its homeland! Citizens of the Republic of Korea, unite!”
“Chief Secretary! Isn't this dangerous?! He's declaring total war and quoting the Communist Manifesto!”
“He even brought up Mao Zedong, China's founding father. Shouldn't we stop the broadcast...?”
“...”
“Make Korea Great Again!!! Make Korea Great Again!!!”
The longer the interview went on, the more excited I became.
Countless people threw questions at me and took notes with eyes full of curiosity, awe, and bewilderment.
It felt like I had become the center of the world.
I couldn't help getting carried away!
It felt like I'd become an incredibly amazing person.
Well, I was definitely an amazing person, but I'd never really had a chance to feel it before.
Now, though, reporters were focused on my every word.
Countless cameras and broadcast devices were aimed at me.
I could feel, at least a little, how amazing this body was.
So I continued the interview in a daze.
“Stop! Stop! We will end the interview here!”
The Blue House secretaries seemed to think the interview had become too heated, and they began to act.
They hurriedly controlled the reporters, made them lower their cameras, and turned off the broadcasting equipment.
I was having so much fun. What a shame.
‘Should I try doing an internet broadcast later?’
Now I understood why internet streamers were so high-energy.
Being the center of attention was fun!
It was even more fun when you showed your face and voice while acting like an attention-seeking troll!
Anyway.
“Is the press conference over?”
“...Yes. It is over. Please follow me. We will show you to a place where you can rest until the banquet.”
The person called the Senior Secretary for Public Relations and Communication wiped cold sweat from his forehead as he spoke.
But why was he sweating so much?
What a timid person.
‘Hmm. I want to check Hunter Gallery already.’
By now, the people on Hunter Gallery should understand my greatness properly, right?
With that thought, I followed the secretary at a quick pace toward the waiting room.
I wanted to see Hunter Gallery's reaction as soon as possible.
* * *
Right after Baek Jiho left, President Trump removed his red cap and cried out in admiration.
“Damn it! Baek Jiho! He's the greatest crazy bastard! A beautiful and great crazy bastard! How did he think of mixing a Nazi total war speech with the red commie Communist Manifesto?! He says he wants to emulate Mao Zedong's slaughter?! He's a yuuuuuge crazy bastard!”
“...”
“I should use that someday too. That bastard copied my great slogan, so it should be fine if I copy him. It'll be fine!”
President Trump had been deeply impressed by Baek Jiho's press conference.
At most, he had insulted a reporter during an interview by saying, “Quiet, piggy.”
He had flipped off citizens who booed him.
He had called the vice president of a rival party “a shit vice president.”
He had called the chair of the Federal Reserve a loser.
He had said illegal immigrants were not people but animals.
He had posted meme videos on official social media by mixing actual footage of airstrikes on Iran with game footage.
He had pushed deep-state conspiracy theories, claiming that elites secretly controlled national policy from underground without being controlled by the government or president.
He had used believers in the QAnon conspiracy theory as a support base for his approval ratings, a theory that a secret group of Satan-worshipping elite pedophiles ruled the world and Torumph was the savior who would drive them out.
That was all he had done...!
But that Baek Jiho bastard!
Wasn't he just as crazy as Torumph himself?!
He praised Mao Zedong's slaughter as an achievement and said he would emulate it.
He mixed a Nazi total war speech with the Communist Manifesto at an official event.
He even openly declared that he would kill people from other countries!
It was a press conference with no regard for consequences.
On top of that, Baek Jiho's entrance had been anything but ordinary.
“His showmanship is excellent too! To think he would appear bathed in such great and beautiful light...! I wish my staff would learn from that. It would be great if I could use light that strong while giving speeches! I should order them to pay more attention to lighting from now on.”
He had appeared as a human of light.
Wasn't it like a heavenly absolute being descending to earth?
It was an effect perfectly suited to Torumph's tastes, given his desire for attention and power.
Just as he had been delighted to receive a golden crown in the past, he desperately wanted Baek Jiho's Holy Light.
“Baek Jiho is quite something. He's uninhibited, and his showmanship is excellent. If his abilities are certain, I absolutely want to recruit him. I never let go of talent I've picked. If I get the chance, I want to wear that Holy Light too!”
“...”
“So, Captain David.”
Swish.
Torumph turned his gaze toward David, who stood beside him.
David had closely observed Baek Jiho's every move throughout the press conference.
If anyone could judge Baek Jiho's ability, it was him.
“What do you think of Baek Jiho's abilities?”
“...”
“Tell me. Stop keeping your mouth shut like that.”
At Torumph's urging, David, whose expression had been stiff the entire time, finally opened his mouth.
“Mr. President. He... Baek Jiho is a monster.”
“A monster?”
David spoke with trembling eyes.
He looked confused.
Or perhaps afraid.
“When I saw Baek Jiho, I felt pressure similar to when I encountered the Floor 50 boss monster.”
“The Floor 50 boss monster...”
“The one that killed half my teammates and tore me and my comrades in half. He had a similar presence.”
“...!”
Torumph's eyes widened at David's words.
Pressure similar to the Floor 50 boss.
That monster had single-handedly killed five Hunters from America's dream team and left another five on the brink of death.
Why was it being mentioned here?
David continued.
“Is he really human? Can a human... possess such an enormous presence?”
“...”
“It's strange. It's truly strange. His movements were clumsy and unimpressive, so why was only his presence like that insane monster... Ugh... Ngh...!”
“Stop, David.”
Torumph gripped David's shoulder tightly.
David's seizure-like symptoms were about to return.
It was not yet known to the public, but the five Highest Floors Hunters who had barely survived their attempt to conquer Floor 50 had effectively been unable to recover.
The experience on Floor 50 had traumatized them.
They could no longer continue climbing.
That was why David, the world's number one Hunter, was now acting as the president's bodyguard.
Torumph asked quietly.
“David. Tell me one thing. How much can America, the United States of America, pay to recruit him without it being a loss?”
“...”
“Say whatever comes to mind.”
David closed his eyes for a moment and thought.
Then he answered with a grave expression.
“Even if we offered every Hard-rank Hunter in America, it would be more beneficial to bring in that one man.”
“...Is that true? You think he has greater value than every Hard-rank Hunter in the United States combined?”
“Yes. This is only a judgment based on the presence I felt from him, but... he is an existence equal to the Floor 50 boss monster. Perhaps even greater... And he is still only in the thirties. What an unbelievable monster...”
“...”
“No matter the cost, we must recruit him. If we cannot recruit him, we must at least maintain friendly relations. That is my judgment as Captain, President Trump.”
“...”
Torumph slowly closed his eyes.
His fingers twitched as though he craved a Diet Coke.
Then he opened his eyes wide and spoke quietly.
“We need to create as much common ground as possible at the banquet.”
It was the moment Donald Torumph, president of the United States of America, resolved to recruit Baek Jiho.
Footnotes:
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