WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: DereKimchi
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Abandoned Tank is a Disaster-class Awakener ◈
Chapter 43
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Hye-won was also in the Association Chair's office.
She looked up at me from the sofa.
“You're here?”
“Yeah. How's the clearing going?”
“It's not difficult yet.”
“I was just looking over Miss Shin's records.”
Miller closed the documents he had spread out.
“I wondered what it would have been like if Mr. Kang had started from the lower floors. Watching Miss Shin feels like getting a glimpse of it instead.”
“...I'm not that good.”
Hye-won pulled her staff closer.
Miller smiled and offered me a seat.
“Please sit. I have quite a few questions for you today.”
But then,
Riiing-ring-ring!
The phone on one side of the desk rang.
Miller picked up the receiver.
“Yes. I'm meeting with him now.”
After listening to the other person for a moment, he looked at me.
“We haven't even finished greeting each other yet. Surely you can give me some time to keep Mr. Kang here and talk to him?”
He smiled and hung up.
“Is it because of the difficulty?”
“Yes. A message appeared saying the rewards would improve, so they can't just sit still. Associations from every country are asking about the approval requirements.”
“That was fast.”
“They're worried that waiting to contact us will only put them at a disadvantage.”
Miller sat down.
“So, what did you discover this time?”
“I met an entity called an Administrator on the 30th floor.”
Hye-won's eyes widened.
Miller, too, stopped moving for a moment.
I told them both what had happened there.
The Administrator that appeared after I defeated the complete Archelon.
The Additional Trial, where I had to face a powerful being from another dimension.
And the toll and authority to unlock difficulties I received as my reward for winning.
Miller did not interrupt once.
When I finished, he looked down at the notes on his desk.
“Then we can delay answering the approval requirements other countries are asking about for a while.”
“Is there a reason?”
“We haven't tried clearing the new difficulty yet. We should send the American Raid Party in first and see what differs from before.”
He picked up his pen.
“How much harder it is, and how much the rewards increase. We need to know that before we can determine the value of the approval authority, don't we?”
As expected, he understood quickly.
“I unlocked Normal difficulty for now, but that isn't the end. There are still four more tiers above it.”
“...”
“Hard difficulty, Very Hard difficulty, Nightmare difficulty, and Incomprehensible difficulty. But we can't challenge them yet.”
“Do we need to wait before trying again?”
“We need people.”
I held up two fingers.
“To challenge Hard difficulty, there must be two people in this dimension who have defeated a complete 30th-floor Guardian.”
Miller looked at my hand, then shifted his gaze to Hye-won.
“If we're looking for someone suited to that qualification, it would be Miss Shin.”
I nodded.
Hye-won, who had been listening beside me, turned toward me.
“Me?”
“Yeah. I'm thinking of leaving the second one to you.”
It was an important task.
But after clearing the lower floors alone, her confidence had grown. She only asked,
“That being from another dimension must be strong, right?”
“...Strong.”
Garkan, the Iron-Blood Emperor.
A Berserker who displayed even greater strength the more perilous the situation became.
He certainly would not be an easy opponent.
“But your potential is much greater. It may be difficult right now, but if you grow while climbing to the 30th floor, you'll be able to beat him without much trouble.”
The White Witch who had made her name before my regression could not even be compared to someone like Garkan.
If Hye-won continued growing as quickly as she had, she would be more than capable of facing him by the time she reached the 30th floor.
“Okay. I'll work hard. You thought I could do it, Seong-un.”
She smiled faintly.
“It was like that in the beginning, too.”
I remembered when she could make only a handful of frost, showing me her ability while saying it was nothing special.
She was different now.
Unlike before, she did not start by saying she couldn't do it.
Miller looked at Hye-won.
“I'll make defeating the 30th-floor Guardian alone Miss Shin's top priority.”
Then he continued, addressing me.
“If Mr. Kang points out what she lacks, we'll concentrate resources there. We'll secure any necessary equipment in advance as well.”
“Yes. But Hye-won alone won't be enough.”
“Because of the higher difficulties?”
“We need three more people before we reach the final tier, Incomprehensible difficulty.”
Miller put down his pen.
“Three more people who can defeat a complete 30th-floor Guardian alone...”
At first, Miller looked troubled. Then he looked at me and smiled.
“So, who are they?”
He did not say he would look for candidates.
It seemed he had realized I had already chosen people.
“I need to meet them myself. That's why I plan to stop clearing the Tower for a while.”
“Then...?”
“Yes. First, I need to put a team together.”
Hye-won lifted her head.
“A team?”
“There are people I need to bring in.”
I looked at Miller.
“From now on, it's a war to unlock difficulties.”
The world had learned about the Tower's difficulty settings.
And competition to claim those difficulties would become fierce.
It was not limited to floors 21 through 30.
Floors 1 through 10.
Floors 11 through 20.
Unlocking the difficulties no one had conquered yet before anyone else would inevitably become every country's top priority.
* * *
[Kang Seong-un's victory has unlocked Normal difficulty on floors 21 through 30 of this dimension.]
[This difficulty may only be challenged with the approval of its unlocker, Kang Seong-un.]
“...”
South Korean Prime Minister Yoon Tae-gyeong read the message to the end.
Then Yoon asked the chief of staff across the desk,
“Have we received all the materials on the Abyss response?”
“The Association is delaying the submission of some materials.”
“Make a list of the materials they haven't submitted as well.”
Yoon set down the pen.
‘This time, we have sufficient justification.’
It was not good news for South Korea, but it was also an opportunity Yoon had been waiting for.
Association Chair Park Gang-sik.
Park had taken the budget under the pretext of supporting Awakeners and blocked government interference by claiming expertise.
Not only that, Park had won over the guilds by holding the clearing rights and equipment allocations in his grasp.
The government had not simply stood by.
It had occasionally applied pressure to keep Park's extralegal power in check.
But the answer was always the same.
The field would be shaken.
National Tower clearing would suffer setbacks.
So the government could not easily touch him.
And that influence could only be an eyesore to those in the existing political establishment.
It was not only Yoon Tae-gyeong. Many in political circles had been waiting for a chance to bring Park down.
Then an opportunity appeared.
Kang Seong-un.
The piece Chair Park had discarded had become an American citizen and was flying high.
The Abyss incident, and even the unlocking of difficulty settings.
The justification was clear.
“Secure the documents concerning support that Awakener Kang Seong-un and the Association exchanged as well.”
“Are you planning to expand the scope of the audit?”
“I don't intend to stop at an audit.”
Yoon took a thin file folder from beneath the desk.
『Awakener Management and Support System Reform Plan』
The chief of staff's gaze stopped on the cover.
“You mean to bring it under a government ministry...?”
“An organization run on the national budget has become one person's kingdom.”
Yoon slid the folder forward.
“We need to finish this now.”
* * *
The Prime Minister's Office did not respond directly to the Association's explanations.
Instead, it arranged the materials by date.
The day the decision was made to reduce Kang Seong-un's support.
The day the Abyss rescue request was received.
The day the Association sent its reply.
The damage that occurred in between.
It all began appearing in the media.
『Association That Claimed It “Responded Immediately” Held a Meeting Only Four Days After the First Support Request』
『Decision to Cut Kang Seong-un's Support Approved Directly by Park Gang-sik』
『Government Conducts Full Review of Awakener Support Budget』
“...”
Park Gang-sik watched those reports.
Public opinion was steadily worsening, and government pressure was mounting.
He stopped his pen while signing explanatory materials.
A new article brought by his secretary even contained matters he had not yet answered.
“...Did the Prime Minister's Office leak this?”
“The National Assembly released the materials.”
There were several places demanding accountability.
The government audited, the National Assembly questioned, and the media compared.
While the Association answered one side, another produced new records.
That evening, the Prime Minister's Office contacted him.
They told him to come and explain in person.
Park Gang-sik stared at the phone for a long time before handing it back to his secretary.
“Arrange a press conference tomorrow.”
“Will you explain yourself?”
“...”
Park did not answer for a moment.
The current atmosphere was beyond control.
He could endure it, but unlike before, the flames would only grow fiercer.
He needed a breakthrough.
“...Say that I'm resigning.”
“...Pardon?”
The secretary's face stiffened.
Park checked the schedule on his desk.
“Keep the appointments with the guild representatives, the Healers Alliance, and the equipment companies.”
* * *
The day of the press conference.
“I bear all responsibility. I will accept the public's criticism and resign from my position as Association Chair.”
Park Gang-sik bowed before the cameras.
Prime Minister Yoon Tae-gyeong watched as Park left the conference hall without taking questions.
The chief of staff spoke carefully.
“He has stepped down.”
“Only now has the position been vacated.”
Yoon did not turn off the screen.
“The successor is important. Narrow it down to someone respected within the Association who has not been involved in equipment allocation or support-fund issues.”
The government soon approached a former regional Association chair known for a clean record in clearing reviews.
The person initially declined.
But after hearing that the support system would be reformed and authority concentrated in the Association Chair would be dispersed, the person accepted the candidacy.
However, on the day the Prime Minister's Office was finalizing its plan for a successor, the first report arrived from a hospital.
The dispatch of healing Awakeners had been canceled.
* * *
The first thing to stop was scheduled treatment.
A patient who had waited a month was turned away at the reception desk.
Emergency treatment continued, but regenerative treatment and aftereffect management could not even schedule the next appointment.
Then guilds began delaying their expeditions.
Equipment companies said they needed to reconfirm maintenance guarantees, while the consumables supply cooperative withheld shipments until Association approval was complete.
The representative of the Healers Alliance stood before reporters alongside Raid Party representatives.
“This does not mean former Chair Park Gang-sik did nothing wrong.”
The representative unfolded a statement.
“But we must not deny the contribution he made in turning South Korea into an Awakener powerhouse over a single mistake. The current chaos is the result of the government using public opinion to drive out a leader in the field.”
Around the time that statement was reported, cancellation notices and expedition-delay reports were piling up at the Prime Minister's Office.
The government reassigned healers from the military and public institutions.
It prioritized support for Raid Parties that could still move.
The urgent gaps were filled.
But as more Awakeners went untreated, future clearing schedules were delayed as well.
Plug one hole, and a problem erupted elsewhere.
Prime Minister Yoon Tae-gyeong closed the documents while receiving a report on the normalization status.
“Call in the Association.”
* * *
The vice chair who came as the negotiation representative did not arrive alone.
Representatives from the guilds engaged in work slowdowns and the Healers Alliance entered together.
The Prime Minister pointed to the empty chairs.
“You said each of you made your own decisions, yet you came together.”
The vice chair pretended not to hear and took a seat.
“I came to convey the field's opinion.”
“What do you want?”
“Please proceed with the Association Chair election.”
The Prime Minister's eyes narrowed.
“Isn't this a demand to bring Park Gang-sik back?”
“We are not asking you to decide that. Just let us vote.”
The vice chair continued.
“A candidate supported by the government may run as well. We will abide by whatever result the members choose.”
The Prime Minister watched the vice chair for a long while.
The candidate the government had already contacted had no clear ethical issues.
Their reputation at clearing sites was also good.
Reports said there were quite a few people in the Association who resented Park Gang-sik.
Still, the Prime Minister could not trust those reports alone.
“Resume dispatches and expeditions at the same time the election schedule is announced. If you block candidate nominations or interfere with the vote, this agreement is over.”
“Of course.”
The reply came too quickly.
The Prime Minister remembered that face.
* * *
The government-supported candidate registered without trouble.
They also received more than enough delegate nominations.
The Prime Minister's Office continued receiving calls from delegates expressing support.
Some said they had opposed Park Gang-sik's system for a long time, while others said it had to change this time.
Meanwhile, Park Gang-sik did not campaign publicly.
Instead, Park met one by one with the regional Association chairs who came to call on him.
The vice chair reviewed each region's support plans for the following year.
Clearing-right allocations.
Guild subsidy renewals.
Healing personnel dispatches and the provision of exclusive equipment.
It was work done every year.
But this time, the review results were delivered just before the election.
The government candidate's campaign booklet stated that those powers would be removed from the Association.
The delegates read both documents.
Only then did they begin calculating specifically what would change if the candidate they had nominated won.
The day before the election, a delegate called the vice chair.
“Putting my name on the nomination list...”
“I know.”
The vice chair cut them off gently.
“It would not have looked good if there had been only one candidate.”
The other end of the line went quiet.
“You can make your decision tomorrow.”
* * *
On voting day, the government candidate shook hands with delegates at the entrance.
“Please take good care of me.”
“You've worked hard.”
The people who had promised their support days earlier smiled and shook hands.
When voting ended, the candidate sat in the observer section and waited for the count.
The results were also delivered to the Prime Minister's Office in real time.
At first, only votes for Park Gang-sik appeared.
It was the same even after passing the halfway point.
The chief of staff checked the tally and made a call.
“Are there any missing ballots?”
The chief of staff's face hardened while listening to the reply.
Every last vote had been counted.
The government-backed candidate had not received a single vote.
Even the delegates who had nominated that candidate voted for Park Gang-sik.
『Park Gang-sik Reelected Association Chair by Unanimous Delegate Vote』
Comments poured in beneath the breaking news.
-There was a government candidate too?
-0 votes lol
-Even the bastards who nominated them didn't vote for them.
-That wasn't a resignation. It was a vacation.
Beside the vote results was a photograph of delegates smiling as they shook hands.
Just moments ago, it had been an election with two candidates.
In the photograph, it was impossible to tell who had supported whom.
Meanwhile, posts appeared saying treatment appointments had been scheduled.
-They called and told my mom to come in for treatment tomorrow. Until yesterday, they said they had no idea when it would happen.
-I hope her treatment goes well.
-Thanks. But I'm pissed off even though I'm happy.
Applause continued on the screen broadcasting the inaugural speech.
-Can't exactly hope they go under. We still need treatment and have to climb the Tower.
-Kang Seong-un was right. Leaving was the answer.
-The smartest people get out first, agreed?
-The capable people leave, and only useless bastards stay behind to kiss the Association Chair's ass.
A caption scrolled beneath the screen.
『Awakeners Association Normalized... Full Resumption of Clearing and Healing Dispatches』
Soon, a short comment appeared below it.
-Damn, this is fucking stupid, but I really thought things would change this time.
After that, no comments appeared for a while.
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