Chapter 123 - Chapter 123

Chapter 123

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Translated by Jinmu

Read more at hivetoons.org

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Black Tower 69th floor.

An intense shockwave that stretched out in a straight line.

A path burst open in the sea of undead that had filled the battlefield.

Like the miracle of Moses.

Thanks to that, Joo-hyuk and the summoned entities walked leisurely down the comfortably opened highway.

"It is not something that can be used often. There is a cooldown. However, I can forge a path to the boss."

A skill that can rapidly reach the boss in a boss battle where subordinate monsters appear in swarms.

As expected of our Tanker leading the party.

However, Gobang's greatness is not the shockwave.

"I wanted to upgrade the Size Enlargement skill, but I did not. If the body gets bigger, it gets sluggish. Instead..."

U-u-ung!

Energy gathered around Gobang.

"Ku-o-o-o-o!!!"

LSSR-grade Shout of Provocation.

Aggro was drawn all at once.

All the remaining undead clung onto Gobang.

Mummies, zombies, skeletons, ghouls, dullahan, specters, phantoms, Death Knights.

"Kya-a-a-ak!"

"Kak!"

"Ki-a-ak!"

"Keu-reu-reung."

The most popular person here is Gobang.

As if confessing their love, all the undead clung onto the size-enlarged Gobang like crazy.

Ta-dak, tak! Ta-da-da-dak!

On his legs, on his arms, on his torso, and even crawling up his shoulders onto his head.

The enormous body became even bigger.

Even so, they could not block Gobang's advance.

Sergeant Bae staring blankly at that sight as if it was absurd.

"He is like an assault maneuver armored vehicle."

"He even wrapped himself in iron armor, so he's a human tank."

Now Gobang is not bare-bodied.

A pitch-black black armor generated on his body.

The undead could not even make a scratch on his body.

Even the sword of a Death Knight densely imbued with Dark Aura Sword Energy.

Kung-kung-kung-kung.

Gobang advanced toward the Lich.

The undead blocking him desperately.

However, they were nothing more than plastic PET bottles laid out in front of a human tank; they were instantly crushed flat.

"It is pleasant. The monsters cannot even approach us, no, they are not doing so."

That's right.

There are this many undead, yet they were looking only at Gobang.

They didn't even pay attention to them.

Veronica fired her magic gun at the undead clinging to Gobang, but it didn't draw the slightest bit of aggro.

Whether you shoot or not, I will kill this guy.

Currently, to the undead, Gobang was no different from an enemy who killed their parents.

Meanwhile, Bardin had a very dissatisfied expression.

Muttering to himself with a tone mixed with disappointment,

"Why is he not holding me?"

No, why must he?

"Is it because I am an SSR that my rank falls short?"

Human Holy Sword Bardin seemed to think he had been abandoned.

Right then!

"Bardin!"

Gobang's call finally heard.

Bardin's expression brightened completely.

"Light!!!"

Hwa-a-ak!

Bardin's entire body flared up with radiance.

Ssue-ae-ae-aek! He ran, then leaped toward Gobang as if diving with his body stretched out straight.

Deob-seok!

Gobang snatching Bardin's two ankles.

At last, Gobang lifted the weapon.

'...'

It drives me crazy.

"Light!!!"

Bardin being swung around.

Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa...

The undead crumbled.

Ground up by the torso, ground up by the flail.

"Ho-e-e-e,"

In the midst of that, Rajix riding the Blood Wolf and going on an item search here and there.

Right well, this is tower clearing.

It was very familiar.

But are Mr. Cossack and Sir Gwangma doing well?

Please just don't cause a major accident.

If you must, only a minor accident.

Late at night.

Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Chairman Kim In-joong, was unable to sleep.

His wife lying next to him had already fallen fast asleep, but he kept tossing and turning.

Things were good back then.

The days when they just sucked up honey.

20 years ago.

When towers were generated by nationality.

The Republic did not have an independent tower.

They shared the Black Tower with South Korea.

So the status window of Republic players wasn't affiliated with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, but South Korea.

It was a shameful matter as a sovereign state.

The Republic belongs to South Korea?

It couldn't be helped.

The system decided it like that.

No, even a small nation with a population of 5 million had a tower generated independently, so why the Republic?

But as time went by, he realized.

It wasn't necessarily just a bad thing.

Without the burden of defending against a tower collapse.

Without climbing to the upper floors.

Mopping up the rewards from repeatedly clearing the lower floors,

Because they can climb comfortably.

The great upheaval that occurred during that.

The genuine Kavalan clear.

High-Grade Mana Stones, which will become the grains of rice for the 4th Industrial Revolution, dropped exclusively only from the South Korea Tower.

Naturally, North Korean players also received the benefits.

Foreign currency rolled in like crazy.

However, the monopoly will soon come to an end.

Once the Black Towers of other nations also climb to the 71st floor, that is.

There are only a few months left.

Then?

They should suck up as much as they can while they can.

So they created the short-term temporary naturalization program.

Clear the South Korea Black Tower flowing with milk and honey, and receive rewards.

If you just pay money, we will make your status window nationality South Korea as much as you want.

In reality, the temporarily naturalized players obtained High-Grade Mana Stone rewards from the South Korea Black Tower, which had the highest reward probability.

Applications for short-term temporary naturalization flooded in like a tide.

It spread like a fad.

The temporarily naturalized players were also extremely satisfied.

Without needing to go to North Korea themselves, they just had to go in and out of the tower in the country they originally lived in and mooch items, after all.

And then the incident erupted.

Player population overcrowding.

The newly established Democratic People's Republic of Korea Black Tower.

Even near Pyongyang.

A national tower was suddenly generated out of nowhere.

It couldn't help but be a perplexing matter.

Who could have even anticipated it would turn out like this?

They were not prepared at all.

The Republic does not have the capacity to climb the unclear upper floors.

They can't even control it.

On top of that, some crazy bastards raised the tower's floor number up to the undead section.

Though they caught the player punk who did such a thing.

They have to come up with some method.

The most certain method is to foster state-fostered players and step up to defend against a tower collapse.

However, it is impossible at the current juncture.

The budget is lacking, and they don't know what to do either,

The place to lean on is South Korea after all.

The know-how of the Awakening Management Agency that turned South Korea into an advanced tower-clearing nation.

And the player-exclusive equipment said to be sold at Player Shops.

He doesn't even hope for the S+++ grade clear record holder.

If they could just bring a talent of about Deputy Director Jeon Kwang-il's level to the Republic... it would be an opportunity rather than a crisis.

While having these and those thoughts, his eyelids gradually came down.

At the moment he was about to fall asleep like that...

"I think it's this person, sir."

Huh?

"Hmm, I see. Looking at his appearance, it is a perfect match."

"Wow, we finally found him, sir. After turning over how many rooms..."

"If you were even a little bit smart, you would have found him already."

"I am sorry, sir. What do we do about the woman sleeping next to him, sir?"

"I struck her slumber acupoint. She will not wake up until tomorrow morning."

What is this sound?

No way, intruders?

Eyy, as if!

He must have fallen into a light sleep and be dreaming.

The bedroom Kim In-joong is currently sleeping in is the most secretive location even within the office and residence buildings.

Every corridor, every door. A place where guards stand watch at every corner.

Who would come in here?

Therefore, it is unconditionally a dream.

Or else it's ghosts.

Only a dream or ghosts can explain the situation happening right now.

He was certain of that.

Until someone roughly slapped his cheek with a palm time and time again.

"Comrade Chairman Kim In-joong! Wake up quick-quick. A nuke has dropped on the Republic."

Slap, slap.

What in the world?

"The nuke among nukes, do you not know the Gwangma Nuke?"

"Such insolent bastards,"

"...I am sorry, sir."

Kim In-joong stealthily opened his eyes.

It was two people.

One a young man, and another an old man with grizzled white hair.

"Who are you..."

However, Kim In-joong could not finish his sentence.

Because he made eye contact with the old man.

Chills! Goosebumps broke out.

Even though he merely looked at his eyes.

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

His heart pounded wildly as if it would explode.

"It will hurt a bit. Still, consider yourself lucky; just how many humans survived after facing this seat? You have grabbed fortune."

What is he saying.

At that moment!

The old man poking here and there on his body with a finger.

'...Heok!'

Not even a scream came out.

He couldn't even raise his upper body, his fingers, his toes; his entire body stiffened rigidly.

And a moment later.

Kim In-joong confronted a pain he had never experienced in his life.

'Kkeu-a-a-a-ak!'

It felt like his flesh was being sliced off.

His muscles tear.

His bones dislocate, and his joints are severed in reverse.

However, he couldn't even struggle.

His mind is perfectly fine, but his physical body is in a state of paralysis.

"Uh-uh, this is too severe, sir. We can just persuade him with words well, is there a need to go this far, sir?"

When the young man spoke in a worried tone, the old man suddenly got angry,

"You bastard! It seems you want to die! You dare try to interfere with this seat's actions?"

"No, it's not that, can we not just make it so his body can't move, sir?"

"Shut up! If you do not wish to die."

"Yep."

"Tsk tsk, why am I suffering like this to do what, it would be worldly comfortable if I just killed him all at once."

Kim In-joong felt like he was going to go crazy.

Since he was young, he lived receiving protection to the point of excess.

Even if he just fell while walking down the street, the bodyguards protecting him were reprimanded and chased out.

Because he grew up like a greenhouse plant, he had no immunity to pain.

Even after he grew older, it was the same.

The Republic's highest dignity.

A body where absolutely not even a single scratch can appear on the skin.

But to have such a terrible pain.

He could not endure it.

A soundless scream flowed out from his entire body.

He would rather die.

Then he would become comfortable.

"Oops, it's too pitiful, sir. Please just remove the pain, sir. How can we have a conversation at this rate, sir? We have to negotiate, sir."

The young man stamped his feet, but,

"Hmph! From time immemorial, negotiation is something that goes smoothly when done while sitting on the opponent's head with your buttocks. What conversation with a bastard who raises his head and rebels?"

It didn't work at all on the old man.

"This seems like torture, not a conversation, sir."

"So what if it is torture?"

Even in a state where his mind was hazy from the pain, Kim In-joong clearly heard the word conversation.

Right, conversation.

Let's do it now.

Because he'll listen to anything.

"It seems conversation is a bust for today no matter what, sir. We must come back again tomorrow, sir."

"I suppose so."

What? Tomorrow?

Why in the world?

You can do it now.

"Let's go now."

"Yep! You've worked hard, sir."

"Right, you too... Mmm? But why are you tying a ribbon on this bastard's head?"

"E-hik? I am sorry, sir. It has become a habit, sir."

And, Spot!

Presence disappearing.

They left?

They really left?

Leaving me like this?

Kim In-joong despaired.

The continuing terrifying pain.

This is not right.

He cannot endure until tomorrow.

He wanted to bite his tongue and die even right now.

But right at that moment!

Seu-seut!

A presence heard right next to him.

Who is it?

"Eyy, the old geezer too, no matter what, this was too much."

It's that young man.

"He just had to make his body unable to move, so why is he torturing him. This pitiful person."

They are entirely justified words.

Torture is a shameless and unpardonable act.

If his body becomes free, he will make torture disappear from the Republic.

"Comrade Chairman! Do not worry, sir. I will make it not hurt, sir."

Oh!

"How did he do it again. Do I press like this?"

Kkeu-eok!

N-no, not there, n-no.

"Ah! He pressed this side."

Kok kok,

"Press here too..."

Ahhhh.

It was a miraculous thing.

The severe pain that felt like it would gnaw away his entire body disappeared in an instant.

However, he still cannot move his body.

Just like a botanical human.

Just that alone is something.

Because he escaped from the pain.

The young man firmly held his hand while speaking in a pitiful voice.

"You must absolutely endure, sir. Comrade Chairman."

He is such a thankful person.

"I want to even attach a ribbon to cheer you up, but... that's for next time, anyway, I will see you tomorrow, sir."

Leaving behind Chairman Kim In-joong, who was full of thankful gazes, Cossack came out of the room.

Bodyguards collapsed in the corridor.

Of course, these people didn't die either.

Gwangma merely struck their slumber acupoints to put them to sleep.

Probably by tomorrow, the entirety of Pyongyang will be flipped upside down.

As he slipped out of the residence, Gwangma was waiting for Cossack.

"Did you release the Bone-Dividing Joint-Dislocating?"

"Yep."

"I do not know if there is a need to do it this cumbersomely."

"Do not worry, sir. It is a method that works well, sir. It is a rapport-forming technique that even has the name Good Cop Bad Cop, sir."

Gwangma tilted his head.

"Good Cop Bad Cop?"

"It means good detective, bad detective, sir."

"...You are the good detective, and this seat is the bad detective?"

"Yep!"

"Tsk tsk."

Gwangma simply did not like it.

If they just struck and killed as they saw, there would be no future troubles and it would be clean.

He doesn't know why they are going around like this when leaving an easy method alone.

Awakening Management Agency.

Park Kyung-soo was staring blankly with only his mouth open wide while listening to the story Jeon Kwang-il untangled.

Only after the story ended completely,

"So... unification?"

"Yes."

"Th-that person named Cossack is negotiating with Chairman Kim In-joong?"

"Yes."

"Unify the towers first, then completely unify in the long term?"

"Yes."

"Do you think that's possible?"

"Yes."

It's a half-hearted answer, but could there be a more certain expression than that?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, it can be done. It will unconditionally be done.

"...I think so too."

Park Kyung-soo had no choice but to agree.

What is there that they cannot do?

People who, if they just make up their minds, are capable of annihilating the North Korean Communist Party leadership within a single night.

But a conversation.

Even though there is no strong need to do so.

A tremendously moderate and peaceful method.

"Player Bong's influence must have played a part, right?"

"Yes."

Though of course, whether they would only converse for real.

"But what do you really want me to do about this?"

"About what?"

"How do I report this to the Blue House."

"Hmm."

"Do you want to do it?"

"...I absolutely cannot. I can't even grasp how I should make up an excuse."

That's right.

To make a report, they have to disclose Player Bong's abilities to a certain extent.

However, would the nation be able to accept it?

A player who doesn't even use the Rune Necklace of Liberation and can use their abilities freely in reality.

"...It's better not to do it."

"Watching for now seems to be the best choice."

Until the North Korea Tower's nationality changes, that is.

The next day.

Joo-hyuk's penthouse.

Honestly, Joo-hyuk did not want to know what was happening in North Korea.

From a real man's standpoint, isn't it an issue with too large a scale?

Though it wouldn't be like that at all for the summoned entities.

They are people who play on a cosmic scale.

People who have experienced all sorts of hardships and seen all the sights, both good and bad, in a world other than Earth.

There must surely be a reason they are doing this.

So they must have gone and done something, so how can he not ask?

"...Nothing happened, right?"

"Do not worry, sir. We didn't kill a single person, sir."

That is a relief, but,

"Excuse me, what about the negotiations with the North Korean Chairman?"

"Are you speaking of Comrade Chairman, sir? He is probably in a coma right now, sir. The conversation starts tomorrow, sir."

Mmm?

You didn't kill him but put him in a coma?

"I merely struck his acupoints. Struck his mute acupoint too,"

Ah! Striking acupoints.

Joo-hyuk also knows what that is.

One of the martial arts techniques that paralyzes the body and makes one like a botanical human.

"His mind is perfectly fine. It is just that he cannot move his body or make a sound unless this old man releases it."

Well, he expected about a use of force, but,

"Don't do it too unreasonably. Slowly, minimizing side effects."

"Ayu, rest assured, sir. Who am I? The Good Cop of rapport building, Our Child Has Changed, the customized solution for precious kids, Dr. Cossack, sir."

Right.

I have to trust him.

Has there ever been a failed task among the things Cossack has done till now?

He always brought the best results.

It will probably be the same this time too.

Today, he plans to climb the upper floors for the first time in a long while.

Since Gobang also returned, as a commemoration.

He's curious.

Just what kind of mission will the 74th floor be?

It was a two-track strategy.

Climbing the tower in the morning, dispatch work to North Korea at night.

'For the next few days, I'll be frantically busy again.'

What can he do?

It's a matter he chose himself, so he has no choice but to bear it.