Chapter 32 - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

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Translated by Jinmu

Read more at hivetoons.org

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Meat is best eaten at a proper Korean BBQ restaurant.

Cooking it outside was fine once in a while, but that was mostly the atmosphere talking.

Fortunately, there was a BBQ restaurant nearby.

A premium raw beef rib specialty restaurant.

Looking at the sign outside.

200g of raw galbi for 100,000 won.

'...Hmm.'

A high-end establishment.

Of course, there were places charging 150,000 or 170,000 won as well, but this one was no less impressive.

Gobang would probably eat more than 10kg.

It was going to start at 5 million won, minimum.

'Did I pick somewhere too expensive?'

But if he turned back now, his dignity would be in tatters.

Especially with the summoned entities chattering away excitedly about beef, beef.

'Ah well!'

What pointless worrying.

Did he know how much they earned for him?

He went inside the restaurant.

No one was giving them strange looks.

In a quiet floor-seat private room.

"Gobang, sit down slowly, slowly. The floor might crack."

Ding-dong! He rang the bell to call a server, then.

"...Excuse me, may I have 20 servings of galbi, please?"

"20 servings?"

"And 10 bottles of drinks, and, hmm, 4 plates of yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) as well..."

"Yes, yes, of course."

Phew.

Clean first order placed.

The first hurdle cleared successfully.

He'd ordered at restaurants before but had never ordered such large quantities as this.

'With 20 servings of galbi, and 4 plates of yukhoe, that should be a decent start, right?'

He'd been clutching his card in his hand, half expecting them to ask if a customer ordering this amount actually had the money to pay.

"You're incredible, Summoner Bong, sir. Do you come to places like this often, sir?"

"Haha, not this specific place, but somewhere similar, every single day back in the day."

"Hehehe, how admirable, sir! Beef, every single day, that precious meat!"

Gobang's eyes showed envy, and Gyeon Dal-rae was nodding along with a look of 'as expected!'

Did they think he'd gone there to eat that expensive meat?

He'd gone to work part-time, serving tables and wiping grill pans.

A former part-time worker at a BBQ restaurant.

He'd quit once he started working as a player.

"Hah! Eat lots. I'll grill the meat."

At that, Gyeon Dal-rae was flustered.

"That simply will not do. How could a young master like yourself take on such laborious work? A lowly one... no, allow us to handle it, my lord."

"I pride myself on grilling meat better than anyone. So just eat without a word."

"But still..."

"Is that an order?"

"I humbly accept your solemn command."

Don't look down on a former BBQ part-timer.

As they chatted away,

Slide.

The door opened.

Basic side dishes were set on the table, and the charcoal grill was brought in.

Followed by the meat.

But then,

'Hmm?'

What's this?

'That's not galbi.'

Marinated galbi had come out.

He'd ordered 20 servings, but the amount was far less, too.

'Hmm...'

An awkward situation.

Starting with marinated meat went against the rules.

The proper etiquette was to have plain galbi first, then marinated. That was the standard.

"Summoner Bong, sir, what's wrong? You look gloomy, sir."

"I ordered the meat but something different came..."

"What! How could this be, what shall we do, sir?"

"I'm deliberating."

"But this looks delicious too, sir. Slurp!"

Yeah?

Should he just eat it?

'No.'

When the wrong food arrives, a customer has the perfectly legitimate right to complain.

This wasn't even being unreasonable.

"I need to call the server over."

"That's right, sir. If it came out wrong, we have to correct it, sir. This is a chance to show them who Summoner Bong really is, sir!"

"Give them a stern scolding, my lord."

Ding-dong!

He rang the bell.

"Is there something you need, customer? Would you like some drinks?"

"...It's not that. I think the meat may have come to the wrong table. Could you check..."

"Hm? Just a moment. Oh dear, why did this end up here? I'm so sorry. I'll swap it out right away."

Phew.

Second hurdle cleared.

The meat was brought over correctly.

Sizzling meat cooking on the charcoal grill.

The moment it hit the grill, it was gone.

The moment Barbarian Gobang grabbed five pieces at once.

"You there... hmm, how could Gobang take five pieces at once, that kind of gluttony is unpleasant to witness, with the young master here, too... mmmph!"

Joo-hyuk stuffed a pre-wrapped ssam (leafy wrap) into Gyeon Dal-rae's mouth.

"Tasty, right?"

She chewed and nodded.

Cossack too.

"I agree with the princess on this one, sir. That one over there, his name may mean 'Meat Shield,' but it seems like he's trying to fill his entire body with meat, sir."

So what?

Where else would he spend money if not here?

He had an annual salary of 2 billion won, earnings from Mana Stone sales, and on top of that, 1 billion won per month coming in steadily as Holy Sword rental fees from the Agency, plus he'd receive rental fees from other countries, too?

He could buy an entire cattle farm.

"Now, now. The winner here is whoever speaks the least. Talking is just wasting time when we should be eating. Look at Gobang. He hasn't said a word; he's just been stuffing meat in his mouth."

It was practically mechanical.

Even raw, not fully cooked meat he'd grab and swallow.

"Not cooked fully doesn't matter. I digest it all."

That's not fine at all.

It's because you're a Barbarian Warrior.

He kept ordering.

Gobang, true to his name and role as a Meat Shield, ate in a blur.

At record speed.

He felt bad pressing the order bell again.

Before long it surpassed 70 servings.

At that point the restaurant owner came over looking uneasy.

"Excuse me, you're ordering so much meat..."

He'd been waiting for this moment.

He had been anticipating exactly this.

Slam! He set his card on the table.

"I'll settle the bill mid-meal. You can charge even more to it."

"Oh! Thank you."

That's what flex is.

The pleasure of spending money was this.

As they kept eating, the meat began to run out.

The menu kept changing too.

Kkot-deungshim (prime rib-eye), tenderloin, galbi-sal (rib meat), anchang-sal (hanger steak), marinated galbi...

Not enough still, so they had meat brought in from nearby restaurants and wholesalers.

Still not enough?

Why did they eat so much?

The estimated expenditure had already been exceeded.

"S-shall we order more?"

"...Is it too much, sir?"

Disappointment written on Cossack's face; Gobang was the same, and so was Gyeon Dal-rae.

How could he stop here?

He'd even said before coming to order freely.

Ah, forget it.

"...S-sure, just, just go ahead and wreck the restaurant! Order more!!!"

Trembling hand pressing the bell. Ding-dong.

"Yes! Well done, sir."

"As expected, magnanimous of you, my lord."

Gobang kept packing it in regardless.

That day, the total amount the four of them devoured was approximately 150 servings.

Since the price varied by menu, the total came out to 12,680,000 won.

Even with the joy of spending, 12,680,000 won was too much.

The restaurant owner handed over a business card and asked them to come back when filming a YouTube mukbang show.

YouTube mukbang, of all things.

Would he have reason to come back again?

He'd find a cheaper place next time.

After finishing the meat, they went out for a walk, got desserts, and headed to a coin karaoke to sing.

Later on, Joo-hyuk was the one who got into it more.

When had he last gone out socializing and having fun with people like this?

Not even in the past.

It was now time to head back.

The summoned entities each had slightly different time gaps, but he dismissed them all from summon in a quiet, secluded spot.

Joo-hyuk walked back to the officetel alone.

Pulling his cap down low, he pressed his card key against the building's entrance scanner.

Beep! He went inside.

It was unheard of for an Elite player to go in and out alone with no security detail, but not one person among the security staff recognized him.

They simply thought of him as one of the residents.

There were probably police officers and Agency staff among them.

CCTV?

That was only ever checked after an incident had already occurred.

'Whoa, I'm actually nervous.'

He felt like a spy.

Like a protagonist straight out of a spy movie.

'As expected, home is best.'

He'd eaten and drunk heartily, so tomorrow, the moment he woke up, it was on to the 33rd floor clear.

And the next day.

"We had our meat, so let's get moving."

"Affirmative! My strength is brimming to the brim!"

"I shall devote my very spirit to repaying your kindness."

"The Meat Warrior has arrived."

Goodness.

Look at their faces.

Beef fat literally dripping off them.

* * *

The Awakening Management Agency was busy from early morning.

Section Chief Lee Min-ah and Team Leader Jeon Kwang-il were anxiously waiting for Player Nam Ga-eun to exit the 65th floor.

Would Player Nam Ga-eun manage it fine again this time?

In three days, the momentous 66th floor clear was to take place.

That's how it was.

Soon, the 66th floor.

The timeline had been moved up.

The time remaining was about two months.

With the Holy Sword available, there was no need to rush.

But they'd decided to clear the 66th floor as soon as possible.

Why?

The repeated failures at clearing the Japanese Black Tower's 57th floor had had a major impact.

The fact that the protagonist of that failure was Yoo Chul-min made it somewhat gratifying inwardly, but watching a neighboring country's despair right before one's eyes, how could anyone remain unaffected?

Anxiety among the Korean public was rising too.

The political sphere was also pushing for a quick resolution.

There was also Director Park Kyung-soo's bold declaration that he would get it done within a month.

So after lengthy deliberation, they'd made the decision.

Clear it early and buy themselves six months.

That window would be enough time for Player Bong Joo-hyuk to sufficiently enter the 60th floor range.

Coincidentally, an inquiry about renting the Holy Sword had come in from the American side.

The plan was to quickly clear the 66th floor, buy six months of time, and then commence the Holy Sword rental business in earnest.

The rental fees would go entirely into Player Bong's account, but the other benefits to be gained through negotiations would be the nation's share.

Those might be worth even more than the money.

For all these reasons, the fast 66th floor clear had been decided.

All that remained now was for Player Nam Ga-eun to finish the 65th floor clear.

"If Player Bong Joo-hyuk enters the 60th floor range, would it be possible without the Holy Sword?"

"Look at Yoo Chul-min. Even that mediocre guy cleared up to the 65th floor without a Holy Sword. America's Player Gerald Watson cleared to the 66th floor."

"Oh!"

"Do you think Player Bong's talent falls short of Gerald Watson's?"

"Not a chance. Absolutely not."

"That person is one of a kind. With just a few Light-attribute items equipped, he'd probably charge straight to the 70th floor in one go. A player who's cleared the Black Tower with 32 consecutive S++ ranks..."

Suddenly!

Lee Min-ah's expression went blank.

"Wait."

"What?"

"Team Leader, you said something wrong."

"What?"

Wrong how?

Where?

"It wasn't 32 consecutive."

"What are you talking about? That person's 32 consecutive clears are known by the entire nation... Oh!"

Right.

Lee Min-ah was a player.

In that case?

"...Has another one appeared?"

"Yes, a 33rd consecutive S++ clear record just appeared."

"Hmm, that's right. I was wrong."

"Regardless, the fact that he's one of a kind holds true."

Suddenly!

Fwoooosh!

A cluster of light gathered,

Whoosh!

Nam Ga-eun appeared.

It had only been six hours.

"...Ta-da!"

Holy Sword in one hand, making a V with the other, Nam Ga-eun flashed a bright grin.

But she looked somewhat fatigued.

She pulled a Healing Potion from her inventory and drank it down.

"Phew, I finally feel human again. Urp!"

She let out a refreshed burp.

"Today was a bit tough."

"...Should we postpone the 66th floor?"

"I said a bit! A bit!"

Despite saying so, knowing she was still exhausted, it was heartbreaking.

If only they'd been able to give her even one more Trait Enhancement.

"Let's push through just a little more."

"Yes sir!"

Well, she succeeded, so.

"PR team, prepare the press release, and start editing the bodycam footage."

The next clear was for the 66th floor of South Korea's Black Tower.

Clear this, and they'd buy themselves six months.

* * *

The vast majority of nations, including South Korea, did not compel players to enter contracts.

It was left entirely to the individual's volition.

Whether Elite Team contract or a general contract.

It was also prohibited by law, and compulsory methods could produce a countereffect.

However, there was a nation that had forcibly compelled players to climb the tower through a conscription-style system.

That nation was India, the first country where a tower had collapsed.

The Indian government, blinded by the Mana Stones from the towers, corralled players and locked them up in one location, deploying them forcibly for tower clearing.

If they resisted, they were beaten with clubs and rods.

In a situation like that, there was no escape.

Even if they entered the tower and exited, they'd end up right back in the same spot.

At first it was effective.

Mana Stone production surpassed even China.

However, proper compensation for the players was never forthcoming.

Three meals a day was considered generous.

The outcome?

Indian players either got killed by monsters inside the tower, or took their own lives.

That was the only escape route available.

Newly awakened Indians hid the fact that they were players.

At the same time, they fled to other countries.

Naturalizations occurred in large numbers.

To Pakistan, Malaysia, Europe, China, Japan, and even South Korea.

The number of players gradually dwindled.

Could the un-cleared upper floors be climbed?

In the end, the Mumbai Tower collapsed.

Only then did the Indian government realize their error, revoking the conscription and granting players freedom and proper compensation, but it was already too late.

Yet there was still a country maintaining forced conscription.

That was North Korea.

How was that possible?

North Korea had no tower.

North Korean players were affiliated with South Korea's Black Tower.

For North Korea, which claimed to be a sovereign state, this was tremendously humiliating.

But North Korea used it as an opportunity.

South Korea would handle defending against the tower collapse, and all North Korea had to do was ride along.

What reason was there to climb the un-cleared upper floors?

The South would take care of it all.

South Korea had no real recourse either.

There was no way to prevent North Korean players from entering South Korea's Black Tower.

The Mana Stones North Korean players received as rewards naturally became state property.

Those who obeyed were promoted to Communist Party cadre positions and given medals and recognition; those who resisted were thrown into gulags where their Mana Stones were extracted.

For these reasons, what did newly awakened North Koreans do?

Obviously, they defected.

Of that number, a small minority came to South Korea; the majority crossed over to China.

So what was China's situation?

China was operating similarly to other nations.

Players who freely operated in civilian life, and players supported and trained by the state.

But there was also one more category of players.

Forcibly naturalized players.

The Chinese government absolutely denied its existence, but.

Inside a room decorated in elaborate gold.

A man sat in a chair reviewing documents.

A gaunt frame, with an expression devoid of any trace of humanity.

This caused anyone dealing with him to be extremely cautious.

"Deputy Director, sir. I came in response to your summons."

The man referred to as Deputy Director tossed a bundle of documents at his subordinate.

"This is...?"

"A list of Elite Team players belonging to South Korea."

"What? W-where did you get this?"

"What do you need to know that for?"

"M-my apologies."

The Deputy Director took a cigarette from his red pack, flicked! a lighter, and lit it.

Whoosh, he exhaled a haze of pale smoke.

"Pick a suitable one and bring them over. Those capable of clearing the 59th floor, or focusing on those who recently signed contracts. Exclude the well-known names."

"Yes sir!"

"Same as always, leave absolutely no evidence. Our motherland will deny you."

"Affirmative!"

The subordinate saluted and left.

Xiaojun, Deputy Director of China's Special Intelligence Department for Tower Clear, didn't spare him even a glance.

China's tower climbing progress was at the 58th floor cleared, with the 59th floor being challenged.

The collapse deadline for the Black Tower built near the major city of Shanghai was only 48 days away.

Failing to clear the Shanghai Tower would bring about the worst-case scenario.

The remaining two towers would collapse in turn one by one.

And three new towers would spring up somewhere else.

But among the state-managed Chinese players, there was no talent capable of clearing the 59th floor.

It had been that way since the Realm Wyvern stretch on the 56th floor.

In this absolute crisis, what was China's choice?

Naturally, a naturalization policy.

But naturalization came in several varieties.

Voluntary, temporary, and forced.

They would approach talented foreign players and propose conditions, and when negotiations fell through, they'd send in elite intelligence teams to fetch them.

Mongolia, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Bhutan, African nations... the target was mainly players from countries weaker than China.

Forced naturalization, or rather, abduction.

It was effective.

From the 56th floor, they had forged ahead, reaching the 59th floor.

But from the 59th floor onward, progress stalled.

Even the players they'd brought over claiming to be talented couldn't break through that wall.

So recently, South Korea had also been added to the list of abduction target countries.

Honestly, they should have added it long ago.

They had also watched Japan's mistake.

It was absurd.

Deputy Director Xiaojun's muttered words, dripping with mockery.

"We won't make the same stupid mistake Japan did. Making it public by openly naturalizing them? That's why they got humiliated."

Players were nothing more than ordinary citizens.

Abduct them, torture them a few times, sweet-talk them, stamp the naturalization documents, and deploy them for clearing. That was all.

From Xiaojun's perspective, it was the most effective method.

And if they got caught?

Who would dare touch China?

Maybe Russia or America, but no one else.