Chapter 58
After Person123 cleared even the Third Branch Tower in Japan, Wang Kai was absolutely furious.
Originally, he was supposed to clear them all and acquire the ownership of the Branch Towers, but he had already been robbed of two.
Of course, it wasn't out of any patriotism for his home country of China that he was so hell-bent on securing the Branch Towers.
He had an agreement with the Party, so spoon-feeding them the Mana Vein would indeed bring massive benefits to Wang Kai as well, but even that was a secondary reason now.
The mere fact that his things were continuously being taken away from him twisted his stomach into knots.
Person123. The Record Holder for Nightmare Difficulty.
It was annoying how people revered him as some sort of Savior, but Wang Kai had never paid much attention to him until now. There hadn't been any reason to clash, either.
After all, the World's Highest Level Climber was none other than himself.
But if he was going to interfere like this, that was a different story.
Wang Kai was the kind of human who had to get what he wanted, and he could only be satisfied if he cleared away or trampled over anything that got in his path.
Furthermore, the public opinion in the communication window, which was busy mocking Wang Kai by comparing him to Person123, was currently grating on his nerves.
Those pathetic bugs wouldn't even be able to squeak if they were right in front of him, yet they were all talk...
"How about you just launch a fighter jet and take me there?"
"...Don't be ridiculous. Are you telling us to violate their airspace?"
"If you can't, then forget it. Tsk."
The guy had luckily been in Japan, which was why he managed to enter and clear the Japanese Branch Tower first.
But that kind of luck wouldn't happen twice anyway.
He was receiving the full support of a nation.
Unless the Branch Tower appeared in his own country, there was no way that Japanese bastard could reach the radius of another country's Branch Tower faster than him, right?
Wang Kai eagerly waited for the next Branch Tower to appear.
\[The Fourth Branch Tower appears.\]
A week later, the Fourth Branch Tower appeared.
"Brazil? Nice."
The country it appeared in was Brazil. It had finally broken away from Northeast Asia, and one had appeared on the American continent.
If that was the case, Person123 would naturally take a long time this time around. The guy would be in Japan, after all.
The Fourth Branch Tower is mine. I'll go clear it right away and leave him sucking his thumb.
Thinking that, Wang Kai boarded the plane.
\[The Fourth Branch Tower has been cleared up to the Last Floor.\]
"...!"
Seeing the message pop up the moment he sat down in his airplane seat again, he almost spat out the drink he was sipping.
Coughing, Wang Kai wiped his mouth and scowled heavily.
"Huh?"
What is this.
No... how?
Unable to comprehend the situation at all, he just stared blankly at the message.
---
After clearing the Branch Tower in Japan, I posted an information thread in the communication window.
\[Person123: This is the Strategy Guide for the Second Branch Tower.\]
\[Person123: This is the Strategy Guide for the Third Branch Tower.\]
For both the Mongolia and Japan Branch Towers.
Originally, I hadn't really planned on posting the Branch Tower information in the communication window.
I was going to clear them all anyway, and since the monsters changed for each tower, there was no reason to post a guide.
But on second thought, it seemed better to post it anyway.
Even after clearing a Branch Tower, you could keep entering it like a Repeat Clear, so there might be people who wanted to go in.
Anyway, after posting the guides, another week passed.
The Fourth Branch Tower appeared in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
It had finally broken away from Northeast Asia, but that wasn't exactly something to be happy about.
Wasn't Brazil practically on the other side of the Earth?
I looked up the distance and felt my mind go faint.
"Eigh, eighteen thousand..."
Nine times the distance to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
1.8 million Willpower needed to be charged. About 1,400 hours' worth.
Even subtracting the 120 hours' worth I had charged in my spare time over the week, that left 1,280 hours...
Calculated in days, that was over 50 days!
"Wow, shit."
This is truly ridiculous.
It even exceeded the Maximum Charge Amount of the Warp Device, so I had to split the trip into two.
Was it really right to go by Warp? I seriously debated it.
Shouldn't I quickly look into flights to Brazil before a travel warning was issued? I could just tell my family I was going on another trip.
Ah... but somehow...
I just had a feeling.
By now, China was probably bloodshot trying to clear the Branch Tower first, negotiations be damned. They clearly knew about the existence of the ownership, too.
I figured if I took a plane, I might arrive later than China.
Should I just skip this one?
No matter how much of an expert I was at stopping and killing time, 50 days was absolute bullshit.
That dizzying number was enough to make me consider just letting China clear it.
Ultimately, I chose to Warp.
If I decided to do it once, I should see it through to the end...
I will omit the detailed explanation of just how tedious and boring that time was.
I fully charged the Warp Device and traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the opposite side of the Earth.
\[The Fourth Branch Tower has been cleared up to the Last Floor.\]
The clear was, of course, an instant success.
The monsters were different this time as well, but the overall difficulty was similar.
The 10th Floor boss was a wyvern-like monster that spewed fire from its mouth.
I swiftly dodged with Teleportation and finished it off with a click of Line of Destruction.
\[You have acquired the ownership of the Fourth Branch Tower.\]
"Hehehe."
Wow\~ Now I have to charge another 50 days' worth to go back\~.
I laughed like I had slightly lost my mind and exited the tower.
Please let the last Branch Tower appear somewhere close.
---
After the Branch Tower in Japan was cleared and the theory of Person123 being a Japanese person spread widely.
Furthermore, Person123 even posted the information threads for the Branch Towers in the communication window.
It was already practically a given, but this confirmed that he was indeed the one who cleared the Branch Towers in Mongolia and Japan.
\[Ratata: The 10th Floor boss is at least as strong as Level 50?\]
\[Ice: But how did he beat it? Isn't Person123 Level 40?\]
\[Eccentric: Maybe he has some over-specced Skill or item? He did take all the First Clear Rewards for Nightmare, after all.\]
People marveled at Person123's capabilities, as they always did.
*Meanwhile, the Japanese Climbers were still just thrilled.*
\[Raiter: As expected, it's our Japanese race that saves the world.\]
\[Winter Snow: Looking at Mr. Person123's noble Spirit of Sacrifice, it honestly fits well with our national character.\]
\[Cheonji: The World should be thanking Japan.\]
There were some people making a huge fuss over it.
Person123 didn't explicitly deny it either, though of course, he was someone who never wrote anything in the communication window unless it was necessary.
The current atmosphere made it seem as if Person123 being a Japanese person was an established fact.
\[Tadaki: Now the only country among Japan-China-Korea without a Nightmare Challenger is Korea lol\]
\[Dog and Cat: They don't have a Mana Vein either. Korea is the only one that didn't get a Branch Tower.\]
\[Secret: Quite pitiful (laughs)\]
\[Gangnam: Look at them getting all excited.\]
\[Chicken Leg: Go chatter amongst yourselves.\]
And then, the Fourth Branch Tower appeared in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This, too, was cleared in about 20 minutes. Just like the Branch Tower in Japan.
\[Latinya: ?\]
\[Soso: Huh?\]
As a result, the communication window blazed up once again.
\[Hansen: What? The Brazil Branch Tower clear only took 20 minutes too?\]
\[Coffee Bean: Didn't someone else clear it...?\]
\[Initialize: As if. The clear time is exactly the same.\]
People wondered if perhaps someone else had cleared it, but...
\[Person123: This is the Strategy Guide for the Fourth Branch Tower.\]
Shortly after it was cleared, Person123's information thread was posted immediately, nailing down the fact that it wasn't anyone else.
How was this possible?
People experienced cognitive dissonance.
Did Person123 just so happen to be in Brazil by pure coincidence...?
In any case, the theory of Person123 being a Japanese person instantly lost its traction with the clearing of the Branch Tower in Brazil.
\[Sallanko: Was he actually Brazilian, not Japanese?\]
\[Placebo: Why don't you just say he's half-Japanese, half-Brazilian?\]
\[Half Moon: Finally, those eyesores are gone lol. They were so loud earlier, where did all the Japanese Climbers go?\]
\[Salamander: I heard they went to cry because they're upset.\]
\[Persimmon: They really made way too much of a fuss.\]
\[Musashi: Yeah, well we still got a Mana Vein\~\]
\[One Third: But seriously, no joke, how did he do it? Is this even possible unless he knows where the Branch Towers will appear?\]
\[Mountain Lord: Mr. Person123 uses the Shrinking Ground Technique *shiver*\]
\[Dinosaur: He must have a Cloning Technique Skill or something.\]
\[ExcitedParty: Could it be that he has an ultra-long-distance Teleportation Skill?\]
People now focused their attention on what would happen with the final Fifth Branch Tower.
*Meanwhile, at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Japan.*
"Just looking at the amount discovered on the surface so far, it's estimated to be at least 50 tons. If we add the Underground reserves..."
A meeting between the Prime Minister and the Ministers of State was underway.
The Mana Vein formed after the Branch Tower in Sendai City, Japan, was cleared.
From the current Japanese Government's perspective, rather than uncertain rumors like whether Person123 was a Japanese person or not, their biggest concern was how to best refine and swallow this massive gold nugget. It was a very happy dilemma.
The approval rating of the Sato Cabinet, led by the current Prime Minister of Japan, was practically at rock bottom. Considering the overwhelming economic effects the Mana Vein would bring, a dramatic rebound would be possible.
“Can things really work out this smoothly?”
Prime Minister Sato found it hard to control the corners of his mouth, which kept trying to curl upwards.
Up until the Branch Tower appeared in Ulaanbaatar and China pressured Mongolia, the Branch Towers had been nothing short of a disaster for a nation.
However, the situation completely reversed when Person123 stepped up and performed a Rapid Clear on the Branch Towers.
It was truly a lifeline sent down from heaven—no, a lifeline sent down by Person123.
As expected, he was the Savior of Humanity. If Sato knew which direction he was in right now, he felt like he would even perform a dogeza towards him.
"...One lingering issue is the Magic Stone Agreement. According to the clauses, there is room for the Japanese side to suffer unnecessary losses."
There is a Mana Stone Agreement signed between Japan, Korea, and some countries in Southeast Asia.
This was a treaty signed a year ago by countries that lacked a Nightmare Challenger and thus suffered from a shortage of Highest Grade Magic Stones, in order to counter China's market disruption...
But now Japan was also producing Highest Grade Magic Stones from their Mana Vein, weren't they?
It had become nothing more than a cumbersome shackle.
One minister immediately voiced his opinion.
"How about we go ahead and withdraw? With the international situation in chaos due to the Branch Towers, now is the most opportune time."
There were plenty of excuses they could tack on.
The backlash that would follow was something they could endure with a smile, compared to the massive profits the Mana Vein would bring the nation from now on.
It was a good choice to cut ties as quickly as possible before their counterparts, especially Korea, had time to react.
Of course, doing so might deal a significant blow to the Magic Stone Liquidity of Korea and the Southeast Asian countries, but...
So what? That wasn't something Japan needed to care about.
Even if they protested right now, Korea would inevitably have to tuck its tail between its legs and bow to Japan in the future due to Magic Stone distribution issues.
Prime Minister Sato nodded.
"Excellent. Let us make the first move before the Branch Tower Incident is fully resolved."
---
I cleared the Branch Tower in Brazil and finally returned home.
In real time, it hadn't even been 30 minutes, but it had been such a long journey for me that I immediately collapsed onto my bed.
\[Chicken Sandwich: Mr. Kim, what method did you possibly use for the Branch Towers in Japan and Brazil?\]
Looking at the communication window, I saw a whisper from Billon.
Billon rarely asked about things first, but he must have been unbearably curious this time. It was understandable.
I satisfied his curiosity.
\[Person123: I have a Long-distance Teleport Item I got from a Nightmare clear.\]
\[Chicken Sandwich: Ah!\]
It seemed Billon finally understood the secret behind the 20-minute clears in Japan and Brazil.
\[Chicken Sandwich: Great work. According to information gathered by the CIA, it seems China is also continuously aiming to clear the Branch Towers.\]
Ah... so that was the case?
That meant if I hadn't gone to Brazil via Warp, China could have beaten me to the punch.
“I wasn”t just doing all that for nothing.'
But how did Billon know about information gathered by the CIA?
Was this the network and power of the richest man on Earth?
\[Person123: But is it okay for you to just tell me things like that?\]
\[Chicken Sandwich: If it's for you, Mr. Kim, there's no reason I couldn't share even United States state secrets, but unfortunately, I don't know much about those either.\]
\[Person123: I'll just accept the sentiment haha...\]
\[Chicken Sandwich: By the way, is there a reward that goes to the individual Branch Tower clearer, other than the Mana Vein? Unless there is, there's no reason for China to act like this.\]
\[Person123: They give the ownership of the Branch Tower as a reward. It apparently makes it possible to activate and deactivate the Mana Vein.\]
\[Chicken Sandwich: I knew it... So that's what China was hiding.\]
I ended the conversation with Billon and went back to resting.
Once I cleared the final Fifth Branch Tower, it would all be over. However...
\[Time remaining until the Fifth Branch Tower Appearance: 3 days, 10 hours, 25 minutes, 6 seconds\]
A few days passed.
I watched the news playing on the TV.
- The Japanese Government has declared a unilateral withdrawal from the Mana Stone Agreement signed with Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, and others, citing severely unfair clauses. The Korean Government immediately took protest measures...
The news that Japan had arbitrarily torn up the Mana Stone Agreement they had signed with Korea and some Southeast Asian countries.
They put forward a ridiculous excuse, but the reason was obviously because of the Mana Vein.
From my perspective, it felt like I had been stabbed in the back after going out of my way to clear the Branch Tower for them.
"Wow..."
I don't know why they're being so greedy.
I hadn't really planned on exercising the ownership I got from clearing the Branch Tower, but this changed things.
If they acted like this, other countries that obtained a Mana Vein might also try to cause a ruckus...
I decided to make an example out of them.
\[Would you like to Deactivate the Mana Vein of the Third Branch Tower?\]
Close the valve.
Magic Stones confiscated.