Chapter 83
“You've worked hard. I heard Shin Gwajang was the first to step up and try to stop the auction?”
“I couldn't stop it. Person123 was the one who stopped it.”
“Haha, still, just by Shin Gwajang acting like that, hasn't the national prestige of the Republic of Korea risen another level? I'm truly proud.”
After the Masked Auction.
While the public praised Person123, Shin Sujin also received some of the spotlight.
The person who, among the auction invitees, was the first to step forward, take off her mask without hesitation, and try to stop the bidding.
Her actions to prevent the deaths of countless General Public members were also incredible and worthy of respect. People did not hold back their praise.
It wasn't that Shin Sujin disliked such praise, but it was also bothersome.
Even without this, Shin Sujin was already a celebrity within Korea.
As the Domestic Normal Difficulty Record Holder, and with her considerable looks, there was no way the media would leave her alone.
Climbers belonging to the Republic of Korea's Climber Bureau received the privilege of being able to engage in some profit-making activities even with their status as public officials.
It was the Government's desperate struggle to attract even a few more Climbers who absolutely refused to work as public figures.
So she usually received frequent contacts for broadcast appearances or Advertisement offers.
After what happened at the Masked Auction spread, she had already received five requests today alone. Rejecting them one by one was also a hassle.
And not just externally, but internally as well...
“By the way, you said Shin Gwajang also spoke directly with Person123, right?”
The Climbing Department Head asked in a subtle voice.
Shin Sujin replied.
“I only expressed my gratitude to him for stopping the auction. We didn't share any other conversation.”
“Ahem, still... could you tell me anything, even something trivial? Ah, by any chance, could you tell if Person123 is definitely Korean?”
Shin Sujin sighed inwardly.
Ever since it became an established fact that Person123 was Korean, the Government had maintained a stance of secretly continuing their investigation into Person123. From the things she heard in passing from the Climbing Department Head, Shin Sujin roughly understood the atmosphere.
Since his very existence was a national matter, the Government was trying hard to grasp even a little more information.
Although Shin Sujin was working for the country, she had no intention of saying what she knew.
Well, it wasn't like Shin Sujin knew Person123's identity, nor was it a particularly grand Secret, but she would absolutely not let anything about Person123 slip from her mouth, no matter what it was.
She had promised Person123 that she would keep his Secret, so it was natural that it was her top priority.
Whether publicly or privately, it was a promise made with the existence who was her Savior.
Shin Sujin gave a vague excuse and left the Head's Office.
Before entering the 5th Floor to work again, she went to the Pantry to replenish her caffeine.
While drinking a cup of Coffee, Shin Sujin recalled her memories of the Masked Auction.
...If it weren't for him, the auction would have eventually led to a horrific massacre.
When Number 41's instigation caused people to bid one after another, turning the place into a chaotic mess, she couldn't do anything. She had just been in a panic.
Even when she thought it was irreversible, Person123 immediately found a way.
He executed Number 41 without a shred of hesitation and perfectly resolved the situation.
He was truly amazing. Was it because he was such a person that he could continue to clear the Nightmare Difficulty?
Even after that, she had a chance to converse with him at the banquet...
Honestly, it was a shame that they couldn't have a proper conversation.
She had wanted to personally express her gratitude for the many times he had helped her, both during the Seo Dong-woo incident and the Seoul Arts Center Fallen incident, but with so many people listening, she couldn't bring up such private matters.
Also, when she actually got the chance to talk to him directly, she had been a bit nervous.
Deputy Commander Justin had been excitedly chatting away, but Shin Sujin had mostly just listened from the side. She should have tried saying this and that herself.
“Haa...”
Would he have thought of her as a boring person...?
She wasn't usually like that, though.
She hoped that another opportunity would come her way someday.
* * *
After the Masked Auction ended.
I took a day off and started what I needed to do.
It was the Zone 4 Hunt.
[Zone 4 (89.5%)]
I decided to put off the 6th Floor hidden for a bit and focus on hunting the Zone 4 Boss first.
Because the gauge didn't have much left anyway.
Wouldn't it be better to challenge the hidden after getting the Boss Reward from the Zone 4 Boss?
The boss didn't have a set number of challenge attempts, but the hidden had a limit of three times.
If I considered the order, it was right to challenge the boss first.
However, that meant posting the 6th Floor Information would also be delayed...
[Person123: I will post the 6th Floor Information after clearing the Zone 4 Boss.]
I announced that part in advance in the communication window.
Of course, I could just post what I knew right now.
If I did that, I wouldn't be able to fulfill requests from other Nightmare Challengers asking me to check something. Entering the 6th Floor would consume a Hidden Opportunity.
It was right to just cleanly finish the Hidden Strategy and then post the 6th Floor Information.
Slash!
I blew off the Yeti's head with the Light Sword.
The Yeti's body tilted and collapsed after losing its head.
I moved through the blizzard to find another Monster.
To build proficiency with my new Skill, I was currently hunting the Monsters in Zone 4 primarily using the Light Sword.
With my Physical Abilities now at Level 80 combined with the cutting power of the Light Sword, which was no different from a lightsaber, there was no way the Level 40s Monsters could handle it.
Every time I swung, the Monsters' bodies were sliced apart like pudding.
Buzzzzz—!
I spotted a Giant Hornet flying overhead.
I threw the Light Sword at the hornet.
The Light Sword flew spinning and cleanly snipped the hornet's waist.
The halved hornet plummeted, and I reached out my hand.
Then, the flying Light Sword returned like a boomerang. I firmly caught the returning sword.
It wasn't in the Skill Description, so I hadn't known.
It had a function to return like this. It wasn't a bad feature.
As I wandered around more, I discovered White Wolves this time.
Since they were creatures that inherently traveled in packs, I could see a whole bunch of them gathered in the distance...
I threw the Light Sword toward them.
“Explode.”
BOOOOM!
A blinding flash exploded and swept through the White Wolf pack.
The explosive power of the Light Sword was slightly stronger than a Flame Strike that had received a Power Buff.
Well, it was a Rare+ Skill, its Willpower Cost was much higher, and its cooldown was longer, so it was only natural.
Anyway, I was quite satisfied using the Light Sword Skill.
I continued the hunt.
Filling the remaining 10% of the gauge would take two months at most.
Let's quickly challenge the Zone 4 Boss.
* * *
Whenever Person123 cleared a new floor, there was always something people waited for. The information post.
This time, attention had shifted toward the Masked Auction.
But there were also many people waiting to see what the Nightmare 6th Floor was like.
However.
[Person123: I will post the 6th Floor Information after clearing the Zone 4 Boss.]
Person123's post that went up shortly after the Masked Auction ended.
Currently, the gauge for Zone 4 didn't have much left.
That meant Person123 would soon challenge the Zone 4 Boss, and people sent their cheers and concerns.
[Anchor Rope: How much is left until Zone 4 is full?]
[Card: Probably about a month.]
[Break Time: Is he planning to solo the Zone 4 Boss too? Will he be okay...?]
[Pumpkin Porridge: I'm sure he'll handle it well. He one-shot the Zone 3 Boss too.]
[Raven: He even cleared the 6th Floor and got a Level 20 Level Up. We probably don't need to worry?]
[Zebra: What do you mean we don't need to worry; even so, if something goes wrong, the World is f*cked.]
Meanwhile, the Public Order Squad was also diligently continuing their Zone 4 Hunt.
Zone 4, where Monsters much stronger and trickier than those in Zone 3 appeared.
The only ones who could hunt here were the Elite Climbers even within the Public Order Squad.
“It's an Ice Hornet! Watch out!”
Public Order Captain Alex, spotting an Ice Hornet flying toward them, warned his Squad Members.
A flying type that even possessed deadly poison, making it the trickiest Monster in Zone 4.
Taylor stepped forward.
Slash!
She dodged the thrusting stinger with the Flash Step Skill, then swung her sword enveloped in Aura to sever the hornet's vulnerable waist.
The Squad Members exclaimed in admiration at her clean response.
Alex, who had deliberately not intervened and only watched, also nodded.
'Certainly...'
A Nightmare Challenger was indeed different.
Taylor, who had recently cleared the Nightmare 4th Floor and entered the 5th Floor, was currently often participating in the Public Order Squad's hunts.
Including Alex and Taylor, a few Elite Climbers of the Public Order Squad were currently devoting themselves solely to the Zone 4 Hunt...
Of course, their purpose was to help Person123.
To fill the Zone 4 gauge even a little faster, to save the precious time of the Savior of Humanity.
And actually, Taylor had volunteered.
In her case, she was a precious Nightmare Challenger into whom the United States had poured all sorts of support, so why would they welcome her hunting in Zone 4 where something could go wrong?
Even so, Taylor had stepped up to do the Zone 4 Hunt, saying she would help Person123, and was traveling with Alex's Team.
But watching her, there wasn't much to worry about.
Taylor didn't just have the specs of Level 40; her Combat Sense and Skill utilization were also incredibly high. Honestly, Alex thought she fought better than him if they were at the same level.
Alex's Team continued to move in search of Monsters.
“I see White Wolf footprints.”
Taylor discovered the tracks.
White Wolves were the only ones among the Zone 4 Monsters that traveled in packs.
Even if their individual combat power wasn't exceptional, they were dangerous Monsters because they could gather in packs of dozens. Their intelligence was also on the higher side.
Looking at the footprints, their numbers seemed quite large.
However, when they followed the tracks, what unfolded before them was...
The traces of a massive explosion, and the corpses of White Wolves that had been blown to death, their forms unrecognizable.
Alex looked around with a stiff face.
The Black Star Society... It couldn't be. They hadn't even collected the byproducts. No, they were in a state where they couldn't be collected.
“...Could it be that Person123 hunted them?”
One of the Squad Members said.
Taylor and Alex had the same thought. It was a coincidence that their routes overlapped in this vast Zone 4.
But what kind of Skill did he have to use to leave such traces? It looked like the wolves had all exploded to death in a single blow.
Looking at the traces of the explosion, it didn't seem like he used that Black Ray either...
Since it was Person123, it wasn't surprising.
Alex and the Squad Members naturally thought that there was probably nothing to worry about regarding the Zone 4 Boss either.
* * *
About a month passed as I diligently did the Zone 4 Hunt.
[Zone 4 (99.9%)]
It was right around the corner now.
The appearance of the Zone 4 Boss.
I was fully prepared.
Just how strong would the Zone 4 Boss be?
It would be at least Level 80 or higher, and since I was also Level 80, honestly, I thought it might go as easily as the Zone 3 Boss...
It would be nice if the Line of Destruction Clicker worked this time too.
Anyway, carelessness was forbidden, so I raised my tension.
I had given a heads-up to the Public Order Squad and the Black Star Society through the communication window in advance.
Telling them not to do it if they were thinking of helping with the Boss Raid.
I hadn't particularly stopped them during the Zone 3 Boss, but this time it was the Zone 4 Boss, which was much stronger than Zone 3. It would be at least at the Level 80s level.
Other Climbers, even Public Order Captain Alex at the Maximum Level, wouldn't be able to handle it anyway.
Wandering around looking for the boss to help me would only be dangerous, so I advised them not to even approach the vicinity.
The method would be exactly the same as the Zone 3 Boss Battle.
I would activate the Warp Device in advance and start fighting the boss.
If I felt like I couldn't do it, I'd flee with Warp, and if I felt like I could, I'd keep fighting.
I wandered around looking for Monsters to fill the last remaining 0.1%.
Soon, I spotted an Ice Hornet.
As soon as I shot it down by launching a Flame Strike at it...
A message popped up.
[Zone 4 (100%)]
[The Zone 4 Boss appears.]