Chapter 164
The Chinese hunters on the screen were struggling.
The digestive fluid pouring down from the ceiling was melting their gear, and hideous-looking parasites were swarming in.
That wasn't all.
[The tide's coming in! Everyone hold your breath!]
And there was also the seawater that came crashing in periodically.
To keep from being swept away, the Hunters jammed their weapons into the walls and held on.
[Ugh!]
When the saltwater covered their wounds, several of them could be seen stiffening for a moment.
More enemies were rushing at the Hunters now that the water had slowed them down.
The hard fight went on.
If there was any consolation, it was that this seawater was also washing away the acidic solution pooled on the floor.
[Incredible. Even under those harsh conditions, their formation isn't breaking.]
But they were veterans too, A-rank Hunters.
Among them, this was a team systematically trained by the Chinese government.
They could be seen doggedly taking down every enemy, even at the cost of casualties.
I took out my phone and opened Hunter Gallery.
The broadcast was, of course, still going on.
[Wow, China's insane. They're just brute-forcing their way through that thing, lol.]
[But did a few people disappear?]
[They're grinding people up to break through....]
After checking the reactions briefly, I moved over to Mage Gallery.
There, the same discussion was in full swing.
[Are you guys watching the broadcast now?]
[Author: ㅇㅇ(3R3.33R)]
ㄴPkkatju: I'm watching. It's obviously a whale cub, yo.
ㄴㅇㅇ(3R3.33R): Why did your speech pattern change?
ㄴPkkatju: It's the latest trend, yo.
ㄴFridge: Compared to the video you uploaded last time, this one is definitely smaller. Of course, that thing is still absurdly huge....
ㄴFridge: Weren't you supposed to catch it like that from the start?
ㄴㅇㅇ(3R3.33R): No redpill nonsense.
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: I'm going to pause my climb for a bit.
ㄴㅇㅇ(3R3.33R):?
ㄴFridge: ?
ㄴPkkatju: ?
ㄴBeetle: ?
Magic Is Firepower, Jung Taeyeon's bombshell announcement.
Was she really serious about suddenly declaring she was stopping the raid, when she was more active than anyone else here about climbing the Tower and killing monsters?
So shocking was it that even Beetle, who was live-streaming, left a comment.
ㄴFridge: What, how are you here.
ㄴBeetle: Actually that one's pre-recorded lol. I'm in the waiting room right now.
ㄴBeetle: The Japan video will be up in a bit too.
ㄴㅇㅇ(3R3.33R): No, that's not the important thing right now.
ㄴPkkatju: So what do you mean, you gave up climbing?
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: As I keep saying, I'm not looking to die.
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: If we go in with our team's current gear, we'll be wiped out. And once the seawater comes in, I really can't do anything, so I need to come up with a plan.
ㄴㅇㅇ(3R3.33R): A plan? Should I make you a sword or something?
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: A sword? What would a mage need with a sword?
ㄴBeetle: Hmm.
ㄴFridge: Um....
Everyone seemed to have plenty they wanted to say, but they were holding back.
ㄴBeetle: Hey, Japan's up. Watch this too before you speak again.
I turned my gaze back to the TV.
It had just finished the exchange between the host and Kim Suho.
[As soon as China released its video, Japan fired back with one of its own. Let's take a look.]
The screen changed. This time it was a team led by Japan's S-rank prospect, the "Sword Saint" Hirose Yuki.
The backdrop was the belly of a whale that looked similar to China's.
But the situation was very different.
“Oh, that?”
Yuki and the team members were wearing white leotards.
Anyone could tell they were products from my company.
My hourglass logo was plastered all over the TV.
[That's a product from Aeternus, right? Demigod received a special edition when he visited Korea this time, didn't he?]
[Yes, I believe Japan bought up all the initial stock this time.]
[I'm curious how it performs.]
Soon, the first battle began.
Sudden digestive fluid poured down from the ceiling.
Yuki moved nimbly, but couldn't avoid every drop.
A few drops landed on bare skin.
[Huh? Not a scratch!]
Even though it touched exposed skin with no clothing to protect it, the acidic solution simply ran off like ordinary droplets of water.
[An item effect? What on earth is it made of.... Could it be made from whale hide?]
[… Hah, haha. No way.]
The host's joke made Kim Suho's expression twitch.
The bigger difference showed up after that.
They were cutting through monsters that looked even stronger than before.
Seawater suddenly began flooding in through the corridor.
It was the incoming tide we had seen in the Chinese footage.
But the Japanese team didn't panic. They already had an ace up their sleeve.
The biggest feature of the swimsuit I made.
Underwater combat support.
Even underwater, they moved as freely as they did on land.
Slash!
Parasites were sliced apart with every swing of the sword.
Their advance continued far more smoothly than China's.
[Wow.... The difference in gear really is huge.]
[No wonder they said they'd buy up the whole lot.]
The commentators marveled as they analyzed the footage.
Before long, near the end of the footage, the Japanese team had reached the giant heart.
Immediately afterward, one person after another turned into white light.
It was the signal that they had been sent out of the Tower.
Sure enough, a few seconds later, the video changed.
Hirose Yuki was being interviewed at the Tower entrance under tight security.
[We've reached the 49th Floor.]
[Both the S-rank and the Legendary item. They're all right in front of us.]
[I'm definitely taking it.]
[So invest everything in me!]
The video ended there.
A brief silence fell over the set.
And in my room too.
“Are they trying to push a catchphrase or something?”
I snorted in disbelief.
Comedians used to force catchphrases like that back in the day.
Though they didn't exactly get good reviews for it.
“You think forcing it like that would work?”
I went back to Mage Gallery.
[Recommend me something to use as a catchphrase]
[Author: ㅇㅇ(3R3.33R)]
[Anything short and punchy?]
[Preferably something I can also use out in public later.]
ㄴFridge: Nyaaa-doki-doki shitetta.
ㄴFridge: Hug me.
ㄴFridge: What's wrong with my Konmuri! What do you know, you....
ㄴFridge: Wait, read this before you go!!! Honeybbok Chip comes in 65g, 80g, 160g, 296g (zip bag), and a Costco-exclusive 481g pack! About the weight of Crispy-style snacks...
ㄴㅇㅇ(3R3.33R): What the hell is this guy.
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: What the hell are you doing?
ㄴBeetle: Magic 12 is open to everyone. Magic 13 cleanses the body, mind, and spirit…(more)
ㄴPkkatju: How about ending sentences with 'eyo' instead.
“...You're all just saying whatever you want to say, aren't you?”
A total mess, five minutes to go.
Japan and China were throwing bombshell announcements at each other, but things here were peaceful.
That was only natural.
After all, I knew that the item they were desperately searching for had a superior version in my hands.
But not everyone knew that.
As for how people who didn't know reacted, it was easy to see over in Hunter Gallery.
[Japan suddenly climbed four floors at once? Is that even possible?]
ㄴDidn't high floors only go up once every few months??
ㄴGood gear really does make a difference.
ㄴLook at China. They just ground people up to clear it. What does that even mean?
ㄴJapan too. Sure, the video is edited, but I think they burned through a lot there as well, yeah.
ㄴBut isn't it safer to go the careful route than to rush like that?
ㄴFor real, replacing team members if they die is insanely hard on the higher floors.
ㄴMaybe they think they can make it up by getting a Legendary item?
ㄴOr maybe there's some other reason. Like they suddenly had to rush ahead.
ㄴㄴThis might be it?
ㄴㄴMaybe there's something going on?
[So what is Korea doing?]
ㄴThey just announced it. Said they cleared the 48th Floor?
ㄴWhy so slow;;;
ㄴStill faster than China, though. Slower than Japan.
ㄴFact) Kim Hanbyeol's average climbing speed was way faster.
ㄴFor real, they climbed to the 48th Floor in just one year and you're saying that's slow? That's absurd, yo???
ㄴThey just sat parked there and then slammed the gas without thinking about what comes after—how is that a fair comparison??
The public opinion was split almost exactly in half.
I clicked my tongue softly. Tsk, such ignorant fools.
I turned on the computer and started screenshotting the people insulting me one by one.
“'What have you done besides running your mouth?'... Screenshot. 'The cheetah is smiling right now'... That's kind of funny. I'll let you slide.”
When Judgment Day comes, every one of these guys will be banished from the gallery.
I was busily compiling a kill list.
My phone rang. The caller was Chairman Park.
It was obvious what he wanted to talk about.
“Ni hao, moshi moshi.”
[Uh.... You're Hunter Kim, right?]
“Yes. That's right.”
[Hunter-nim, I'm truly sorry. Just one favor....]
“You want me to send you a video or something?”
[Yes, please....]
Park Jeongwon's frantic voice.
Just from how he was groveling, I could tell how urgent the situation was.
Every time someone old enough to be my father bowed and scraped like that, I felt strangely uncomfortable.
It felt like sitting on a bed of nails.
Would I get used to it if I kept doing this?
Anyway, for now I still couldn't fully enjoy it. There still seemed to be some untouched innocence flowing through my body.
I decided to save Chairman Park with a cute and pure heart.
“I do. I have a 45th Floor video.”
[R-really?]
“Yes, I'll send it right away.”
After hanging up, I sent over the video of me taking down the whale on the 45th Floor.
The unbelievable sight of a building-sized sand hand pounding the whale to pieces.
It was my finishing move, one I could only use after a lot of preparation.
A little later, after checking the video, the government called again.
Their voice was even shakier than before.
[H-hey, Hunter Kim Hanbyeol...?]
“Why? Do you also need the 48th Floor video?”
[No, that's not it.... This is completely different from other countries, isn't it? The size isn't even comparable. What on earth....]
“Ah.”
Where should I even begin explaining this?
After a brief moment of thought, I decided to tell them exactly as it was.
“This is the secret behind why I'm ranked No. 1.... Actually, I'm Extreme.”
[… Huh?]
Chairman Park couldn't continue speaking.