Chapter 115

A Dangerous Invitation (2)

The Chinese government press conference began at 11 a.m. based on Korean time and most people watching the video live expressed their negative views regarding the contents of the conference.

– LMAO, the more I think about it, the more ridiculous it gets. Has China ever dispatched Awakened to another country when they called for help?

↳ Never except for that time they sent them to E or F-Class dungeon just to show off what they can do.

– But isn’t it rare to set up a multinational ace team in the first place and treating that dungeon in the same level as Siheung or Australia?

↳ They were both S-Class dungeons. In the case of C or D-Class, there are quite a few cases where people request help from foreign countries because countries with small populations cannot handle it by themselves. However, China isn’t one of those countries. They don’t need to set up an ace team, so pleading to send a few…

↳ Yup, and China has no history of sending aid to other countries in the first place.

– Based on what they’ve said so far, I can tell that they’re such a cunt… What makes them think other countries will send their hunters over to help them when they won’t even do the same?

↳ There’s just absolutely no way they would send SSS-Rank hunters as requested by China. It wouldn’t be beneficial for them.

↳ Even the Chinese would’ve questioned their decision. I think everyone will dispatch hunters below SS-Rank, then they’ll pressure China to fill up the shortage of workforce before entering the dungeon.

However, the reactions began to change due to the subsequent interviews. The Chinese spokesman was being interpreted simultaneously in each country.

– Oh, you just saw it? All foreign hunters who accepted the invitation will be given a core equivalent to 100,000 Mana storage.

It was announced that the cores, which were strictly prohibited from being transferred overseas in most countries, would be rewarded as compensation, and the rules would be lifted for that case.

– How many hundred billion won is that? Come on. It’s a little weak. Let’s demand more.

– Isn’t that just a couple hundred billion in the end? Come on, that’s a bit cheap. They should prepare more.

As if to meet expectations, the spokesman continued.

“And we plan to check the contribution rate among the ‘foreign hunters’ who participated in the dungeon exploration and give the artifacts separately prepared by the Chinese government to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd top contributors. The item will be used by Chinese hunters while exploring the dungeon. However, it’ll be distributed according to their contribution after the end of the Clear.”

The response wasn’t good until that story came out.

– LMAOOO, is this a prize of some sort? it’s a ridiculous idea.

– They must be relaxed after joining the ‘Murican club, huh?

However, the atmosphere changed in an instant when the spokesperson uploaded an evidence video.

– Oh, my God, there was an item like that?! That would make even the eyes of SSS-Rank hunters turn their eyes over!

It was a product prepared by China for invited hunters.

The Bracelet for third place was an S-Rank artifact that significantly increased defense power when equipped.

The SS-Rank item to be given to the second place was a magic sword, which had ten built-in S-Rank attack spells, allowing even untrained Awakened to use magic for as long as they injected Mana into it.

Both of them were meaningless items for Seo Jin-Wook and his group, but those rewards were enough to surprise other hunters.

-Oh my, look at the 1st place item.

Lastly, there was the 1st place prize that caught people’s attention around the world.

The content that was already identified by the Analysis scroll was disclosed to the media.

[Scepter of Ishad (Rank: SSS)]

– Item description: A scepter that can be equipped with seven properties rune stones. 40% reduction in spell casting speed and 35% reduction in Mana consumption during magic skill activation, full immunity to A-Rank or below abnormal-condition-materialization skills, 30% increase in magic resistance, and alleviation of potion shock symptom effect while in hand.

Everyone went wild.

-That’s crazy. It’s an SSS-Rank item!

*

“Guild Master Seo Jin-Wook, I plead you. Please reconsider!”

The Hunter Management Department persistently contacted me even after I hung up once and tried to reverse my choice.

When Secretary Kim came in, I had already delivered my statement to them.

I said that I’d accept the Chinese government’s invitation but that I wanted to put a condition on it.

I said that instead of just me, who was invited, Hibiki and Nate would accompany me.

“Minister, you don’t have to worry too much. I have a plan.”

“Guild Master, we are more concerned about China than about Dungeon monsters! And considering what will be announced at 3 o’clock in a little while, the national sentiment will be…!”

But they couldn’t bend my stubbornness in the end.

And after hours have passed since the Chinese government’s announcement, another shocking news swept the world’s media.

– Wow, I can’t take my eyes off the news all day!

– Is today some special day? LOL. I can’t get my head around it. Chinese SS-Class dungeons in the morning, Australian aliens in the afternoon?

-… Huh? Seo Jin-Wook’s picture is up. No way. Is he going to do it again in a while?

It was none other than news of an incident in the Australian dungeon.

– Oh, my God, Seo Jin-Wook is the most significant contributor… To the success of trading with aliens?!

↳ Did you just see the interview with the Italian hunter? The aliens boldly said that they want to keep talking to Seo Jin-Wook. LOOOOL.

↳ Woah, a man who even woos aliens. He’s got some class!

↳ So without Seo Jin-Wook, people on Earth can’t trade with them at all?

↳ Mmhmm, it seems so in this situation.

Then, naturally, people that interpreted the two shocking news stories in the morning and afternoon in relation to each other appeared.

– Wait, isn’t China going to invite Seo Jin-Wook?

↳ Isn’t Seo Jin-Wook still SS-Rank?

↳ Come to think of it. The announcement was a little weird. Why did they vaguely refer it to ‘hunters equivalent to SSS-Rank’? Instead of setting the bar to SSS-Rank. This is surely… because they kept Seo Jin-Wook in mind!

↳ Shouldn’t we stop Seo Jin-Wook? What if things go south?

The public opinion prevailed that I shouldn’t go, but I made my official statement through the Celestial Dragon Public Relations Team a few days later.

I publicized that I understood the people’s concerns, but I judged that China’s SS-Rank dungeon was a threat to Korea, as it was nearby, and that I would do my best to contribute to our country’s safety.

Soon after, the day suggested by the Chinese government arrived.

*

“Share quest.”

Paht!

– Quest Name: Verification of Qualification (1)

– Description: To climb the Tower of Choice, you must prove your qualification as a worthy Awakened. Successfully Clear an SS-Class dungeon in your world and secure more than 20% of the contribution rate.

– Rewards: from 1 million experience points based on contribution.

– This quest can also be shared with non-chosen.

“Huh?”

“… Something new really appeared.”

The eyes of Hibiki and Nate stared into space.

They’re looking at the system message that had just appeared.

“I shared the quest with you guys just now.”

In my eyes, I could see all the quests that the Earth’s chosen Awakened could perform. In total, there were over 100. It’s supposed to be done by several people simultaneously, so it was normal to reach that number.

However, Hibiki and Nate, who hadn’t been chosen yet, could only see the quests I shared.

“Now, then… Shall we talk?”

I explained it to both of them. To end the tutorial quest, we had to climb the structure called the Tower of Choice, and that I was thinking of the three of us as the members.

‘In my past life, five people climbed up.’

However, Randy was still a child who hadn’t even entered elementary school, and Angelica was already dead.

‘There was no entrants restriction on the tower. One person or even a hundred people can enter.’

The problem was that the difficulty scaled according to the number of entrants.

Five people entered back in my previous life, but only four people fought since I had no battle capability.

We conducted a lot of experiments on the lower floors of the tower at that time before proceeding to climb with the finalized five members of the chosen party.

“When the time comes for the Tower of Choice to be summoned, other countries will not be able to interfere since we will be the only ones who would have earned the qualification to climb the tower.”

I asked them a question, speaking until up to that point.

“What do you think? If there is a question or some part that you don’t like…”

It was after I told them almost everything except that I had reincarnated and that Adam was an alien.

I had told them detailed information such as what would happen in the Tower of Choice and what would happen after the tutorial.

It was not an ordinary dungeon, but they would be placed in a situation where they had to risk their lives to climb a 100-story tower, so I gave them a choice rather than just ordering them to come.

But…

“Why did you feel the need to ask us that?”

Nate replied indifferently to my question.

“This is also a part of the plan that you, Jin-Wook, spoke of, right? That thing to keep the world from being doomed.”

“Yup.”

“Then it’s fine with me no matter what you want us to do. You don’t have to ask me every time from now on.”

Hibiki’s reaction was the same as his.

“I’ll come with you as well.”

I thanked them for the trust they showed before continuing with my thoughts.

“Well, let’s go earn that qualification to climb. Time to go to China.”

*

The Chinese government’s unusual behavior continued. They finally revealed their Gates to foreign media for the first time.

The Gate leading to the SS-Rank dungeon was located near Guangzhou in southern China.

Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha!

Everyone’s attention was concentrated in one place despite the flashing sounds of the shutters.

“Look, it’s Klaus from America! That SSS-Rank magic swordsman! How did he get permission from the U.S. government?”

“Even Dmitri of Russia and Chati of India came all the way here!”

“I’ve never seen so many SSS-Class in one place.”

People were surprised by the fact that three SSS-Class hunters accepted the invitation from China.

They were the kinds of hunters that never would have been released from their home country under normal circumstances.

“In the case of Klaus, I heard there is a rumor that he departed the country in a manner that is close to leaving without permission. It was apparently due to a serious conflict between him and the U.S. government.”

The Korean government personnel, who was moving with us, whispered to me.

I answered using an indifferent tone.

“I see. I’m sure the Chinese government’s items are very desirable to him as well, but….”

I wore a faint smile as I continued.

“Don’t you think there’s something that makes him feel safe due to my attendance?”

After hearing that, the foreign affairs official’s face was slightly blurred, but it quickly regained its original color.

He spoke in a serious tone as if to reassure me.

“If anything happens to the Guild Master’s situation, the Korean government will definitely take all measures necessary to ensure the safety of the Guild Master!”

I smiled at the thought, but I shook my head.

“Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.”

I didn’t mean anything else when I said that he ‘felt safe because of my attendance’ because rumors spread that I was the no. 1 target of the Chinese government.

I thought he had the mentality of ‘Yes, as long as it’s not me, I’m fine with it!’

Of course, some of them were skeptical about how they would dare to touch me at the risk of criticism from around the world, and others seemed to be half-sure.

It all stemmed from the suspicion that China would so boldly act that way regardless of public opinion.

It would seem that the possibility had become even lower since foreign journalists had gathered around us like that.

‘Let’s see what happens.’

Meanwhile, reporters showed explosive interest in me as well.

They shouted out loud from afar as we passed by.

“Seo Jin-Wook, please say something!”

“You’re the only SS-Class among the invited foreign hunters. How do you feel?”

“I heard you insisted that you’d be accompanied by two S-Class hunters from your guild as a condition for your participation. By any chance, is your goal to fill the contribution slots with those three people from 1st to 3rd place? Are you aiming for all the artifacts the Chinese government publicly presented as compensation?”

Awakened beings and reporters who listened to the last question together were seen smiling bitterly.

Some of them whispered among themselves.

“That fella is so mean.”

“It would be possible if the only foreigners who were invited and participated were the three from Celestial Dragon, but it’s obvious that it would be impossible under the current situation since even the SSS-Class joined the expedition.”

“Even if Seo Jin-Wook is preparing for the SSS-Class certification, why did he bring the other two S-Ranks? I’m sure there are a lot of Chinese S-Ranks as well.”

Since the Chinese government had placed a considerable distance between the Awakened individuals and the press journalists in advance, I smiled instead of answering them. Then, once again, the shutters exploded like crazy and took a picture of us doing so.

“Then, we’re entering!”

We entered the Gate at the command of the exploration team leader, General Ray Chen.

*

In terms of the exploration team composition, there was a total of 30 people, their ranks ranging from S-Rank to SSS-Rank.

There was no SSS-Rank among Chinese hunters who refused to be certified by the World Hunter Association, and the official highest level was SS-Rank.

I looked at their Mana in my spare time while proceeding with the dungeon Clear.

‘There are about 20 Chinese people who have over 30,000 Mana.’

30,000 Mana was the minimum requirement to reach the SS-Rank.

After confirming them with [The Successor’s Eyes], I couldn’t help but smile at their impudence.

‘I think even if they didn’t invite hunters from overseas and went through all that show, it would be possible to Clear the dungeon using only the Awakened Chinese people. I don’t know what monsters will come out from now on in this dungeon, though.’

I didn’t know much about the dungeon we were in because the data hadn’t been shared in my previous life.

Back then, China used its sole power to Clear and closed up the place. Of course, it was before the nation showed signs of collapse.

‘If they could have done it in my previous life, they could have done it this time. It’s just that the history has changed because of me.’

The Guangzhou dungeon was a complex dungeon that was divided into several stages.

The packs of werewolves that rushed in from all sides were helpless against the intense might of our forces. The first stage of the Clear operation continued without interruption or problems.

Chinese hunters intentionally took a step back from the frontlines in order to give the foreigners a chance to be more active, and the invited SSS-Rank Awakened didn’t refuse the consideration.

The fight over the artifacts that would serve as compensation was a competition among themselves, but they also allowed them to take the cores of the monsters they killed, so they seemed motivated enough.

The first day came to an end like that. We set up camp, and the time to rest soon came.

I gave the Chinese people a look once again. Some of them stood out.

‘It’s just that they haven’t been certified yet, but only comparing the total amount of Mana, there are some in their ranks that are stronger than the invited SSS-Rank individuals.’

Among them, a hunter, who was approaching me with a stiff smile at that very moment, was an exemplary case.

“Guild Master Seo Jin-Wook?”

It was Ray Chen, the Chinese soldier who led the expedition.

“Can we talk for a moment if you don’t mind?”

It had finally begun.

I got up from my seat with a smile.

“Of course.”