Chapter 225 – Undead (3)
Translator: Seven
Editor: Ana_Banana
When Isaac Ivanov’s party declared their desire to attack the Sphinx Dungeon, it was naturally the Egyptian government that expressed the most displeasure.
[The Egyptian Government is currently negotiating with Isaac Ivanov!]
At present, the value of the Sphinx Dungeon was increasing by the day, and giving such a valuable dungeon to Isaac Ivanov would be a major loss to the Egyptian Government.
-What is the Egyptian Government doing? Isaac Ivanov said he’d be willing to do the dungeon for free!
-Are they trying to make money?
-Are the Egyptian higher ups trying to take bribes for dungeons?
Moreover, it was the Egyptian government officials, and not the ordinary citizens, who had the most to gain.
From the perspective of the ordinary people, they hoped that the hero, Isaac Ivanov, would remove this threat from their country sooner.
Naturally, this forced the Egyptian government to come up with other reasons.
The Egyptian government chose a fairly simple method to deal with this situation.
[The Egyptian government raises doubts on Isaac Ivanov’s team’s ability to clear the dungeon!]
[The Egyptian government demands a more robust verification from Isaac Ivanov’s team.]
Either they show their ability by clearing another 6 Floor dungeon, or by recruiting additional power that was recognised by everyone!
This was what they suggested in their media play.
They also gave themselves a way out.
[The Egyptian government says that if Isaac Ivanov meets these conditions, they will give him the next chance to attack.]
This way out said that, while they were unsure of the first attack, they would definitely give him the second chance.
The Egyptian government had used this so that they would still be able to sell the Sphinx’s Tomb dungeon.
All the guilds that were trying to get the dungeon, hurriedly began making their moves so that they wouldn’t lose the dungeon to Isaac Ivanov.
“Boss, this is such a headache.”
The situation suddenly took a bad turn for Isaac Ivanov.
“It seems the negotiations with the Frontier Guild are almost complete. If Isaac Ivanov doesn’t do something fast, those Frontier Guild bastards will definitely get it.”
And for Oh Se-chan, who was playing the media for Isaac Ivanov, it was definitely going to be a headache.
“What should we do, Boss?”
However, Oh Se-chan had a surprisingly calm expression compared to his panicked and anxious subordinate.
“In that case, we’ll use a magic trick.”
“Magic trick?”
“Yep, a magic trick that will surprise everyone.”
The subordinate couldn’t help but wonder what kind of weird things Oh Se-chan was thinking about this time.
He made a strange expression.
“Alright, I’ll tell you what to do.”
Oh Se-chan continued.
“Listen carefully and write exactly what I tell you.”
The order he gave was simple.
“Isaac Ivanov adds a new member to the team.”
This surprised his subordinate, who couldn’t help but ask.
“Who’s the new member?”
Oh Se-chan smiled.
“Kim Woo-jin.
…
Papapat!
Oh Se-chan couldn’t help but click his tongue as he heard the thunderous sounds of hundreds of cameras taking pictures of a man standing on a stage at the same time.
“They really gathered like dogs.”
A subordinate next to him agreed.
“They are a pack of dogs. They are hunting dogs sent to the press conference to get the article by every single media company.”
Many of those who were embroiled in controversy would usually try to settle the controversy through press conferences.
But that wasn’t always the case.
Depending on the situation, the press conference might become the cause of further controversy.
“Is Mr. Kim Woo-jin really okay?”
This was the case for Kim Woo-jin, who had returned from death to help Isaac Ivanov.
He was the most delectable prey for reporters.
“I think it would have been better to not accept some of those news outlets, even if it might cause a problem…”
As such, Kim Woo-jin’s press conference could not be doctored or directed for Kim Woo-jin.
“It can’t be helped, we’re calling it a press conference, but it’s practically a hearing at this point. Fucking Five Great Guilds.”
The ones who had raised the controversy had a much larger influence than Kim Woo-jin, which was why they had no choice but to go through with this.
Because they couldn’t direct the conference under the sharp gazes of the major powers.
“In any case, Kim Woo-jin has to figure out how to deal with it somehow. And he knows that too.”
The only option was to break through from the front, and Kim Woo-jin knew that, which was why he was currently standing on the stage.
At that moment, one of Oh Se-chan’s subordinates couldn’t help but ask in a slightly worried tone.
“Do you think Kim Woo-jin will be able to handle the media?”
Instead of answering immediately, Oh Se-chan frowned slightly.
‘He’s not a celebrity, he wouldn’t know…’
Dealing with the media wasn’t the same as dealing with monsters.
In truth, Oh Se-chan did not have much hope in Kim Woo-jin’s ability to handle this kind of situation.
And that was why Oh Se-chan and his subordinates were currently watching the press conference in real time.
“He just has to hold the angle. If there’s a problem, we’ll do our best to cover it up immediately.”
“Understood.”
If a problem came up, they’d be able to give feedback immediately, and if it couldn’t be fixed like that, then they would fix it after the fact.
-What was the reason for faking your death?
Then the question and answer segment began.
Naturally, every camera was focused on Kim Woo-jin at that moment.
However, Kim Woo-jin didn’t immediately answer. Instead, Kim Woo-jin carefully examined his surroundings.
‘What’s going on?’
‘Is something wrong?’
Just as everyone began to question his answers, Kim Woo-jin stopped and opened his mouth.
-Currently, I’m still at risk of suffering a terrorist attack. An attack against me could happen even at this very moment. In such a situation, it’s impossible to make an official appearance.
When they heard that a terrorist attack could happen at any moment, tension swept through the audience.
Oh Se-chan couldn’t hold in his laughter when he saw that.
“That was a good question.”
Then, the next reporter in line to ask a question spoke up.
-If you are in such a dangerous situation. Why have you made an appearance now?
The answer for this question came immediately.
-Isaac Ivanov asked for my help. So here I am.
There was absolutely no hesitation, instead, it was a statement filled with determination and loyalty to Isaac Ivanov.
“For Isaac Ivanov, he’s not afraid of any terrorism. What a great fellowship.”
It was an answer that touched even the hearts of the reporters who were prepared to launch attacks after hearing his answer.
Suddenly, another reporter raised their hand.
-Isaac Ivanov announced that he would add Mr. Kim Woo-jin to his team in response to the Egyptian government’s request for credentials.
Then they proceeded to ask their question without waiting for permission.
“Who is that?”
“Would there be any reporter there who would start saying something like this if they weren’t from the Frontier Guild?”
“Probably not.”
Currently, the ones who had the greatest sense of crisis and dissatisfaction with the progress of Isaac Ivanov’s party was the Frontier Guild, which was most likely to win the bid for the Sphinx Dungeon.
Unsurprisingly, the Frontier Guild intended to highlight Isaac Ivanov’s team’s unsuitability to attack the Sphinx Dungeon.
-However, most people in the world have doubts about whether Mr. Kim Woo-jin has such abilities.
The question of the reporter, who was practically the Frontier Guild’s representative in this press conference, was sharp and powerful.
-Moreover, you haven’t been attacking dungeons with Isaac Ivanov, so your level is definitely not as high as Isaac Ivanov’s, is it? Maybe if you had a hunting ability similar to Isaac Ivanov.
And since the Frontier Guild was behind him, he continued talking without fear.
“He’s good.”
“He’s really good.”
Kim Woo-jin, your abilities must be trash!
Oh Se-chan and his subordinates were tongue-tied when they heard the reporter’s words which were tantamount to pulling back a veil.
Of course, it wasn’t that the question was really difficult.
-Moreover, Isaac Ivanov recruited you not just because you were a former teammate, but for your abilities. So everyone in the world believes that you should prove that you are capable of being Isaac Ivanov’s teammate, like Johann Georg did.
“He’s hitting where it hurts.”
The problem was that there was no way to avoid the question.
Isaac Ivanov didn’t just reveal Kim Woo-jin to show that his teammate was alive. Instead, he basically proclaimed that with the addition of Kim Woo-jin, he would be able to clear the Sphinx Dungeon.
And there was only one real way to prove this.
-I believe that you should at least clear a 6 Floor dungeon in order to qualify.
Prove your abilities against monsters.
“That means he’d have to enter a dungeon.”
The only way to prove your abilities was through dungeons.
“As expected, they’re trying to buy time. If Kim Woo-jin enters the dungeon to prove his ability, he’d be gone for at least a month.”
If Kim Woo-jin really entered a dungeon to prove his ability, it would take about a month or so.
And in the present era, anything could happen in a month.
“By that time, the Frontier Guild would have already entered the Sphinx Dungeon.”
A subordinate beside Oh Se-chan couldn’t help but ask.
“What are we gonna do?”
To prove his capabilities, he would have to enter a dungeon, but if he did so, it was almost guaranteed that they would lose the opportunity to enter the dungeon to the Frontier Guild and the other Guilds.
-Then I’ll prove my ability.
Kim Woo-jin’s face filled the screen as he answered the question.
-I’ll show you in real time with monsters that came out of dungeons.
…
Tututu!
The rotors of three AH-64, otherwise known as Apache helicopters, made loud noises as they prepared for take off.
And a short distance away from these helicopters, a soldier was being interviewed in front of a camera by a reporter holding a mic.
“Currently, more than 900 monsters have been identified in the Jackson State Forest. Among them are twelve Giant Orcs which appear on the fifth floor and higher.”
It was quite terrifying information.
The fact that over 900 monsters were moving in a group meant that a boss monster had appeared to lead them. As for the Giant Orcs, they were monsters that players disliked encountering because of how tough they were.
Of course, that was only the case in dungeons.
In real life, where they had access to modern weapons, these monsters weren’t as much of a threat.
For the US military, in particular, these monsters were in no way a threat.
Tututu!
Together with the Apache helicopters they were about to board, Lieutenant Colonel Michael, who was being interviewed, would be able to turn these monsters into bloodstains in no time.
That was the United States was able to maintain its status as the world’s strongest. They were the only country with an army capable of perfectly defending their vast territory.
Nevertheless, Lieutenant Colonel Michael’s expression wasn’t good at that moment.
“And now, Kim Woo-jin is heading to those monsters’ location.”
Just like he said, Kim Woo-jin was going to prove his ability against monsters in reality rather than in a dungeon.
This fact made the world go wild for many reasons.
For one, actually seeing players hunt monsters in reality was much rarer than one would initially expect.
After all, the players had no need to risk their lives fighting the monsters when they had the great power of modern weaponry behind them.
And even when they did step forward, they only did so in situations where they could make use of modern weapons unless they had no choice but to use their own ability against the monsters.
In simple terms, they had no reason to put down their guns and pick up knives.
However, the opportunity to see a player fight like they were in a dungeon in real life had finally come.
“As said before, if Kim Woo-jin fails in his attempt, our troops will take care of it.”
In other words, Lieutenant Colonel Michael’s troops would be cleaning up after a player. This was why his expression wasn’t very good at that moment.
‘Dammit.’
The US military, which was one of the most powerful forces in the entire world, was being made to clean up after a Korean player.
‘Isaac… I thought we’d gotten rid of him.’
More importantly, Kim Woo-jin was a teammate of Isaac Ivanov, who had wounded America’s pride before, and he was doing this for Isaac Ivanov.
This made him feel even worse.
“Lieutenant Colonel Michael, do you believe Kim Woo-jin will succeed?”
The reporter asked this question to Lieutenant Colonel Michael. (TL: don’t answer Michael, it’s a trap.)
At that question, Lieutenant Colonel Michael showed his displeasure by displaying a blatantly mocking grin.
‘Hunt those monsters on his own?’
Then he turned to look at the helicopters firing up behind him.
‘These three Apache helicopters would be needed to clear out that group of monsters.’
It wouldn’t be too difficult for the three Apache helicopters to deal with the group of monsters.
In other words, Kim Woo-jin was trying to take on the role of three Apache helicopters.
‘There’s no way a single player could do that.’
And for Lieutenant Colonel Michael, who knew the power these helicopters possessed better than anyone, it was insulting that such a thing was even suggested.
“I just hope nothing goes wrong.”
As he said that, his expression clearly showed that he didn’t believe Kim Woo-jin was capable of doing it.
Then the report came.
“Kim Woo-jin has begun hunting!”
The interview ended immediately.
When Lieutenant Colonel Michael beckoned, fully armed soldiers began boarding the helicopter, and the reporter followed them.
Tututu!
Then, before long, the helicopters roared loudly as they quickly headed to the location where the monsters were.
…
Giant Orc.
A Giant Orc over three meters. Naturally, the strength that this huge body could showcase was beyond description.
They could tear a Troll apart with their bare hands, and when they were in a group, they wouldn’t even avoid fighting an Ogre.
But the really scary thing about Giant Orcs wasn’t their physical ability.
The truly horrific thing about them was their Troll-like vitality and the fact that once they found a prey, they would not stop pursuing them until they died.
Some players even said that if you encountered one when on your own, it would be better to just kill yourself on the spot.
Gurgle!
It was this very Giant Orc that fell to the ground with its eyes rolled back in its head, struggling to breath.
Gurgle!
This creature on the ground in no way resembled the one that drove fear into the hearts of players everywhere.
Crunch, crunch!
Then a man appeared in front of this Giant Orc.
Kim Woo-jin, stared at the Orc before him with a blank expression.
This was a sight that players, who knew what the Giant Orc was capable of, would find hard to believe.
Was there anything to fear from a Giant Orc when it was struggling to breathe?
Nevertheless, Kim Woo-jin simply looked down at the Giant Orc with bloody eyes.
That was it.
He didn’t stab a sword into its defenseless body, he didn’t use a spell or skill, and he didn’t appear to be cautious of it either.
He didn’t even seem that interested in it.
Instead, after a short while, he lifted his head and looked around.
There wasn’t much to see because of the thick poisonous fog and the black rain that was falling from the sky.
Gurgle!
Gurgle!
And all that could be heard was sounds similar to those from the Giant Orc coming from every direction.
After listening for a moment, Kim Woo-jin lifted the camera in his hand and spoke.
“Hunt complete.”
Along with those words, Kim Woo-jin moved the camera around, making sure to show everything that was happening as he continued.
“I’ve shown everything I am willing to show. If you are still unconvinced after this, you can come see for yourself.”
Finally, Kim Woo-jin turned the camera to himself.
“Otherwise, please allow Isaac Ivanov’s party to attack the Sphinx’s Tomb dungeon.”
It was the moment when the Third Undead came back from death and was added to Isaac Ivanov’s party.
(TL: So this last sentence is a bit confusing, one because of the ‘third’ and the other because of ‘undead’.
I’ll start with the latter. The word I translate to ‘undead’ following the previous translator is ‘???’ which is a combination of morphemes that has a meaning like ‘undying’ or ‘immortal’. The same word is used in Johann Georg’s title ‘King of Undead’ which in hangul is ‘ ????? ?’. This is what makes the sentence confusing for me since the Kim Woo-jin persona doesn’t actually use undead.
The ‘third’ part makes it even worse, cause I’m not sure what it might be referring to.
I second guessed myself quite a bit in this last sentence T~T)
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