Mr. Kim Strikes It Rich with Auto-Hunting [Novel] Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Class perks that popped up occasionally like achievements.

What were the conditions for triggering them?

I still didn’t really know.

For now, it was certain they appeared whenever I did something for the first time.

The exact criteria were quite vague, though.

However, one thing was certain—.

“Every time one popped up, I was satisfied.”

There had been quite a few things granted as perks so far.

First, opening the Job Center.

On top of that, there were a few handy consumable items.

Ah.

A while ago, one even changed a skill’s effect.

Anyway, quite a lot had appeared.

If it’s a Fixed Team Management slot…

Maybe it ranks just below opening the Job Center?

[Class Perk: 1 ‘Fixed Team Management’ slot is added.]

It had already been completely full.

I had been wondering how to expand it.

‘Well, the expansion condition will probably show up as I keep playing.’

That was what I had thought, but…

“To think this would pop up here, jackpot.”

It used to be 7 slots, so is it 8 slots now?

Shall I take a look?

——-

[Fixed Team Management]

1. Arthur (Top-tier)

2. Robin (Top-tier)

3. Orc Pack (High-tier)

4. Rani (Top-tier)

5. Todd (High-tier)

6. Woon-jang (Top-tier)

7. Master Slime (High-tier)

8. Empty Slot

——-

“Kyah….”

From Arthur to Master Slime.

Just looking at them felt reassuring.

And if one more was added to that?

This was really…

“Nothing’s going to stand in my way.”

“Heh! Show Rani too!”

“This? Here.”

“Arthur…, Robin…, the Orc misters…, Rani is here too! And an empty slot? Then are more of Rani’s friends coming?!”

Of course, of course.

For now, today’s summon count was all used up.

Let’s summon right away tomorrow.

I’m looking forward to it.

Who will appear this time around?

* * *

“Phew, so you’re claiming right now that you’re a subordinate of the Job Center Director?”

“To be precise, not a subordinate, but a subcontractor.”

“A subcontractor? Well, anyway, doesn’t that mean you work under him?”

“That is correct. Allow me to introduce myself once more. I am the guild master of Eye of Truth, Kim Seon-woo.”

“Phew….”

A calm, unbothered reply.

The Section Chief of Korea’s Awakened Management Bureau.

Yoon Ji-hyuk frowned as he spoke.

“A suspicious intruder who entered an empty house in the dead of night and waited quietly claims to be a subcontractor of the Job Center Director… Mr. Kim Seon-woo, do you really think your words have any credibility?”

What kind of situation was this all of a sudden?

Returning home from work, only to find someone in the living room.

The window was even wide open.

Well.

It didn’t seem like anywhere had been ransacked.

Then again, he couldn’t be sure.

Should he just be glad he wasn’t an ordinary burglar for now?

“I apologize for that part. I had to be cautious since approaching openly was risky.”

Right.

If he really were a subordinate of the Job Center Director, that made sense.

Still…

How could he just believe him?

All that subcontractor nonsense.

And that peculiar way of speaking, too.

“Hmm….”

Even so, he couldn’t recklessly provoke him.

What if he provoked him for nothing and the guy snapped?

He really wouldn’t be able to handle it.

It wasn’t like he was some hunter…

Therefore, as carefully as possible—.

“If you are truly connected to the Job Center Director, could you show me some proof?”

“Of course I should show you. I prepared something in advance anyway.”

L-Look at that.

Look at how confident he was.

He must have actually prepared something.

Fine, let’s see.

Just what on earth did he prepare?

“…Hm?”

Opening the inventory was understandable enough.

He was naturally a hunter.

How else could a normal civilian enter through a 7th-floor window?

The problem was.

“A pickaxe?”

Did he really pull that out as proof?

What the…

“Wouldn’t it be better to judge after taking a look first?”

“Understood.”

What could it possibly be for him to be so confident?

Tilting his head, he inspected it.

“Pokey?”

Wait.

This naming sense was somewhat…

On top of that, the first line of the description.

– The masterpiece of a skilled artisan.

“No, how could this…”

Was there anyone who didn’t recognize that description?

It had become so famous that almost everyone knew it.

What’s more.

Yoon Ji-hyuk had actually seen it in person before.

The previous rank 1 Lee Bojun’s weapon, Stingy, was exactly like that.

The first line, and the other options too.

There was even a skill attached to a mere pickaxe.

“Could this… possibly have been made by the Job Center Director?”

“Doesn’t it just click the moment you see it?”

“That is…”

“And this is a material said to have dropped during the recent Tower clear, would you like to check it?”

What was it this time?

Upon receiving it.

[Lycanthrope’s Claw]

This…

Was a material from the 61st floor.

Said to have dropped from a recent Tower conquest.

The person who climbed above the 61st floor recently.

There was only one person in the entire world.

The anonymous hunter who kept setting new world records.

“Then, as expected, was the anonymous hunter who sprinted all the way to the 61st floor setting world records the Job Center Director?”

“Of course it is the Job Center Director. Well, didn’t you already have a rough idea?”

Saying so, he grinned, while the soft moonlight filtered in from outside the window behind him.

Wow…

As expected of the Job Center Director.

Even a guy claiming to be a subcontractor had an extraordinary presence.

“What is the reason you sought me out? Is there something you need from our Bureau?”

A figure who had kept his identity hidden until now.

There had to be a clear reason for approaching like this.

He asked with certainty, but—.

“Haha, not at all. This time, I just dropped by. In the first place, is there anything the Job Center Director would even need?”

“Come to think of it…”

No.

Then why did you come?

It was incomprehensible, but he wasn’t wrong.

Maybe for other hunters, but for the Job Center Director?

Help from the Bureau?

It would be utterly meaningless.

America is shocked, China is turned upside down, and whatnot.

He was an eccentric who actually brought to life those sensational lines from nationalistic pride videos…

“Mmm…”

The other party’s goal?

He still didn’t know.

Still, the fact that he came like this meant there was room to build a relationship.

If so, he had to establish a connection somehow.

“Here is my business card. If you ever happen to need the Bureau’s help, please contact me anytime.”

“Thank you, I shall pass it along.”

“Thank you.”

“If there is anything you wish to relay to the Director, come find the Eye of Truth guild master.”

Eye of Truth.

Noted.

“Ah! Just to be cautious, it would be best if only Section Chief Yoon Ji-hyuk and the Bureau Director knew about this matter.”

“Understood.”

“Though I shouldn’t need to say it, if a background investigation is conducted or information leaks…”

The quietly omitted trailing words.

What could they have been?

‘You will never connect with the Job Center Director again’?

Or maybe…

It might have been a threat.

Either was fine.

He had no intention of talking anyway.

Still, it was a relief that he was allowed to tell the Bureau Director.

“You don’t need to worry. I’ll take it to my grave.”

“I shall place my trust in the Section Chief’s words.”

“Thank you.”

“Very well. Then take care, and I’ll see you again if the opportunity arises.”

Was his business concluded?

The man walked slowly toward the window.

And then—.

SFX: Swoosh!

“Crazy…”

No way.

This was the 7th floor.

Just jumping out out of nowhere like that?

Shocked, he dashed over, but.

“He’s gone.”

What kind of…

Would being possessed by a ghost feel just like this?

It felt like his soul had been sucked out.

However.

He still had to do what needed to be done.

First, this.

SFX: Ring-ring-ring—!

– Ah, Section Chief Yoon. What’s going on at this late hour?

“Yes, Director. I have an urgent report to make…”

* * *

Pyongyang, North Korea.

The Korean People’s Army soldiers were moving busily.

“All preparations are complete.”

“Right…”

The man entrusted by Department Director Kim Yong-pil with wrapping up this affair.

Jo Hee-dong sighed as he spoke.

“Give me the report.”

“First of all, we have located the families of the revolutionary talents—no, the traitors—and stationed soldiers there.”

“Right, tell them not to move until I give the order.”

“Understood! And currently, soldiers are moving toward the residences of the revolutionary talents.”

“Right…”

It’ll be over once today passes.

As for the families of the revolutionary talents…

What could they possibly do?

Their locations were already found.

Even if they ran away, they’d be caught quickly.

The problem was the revolutionary talents themselves.

“Um… by any chance, is there no assistance from the other revolutionary talents?”

“There is none.”

The revolutionary talents of North Korea.

The 1,328 people aligned with Park Mu-pal weren’t all of them.

The children of Party cadres.

And those who were satisfied with their current positions had stayed behind.

They probably numbered a few hundred roughly.

Still…

“Would those precious bodies come to a place like this? Still, well, they said they’d send a few, so be satisfied with that.”

“Understood.”

A few.

It was obvious without even looking.

They’d be the ones without any backing.

Still, well.

“In the first place, the army alone is enough to clean this up, so don’t worry.”

The revolutionary talents?

What could they possibly do?

Surrender.

Or get blown apart by artillery.

It was one of the two.

It was tedious, so he hoped it would end quickly.

“Tell them to wrap it up swiftly.”

“Yes, understood!”

* * *

SFX: Weeeeeee—!

[Traitors, listen up. Traitors, listen up. The Great Leader, with boundless love for the people and magnanimity, gives you one last chance. If you return to the path of Juche right now, kneel, and admit your wrongdoing, your sins will be forgiven and you will be welcomed back into the embrace of the people—.]

Sirens wailing in the distance.

And the warning.

“Phew…”

Park Mu-pal let out a sigh.

“What should we do?”

“I didn’t know things would turn out like this…”

“Director Comrade, what must we do now?!”

……

…

Some of the revolutionary talents were already on the verge of tears.

Well, of course they were.

All 1,328 revolutionary talents couldn’t possibly be unflinching.

Especially in a situation like this.

Isn’t everyone’s life precious?

“I am sorry.”

Park Mu-pal’s current floor, the 60th floor.

He had managed to climb one more floor with sheer determination.

Above that was impossible.

If only he had reached the 61st floor, maybe there would have been a way…

“Director Comrade, shouldn’t we fight?!”

“That’s right, my spark of revolution has not yet died out.”

Of course, not everyone had fallen into despair.

Most were burning with motivation.

Right.

If they clashed head-on, it wouldn’t end easily.

The 1,328 revolutionary talents gathered here.

Including Park Mu-pal on the 60th floor, 1,329 in total.

If they clashed with firepower?

They would be able to claim quite a lot of soldiers’ lives.

However…

“Comrades, look over there.”

Park Mu-pal pointed his finger toward the army directly ahead.

1,328 revolutionary talents.

Most were awakened who surpassed ordinary humans.

Though quite a far distance away.

The soldiers’ expressions were completely visible.

Nervous, frightened, trembling…

Right.

They were also people just like us.

Not even any revolutionary talents were among them.

It was obvious without looking.

They must have sent only powerless people as cannon fodder.

“How could I use this power against our fellow people? Unless it was against the higher-ups.”

“That is…”

“Aigoo…”

To think he’d live to see this day.

Honestly, until the moment he first rose up, he hadn’t thought like this.

Powerless people without backing?

Why did that matter?

My own survival came first.

If things went wrong?

We’ll go strictly for guerrilla warfare.

Soldiers, cadres, whatever.

I’ll burn them all down.

Only those kinds of thoughts filled his head.

However.

After coming to know the Job Center Director, his mindset changed.

“The grace of granting weapons to help the powerless people. How could I turn my blade toward fellow comrades?”

It couldn’t be helped.

Now there were no other choices.

“As Combat Director, I shall issue my final order. Comrades, go and surrender.”

“Pardon?”

“Director Comrade, what do you mean by that?”

What did he mean?

Literally just that.

“I said, comrades, go and surrender right now.”

“Director Comrade, don’t you know that surrendering now just means being sent to Aoji anyway?”

Sent to Aoji?

Probably not.

If they were ordinary people, sure.

They’d definitely be sent to Aoji.

However, these folks?

They were revolutionary talents.

If they surrendered obediently, there was no way the regime would just throw them away.

Of course, they would suffer hardships.

“They say rolling in dog poop in this world is better than the next, so wouldn’t it be better to stay alive?”

“Director Comrade, please come with us.”

Me?

It was already too late for me.

In the first place, the higher-ups’ goal was to eliminate me…

Would they spare me just because I surrendered?

Not a chance.

This was the end of the line for me.

So.

Sell me out and survive.

“Comrades, you were threatened by me and dragged along against your will. Got it?”

Sigh.

How did things end up like this?

Park Mu-pal.

A man who lived his whole life without greed.

Only at the very end did he come to realize that other paths existed compared to before.

“Phew…”

It really was a shame.

Still, well.

He had even managed to climb up to the 60th floor…

Just as he formed a bitter smile.

SFX: Ding!

[Global Announcement: Ralph Carter (USA) is the first to advance to the 70th floor of the Tower of Chaos.]

[From now on, the world will change.]

An incomprehensible notification sounded, and.

“Director Comrade, over there! Look over there!”

Turning his head.

The Tower of Chaos, which had always been visible in the sky like an unreachable mirage, vanished.

Instead.

At a visible distance.

An impossibly tall tower, whose top could not be seen, sprang into existence.

“Isn’t that Pyongyang?”

No.

What on earth was happening all of a sudden?