Climbing the Mythic Tower as a Cheating Administrator - Chapter 48

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Cheating Administrator’s Legendary Tower Ascent (48)
It was only natural that the Awakers of the Future Guild were making a fuss.
Their reaction was markedly different from Mu Saeng’s moments before.
“Y-yes, yes, let me just verify the identity… it’s confirmed. Um… but, there, what you said about detaining her, I mean—.”
They’d even made an urgent call to the upper ranks of the Future Guild, and an order had come down to detain her—something Mu Saeng could easily pick up on.
Mu Saeng had to suppress a laugh bubbling up from within.
‘Now that’s what you’d expect from a real celebrity—. But come to think of it… there must be something among the artifacts she borrowed from me that has location tracking. Either way, there’s not a single unremarkable person in this bunch.’
Geum Sua, who’d been in the hotel lobby as if she’d already anticipated his return.
No doubt she’d received a call the moment Mu Saeng emerged from the tower.
And then there was Hilda, who’d rushed after him the instant he arrived at the 58 Dungeon from the hotel.
A complaint that his every move was exposed?
There was no such thing.
‘Either way, this works out well. With Hilda around, the monsters in the 58 Dungeon won’t be any problem at all.’
Rather, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say she was becoming a help to him.
A convenient tool appearing at the perfect moment with a pop—who wouldn’t like that?
Besides, Hilda already knew about Wash, and the two of them had built what amounted to a favorable business relationship.
Fighting alongside Mu Saeng in the dungeon, or rather, “protecting” him—by that measure, she was far superior to Geum Sua.
“There, Miss Schmidt, we’ll waive the entrance fee, so if you wouldn’t mind, perhaps just a moment for some tea—.”
“Is this how South Korea manages its dungeons? Refusing legitimate entry? If so, then I cannot simply remain silent either.”
“—No, of course, yes, absolutely. But, um, that is to say…….”
The manager in charge of the 58 Dungeon stammered, bowing his head repeatedly.
Dungeon management was also a sector governed by the World Awakers Association’s treaties.
If no special incident had been caused and the entry conditions were met, legitimate requests for access could not be refused.
Though it was said that some facilities exercised discretion over those “conditions,” leading to astronomical entrance fees, in any case, this Future Guild representative was simply miserable.
“Metalline is also considering information sharing regarding tower conquest strategies together with Geumseong, but if the Future Guild acts like this, information sharing becomes impossible.”
Moreover, why had Metalline come to Korea in the first place?
An emergency conference presided over by Geumseong Chairman Geum Byung-chul—and what was one of the conference’s chief topics!
Once Hilda brought that up, it was no longer something a mere subordinate could obstruct, no matter what Future’s upper management said.
“I, I apologize for the trouble. Please enter—. Oh, and by the way, I notice you still haven’t entered—.”
“My purpose differs from that Awaker’s, and since I’m a busy person, it doesn’t matter if we enter together.”
Hilda spoke.
Mu Saeng shrugged.
“……Actually, in situations like this, I’m supposed to get your consent first…….”
By entry order, Mu Saeng had priority. But they were suggesting to enter together without even asking him?
Isn’t it your job, as the dungeon managers, to sort out that kind of traffic?
“My apologies. Given the circumstances, I wonder if you might be willing—.”
“Yes, this time I’ll yield to the Future Guild. I’ll enter with this gentleman.”
“—Thank, thank you.”
“In exchange, I’d appreciate your cooperation when I enter next time.”
“Of course, yes. I understand.”
And so Mu Saeng was accumulating favors even with the dungeon management staff.
Toward the dungeon gate, from which a black, viscous liquid dripped steadily.
Mu Saeng and Hildegarde threw themselves forward.
* * *
──────────────……!!!!
What greeted the two of them upon entry was a murderous wind.
A cold that seemed to flay the very flesh, a razor-sharp gale—and Hilda remembered then, turning to look at Mu Saeng.
“You’re okay with the cold resistance? From your movements, it looks like you didn’t prepare sufficiently—.”
The 58 Dungeon, an environment like Layer 58.
A polar region.
For lower-tier Awakers, their lungs would freeze before even ten minutes had passed.
“Cold resistance? What do you mean?”
In such an environment, Mu Saeng tilted his head in confusion.
He was even rolling up his shirt sleeves to make movement easier.
The Black Armor fell awkwardly silent.
[Did you think I’d be concerned about something like that, female? I’ve already blocked all effects from temperature.]
“……Ah.”
Only then did Hilda grasp why Mu Saeng was unfazed.
The power granted by the tower’s Administrator.
Whoooooooosh……!
“Then could you do the same for me, Administrator?”
There was no way a genius engineer and scientist would simply watch from the sidelines.
“Wait, wait? It wasn’t remote-controlled?”
[Cackle-cackle-cack! A wearable suit, is it!?]
Metalline’s CEO-exclusive Black Armor.
It was remote-controlled, yes—but also a kind of powered suit that could be worn and removed.
“The important thing is seeing it firsthand, and well, it’s cold—…… wait, it’s not. My goodness, this fast? Status Window…… my resistances are the same, yet? They look different from when the Artifact was calibrated—just the original grade. How is that possible?”
Hilda crossed her arms and rubbed them, then her eyes went wide.
And her manner was decidedly different from Mu Saeng’s.
After feeling that it wasn’t cold, Mu Saeng had simply attributed it to Wash’s power and moved on.
But she was opening her Status Window immediately to check and compare her existing Cold Resistance grade.
[Quiet, female. Do you want me to explain the structure to you?]
“No, no. The analysis is my job anyway. Thank you, Administrator.”
[Click-clack.]
And that deft manner of hers—fitting in when needed, withdrawing when needed.
‘Right, she’s no odd-ball scientist. She’s the Guild Master of the world’s largest Artifact manufacturing guild.’
And quite possibly the youngest Eight Seconds holder at that.
It meant she was someone who lacked nothing in terms of social acumen and reading the room.
Hilda’s glinting eyes and sealed lips were proof of it.
She was making it clear with her entire bearing that she would not interfere, not just with Wash, but with whatever Mu Saeng himself might do.
“Wash, how many attempts can we make?”
There was no reason for Mu Saeng to explain further.
Most importantly, what mattered now was the situation on Layer 58.
[If both eyes are watching, it doesn’t matter how many times. But if even one of the two eyes isn’t watching—. Cackle-cack, you understand what I mean, don’t you, Mu Saeng?]
Wash adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and smiled.
But Mu Saeng was no fool—he recognized it as a masked laugh.
The day Transmission changed from (X) to (O).
Wash had made something clear then.
At that exact moment of his transmission, he could influence the Tower only once.
Even without knowing precisely what Wash intended, that statement too was a continuation of that warning.
‘The Tower’s Administrators…… Wash’s ‘targets of revenge’ might sense him.’
What happens after that?
There was no need to ask. Wash had skipped the explanation because the answer held little meaning, but it was predictable enough.
‘Unlike Wash, those Administrators who can wield Execute with Administrator Authority freely, at one hundred percent, will come bursting out here. And if that happens—.’
The end.
What more explanation was needed?
Even Hilda, even the genius on Earth most skilled at crafting Artifacts, was marveling at the power of an ‘incomplete Administrator.’
And higher-ranking Administrators might come—possibly several of them.
“Two eyes…… Thousand-Li Eye and Five-Ring Eye?”
It was Hilda who suddenly spoke up then.
She’d been half a step back until now, but she’d moved closer to Mu Saeng and Wash’s side.
And without waiting for Mu Saeng’s reply, she continued.
“I can’t know about the Thousand-Li Eye since that uses an Artifact made by Central Treasure Manufacturing, but the Five-Ring Eye—I can tell.”
“……What? Tell what—.”
“‘Sees’ doesn’t literally mean eyes are open. You’re talking about whether the Awakened ability is in use, aren’t you? Yes. It’s being used right now.”
It was the kind of bombshell statement that left Mu Saeng flabbergasted.
Mu Saeng was no fool—he grasped what she was saying.
“Wait, Hilda? You’re not saying that if someone uses Metalline’s equipment—?”
“Hehe, not all of it, of course.”
Hilda laughed bashfully.
But this was not a matter that could be glossed over with shyness.
She could detect the use of Awakened abilities through Artifacts she herself provided?
‘My location information and such would be no problem at all then. No wonder it never felt like an issue in the first place.’
From Hilda’s manner, this was clearly something being done in secret.
If the World Awakers Association found out the truth—.
‘Exactly. The concept of ‘give first, reap later.”
Looking at her eyes that seemed to say “We have no secrets between us, right?” Mu Saeng let out a soft laugh.
“Even now, while not entering the Tower or a dungeon?”
“Yes.”
A simple answer, but it was enough.
The Nevada Treaty applies equally to all.
Not even the World Awakers Association’s highest ranks can circumvent it.
In other words, even the Five-Ring Eye cannot freely use that ability outside a tower or dungeon—that’s the foundational rule.
‘Yet if someone is using it regardless, then it must mean…….’
An unavoidable situation.
And if it’s not just a brief confirmation of something, but sustained use, then it’s certain.
‘It must be to track the Thousand-Li Eye’s movements. Counter-detection and the Chinese Central Party’s objective—confirming Layer 58—both goals are being pursued simultaneously.’
Or perhaps not.
The Thousand-Li Eye might not be using their ability at all.
[Mu Saeng.]
“Phew. I can’t know anything by just imagining it anyway. And losing this timing would be worse than death.”
Then I die. That’s all.
Mu Saeng looked at Hilda.
Hilda shrugged.
“It’s a chance to see the Administrator’s ability. You don’t need to say things like ‘You might die, so go back,’ do you?”
“Right, understood. Then…….”
Considering the two Awakers—Thousand-Li Eye and Five-Ring Eye—and the power structures surrounding each of them.
Looking at all manner of rumors and hearsay accumulated as a Dungeon Sherpa, even deliberate machinations to discredit the other side!
“Wash. Confirm it for me.”
Thousand-Li Eye must certainly be observing.
Along with Five-Ring Eye, Layer 58.
[Execute with Administrator Authority]
─────────……!!!!
In the moment light shimmered around Wash.
Both Mu Saeng and Hilda could see it.
The image of something hovering in the void.
An environment no different from their surroundings, a landscape like frozen ice swept by Arctic winds, yet with a single difference.
An enormous flower bloomed there, crimson and brilliant.
And at the heart of that blossom, a woman lay.
Someone Mu Saeng had never forgotten for even a moment.
“Ye-rin!”
It was Ju Ye-rin.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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