Climbing the Mythic Tower as a Cheating Administrator - Chapter 52

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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 Climbs the Mythical Tower (52)
A mouse before a cat. A frog before a snake.
That was exactly the situation.
An Awakener in the 50s meant someone had reached a considerable level of strength.
“S-s-s-s-.”
“Steve King…… Steve King is here—. Why—.”
Of course Lee Eun-woo recognized the face of the world’s official number-one ranked Awakener.
Lee Eun-woo floundered for a moment, then burst out shouting, sputtering.
“D-don’t be scared! It’s fake! Besides, who cares if it’s Steve King! Kill him! Steve King dies if you stab him with a blade, doesn’t he!?”
No one moved, no matter how fiercely he railed.
Kim Moo-saeng let out a derisive laugh and asked.
“……Do people die if stabbed with a blade?”
“Nope.”
Steve answered immediately.
Everyone in this place knew it, which was why no one attempted anything.
“D-don’t mess with me! A person—. How can a person get stabbed with a blade and not die!”
Watching Lee Eun-woo still thrashing about, Kim Moo-saeng could only sigh.
He’d never seen someone so ignorant.
“You really are an idiot. You absorbed all the dirty tricks so well…… Hey, didn’t you ever see your grandfather? Don’t you know that Awakeners can’t use their abilities outside the Tower or Dungeons, but their Stats still apply?”
“But still…… that…….”
A grinding, creaking sound echoed.
Grievance. Rage.
Kim Moo-saeng sighed again.
“I’ll give you a blade—want to come try stabbing him? Ah, that might be awkward, wouldn’t it, Steve?”
“That’s not funny, Bro.”
Even as he said it, Steve King smiled faintly.
There was only one thing on his mind now.
Not the rabble in front of his eyes.
‘Why was he holding that blade, knowing full well…’
The attitude Kim Moo-saeng had shown back in the Hotel Corridor during their standoff.
Steve didn’t memorize every Artifact, but he did remember a decent range of weapons.
Within his knowledge, no such Short Dagger existed.
Guaranteed penetration—there was no way that option could exist.
Steve’s body trembled slightly.
‘Kh, kh-kh-kh-hehehehe.’
The resolve he’d been facing couldn’t possibly be an act.
It wasn’t bluster.
[Hey, red sparrow! Why are you staring at Kim Moo-saeng like that? Funny? You do look funny, though.]
So he wasn’t trusting only this yellow duck after all.
‘That old man with the cataracts released him with this very intention, then.’
Steve nodded, ignoring Wash’s words.
Steve wasn’t fool enough to react to an existence invisible and inaudible to Lee Eun-woo and the other One Way Group members.
In fact, Kim Moo-saeng had even coughed awkwardly at Wash’s attitude as he tried to join in on the teasing with Steve.
“Ahem, in any case…… Since those guys are the real culprits, we just need to catch them and hand them over.”
That remark was the trigger.
All the Southeast Asian Awakeners turned and began to flee.
“Stop.”
But they didn’t even make it three steps.
───────────……!!!!
Because of the wall of fire that appeared before their eyes.
Concrete does not melt.
Walls do not melt.
“Ack—. H-hot, it’s hot.”
“Back, back! Retreat! Back!”
But the Southeast Asian Awakeners’ clothes were already sizzling.
This was not ordinary fire.
No—fire doesn’t even ignite this way to begin with.
One of the Southeast Asian Awakeners cried out.
“N-no, this is a Nevada Treaty violation! Just because you’re Steve King!? The Nevada Treaty—.”
“No one’s watching, are they? Why do you think I ran all the way down to Underground Parking Level 4?”
Kim Moo-saeng shrugged.
Someone else lifted their head and glanced around nervously.
“The CCTV—”
“No way. You think I’m an idiot?”
Kim Moo-saeng answered with his arms crossed.
Silver-Gray Dung Beetles were already clinging to the CCTVs around the Underground Parking Lot entrance—the ones that would have captured him, Steve King, and their position.
In this deep darkness, there was no one from One Way who could see it.
“If I had my way, I’d poison every last one of them. I’m barely holding back.”
Beyond that, there was also a test of Steve King’s “privilege.”
Whether Kim Moo-saeng himself could neutralize One Way using only Steve King, without resorting to the Poison-Snake technique.
Whether Steve King would truly use his Awakener abilities right in front of them.
‘There’s definitely something solid there. He used his power without hesitation. At this very moment, even those Southeast Asian One Way bastards can’t deploy a shield or counterattack with their abilities.’
That too was information Kim Moo-saeng wanted to know.
The flames roared louder, crackling wildly.
Fire blazed with increasing ferocity.
Thump, thump, thump…
Steve King walked forward.
“So, what should I do with you? Burn just your optic nerves? Evaporate your spinal cord? Or I could sever just the two nerve bundles in your cervical spine. If you can’t talk, you won’t be able to spout that Nevada Treaty nonsense anymore, right?”
The moment Jang Ha-guk realized this wasn’t mere intimidation—
Crack!
He had to make a choice.
To smash the back of Lee Eun-woo’s head.
“H-he’s the one! This bastard’s the mastermind!”
Geumseong—Geum Byeong-chul, terrifying.
Lee Eun-woo—Lee Jeong-gi, terrifying.
Steve King, terrifying.
Who should he align with?
“Mr. Kim Moo-saeng! I, I know, right? You know, right? Those Southeast Asian guys—five hundred million won each, that was the deal? I’ve got all the evidence. Yes. Don’t worry! I’ll clean everything up nice and neat! Just leave it to me!”
Jang Ha-guk understood perfectly: he could only survive by attaching himself to the man who had orchestrated this entire situation.
Lee Eun-woo unconscious, the Southeast Asian Awakers frozen in place.
And Jang Ha-guk, gradually edging closer to Kim Moo-saeng and Steve King.
“What do you want to do, bro?”
“Well… let’s just incapacitate them for now.”
“That’s a model citizen answer. So you’re handing them over to the police—”
“Huh? No, no. What police?”
Kim Moo-saeng watched Steve shake his head with boredom before he spoke.
Hand them over to the police? Was he insane?
“Then what?”
“I already made contact.”
He was handing them over to the one who wanted them most.
Or more specifically—
“The Geumseong Guild chairman’s secretary and strategy director will be here soon.”
He was handing them over to the one who could offer him the greatest reward for this deed.
Geumseong would handle the cleanup of Lee Eun-woo and his gang.
* * *
It was a hotel owned and operated by the Geumseong Guild.
The hotel’s response had been skilled and swift from the start.
“I apologize, Mr. King. I apologize, Mr. Kim Moo-saeng.”
Yet no matter how fast or thorough their response was, someone still had to take responsibility.
Yoon Pyo bowed deeply toward Steve and Kim Moo-saeng.
“At least no one was hurt. That’s what matters.”
“Haha, if it’d burned down completely, that old man would’ve had a real problem. Shame about that.”
At the very least, how genuinely Yoon Pyo and the Geumseong contingent felt could be measured by their reaction to Steve.
“…I apologize.”
Under normal circumstances, Yoon Pyo would have heavily censured anyone for insulting the guild chairman.
But now he simply bowed again.
“And Mr. Kim Moo-saeng… I don’t even know how to express our gratitude. For apprehending those men as well.”
“Ah, I’m actually the one who feels awkward about it.”
A pause caught between his words—a breath being steadied.
Kim Moo-saeng felt apologetic watching how much anger Yoon Pyo was holding back.
Strictly speaking, the arson hadn’t been an act of capturing Kim Moo-saeng at all, had it?
Of course, such causes didn’t matter.
“No, there’s no need for Kim Moo-saeng to concern himself. Regardless of who their anger was directed at, the damage they caused—that’s what matters.”
The deed was already done.
Geumseong had borne the losses.
An apology to the key figures who had attended the conference besides Steve King.
Compensation for the ordinary guests.
Damage to the Geumseong Guild’s reputation.
“We will. Show. Them ourselves.”
All of it—Yoon Pyo would bear it, and so would Geum Byeong-chul.
“Y-Yoon, Director Yoon! Ice, ice!”
“Ah, my apologies.”
Crack-crack-crack—thin ice formed beneath where Yoon Pyo stood as he suppressed his fury with visible effort.
“The chairman asked me to convey his gratitude to both of you and said he would repay this debt. He’ll contact you again soon—”
“No way, not necessary. What would be the point between an old man and me?”
Steve King made an exaggerated face, as if to dismiss such nonsense.
Yet Yoon Pyo found himself unable to back down.
To leave Geum Byeong-chul in a state of owing a debt to Steve King?
That could never happen, so Yoon Pyo prepared to persuade him once more.
“That’s not acceptable, sir. The chairman—especially to Mr. King—cannot leave this debt unpaid—”
“Then give my share to Moo-saeng Bro instead.”
“-Pardon?”
“What? You say something?”
At Steve King’s sudden remark, not only Yoon Pyo but even Kim Moo-saeng beside him had to pause in bewilderment.
Steve shrugged.
“Why not? It wasn’t me who did it—it was Moo-saeng Bro, right? You told me to ‘cooperate.'”
It wasn’t a wrong thing to say.
When Steve and Kim Moo-saeng had faced off one-on-one, Moo-saeng had told Steve to cooperate.
And when Steve was simply trying to leave the hotel, Moo-saeng had grabbed him and said, “Since you agreed to cooperate, suppress the hotel fire.”
Steve had laughed loudly at the absurdity even as he cooperated in suppressing the hotel fire and in capturing the One Way Group.
“…Suddenly changing your character like this makes me nervous, you know? What’s going on?”
That alone was different from his usual self.
But to the point of turning down compensation from Geum Byeong-chul?
The usual Steve King would have deliberately refused the reward and relished the situation of leaving Geum Byeong-chul anxious about owing him a debt of gratitude—wouldn’t he?
Wasn’t that Steve King’s personality and disposition?
“You’re refusing even when someone’s trying to give you a gift?”
Steve chuckled as if Kim Moo-saeng’s wariness was itself absurd.
But for Moo-saeng, it was a natural reaction.
“It depends on who’s giving the gift. We’ve been throwing punches at each other every time we meet. If you’re suddenly going to say something like we’ve grown close through fighting, don’t even open your mouth.”
People don’t change suddenly.
Since the first meeting, when that reckless man had simply followed him into a Dungeon and said he wanted to test Wash—what was he scheming now?
“HAHAHAHA! Anyway, Moo-saeng Bro, take the old man’s gift and come up quickly. I’ll be waiting for you up there.”
With that, Steve King turned his body.
That attitude—as if he had nothing more to see here.
In that moment, a single question arose in Kim Moo-saeng’s mind.
Given what he had been doing all this time.
And given what he had just said.
“…The Key business—that’s over?”
Testing Wash’s abilities.
Was he saying he wouldn’t harbor doubts about Wash’s true identity anymore?
Was he saying he would now truly trust Wash as the tower’s administrator?
“Huh? Puhahahaha!”
But Steve merely turned to look back with an expression of utter disbelief.
As if Moo-saeng’s question was funny—more precisely, as if it was ridiculous.
Kim Moo-saeng felt a surge of frustration and asked him once more.
“No, I mean—speak clearly—”
“Testing the Key is unnecessary. The old man’s eyes aren’t the type that would mistake things even if he had cataracts.”
And Steve King cut off Moo-saeng’s words with his answer.
He’d gone on about it from the very first meeting—what was this now?
“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”
Kim Moo-saeng asked.
Steve smiled, a slow grin spreading across his face. Then he tapped his own eyes lightly, twice.
Kim Moo-saeng understood what the gesture meant at once.
He was wearing the Goggles that the sorceress Maia had left behind.
Kim Moo-saeng saw it.
The ability Steve King possessed — counted among the strongest in Eight Seconds.
[Steve King]
“There’s a monster on Floor 75, Bro.”
“I’m counting on you to bring the Key back safe.”
An ability capable of making the very structure of the Status Window appear differently than it truly was.
‘…… This bastard’s really insane.’
When had he figured it out?
Or had he deliberately revealed it that first time they met?
In any case, only now could Kim Moo-saeng begin to truly understand Steve.
The moment Geum Byeong-chul had been certain of the Key’s identity, Steve had harbored no real intention of testing it.
So from that very first meeting until now, who exactly had Steve been talking about testing all this time?
‘He was testing me…… Son of a bitch.’
It meant Kim Moo-saeng himself.
And that meant the world’s number-one ranker had acknowledged him.
“Bye, Moo-saeng Bro!”
“…… Go or don’t. I don’t care.”
[Gahahahaha! Cheeky little red sparrow.]
Kim Moo-saeng laughed with hollow resignation; Wash laughed with genuine satisfaction.
It was still one day before the Geumseong Guild’s conference would officially close.
Steve King, the representative of the American Windbloom Guild, departed the country.
* * *
Several Awakeners sprawled across the floor as something crashed down with a dull thud.
“P-please, Chairman! Spare us—! Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“No, no, nonono—. Aaaaahhhhh!”
Korean or foreign, it made no difference.
In the Sealed Room, both their eyes had been torn out.
Blood and bodily fluid dripped steadily from his hands, but he paid it no mind as he spoke.
“Bring me my grandson.”
Lee Jeong-gi, chairman of the Korea One-Way Group, had spoken.

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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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