Ex-level Player With the Greatest Civilization of All Time - Chapter 54

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

Episode 54

Clang— Boom— Clang— Boom—

I watched the massive machine pass through the Gate like a triumphant general, taking in every detail.
I was beginning to understand why they called it a Final Battle Weapon.
And yet a question gnawed at me.
‘But how is something this overwhelming even manufacturable in a Small Factory?’
Unable to make sense of it on my own, I turned to Neia.

“Technological advancement follows the path of miniaturization,” Neia explained. “The Seisrunner’s enormous size is a testament to inadequate technology. That it still achieves maximum firepower at all means countless compromises were made. In short: overwhelming offensive power was gained, but at the cost of precision and durability. Those are not qualities the Seisrunner can boast of.”

I understood at once.
Why Neia had agreed when I suggested flanking the Seisrunner instead of meeting it head-on.
‘If we’d fought alongside it from the front, its weaknesses would have been catastrophically exposed.’
Poor durability combined with a massive frame meant it was vulnerable to monster attacks and easily destroyed.
Add the lack of precision, and after the first strike it would be defenseless.
Worse, protecting it risked dragging our own forces into harm’s way.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Screeeech—
I watched the Seisrunner disappear safely into the Supply Base, then turned away from the Gate.
The entire force had assembled there.
I gazed proudly at the humanoids who had performed so brilliantly in this battle, but one sour face stood out among them.
“Lieutenant Pluto. Where have you been, and what have you been doing all this time?”
At my sharp tone, Pluto’s eyes began to water.

“I… I was…”
I waited to hear what he would say next.
If he had no legitimate reason, I was prepared to give him a very stern rebuke.
Just then, Neia stepped in.
“In fact, I had assigned Lieutenant Pluto a separate mission. I apologize that I did not mention it beforehand, as I feared it might interfere with the operation.”

My trust in Neia is absolute.
If she said as much, that was reason enough to let it go.

“I see. That’s fine then.”
And now that I thought back on it,
Neia had actually informed me to some extent about Pluto’s absence when we visited the Main House.
Having swallowed my anger, I called out to Sermin to acknowledge her achievements.

“Major, come here.”
Everyone had fought hard, but Sermin’s performance had been the most outstanding.
“Major Sermin—or rather, Lieutenant Colonel now. My congratulations.”

[Will you use Promotion Examination on Sermin?]
[Sermin’s Rank has increased.]
[Rank: Major → Lieutenant Colonel]
[Sermin’s Firepower increases by 20%.]
[Sermin’s Defense increases by 20%.]

Truth be told, her promotion should have happened long ago.
Yet it had not, until now.
The reason was simple: organizing a formal promotion ceremony required more hands than I could spare.
So I regretted it now, that nagging sense of incompleteness.
I wished I had promoted her beforehand and prepared the ceremonial proceedings later.
But there was no point in dwelling on it now.
Today, by chance, the entire force had gathered here.
So the promotion took place right then and there.
Applause erupted from all around.
“To be honest, I’d like to promote you one rank higher, considering your achievements back in Peronta. What do you think?”
In a few days, another opportunity for promotion would come around.
“I’m honored, but I must respectfully decline. I’ve already been rewarded for those past actions.”
As I say this, I glance at Ar with a wry smile.
Only Ar doesn’t understand the look.
I’m sorry—I’m the Judas who sold you out.
You have the right to resent me, but I ask you not to hate me.
I had my reasons too.
In any case, the promotion ceremony came to an end.
That’s when Neia spoke to me.

“Successor, I’ve retrieved the core of the TU-AR-0002 as you instructed.”

“Ah, good work. Can it be reused?”

“No, the core is essentially destroyed and cannot be reused. However, I believe some of the memory data within the core may still be recoverable.”

“Then handle it that way for now. We’ll discuss what to do with it later.”

“Understood.”

I turned to address the rest of them.
I spoke to everyone present.
“For the time being, we’ll be extremely busy with the City’s reconstruction work. Steel yourselves and give it your all.”

* * *

Having finally resolved the Gate crisis, I returned to the Command Center.
The busy work belonged to my subordinates.
A commander needs rest.
“I should head back, I think.”
I could sleep here well enough.
But the Gate I’d left open in the inner room of the Main House nagged at me somehow, so I decided to leave the Gate for the night.
“I’m counting on you for what comes next, Neia.”

“Yes, sir. Given how late it is, I recommend an early return home.”

“Right.”
I let out a short laugh and headed back to my room.
Then I collapsed onto the bed.
Considering it hadn’t been that intense despite being quite a commotion, exhaustion crashed over me all at once.
I fell asleep and woke at lunchtime the next day.
Maybe because I’d come home to the Main House after so long, I felt deeply rested.
As I was about to eat rice with the soybean paste stew Mother had prepared, a text arrived.

[An important problem has come up.]

An urgent message from Baek Jin-seong.

* * *

Baek Jin-seong woke relatively early.
Six in the morning.
The reason for the early rise was never knowing when a summons might come.
Yawwwn…
But he harbored no complaint about it.
The reason could be said to be this view he saw from the bed.
Despite having lived here for over a month now, the spacious house never ceased to feel unfamiliar.
And that’s not all.
Knock, knock, knock.
“If you’re awake, come have breakfast.”
The spread his mother laid out was a feast fit for royalty.
And afterward, the unhurried luxury of a single cup of coffee she’d prepared for him.
To his family, Baek Jin-seong was a hero.
“Oh, Father, about that golf club you mentioned before? It’s arriving tomorrow.”
“Is that so? Thank you. Here I am in my twilight years, seeing all my son can do for me…. It’s deeply moving.”
“Mother, did you end up liking that bag?”
“Of course.”
“Brother, what about me.”
“Sure, how much spending money do you need.”
Until not long ago, he had been practically a washed-up son.
Never made it to university. A failure by any measure.
Then he became a Player.
After awakening the Messenger trait, he’d managed to scrape together a living, though barely.
Yet that look of uncertainty had lingered in their eyes all the same.
‘My life turned around because of him.’
Since meeting Kang Seon-woo, his success had begun.
The way his family now revered him. The changed gleam in people’s eyes.
How could he possibly complain about something as trivial as waking up early.
“Well then, shall we get to work.”
Today’s schedule was a little different from usual.
Normally, his days would pass sorting through mail and waiting for Neia’s contact.
But even that necessity had fallen away now.
‘This means he trusts me now. Hehehehe.’
He started the car and drove toward his destination.
Following his instructions, he helped Kang Si-woo settle a score.
After completing the assigned quest, he returned home.
‘I must’ve earned some solid points today.’
This was how he continued to build his trust.
Just like that number he’d received yesterday.
“Might as well get some work done.”

[Will you enter the Tower?]

There were no particularly high-grade equipment transactions today, but he entered regardless.
The reason was to purchase items he’d been asked to obtain.
He didn’t know what they were for, but he’d been continuously instructed to buy various ores and materials at considerable expense.
It had been quite some time since he’d started acquiring such things.
Recently, he’d even requested the Kang Seong Guild’s assistance, so there was no real need for him to make the purchases himself anymore.
“Still, I can’t afford to slack off.”

[Entering Grace.]

The landscape of the Neutral Zone on the 20th floor, now familiar, met his eyes.
Before beginning work, there was one thing he always did first.
It was to link up with the drones waiting on standby in Grace.
Since it was directly tied to his safety, it had become routine.
“Drones, are you there?”
As soon as he spoke quietly from a corner of Grace, five Hunter Drones revealed themselves before quickly cloaking again.
This was all he needed.
The Hunter Drones would now provide him escort.
An arrangement Neia had put in place for his protection.
Grateful for it, he began his work in earnest.
He claimed a spot at the terrace of a tea shop in Grace’s bustling central district.
Then he activated his skill.
The skill he used was Community.
It was a skill that allowed him to access the internet even in places where external communications were blocked.

[Use skill ‘Community’?]

Baek Jin-seong used a skill he’d acquired while climbing the tower to revise his purchase listing.
He checked the quantity and overall pricing of that day’s inventory, then updated the post.
After that, he turned on the broadcast.
The usual good spot he always used when trading.
As he settled in with familiar ease and waited, viewers flooded in at a remarkable pace.

– Jin-seong!
– Another trading broadcast today?
– I thought you were clearing floor 21 lol
– Is Neia still in hermit mode?

Watching the chat mix greetings with complaints, Baek Jin-seong waved back.
“Welcome, everyone. Neia is preparing something separately at the moment.”
Baek Jin-seong didn’t mention the heroic-grade equipment acquisition on the broadcast.
There was a reason for it.
If he publicly purchased items, information about Neia’s armament would leak out.
Since that was never a good thing, he’d been buying everything strictly in private.

– Seriously, business is dead.
– It’s been an hour with zero customers. Is this real?
– If frustrated Jin-seong, upvote.

That day, material purchases were coming in slower than usual.
But Baek Jin-seong wasn’t particularly bothered.
The truth was, aside from buying stock, just sitting here with the broadcast running had its own value.
It came in the form of information the viewers brought up.

– Hey Jin-seong, did you hear? The Arc Guild started buying up Eclipse intel.

“Eclipse? Why would they?”

– Hell if I know.

An unsettling rumor circulating through the industry.

– There’s also talk that hunters active in Grace have disappeared en masse. Is that actually true?

“There’s such a rumor?”

– Yeah, they say activity’s stopped recently.

Changes occurring in the Neutral Zone.

– Someone’s bulk-buying Resonance Stones, word is. Prices might spike. Grab what you can now, even if it’s pricey.

“Oh, really?”
Market price information on specific goods.
All sorts of things like this came trickling through.
Good news, bad news, intel worth preparing for—everything.
Having access to such information proved useful.
In particular, the rumor that hunters active on this twentieth floor of Grace had vanished en masse was welcome news indeed.
Nothing was certain yet, but if it was true.
It would mean less of a burden when he and Neia cleared the floor ahead.

– Wait, is that the first customer?

It was just then.
Turning at the chat’s notice, a man appeared on the terrace, walking toward him.
It was a face he recognized.
‘What…? This person…?!’

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