I Conquered the Tower with the EX-Class Character That I Raised - Chapter 86

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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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Chapter 86
I gazed down at Richard Sterling’s corpse, now cold and lifeless, and dialed Min Ji-hee’s number.
The call connected before the first ring even finished.
[Yes, Apostle.]
“Richard Sterling is dead.”
[…Pardon?]
“I’ll send you the footage. Check it yourself.”
I tapped Whitey lightly, and the creature transmitted a carefully ‘edited’ video to Min Ji-hee.
[Transmission complete. Agent, I’ve added some screen shake effects and fade-out techniques for blockbuster-level tension.]
‘Well done.’
[…What, what is this?]
I pulled up the footage Whitey had created and watched the short film alongside her.
The moment the screen came to life, a grotesque Corrupted Entity shrieked with a bone-chilling screech.
The camera angle shifted perfectly, amplifying the monster’s ferocious presence.
[Apostle, what is that beast on the screen?]
“A monster called a Corrupted Entity. Richard Sterling personally delivered it here, intending to unleash it in the heart of Hanam Fortress.”
[…!]
I heard Min Ji-hee’s sharp intake of breath.
Then the scene cut.
On screen, a confident Richard Sterling unleashed his abilities in rapid succession.
A massive golden scale tilted with a resonant sound, blinding flashes erupted, and then came the grand moment—Richard Sterling drawing forth a colossal golden hammer.
[Is that Golden Arsenal? Richard deployed all three of his abilities…? The threat level of that beast is high enough to demand his full power?]
Min Ji-hee’s voice had grown noticeably heavier than usual.
In her eyes, Richard Sterling would appear as a ‘resolute S-rank Hunter making a desperate stand against the monster.’
The truth was simply that he’d panicked when he tried to attack me and coated himself in buffs.
Then another cut.
The Corrupted Entity on screen released a grotesque shriek and fired hundreds of black tentacles!
Zzzt— Pop!
As if a powerful mana wave had destroyed the camera itself, the screen filled with analog TV static and flashed red.
And after the noise cleared, the zoomed-out footage revealed…
Richard Sterling’s corpse, sprawled with a clean hole bored through his forehead.
[Hah…]
A heavy silence fell from the other end of the line.
[…Even after deploying all his abilities, he fell in a single strike.]
In truth, that hole was made by my finger, but the editing was so flawless that it looked like he’d been pierced through by a tentacle and killed instantly.
‘Whitey, your editing skills are insane. You deserve an Oscar.’
[It was thanks to your excellent camera angles, Agent.]
I spoke in the most serious and solemn tone imaginable.
“Yes, it’s tragic. He lost control of the bomb he brought and ended up being destroyed by it instead.”
[Then you subjugated that beast, Apostle.]
“Yes.”
The scene where Muzzle No. 1 had cleaved the sky was naturally edited out entirely.
Min Ji-hee exhaled a long, shallow breath, as if she couldn’t even begin to fathom what kind of desperate battle I had waged against that Corrupted Entity.
[Being killed by the monster he brought himself is self-inflicted. However, if the American side learns of this fact, they will throw a fit…]
“Throw a fit? Their own head got blown off while they were attempting terrorism. If anything, we should be demanding compensation from the American Hunter Association for damages.”
I nudged Richard’s sprawled corpse with the tip of my shoe and let out a soft chuckle.
“Besides, just before this bastard died, he was screaming that he’d donate the exclusive rights to the 40th Floor Mine and the entire S-rank artifact warehouse to our country.”
[What?! Those premium resources?]
Of course, Whitey had recorded every word of it.
“So tell Commander Lee Hyung-je to take this video and extract every last thing according to Richard’s ‘dying wish.'”
The dead have no voice.
But when edited footage meets a greedy merchant, the dead man’s coffers open infinitely wide.
[Understood. And I’ll also include ‘reasonable’ compensation for damages. I’ll relay it exactly as you’ve said.]
“Good.”
The call ended, and I stretched while gazing up at the clear sky of Incheon.
Today’s farming haul was exceptionally sweet.
* * *
Min Ji-hee hadn’t recovered from the shock.
On the terminal screen, a frozen frame of video.
The composition was rough—the typical raw feel of a camera hastily thrust forward during an intense battle.
But her sharp eyes perceived what lay beneath the surface.
The ‘truths’ that had been edited away between the moment the tentacles extended and Richard’s fallen corpse…
‘The filming itself is questionable, but the editing bears the touch of a professional.’
To others’ eyes, it would appear merely as disaster footage, but to her—seasoned in information and deception—the meticulous polish was unmistakable, an ‘artificial perfection.’
The methodical approach to handling matters that the Apostle typically displayed.
Evidence footage produced immediately, as if he had been waiting.
And the presence of Snow White, the ultra-advanced AI beside him who controlled all electronic devices and information.
When all the clues aligned, Min Ji-hee pierced through the Apostle’s true intention.
‘Richard wasn’t killed by the monster.’
The Corrupted Entity and Richard Sterling.
Both were eliminated by the Apostle’s hand.
Why?
The puzzle fell into place easily.
It was undeniable that Richard had smuggled in the Corrupted Entity and attempted terrorism in the heart of Hanam Fortress.
For the Apostle, whose purpose was South Korea’s revival and perfect clearance, that act of terrorism—throwing a bomb into one’s own home—crossed a line that could never be tolerated.
Thus, swift justice and exemplary punishment.
The monster, which was the terror weapon, and Richard, the instigator, were both mercilessly erased.
‘The conditions for Richard’s donation that the Apostle mentioned…’
They must have been compensation that Richard himself had offered, desperately trying to save his own life after his terrorism was exposed.
But the Apostle, without mercy, extracted only the price of his life and disposed of Richard.
And by cleverly editing the footage to disguise Richard’s death as an ‘accident,’ he had even handed South Korea the justification to legally strip the United States bare.
‘Human morality, justice, compassion… Such things are merely cumbersome ornaments to The One.’
Only overwhelming power and efficiency mattered.
A chill ran down Min Ji-hee’s spine.
The terrifying realization that her enemy was such a merciless and meticulous predator.
After confirming every detail of Richard’s will that the Apostle had sent, Min Ji-hee called Lee Hyung-je without a moment’s hesitation.
“Commander, please suspend negotiations with the association leaders and come to my office immediately.”
[Huh? We’re in the middle of the best part right now. The waiting list prices are skyrocketing.]
“Richard is dead.”
[…Gasp.]
Through the receiver, I heard Lee Hyung-je’s sharp intake of breath.
But the shock was fleeting.
Golden Mine seemed to instantly calculate the ‘estimate’ of the situation, releasing a low, viscous chuckle.
[Krhehe. This deal is a hundred times more lucrative than squeezing wallets from small fry. I’m on my way.]
* * *
Beep beep, beep beep beep—!
The largest monitor among the direct hotlines connecting to each nation’s Hunter Association, installed in one corner of the command center, began wailing with a crimson glow.
The emblem displayed on the screen’s center was the Stars and Stripes.
It was the American Hunter Association headquarters.
“They’ve arrived. They must have detected the loss of vital signs.”
Min Ji-hee straightened her posture with composure.
Lee Hyung-je likewise wiped away the thick greed that had shadowed his face, resetting his facial muscles into an expression of solemn sorrow as if he’d never been any other way.
“Connecting now.”
The screen activated, revealing the face of James Sterling, the Vice-Chairman of the American Hunter Association.
Richard Sterling’s younger brother.
An incompetent fool who sat in this crucial position solely because of his blood relation to Richard.
[…Min Ji-hee. Just now, our association chairman’s vital signs disappeared. What in the world happened at Hanam Fortress?]
His voice and demeanor dripped with arrogance.
Yet Min Ji-hee opened her mouth with unwavering composure, her tone infinitely sorrowful.
“Vice-Chairman. I regret to inform you of most grievous and tragic news.”
[Tragic news?]
“Chairman Richard, while protecting us from an ‘unidentified monster’ that suddenly appeared at Hanam Fortress… fell gloriously in battle.”
[…What?]
James on the other side of the screen shot to his feet.
[Don’t be ridiculous! Richard Sterling, dead at some Korean fortress? This is clearly assassination! Did you really think you could lay a finger on the world’s strongest nation’s chairman and walk away? Mobilize every elite hunter team we have and turn Korea into rubble right now…!]
“Assassination, you say.”
Even amid his fierce protests and threats, Min Ji-hee’s voice was as cold as frost.
“Are you rejecting our goodwill in concealing this horrific truth and preserving his honor?”
At a single gesture from her, the carefully edited ‘version’ that Whitey had meticulously prepared and Richard’s ‘will’ file were instantly transmitted to the American side’s monitor.
On screen, a grotesque monster roared, Richard unleashed every buff at his disposal to face it, and then collapsed.
A corpse with a clean hole drilled through its forehead.
And Richard Sterling’s vivid voice following in sequence.
—I will cede the exclusive rights to America’s 40th Floor Mine and its artifacts to South Korea!
[T-This is fabricated! Deepfake! Dispatch an international investigation team immediately to uncover the truth…!]
“An international investigation team, how convenient.”
Min Ji-hee’s lips curled upward as if she’d been waiting for this moment.
She tapped her fingers lightly across the keyboard.
Ding!
Instead of video this time, a torrent of classified documents cascaded across the American monitors like a waterfall.
“Richard Sterling’s ledgers of drug trafficking with Mexican cartels, evidence of his involvement in the deliberate closure of the 15th Floor, and even… illegal human experimentation data targeting underage Awakeners.”
[…!!]
“If this were exposed to the world… you know better than anyone what would become of you, Vice-Chairman James Sterling.”
A ragged gasp tore from James’s throat.
“Make your choice.”
Min Ji-hee stared directly at James through the screen, driving the final nail home.
“Either we broadcast Richard’s pathetic death alongside all these ugly truths to global media live, or you accept the ‘will’ we’ve prepared and let us package him as a hero who sacrificed himself for humanity.”
[Ugh…!]
Cold sweat poured from James’s forehead like rain.
His small, greedy mind began spinning frantically as if it might burst.
There was no way to refute this!

James himself knew better than anyone that those documents were genuine—he’d been complicit in covering up his brother’s dirty dealings all along.
At that moment, Lee Hyung-je, who had been silently observing the situation, interjected smoothly.
“Vice-Chairman James Sterling. Or rather, the next ‘Chairman.'”
A flinch.
James’s shoulders trembled at the word “Chairman.”
“Your brother was nothing but a headache anyway, and he’s gone now. We’ll quietly bury the filthy mess your predecessor left behind. You need only stamp your seal on that heroic will. Then the American Hunter Association, which was on the brink of collapse, will be saved, and you’ll become the esteemed next leader of the world’s mightiest nation.”
[….]
“The 40th Floor Mine shares and artifacts are… quite a bargain price for the Association’s survival and your throne, wouldn’t you say?”
Lee Hyung-je’s words slithered into James’s ear like a serpent’s tongue.
James’s pupils, trembling with shock and terror, began to flicker—and then a sickly gleam of greed slowly kindled within them.
‘Clean up my brother’s mess, and I become Chairman…’
James grasped the microphone with shaking hands.
The fury that had raged moments before about erasing South Korea from the map vanished without a trace.
[…It is deeply regrettable news, but our Chairman always spoke habitually of his willingness to sacrifice his life to prove ‘humanity’s greatness.’]
James forced out a semblance of grief and declared solemnly.
[Honoring the wishes of my great predecessor, I will actively accept his will. Send the will execution documents by fax immediately.]
“A wise decision, Chairman.”
Click.
The video conference ended.
“….”
“….”
Min Ji-hee and Lee Hyung-je stared at the darkened monitor, their eyes meeting across the table.
They had achieved a flawless victory against the United States—the world’s supreme power that had always held South Korea by the throat, dictating its every move.
“Kahahaha! Now that’s what I call proper negotiation—seizing your opponent by the collar and shaking them down!”
Lee Hyung-je clutched his stomach, his laughter bubbling forth uncontrollably.
The bomb that had threatened South Korea had vanished, and America’s most valuable resources and vulnerabilities now lay firmly within their grasp.
‘To have seized such decisive control over the United States so cleanly… I never imagined it possible.’
Min Ji-hee tapped the documents on the table into neat order, her smile breaking through despite her efforts to contain it.
The Apostle had constructed the perfect stage, and they had seized every advantage without hesitation.
‘Did the Apostle plan all of this from the very beginning?’

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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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