Laborer Mr. Kim Reaps Sweet Rewards with Auto-Hunting - Chapter 26

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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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Episode 026

“Why, why are you all looking for someone heading out on a long journey tomorrow? What’s the occasion?”

America’s number-one ranked Hunter, Ralph.
Current climber of the 67th floor of the Chaos Tower.
The world’s strongest Hunter.
Tomorrow, he was supposed to fly to China….
But suddenly his dedicated management team wanted to see him?
And in a hurry, at that.
Maybe they were planning to give him some kind of potion.

“Come on, I keep telling you there’s no need for this. It’s nothing. This isn’t even my first S-class Dungeon.”

It was always like this.
Everyone always worried too much.

“Ralph, just come here and watch this footage first. It’s the current situation in China, and something doesn’t feel right about it.”

But these people.
The atmosphere was oddly serious?
What was going on.
He tilted his head and watched the footage—

“What is this? A movie?”
“It’s the actual situation in China. Just filmed, too.”
“That’s…?”

Not a movie?
That couldn’t be right.

“Those countless monsters surging like a tidal wave—are they all real?”
“Yeah.”

Looking again, that was right.
It was real, after all.
A horrifyingly vast number of S-class Dungeon monsters.
Hunters desperately holding the line against them.
But….

“This is completely different from what I heard.”
“That was three days ago. Before you went to clear the 67th floor, Ralph. Things have already gone to hell since then.”

Three days.
The situation had changed that drastically in just that span?
They’d said it was manageable.
This was….

“I could be in serious danger too.”
“Exactly. Monsters that look like they belong in an S-class Dungeon keep pressing forward….”

No.
And it wasn’t even just about holding them back.

“I have to punch through dozens of kilometers of that and then clear an S-class Dungeon on top of it?”
“That’s what the Chinese are asking for, yes.”
“That’s insane.”

Even granting it a hundred times over — we can stop it?
That’s right.
We can do it.
But….
Push through that and make it to Central’s S-class Dungeon?
Does that make sense?
We’d have to cover at least twenty to thirty kilometers….

“Ralph, what do you think?”
“What do I think? It takes seconds to see the answer.”

An S-class Dungeon.
Even if we’ve cleared one before, it’s never simple.
And tearing through that sea of monsters in the process?

“We’d end up following Wei Jin to an early grave — so why bother?”
“Which is precisely why we called you.”
“What, because you want us to help them out?”
“Ha. Just joking.”

Right.
It’s absurd.

“There’s no reason a top-ranked Hunter should risk their life to bail out China. That’s our position.”
“It landed. I think the same way.”

I was planning to go because it meant profit.
But this changes things.
Their rewards are tempting, I’ll grant that….
But worth risking my life?
Not a chance.
No.
Even if they threw everything at me, I’m not going anywhere near that place.

“Unless we could board a plane and drop right into the heart of the S-class Dungeon.”
“And get shot down by monsters in transit?”
“I’ve got no interest in becoming a fireworks show, so that’s off the table.”

Okay, decision made.

“Send out a notice. Tell them I suffered major injuries while clearing floor 67, and I’ll be out of commission for a while. They’ll figure out what that means.”

China?
Well, they’ll manage on their own somehow.
If they can’t hold it back and get pushed back….
How’s that my problem?
Though.

“There is one thing I’m curious about.”
“This one?”

A document the intelligence division obtained.

“A Korean craftsmaster made China an offer to clear their S-class Dungeon for them….”

The content alone sounds insane.
But.
The performance of those things the craftsmaster supposedly made — it’s ridiculous?

“Why else would Hunters ranked first and second in Korea jump more than sixty floors in the blink of an eye after receiving weapons from him?”
“Someone used a dragon to climb, but….”

I know, because I climbed it myself.
How absurd that sounds.

“Get that craftsperson’s contact for me. I’ll pay generously—have them make something I can use too.”

Pulling off that kind of feat with materials from below the 60th floor?
If I had them craft something from my collected materials….
Could I finally surpass the 67th floor, the one I failed to conquer this time?

[China’s last hope! The world’s number one, Ralph, is expected to arrive in China at….]

What is this.
Last hope, apparently.
I have no intention of going.
China can….
Well, they’ll figure it out themselves.
That craftsperson said they’d help, didn’t they.
Maybe reach out to them instead.

* * *

[Breaking: America’s number one, Ralph Carter, is reported to have suffered severe injuries while attempting the 67th floor of the Chaos Tower-.]
[Ralph makes official statement: deeply sorry, cannot travel to China!]
[Will the world’s top Hunter’s absence have an impact?]
……
…

The card everyone had been counting on.
The sudden absence of the world’s strongest Hunter.
This butterfly effect rolled forward quickly.

[Britain’s Arthur, suspending external activities due to personal matters.]
[Germany’s number one, Lucas. Reported to have been hospitalized in a traffic accident-.]
……
…

– Thank God we don’t have to go to China lol.
– I canceled my flight right away haha
– So what, there’s literally no top-ranked Hunters in China now???
└ Yeah, at most mid-50s tier
└ They really got screwed….

Even the other top-rankers who’d been watching from the sidelines withdrew.
The Hunters who hadn’t departed yet?
They quickly rejected the contracts.
The problem lay with the Hunters already in China.

– Wtf they were just watching and now they’re bailing;;;;
– A Hunter in a traffic accident?? That makes no sense
– Bro even I’m climbing floor 27 and I can dodge a car lol
– They’re scared lmao
– Fuck I’m scared too….

No.
Ralph alone wasn’t enough—the rest of the top-rankers are pulling out too?
And other Hunters aren’t coming either.
You all said you were coming!
We came because you said you were coming.
If I back out now….

– I was blocking monsters on the front lines and just got sent flying. This is getting hopeless. Everyone needs to decide quick.
└ How bad is it there??
└ No Hunters above 60th floor, tops maybe mid-50s, but monsters keep multiplying. It’s hell.
└ Hah…. China being China, even the monsters fight by numbers;;;

The atmosphere grew darker by the minute.
Even the optimism we’d been clinging to had already shattered.

– Looking back now, something was off from the start;;;
– I mean….

Wei Jin, China’s number one.
When he entered the dungeon, he was level 62.
Even a top-tier Hunter like that is dead….
Why did I think this would be easy?

– We got blinded by the rewards.
– No, they said rankers from the five great nations would come too….
– We really botched the judgment call.

——-
[Request]

<Dungeon> S-class Dungeon Break near Beijing, China. Assistance from Hunters worldwide is needed.
– China, Central Awakener Management Bureau
——-

A request from China.
The condition for success: clear the dungeon.
Is that even possible?

– Absolutely impossible
– This is hopeless.
– Run
– The planes aren’t taking off anyway?
– Still, let’s bail and get as far from Beijing as we can

The dream of a life-changing reversal was over.
Fine. At least I’d save my own skin.
Come on.
Let’s all get out of here.

* * *

“The tide has finally turned. We’ll be hearing from them soon.”
“Wow, you predicted that?”

Impressive.
You foresaw America’s number one not showing up?
A true professional, after all.
Looking at you differently now.

“What? I’m no fortune teller. I’m just a merchant.”

Wait.
You didn’t predict it?

“I had a rough sense of it. If they’d all pooled their strength, they might’ve pulled through, but….”
“Only?”
“Well, it’s not even their own country, so why would they risk their lives?”
“Fair point.”

Ah.
That makes sense.
If someone asked me to stake my life there right now?
I wouldn’t go. Not a chance.

Ding!
[New Request]
S-class Dungeon Break near Beijing, China. Hunters from around the world are needed to respond.
Additional Reward: Robin Hood’s Bow Fragment
– China, Central Awakener Management Bureau

Oh?
A request.

“Right on cue, huh?”

Additional reward—Robin Hood’s Bow Fragment.
Hmph.
About time.
So, shall I accept it?
I was just about to hit accept when—

“Director, wait!”
“Yes?”

Our Todd.
He stretches out his stubby arms to block me.

“The stakes have changed since last time, sir. We should ask for more.”

More?
What else could there be to get?
I asked.

“I don’t know either, sir. But if we refuse, don’t you think they’ll scrape together everything in their warehouse and offer something more?”

All right.
Unfortunate as it is, our workers here aren’t satisfied with this alone.
Bring more to the table.

* * *

“How did it come to this….”
“I apologize. Hunters continue to withdraw from the operation.”
“The front line?”
“Currently, ten kilometers from Beijing….”
“We’ll be breached within days. Damn.”

There’s no way around it.
We’re out of options.
Only one choice left.

“Director of the Personnel Management Office—send him the request. Tell him we’ll give him Robin Hood’s Bow Fragment.”

Give him what he wants.
Make him come running to save us.
I’d psyched myself up for this, made the decision…

“I apologize. The Personnel Management Office director… he refused.”
“What?”

He refused?
Why?

“He said to bring more.”

A grinding sound of frustration escaped me.
That greedy bastard.
The Robin Hood’s Bow Fragment isn’t enough for him—he wants to squeeze every last drop…

“Director, what should we do?”
“What can we do? Is there even another option…? Fine. Give him that too.”
“Do you mean… that?”

Right now in China, there are only two items that qualify as “that.”
The Robin Hood’s Bow Fragment, about to be handed over.
And the Potential Increase Potion.

“No, that one was meant for Chen Wei…”

This won’t work.
I’d been saving it for when Chen Wei reached the sixties in the Tower…
And there’s only one.

“If I’d known it would come to this, I should’ve used it regardless of whether a higher baseline ability makes it more effective…”

Damn.
No, that’s not it.
If I’d known…
I should’ve said yes right from the start, when he first offered the Robin Hood’s Bow Fragment.
But the ship has already sailed.

“There’s no choice. Better than sitting idle and watching everything collapse…”

It galls me.
If only Wei Jin were here.

“Tell him he gets everything.”

But only after he’s cleared the S-class Dungeon—the core of this Dungeon Break.
If he can’t clear it, the answer is no.

* * *

Ding!
[New Request]
<Dungeon> S-class Dungeon Break near Beijing, China. Hunters worldwide needed for assistance.
Additional Rewards: Robin Hood’s Bow Fragment, Potential Increase Potion
– China, Central Awakener Management Bureau

“Great. What now…”
“Yes, sir. Those types never hide anything without reason.”
“Hooray! Long live Beardy!”
“Oooh-yeah!”

That…
Rania.
Our teddy bear just pulled off something big, so stop tormenting him….
But what is this Potential Increase Potion?

“That probably won’t do much for you, Director. It’d be better to give it to the workers.”
“I see….”
“Arthur?”
…….

Right.
Either Arthur or Robin.
One of you two, definitely.
I don’t need to get stronger anyway.
Not particularly ambitious about it.
You’re doing everything for me anyway!

“Well then, shall we head out?”

A dungeon in China, not Korea.
At first, I was dizzy with the thought.
Wondering if I’d have to relocate.
But there was a way around it.

“You can use the Temporary Dispatch Range Expansion Ticket. You should find it in the point shop….”

Temporary Dispatch Range Expansion Ticket.
I have one of those?
Let me crack open my inventory.
There it is.

[Temporary Dispatch Range Expansion Ticket]

When was that again?
I got it as a reward after clearing the training grounds five times.
Tear it open?

[Using ‘Temporary Dispatch Range Expansion Ticket’.]
[Please select a country to expand the range.]

The whole world pops up.
Let me see… I’ll pick China.
Has it expanded now?

[Dispatch Workers]
– Dungeons

I tap it.

“Wow….”

Definitely China.
With so much land, the number of dungeons was insane.
There’s no comparison to Korea.
Finding the right one took forever.
Scrolling down, I spot it.

[S-class Dungeon]

There.

“Arthur, Robin—you’re ready, right?”
“Let’s go, boss!”
“……Yeah.”

Robin had said he’d go alone.
But it didn’t look easy—not one bit—so we decided to send both of them together.
That grueling S-class Dungeon.
If anyone can clear it and come back in one piece, it’s those two.

“Boss, I trust you.”
“…Easy.”

Right.
I trust them.
So don’t either of you get hurt out there. Just come home safe.

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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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