Laborer Mr. Kim Reaps Sweet Rewards with Auto-Hunting - Chapter 58

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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 58

“An S-class Dungeon appeared early this morning. Near Pyongyang, no less.”

The Director’s voice crackled through the receiver.
Yun Ji-hyeok, a section chief at the Awakened Management Bureau, tilted his head.

“North Korea?”
“That’s right. North Korea.”
“How…why there?”
“Why? When has a Dungeon ever announced itself before appearing?”
“Well, that’s true, but…”

No.
Even accounting for that, it didn’t make sense.

Why North Korea specifically?

Well….
Theoretically, it was possible.

The Chaos Tower—one per nation.
But the Korean Peninsula, divided into North and South?
Simple answer.
Whoever’s stronger owns it.

[Name: Hong Gildong (Lv. 1) / Republic of Korea]

That’s how the status windows of Korean Awakened appeared.
What was it like in the early days?
God.
It was absolute chaos.

[Name: Hong Gildong (Lv. 1) / Republic of Korea]
[Name: Hong Gildong (Lv. 1) / Democratic People’s Republic of Korea]
……
…

Republic of Korea one moment, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea the next.
One blink and he’d be listed as South Korean again.
Why?
Because nationality switched based on whoever had cleared the higher floor.
Korea’s current highest clear was floor sixty-two.
An S-class Dungeon….
Right.
About time one showed up.

“If it’s near Pyongyang, they must be desperate right now. They can’t possibly clear it with their abilities.”
“Their top Awakened only reached floor fifty-seven recently. Christ, those bastards. When do they ever cause problems? Only when they pull this ethnic brotherhood nonsense.”
“They’ve got no shame, sir.”

The Director’s words.
Yun Ji-hyeok agreed completely.

“That ‘ethnic brotherhood’ garbage….”

Things were quiet now.
But those bastards used to be hell on wheels.
What wasn’t there.
They tried sending awakened spies and nearly got caught.
Some of them even made it through for real.
We barely caught them before they could cause any damage.

“Every other day they’re sending spies or attempting attacks, and now they’re asking for help? Jesus.”
“Though lately they seem more cautious—maybe they anticipated something like this?”

Fair point.
Ever since Lee Bo-jun and Baek Hwa entered the 61st floor, they’ve been quieter.
They know it too.
An S-class Dungeon breaking is hell.
Everything’s unfolding exactly as predicted.
Anyway.

“So they’re requesting support to clear an S-class Dungeon? That’s out of the question. How are we supposed to trust North Korea and send people there?”

Well, they’ve got the capability.
The anonymous hunter who climbed to number one in the Ranking.
Probably the Personnel Management Bureau Director, I’d guess.
And Lee Bo-jun, Baek Hwa too.
All of them are talent capable of clearing S-class Dungeons.
The Personnel Management Bureau Director especially might even—.

“Clear it without asking, just because they feel like it.”

That person.
More than capable of clearing it.
And judging by how the post they made on Awakened Net is still up there unchanged, they’ve got more than enough motivation.
But….

“Wait? You want support for both clearing the tower and suppressing a rebellion?”

Rebellion?
No.
What the hell is this supposed to mean….

* * *

“Comrade Director, word just came in through Awakened Net. All operations were successful.”
“Good, excellent. Tell the comrades to get their families evacuated to the prepared safe zones first, then have them report directly here immediately.”
“Understood.”

North Korea.
A dingy building near Pyongyang.
A man addressed as Comrade Director held a cigarette in his mouth with a bitter expression.

“Comrade Director, shall I get you a light?”
“Not needed.”

A light?
Not necessary.
Whoosh.
Fire was easy enough—just a flick of his fingers.

“Damn these Republic pigs.”

His name was Park Moo-pal.
Revolutionary Talent.
In South Korea, they called them hunters.

“Of course. To disrespect the Colonel, no less.”
“Colonel, what are you…. I’ve already left everything behind.”
“You mustn’t speak that way.”
“It’s fine. You should go now.”
“Understood!”

Yes.
Within North Korea, his position was Combat Director of the Revolutionary Talent Unit.
His rank: Colonel.
With 1,328 Revolutionary Talent operatives under his command, it was certainly a prominent post.

A Kkotjaebi by origin.
How had someone scorned everywhere managed to climb all the way to Pyongyang, the heart of the Republic?
Simple.
He possessed overwhelming power—the Republic’s premier Revolutionary Talent.

“And how many dungeons have I crushed until now? These ungrateful wretches….”

Current Tower conquest depth: 57 levels.
Park Moo-pal knew it well.
57 levels?
He’d be welcomed anywhere, even if he switched to a country other than the Republic.
Truth was, he’d already received many offers.
Messages came regularly through the Awakened Net, available only to Revolutionary Talents.
And his response?
Refused them all.

A Kkotjaebi who once couldn’t afford food, rolling through the streets—hadn’t he already achieved success by rising this far?
Why go abroad for anything else?
This life satisfied him.
Or so he’d told himself.

Until recently.
Until he received an order that made no sense during the China crisis.

[The S-class Special Dungeon incident occurring in the People’s Republic of China constitutes a grave threat to international peace and the stability of the socialist bloc. Accordingly, Colonel Park Moo-pal, Combat Director of the Revolutionary Talent Unit, shall proceed with all dispatch to the dungeon outbreak location—]

Display revolutionary fervor and combat prowess, it said.
A command filled with bullshit.
Why so many words?
Was Park Moo-pal too ignorant to understand?
The core message was clear.

“China’s in chaos. Therefore, you’re going.”

But no.
Did this make any sense?

Minimum requirements for conquering an S-class Dungeon:
– Successfully cleared the Chaos Tower up to the 61st level or beyond.

No Revolutionary Talent could be ignorant of this.
Especially a Chinese dungeon?
Wei Jin, a core Revolutionary Talent from China, had died even at 62 levels….

“Now you’re ordering me—a Revolutionary Talent who’s only cleared the 57th level—to go.”

What could this mean?
Simply: die.
He’d dedicated his life to the Party, and for what?
He didn’t understand, but what could he do?
Refuse and I’d be dead.
The Revolutionary Talent Unit isn’t invincible.
Especially not someone like Park Moo-pal, who wields fire-based magic.
Well, what can you do.
I went to China with escape on my mind.
Fortunately, the Personnel Management Bureau director—a South Korean Awakened—resolved it for me. But….
Did that erase my doubts?
No.
Of course not.
I couldn’t make sense of it, so I investigated. And eventually, I figured it out.

“A party cadre’s son climbs to the fifty-second floor, so they’re going to replace me with him?”

Ha.
Damn pigs.
As if I’d just sit still and die.
I have power.
That’s why I tried to escape.
Then, all at once.

‘If I run, what about all the others who followed me?’

The countless Revolutionary Talent members under Park Moo-pal.
Park Moo-pal himself—from the Kkotjaebi, with no ambition—he’s satisfied with three meals of rice and meat broth.
Would the others be the same?
No.
Most were dragged in by coercion.
Their families back home, their neighbors—held hostage for their lives.

Predictable and tedious method.
When someone awakens as Revolutionary Talent, the party first secures their family’s whereabouts.
Then relocates them to another region.
Naturally.
That region is kept secret from the Awakened.
Meeting them?
Not a chance.
If they can exchange even occasional contact, that’s a blessing.

“I’m a child of no one. If I run, that’s the end of it….”

Well, the party would chase me, sure.
But.
How exactly would they catch me?
Nonsense.
But the others….
They’d never escape.
Some might even face execution for the crime of losing me, the Combat Director.
So from then on, I prepared.
I’d guarantee their families’ safety if they followed me.

“Truly remarkable fellows….”

Fortunately, persuasion was easy.
The Revolutionary Talent members had no deep sense of loyalty.
Unlike the general populace, whose information is tightly controlled.
They had access to the Awakened Net, an open information network.

If it were just Park Moo-pal alone, maybe I wouldn’t have stood a chance.
But with the Awakened Net as a tool, preparation became convenient.
And the Japanese contacts who reached out at just the right moment were a tremendous help.

“I have no idea how they found out and managed to contact me….”

But it helped, didn’t it?
Thanks to them, I quickly pinpointed the whereabouts of the Revolutionary Talent families.
And I’ve secured safe locations for them.
Of course, there was still much to prepare.
I was planning to do a bit more groundwork before launching the revolution.
But then this crisis suddenly erupted.

[An S-class Dungeon outbreak has occurred near Pyongyang. Colonel Park Moo-pal, Combat Director of the Revolutionary Talent Unit, is to proceed immediately to the Dungeon site.]

By any reasonable standard, I should be requesting aid from South Korea.
But would they grant it?
They’re desperate to kill me.
As expected.
The order came down to him first.
Go there and die.

If I do nothing, it’s a senseless death.
What choice do I have?
I made my move according to plan.
The result, at least, is a success.

“Fortunately, to make management easier, I’d concentrated the families in just a few locations, which made things quick. But the real problem begins now….”

The abilities of the Revolutionary Talent members.
They’re no match for the People’s Army in a direct confrontation.
Our Revolutionary Talent members are human, after all.
If dozens of bullets punch through them or a missile lodges in their body, they’ll die.
But if we resort to guerrilla warfare?
It’s absolutely worth a try.

“Now I have to make a decision.”

Park Moo-pal.
The fifty-seventh floor of the Chaos Tower.
He doesn’t possess the overwhelming power that those above the sixty-first floor do.
If he did, the People’s Army might be quite the match for him….

“Sigh….”

But what can I do?
I have to try everything I can.
There are two options.

One: request aid from the Japanese bastards who’ve been sending me messages.
Two: request aid from the Personnel Management Bureau Chief.

If I choose option one?
I’ve already heard what they have to say.
They said they’d help the moment I ask.
In exchange, all the Revolutionary Talent members must naturalize along with me.
If they do.
They guarantee the safety of all the Revolutionary Talent members and their families, and promise them a comfortable life.

Even if I’m crude, I know this much.
Logically speaking, this choice makes sense.
But.
If all of us cross over, what becomes of the people who know nothing?

Well….
Pyongyang and its surroundings—no trouble there.
It’s the party cadres who’ll handle it.
There are Revolutionary Talent among them too.
They’ll crush the Awakened on their own.
But what about the other regions?
I don’t need to see it to know what’s coming.
Plenty of areas will be abandoned.
And everyone living in those places will die.

“Greed….”

A Kkotjaebi by birth.
I’ve spent my life giving things up, so I understand the limits well enough.
How could anyone save everything?
Some sacrifices are necessary.
And yet.

“Director of the Personnel Management Bureau…. I suppose I can make one request of this Revolutionary Talent.”

It’s different from what I bargained for with the Japanese.
What could I really ask of him anyway?
To come sweep away the People’s Army?
To accept us?
Just….

“If he could clear an S-class Dungeon, that would be good. And to protect the comrades who followed me, he’ll need strength—so if possible, just one weapon of my choosing….”

* * *

Meanwhile, in a conference room in Tokyo, Japan.
Half-bald men were talking frantically over one another.

“Nearly all the pieces are in place.”
“The People’s Army should move soon. We’ll be hearing from them any time now.”
“It’s taken long enough.”

On the monitors before them?
The situation inside North Korea was being broadcast in real time.
How it’s progressing.
The projected developments—everything.

“Still, acquiring a talent like Park Moo-pal—isn’t this wait worth the price?”
“Absolutely. Fifty-seven floors with no support whatsoever.”
“Isn’t that more talent than Lee Bo-jun, who ranked first in Korea before?”
“Incomparable. Bo-jun had all of Korea’s backing to climb that high.”

That’s right.
Lee Bo-jun?
Without that support, he never would’ve made it to fifty-eight floors.
Park Moo-pal, on the other hand?
He’s clawed his way to fifty-seven floors despite being half-abandoned by North Korea—that’s genuine talent.
With just a bit of weapon support, he might even reach sixty floors.
Japan’s current elite stands at fifty-five floors.
A fifty-seven floor talent coming our way?
Of course we’re salivating.

“But if the Personnel Management Bureau Director makes him a weapon, won’t that ruin our plan?”

Park Moo-pal’s intention.
I see it all.
That he’s going to ask the Personnel Management Bureau for help.
But….

“Will he? That Personnel Management Bureau chief—the one who squeezed Ralph Carter from the United States for so much material.”
“True….”

What could Park Moo-pal, abandoned even by North Korea as a hunter, possibly offer?
Nothing. Literally nothing.
The state seized all their materials, everything.
There’s no way he’d agree.
So.
Give up on this dream and naturalize to Japan.

* * *

“Manager, what if we made this?”
“This?”
“Yes, a request Park Moo-pal submitted. It looks pretty solid.”

Huh.
It didn’t seem like much at first glance.
But if Todd says so….
It’s worth trusting.
Should I give it some thought?

—————
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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