Chapter 05
The Power of Heroes — Stage 1
The Korean Hunter Management Bureau had been working overtime day after day.
EX-rank Hunters really did exist. Clearing Floors 1 through 3 consecutively with EX-rank times? There was no way those records could be errors.
The real question was who this person was. Section Chief Oh Seung-woo had worked with the National Intelligence Service to dig through every bit of information they could find, but no Hunter stood out.
“This is enough to make a ghost weep.”
“Why? You’re happy about it too, aren’t you, Chief? How many floors do you think this EX-rank Hunter will climb?”
Administrative Officer Kim Min-jae held out a cup of instant coffee. Oh Seung-woo took it and gulped it down.
“At least Floor 65.”
The current record for the highest floor cleared in the Tower of Trials was Floor 64, set by Ronald, America’s number-one-ranked Hunter.
Second place belonged to China’s Li Wei, who had reached Floor 63. Third and fourth place belonged to France and the United Kingdom, respectively. Both had reached the low sixties.
“Korea might even reclaim the world’s number-one ranking.”
“Just imagining it makes me happy! And we could get our hands on the Tower of Trials’ blessings while we’re at it. China practically monopolizes them right now. They’ve had their fun for long enough.”
“It’s not just that they’ve had them for a long time. They’ve been abusing their position however they please. Everyone knows how tyrannical the Black Dragon Guild is.”
“Exactly! Just last year, one of our mana stone processing plants nearly went bankrupt because of them. The Black Dragon Guild suddenly threw a fit and refused to supply us with mana stones.”
Min-jae’s blood boiled whenever he thought about it.
“Chief, honestly, doesn’t it bother you that China controls the mana stone supply? I heard Li Wei alone mines ten mid-grade mana stones a day.”
“No. Twenty. China enters the Tower twice a day.”
“That’s thanks to the Floor 15 blessing, right? I’m so jealous. If only we had that.”
“Apparently, they sometimes receive double rewards, too, thanks to the Floor 5 blessing.”
A single mid-grade mana stone was worth approximately 1,000 low-grade mana stones. While it was possible to break a mid-grade mana stone down into low-grade ones, the reverse was impossible.
In other words, Li Wei alone generated economic value equivalent to one billion won a day. And that was without even counting Gate raids. He was powerful enough to influence the flow of mana stones across the entire world all by himself.
“And on top of that, China monopolizes the Tower of Trials’ blessings.”
Section Chief Oh Seung-woo gave a bitter smile.
Every five floors, the Tower of Trials granted a permanent blessing to the Hunter ranked first on that floor. China currently held twelve of those blessings.
In other words, China had monopolized them. How was that possible?
China didn’t try to take first place on every floor. Instead, it focused exclusively on floors that were multiples of five.
They never sent Li Wei in first. They waited until sufficient information had been gathered and a strategy had been developed, then casually broke the existing record.
You could call it cunning. You could call it intelligence. Of course, none of it would have been possible without Li Wei himself.
Every one of his stats was supposedly S-rank, his unique skills were extraordinary, and his country supplied him with everything from equipment to elixirs. With that kind of support, preventing him from taking first place was practically impossible.
But if this EX-rank Hunter really exists…
Korea might be able to steal those blessings away.
It might even overturn China’s monopoly over the mana stone market.
The entire international order could be shaken to its foundations.
A new world order with the Republic of Korea at its center.
Oh Seung-woo was usually a pessimist, but even imagining such a future made his heart pound with excitement.
Li Wei, the master of China’s strongest Hunter guild, the Black Dragon Guild, and China’s number-one-ranked Hunter, glared at the screen.
Until just moments ago, his name had been displayed beside that record.
Now, a Korean EX-rank Hunter had taken his place.
“Look at this. What we feared has become reality. Korea’s EX-rank Hunter is now poised to steal the Tower of Trials’ blessings from us.”
The Black Dragon Guild members erupted in furious shouts.
“Let’s turn Korea into a wasteland right now!”
“Why don’t we unleash the Gates on them?!”
“Cut off their mana stone supply!”
The problem with the Tower of Trials’ blessings was that only Hunters within the appropriate level range could set new records.
Even if Li Wei went back and cleared Floor 1 in a single second, he couldn’t reclaim the record. Once a record was taken from him, there was no getting it back.
That meant they had to crush the threat before it could grow.
Anyone who stood in the way of their grand ambitions had to be eliminated.
“Enough. Ryu Je. What about the people we sent to Korea?”
A young man who looked visibly intimidated answered him.
“I-I have a report, Master. We sent information-gathering, recruitment, and assassination teams to Korea, but we haven’t found any clues.”
“Absolutely nothing?”
“Other than a Hunter named Kwon Min-gi who supposedly used Inferno in a Gate, there’s nothing particularly noteworthy…”
“Kwon Min-gi? That parasite who attached himself to the Red Mage?”
Li Wei twisted his lips into a sneer.
“Kwon Min-gi can’t even use Inferno, and he’s not EX-rank either. Only Hunters within the appropriate level range can set Tower rankings. The Hunter who used Inferno back then might be the EX-rank one. Find him.”
“We’ve tried, but there’s no information… I-I’m sorry! That might be our only lead to the EX-rank Hunter, and yet…”
“So I have to do everything myself after all. Useless fools.”
The members of the Black Dragon Guild immediately lowered their eyes.
Their silence amounted to agreement, which made Li Wei even more displeased.
“B-but, Master… If I may be so bold, how could sparrows like us ever hope to match your abilities?”
Only Ryu Je dared to speak up.
It wasn’t flattery. He was simply stating a fact, and Li Wei’s displeasure subsided.
“Tsk. From the looks of it, even Korea hasn’t found him yet. They intend to wait until I find him myself.”
The Korean Hunter Management Bureau was rather cunning, too.
They pretended to be incompetent to get other people to act, then used those actions to their advantage. They certainly knew how to manipulate people from behind the scenes.
“If I personally go to Korea, are they planning to carry out a terrorist attack against me? I won’t dance to Korea’s tune. We’ll do this instead: cut off their mana stone supply.”
“But there’s a massive trade deal scheduled for the end of this month…”
“Cancel it. All mana stone trade with Korea is suspended until they find the EX-rank Hunter and hand him over to us.”
The Black Dragon Guild members began murmuring among themselves.
Some were surprised, but most were praising Li Wei.
As expected of a man capable of controlling the international mana stone market all by himself!
Only Ryu Je seemed unable to join in. He hesitated before speaking again.
“Master, forgive my impertinence, but… what if we find the EX-rank Hunter?”
“We kill him. The Great Nation will take care of the aftermath. Unpredictable variables must be eliminated. For the sake of humanity’s future, all buffs must be concentrated in the Great Nation.”
Ryu Je hesitated for a moment before finally gathering his courage.
“M-Master, if I may ask… is it really necessary to kill the EX-rank Hunter?”
The members of the Black Dragon Guild were collectively horrified.
“Who the hell is his direct superior? And who’s his mentor?!”
“My God! Master, I sincerely apologize on his behalf!”
“Call security! Drag him out of here immediately!”
“Ryu Je has finally gone and done it…”
“Enough!”
Li Wei’s single word silenced the entire guild.
He rose to his feet and personally approached Ryu Je.
“Ryu Je. Give me one reason why I should let the EX-rank Hunter live.”
Ryu Je’s mouth felt as though it might freeze shut from fear and tension.
“B-because the EX-rank Hunter… might be stronger than you, Master. There’s an old saying that the best way to win against a powerful enemy is to defeat them without fighting.”
Li Wei stared at him for a long moment before letting out a derisive snort.
“There cannot be a Hunter stronger than me. Ryu Je, spend one day facing the wall in meditation and reflecting on your actions. That’s your punishment for daring to doubt me.”
Li Wei was completely serious.
The world believed him to be the strongest detection-type Hunter alive. But the entire world was being deceived.
Even his fellow Chinese citizens had fallen for it.
Fools. The true value of a detection-type Hunter lies elsewhere.
What could a detection skill detect?
Items? Monsters? Skills? The movement and concentration of mana?
All of those things pointed toward a single conclusion.
I can predict where Gates will appear. I have no choice but to become the strongest. And I must remain the strongest.
He monopolized the items and elixirs that came out of Gates.
Li Wei quietly clenched his fist.
Everything I do is for the sake of humanity.
While Korea and China were occupied with their own thoughts, Jeong-ho returned after clearing the first floor of the Tower of Heroes.
[Name: Son Jeong-ho]
[Unique Skill: Enter the Tower of Heroes]
[Stats] [Level: 4]
- Strength: F
- Agility: F
- Constitution: D
- Sense: F
- Mana: F
- Luck: F
– Power of Heroes: Stage 1
[Common Skills: Enter the Tower of Trials, Original Fire Bolt]
He had even gained a mysterious new ability called Power of Heroes: Stage 1.
Jeong-ho returned to the Tower of Heroes’ Floor 0, the dimensional shop known as Daepanda.
“Mr. Daeyoung, there’s something I wanted to ask you… Who are you?”
An unfamiliar old man was sitting in a small wooden boat inside Daepanda.
There shouldn’t have been any river or water there, yet a transparent water surface rippled only beneath the boat.
The old man seemed to know Daeyoung. He gave a faint nod and swiftly lifted his traditional conical hat.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m an old fisherman who fishes for the passing years. Just call me Old Man Kang.”
An old fisherman who fished for the passing years?
Jiang Taigong?!
Wasn’t he a figure from nearly the age of mythology, rather than an ordinary historical era?
Of course, Jeong-ho didn’t know whether this was the actual person or merely someone using his name.
–
Daeyoung had said that before. Could this really be Jiang Taigong himself?
Jeong-ho wasn’t sure what to believe.
“Are you really the actual Jiang Taigong?”
“Hm? Of course I’m myself. Who else would I be? More importantly, young man, I hear you’ve just climbed the Tower of Heroes.”
Jiang Taigong hopped lightly out of his boat.
His feet made no sound when they touched the ground.
He seemed almost as though he didn’t belong to this world. Even standing right beside Jeong-ho, he gave off no sense of actually being there.
“Would you mind if this old man took a quick look at you?”
Jiang Taigong examined Jeong-ho from every angle, then grinned broadly, baring his teeth.
“You’ve awakened the Power of Heroes! Excellent. That means I can start teaching you right away!”
“Wait a second. I was actually going to ask you about that. What is the Power of Heroes? Why did a new stat appear on my status screen?”
Jiang Taigong stroked his beard.
“The Power of Heroes is a higher-order stat. It belongs to a dimension of power above all other stats. That’s the reason one climbs the Tower of Heroes.”
“Is it better than mana?”
“Much better! With the Power of Heroes, you can cast spells to your heart’s content even if your mana is weak. Though it won’t be easy.”
Daeyoung, who had been listening from the side, let out a deep sigh.
