Chapter 49: Rising International Tensions
All I had to do was think back to the Orc Great General's Munitions Factory on Floor 80.
The orcs on Floor 80 carried Gatling Lasers as their standard weapons.
There was a good chance I wouldn't be able to slaughter them as easily as I could other monsters just by relying on Laser No. 1.
In that case...
I'll worry about it when I get there!
Tomorrow's problems could wait until tomorrow.
Right now, it's time to go shopping.
[Available Contribution Points: 10,299,092]
[Total Contribution Points: 25,055,901]
[Current Rank: Two-Star General]
Wow. Just looking at my Contribution Points is enough to make me feel impressed.
I had more than ten million points available!
I was carrying enough Contribution Points to turn a Low-Rank Soldier into a One-Star General in one go.
Contribution Points earn more Contribution Points.
And that was precisely why I was going to spend more of them today.
Let's see.
[Contribution Point Shop]
Shopping was my favorite part.
But if I want the Knight Captain title, I won't be able to afford Knight Commander equipment.
To think I had ten million points and still couldn't afford to purchase Knight Commander equipment.
But I supposed this was the kind of luxurious dilemma only someone like me could experience.
[Contribution Points x1,050,000 consumed.]
[Tower Knights Knight Captain's Badge acquired.]
That activated another set bonus.
Next, I purchased the epaulet, belt, two earrings, bracelet, gloves, and boots.
[Contribution Points x8,800,000 consumed.]
[Available Contribution Points: 449,092]
[Total Contribution Points: 25,055,901]
I was broke again.
[The twelve-piece set effect of the "Tower Knights Knight Captain's Badge" has been activated.]
[Damage dealt to fellow humans increased by an additional 20%.]
[Damage received from fellow humans reduced by an additional 20%.]
I still need to replace my chest armor, pants, and helmet.
Higher-grade equipment sets had more pieces, which meant their twelve-piece set effects could be activated sooner.
Anyway, except for my chest armor, pants, and helmet, every piece of equipment I'm wearing is now an A-rank Artifact.
At this point, I doubted even the bosses on the floors in the seventies would be able to hurt me.
Shall I go defeat the Floor 71 boss now?
I was about to open a Gate when I stopped.
Let me check the Hunter Inventory forums first.
[Title: Tips for Defeating the Floor 71 Boss! Recommendations: 8,842]
[Author: Heavenly Demon]
- Before getting into the detailed strategy, I should emphasize that quick reflexes are crucial when fighting the Floor 71 boss. The boss, a Death Knight, is a master of sword-drawing techniques. If you wait until you see it draw its sword before trying to dodge, you should assume you've already been cut. To avoid this, you must first...
[Comments: 5,413]
- HeavenlyDemonFollower: Thank you for working tirelessly, day and night, as always, Heavenly Demon.
- AspiringOfficer: But do guides for the floors in the seventies even mean anything to people like us?
┗ Light: I used this guide to clear it too, lol.
┗ Archer123: Gasp! My Light, my salt...
- BackseatGamer: A- and B-rank Hunters should focus on collecting Tower Knights equipment. Once you've got Knight Division Leader equipment, you should have a decent chance of tackling the floors in the seventies.
Of course I had to read Heavenly Demon's guide before going.
Tokyo, Japan.
Prime Minister's Official Residence.
"Why did we lose again?!"
The Japanese Prime Minister slammed his hand onto the table and shouted angrily.
"Didn't you assure me that we would win this time? We even provided Katana with a special mana barrier! What exactly went wrong?!"
The other cabinet ministers in the office remained silent, their expressions grim.
When news of the previous week's defeat had arrived, everyone had confidently insisted that the next battle would be different.
After all, the S-rank Hunters themselves had presented evidence to support that claim.
But now that footage of Katana's barrier melting away helplessly had spread throughout the country, their confidence had vanished.
The Director of the Japanese Hunter Agency lowered his head and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"...There was a miscalculation, Prime Minister."
"What kind of miscalculation?"
The Director's expression stiffened.
As though he'd been waiting for that question, he immediately took out a tablet and played a video.
It showed the moment the red beams engulfed Katana's barrier.
"According to intelligence obtained by our agents, that Gatling Laser is classified as an A-rank weapon."
"Didn't we account for that beforehand?"
"Yes. That's why we provided her with a top-grade barrier capable of withstanding A-rank weapons. Under normal circumstances, A-rank protective equipment should be sufficient to withstand an A-rank weapon."
The Prime Minister frowned.
"Then why didn't it hold?"
"...That's precisely the problem."
The Director hesitated briefly before continuing.
"In theory, the barrier should have lasted for at least several dozen seconds, not merely a few. But in reality, it was breached almost immediately. The weapon's destructive power was several times greater than we anticipated."
"What are you talking about? How can two weapons of the same rank differ in power by several times?"
The Director swallowed nervously.
"Of course, Hunter Choi Hyunwoo is a One-Star General, so his higher-grade Tower Knights equipment is undoubtedly a contributing factor. But even after accounting for that, the weapon's destructive power far exceeded our estimates."
"So what's your conclusion?"
"That Gatling Laser he's carrying... may actually be an S-rank weapon."
"...!"
The Japanese Prime Minister's face filled with shock.
"S-rank? How is that possible?"
"We can't say for certain. However, given the available evidence, it's currently the most likely explanation."
"What evidence do you have?"
"It's not just the destructive power. Its Mana Stone consumption efficiency relative to its firing duration also differs significantly from our estimates. An ordinary A-rank weapon simply couldn't produce those figures."
"...Has the United States confirmed any of this? They possess a considerable number of Gatling Lasers themselves, don't they?"
"We've made inquiries, but we haven't received an official response. It seems they're being cautious because the matter is so sensitive."
The Japanese Prime Minister already understood the general situation.
Even A-rank weapons considered to be at the lower end of their category could cost several billion yen.
Higher-end A-rank weapons sometimes fetched tens of billions.
But an S-rank weapon?
That's an item so rare that even nations struggle to obtain one.
S-rank weapons almost never appeared on the market.
And when they did, the seller could practically name any price.
Actual transactions were so rare that it was difficult to find examples even on a global scale.
Yet an individual, an unidentified Hunter from Korea, was carrying one around.
Of course, Choi Hyunwoo's identity had become somewhat better known after his personal appearance during the Resource War.
If anything, that made the situation even more suspicious.
Just a few months ago, that man had no noteworthy record and wasn't even registered with the Association. Yet now he possesses an S-rank weapon?
The Japanese Prime Minister found the story almost impossible to believe.
The Director continued.
"There's also the possibility that he's wearing a much more complete set of Tower Knights equipment than we anticipated. But whichever explanation is correct, neither is good news for us."
"So you're saying the gap between us might continue to widen as time passes."
"That's correct."
The Prime Minister sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Then what are we going to do about it?"
"We need additional support and a larger budget for Japanese Hunters."
The Prime Minister immediately frowned.
"Our tax burden is already considerable. We also have to consider public support. During the previous budget allocation, even the tax reductions promised to S-rank Hunters attracted considerable criticism, not only from the opposition but from within our own party."
"I understand. However..."
"And if we approve yet another budget increase, the media will accuse us of throwing money into a bottomless pit."
The Minister of Finance, who had been listening quietly, cautiously added his opinion.
"That's correct. Criticism about our lack of results relative to the amount of money we've spent is already coming from several quarters."
The Director of the Hunter Agency became serious.
"Winning the Resource War is precisely how we can earn the public's support. And that's exactly what responsible spending of tax revenue should achieve."
"...Hmm."
"To put it bluntly, if we can reclaim the oil field, a few tens or even hundreds of billions of yen will be insignificant. I'm sure you're well aware of the estimated value of the Japan Sea oil field, Prime Minister."
The Prime Minister remained silent for a moment before finally nodding.
"...I see! You're right. That certainly makes sense."
To be honest, rather than continue showing the public one defeat after another, it might be better to commit a substantial amount of money and fight with everything they had.
That might even be the more advantageous choice politically.
Approval ratings tended to rise when the public felt the government was actively doing something.
They certainly didn't rise when the government sat around hesitating.
The Prime Minister turned toward his aide with a determined expression.
"Establish a special committee capable of immediately allocating a budget of several trillion yen. There must be no delays."
"Yes, Prime Minister!"
A delighted smile spread across the Director's face.
The aide quickly made a note in his notebook.
"What should we call the committee?"
"...The Special Committee for Strengthening Next-Generation Hunter Forces should be suitable."
"Understood. I'll immediately send official notices to the relevant ministries."
And so Japan decided to pour an enormous amount of its national budget into developing its Hunters.
As the officials left the meeting room, each wore an expression filled with complicated emotions.
Some were relieved.
Others were anxious.
But nobody dared suggest reversing the decision.
Tower of Fate, Floor 71.
[Floor 71 Boss, "Death Knight Captain," defeated.]
[Floor 71 of the Tower of Fate has been cleared.]
I hadn't even needed a strategy.
I'd simply fired a few shots from Laser No. 1, and the boss had died.
They said even A-rank Hunters had to form parties, set up camp, and spend days trying to clear this floor.
The victory was almost disappointingly easy.
It definitely looked stronger than the Death Knight I saw on Floor 41, though.
That probably meant I'd become much stronger since then.
I couldn't help feeling a little proud of myself.
As expected of the Knight Commander's Wings. They're definitely worth the three million Contribution Points.
Perhaps because it was undead, the Death Knight had been fairly resilient.
Unlike the previous bosses, it hadn't melted away instantly.
However, as long as I had my wings and could fly through the sky, a swordsman who could only fight on the ground would never be able to reach me with his blade.
The same applies to Hunters. Melee Hunters will never be able to beat me.
Once again reminded of the greatness of my Tower Knights equipment and Laser No. 1, I gathered up the loot the boss had dropped.
"At this rate, maybe the other bosses in the seventies won't be much of a challenge either."
I grinned and stretched.
Then an idea suddenly flashed through my mind.
I muttered to myself.
"The East Sea oil field originally belonged to me. I'm the one who opened the Gate and brought it into existence beneath the sea. So I suppose holding a Resource War over it was one thing."
After all, it was true that I'd used a rather unconventional method to obtain it.
Besides, what was done was done.
There was no changing the past.
"But holding another Resource War over the same oil field, and then another after that, seems a little unreasonable, doesn't it? I created it using my own legitimate abilities, invested my own money in it, and defended it with my own strength. So why should the Japanese, who haven't contributed even the tiniest amount to my oil field, get repeated chances to take it for free?"
The arrangement didn't seem fair to me at all.
Just then...
Ding!
[The location of next week's Resource War is scheduled to change.]
