Chapter 72

Chapter 72.

In 2 hours, the Unlimited Monster Wave would begin.

…It was hard to accept so easily.

A Monster Wave itself was a disaster that anyone from the Republic of Korea had suffered through until they were sick of it.

But what was “unlimited” supposed to mean?

And what was this absurdly unfair timing, starting in just 2 hours?

However, time was too precious for me to panic and blank out like Cheol-su.

I immediately sent whispers to Han Seol-ah and Lee A-un, then had Snowy send an emergency message to Yeriche as well.

1 hour and 59 minutes remained.

Not even a slight waste of time was allowed.

I composed myself.

I grabbed Cheol-su, slung him over my shoulder, and leaped out through the window.

Fortunately, Cheol-su did not resist or pointlessly ask me, “What do we do?”

“Call Min Ji-hee.”

Snowy placed the call immediately.

Beep—

[Apostle!]

Min Ji-hee must have been waiting, because she answered before the dial tone could even ring once.

“You understand the situation, right?”

[Yes. But this is the first time I have ever heard of an ‘Unlimited’ Monster Wave. There is too much uncertainty…]

‘…Min Ji-hee.’

Because the situation was so serious, her usually coolheaded voice had sunk endlessly low.

Certainly… this was a case we had not anticipated.

Who could have expected the Tower to launch this kind of “quantity offensive”?

Everyone had naturally assumed a “Boss” would appear.

But…

To be honest, the moment I checked the alert, I actually felt relieved.

‘You stupid bastard of a Tower.’

Since I kept killing the Bosses it thought I could not kill, it must have decided Bosses were not enough.

But it was wrong.

If one of the Bosses I had expected had appeared, even I would not have been able to achieve a no-death clear.

But this quantity offensive instead of that Boss?

Good.

This was extremely good.

It almost felt as if the Tower had been considerate toward me.

‘Not that there is any way that is true.’

So this had been a fight from the beginning over whether the Republic of Korea could endure long enough for me to get the time I needed.

But… in the entire world, which place was best at stopping Monster Waves?

The Republic of Korea.

‘Monster Waves? We are used to them.’

A normal Break generally involved countless small fries pouring out, with one or two semi-Boss-class entities appearing as well.

And the Republic of Korea had endured that tenaciously for 10 years.

After a brief sigh, Min Ji-hee composed herself and began briefing me calmly.

[Following the manual, we have immediately enacted the mobilization order and are establishing a defensive line.]

An immediate summons. And Hunters who immediately responded to it.

As expected, the entire country itself was a specialist in Wave preparation.

The Republic of Korea’s Monster Wave defensive capability was the best in the world.

And the one who had created that defensive capability was Min Ji-hee.

To withstand this hellish Wave, she had established a very simple and certain four-step countermeasure.

1. Throw in the Tankers.
2. Heal them with Healers.
3. Hold out.
4. Han Seol-ah kills everything.

In summary, they built a defensive line, blocked the enemy, then counterattacked and annihilated them.

Right now, they were summoning Tankers for the first of these four steps.

[Especially now that Hunter Han Seol-ah has become EX-rank…]

“No.”

I cut off Min Ji-hee’s briefing midway.

[Pardon?]

“Han Seol-ah cannot participate in this defensive battle.”

[…Pardon?]

Min Ji-hee asked back in a daze.

“Min Ji-hee. This Wave will be different from the usual ones.”

[That may be true, but…]

It was a Monster Wave with the name “Unlimited” attached.

The Tower did not bluff.

Literally, Monsters would pour out without end.

“Annihilating them is impossible.”

They might be able to stop one or two Waves that way.

However, with human strength, blocking an infinite tide of Monsters forever was impossible.

The moment they chose the option of blocking them, destruction would be guaranteed.

The only difference would be whether they postponed it by one day or by one week.

[Even with the power of ‘Necromancy’ that Apostle used when you killed Resonar?]

As expected, she had been relying on my power.

“Yes. It is not enough.”

But unfortunately.

That was also the wrong answer.

[Then…]

Min Ji-hee trailed off.

The despair hanging at the end of her words came through the signal.

“Yes.”

Now that the situation had come to this.

There were only two methods.

Clear the 94th Floor of the Tower.

Or the Republic of Korea would be destroyed.

And no sane person would choose the latter.

From the beginning, there had only been one method we could choose.

[…Apostle.]

Min Ji-hee’s voice trembled.

[Please tell me that is not what you mean.]

I understood her fear.

Ten years ago, the day the Tower devoured every Hunter in the Republic of Korea who was S-rank or higher.

The day the Republic of Korea’s future disappeared.

Min Ji-hee had been the person in charge of the “Tower climbing plan.”

[Th-That place… That place is not somewhere humans can clear.]

As if she had fallen into a panic, Min Ji-hee’s voice shook violently.

“No.”

This time, too, she was wrong.

“It can be cleared.”

If it was me.

…And if I had the “party” I had gathered.

“I will explain the operation.”

[…]

Min Ji-hee only breathed harshly, huff, huff.

She could not answer.

“One. Minimize the front line. With the existing method, the defensive line will be too long. If fatigue accumulates, one place will collapse, and once that happens, the entire front will collapse like a dam breaking.”

[…]

“Two. Give up on the idea of counterattacking. Jin Cheon-jin must be used as a firefighter to fill in collapsing sections of the front. Mobilize all of the Information Team and Special Operations Team, including Jang Ho-hyeon. Do not think of holding any reserves back.”

[…Yes.]

Min Ji-hee barely squeezed out an answer.

“…Three. Hold out.”

[How long should we hold out?]

“Until I return.”

[Will you definitely return?]

Haha.

At those words, I laughed without realizing it.

“It will not take long.”

Instead of waiting for an answer, I ended the call.

Yes.

Today, I was entering the 94th Floor.

If I failed, the Republic of Korea would be destroyed.

But.

‘I can clear it.’

I would definitely conquer the Tower.

For this one thing…

I had waited 10 years.

***

Min Ji-hee dropped her phone.

Her legs gave out, and she could not stand properly.

Jin Cheon-jin gently embraced Min Ji-hee as she was about to collapse.

“I will redraw the front line from now on.”

“Tell me. I will relay it.”

Min Ji-hee drew the front line in her head.

Like a Boss Break, a Monster Wave also began in “Pyongyang.”

The Monsters’ behavior pattern was simple.

They pursued living things. And killed them.

Using that pattern in reverse, Min Ji-hee often used a strategy that narrowed the front line.

If living beings were spread out widely, the Monsters’ attacks would also disperse widely.

That was why other countries that blocked low-floor-level Monster Waves spread their fronts as widely as possible and attempted to defeat the Monsters individually.

But if the Republic of Korea used that method, it would be no different from simply spreading bait over a wide area.

The quality of the Monsters was different.

That was why Min Ji-hee narrowed the front line.

She drove the Monsters together as much as possible.

Then, if the Tankers ground down their bodies, and at times their lives, to hold out…

Han Seol-ah wiped them out in a single strike.

That was how the Republic of Korea blocked Waves.

‘Even though I minimized the front line with painstaking effort, Apostle still said it was wide.’

Snow White was an information-specialized artificial intelligence that contained as much past information as possible.

There was no way the Apostle wearing it would not know the Republic of Korea’s methods.

‘…That means I have to improve it further.’

Min Ji-hee accepted that as encouragement to “work harder.”

He was the Apostle who had declared that he would enter the 94th Floor of “that” Tower to save the Republic of Korea.

She would no longer do the foolish thing of doubting his sincerity.

He was a man whose thoughts she could not read.

He was a superhuman whose limits could not be seen.

But at least his desire to save the country was sincere.

‘The Tankers’ equipment… has been upgraded significantly.’

With this, it would be possible to hold out longer with fewer people.

“The existing Tanker Team structure consists of 128 teams… We will divide them even more finely. Into 512 teams. Their equipment has improved, so they can endure even with fewer people. We will shrink the front line, shorten the rotation cycle, and run an infinite rotation. I will write the list immediately. A laptop.”

“Mm.”

Jin Cheon-jin carefully seated Min Ji-hee on a cushion and brought a laptop in front of her.

Min Ji-hee muttered the Tankers’ names and traits aloud as she began typing at incredible speed.

TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP.

“Where will the battlefield be? Paju as before?”

“…No, that will not work.”

Min Ji-hee answered without stopping her fingers.

“Seoul.”

“Seoul…? All of a sudden?”

“More precisely, around the Tower… We will establish the front line there. Between Geumam Mountain and Gaek Mountain. With Namsan, where the Tower stands, behind us… in the valley between them.”

The place Min Ji-hee indicated was a strategic point closest to the Tower, with mountains on both sides, allowing the front line to be narrowed as much as possible.

It was not a place she had thought of on the spot.

It was a place Min Ji-hee had once marked as the location where she would make a “last stand.”

Hanam Fortress.

To minimize the movement of Demonic Beasts, defensive facilities and physical barriers had been built on the mountains, and various structures had even been installed where the defensive line would be established.

However, it was not enough.

Though it was called the final fortress created by conserving and squeezing out the Republic of Korea’s resources…

Because the country had so little, it was far too embarrassing to even call it a fortress.

‘…If even one Hunter familiar with earth-type magic remained in our country, we could have reduced the damage by raising defensive walls…….’

Since they had no such talent, they would ultimately have to receive the attacks of the pouring Monsters with the Hunters’ bare bodies.

It was going to be an unbearably difficult battle.

Ring-ring—

Just as she was thinking that.

She received a call from Kang Hyo-jun.

‘Why is the Market calling?’

“Hello.”

[It is me.]

“I am busy right now.”

[…I know. I am busy too. Haa.]

“Get to the point.”

[Are you going to fight at that fortress in Hanam?]

“There is nowhere else.”

[…This is a message from the person I serve.]

‘The person he serves?’

Kang Hyo-jun was the administrator of the Black Market’s Korean branch.

He was not in a position where he served someone…

[We will dispatch one S-rank physical enhancement-type Hunter.]

“…That is you!”

Min Ji-hee’s eyes widened.

The Black Market was absolutely neutral.

It never lent its power to a nation or an individual.

The case of the Indian branch, which had not helped even when India was being destroyed, proved that.

But what Kang Hyo-jun was saying now…

Meant Kang Hyo-jun, an S-rank Hunter himself, was coming to help defend against the Wave.

‘Impossible! Could it be?’

Who was capable of making something this absurd happen?

Only the Apostle.

‘Special One…! Is he using that status here? Or perhaps the authority of Numbers 1?’

If Kang Hyo-jun helped, it would become possible to deploy Jin Cheon-jin and Kang Hyo-jun in alternation.

That alone would increase their strategic options countless times!

But Kang Hyo-jun was not finished.

[…One S-rank earth-type Hunter.]

“!”

Among the Hunters affiliated with the Black Market, there was only one S-rank earth-type Hunter.

The person in charge of the Italian Market.

The Snake Holding Holy Water, “Happy!”

‘How can this be!’

The Wave defensive battle began simulating itself in Min Ji-hee’s head from the very beginning.

‘With Happy’s help… we can strengthen the fortress enough!’

Then the difficulty of the defensive battle would drop sharply.

‘This kind of… this kind of gift…!’

He must have been busy enough focusing on conquering the Tower, yet when had he prepared this kind of countermeasure in that brief instant?

Just how many moves ahead into the future had he seen?

[And…]

“There is more?”

[I prepared Tanker-use Artifacts for you last time.]

“Yes!”

[…This time, I am bringing Healer-use Artifacts.]

“What about the Points…?”

[Golden Mine, that man, put in some effort.]

‘Golden Mine? Uncle Hyeong-je?’

At that moment, a deep male voice cut in through the phone.

[Yo, Ji-hee. Long time no see.]

“Uncle! A-Are you all right now?”

[…Yes. I have decided to stop living in seclusion, cowardly waiting for death.]

“….”

[They were originally Points I meant to use for something else… but Special One told me not to worry and to use them all up. Hahahat.]

It had been a defensive battle that felt as if she were walking into the jaws of death with despair and a faint trace of resignation.

But now, hope had appeared.

Min Ji-hee’s expression hardened coldly.

“Hurry here. All three of you.”

They would definitely hold out.

Until Apostle returned…!

***

I could see the Tower.

“….”

‘It has been a while.’

I looked back.

“Apostle!”

An EX-rank Frost Sorcerer with white hair flying behind her.

The Debuffer, Han Seol-ah.

“Brother!”

An EX-rank Deathlord and A-rank Spirit Sorcerer, his entire body wrapped in bandages.

The Tanker, Lee A-un.

“I am here.”

The strongest priest on earth. An S-rank Saintess.

The Healer, Yeriche.

“…Hello?”

B-rank Kim Cheol-su.

My 94th Floor climbing party.

“Let us go.”

I placed my hand on the entrance of the Tower.

[Welcome back]

[94th Floor Climber, Ha Seong-un]

As I stared at the Tower’s Status Window, familiar… yet so old that it felt unfamiliar.

[Will you resume the climb?]

[1. Yes] [2. No]

…I pressed “Yes.”

Now.

…It was time to return as Ha Seong-un, the “First Climber.”