Chapter 380, Raid Prohibited (7)
My shocking statent made the number one ranked hunter freeze in place. So much so that his face was paler than when I'd hurled all sorts of curses at them during our worst argunts.
"—..."
Spouting nonsense about it being an agent rather than an alien. But for an Earth native, that was about as far as I could stretch the excuse.
"What's the point of revealing my identity when you're so stranger from the universe anyway?"
Judging entirely by the senses of the Earthling Kim Giryeo, the Alphaus simply appeared as a bizarre lifeform, its body coated in a sticky kaleidoscope of colors. Imagine how one would feel if billions of people roaming that space all looked like such monsters. And in that alien world, if I were the only one standing there, draped in opaque skin, what would that feel like? For these reasons, I had to conceal my deepest secret. Even this cradle of life, so warmly familiar like Earth, was, for , who had erged onto the land, a world that would remain forever alien.
"No matter how beautiful or magnificent a planet is, in the end..."
Sadly, it's true that an outsider has to be careful wherever they go.
"Besides, the power of language is incredible. It's simple to say sothing out loud, but once it lodges itself in soone else's mind, it becos really hard to take back."
I once again reminded myself here that I can only erase mories by using high-level magic.
Of course, the reason I was talking nonsense doesn't end here. Setting aside my personal concern of not wanting to complicate things, the truth is, it's probably better for those Earthlings not to know whether extraterrestrials even exist.
"I don't want to cause innocent humanity stress for no reason."
At that mont, a picture of a governnt official with a sour expression flashed through my mind. But, true to my cold-blooded origins, I coldly ignored the award and focused on the current situation.
"Anyway! From now on, there's no need for persuasion or wasting ti. No matter how the other side acts, I just have to do my job."
At this point, there's one more difficult point I need to address.
This world...
If tax paynt is delayed, this is a planet that imposes a penalty for each 'day' that passes.
Therefore, I thought of the debt I had to pay starting in February and imdiately set about what needed to be done.
"Hunter Kim Giryeo... really... you're, um, an informant...?"
While the other person was flustered, I brushed past him and confidently entered the dungeon.
From Jung Haseong's perspective, honesty, there was nothing left to do. An SS-rank veteran patriot—posing as a current national agent—was about to start operations for the citizens, silently protecting South Korea from the shadows. What justification could an ordinary citizen, who had lived without any particular cause, possibly have to stop this?
***
A national hero thrown into a whirlwind of shock over a single lie. But the harm to innocent citizens didn't stop there.
"Hunter Kim Giryeo? What brings you to Seoul...?"
"Ah! Did you co because of that? Did you see on TV all the fuss about the unprecedented Cataclysm Dungeon or whatever?"
"Hunter Kim, it's alright. We can handle this among ourselves..."
A few days later, having given up on winning with words, I appeared before the humans with a more ruthless deanor than ever. And as I swept aside the S-rank individuals blocking my path, I said,
"Ah, alright. I appreciate the sentint. Everyone, step aside. The President says, for the sake of the residents' health, don't drag this out stressing people—just get it done quickly."
Boldly trading on a famous na! Since I was freely controlling corpses, I lied without even twitching an eyelid. For reference, Namgoong, the person whose position as South Korea's 2khm president I had impersonated, was reportedly clueless and busy just setting up an ergency response committee.
"D, directly from such a high place...?"
"Huh? What? No. Wait, what on earth was that just now?"
Seo Esther's eyes went wide like a rabbit's. anwhile, Jung Haseong, who had been blocking the dungeon entrance, was pushed aside as fragilely as a newborn gazelle by a single gesture from , an extraterrestrial being.
Thud.
It was, in many ways, a scene close to chaos. But then again, even on days when I spoke the truth, things were always a ss. Facing the monuntal task of 40 billion, I decided to refrain from dragging out any half-hearted persuasion.
"Now that I think about it, with a 40 billion won tax delinquency, I might actually get to see the president—though not in a good way."
I wanted to avoid being expelled from South Korea at all costs. There were still so many foods I hadn't tried. This country offered all four seasons, mountains, rivers, plains, and even the sea, all in one place. It ant it was perfectly suited to the circumstances of an alien whose hobby was observation.
So, I entered the [Cataclysm] new gate alone, the one the other S-ranks had been struggling with.
"No, Jung Haseong-ssi. I said, tell in detail. What did Giryeo actually say?"
"I'm not sure if I should explain this with my own words..."
Of course, clearing it didn't take long. I erged so quickly that even the guild leaders who had been bickering near the dungeon entrance fell silent. To think I had dealt with the troubleso nest that the strong had been cautiously probing for days in an instant.
Thud, thud, thud.
Finally, I stepped outside, holding the enemy commander's head in my hand. Roughly estimating, the interior of this gate was unsuitable for weak transporters to enter. So, using the insight of an archmage, I personally collected the valuable items and exited.
"Ah, perfect. Today yielded a ton of items!"
Moreover, when I defeated the boss, a reward that actually looked worthwhile appeared for the first ti in a long while.
A high-grade rare earring.
Depending on the appraised value of this item, which was loaded with various effects, the remaining debt could vanish in an instant.
"G, Giryeo-ssi."
But in case things didn't go according to plan, there was also a need to deal with those human speed bumps.
"Hello, Guild Master Esther. It's been a while since we last t."
Now, anyone could see it was a perfectly human-like greeting. Dressed in a suit like a private company employee, I conveyed my intentions.
"By the way, I'm late in ntioning this, but I was actually a patriotic, awakened secret governnt agent."
"Yes?"
"And since I really enjoy protecting South Korea, I'm working of my own accord. Sorry, but please don't get in the way of the only joy in my life—"
"Y, yes!?"
"Then, thank you for your hard work today."
Each of them was an absurd statent, but that was exactly the point I was aiming for.
"When an SS-rank Hunter starts pushing through with force, the reasons don't really matter anymore."
I decided to solve the problems I'd been facing with 'ti.' Even now, thinking back, it was a real sha that Jung Haseong, who had almost been fully persuaded, turned away because of the island removal process. One year, five years, ten years, twenty years. What would happen if I kept showing that I could survive perfectly well over such a long period? Would they really continue to react annoyingly and over-sensitively even after that?
"The likelihood is low."
Honestly, the misunderstanding that I was a patient facing death would gradually fade with ti. Above all, if it weren't for a case like "40 billion by February," I wouldn't even need to work every day, right?
First, I'll use less or whatever it takes to cover the 40 billion won. After that, I can seriously consider when to retire."
But the current confusion is only a temporary inducent.
"Let's just keep going until then."
Once I secure financial peace, from that point on, it would be fine to spend a few years engaging in conversations, just as I was thinking.
I prioritized and firmly grasped the head of the boss I had just acquired. For reference, the head of the monster that appeared this ti was made of an extrely high-strength material that even an S-rank Hunter could never break.
"Given these characteristics, maybe it could fetch a good price?"
Modern hunters can make money this easily. But since reaching my goal was still a long way off, even as I returned to my newly purchased house, I kept glancing around, looking for any empty gates.
.
.
.
By the way, this is going to get sorted out even faster than I thought.
"Oho."
A few days later. It was already the second week of January.
Ssak.
I swiped through my phone to check the calendar. There, on a date not far off, I noticed the word Daehan (Great Cold). As the term itself implies, it's the period when bitter cold sweeps in. Yet, during this harsh season, I was instead comfortably enjoying the cushion of my bank account.
"Just as the auctioneer said, it actually sold for quite a high price."
What other reason could there be for a wizard from Alphaus to be this happy?
Recently, I made a lot of money. It's not an exaggeration—my earnings were so high that I brought in nearly 4 billion won. In normal circumstances, it's a figure most people might see only after a lifeti of work, yet I achieved it in just two weeks.
"On top of that, even after constantly being dragged around the workplace, I get results like this just from a single rare drop!"
Adding the amount I received from Turkey, it cos to roughly 11 billion won. Including the proceeds from selling all sorts of miscellaneous magical tools, like [Surprise Box], the total reaches 11.5 billion won.
"This is incredible."
Yeah. At this point, it was truly an incredible achievent. At so point, I even forgot to pace myself, driven by the desire to shorten my working days, and hunted diligently every single day. As a result, I achieved the remarkable feat of rapidly reducing my debt.
"Hahaha."
Of course, all the calculations so far were for amounts that still didn't include taxes.
"Calm down, calm down. I'm a mature mage, after all. So I absolutely mustn't erase an entire country over sothing like this..."
The fortunate part is that ever since founding the guild, various benefits have co my way. But in truth, I wasn't fully reaping even those effects. Minimum staff size, sales volu, and other essential elents of a guild were all console red.
There are quite a few things you need to have in order to receive support from the governnt.
In other words, it ans that I'd have to pour a certain amount of money into a company that existed almost like a ghost before any real benefit could be gained.
"This is so annoying!"
Still, well, I had wanted to hire a dedicated accountant for so ti. So the thought briefly crossed my mind that it was fortunate to finally have the opportunity to employ one.
"I just want to experience everything simply, except for magical studies. Why does life have to be so complicated in so many cases?"
Thud.
Since I had so rare free ti, I flopped down roughly on the living room sofa.
Still, at this pace, even breaking through a low-probability chance in an A-rank dungeon just once would achieve my goal. As the term itself implies, it's the period when both of these high-tier equipnt ca in; my worries about wealth—before or after taxes—would be completely over.
"From now on, only one chance?"
This was after all the calculations were finished. I realized that the once crushing wave of 40 billion had beco much lighter, and finally, I felt at ease. With that impatience gone, national thinking gradually returned to my mind.
"Did I go too far this ti?"
Including the statents ant as shock therapy, like impersonating the National Intelligence Service, I mulled over all the sentences I had thrown out and soon made a decision.
"For a mont, it was refreshing that the interference stopped. But still, looking down on the few alien acquaintances I truly consider unique might be a bit much. Even if they don't understand, I should at least keep trying to persuade them..."
Of course, being exposed to those kinds of items again is still unsettling. But thinking carefully, Seo Esther and Jung Haseong didn't seem like the type to indulge in dangerous curiosity. If I firmly tell them to stick to the questions I allow, they'll probably keep their promise.
Therefore,
"In the distant future, maybe I'll even borrow [Justitia] to hold a self-interrogation session?"
I also belatedly considered resolving misunderstandings with items as an option. Until now, it had been a choice I hadn't dared ntion, even out of concern for wasting money.
"Anyway, that item has already been accounted for. On this side, I can just bluff that, using the National Intelligence Service title, I won't die of tuberculosis."
Perhaps even ntioning [Justitia] could co across as a display of confidence.
"I feel bad for those I impersonated, but if I want to explain my suspiciously high level of intelligence, there's really no other choice."
Borrowing [Justitia] is an excellent solution, except for the drawback of the enormous cost.
After pondering a few things, I got up from the sofa. There was no point in spending a weekday alone. In fact, to pay off my debt, I had to go out and work diligently without any breaks.
"I hope sothing of a higher grade drops today."
But wait.
[Ting.]
The mont I slid open the locked phone screen, a notification appeared.
"..."
And, as if entranced by that sound, I opened the application. A report on an overseas incident was playing on a public broadcasting channel I usually watched.
"No, not the dungeon level..."
Apparently, an S-rank gate was discovered in India around yesterday. By the way, lately the quality of dungeon products hasn't been ordinary at all.
"What?"
It was then. As I quietly listened to the announcer's voice, the following explanation made think, "Have the Gisimche finally gone truly mad?"
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