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Chapter 45: Main Quest (5)
Huh?
The difficulty dropped again?
What’s the range of "normal" difficulty?
“Normal? That’s several levels down.”
“It’s two levels lower than Very Difficult. After Very Difficult comes Difficult, and then Normal. This shouldn’t even be possible—how could the difficulty drop this much...?”
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Right now, awakened individuals trying to enter Kevrian are flooding us with inquiries.”
“That’s good news. The more people, the better.”
“Ah... but there’s been trouble with some of them insisting they should go in first.”
“They don’t want to depart together?”
“Yes. When the difficulty was high, they didn’t behave like this. But now that it’s lower, it’s like they’ve all decided to act up. We’ve been rejecting them, but…”
Lower difficulty isn’t necessarily a good thing.
People who wouldn’t even consider entering when it was Very Hard are now rioting.
Hmm.
But on second thought, if we just shove these guys in, the planet’s likely to face complete destruction.
Would that mean I’d gain the freedom to relocate to another planet?
That’s tempting, but it’s a shame to leave when I’m almost done with the Main Quest.
Let’s stop them for now.
“If others go in first, time will start flowing again, won’t it? That could seriously disrupt castle defense operations. Let’s just stick to leaving in two days.”
“Yes... but some people are completely unreasonable. What makes them so confident?”
“Which country are these people from?”
Which country is causing so much trouble?
There are several nations lining up to get on my good side, so where’s this backstab coming from?
Who is it?!
“This country is the worst. Other nations respect what the association says and self-regulate, but here, people are coming in droves to protest.”
Alena hesitated slightly.
Tsk… Is this the famed kimchi power at work?
“Do you have a list of these people?”
“Yes, I’ve prepared one.”
The list she handed over had over 50 names.
The difficulty just dropped yesterday—how did word spread so fast for them to gather like this?
“I’ll give the association president a call.”
Right there, I made the call.
-Ah, Hunter Kim Jiho! Have you returned? I’ve heard the astonishing news. Lowering the planet’s difficulty... truly remarkable!
The association president greeted me with extreme politeness.
Since becoming a C-rank, his attitude seems even more exaggerated.
“Yes. I’m calling because I heard that Korean hunters are filing a lot of complaints after the difficulty dropped.”
-Oh, is that so? What kind of complaints are we talking about?
“They’re upset they can’t participate individually. Apparently, they don’t want to wait for the expedition team and are insisting on going ahead alone.”
-What? Why... They could just go with the expedition team. Why are they complaining?
“Exactly. The elves gave me a list. Could you reach out to these people and tell them to stick to the schedule? We’re not saying they can’t go at all, just to wait for the right time.”
-Understood. Please send the list, and I’ll contact them immediately. I’ll also ensure the association advises D-rank hunters properly. My apologies for causing you concern.
I sent the list to the president, and soon after, he got back to me.
-Most of the people on the list are from or affiliated with a specific major corporate guild.
“What? Which one?”
-They’re primarily from Maeil.
Maeil?
That domestic conglomerate focused on local markets?
Why are they playing games?
“What’s their deal?”
-Well, they likely have some kind of goal in mind... I’ll issue a warning for now.
“Hmm… Should I reach out to my CIA contact? Would it be better to involve Japan or China?”
-Oh... no need to bring in foreign entities over domestic matters. There’s no need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
The president practically begged me not to escalate things before ending the call.
Even after hanging up, I was still annoyed.
Things are already chaotic because of the forces of Chaos, so why is Maeil causing trouble now?
Thinking a major conglomerate might have insight, I asked Kang Shia.
-Maeil? They’re overstepping, trying to exert control. Let me check their stance. If they’re being this obvious about their affiliation, they must want something.
She said she’d get in touch with them and hung up.
I decided to wait for a while, so I looked up nearby restaurants and found a famous ramen shop.
As I was taking my first bite, Kang Shia called.
-Long story short, Maeil wanted seats on the expedition team. They’re asking for a hundred spots. Hah, how ridiculous...
Her voice was dripping with frustration—something I’d never heard from her before.
“They pulled this stunt because they thought I’d cave and give them seats?”
-Hunters often don’t realize their own limits. You rose to prominence like a comet, Jiho, so they probably thought you didn’t fully grasp your own value and decided to test the waters.
“Hmm. I need to make an example of them. Otherwise, they’ll keep underestimating me.”
-Exactly. Asking for a hundred spots? Insane. The U.S. government requested a hundred, and that was a big deal at the time.
True. Back then, I was grateful just to have people willing to come.
-May I handle this matter? I don’t want you wasting your energy on such petty issues.
“Please do. Make sure they don’t try anything like this again.”
-I’ll take care of it.
I trusted her to resolve it. This kind of issue wasn’t worth my attention.
-Oh, one more thing. About 500 people applied for general participation.
“General participants are always welcome. We need numbers to maintain defenses as the dynamics change.”
-Understood. I’ll approve all requests as they come in.
“Thanks. Also, if Maeil comes asking for leniency, make sure to hit them hard before letting them off.”
-This is something I enjoy handling. Plus, their antics have been annoying me, so I’ve got some frustration to vent. Haha.
Her irritation was finally making sense.
With her managing the situation, I relaxed with a coffee and went home.
For two days, I indulged in restaurant tours and drinks with Jinseong.
I couldn’t help but wonder if returning to Kevrian was the right decision.
The last words of Death Knight King Ampellion weighed on my mind, and it was also the land of the Lord of Death.
But the difficulty had decreased, I had established myself as an Apostle Commander there, and...
[Pollux reports that the reduced difficulty has shrunk the area Chaos can intervene in.]
[Aurelia says there won’t be a situation worth worrying about.]
Both guardian deities gave the green light, and with Athena’s mental protection, I decided to return.
After all, I needed to claim the main quest reward.
“Jiho, we’ve gathered a total of 2,700 people.”
“Wow, that’s a lot.”
“Oh, have you been watching the news lately?”
“You mean the investigation? Did Shia pull some strings?”
Her name had been in the headlines daily lately.
Stories about siblings fighting over stocks and being investigated for tax evasion filled the front pages.
It felt like a sudden explosion, but it seemed like a carefully orchestrated move after all.
“With so many prominent members in the expedition team, I only gave a subtle hint, and they handled the rest themselves.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Leading Kevrian’s timeline is crucial. The entire expedition team agrees on this. They also agreed that this should serve as a lesson so nothing like this happens again. If other countries like the U.S., China, Japan, or Russia snoop around and get torn apart, they’ll think twice before trying anything funny. No one will dare to mess with us.”
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Shia grinned, looking more relaxed than I’d ever seen her.
“Well done. Let’s set off now.”
“Alright, I’ll send out the messages.”
With such a large group, we contacted each nation to coordinate simultaneous entry through portals.
Of course, Korea, and I, in particular, would be the first to enter.
The siege battle was nearing its end.
The enemy’s attacks were waning, and the once-threatening Giant Worms rarely appeared anymore.
On the eighth day, the elves sent out as scouts excitedly reported back:
“The enemy has retreated!”
“The Black Dragon Legion’s main force has withdrawn!”
“Wooooo!”
The residents of Kevrian’s fortress were ecstatic.
The dwarves opened their beer cellars, and the elves danced with joy.
The fortress turned into a festive scene in no time.
While awakened ones seemed slightly disappointed at the loss of such a prime hunting ground, they didn’t want to ruin the mood for everyone celebrating.
“It was great for gaining experience points...”
“Should we advance now?”
“Do we need to buy Spirit Horses?”
People were already discussing their next steps.
“This retreat feels like a dream! But just to be safe, I’ll check with the Wind Spirit. I’ll go myself.”
Diana, who was jubilant a moment ago, decided to personally verify the situation and stepped outside the fortress.
Hmm…
She was so adamant I couldn’t stop her.
There was no need to, though.
Because…
[Main Quest: ‘Defend Train Fortress for 100 Days’ has been completed.]
Finally!
I cleared the main quest.
Yay!
100,000 SP!
[Due to the change in Kevrian’s planet difficulty, rewards will be distributed separately.]
What?
[You gain 20,000 SP.]
[Achievement: ‘Savior’s Footstep’ unlocked.]
[Title: ‘Kevrian’s Hero’ obtained.]
[1x ‘B-grade or higher Random Skill Box’ obtained.]
[1x ‘B-grade or higher Random Item Box’ obtained.]
Huh?
Why only one box?
Wasn’t I supposed to get another title?
The title of ‘One Who Challenges the Impossible’!
What’s going on?
[Pollux explains that the system’s difficulty adjustment required dividing the rewards.]
[Aurelia reassures you that you’ll eventually receive everything.]
Tsk.
Lower difficulty isn’t always a blessing, huh?
Still, they said I’d get everything eventually.
I can’t exactly demand more from the deities, can I?
Honestly, 20,000 SP is still an overwhelming amount.
I thought about maxing out my stats immediately, but I decided to wait until the next main quest appeared.
It should show up soon, right?
For now, what grabbed my attention the most were the random boxes.
In my inventory were a B-grade or higher Random Skill Box and a B-grade or higher Random Item Box.
I wanted to open them.
So badly.
Guaranteed B-grade or higher, right?
Ugh.
But what if I can’t open them because of the Lord of Death?
[Pollux says they already know, so just open it. He also suggests using all your SP when the next main quest begins.]
[Aurelia agrees with Pollux, saying the reduced difficulty means Chaos’s influence has waned, so there’s no need to worry. She advises strengthening your abilities instead.]
For once, Aurelia agreed with Pollux.
Was the difficulty adjustment that impactful?
Alright.
If the guardian deities are this confident, I’ll go for it.
Just as Aurelia said, I need to fully equip myself now.
First, let’s start with the item box.
Skills are more critical, so I’ll save that for later.
The item box will be the sacrifice.
If it gives me something bad, the skill box will surely yield something good.
And if it gives me something good, then today’s luck will carry over to the skill box too!
Sacrifice time—here we go, Item Box!
[You opened the B-grade or higher Random Item Box.]
[You obtained the B-grade item: ‘World Tree Fruit.’]
Wait a second...
Isn’t this the World Tree Fruit Diana gave me?
I checked my inventory, and it was indeed the same.
Haha... Ha…
What a fitting gift for someone with terrible potential like me.
If I coax Diana enough, I could probably get more, but still… Ha ha ha.
No.
This is the sacrifice.
I already used up my bad luck here, so the next one must be good.
Phew.
Ah, wait.
I should invest in my Luck stat...
I was planning to save it, but seeing the World Tree Fruit made me rethink.
I need to boost my luck a little.
After dumping neutral faction attribute points and SP into my Luck stat, the “B” was more than half full.
“Phew... Alright, let’s do this!”
[You opened the B-grade or higher Random Skill Box.]
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