The Successor (1)
Although the nationalities of the hunters embroiled in China’s conspiracy were from four different countries, namely U.S., Russia, India, And Korea, the entire communication held with the Chinese foreign affairs was handled by the U.S. as the representative of the nations involved.
“Are you suggesting getting into a war right now?”
Through the diplomatic hotline linking Washington and Beijing, in the hologram, the Chinese foreign affairs minister was expressing his anger.
The U.S. Secretary of State replied relaxedly.
“War? Let’s start by putting down all our useless bluff before anything else. Aren’t we the two countries that know each other best? We’re not exactly in a situation wherein your country or the United States can wage an all-out war against each other right now.”
“Although all-out war may be farfetched, we can get our revenge in the same method you used!”
It meant that drones and Awakened beings could be dispatched by China to assassinate key U.S. personnel and hunters just like what the U.S. did.
“No, you won’t be able to.”
The Chinese faction’s face became distorted.
The U.S. Secretary of State spoke with certainty.
“Russia, India, and Korea are with us. Many countries around the world are supporting us and criticizing China for this incident. Are you planning to fight against the whole world?”
They must have figured out their stance by now.
On that day, they were not in a situation where they could mobilize diplomatic investigations that would be able to save the other’s face.
They made it clear that there was no room for China’s way of buying time which was by throwing tantrums.
The anger of the U.S. was that great.
“…”
Sure enough, the Chinese minister’s expression changed.
“… Understood. If you come at us that way, then let us compromise at an appropriate level.”
They then came up with the plan they were expecting.
It was a quick change of attitude.
“The survivors must have secured the dungeon key. We want the key and the safety of the survivor, Tien Wu Wang. If these two conditions are not met, further negotiations will be difficult…”
The latter was a condition that could be thrown away, and he tossed the suggestion without considering that the other party would hand him over.
However, the dungeon key was dire.
The leadership was determined to discard the area near the Gate as ‘lost land,’ but that was only possible if their citizens didn’t know the truth at all.
They had to create a scenario where they could cover it as a force majeure accident that was caused by the expedition team members dying in a tragic event and failing to recover the key.
However, if a dungeon break occurred due to their failure to close it, it would be interpreted as a result of the leadership of the party’s failure in an attempt to carry out an ugly and demented conspiracy.
They didn’t even want to think about it.
But then…
“Minister, hold on a minute. Don’t get me wrong.”
The U.S. minister made a declaration with a stern look.
“I’m not here to negotiate.”
“…”
“If China accepts all the conditions we want, we will transfer the dungeon key for the sake of being humane. The Korean hunter, Seo Jin-Wook, also gave his permission. But don’t think of it as our ‘chip for negotiation.'”
He continues in a chilling voice.
“The request for Tien Wu Wang’s safety must be a throw-away card, but I hope that it is never mentioned again in here. Please take note that China is not, in any way, in a position to offer or demand anything.”
A sense of shame-based anger spread all over the face of the Chinese minister.
But there was no other way.
“… Then tell me. What is it that you want?”
The Secretary of State immediately uploaded the data.
The Chinese opposition’s face turns black while reading it.
“Are you kidding me?!”
Without replying to the rough reaction, the Secretary of State silently waited.
In the end, the opponent didn’t have any other choice but to wave the white flag.
*
“Yes… Yes, I understand. In the end, we got everything we wanted… No. Thank you for your cooperation.”
After receiving the results of the negotiations with China through the South Korean Foreign Minister, I hung up.
Secretary Kim looked at with curious eyes, asking a question.
“In the end, did you rip them all off?”
I nodded.
“It looks like we’ve made through more than 90 percent.”
Depending on the outcome of the negotiations, China would have no choice but to send its hunters unconditionally when requested by the United States and the four other countries involved in the incident. We could consider it as a free service.
“If we have another case like the Siheung 8 Dungeon or the Australian Dungeon, we’ll be able to get China’s aid in the future.”
China had never dispatched any of their hunters in their home country to other countries.
Their Great Wall had finally been demolished.
If the countries wanted, even their SS-Rank hunters were no exception. It was also impossible to deceive them and send hunters with a low rating because Nate had Tien Wu Wang secured.
In fact, the list consisting of most, if not all, of the strongest hunters in China was in our hands.
“Apart from that, there are minuscule things as well, like China providing information about specific matters or lowering tariffs… Those aren’t what I had demanded but rather were conditions that were given as they looked most appetizing among what they could ask for from the perspective of the government, so I have no interest in them.”
The important thing was that what I requested had gone through.
Nate nodded as if he remembered everything.
“The rights for the Chinese dungeon Clear, you mean?”
“Yes.”
As my condition for the negotiation’s success, I requested the authority to explore any dungeon at any time in China as free as I wished to.
From then on, if I selected a specific dungeon, the Chinese government would have to drive out all the hunters exploring there and empty the area neatly for my presence.
“But would it be necessary to roam around the Chinese dungeons? If they attempt some sly tricks again in between the process of entering China and proceeding to the Gate…”
It was a valid worry since Secretary Kim wasn’t aware of the [Door of Hope].
Of course, I planned to cross directly into the dimensions of the Chinese dungeons without going through the Gate.
“We don’t have to worry about that. All the Chinese officials have to do is empty the dungeon in advance. If China lets anyone in who isn’t allowed to enter while I’m exploring, the system message will tell me, and I’ll escape by the returning stone and let the U.S. know that they failed to uphold their part of the deal.”
After Secretary Kim understood what I meant, he nodded.
“Oh, by the way. Have you met with Mr. Adam yet? He said he had something to tell you…”
“No, not yet.”
When I returned to Korea, Adam had already left again.
“Did he say it was urgent?”
“He didn’t say that exactly, but…”
Secretary Kim spoke with an anxious face.
“He only said that what he went to find out would turn out to be a bit of hassle. And he said that he would rather directly tell you, Guild Master, about the details behind his venture.”
“Hmm, alright.”
When he talked about the thing that he went to find out, he was probably referring to the replacement of the dead observer, the aliens who would be in charge of the investigation of the truth, and additional information about Mercadius.
‘I don’t know which part among those has become cumbersome.’
Regardless, my worries would be solved the moment Adam returned, and we got to meet once more.
*
After everyone in my room stepped out, I decided to do what I had put aside.
The additional compensation that I received after re-Clearing the Chinese dungeon as a six-member team.
As expected, an EX-Class item couldn’t be received again because it was a re-run of SS-Class dungeons, but an SSS-Class item still came out among the options.
It was the best reward that I could get, so I chose it with joy nonetheless.
‘After reading the description of the item, I was dumbfounded.’
When I received it then, I only allowed it to remain stagnant since I had no time to check it out thoroughly.
Shh!
I took it out from the snake inventory.
The reward that I kept away looked similar to an ordinary dungeon key that was shaped like a steering wheel.
However, unlike the blue crystal one, it had a flashy golden color as if it was coated with gold.
When I touched it, a description appeared.
Paht!
[Key (Rank: SSS)]
-Item Description: A key to open a Gate that only one person can enter.
After I read that description, I frowned.
‘No matter how I look at it, the description is too vague and lacking.’
Dungeon keys were usually used to close the Gate or expand a dungeon, but it stated that it was a key used to open a Gate.
‘It’s beyond common sense, and I’ve never heard about it before.’
It’s rather weird since the name was too simple as well. It was quite literally only named based on its function.
‘I will get to know more about it when I use it.’
It was an item that I didn’t know about at all, but I had a vague idea of how to use it.
The key to a typical dungeon could be turned counterclockwise after contacting the open Gate. That’s how a Gate could be closed.
Then in reverse, the way to open a Gate must be…
Wee-ing!
As I concentrated Mana in my hands, the key shone gold.
Along with its circular form, the golden crystal glowed.
‘When closing, it must be in contact with the Gate… But there’s no such thing in this item’s case in the first place.’
I just fixed the key to a random space in the air.
‘It was counterclockwise to close, so it must be clockwise to open!’
Just as the navigator rotated the helm, I grabbed it with both hands and slowly turned it.
Creak! Creaak!
The force slowly turned it to the right.
And at that moment…
‘I’m right after all!’
A vortex pattern appeared in the air along the direction of rotation. All the surrounding spaces and Mana were swirling like tops along with the flow.
And then-
Woong!
A golden disk appeared in my room.
‘It’s a Gate!’
I checked the message by placing my hand on it.
– Gate Information
As I read the message, I had no choice but to question it.
Why did it use such a series of hassle-filled arrangements?
I could only interpret it as its way of telling me that it would give me an additional reward if I crossed to the other side of the Gate.
I understood that it was giving me the SSS-Class item that I should have received as soon as the dungeon was Cleared, but…
‘It could have just given me back then!’
Still, there was no need to Clear it, and since the awaited reward was just beyond the Gate, I decided to check it anyway.
I could simply escape using the Returning Stone or the [Door of Hope], in any case.
Wee-ing!
After experiencing a familiar phenomenon in which the surrounding space was harshly shaken, causing my senses to be mixed up, I arrived on the other side of the Gate.
‘This place is?’
It was a room too small to call a dimension.
A power of faint luminescence rode the current and flowed slowly all around.
And in the middle of that…
‘That must be the reward.’
An item was placed on a small altar as if it’s telling me to take it.
I looked at it with [The Successor’s Eyes], and I found out that there was no trap placed on it.
I held it in my hand.
Paht!
[Sephirot Guardian Bow (Rank: SSS)]
-Item Description: It is the bow once used by the guardians of the sacred tree. Even if an actual arrow wasn’t nocked on the string, as long as the user’s Mana allows, unlimited long-ranged attacks could be shot.
-25% increase in ranged attacks. Once attacked from a distance, the take-down effect is applied.
‘It’s an item that I have never seen in my past life.’
If I only looked at the description, it felt a bit lacking to be considered as an SSS-Class.
But the real performance could only be revealed the moment I used it.
‘Anyway…’
I was wondering if it was all there was.
‘If it was going to do this, couldn’t it just have given me this bow when I Cleared the dungeon? Why did it have to create a separate micro-dimension and guide me here…’
At that moment-
Weeing!
A change occurred across the wall that surrounded the small room.
Looking at that, I opened my eyes wide open.
‘The Mana… It’s moving and making a pattern!’
A marvelous dance of Mana filled and occupied the wall.
It did not take long for me to recognize its identity.
‘It’s Archid language!’
Those were the letters being used by the entities related to the system.
The Mana moved to make a sentence in Archid language.
My head turned fast as I read it simultaneously.
I could vaguely guess the intention of the being that designed the place.
‘I see… What if it wasn’t me but an ordinary hunter that acquired the key?’
The message of the Gate created by the key clearly indicated that it was a door that led to the place where an SSS-Class reward could be received.
And when I came inside, there really was an SSS-class item.
A typical hunter would cheer and take it and then return to the original dimension.
Presumably, for them, the opened door had already served its purpose, leading them to close it immediately after getting the reward.
However, the situation was different for me.
‘To fully identify and understand the hidden information, two conditions must be met. First, you should be able to read Archid. Second, you should be able to visualize the precise form of Mana.’
After all, the hidden device couldn’t be recognized without the unique skill called [The Successor’s Eyes]!
I read the Archid sentence that embroidered the wall, formed by sparkling Mana.
It was commanding me to make a specific Mana pattern as well above the wall if I wanted to reach what was laid beyond that wall. The pattern that should be made as a reply was also in Archid language.
I approached it as if I was possessed by it.
As I concentrated Mana on top of the wall, I formed a sentence with Archid language.
Its meaning was as followed:
-I shall inherit it.
As I did so-
Wooong!
The wall started to slowly part horizontally, revealing yet another space.
And the Mana of the entire area flowed down like a waterfall. It concentrated at the center to realize a certain shape.
It became a feminine figure whose entirety glowed in blue.
It wasn’t an unfamiliar sight.
‘… Ministry Spirit?’
It was similar yet different.
It had a superior resolution, a deep presence, and a more precise cohesion of Mana than the spirit I encountered several times in the dark space.
I could instinctively recognize that it belonged to a class much higher than the ordinary spirit I talked to.
Shh!
She opened her eyes.
And our glances met.
Then, the opponent spoke while knocking, tapping my mind.
– Contacted successor, welcome!
– Checking the cumulative number of reincarnations…
– Confirmation complete!
At that moment, it poured out information that I could not understand due to its lack of context.
-The total number of reincarnations of the successor that have connected is as follows:
I thought about it with a puzzled mind.
What the… hell did that mean?
As if to reply after reading my thoughts, she spoke.
-Continuous reincarnation means continuing the cycle in the general sense. Born with one life, in that life, in that era, in that dimension, if you fulfill your destiny as a successor, you will be reborn as a different creature according to the normal timeline. The successor has carried out this reincarnation 13,215 times so far.
… What? But!
-In the process of continuation, the cognitive memories will be cleared. It is natural that the successor cannot remember anything.
And then, she explained the next item in the list.
– Reverse reincarnation means repetition in the general sense. After 1,452 reverse reincarnations as ‘Roco-Gerös,’ you finally completed your destiny and reincarnated as ‘Choi Seung-Hyun.’ However, you have not yet achieved your destiny in this life. Hence, you have repeatedly been reborn as ‘Choi Seung-Hyun’ whenever you die. During the repetition, all conscious memories are also deleted. This is because if similar memories are piled up in thousands and tens of thousands of layers, the successor’s mind will be put at high risk of collapsing.
Wait, but at that moment, I was…
– Yes, this is the first time since you started your continuous cycle and regression that you have taken one’s body under the cooperation of another being. The reason for that is…
She continued with a look that seemed to ask if it wasn’t obvious for me as well.
– … Because it has been predicted that even if you were to be reborn into the body of ‘Choi Seung-Hyun’ body 12 billion times, you would not be able to achieve your destiny in this life.
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