Chapter 176

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The disaster that occurred in Chongqing, China.

A liberated player roamed the city streets holding a Horse-Cleaving Saber.

Countless sacrifices had to be made to catch that single person.

An unprecedented major incident where a single liberated player slaughtered over 50 people.

It was an event that occurred in broad daylight.

There were many eyewitnesses too.

So media control was impossible as well.

Only then did people realize.

Just how terrifying a player whose abilities are liberated is.

And the Chongqing incident was only the beginning.

In Shanghai, the Public Security Bureau building was attacked by 2 liberated players.

Following that, Tianjin, Xi’an, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xinjiang Uygur… large and small incidents related to liberated players occurred continuously in succession.

The entire world was shocked.

What do we do if such an event occurs in our own country too?

In Korea as well, the Chinese crisis was delivered as breaking news through the media.

There wasn’t even a need to go through the media.

Because it was spreading rapidly through SNS.

Joo-hyuk also saw the news on the White Tower 17th floor.

After sending Rajix off, he was idling around with nothing to do and turned on the TV out of boredom.

“Heol…….”

How could such a thing happen?

Although he had expected that such a situation could arise.

Actually, it was a story he heard from Commissioner Jeon Kwang-il in the past.

That Rune Necklaces of Liberation were coming out uniquely abundantly from Chinese towers, and he even heard rumors that they were coming out from lower floors.

He thought it was because the population was so large, but…….

“That’s the doing of those manager punks, isn’t it?”

I can tell just by looking.

“That’s right, sir. It is certain that those bastards played tricks, sir.”

“This girl thinks so as well.”

“I know because I took their side when I was the Succubus Queen. Only managers can arrange reward items in that manner.”

“These sons of bitches,”

“Someday I will definitely drop a meteor on those bastards’ heads.”

The summoned entities raising their voices and denouncing the managers.

Joo-hyuk was also internally angry.

Why are they doing this crazy shit scattering such items in reality instead of managing the tower like they’re supposed to.

And on the lower floors too, abnormally!

“Wow, I got stabbed in the back. What? Normalization? Is this normalization?”

“Please calm down, sir. Your blood pressure will rise, sir.”

“The most abnormal folks are acting like normal people.”

“The former manager, or the new managers, they’re all the exact same bastards.”

“Ultimately this old man’s thought was correct. World conquest! If we had done that, no matter how much the managers ran wild…….”

“No, old man, are you fanning a burning house, sir?”

The 4-piece gift set given as a 71st-floor climbing gift.

The one with the highest reward probability among them was precisely the Rune Necklace of Liberation.

The reward probabilities for the Ring of Form Alteration, the Elixir of Rejuvenation, or the Potion of Disease Cure were extremely slim.

A tremendously intentional reward design.

The Rune Necklace of Liberation is a wicked thing.

It stimulates the player’s desires and makes them do things they don’t have to do.

It is no different from handing out a handgun each to people arguing over inter-floor noise issues.

Why do shooting incidents, which occur hundreds of times a day in the US, hardly ever occur in Korea?

It is because there are no guns in Korea.

Instead, knife stabbing incidents happen frequently.

Why?

Because there are knives.

‘If the Rune Necklace of Liberation spreads in Korea right now…….’

No, it will spread.

The possibility is very high.

That part would be exactly what the managers intend as well.

Korea, close to China.

Exchanges with each other are also active.

Right.

If you consider that the Rune Necklace of Liberation will spread, Korea is the most dangerous.

How do you detect a player’s inventory that doesn’t even get caught in airport security scanners?

Of course China’s situation is the most serious, but he was more worried about it spreading to Korea than that.

Originally, the thorn under one’s own nail hurts the most.

And above all, what makes him angry.

Do we have to just suffer helplessly against the base tricks of the managers like this?

Let’s not get excited.

Calmly settling his mind.

“Is there no method to neutralize the Rune Necklace of Liberation? Is it hard because it’s a system reward?”

At Joo-hyuk’s quietly tossed remark.

Jjong-geut!

Mackenzie’s ears twitching.

“U-eum, I think it might work if we bind the magic power though.”

Eng?

Bind what?

“Do you remember the magic scroll this Magician showed you previously?”

“…Ah! The Spell whatever-it-was you were talking about?”

“Spell Power Binding Block, it is a spell that binds the target’s magic power for a certain period of time.”

Spell Power, magic power.

Binding, to bind.

Block, blockade/seal.

Mackenzie taking out a few rolled-up pieces of paper from his embrace.

“Here, this…….”

It just looks like paper to the eye.

So you’re saying we can bind magic power with this?

“Would it be possible? The Rune Necklace of Liberation is an item permitted by the system.”

The doubt Joo-hyuk had.

Whether human magic could violate system laws.

“Of course it cannot directly interfere with the activation method of skills or items.”

“Then?”

“I am talking about the magic power that is generated after activation. Namely, the player’s magic power.”

Hmm.

“So you’re saying that although we can’t block the item itself from activating… we can at least control the magic power that occurs after activation?”

Mackenzie answered with an expression full of confidence.

“We can seal it if it’s the Spell Power Binding Block Scroll.”

Now that I hear it, isn’t it extraordinary?

An item as powerful as the Magic EMP.

“That’s a precious thing.”

“Well, it is not particularly precious.”

“Yes?”

“Doesn’t any decent person all have about a few scrolls stocked up at home?”

“…….”

“Making it is not particularly difficult either. You can draw it as long as you have special paper and ink.”

Make it by drawing.

So it’s common.

At least in another world.

“It was like that in the world I lived in as well.”

Magical Engineer El also chimed in.

“Everyone carried around a few scrolls. For example, spell scrolls like Light or Fire Tip. They were a substitute for Earth’s flashlights and lighters.”

Were they like daily necessities?

“However, if there is a limit to the Spell Power Binding Block Scroll…….”

What is it?

“It is that a method to break it exists. Magic scrolls have a simple structure that does not contain the will of the magician’s word spirits.”

Mackenzie lightly applied saliva to his dry lips and continued speaking.

“Furthermore, the higher the level, meaning the more magic power one has, the shorter the duration and the higher the failure probability. Even the spell itself does not work starting from the SSR grade, or 7-circle, or top-tier Sword Expert.”

Then he’s saying it might not work.

“However, it shouldn’t matter to Earth’s players. It will unconditionally be applied.”

But another problem.

“But will just one sheet of this spell scroll be enough? Even if you draw it by hand, the time it takes…….”

“We can do it.”

“Yes?”

How?

“A magician, an alchemist, and a magical engineer are gathered in one place. Would such a thing as impossibility exist?”

Right.

They are even all LSSR.

His heart suddenly becomes magnificent.

Why on earth am I worrying with these people around?

Joo-hyuk-ah, Joo-hyuk-ah.

You’re still a long way from becoming a macho man.

“Summoner, just give the order. If you decide, we find the method. We make even the impossible possible.”

“Euum.”

Right at that moment!

Gwangma tilted his head and said to Mackenzie.

“It is good, all good but… what do we do if our Summoner gets hit by the magic scroll?”

“Eung?”

“Magical Engineer El also stopped together with the Gigant while using the Magic EMP. What is the countermeasure for the case where the Summoner gets swept up within the scroll’s sphere of influence?”

“Ah!”

Mackenzie spoke as he took off the necklace he was wearing around his neck, as if he understood what that meant.

“I shall give you this necklace.”

“That is?”

“It is a Necklace of Magic Resistance. Actually this is the method to break it. It deflects all scroll magic. Whether it’s attack magic or debuff magic.”

Assa!

I get to receive one item.

“Please come here. I will put it around your neck.”

Joo-hyuk approached in front of Mackenzie.

“Heom-heom! You have become a paragon to the summoned entities with your excellent character and benevolent heart at all times, and world peace through climbing the tower…….”

What is this?

Is it an awarding ceremony?

I’ve only been giving them this whole time, but I’m getting to experience receiving one too.

At that moment!

Cossack putting on a straight face and glaring at Mackenzie with cold eyes.

“Old man Mae, what are you doing right now, sir? Whose imitation are you daring to do, sir? Are you crazy, sir?”

“N, no, I was just for fun…….”

The summoned entities, never missing an opportunity.

“Fun? Tsk-tsk, you were doing well but you finally cross the line.”

“Doing an awarding ceremony despite being a mere summoned entity? And to the Summoner at that?”

“A jumping mullet makes a goby jump too, it is truly ridiculous.”

“That is insubordination. It is summary execution.”

“If left alone, he’s trying to climb onto the head of the My Lord.”

“Is the Master a pushover?”

“Keong-keong! Keu-reu-reu-reung.”

“Ho-eng! Ho-e-e-ek!”

Who is Ho-eng again?

When I’m already feeling unsettled because Rajix isn’t here.

“Who is imitating Rajix?”

“H, ho-eng, because you seemed to miss him, …I am sorry, sir.”

So it’s Cossack.

I knew it.

At that moment!

Mackenzie’s brightly flashing eyes.

An opportunity for counterattack.

“Assassin, do you have no such thing as thoughts? It’s not like you don’t know how heartbroken the Summoner is because of the Universe’s Great Farmhand’s empty seat.”

“N, no, I was just for fun…….”

The arrows turning back to Cossack.

“You are a fool who cannot distinguish between fun and rash behavior.”

“I was wondering why he was quiet these days.”

“That mouth of his is the root of ten thousand evils.”

“Because he has no one to imitate… our Universe’s Great Farmhand.”

“Trying to make fun of the Summoner.”

“Mackenzie and Cossack, please cut off the necks of both side by side and expose their heads on that communication tower. Please establish the discipline of the White Tower 17th floor.”

“I shall cut off their necks.”

Ey, these gentlemen fight whenever they have a chance.

Leave them alone to play amongst themselves as they please.

I should go out and experiment first.

Since there are many Rune Necklaces of Liberation inside my inventory, and there’s a player I know well.

*

The Korean government was also keeping a close eye on the Chinese situation.

Jeon Kwang-il was just about to enter the Blue House for a countermeasures meeting.

But a contact came from Player Bong.

Saying let’s meet urgently at the Management Agency’s materials warehouse.

Then Player Bong has priority.

He decided to enter the Blue House later.

Awakening Management Agency’s materials warehouse.

Joo-hyuk arrived after a short wait.

“Player Bong-nim.”

“Commissioner-nim, am I a bit late?”

“No. I also just arrived.”

The reason the location was set outside.

In the White Tower, player abilities are manifested exactly as they are.

What Joo-hyuk wants to find out.

Can the magic power liberated by the Rune Necklace be sealed by the scroll?

“Commissioner-nim, what is your current level?”

“It is level 41. I just started catching Basilisks.”

“You are leveling up explosively.”

“Ha-ha-ha, because the equipment is so good,”

“Wait a moment. I have people to call.”

Joo-hyuk also summoned Mackenzie, El, and Gwangma and Cossack.

Spot! Spot! Spot…….

“Oi, Commissioner Jeon.”

“Hello, sir? I am businessman Cossack, sir.”

“We meet again.”

“Commissioner Jeon, this old man has come too.”

They exchanged greetings with each other.

“Take this.”

Joo-hyuk handing out one necklace to Jeon Kwang-il.

Jeon Kwang-il startled in surprise.

A necklace out of nowhere?

Moreover this is…….

“Uh, don’t tell me?”

“Yes, it’s a Rune Necklace of Liberation. Wear this and activate it.”

“…Right now, do you mean?”

“Don’t worry. Since I’m just trying to verify it.”

He didn’t know what was going on, but let’s do as instructed for now.

It was an item he was also using for the first time.

Jeon Kwang-il hung the necklace around his neck.

And used the item.

Su-ung!

Magic power spreading through his whole body.

He overflows with strength.

Especially for Jeon Kwang-il, whose trait is [Superhuman Strength], the effect was to the point of being visible to the eye.

Ul-luk-bul-luk.

Muscles bulging as if his suit would rip.

Kkwa-deu-deu-deuk!

Broadening shoulders and chest.

“Oh-oh-oh!”

“Cool, sir. Looking at that, you could hit a 5000 total in the big 3 lifts, sir. You’d hit 100,000 subscribers in no time if you became a fitness YouTuber, sir.”

Clap-clap-clap-clap!

Clapping once for him.

“Now, then I’ll give it a try.”

“Try wha…….”

Joo-hyuk took out the scroll from his pocket and tore it up just like that.

Jji-i-ik!

Right at that moment!

U-u-ung!

Pa-a-at!

A sticky aura filling the expansive interior of the warehouse.

And when the wave of aura touched Jeon Kwang-il!

“…Heok!”

Jeon Kwang-il ended up losing all his strength at once jjuk.

Pi-shi-shi-shik! The bulged muscles deflated in an instant.

His chest felt stuffy too.

A feeling as if he had indigestion inside.

“Wh, what on earth?”

On the other hand, Joo-hyuk was completely fine.

The Necklace of Magic Resistance having nullified the scroll magic.

Jeon Kwang-il still bewildered, having no idea what was going on.

“Try activating the Rune Necklace of Liberation one more time.”

“Eoum, yes, yes.”

However, there was no change at all.

Even though it was certain the usage count of the Rune Necklace of Liberation decreased.

“This is called a Spell Power Binding Block, it’s too long so I’ll just shortly call it a Magic Power Sealing Scroll. It’s a magic spell that seals the target’s magic power for about 1 hour…….”

Jeon Kwang-il listening to the explanation blankly.

“W, was there such an item too?”

“It is not a tower reward item.”

“Then?”

“Let’s ask someone who knows well.”

Joo-hyuk said to Mackenzie.

“Ordinary people can use this too, right?”

“Of course. Since it is a scroll, even a young child can use it.”

“Is it not dangerous?”

“Not at all. It only binds magic power, and if there is no magic power, there is no chance of it being dangerous.”

Meaning it’s a safe item.

“To what extent is the range?”

“All targets within a 30m radius, because it is a magic spell that spreads as waves, it would be hard to dodge.”

The range is wide too.

“How do we do mass production?”

“We just have to print it. First, we engrave the magic formula onto a metal plate. After doing that, we equip it to a printing press and…….”

“A printing press?”

El gave a supplementary explanation.

“A scroll printing press is the most basic facility process in magical engineering too. It’s easy to make, and we just need special scroll paper and magic ink.”

“The paper and ink are?”

“Any alchemist should be able to manufacture them.”

I asked Corner Alchemist Mari-ssi via a chat message just in case, and.

Tti-ring!

: Special paper for scrolls and magic ink can be made quickly.

As expected.

: You just have to apply chemical treatment to ordinary paper. Magic ink is the same.
: What about the ingredients?
: A few types of herbs and Mana Stones, well there are plenty of Mana Stones and we have enough herbs to use since Farmhand Rajix brought them in his spare time. We could probably print tens of millions of scrolls?

Somehow things are proceeding smoothly cheok-cheok.

Should I say it’s a dream team composition.

A magician who knows the magic formula called Spell Power Binding Block, a magical engineer who can make a scroll printing press, and an alchemist who can manufacture special paper and magic ink for scrolls.

This is exactly the perfect trinity of LSSR Magic, Alchemy, and Engineering.

Cossack, who had transformed into businessman mode at some point.

“Hmm, thinking about it, it is a fine business item, sir. An aka household emergency scroll, making it so every household can have one scroll each, sir. The population of North and South Korea is 70 million, sir. We must print at least 70 million sheets, sir.”

Gwangma also threw in a word.

“If we can suppress the power of the necklace, we could flatten the managers’ noses.”

Jeon Kwang-il moreover.

“We could also expect a preventative effect. Because if the existence of the scroll becomes known, players won’t be able to hastily use the Rune Necklace of Liberation either.”

Great!

“Let’s temporarily suspend all businesses currently in progress and start with producing the scrolls.”

“Yep!”

“I will begin work immediately.”

“Additionally, we must also make the foundation for mass-producing the Escape Obesity Bracelet with this business, sir.”

“Ey, that damn bracelet.”

“The scroll business is temporary anyway, sir. We can milk the bracelet business for thousands and ten thousands of years, sir.”

Jeon Kwang-il’s mind also spun quickly.

If they supply this to police stations or frontline police boxes first, they would acquire a deterrent against liberated players.

“Commissioner Jeon, there’s something I need.”

“Please speak whatever it is.”

“I need an analog mechanical printing press. One that can print by smearing ink…….”

At that moment!

Cossack’s eyes gleaming as if he remembered something.

“Great Comrade Summoner Bong Joo-hyuk.”

Why is this guy acting possessed by the People’s Armed Forces Minister again.

“…Why is it?”

“Please leave the printing work to our Republic.”

Printing in North Korea?

“Would it be okay?”

“When you say Republic, isn’t it propaganda leaflets, sir? We will produce scrolls exactly like printing out propaganda leaflets, sir.”

“…….”

“The Republic’s propaganda leaflet manufacturing technology does not fall behind South Joseon’s, you know.”

He’s not wrong.

The know-how of manufacturing propaganda leaflets and instigation-propaganda flyers accumulated all this time must be tremendous.

“Let’s do that.”

“Loyalty!”

Those manager punks.

I’m curious about their expressions.

What kind of expressions will they make when they realize their plan has failed?