Chapter 4

Chapter 4

4. I Cleared an S-Rank Gate

Thirty minutes earlier.

The Presidential Palace in Pyongyang, North Korea.

“Snore... Hrk... Snore... Hrrrk, cough...!”

Kim Jong Un nearly choked to death in his sleep, as usual.

“C-Comrade Chairman! Wake up! Comrade Chairman!”

If the Pleasure Squad woman lying beside him hadn’t panicked and woken him, Kim Jong Un really might have stopped breathing.

“Huff! Huff! Th-Thank you. You saved my life, comrade.”

“I’m so relieved, Comrade Chairman. If you were gone, I would... sob, sob.”

When the Pleasure Squad woman put on a tearful performance, Kim Jong Un smiled.

‘I should make this comrade my favorite mistress. Haha!’

That was when.

Ruuuuuumble!

“Wh-What is this?!”

A tremendous tremor shook Pyongyang.

Thud, thud, crash!

Furniture toppled in every direction.

The chandelier hanging from the ceiling fell and shattered.

The Presidential Palace swayed from side to side.

An earthquake that truly shook heaven and earth!

“E-Earthquake! It’s an earthquake!”

“Kyaaaah! Comrade Chairman!”

The Pleasure Squad woman grabbed Kim Jong Un’s thick double chin to keep her balance.

“You crazy bitch, what are you doing?! Aaaagh!”

The canopy over the luxury bed collapsed, and he barely managed to duck under the bed.

No, he tried to, but the gap was far too narrow for Kim Jong Un to fit.

Bang!

“E-Excuse me, Comrade Chairman of the State Affairs Commission! You must evacuate immediately!”

North Korea’s Minister of State Security appeared with his subordinates.

Coincidentally, the earthquake began subsiding at that exact moment.

“...Did it stop?”

“There may be aftershocks. You must evacuate, Comrade Chairman!”

“Fine.”

But then.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Gunfire rang out.

Very close by.

“What bastard is firing guns inside the sacred palace?!”

Kim Jong Un hurriedly crouched down and shouted while trembling all over.

His belly fat jiggled.

“There’s no time for this. You must evacuate immediately, Comrade Chairman!”

But it was too late.

KABOOM!

“Whaaa?”

With a violent explosion, the floor collapsed.

Through the thick cloud of dust, a massive figure approached with metallic footsteps.

Clank, clank.

Green skin.

A hulking, muscular body.

Fierce eyes and beastlike breathing.

“A-An orc...?”

Why was a monster from the Tower here?

As Kim Jong Un stared in disbelief.

The dust settled, revealing dozens more orcs following behind.

Every last one was armed with heavy weapons.

“Did they raid the armory?”

No.

The orcs were clearly carrying firearms, but their weapons were completely different from those of the Korean People’s Army.

The Korean People’s Army certainly didn’t equip ordinary infantry with miniguns like the orcs standing before them.

“Fire! Protect the Comrade Chairman!”

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

The State Security soldiers opened fire on the orcs.

However.

Ping, ping, ping, ping!

The Korean People’s Army’s automatic weapons helplessly bounced off the orcs’ body armor.

Smack!

“Guh!”

One soldier even collapsed after being struck by a ricocheting bullet.

The leading orc, easily twice the size of those behind him, snorted.

“Grrrrr. Humans wage war with toys like those?”

The orc who had spoken strode toward Kim Jong Un.

“I am Krog, Orc Grand General. From this moment on, I am master of this land.”

State Affairs Chairman Kim Jong Un crawled backward.

Then shouted in a trembling voice.

“Y-You worthless monsters dare... D-Do you even know where you are?!”

Clack.

Orc Grand General Krog pointed the barrel of his minigun forward.

Vweeeee!

The barrels rapidly began to spin.

“A place where the gates of hell have opened.”

The minigun roared.

KABABABABOOM-!

Explosive blasts erupted again and again wherever the minigun’s rounds struck.

A gigantic factory appeared in the heart of Pyongyang, transforming it into the 80th floor of the Tower of Fate.

Orc Grand General Krog’s Munitions Factory.

* * *

My house.

After hearing the news that Kim Jong Un had died, I launched my game.

Because I still hadn’t finished this week’s raid.

‘You have to do what needs to be done.’

I didn’t need to gold farm anymore.

But there was no point asking why someone had to do their daily and weekly quests in an MMORPG.

‘It’s like breathing.’

You just do it. It’s part of life.

I’m not the weird one here.

Look.

-Guys, did you see the breaking news?

-yeah looks like they might declare martial law

-Whoa are we seriously going to war wtf

-Except it’s not North Korea, looks like we’re about to go to war with orcs

-Why the hell are monsters that should be inside the Tower suddenly appearing outside?

A million other users were calmly logged into the game and chatting just like always!

‘Should I close the gate now?’

Kim Jong Un was dead too.

‘Should I close it before things get worse?’

I was thinking it over when.

-This is actually a good thing

-How is this good?

-We march north and reunify Korea. The time has finally come to fulfill the Korean people’s long-cherished wish

That chat message hit me like a hammer to the head.

“That’s right... Now is the time to achieve national reunification!”

We even had justification.

Liberating the northern lands illegally occupied by a horde of orcs!

But then?

-Then do we have to go to the army?

-Oh shit you’re right we’re fucked

-Heard all soldiers already had their passes, overnight leave, and vacations canceled. Everyone better brace yourselves...

I clicked my tongue and typed into the chat.

-As young men of the Republic of Korea, of course we should sacrifice ourselves to defend the country and reclaim our northern lands. Lady Shin Saimdang will surely be watching from heaven.

-Why is Shin Saimdang suddenly involved?

-Are you disrespecting Lady Shin Saimdang, the single greatest figure in five thousand years of Korean history?

-?????

“Young people these days have no patriotism whatsoever. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

-If the Ministry of National Defense calls me, I’ll race north immediately and offer up this body for my country.

-Then go by yourself;;

-Unfortunately, I’m exempt from military service

-Um... can I ask why you were exempt?

-Why are you asking?

-No lol; just curious

-Asking someone why they were exempted from military service is a grave violation of human rights, and a severe one at that.

-Ah... okay.

What an obnoxious bastard.

‘This is why our country is going downhill.’

This was exactly why everyone needed to serve in the military.

And anyone who still hadn’t learned their lesson afterward should be sent back for another round.

Therefore, I decided to leave the S-Rank gate open.

‘The people caught in the war right now might suffer, but?’

Future generations who inherited a unified Korean Peninsula would all be grateful to me.

“Exactly.”

Of course they would.

But then?

-Breaking news. The Military Manpower Administration has decided to provide military training to Grade 4 public service workers. Although they will not be deployed to the battlefield, they may potentially be transferred to reserve status in preparation for emergencies...(omitted)...Accordingly, the possibility of Grade 5 wartime labor personnel being mobilized has also been raised.

“They’re mobilizing wartime labor personnel?!”

This was a sign that the country was doomed.

In that case?

‘As a descendant of the Korean people, I must naturally offer up my body and fight for my country.’

I solemnly prepared myself to answer the Military Manpower Administration’s call at any moment.

But then...

Sparkle, sparkle!

I saw it through the small gap in the partly unzipped bag.

Lady Shin Saimdang’s eyes staring at me!

It was as though she were saying.

-My child, you must not go.

“What? B-But as a man of the Republic of Korea, I have a duty to defend the nation...”

-Losing you would be a national tragedy.

Urgh.

Amid a battlefield filled with gunfire and explosions.

I imagined a comrade bleeding to death before me.

‘Private Choi Hyunwoo. You alone... must complete the sacred task of reunifying our homeland.’

‘Sergeant!’

‘My consciousness is fading... Private First Class Choi, could you give me some morphine?’

‘Yes... here.’

‘Thank you, Corporal Choi. Now... I can finally rest in peace.’

‘It’s nothing. But why does my rank keep going up?’

‘A crisis is also an opportunity... It is only natural for a man who distinguishes himself on the battlefield to be promoted. Sergeant Choi.’

‘Indeed. You’re right, Sergeant.’

‘Staff Sergeant Choi Hyunwoo... you are the future of the Republic of Korea, no, the entire Korean Peninsula.’

‘Urgh.’

‘So you must survive, Colonel Choi Hyunwoo.’

‘I will never forget your sacrifice, Sergeant.’

‘It is an honor... simply to be remembered by you. Congratulations on your promotion to general, Division Commander Choi Hyunwoo.’

‘Yes. I think it’s time we parted ways. The difference in our ranks has grown too great for us to keep talking like this. By the way, what was your name again?’

A glorious future awaited me, returning in triumph as the youngest corps commander in Korean history.

Therefore, I had no choice but to answer my country’s call...

-You’re a man worth four billion won an hour.

“...!”

I clenched my fist.

If this was truly Lady Shin Saimdang’s command.

‘I have no choice but to obey.’

Suppressing the emotion swelling within me, I solemnly spoke.

“Close the Pyongyang gate.”

[Closing ‘80th Floor of the Tower of Fate, Orc Grand General’s Munitions Factory (S).’]

[‘S-Rank Gate Close Ticket’ consumed.]

I absolutely wasn’t doing this because I didn’t want to go to the army.

It was because Lady Shin Saimdang had commanded me not to go.

If I had enlisted, I undoubtedly would have become a general.

‘But with my four-billion-won hourly wage!’

Contributing to the economy would surely benefit the Republic of Korea even more.

I finally understood Lady Shin Saimdang’s profound wisdom.

‘I was rash.’

These were the words of the greatest figure in five thousand years of Korean history, so they had to be right.

For the millions of anxious reservists and active-duty soldiers in Korea, I also posted on the Hunven board.

[Title: Big bro took care of North Korea.]

[Author: Divine One]

-Content: Went to Pyongyang to catch a pig and I did find one. Wasn’t the pig I had in mind though yeah... Anyway I killed this grand general? guy and the gate? disappeared so everyone relax and get back to work peace

“But what happens if I close an S-Rank gate now? Do the orcs go back?”

[When a generated gate is closed, reality and the Tower of Fate become disconnected.]

[Entities remaining inside the Tower of Fate will remain inside the Tower of Fate.]

[Entities that have descended into the present world will remain in the present world.]

Wait.

The ones who already crossed over stay in reality even after the gate closes?

“Eh, whatever. They’ll figure something out.”

There’s no way our military would lose to a bunch of orcs, right?

But then.

Ding!

[‘Orc Grand General Krog’ has been slain.]

[You have cleared the 80th floor of the Tower of Fate, ‘Orc Grand General’s Munitions Factory’!]

[Congratulations!]

[You are the first in the world to clear the 80th floor of the Tower of Fate!]

[Calculating first-clear rewards...]

[You have obtained ‘Krog’s Munitions Factory Control Authority (S)’ as a reward!]

[You have obtained ‘Krog’s Gatling Laser (S)’ as a reward!]

[You eliminated only the boss monster without being detected by anyone.]

[You have obtained the title ‘Silent Assassin (S)’!]

“Hmm?”