Chapter 24: Robin Hood’s Bow Fragment

Trial for Gold Rank Promotion.

So…

“It means we have to clear S-grade dungeons to climb up.”

Suddenly?

That wasn’t a thing before.

‘Wasn’t it just about filling up experience to rank up?’

“Too bad. Robin would’ve known exactly.”

‘Is it because he’s top-tier?’

‘Or maybe he just knows a lot from the start.’

Usually, when you ask him something, he answers right away…

“Rani doesn’t know!”

“Hmm…”

Right?

“I figured she wouldn’t know.”

“Arthur probably doesn’t either.”

“Wasseo knows! From Gold rank on, it’s top-tier? That’s why it’s hard to climb!”

“Oh? You know this?”

“He really does?”

“Robin told me! If you ask Sajang later, Wasseo will tell you!”

“Aha, that makes sense… But why doesn’t he say it himself?”

“Robin said it! Isn’t that great?”

Typical Robin.

Anyway, okay.

Well…

If it’s top-tier, then Robin’s rank too.

So, they don’t just invite anyone easily, huh.

“Then, normally, shouldn’t upper-rank workers like Arthur have cleared S-grade dungeons?”

“Exactly! Wasseo and the other top-tier ones!”

Just hearing that sounds brutal.

No wonder it’s a trial.

But…

“I have Robin.”

“Exactly!”

Clearing what’s supposed to be done by upper-rank workers with top-tier workers!

That’s a major win.

“Wow~! We’re going to an S-grade dungeon?! Robin said there’s tons of good materials there!”

“Yeah, we have to go.”

“Awesome!”

But not right away.

Robin said S-grade dungeons are almost nonexistent.

“They have to appear first.”

Let’s check AwakenerNet just in case.

You never know where an S-grade dungeon might suddenly pop up.

“Hmm… nothing.”

“No S-grade dungeon?”

“Yeah.”

***

We first looked at our country’s dungeon list, and none were there.

Other countries don’t have them now either.

Oh, there was a comment suggesting one might exist in China…

‘Heard about the chaos when a Chinese S-grade dungeon appeared? Anyone else?’

That was all.

Any other news?

None.

Nothing came up in searches.

“Well, even if an S-grade dungeon appears, we can’t go immediately anyway…”

Yeah.

That’s actually a relief.

If there was an S-grade dungeon, I’d want to rush to it.

Wondering if I should ask Arthur before someone else clears it…

“Wasseo, want to go?”

“Arthur said that, but I veto it.”

He cleared an A-grade dungeon all on his own only after really powering up. Going to S-grade?

Clearly impossible.

Let’s take it slow.

Still, we got one piece of info.

“Rani, I found what materials come out of S-grade dungeons.”

“Show me, Rani!”

‘You want to see?’

Sure, let’s look together.

(Info) Why the great powers control S-grade dungeons—only those who don’t know

‘Curious why they control them?’

To put it simply, it’s because of the rewards.

They drop ridiculous items.

[USA – Gram (Fragment) / Aegis (Fragment)]

[Germany – Gae Bolg (Fragment)]

[China – Robin Hood’s Bow (Fragment)]

This is what the great powers have disclosed so far.

‘UK and Russia?’

No idea.

They keep those tightly sealed.

So there are some wondering what those are.

If you look online, it’s all out there.

These are mythical or legendary weapons.

‘Feel the vibe?’

They must be insanely strong just by looking.

‘Raid boss drops?’

‘How could those compare to legendary weapons? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ’

Anyway…

Each country controls S-grade dungeons.

The top-tier ranked players join government agencies because of those reasons.

Mythical weapons?

If completed, they’ll give it to you first.

That’s how they lure you in.

[Wow, if they give that, I’d join a country too ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

‘What floor is your top at?’

L32 floor.

Go on in.

‘If those are fragments, it means the completed item doesn’t exist yet, right?’

Nope, not yet ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

‘S-grade dungeons only appear to great powers, right?’

The consensus is they only appear beyond floor 60.

Beyond floor 60? Then ours will appear soon, right??????

Then having just the materials means nothing? Well, S-grade dungeons aren’t such a big deal ㅎㅎㅎ

You gotta see the future!!

It’s not mine anyway ㅠㅠ

Sour grapes ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

In conclusion, they give fragments of mythical or legendary weapons.

Looks like you have to gather multiple to complete them.

Like the Key Fragment of Chaos?

[Key Fragment of Chaos]

[Fragments, when combined, return to their original form.]

We’ve already gathered 9 of these fragments.

Once we get 10, the Key of Chaos is made…

Seems like a similar idea.

“Hmm… Rani can use that!”

“That?”

“Yeah! Fragments! I want them!”

‘Can use?’

They’re just fragments…

Tilting my head, then a flash of realization.

Right. Rani used the Meteor Sword (Fragment) last time.

‘Could these materials also be used?’

Asked her.

“Yeah! Just like I made the Meteor Sword, I can bring these back to life too!”

Wow…

That’s amazing.

Now I really want to clear an S-grade dungeon.

“What about those materials?! Rani wants Robin Hood’s Bow!”

No honorifics work here.

That belongs to China.

‘Would they give it without a fight?’

“Hmmm…”

“Instead, when an S-grade dungeon appears next time, let’s send Robin to quickly clear it.”

“Yeah! That sounds good!”

But will one even appear?

Sigh…

Beijing, China.

The atmosphere in the Central Awakened Administration Bureau was grim.

“We just lost ground up to 30 km.”

“Why can’t we stop them?!”

“Sorry, but these are monsters from an S-grade dungeon…”

How can they be stopped?

There was no way.

The trusted great powers refused aid.

Requests sent to top guilds worldwide?

All declined.

“The whole world has abandoned us, China…”

“Is there any other way to stop it?”

“We’ve mobilized every hunter in the country…”

“So there’s no way.”

Mobilized everything?

They did that long ago.

Yet they keep losing ground…

“No choice. We have to unleash everything we have.”

“Director, that’s…”

“It’s okay. Chairman just approved it.”

The final, final measure.

Better than Beijing falling.

“Release everything.”

“Everything, sir?”

“Everything except the fragments from S-grade dungeons. Those are needed for the future.”

China’s core.

The items managed by the Central Awakened Administration Bureau were countless.

[Various materials, high-grade metals, elixirs, high-tier equipment, Monthly Boss Raid materials…]

Most couldn’t be bought with money.

They’d be used as rewards.

[How can you trust China?]

[This time, they’ll take help and then stay silent.]

‘What do other countries say?’

They know.

So a decision was made.

Using the AwakenerNet system.

They posted a request under the name of the Central Awakened Administration Bureau of China.

Contribution would be judged by the system.

“Isn’t this enough to get hunters moving?”

Materials and elixirs that can’t be bought even with money should definitely get people moving for a raid.

“…”

“Good. Proceed as planned.”

“Understood!”

Great powers.

Top guilds worldwide.

And all hunters everywhere.

They risked almost everything.

This should draw them in, right?

Please save us.

***

China’s last card for the world: a public request via AwakenerNet.

Rewards: the treasures held by the Central Awakened Administration Bureau.

The news spread fast.

[With rewards like that, isn’t it worth the risk?]

[If they really give all that…?]

– They’re even giving raid materials? Top guilds would make billions selling those.

The elixirs are legit ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Those are so rare no one sells them even if they have money. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Unbelievably eye-popping rewards.

No participation restrictions either?

Low-level or high-level hunters alike.

Contribute more, get better rewards.

If lucky?

You might become the protagonist of a life-changing story.

—[Still, some don’t trust China ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Will they really give that?]

—[If you go, hope you come back alive.]

—[Even if they give it, they’ll find a way to take it back later ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

Negative comments occasionally popped up?

But were quickly buried.

— [See? They posted the request through the system ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

— [That’s what I’m saying ㅋㅋㅋ How could China scam when it’s through AwakenerNet?]

— [It’s a request through AwakenerNet. How could they not give rewards?]

— [The items they offered as rewards probably already transferred to AwakenerNet.]

And…

— [They won’t stir up trouble after solving this incident ㅋㅋㅋ They’ll have to behave now.]

— [Yeah, we gotta wait for a 62-floor hunter like Wei Jin to appear again.]

— [Otherwise, this mess will happen again ㅋㅋ]

‘Could they harass us later?’

No way.

How are they going to survive future crises?

[China’s #1 Ranked Hunter Wei Jin, Missing]

[2 Chen Yu?]

Climbing floor 55.

That’s a 7-floor gap, impossible to catch up instantly.

Unless they find a lucky encounter like Korean rankers…

— [Chen Yu alone can’t stop another S-grade dungeon appearance ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

— [If another S-grade erupts, they’ll need help from other countries, but who will come if they betray us this time? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

— [They’re just doomed…]

These days, the height of the Tower reflects national power.

Meaning, you need high-ranked hunters to maintain that.

‘If a country disappears like China now?’

Its international power inevitably weakens.

Anyway.

China’s last gamble succeeded.

“The conditions are generous.”

“Yeah, if they empty their warehouses like this, we can move too.”

“Is Hwarang going?”

“Baekhodan is going for sure.”

Not only general hunters but top guilds from each country would move.

China breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yeah.”

“They could stop it now.”

“Or maybe even clear the dungeon…”

“They absolutely won’t clear it.”

“Wasseo agrees! That’s what I think!”

“Really?”

AwakenerNet looked optimistic.

Many hunters were going.

Top guilds like Baekhodan were going.

But still can’t stop it?

***

“Yes, if Sohjang takes charge, we could clear the S-grade dungeon at the core.”

“But?”

“I think the rewards aren’t enough for that.”

“Rewards?”

“Yes. We have to scrape the bottom. Even the tightly sealed Robin Hood’s Bow fragments.”

“Huh? Rani agrees! Rani wants that!”

Hmm.

Not bad.

From experience, listening to what the workers say has never backfired.

A new upper-rank worker.

‘Shall we listen once?’