With a murderous expression that looked as if he might throw them out of the base at any moment, one of the representatives of the foreign stall union hurriedly approached Min-hyuk.
The Hunter pleaded with a voice automatically translated by the system.
“We were just asking for some consideration. Most of the Korean Hunters have taken over the square, so we had no place to do business.”
Min-hyuk looked around at those words and smirked.
He was certain that the man standing before him was trying to sell him a load of lies.
“For someone saying that, the area for Korean Hunters looks far too cramped, doesn’t it?”
“We will be leaving soon, so some consideration…”
“Isn’t this extortion, not consideration?”
A Chinese Hunter stepped forward, perhaps frustrated by the Indian Hunter who was sweating profusely and failing to answer properly.
“Are we not here to help? I believe we deserve at least this much consideration.”
“That’s right. Koreans will have plenty of opportunities even after this event ends. Please have some understanding of our situation as well.”
The foreign Hunters pressured Min-hyuk as if they wouldn’t cooperate with the Emergency Quest unless he gave them special treatment in the stall market.
Perhaps gathering in a large group had given them courage.
They even started spewing nonsense, saying that foreign Hunters should be prioritized over others for the base’s shops during the Emergency Quest period.
As Min-hyuk listened quietly, more foreign Hunters gathered, tossing out petty demands.
“We aren’t asking for much. We just want you to prioritize us until the Emergency Quest is over.”
“Why should I?”
The people, who thought their demands would work if they swarmed him as a group, wore bewildered expressions at Min-hyuk’s retort.
Min-hyuk looked at them as if asking if they had anything else to say, then pointed his finger at those in front of him and expelled them on the spot.
“We came here to help. If we stop the quest as a group, it will hinder the progress of the Emergency Quest.”
When a Chinese Hunter spoke such nonsense, Min-hyuk chuckled.
“I’ll take care of it myself, so mind your own business.”
With those words, he expelled him as well.
A few more Hunters protested, but after they were cleanly expelled, no one else dared to open their mouth.
Seeing that the environment was finally suitable for speaking, Min-hyuk looked around and addressed the crowd.
“I will be in the tower until the Emergency Quest is over. If you cause trouble, I’ll find you.”
Having said that, he opened the System Window and began to examine the base.
News of this event immediately spread outside the tower.
— Looks like the foreigners who occupied the stall market got crushed? —
ã„´ Is that true?
ã„´ Yeah. Apparently, some guy even mouthed off to the Base Owner. He got expelled right then and there.
ã„´ Are they insane?
ã„´ I actually saw it. They were threatening him, asking if he could treat them like this when they came to help.
ㄴ They’re crazy.
ã„´ For real. What were they thinking, acting like that?
The scuffle between Min-hyuk and the foreign Hunters immediately spread through Hunternet and reached the ears of the Hunter Management Bureau.
“Are these people insane?”
When Park Min-hye asked in disbelief, the Director also wore an absurd expression.
It was incomprehensible that they would act so brazenly when they should have been begging for a spot.
“Shouldn’t we request strong sanctions from the World Association?”
“It’ll be difficult. Even the Hunter Management Bureau can’t manage every single Hunter. Besides, what if they all turn into Villains?”
Min-hye sighed softly at Park Young-hwan’s words and spoke with a confused look.
“I don’t understand the Hunters either. They only lose out if they get expelled…”
“They know it’s a gamble. But it was worth checking once.”
This incident was a move to see what kind of personality an ‘Irregular’ like Choi Min-hyuk had.
If he were the type to listen to whining and grant favors?
They would have been able to exploit that in the future.
“Still, to do something so crazy…”
If one got on Min-hyuk’s bad side, joining a top-tier guild was essentially impossible.
Park Young-hwan smiled at Park Min-hye, who tilted her head in confusion.
“It’s possible if they’re Villains.”
“…Villains?”
“Yes. This wasn’t just the Hunters testing the waters with Choi Min-hyuk. There’s a high probability that other giant forces are behind this.”
Park Young-hwan spoke with certainty.
If Min-hyuk showed indecisiveness, they would exploit him further; if he showed decisiveness, they would announce it was the work of Villains.
“Then all five countries are…”
“In on it together.”
This entire incident was a play designed to see how Min-hyuk would react.
They were the type to act submissive to one’s face while plotting all sorts of insidious schemes behind their backs.
To deal with an Irregular like Min-hyuk, the Villains and the five countries had allied behind the scenes.
“Could it be… since the time they negotiated?”
“Of course. They’ll deny it if we protest, but everything was likely agreed upon in the background.”
Was there anyone among the world’s top 100 guilds who was completely free from the Villain Alliance?
As one climbs the tower, they inevitably need certain items.
When the exchange dries up, the place they turn to is the black market run by the Villain Alliance.
They all maintain a connection just in case, so would a nation be any different?
Depending on how Min-hyuk responded to this situation, the major nations could establish a standard for future recruitment plans.
This operation wasn’t a bad deal for them.
“Then… might it not end here?”
“Perhaps. Since the Emergency Quest is an unexpected variable, they might try to pressure him even more.”
They would bite the moment any gap was shown.
Park Young-hwan wore a curious expression, wondering what choice Min-hyuk would make this time.
In contrast, Park Min-hye looked unconcerned.
“He has a surprisingly firm side, so I’m sure he’ll do well this time too.”
“I hope so.”
The two of them watched the news reporting breaking updates on Min-hyuk.
The news outlets were blasting out breaking news at a rate that was almost like transcribing real-time information from Hunternet.
All sorts of news channels were reporting on the events happening at the base to the point where it felt too late to control.
Unlike typical news where experts analyze a single report and reuse it several times, new breaking updates kept pouring in.
[Most of those who caused trouble at the base have been identified as members of the Villain Alliance, operating outside of national sanctions…]
[The Five-Nation Alliance! They have officially announced they will do their best to help with the Emergency Quest…]
They announced that they would do their best to assist the Hunters, such as providing subsidies if they helped with the Emergency Quest.
There were even Hunters who approached Min-hyuk directly to deliver this message.
However, separate from that, problems continued to arise.
After the external announcement that many of those warned by the soldiers were likely Villains, the foreign Hunters became even more aggressive in their harassment.
Some demanded special consideration, while others intentionally picked fights with Korean Hunters.
They were walking a tightrope, acting just enough to receive a warning without being expelled.
Despite this, Min-hyuk waited quietly.
He knew that in just a little while, he would be able to legally crush them.
“There.”
At Min-hyuk’s murmur, the Hunters around him tilted their heads.
Just as they wore questioning expressions, not knowing what he meant, a Base Announcement appeared before their eyes.
**[Base Announcement: The China Tower has reached 100% Risk Level. As of this moment, all members are expelled from the Korea Tower.]**
“…Huh?”
A Chinese Hunter who had opened a stall in the central square stared blankly at the System Window in disbelief.
They had clearly tried to manage the Risk Level between 90% and 95% to ensure it wouldn’t reach 100%.
Even when causing trouble, everyone had been watching the Risk Level displayed in the central square.
“Which crazy bastard reached 100% Risk Level!”
One Chinese man, who was cursing the organization for failing to manage the risk, was swept away by a bright light and vanished.
Soon after, other Chinese merchants who had set up stalls began to be expelled one by one.
From the Hunters who had been shouting in the shops to those who had been receiving warnings for subtle provocations—every single one was expelled.
“Ah…”
Seeing that all Chinese Hunters had been expelled, the other foreign Hunters who had been walking the tightrope looked at Min-hyuk with stiff expressions.
However, China wasn’t the only one that reached 100% Risk Level.
**[Base Announcement: The India Tower has reached 100% Risk Level. As of this moment, all members are expelled from the Korea Tower.]**
The Indian Hunters, who had acted without reservation using their large numbers as a weapon, also began to be expelled one by one.
Everyone wore an incomprehensible expression.
They had clearly managed the Risk Level.
Min-hyuk hadn’t increased the risk or changed the calculation method just because he disliked the two nations.
If he had, a base announcement about a change in risk settings would have appeared.
‘Reflect the penalty points of Hunters who received warnings before midnight into their respective Tower’s Risk Level.’
He had simply changed this to update in real time.
He prevented the tactic of causing trouble all day and then lowering the Risk Level by raising contribution points right before midnight.
With that alone, the two nations reached 100% instantly and were expelled.
Even in a situation where the conquest rate needed to be met and an Emergency Quest had been added, he ruthlessly cut off the two nations that boasted the largest numbers.
‘The most urgent goal, reaching 60% conquest for Floor 10, is essentially a success then?’
Foreign Hunters weren’t much help beyond Floor 10 anyway.
The material supply quests were almost finished, and the conquest rate for Floor 10 was guaranteed, so he kicked them out without mercy as if there were nothing more to see.
This meant that the remaining nations could also be cut down without hesitation if they continued to act as they were.
What was scarier was that, as if it wasn’t over yet, he was checking those who had repeatedly received warnings from soldiers and applying those warnings in real time.
As proof, new names were appearing one after another on the warning board, filling the gaps left by China and India.
The moment they saw that, the Korean Hunters were certain the remaining foreign Hunters would behave themselves for the rest of their stay.
“Lower the Risk Level first!”
“Just do the quests for now!”
“The Risk Level is going up! Let’s get inside quickly!”
Terrified by the rapidly rising Risk Level, Hunters scrambled to accept quests.
Perhaps because everyone was taking quests to lower the risk, the decimal points of the Floor 10 conquest rate began to climb quickly.
At that time, the outside world was reporting the news of the two expelled nations as breaking updates.
[Breaking News: China and India have been entirely expelled from the Floor 10 Base!]
[Two nations expelled after reaching 100% Risk Level!]
[The two nations that neglected management were ultimately expelled from the Floor 10 Base. Perhaps they will never have another chance to enter the Korean Villain Tower again…]
Such breaking news spread across the globe.
Chaos erupted in the two expelled nations, and the media lashed out at the remaining three nations, demanding that the Hunter Management Bureau manage them more aggressively.
Meanwhile, an announcement appeared at the Floor 10 Base.
**[You have achieved a 60% conquest rate for Floor 10. Regardless of the Emergency Quest, an additional safe zone will be secured on Floor 11!]**
**[The map expansion for material collection is in progress due to the securing of the Floor 11 safe zone.]**
**[※ From now on, various materials can be gathered on Floor 11.]**
**[Low-quality Iron Ore Fragments, Rusty Armaments, Contaminated Floor 11 Plants (Chance to find poison-infused elixirs)]**
**[※ More materials may be added by expanding the safe zone upon clearing the Emergency Quest.]**