Chapter 108

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[Proofreader – Prøks]

Chapter 108: Saudi (2)

It wasn’t long before they entered the palace with the guards.

“I have something important to discuss, so please step back.”

“Your Majesty, it’s dangerous…”

“Oh, I trust Kim Minwoo, the Awakened here.”

At the frosty king’s shout, the guards reluctantly began to leave the room.

They were left alone in the room.

Abdullah, who licked his lips as if he was about to cry, said.

“…Is it really possible to awaken?”

“Of course, would I have flown all the way here to talk nonsense?”

He nodded.

He didn’t believe it, but he had no choice. If he was going to scam them, there would have

been no reason to come here in the first place.

“Let’s just cut to the chase. I guess Awakening means a lot to Your Majesty?”

“…Yes.”

Whether the Awakened side or the non-Awakened side is at an advantage. In today’s Saudi Arabia, the Awakened side has the advantage.

It’s not that they are suppressing the non-Awakened, but naturally, the side that is blessed by Allah would have more pride and power in their words, wouldn’t they?

In the case of a king, he doesn’t even have to fight directly, so it would be perfect if he were

to convert to a priest or something like that.

If he just shoots out a halo, he can increase the loyalty of his people.

The possibility of subtle deification and idolization. These would be very sweet elements for him as a king.

“I need a lot of money.”

“Money. Is it because of the skill book?”

“That too. I need to participate in the Sky Auction House as well.”

The king’s eyes widened at his words.

“…You already received an invitation?”

“Yes. My participation is confirmed.”

“That’s remarkable. Well, with your reputation and financial resources, it’s no surprise you would receive an invitation. So, how much is it?”

“100 trillion won. That’s the minimum.”

“…Are you joking, man?”

“Does it look like I’m joking?”

They stared at each other intently.

He seemed uncomfortable, squinting his eyes as he said.

“Heh, I guess it’s serious then.”

“It’s not that expensive, is it?”

His exact wealth was unknown. This was because Saudi law prohibited the disclosure of royal assets.

However, in this world setting, the total assets of the Saudi royal family were estimated to be around 3 quadrillion won.

100 trillion won was a lot, but…

‘It’s not an amount we can’t afford.’

If only he could awaken, the other side would take care of the money. They would not hesitate to use any means necessary.

“Care for a smoke?”

“Sure, why not.”

“Phew.”

He lit a cigarette after picking one up.

“…If the people find out about this, there will be an uproar.”

“Is that so?”

‘Well, I suppose that’s true’

“If the king of a country decides to awaken and spends 100 trillion won, who would be happy about it?”

“Even if it’s his personal wealth, the story is the same.”

“If this becomes public knowledge, the fallout could be quite significant.”

But then…

“Then couldn’t we just keep it under wraps?”

There were plenty of ways to quietly close the deal.

“Heh, that’s true.”

“I had some business at the Blue House.”

“…?”

“I met the president there. He’s in his 70s, but he’s still so energetic. He could pass for someone in his 50s.”

He continued speaking to the silent king.

“I heard he’s been pouring money into bio research lately. Was it 3 trillion won a year? Well, aging is a scary thing, isn’t it?”

“…Do you have two hearts?”

Instead of answering, he just smiled broadly.

Saudi Arabia?

It wasn’t a country that received very high marks as an Awakened nation.

Unfortunately, it was treated as a weaker Awakened nation, even worse than South Korea, which was also considered a weaker Awakened nation.

Since it wasn’t that militarily strong, they would probably just negotiate and give in, rather than trying to mess with this country.

‘They wouldn’t even think of trying to mess with us in the first place.’

They would just put up a bit of a fuss.

If they really thought the price was ridiculous, they would have left in the first place.

After a long period of contemplation, he spoke.

“…Just in case, I’m asking. Can you awaken other members of the royal family besides me?”

“Who are you referring to?”

Abdullah listed the names of dozens of royals.

Fortunately, I was already aware of the Awakening requirements for the other royals.

This was because the users had risked their lives to find out. As I heard their names, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of disdain for these rich people.

“I think it’s possible. Of course, I can’t guarantee their Achievement Rank. That’s the same for you, Your Majesty.”

The talents of the royals, including Abdullah, were closer to the lower end of the spectrum.

The focus should be on the fact that they were Awakened at all.

‘That alone is a sweet deal.’

There were one or two rich guys who would shed tears if this wasn’t possible.

“…Is it really possible? Then… my wife and children too, maybe…?”

“Yes, it is possible.”

Abdullah’s face lit up at these words.

If not only himself, but also the royals loyal to him, and even their families, could all be Awakened, then 100 trillion won was not such a high price to pay.

This would mean that he was not spending the royal treasury for his own personal gain, but for the well-being of the entire royal family.

Naturally, this would make him feel much less burdened.

Even if it were to become public knowledge, he would be able to get through it somehow.

“Your Majesty. But aren’t you trying to rip me off with 100 trillion won?”

“…It’s difficult for me to take out any more private funds. Instead, let’s do this. You’re closely involved with Ilsung, aren’t you?”

“Are you offering to give me business rights?”

“Construction is booming in our Saudi Arabia every day.”

The king said with a sly grin.

“Phew…”

Abdullah let out a sigh of admiration after seeing the Awakening requirements for the royals and their families.

He didn’t know about anything else.

But he knew one thing for sure.

If these were the real requirements, then there was a reason why they hadn’t Awakened before.

A list of bizarre and otherworldly methods was laid out. Among them was a royal who had to eat cow dung to Awaken.

“…For now, stay here and get some rest.”

“Yes, sir.”

He probably wanted to confirm that these were the real Awakening requirements.

He could wait as long as it took.

Some time passed.

Abdullah urgently called me over.

He looked at him with a truly astonished expression.

“How on earth…!?”

“I told you not to be curious. But, have you saved face?”

Abdullah nodded.

He had chosen a few royals with seemingly easier requirements and tested them.

And they actually Awakened!

The royal didn’t just express gratitude; he looked at him with eyes of admiration.

‘This is crazy…’

Not one or two, but five of them Awakened.

This meant that the contents of the document were real.

‘So then I can too…’

Can I really Awaken?

Abdullah swallowed hard.

‘What kind of Awakening requirement is this…?’

He had thought that Donny was just a strong Awakened fighter, but it didn’t end there.

He had the ability to figure out Awakening requirements. It was hard to overstate how valuable this ability was in the era of Awakened people.

‘This is a truly terrifying ability.’

He couldn’t even imagine how high Donny’s potential was, even at this point. It was hard to imagine how far Kim Minwoo would go.

Their eyes met.

“Your Majesty’s Awakening requirement is…”

“What is it? Surely it’s not something like eating poop like that guy?”

“No, it’s not that.”

He looked at him slyly and said.

“You just need to get shot in the thigh.”

“…What?”

“You’ll Awaken if you get shot in the thigh.”

This was a fact that Abdullah, who had once been protected by users as an escort, had learned after being shot in a terrorist attack.

He would Awaken if he was shot in the thigh.

It was a crazy requirement, but it wasn’t that difficult.

‘It’s not that hard.’

It’s just the thigh, not the heart or the head.

And he could even cheat by using rubber bullets or something.

Was there no other requirement besides getting shot in a way that wasn’t even that dangerous?

The Park Siwoo expedition route would have been blocked a long time ago.

No matter how eager one is to awaken, they wouldn’t risk their life just because some stranger says so.

Even if it seems suspicious, the conditions must be tempting enough to prick one’s ears up a bit.

When the king was informed of this fact, he sighed with relief.

‘…It’s not as difficult as I thought.’

“Awakening is easy once you know the conditions.”

It’s just a matter of finding the right conditions. Since people have such diverse conditions, even with helpers for awakening, there were limits.

How could one even consider shooting the king to experiment with awakening?

Such conditions weren’t common at all.

“…So, if I get hit by a low-powered gun, does that mean my achievement rank will also decrease?”

“Well, yes, it would. But that’s not really important, is it?”

“True.”

Whether it’s F-rank or B-rank achievement, from the king’s perspective, both were the same.

“Do you have any intention of achieving S-rank or something like that?”

“To achieve that, wouldn’t I need to be hit by dozens of bullets? I would have to go through quite an ordeal to reach that level…”

“Just getting hit won’t get you into that realm. For awakening in that rank you would need to get hit by a high-caliber bullet.”

Then, after a thorough treatment, the awakening is over.

It seems so simple.

“I’ll give it a try.”

Abdullah immediately stepped forward, as if in a hurry.

Perhaps he would entrust that mission secretly to a reliable guard.

‘He’ll handle it on his own.’

As if knowing, he walked in with a bright smile after a brief wait.

“Haha! I never thought I could solve this lifelong problem so easily! It’s beyond my wildest dreams!”

“Congratulations on your awakening.”

“Thank you, thank you! You are our Saudi hero!”

The king pats his shoulder with eyes that seem to drip with honey.

“Everything is according to Allah’s will.”

“As Allah wills. I will transfer the promised amount to you shortly.”

“Thank you.”

His assets had increased dramatically.

And if you add to that the pocket money of Siwoo and Seo Yerin.

‘The game is over.’

He could almost hear the laughter of the awakened ones who would be participating in the auction.

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]