Jeon Gwang-il loaded ore onto a truck and rushed to the player shop's workshop.
A metal workshop that repaired and forged players' weapons.
"Wait—aren't you the deputy director? What brings you here personally…?"
"A new tower material has been discovered, so I wanted to ask whether it can be processed."
"Oh? Let's take a look."
At the words new tower material, craftsmen came swarming over.
When the ores on the truck were revealed—
"Th-this looks like ore…"
"That's right. It's adamant ore."
"What?"
"O-ore?"
"It's not a tower reward ingot?"
"Hey, let me see too."
Each of them grabbed a piece of ore, unable to hide their amazement.
They had only ever seen it as metal ingots—never imagined they'd see it as raw ore.
"To be sure, we'll have to smelt it."
"That's exactly what I came to ask."
The craftsmen broke several chunks of adamant ore with hammers, sorted them, and put them into a small furnace to melt.
Being veterans in forging and smelting, the process went smoothly.
They melted the ore, extracted the metal, filtered impurities from the molten iron, poured it into pre-made molds, and let it cool.
"It's real adamant ingots."
"The purity's incredibly high. At least 50%."
Done.
Smelting successful.
"Could you first make leathercrafting tools with this?"
"Not tower-raiding equipment, but tools used by leather craftsmen? That's easy enough, but… why?"
"It's a secret… sorry."
"Hahaha, of course. It's state business, after all. We'll make them quickly. Adamant, right? How many sets do you need?"
"At least 100 sets."
"Got it. I'll contact you when they're ready."
With that, the leathercrafting problem was solved.
There were plenty of materials.
How much could it take to make leatherworking sets?
He'd bring more ore later anyway.
Jeon Gwang-il called Goyeon Ha.
"CEO Go, we've secured the leathercrafting tools. Let's move quickly on commercialization."
—Thank you. I'll do my best to make a proper product.
Juhyeok also received word from Jeon Gwang-il.
The ore smelting had gone extremely well.
The quality was excellent too.
There was more metal content than expected—over one ton of ingots would come out.
When he told Rajiks, the round-bodied creature wobbled back and forth, unable to contain its joy.
Seeing it that happy—well, they'd have to go mine more.
But they couldn't keep mining forever.
That day was approaching.
Just three days away.
In three days, it would be time to welcome a new guest.
And also clear the 50th floor to check the special reward.
Then, right on cue, news came on TV.
ㄴ Fuck, why are those oil-country bastards coming here to make trouble? They've got Saudi right next door.
ㄴ Haven't you heard the rumor they stabbed each other in the back and relations went sour?
ㄴ Ah! Trait enhancement runes?
ㄴ Kekeke, Saudi's probably loving this on the inside.
ㄴ What about the U.S.? Toss them an oil field and they'd come running.
ㄴ Nah, they're already contracted with Japan. And oil fields only mattered back in the day.
ㄴ Doesn't Russia also have temporarily naturalized players?
ㄴ Yeah, contracted with China. And Russian players aren't "temporary naturalization specialists"—they're just top players.
ㄴ Whoa! They just loan out their top players?
ㄴ Dictatorship. You do what you're told.
ㄴ Nam Ga-eun is our top player. It's shameless to ask to borrow her.
ㄴ Is she, though?
ㄴ What do you mean?
ㄴ Is our country's top player really Nam Ga-eun?
ㄴ Ahh! Right. We've got another top player.
ㄴ Still on the 49th floor, but whatever—he'll hit the 60s in a couple months.
The desperate appeal from Crown Prince Bin-Sala continued the next day.
ㄴ Kekeke, called it. Now they're not even pretending—straight to the point.
ㄴ S++-rank record holder, please watch the news—that's what they're saying. Offering money you can't refuse.
ㄴ But when are those guys leaving? Makes me nervous.
ㄴ What's the government doing? Hurry up and kick them out.
ㄴ Seems like they're planning to stay quite a while.
Juhyeok saw the news too, but didn't care much.
If they'd offered a grade-enhancement rune, maybe he'd consider it.
But money?
Do they think money solves everything?
Who do they think the future world's richest man is?
He cut off the noise and went back to mining ore.
And the day drew closer.
One day before the random summon cooldown reset.
Juhyeok handed over the ore he'd stored at the Administration and returned to the penthouse.
Beep. He opened the door and walked in.
"L-loyal! You're back, sir?"
Today as well, Kosak was carefully wiping the living room windows with a clean microfiber towel.
"Loyal retainer Kosak, helping Rajiks clean, sir. Hehehe."
"Hahaha, take it easy. Your body can't be in great shape."
"I'm S-rank, sir. S-rank. Getting flicked on the forehead won't do anything to me."
"Sure, sure."
He'd seen Kosak get hit by a murderous flick and nearly die.
It was his own fault.
Kosak was the one who'd tempted him into the bet in the first place.
Juhyeok had business with Gyeon-dallae.
She was a shaman—she could probably divine fortunes, right?
He didn't usually believe in this sort of thing, but after vividly experiencing the effects of rituals and talismans, how could he not?
"I shall cast a rice divination. I cannot be definitive about the distant future, but at least I can glimpse fortune and misfortune."
Gyeon-dallae grabbed a handful of rice from the rice bin by the sink.
Then she scattered it across the dining table.
"Hmmm."
She observed the scattered grains, occasionally nudging them.
Did it show?
Auspicious? Ominous? Calamity? Blessing?
"The fortune has appeared."
"Oh! How is it?"
"An ominous event rises, yet in the end it is great fortune. Trouble will arise, but it will be covered over by blessing."
"Huh?"
That's… ambiguous.
"So in the end, it's good news, right?"
"Ultimately, yes, it is."
"Alright. Thanks for the fortune reading."
That was one thing done.
"Princess."
"Yes, please speak."
"Let's start preparing the ritual."
"I shall make the preparations."
The next day.
Juhyeok took a taxi.
The ritual site was Manisan on Ganghwa Island, just as discussed before.
As usual, he summoned Kosak, did the shopping, then called Gyeon-dallae and Gobang near Manisan.
Since it was a place with lots of foot traffic, Gyeon-dallae set up sacred straw ropes around the ritual area.
Lastly, he summoned Rajiks as well.
"Hwoeng?"
She said that once the sacred rope was set, people wouldn't pay it any attention.
Even if drums started booming loudly.
They set up the ritual table and began the rite.
Solemn, serious, and dignified.
Rajiks, too, pressed its round body flat against the ground, going hwoeng hwoeng as it took part.
Afterward, they returned to the penthouse.
"Let's enter the 50th floor."
[Entering the 50th floor of the Korean Black Tower.]
The mission appeared.
[50th Floor Mission: Defeat 60 Scorpions of any type and 1 King Scorpion.]
The raid began.
Jaw clenched, as fast as possible—one lapse could cost them the Platinum Badge.
Juhyeok stayed in the rear with Rajiks so the summoned ones wouldn't be hindered.
Rajiks wore a grave expression as well.
It knew its fate depended on whether a Trait Enhancement Rune dropped or not.
With random summoning, the catalog limit was six people.
Let's assume the Berserk Demon didn't count.
That left five.
If trait enhancement didn't happen, only four could be summoned.
That meant one would be left out.
They could rotate, but in this situation, who would be benched?
No one but a laborer.
The King Scorpion appeared.
Not an easy opponent.
Its massive pincers clamped down on Gobang's waist, which had grown enormous.
Kraaaack!
But Gobang twisted free by forcing the pincers apart and snapping them backward.
Kosak's sword energy severed the venomous stinger, then he slipped under the comparatively softer belly and stabbed relentlessly with his dagger.
Even so, the creature's exoskeleton was extremely thick, and its resistance was desperate—it didn't go down easily.
It was a fierce battle.
Of course, it was still getting utterly crushed by S-rank Gobang and S-rank Kosak.
Still, it was clear that for smoother hunting, they absolutely needed one more damage dealer.
From the 51st floor onward, it would be flying monster territory, so ideally a ranged-capable DPS.
But honestly—did they really need to find one?
A DPS?
They already had one.
A damage dealer already prepared.
A level 50 DPS with an energy barrier, wielding a mace and an aegis, freely using Shadow Step and Honwon Lightning Staff—an owner of dazzling talent.
Ranged?
Don't you just have to force them to come down?
He'd even gotten a handgun.
If it passed the carried-item check, he could just bring it in and start shooting.
Or he could buy a crossbow from the player shop, roughly pull flying enemies down, and deal with them.
That's right.
There was no need to insist on trait enhancement.
What if he even skipped random summoning altogether?
If he joined as the DPS himself, everything would be solved.
But the summoned ones' anxiety only grew worse.
Rajiks stood beside him, gripping its collar tightly with both hands.
It would probably stay that way going forward.
As the floor count rose, danger increased proportionally—that was common sense.
Suddenly, he remembered what the Berserk Demon had once said.
That once Earth's Black Tower reached the 70s, things would start collapsing everywhere.
It wasn't wrong.
Even now, weren't people in the high 60s unable to clear floors without a holy sword?
And one more thing.
How had Kosak's previous summoner died?
Comparing it to his own situation, it wasn't hard to guess.
The floors kept rising, trait enhancement never appeared, and they continued raiding with limited personnel—until eventually the summoner himself had to act as the DPS.
Once you die, that's the end.
The summoned ones can't leave, the tower collapses, and the world is destroyed.
Putting it all together—
It was obvious why the summoned ones were so desperate for trait enhancement.
Alright. Let's do it their way.
How strong could I get on my own anyway? Talent, my ass.
Juhyeok's class was Summoner.
What were the virtues of a proper summoner?
Pick good summoned ones, increase the number of simultaneous summons, raise them through rank-ups… that's my role.
There was plenty of time.
Aside from a few countries, most of the world was still in the 50s.
Don't rush.
Slowly.
Enjoy everything along the way.
Get the Platinum Badge and collect every privilege without missing any.
And if things got tough with the current roster?
I'll just release the Berserk Demon.
At least inside the tower, it would obey his commands.
Little by little, his worries faded.
Juhyeok finally felt at ease.
[Notice: You have achieved an S++ clear rating on the 50th floor of the Black Tower (Korea).]
[S++ Clear Reward: Platinum Badge awarded.]
Back to the penthouse.
The summoned ones stood in the living room, faces worn with exhaustion.
Now it was time to open the inventory.
So the summoned ones were extremely tense.
Juhyeok, on the other hand, was perfectly calm.
"…A-are you checking now, sir?"
Kosak nodded to him with determination, believing things would go well.
"Summoner, a warrior always—"
Juhyeok nodded to Gobang as well, signaling not to worry.
"Your servant, regardless of the outcome, shall devote herself solely to you, Young Master…"
He met Gyeon-dallae's eyes and nodded with a gentle expression.
"Hwoeeeeng…"
He patted Rajiks's head and nodded with a smile that said trust me.
If he didn't hold the center, who would?
Open it.
Fifty brilliantly shining Platinum Badges.
[With a cumulative total of 50 Platinum Badges, a privilege will be granted.]
It began.
No matter how cold it gets, the plum tree endures adversity and blooms in full.
The flower of privilege would be the same.
It would eventually bloom and soothe the hearts of Juhyeok and his summoned ones.
Heaven helps those who help themselves.
[Privilege: One Multinational Tower Access Ticket (single-use) has been added to your inventory.]
"…Huh."
A Multinational Tower Access Ticket.
"…Huh."
This ticket again.
"…Huh."
That made two total.
"…What the hell—screw this!"
Isn't this just too much?
"I'm done! I'm not doing this! I don't need it! Tower climbing? Tell it to piss off!"
No matter how he thought about it, this wasn't right.
"Forget everything!!! What kind of joke is this for a privilege?!"
"I'm saying! Are they mocking people or what?"
"I'm going straight to the 51st floor, abandoning the mission, and coming back out. Don't stop me! Platinum? Give it to a dog!"
"P-please calm yourself. This is all this maiden's fault. For troubling you with shallow divinations and rituals, I shall gladly accept punishment."
"Hwoeeng!"
All hell broke loose.
Juhyeok took a moment to breathe deeply.
He'd gotten too worked up.
At times like this, he needed to stay calm.
"Damn it… the more I think about it, the angrier I get."
Kosak glanced at him and spoke carefully.
"Since it's come to this, we gotta aim for the 55th-floor privilege."
Honestly, there really was no other option.
"…With this lineup, can we even get an S++ clear?"
"Proceed with random summoning."
"But there are only four slots."
"W-well, can't be helped. We gotta leave one out until the 55th floor."
Who?
Everyone's gaze gathered in one spot.
"Hwoe…"
Obviously the non-combat summoned one—the laborer.
"Mr. Rajiks, shall we cut you?"
"With a heart as heavy as cutting off Ma Su's tears…"
What do you mean cutting off Ma Su—is this the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?
"If that's the case, we could cut Kosak too. We've got the Berserk Demon anyway…"
Kosak's mouth snapped shut.
"Huh? Come to think of it, that's perfect. Rajiks, the Berserk Demon, and me—just the three of us clearing the 51st floor would be no problem, right? Hahahaha. We should've done this earlier."
The mood instantly turned solemn.
"…I was wrong."
"The warrior apologizes to the summoner… and to the laborer as well."
"T-that is correct. Trait enhancement is not something that can only be obtained through tower-climbing privileges. For example, items—"
Wait.
That's right.
There was another way to get it.
"Come to think of it, there is someone who might have a Trait Enhancement Rune…"
"Gasp!"
Kosak jumped to his feet.
"Wh-who is it? Just say the word! Your loyal retainer Kosak will fetch it at once!"
"Well…"
Juhyeok explained everything to the summoned ones.
The situation with the United Arab Emirates.
Why the crown prince had come to Korea in person.
And the uncomfortable relationship with Saudi Arabia.
The root cause: competition over Trait Enhancement Runes.
The UAE had monopolized them, which had Saudi furious.
It wasn't certain, but there was a strong chance they possessed one.
Juhyeok finished his explanation.
Kosak, who had been listening silently, smiled and spoke.
"Master Summoner, leave it to me."
"…Leave what to you? Don't tell me you're going to steal it?"
"Hey now, I don't steal. Unless there's a ribbon involved."
Honestly, stealing might've been better.
"There's something I'm really good at, besides assassination."
"What is it?"
"Negotiation. I'll meet them directly and negotiate. In a way that satisfies both sides."
He looked quite confident.
Juhyeok could roughly guess what kind of negotiation he meant, but whether they'd hand it over willingly was another matter.
"…You really won't take it by force?"
"Yes, sir!"
"No killing or injuring people?"
"Yes, sir!"
"A true win-win where everyone's satisfied?"
"Yes, sir!"
Should he trust him?
A quick news search showed that Crown Prince Bin-Sala was still staying at a hotel in Korea.
He'd rented out an entire floor.
"One thing! There's something I need."
"Go ahead."
"First, please give me the shield and mace you received before, Master Summoner."
The privilege items.
The Golden Aegis of Warm Dawnlight, and the Golden Mace of Cold Dusk.
Those two.
"They're practically brand new."
"Exactly."
"You're going to use these for the negotiation?"
"No, sir. They're gifts. You've gotta make a good impression before negotiations, don't you?"
Hmm.
Now he was even taking his weapons.
No choice.
Might as well grasp at straws.
"Alright. I'll trust you once. But! Negotiation only. No violence. And even if you fail, I won't blame you."
"Yes, sir!"
Suddenly, Gyeon-dallae's fortune reading came to mind.
Misfortune followed by fortune. Calamity followed by blessing.
Please let it turn out that way.
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