The next day.
Juhyeok prepared to challenge the 60th floor of the Republic of Korea's Black Tower together with the summoned people.
The last run before Rajiks' promotion—
Fortunately, Gobang showed up in perfectly fine condition.
Yesterday's wounds were nowhere to be seen.
It'd be nice if I could at least put a boot on him, but I doubt anything would fit.
Juhyeok's current level is 61.
Meaning he can enter the 61st floor as well.
But the 61st is on hold.
For now, he enters the 60th floor.
Whether an S++ clear of the 60th floor applies even at level 61—
It's fifty-fifty.
At level 61, the 60th floor could count as a repeat clear.
'Then I won't get it.'
But for Juhyeok, Korea's Black Tower 60th floor is still uncleared.
Since it's a tower of a different nationality, maybe it applies separately.
'Then I will get it.'
[Entering the Republic of Korea's Black Tower, 60th floor.]
The same environment, the same mission.
And the same method of clearing.
The only difference is nationality.
"Let's go."
Along with the Venom Wyvern, the Wyvern Lord appeared.
Splash, splash.
Gobang waded through the poison pools.
Ah… my chest feels tight.
He shouts, "A warrior doesn't get hurt," but there's no way he can't feel pain.
He's enduring it.
We're not doing the 60th-floor clear anymore.
This is the end.
Wyvern Lord hide?
Too much hassle to skin it.
And with poison pools everywhere, the environment isn't right for it.
Plus, the Wyvern Lord's hide isn't anything special.
It's big, sure, but the color is this yellowish poop-brown.
Not beautiful like a Rainbow Basilisk.
Regular wyvern hide is plenty good, so that's enough.
Time passed, and—
When Kosak's slashes and Veronica's second massive mana shell landed—
"Kkehk!"
The Wyvern Lord collapsed and laid its body down in the poison pool.
Clear complete.
Now, the badge…
'Does it count?'
[Notice: You have achieved an S++ clear rating for the 60th floor of the Black Tower (Korea).]
[S++ Clear Reward: A Platinum Badge has been awarded.]
"Oh!"
Thank god.
The clear was recognized.
That makes 61 Platinum Badges.
Even though it was a 60th-floor clear, we're still one up.
The next perk is at the 64th floor.
Spot!
Juhyeok and the group returned to the penthouse.
As soon as they arrived, Veronica passed out cold, Gyeon-dallae sat lightly on the sofa, Gobang and Kosak hovered around the fridge, and Rajiks started with cleaning.
Now it was time to send Rajiks off.
We'll meet again after the promotion.
Gobang, thanks to blessing enhancement, jumped up by more than two stages.
From an egg to ssal.
'Was his unsummonable period four days?'
Rajiks had a soul just as pure as Gobang's.
Rajiks probably has a very high chance of getting blessing enhancement too.
"Mr. Rajiks?"
"Hoe."
"Take this."
"…Ho, hooeng?"
A summoned-person grade-increase rune was placed into Rajiks' hand.
"Go. I won't enter the tower until you come back—I'll wait."
"…Hooeeng, don't clean either. I'll do it when I get back. Don't buy an electronic manservant."
Rajiks' eyes brimmed with tears.
Juhyeok held Rajiks' very short hand tightly and said,
"I'll never buy an electronic manservant. I'll hold my breath and wait."
"Hoe? You should still breathe."
I'm really looking forward to it.
What will Rajiks come back looking like?
The backpack capacity will definitely get bigger, right?
The Republic of Korea was a cauldron of chaos.
Yesterday, the UAE received a full S++-clear public announcement message, but Korea still hadn't gotten one.
It had to appear sometime today—proof that it wasn't Ghostfire, that there hadn't been a change of nationality….
What if we never hear it at all?
The anxiety only grew.
Then, a breaking morning news alert aired an interview with UAE Crown Prince Bin-Sala.
The broadcaster was CNM, an American news-specialty channel.
Bin-Sala's face was visibly excited.
And of course it would be.
He'd been on the brink—stripped of his status and facing overseas exile—only to be revived in dramatic fashion.
In the UAE, his popularity had reached its peak.
The interview itself wasn't anything special.
Mostly his thoughts on the UAE Black Tower being cleared, and his joy at escaping tower collapse.
And then—
— I will visit Korea again as soon as possible.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Bin-Sala spoke in a trembling voice.
'Why Korea again…?'
— To express my gratitude.
'To whom—Korea's government? Are you saying Korea's government approved a certain player's temporary change of nationality?'
— That is not the case. The person who deserves the gratitude of the UAE people is someone else.
'Your Highness, could you explain in more detail?'
— "I can't reveal the details, but… this was all thanks to Lord Gobang… Ahem. Let's end the interview here."
'W-wait—who did you just say? Gobang? Who is Gobang…?'
Bin-Sala sprang to his feet and hurried off-camera.
'I still have a lot of questions. Your Highness? Your Highness?'
That was the end of the interview.
But the reaction was explosive.
As soon as the interview clip was posted on Korea's tower-climbing community boards—
So you took our player and you've got the nerve to say you'll visit Korea?This is teabagging.Right. He's coming just to rub it in.Pissing me off. Ban Bin-Sala from entering.If they actually approve his entry, I'm not letting it slide.Yeah. I'm bringing a whole tray of eggs to the airport and throwing them.
The end of the interview also became a hot topic.
A name that slipped out of his mouth in the heat of the moment.
But who's Gobang? A top player's name? Family name Go, given name Bang?Never heard of him.Sounds like a top player's name, though.Isn't it Arabic? Or maybe he used an alias when he changed nationality.Yeah, if his real name gets out, they'll figure out who he is.Maybe he made a new name as an abbreviation.An abbreviation… it can't be "meat shield," right? "Noble Shield"?High-end cushion.Advanced equation.High-fat defense council.Cat fart.Mackerel door-to-door sales.
The guesses about who Gobang might be kept going, and then—
So… does that mean we're never getting the full public announcement anymore?Probably. If it was going to ring, it should've rung yesterday.No, it could skip a day, couldn't it?I've got a bad feeling. He definitely ditched Korea and left.Still, at least he didn't go to Japan or China.Damn it—be happy! It was fun while it lasted, thanks to you.
Just as the board's mood was sinking into gloom, suddenly—
Huh?Gasp!Mm?Oh!Kkh!
A stream of short, one-syllable comments shot up the page.
Huh? I've seen this situation somewhere before.Familiar pattern.Right. This happened before. Could it be…?Did it pop?It popped?
Replies poured in.
It popped!Oh yeah! Full announcement!Korea Black Tower 60th floor S++ clear.I told you—it could skip a day.Hey, hey, call the landlady—tell her to reopen for business.Already raised the shutters.Bring me a bowl of patriotism, ASAP!
The board's atmosphere flipped instantly.
But then who the hell cleared the UAE's S++?Yeah. It came out of nowhere. Quiet from floors 1 to 59, and then suddenly this.Seriously, no idea. How'd they do it?Well, Gobang probably knows.
Breaking news also started exploding in the media.
And like that, Korea became peaceful again.
Juhyeok saw the breaking news too.
He was shocked.
Because a completely unexpected name had come up.
"…Gobang?"
Why would that name…?
But he soon understood.
Why Bin-Sala mentioned Gobang.
It was obvious. Who else could it be?
'Mr. Kosak… just what the hell are you…?'
Looks like when he went to negotiate with—no, threaten—Bin-Sala, he scammed him by saying his name was Gobang.
'Incredible. Absolutely incredible.'
Still, it's hard to truly hate Kosak.
Anyway, Juhyeok planned to take a break from tower climbing for a while.
Until their worker and quartermaster returned.
Could Rajiks, like Gobang, achieve a two-stage blessing enhancement?
They said if the soul was pure, the odds were there.
Even after sending him off by unsummoning, Juhyeok couldn't relax.
When some time passed, he pulled up the status window.
Yes!
It showed Unsummonable, just like Gobang.
That meant blessing enhancement was in progress.
Now all he had to do was wait.
For Rajiks to return, two ranks higher.
Then—
Ding! A smartphone message notification sounded.
— I've arrived. The vehicle number is…
A message from Team Leader Lee Min-ah.
Juhyeok was scheduled to visit the Agency today.
So she'd come to pick him up.
'They changed the plate again.'
Must be for security.
Juhyeok stepped outside the apartment.
A car with dark tinting was waiting.
He opened the door and climbed in.
"Hello, Player Bong Juhyeok. Congratulations on clearing the 60th floor."
"…Ah, yes, yes."
After that greeting, they didn't say another word the whole way.
All the way past the Awakening Management Agency's front gate, until they reached the tower-materials warehouse.
There are two women in the party—
And there's no problem at all with Gyeon-dallae and Veronica, but…
Honestly, there's just nothing to talk about.
It'll get better over time. Someday.
The car arrived at the Agency.
Two people were waiting at the tower-materials warehouse.
Commissioner Park Gyeong-su and Deputy Commissioner Jeon Gwang-il.
Come to think of it, this was the first time seeing Commissioner Park Gyeong-su.
Isn't he the kind of high-ranking person who meets the President one-on-one?
"…Ah, hello."
"Oh! Welcome. Nice to meet you for the first time. I'm Park Gyeong-su."
Greetings, thanks, talk about looking forward to working together.
He said he was always sorry he couldn't treat him better, because they had to keep his identity hidden.
He asked him to endure it just a little longer.
Well—it was what Juhyeok wanted anyway.
While they talked, Park Gyeong-su asked, casually but pointedly,
"Player Bong, there's something I'd like to ask…"
"Ah! Anytime. And Commissioner, you don't have to speak formally to me."
"Hahaha, I can't do that. Should a person be judged by age?"
"…Mm."
Honestly, judging by age would be better.
At that level, even if he was an old-school hardass, it'd be fine.
"This may be impertinent, but… the UAE's Black Tower—was it really not you, Player Bong?"
I knew this question would come.
When the call came earlier, I was too distracted by the ladder-drawing perk and brushed it off.
"To be frank, among the UAE's players, there's no one who could pull that off. No—looking at the entire world, I can't think of anyone other than you, Player Bong."
Commissioner Park sounded like he was already convinced Juhyeok did it.
"If it's difficult for you to answer…"
"Yeah. It's a bit difficult. It's hard for me to say."
An ambiguous answer.
He didn't say yes or no.
That should be enough for him to understand, right?
"Ah! I'm sorry. I overstepped."
"Not at all. If I get the chance later… hmm, I'll explain it properly then."
Park Gyeong-su waved his hands as he spoke.
"Oh my, it's fine. I won't ask again."
There was a reason I couldn't answer clearly.
If I said I'd cleared it, I'd also have to talk about the multinational Tower raid ticket.
But now I only had one ticket left.
And it was already reserved.
Also, there was a limit to the perks I'd be receiving going forward.
At best, once on the 64th floor.
As for the 69th floor, I'd have to clear it slowly.
Who knew when I'd ever get another ticket? I might never get one again.
Unless a few more came out.
So I just glossed over it.
'Still, he's not asking who Gobang is.'
Even if he did, I wouldn't tell him.
"Ah! There's something I'd like to ask the Administration Office."
"Please, anything. If it's something we can handle, we'll do whatever we can."
At Commissioner Park Gyeong-su's glance, Lee Min-a took out her notebook and got ready to write.
"Could you help me buy some land near the capital region? Somewhere quiet in the mountains would be nice."
"Not downtown—mountain land?"
"Yes. Somewhere as secluded as possible, and with enough space to place a few containers."
"I'll look into it."
I'd been cooped up at home too much with the summoned.
Sometimes you need a villa where you can go outside, enjoy nature, and relax.
And one more thing.
"I want to gift money to my parents—about ten billion won—and have the taxes handled."
"That's possible. If you leave it to a law firm, they'll take care of everything."
I should be filial, too.
That was everything I needed.
Just as I was about to leave, something inside the warehouse caught Juhyeok's eye.
"Hmm, looks like a lot of basilisk hide is gone?"
"HG Fashion took it. They're planning to reveal prototypes soon, and the showcase date's been set."
"Really?"
That was good news.
Soon, we'd be able to process not just ore, but leather in earnest, too.
Once Rajiks gets promoted, the subspace backpack would definitely get bigger.
Now I should go home and get some real rest.
And later, if I get bored, I can invite people over to hang out.
HG Fashion.
The showcase date was tomorrow.
CEO Goyeon Ha, the design team, and the leather craftsmen pulled an all-nighter and finished the prototypes using basilisk leather.
For now, it was a bag.
Starting with this, they planned to diversify into wallets, shoes, and other products.
First, the mid-to-low-priced line was set between 5 million and 10 million won.
They used only basilisk leather with lower quality, or patterns that were simple and faint.
Even so, it was far better than crocodile leather.
With its self-restoration ability, it was a bag with durability that could be used indefinitely as long as you didn't get sick of it.
Second was the high-quality luxury line.
The smallest started at 40 million won.
Made only with top-grade leather.
If it was a bit larger, it went over 100 million won.
Lastly, the high-end luxury line.
The base price started at 300 million won.
They paid the most attention to the design, too.
Because rainbow leather was used as accents here and there.
Were the bags too expensive?
Wouldn't they sell at this rate?
Not a chance.
The most expensive high-end luxury line would sell the best.
They'd sell out quickly because there wasn't enough stock.
There would be an outcry from big spenders who couldn't buy them in time.
"Let's go ahead with the showcase as planned."
"Should we start sales at the same time?"
"Just take reservations. Limited quantities."
"How many…? The production facilities aren't finished yet, so it'll be tight to meet volume."
"Only as many as we can make. No need to push ourselves. Even other brands take over a year to deliver bags—so we should take our time, focus on quality control, and make them properly."
What mattered was scarcity.
It had to become a luxury item you couldn't buy even if you were willing to open your wallet.
There was no plan for mass production.
Even if we wanted to, we couldn't.
Because we had to make them purely by hand, using tools made from Tower metal.
The showcase would feature 10 mid-to-low-priced bags, 6 luxury bags, and 2 high-end bags.
They sent invitations to famous celebrities.
They also planned to livestream it on YouTube.
Goyeon Ha was already excited.
How would people react when they saw these bags?
It was obvious, as clear as day.
Even she wanted one—if she weren't the CEO.
"Oh! Make two more high-end bags and send them to the Administration Office. One for men, one for women."
"Yes. We'll send them right after the showcase."
Gotta stay on good terms with the person supplying the Administration Office with leather.
Since we don't know if that person's a man or a woman, we'll make both.