How to Conquer the Tower as a Nobody – 88
This year's blockbuster movies flopped.
A tower collapse followed by the birth of a new tower.
How could a movie ever capture such a spectacle?
TV news broadcast exactly what happened in reality, yet it felt unreal beyond belief.
So strange it felt even while watching with one's own eyes.
The heart of Tokyo.
A jet-black tower so enormous that Tokyo Tower looked like a toy by comparison.
There are quite a few countries where towers stand near cities or on the outskirts.
But is there another tower like that one, standing alone amid a dense forest of skyscrapers?
How many victims were there?
Rumors said even the Prime Minister's Residence in Tokyo had collapsed.
"Phew…"
Crunch, crunch.
"Hm."
Crackle, crunch.
"Haa…"
Crunch, crack.
"…"
Crunch, crunch.
"Hey! Mr. Kosak! Seriously!"
"…Yessum?"
"My head's spinning and you're just munching on popcorn?"
"S-sorry. Want some popcorn?"
"…Give it here. And a drink too."
"Yessir!"
Eating it all by yourself, no loyalty at all.
This wasn't really a situation for popcorn, but hearing the crunching next to him made it impossible to resist.
The tower collapse followed by the creation of a new tower.
But it appeared in a really terrible place.
If the demon race Cavalan's third curse activated on Japan's Black Tower in that situation, it would be adding fuel to the fire—worst of the worst.
'Why would they make that choice?'
To add tension to the increasingly lax tower raids?
If that was the goal, it worked.
The entire world was shaken.
Japan's tower collapse sounded a global alarm.
Governments around the world began moving in close coordination.
Through dialogue and compromise, concessions and negotiations, diplomacy—
Countries without leeway in their raids received support from temporarily naturalized players, while supporting nations were compensated to their satisfaction.
'Is this a blessing in disguise?'
Using Japan's Black Tower collapse as a lesson, the world was cooperating instead of standing alone.
Just then—buzz! His smartphone vibrated.
Who now?
The deputy director?
No, it was an unfamiliar number.
'At a time like this?'
It's not voice phishing, right?
"Hello?"
— Oh! Meester Bo-ong, hallo! My Korean no good. But I practice lot. I am U.S. Department of Homeland Security minister MacMillan—
Click.
Juhyeok hung up.
Why was a foreigner calling? And what was "Department of Homeland Security"?
Whether it was phishing or not, it was troublesome either way.
What was he even supposed to talk about?
Then—
Buzz! Another call.
He answered.
— Annyeonghaseyong, I am Michel Audrian from the French emba—
Click.
Was his personal information leaked?
'This is bad enough already.'
He turned his phone completely off.
Turning his head, Juhyeok noticed Lucius Bardin, the Holy Sword, sitting blankly in a corner of the living room.
Normally, he would have dismissed the summon right away, but…
"Mr. Bardin?"
"…"
"You may speak now."
"Summoner! Repent! Please return to the bosom of the god Nigel—"
"Mentioning the god Nigel is prohibited. So is urging repentance."
"Mmph! Mmmpf!"
Tsk. When will he ever change?
"Mr. Bardin, it's always Nigel with you. Did you receive some divine revelation?"
"…"
"You didn't, right? Or rather, you couldn't have. That god disappeared. You know that too, don't you?"
"…"
A brutal fact bomb.
Perhaps because of that, Bardin couldn't respond.
Nigel, the Lord God.
The god he had believed in his entire life.
He thought Nigel was an absolute deity with eternal, immutable authority—
But the summoner was right. The god had vanished.
The authority was gone, leaving only attributes behind.
And so Bardin himself had been abandoned.
How could he not know?
He just didn't want to admit it.
"Mr. Bardin, let's drop the talk of conversion and repentance and just get along together. Honestly, it hurt my heart seeing you forced to be swung around like a sword all this time."
"S-summoner…"
"Is a person a sword? Huh? If you're human, live like a human, yeah?"
Bardin's expression turned sorrowful.
Juhyeok gently patted his shoulder.
Pitiful. Truly pitiful.
Whether Bardin had been a vicious inquisitor didn't matter.
Was he an evil person?
By Earth's ethics, yes.
He had killed countless people simply because they followed a different religion.
But Bardin wasn't from Earth.
He was from another world.
A world where gods truly existed.
He had been a faithful paladin, obeyed divine revelations, and upheld doctrine strictly.
He had fulfilled his duty.
That was the righteous way of life in his world.
Therefore, judging him by Earth's standards was wrong.
"Here."
Juhyeok handed Bardin the Rune of Summoned Being Rank Upgrade he had received as a special bonus.
"G-gasp! Th-this is…"
"Raise your rank and start over."
"…"
Tears welled up in Bardin's eyes.
"O Light!!!"
Fwoosh! Was this the radiance of pure emotion?
"Summoner…"
Ahhh, this—this is what a real man is.
Move hearts with sincere words, then seal it with a gift from the heart.
Who could possibly resist?
Kosak seemed moved as well.
He took out a towel and wiped the glowing tears from Bardin's eyes.
"Hoo, the light's kinda weak. Thought he'd change more after getting emotional, but the light got even weaker. When's he gonna be a proper Holy Sword."
What a shameless destroyer of emotion.
"Summoner."
"Yes."
"From this day forth, Lucius Bardin shall be your servant."
"…What?"
"My lord! Not obedience bound by principle, but loyalty born from the heart—I, Bardin, swear it in my name."
I wasn't even hoping for this much.
"May the light bless my lord!!!"
Flaaash!
"…Alright, raise your rank and we'll meet again."
"Light!!!"
"Dismiss Bardin."
Spot!
The summoned beings watched silently—
Then burst into applause.
"Kyaa! So cool. My lord, it felt like reading a fantasy novel. So romantic."
"Hoe."
"Even the warrior feels his loyalty."
"This maiden is in awe. A man who rules not by force but by virtue is called a true gentleman. Truly, you possess the bearing of a great lord."
"Commander, I, Veronica Caliber, feel my heart burning hot."
"Feels like it. Standing next to Veronica makes me feel warm too."
How embarrassing.
All that over this?
Well… it does feel nice.
The Korean Awakened Management Agency.
The atmosphere was tense.
No matter how bad relations with Japan were, watching a Black Tower collapse in real time was deeply distressing.
And then, on top of that, the creation of a new tower.
The damage was greater than the collapse itself.
After all, it had erupted right in the middle of a major city.
"We should've just cleared it without conditions."
"Hmph! Don't say such nonsense. Since when has there ever been a conditionless temporary naturalization?"
"We could've cleared it first, then—"
"You're great in many ways, but your heart is too soft. Are we suckers? Honestly, if they'd offered even a single apology, it wouldn't have come to this."
Director Park Gyeong-su spoke firmly.
"That won't change in the future either. Even if the Japanese archipelago gets torn to shreds by a tower collapse, we will not accept a temporary naturalization request without compensation."
Jeon Gwang-il agreed.
"…You're right. I just said it because innocent people are getting hurt due to deranged politicians."
"I feel the same way."
That aside—
"What's France's reaction?"
"They'll make a move soon."
"And the U.S.?"
"Of course. Now that Bong Juhyeok's identity is out, there's no way they'll stay still."
Speaking of which—
"What if France refuses to restore his nationality?"
"Wouldn't that just earn Bong player's resentment?"
"I'm saying this because there's precedent."
"I understand your concern, but that won't apply to Bong player."
What Director Park was referring to was the infamous temporary naturalization betrayal.
A contract is signed for temporary naturalization for a fixed period, but when the player requests to renounce it, the government refuses approval and instead tries to force full naturalization.
Temporary naturalization.
Honestly, it's a ridiculous term.
Naturalization is naturalization—what's with the "temporary" part?
By definition, naturalization means permanently changing one's nationality.
Residence changes. Immigration follows.
That's how it works for ordinary people.
But players are different.
For players, naturalization involves the system.
Their affiliation on the status window changes.
That is temporary naturalization.
Does a player's real-world nationality even matter?
What matters is which tower they're affiliated with on the status window.
Whether a player lives in the U.S. or Korea, they can only enter the tower tied to their status-window affiliation.
Temporary naturalization is verified through the status window.
Their actual nationality remains unchanged.
In reality, it's no different from dual citizenship.
Though the system itself does not allow dual citizenship.
Then how is this possible?
Because player temporary naturalization is itself a system function.
Whether under coercion or personal choice, once the player's will is expressed, the system intervenes.
In that way, under the system's supervision, a contract is formed through the player's will and the receiving country's approval.
A player cannot change nationality by will alone, nor can a country forcibly impose nationality on a player.
The intentions and procedures of both contracting parties must align.
Then what about the home country?
The original country the player belonged to before temporary naturalization.
Is its approval required?
In Bong Juhyeok's case, South Korea's approval was not required during his temporary naturalization to France.
Why?
Because his original nationality—South Korea—was determined naturally at birth.
It was not a nationality assigned through a system-managed contract.
He was merely registered in the status window automatically upon awakening.
Unless something special happens, players normally climb the tower of the country they were born in.
But once they undergo temporary naturalization even once?
Everything changes.
They become bound by contract.
Because the system intervened and changed Juhyeok's nationality to France.
A system-approved temporary nationality change.
However, to change nationality again, the system-managed contract must first be nullified.
In simple terms—
Without the approval of the French government, one of the contracting parties, Juhyeok's status-window affiliation cannot be restored.
Well, if both sides agree and neither wants to revert his nationality, he'd simply continue living as a French citizen.
And while an existing contract is in place, no new contract is possible.
While bound by a temporary naturalization contract, a player cannot sign another with a third country.
Even U.S. players who specialize in temporary naturalization can only be contracted to one country at a time.
To be dispatched elsewhere, the existing contract must first end.
The reason players kidnapped by China were able to regain their original nationality was because the Chinese government erased their temporary Chinese nationality to destroy evidence.
"That's why temporary naturalization isn't something to take lightly. A country needs power to prevent getting stabbed in the back."
"Or the player needs power."
"Yes. Exactly."
That was why the Awakened Management Agency hadn't blocked Juhyeok's temporary naturalization.
He was freer than any other player.
Because he possessed real, overwhelming force.
"But Bong Juhyeok himself isn't a ruthless person, is he? If anything, he's closer to timid. I worry he might get dragged around."
Dragged around?
Jeon Gwang-il felt his lips itch.
Director Park didn't know—because it had been kept secret.
How Chairman Lin Qiaoming of China had died.
Whether it was an accident or deliberate murder, two national leaders were already dead.
He sincerely hoped France wouldn't make a wrong decision.
Otherwise, the French president might end up on that list as well.
Day 4 of French nationality.
The day to challenge the 65th floor.
'Come to think of it, it's the Dullahan floor.'
It was a fairly difficult level.
The Dullahan itself wasn't that hard, but charging through an undead grand army had left his mouth tasting bitter with exhaustion.
'Ugh… just thinking about it—'
A tsunami-like wave of undead.
And Rajiks's sudden antics.
But this time would be different.
Very different.
What had changed since then—
Veronica's SSR rank upgrade.
With her attribute absorption ability, she could now use the Holy Magic Gun.
And Bardin's SSR rank upgrade as well.
Since it was a single-rank promotion, one day was enough.
How much had he changed?
"People don't change easily. You don't fix a black-haired beast. He'll start yelling about repentance the moment he shows up."
"The warrior does not think so. His sincerity was visible."
"He will change. He was clearly moved by the great benevolence of our noble lord."
"Hoeng!"
The easiest way to find out—
Call him.
"Designated summon: Lucius Bardin."
Then—
Fwaaaash!
Spot!
A heavily armored holy knight appeared in the penthouse living room.
A gentle radiance wrapped around his body.
"Oh!"
A softer expression.
Yet eyes filled with depth.
The holy knight and inquisitor, Lucius Bardin, immediately knelt on one knee before Juhyeok.
"My lord, this humble Bardin reports for duty."
Definitely different.
He felt… steadier.
What about the catalog?
Name: Lucius Bardin
Rank: SSR (Special Super Rare)
Type: Holy Knight (Human)
Manifestation Duration: 7 hours
Satisfaction Rating: None
Resummon Cooldown: 3 hours (applies after dismissal)
"Welcome. You're reassuring."
"Seeing my lord satisfied puts my heart at ease."
Who said people don't change?
Bardin had truly turned over a new leaf.
"Ha! Just like I predicted. With a strong enough trigger, people can change."
"You just said black-haired beasts can't be fixed…"
"Our holy sword isn't black-haired, is he? He's blond."
Anyway, let's enter the tower.
It really was good to follow the practical advice.
Don't rush upward—climb steadily while farming items and Platinum Badges.
Now all summoned beings were SSR rank, including Bardin.
[Entering the 65th floor of the French Black Tower.]
Even from the safe zone, the endless undead could be seen.
The strategy remained the same.
Break through the undead legion and defeat the Dullahan directly.
But the party composition had changed.
Previously, Gobang stayed in the rear.
Now the tank was Lucius Bardin.
Rajiks and Gyeondallae rode atop gigantic Gobang's shoulders.
"Let's go."
"Yes, my lord!"
With trustworthy Bardin at the front, the party advanced.
"Light!!!"
Fwaaaash!
Aaaah! Brilliant SSR radiance.
The undead staggered back just from the impact of that light alone.
Bardin's flail came crashing down like a bolt of lightning.
Baaang!
A shockwave of holy energy swept across the battlefield.
Crshshshsh!
The undead caught in it collapsed instantly, without even a chance to resist.
And that wasn't all.
"Assault mode. Holy-attribute buckshot loaded. Commencing attribute fire."
Pshashat! Pshashat! Pshashat!
Veronica's holy-attribute buckshot tore through the field.
Before, it had merely driven the undead back.
Now, it was extermination.
Any undead that accepted the holy buckshot simply disintegrated into dust.
Veronica was impressive, but Bardin made it abundantly clear why holy knights were the natural enemies of the undead.
Baaang!
The flail, blazing with radiance, danced.
Honestly, that flail alone looked far better than the repaired Holy Sword.
Clank, clank.
The gleaming spiked plate armor.
Undead that attacked him were the ones taking damage instead.
Step by step.
Bardin advanced.
Wherever he passed, a path was carved out.
A Dullahan?
It charged in on a skeletal steed—
"Light!!!"
Thud!
One blow.
The Dullahan and its skeletal mount were smashed flat by a single strike of Bardin's flail.
[Notice: You have achieved an S++ clear rating on the 65th floor of the Black Tower (France).]
[S++ Clear Reward: You have been awarded a Platinum Badge.]
Juhyeok was genuinely awed.
Bardin reborn—not as a Holy Sword, but as a Holy Knight.
Majestic. Dignified.
He didn't even look tired.
"Want to go again?"
"My lord, merely give the order."
So they immediately started a repeat clear.
Sweeping away the undead legion, taking their time with the Dullahan while Rajiks farmed items.
"Light!!!"
The flail danced.
"Light!!!"
On the 65th floor, Bardin was invincible.
"Light—"
But then?
Bardin tilted his head.
Something seemed… unsatisfying.
At last, he stopped dead and looked at Gobang.
"Heretical barbarian."
"What."
"Lift me. And swing me."
"…"
"That would be more efficient."
"…Fine. I'll grant your wish."
There was no time to stop him.
Gobang grabbed Bardin's ankles with his huge hands—
And, as always, swung him with brutal force.
Buuuuung!
"Light!!!"
Crshshshsh! Bardin was flung through the air.
"THIS IS IT!!!"
Bam-bam-bam!
His flail smashed everything along with him.
"Light!!!"
Juhyeok witnessed it.
"Yes—this feeling exactly!!!"
The satisfied smile on Bardin's face.
"Light!!!"
The madness-filled gleam in his eyes.
"I AM MY LORD'S HOLY SWORD!!!"
That's right.
Bardin had finally realized his true purpose.
Kosak looked pleased.
"Told ya. He's a pervert."
"…"
"People don't change."
I'm going to lose my mind.
But what can you do?
He chose this himself.