There were administrators in the Black Tower.
Three of them in total.
A Designer, who planned and designed the climbs, missions, and rewards.
An Engineer, who handled technical aspects such as the system itself.
And a Maker, who crafted all kinds of items.
They were not equals.
Among the administrators, the Designer held the highest rank, followed by the Engineer, and then the Maker.
[So only two towers on Earth have collapsed so far? And one of them was before the summoner even awakened?]
[It's absurd. Even with the Trial of Kabalon event activated, only a single tower has collapsed.]
[I really didn't expect this. No matter how exceptional a summoner he is, isn't this record-breaking?]
[I was surprised once that Earth even had a suitable candidate, and surprised a second time by how incredible his results are.]
[What's the difference? He's undoubtedly a noble soul as well, but something must be fundamentally different.]
[Luck, perhaps. Of course, luck doesn't come to just anyone.]
[At this rate, even the 70th floor might feel bland.]
[That won't do. A trial should feel like a trial.]
[The awakening rate of new players has dropped to its lowest level yet.]
[Existing players need to die for the new awakening rate to rise.]
[Same with tower collapses—we should've had at least ten collapse by now.]
[So what's the countermeasure?]
[How about encouraging competition?]
[In what way?]
[We distribute more items. Maker, add more runes, tickets, potions, and the like. This and that…]
[You want us to release items again? We already did, and at this point these items are way too early.]
[It's fine. This isn't the first time. We've done it before, and this level is within acceptable limits.]
[Then when?]
[Engineer, no players have entered the 71st floor yet, correct?]
[None. Even the summoner has only cleared the 70th floor—he hasn't climbed to the 71st yet.]
[The moment anyone steps onto the 71st floor, issue a system announcement. Stir up anticipation.]
[Understood. I'll prepare it.]
Juhyeok returned to his penthouse home in Korea.
The Mad Demon had gone back after his summoning time expired.
The trip to Japan he had left for with such excitement—
Yet he hadn't even managed to eat a single bowl of udon, ramen, or conveyor-belt sushi.
"Was I punished for entering illegally?"
He'd been in Japan for less than half a day, but the repercussions of the unexpected incident were enormous.
News playing on the TV.
The Mad Demon beating down anti-Korean protesters.
A makeshift stage soaked in blood.
Self-Defense Force soldiers scattered in all directions, tanks and armored vehicles halted on the roads.
Japan was still in chaos.
The problem was the absence of a control tower to manage the situation.
It was fortunate the coup had failed, but with Acting Prime Minister Usuda dead, the cabinet government was unable to function properly.
"Haa…"
Did I go to Japan for nothing?
That damn Three Principles, Clause Three.
The Mad Demon or Kosak—both were the same.
Walking bombs.
"Luckily, my face didn't show up, sir. And since I completely changed my face, even if it did, no one'd recognize me. Hehehe."
Kosak was right.
The scene of him cutting down the Self-Defense Force generals hadn't been shown directly.
It might have been recorded but not broadcast,
But the impact of the Mad Demon's barehanded combat had been overwhelming.
Every smartphone camera had been focused on that.
"That's not the important part. What are you going to do about that ribbon?"
The TV screen was mosaic-blurred.
But it was still clear enough.
The severed head placed on the podium onstage, decorated like a gift with a butterfly-knot ribbon.
"H–Hey, I only tied one, sir."
"Yes, yes. Good job."
"Hehe, you flatter me."
"You think that was a compliment?"
"…"
Kosak glanced nervously at Juhyeok.
In a shrinking voice, Juhyeok snapped,
"…No, seriously. Why did you tie a ribbon in the first place? Huh? Do you even think before you act, Mr. Kosak? What were you going to do if this got traced back to us?"
"…S–Sumimasen, sir."
At that, Gyeondallae exploded in anger.
"Sumimasen? It was barely a half-day trip to Japan, and you've already become a full-fledged Japanese person, Mr. Kosak?"
"…"
"Why don't you just settle down in Japan permanently? Why did you even come back to Korea?"
"Gomen—ah, no, I'm sorry."
"You truly embody the height of frivolity."
Kosak shrank under her scolding.
The other summoned beings joined in the condemnation.
"Kosak was always a pervert. The warrior knew this long ago. I just didn't bother saying it because he was insignificant."
Gobang didn't take Kosak's side either.
"As my lord's holy sword, I'm occasionally called a pervert myself, but before Sir Kosak, I can't even present a calling card. Truly, he's an upper-tier pervert."
Kosak being cursed out even by Vardin, the human holy sword he himself had once called a pervert.
"Superior Veronica Caliber, to be honest, I suspected it as well. Every time a large-caliber shell was fired, Kosak's gaze was strange. You could feel the lewdness oozing out."
Hmm.
Looks like Veronica knew all along too.
I'll have to be careful not to get caught staring from now on.
"Hoooeeeek!"
Rajiks screamed as well.
No idea what he actually understood,
But Kosak's head kept lowering until it slammed straight into the floor.
Not a single person defending him.
This is why how you conduct yourself matters.
At that moment—
Bzzz! A phone call came in.
Deputy Commissioner Jeon Gwang-il.
I knew he'd call.
"Hello?"
—Player Bong?
"Yes, this is him."
—Uh, sorry, but where are you right now…
"I'm at my Cheongdam-dong penthouse."
—I-Is that so?
"Hold on. I'll call you back."
Juhyeok ended the call and immediately redialed as a video call.
"It's me. You can see me, right? The penthouse."
—Yes, yes.
"So, what's this about?"
—Ah, n-nothing. I was just calling to check in.
Jeon Gwang-il probably already knew everything, but Juhyeok still had to hide the fact that he'd gone to Japan.
This wasn't some ordinary incident.
The Self-Defense Force generals who had participated in a coup had been completely wiped out.
He had to deny everything outright.
And change the subject.
"Oh! Actually, I have a favor to ask."
—Go ahead.
"I'm thinking of buying a building. If there's a suitable one, could you look into it for me?"
—What price range are we talking about…?
"Expensive is fine. As long as there's something available."
—Understood. I'll look into it.
Juhyeok's bank balance was still growing by the day.
Collecting interest regularly was nice, but this was a good chance to buy some real estate.
It felt bad seeing his father lazing around all the time—might as well make him a building manager or something.
"Well then, how about we go grab a drink… huh?"
Kosak was still squatting gloomily in the corner of the living room.
'Was it that big of a shock?'
After getting cursed at so much.
'Tsk tsk.'
That's what you get for not being more careful.
After finishing the video call with Juhyeok, Jeon Gwang-il spoke.
"You saw it, right? He says it wasn't him."
"Then who the hell is that old man? Isn't he someone Player Bong summoned?"
"I don't know either. In any case, there's no record of Player Bong leaving the country, so whatever happened, it definitely wasn't him."
"…Huh. This just gets more confusing the more I think about it."
In truth, Jeon Gwang-il already had a suspicion.
That this incident in Japan was also connected to Player Bong.
Even when the Chinese president died, Player Bong had been in Korea.
But this was something he alone had to know.
Commissioner Park Gyeong-su couldn't find out either.
If the truth came out, Bong Juhyeok could instantly be branded a dangerous individual.
"Anyway, I've got an appointment now, so I'll be heading out."
"Oh! With CEO Goyeon Ha of HG Fashion?"
"Yes. It seems she's realized we've been supplying wyvern leather elsewhere."
"So what if she knows?"
"She'll probably lodge a complaint."
"A complaint? That's laughable."
"I'll go settle things decisively."
Park Gyeong-su nodded.
"Then I'll look into that building Player Bong asked about."
"Yes, please."
Jeon Gwang-il turned to leave.
But then—
"Deputy Commissioner."
Park Gyeong-su quietly called out to his back.
"Yes?"
"I understand how you feel, but don't worry."
"What do you mean…?"
"We'll protect Player Bong no matter what."
"…"
"No matter the external pressure—freely, without a single hair harmed. He's humanity's hope, after all."
Jeon Gwang-il didn't answer.
Commissioner Park was misunderstanding something.
'No, Commissioner. Why would we be worried about Player Bong? Who's protecting whom? The one who needs worrying about isn't Player Bong.'
'You don't know how terrifying those people are. The soldiers who came to kidnap elite players in China, the Chinese president, the Japanese Self-Defense Force generals…'
'If things go wrong, we'll die too. There might be ribbons tied around your head and mine.'
He screamed all this only in his heart.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Tower Conquest Bureau.
Secretary MacMillan and Director Antonio were watching footage displayed on a large wall-mounted monitor.
"Who's that old guy this time?"
"You're not actually expecting an answer, are you?"
An old man beating down anti-Korean protesters in Japan.
"Hoo… He looks way older than me."
"Could he be a Chinese kung fu master?"
"Kung fu? Don't you know that so-called Chinese kung fu masters get completely wrecked by MMA fighters? Kung fu's all fake."
"But there might be a real one among them."
Well, true.
The land was vast and the population enormous—there were all kinds of people.
However—
"They said those protesters were shouting 'Joseonjin,' didn't they? That would make him Korean."
"Just because someone speaks Korean doesn't mean they're Korean."
"Could Player Bong Juhyeok be related to this incident…?"
"We checked—there's no departure record. It's confirmed he was in Korea when the coup happened."
"Hmmm."
Even if Bong Juhyeok had been in Japan, so what?
There wasn't even a speck of evidence linking him to the incident.
"Then who killed Matsumoto and the Self-Defense Force generals?"
"We don't have enough information. We'll need to secure Japan's CCTV footage to know for sure. However…"
"However?"
"The method of beheading is very similar to the white man's style in the HG Hotel terror incident."
"Then are you saying that guy was in Tokyo?"
Antonio let out a long, frustrated sigh.
"…How would I know? That white man, the giant, and now this old man—it's the same story every time. We have no idea who they are. We ran facial recognition too, but nothing came up in Korea or the U.S. Honestly, I wish videos like this would stop appearing."
It was baffling.
Where did people like that keep coming from?
"Anyway, that old man is definitely stronger than ordinary civilians, but he looks incomparably weaker than the white man and the giant from the HG Hotel."
"He's probably weak because he's old."
Secretary MacMillan agreed.
Who could overcome the weight of time?
"Anyway, are preparations for departure done for tomorrow?"
"Yes. We've finished coordinating with the Korean Awakening Management Agency. They say climbing will be possible starting tomorrow."
The White House had decided to challenge the 70th floor.
Of the two towers, they would only attempt the Eastern Tower.
There was no need to clear both all the way to the 70th floor.
At the latest, the 70th floor would be cleared within a week.
Then the United States would also be able to obtain the reward of high-grade magic stones.
The material for room-temperature superconductors.
An emergency meeting was also being held in the Zhongnanhai presidential office in China.
President Wang Yuan and the Standing Committee members were likewise watching the footage on a monitor.
"He looks like one of our Zhonghua people."
"I think so too. We can't rule out the possibility that he's a reclusive master."
"Can we find him?"
"We've contacted the Japanese embassy, but with just that footage, it's impossible to identify who he is."
"Hm. Let's discuss that matter slowly later."
In truth, today's emergency meeting had another main agenda.
Whether the Japanese Self-Defense Force had succeeded in their coup, or failed and all died, was not what mattered to China at the moment.
The clearing of the 70th floor of Korea's Black Tower.
And the benefits granted exclusively to Korea's Black Tower as a result.
Restrictions lifted on high-grade magic stones.
They were nothing less than room-temperature superconductors.
That wasn't all.
The variety of potions had increased, and all kinds of weapons and equipment items were pouring out.
Then what about China?
Were they supposed to just sit there twiddling their thumbs?
"We need to change the plan."
President Wang Yuan spoke in an excited tone.
"Agreed. We must clear the 70th floor as quickly as possible. If we jump to the 71st floor, the 70th will be cleared naturally as well."
Tower Jump Tickets.
Originally, the plan had been to use them on three Chinese players deemed to have at least some talent, turning them into level-61 players.
"We have four Tower Jump Tickets secured. With just three of them, we can clear the 70th floor as early as today."
"There's no need to raise all three towers to the 70th floor. Rather than the Beijing or Shanghai Towers, Tower No. 3 east of Xi'an City would be ideal."
"Let's focus on one person. We'll make Player Bairum level 71. He's already undergone trait enhancement twice."
"If Bailong reaches level 71, clearing the other two towers should also be more than feasible."
"We'll still have one ticket left, so let's keep that in reserve in case of emergencies."
And so China, too, decided to clear the 70th floor.
Even if it was through a workaround.
Thus the United States and China—no, countries all over the world—began accelerating their efforts toward clearing the 70th floor.
At this point, things like clearance deadlines no longer mattered.
Juhyeok still had no intention of climbing to the 71st floor.
He hadn't even set foot on the 71st yet.
With the Curse of Kabalon already ended, he figured he should at least respect the clearance deadline.
So today as well, he was just hanging out—together with the summoned beings.
People were being summoned one by one.
He even summoned Blood Wolf.
He planned to meet Lord Mad Demon quietly later—but then?
"Summoner, have you been well? Please don't worry. I threw away all the ribbons. This humble one has deeply reflected on his past mistakes."
What?
The one who had just spoken to him was Kosak. Why?
"Princess Gyeondallae, words are meant to come not from the mouth, but from the heart. You must have suffered greatly because of my frivolous speech patterns… I hope this pleases you. You must feel relieved now."
"…"
"Gobang, I'm sorry for everything until now. I treated you carelessly because I wanted to grow closer to you. That won't happen anymore. No matter how close we are, it's better to keep our distance. Let's not invade each other's territory."
"…"
"Senior Officer Veronica, I won't pay attention anymore even if things jiggle. If I ever peek again, feel free to gouge my eyes out. That said, you should also be more careful in your behavior. Like a soldier."
"…"
"Sir Knight Vardin, live your life independently. Then who would ever call you a pervert? Being pushed around by Gobang like that—it's really not a good look."
"…"
"Mr. Rajiks, please continue to work diligently for the summoner as you always have. But the hoeh-hoeh noises are a bit excessive. Instead of trying to be cute, do something more practical. Your presence has been fading a lot lately too."
"…Hoeh?"
"Blood Wolf, I trained you too harshly, didn't I? You're the only one who understands my heart… Come here, let me hold you."
"…Kiiing?"
Kosak then sat down on the sofa, hugging Blood Wolf, gazing out the window with sorrowful eyes.
Juhyeok gathered the other summoned beings.
"…What is this? What's wrong with him?"
It was utterly baffling.
So much so that it was hard to adjust.
"He is clearly sulking."
"He's definitely sulking."
"He's sulking."
"He's sulking."
"Hoeh!"
Did we go too far yesterday?
"But wait—what's the correct expression? 'Sulking' or 'being sulky'?"
"Both are correct."
"Ah!"
Anyway, Kosak was clearly sulking one way or another, so—
"What should we do? Should I apologize for being too harsh?"
"If you do that, you lose. You mustn't give in."
"That's right. If we show regret, he might act up even more."
"Act calm, as if it's nothing."
"It won't last long."
He glanced over—Kosak was still sitting on the sofa, gently stroking Blood Wolf's mane.
"Hmm…"
Thinking about it, he did feel a bit sorry.
But well, he'd get over it eventually.