Juhyeok summoned the Mad Demon.
The moment he appeared, he seemed to sense something.
"Summoner, it feels like a new beginning."
"Welcome. Has the restriction been lifted, by any chance?"
But the Mad Demon shook his head slowly as he answered.
"Only a little. It's still blocked. All that comes to mind is that the nature of clearing the tower will be different from before."
Different how?
"Um, what about the exact mission details for the 71st floor?"
"Only the feeling remains. The impression I received back then was…"
"What was it?"
The Mad Demon pondered for a moment before continuing.
"You, Summoner, will find yourself greatly troubled. A decision will be required."
Why does he keep saying it'll be troublesome?
Come to think of it, Kosak had mentioned something similar before.
That it was difficult to deal with.
Well, I'll find out when I go up there, but honestly,
I didn't plan on climbing the 71st floor for the time being.
Once you enter, you're forced to clear it.
If you exit or abandon the mission, you can't get an S++ clear, no badge, and no special rewards.
And there was the most important obstacle of all—
The six-month time limit for tower progression.
Clearing it too quickly would be a loss.
But then Season 2 began.
The restrictions on tower progression were removed.
They said that clearing new floors would extend the time limit, so there was nothing that couldn't be cleared anymore.
And then there were the items.
Juhyeok had already heard explanations from the other summoned beings, so he knew.
The Ring of Form Transformation, the Potion of Disease Cure, the Elixir of Rejuvenation, and the Rune Necklace of Liberation.
Juhyeok explained the items to the Mad Demon.
"…The Rune Necklace of Liberation, you say?"
"Yes."
"It's already appeared?"
"They said it was a gift."
"Heh."
The Mad Demon frowned deeply.
"Such crafty bastards."
"Who?"
"Who else? The ones who engineered a situation like this."
"…Pardon?"
So who exactly are you talking about?
"I can't explain the details."
Seriously, why is there so much you can't explain?
"However, I do know when these items are supposed to appear."
When would that be?
"When the world is on the verge of collapse. Items that accelerate the collapse of the tower, ignite conflicts between nations and players, friction between ordinary people and players, wars between nations—items that become the root cause of all that chaos."
That makes sense.
They make people young again, cure diseases, and allow players to manifest tower abilities in the real world while hiding their identities—
There's no way greed wouldn't flare up.
Players would try to obtain them by any means necessary.
Ordinary people would also burn with desire.
"In the end, even the Rune of Liberation won't be necessary. The world itself will become like the tower."
Things are escalating fast.
What should I do?
"For now, we'll go to the 71st floor and deal with the items—"
"Summoner."
"Yes?"
"Before that, let's go somewhere together."
"Where to?"
"A floor with lots of monsters. Preferably bipedal ones, and reasonably strong."
Where would that be?
Creatures that fit those conditions would be orcs, trolls, ogres, or minotaurs—
"A floor with minotaurs would be suitable."
And so Juhyeok and the summoned beings entered the 35th floor.
The mission was:
[35th Floor Mission: Defeat 80 minotaurs of any type and 1 Minotaur King.]
But why did we come here?
"Now that the Rune Necklace of Liberation has been unlocked, there's much more this old man can do."
You're giving me more again?
Is that… a good thing?
"Summoner, what combat skills do you currently possess? Excluding Blood Jade Force."
What were they again?
[Combat Skills]: Shadow Step / Honwon Thunder Strike / Blood Jade Force
"Shadow Step and Honwon Thunder Strike."
Such a pitiful skill list.
Others have at least dozens of combat skills, even excluding trait skills.
"That will suffice. Then try hunting the minotaurs yourself."
…What?
"…Me?"
"Use only Shadow Step and Honwon Thunder Strike. Draw your weapon as well."
"Ah! Yes, yes."
This is a new experience.
The Mad Demon was the first summoned being to ever tell him to hunt monsters himself.
"Hm."
But like anyone else, once the stage is set, hesitation creeps in.
"Why is he suddenly telling me to fight?"
He was the one who always told me to stay quietly hidden in the back.
Did we really come all this way just to hunt minotaurs?
I should've gone for orcs.
For now, I'm overwhelmed by their sheer size.
It's been quite a while since I last hunted monsters.
Even back when clearing minotaurs, they were so huge that I couldn't even attempt anything above stage three…
And that Minotaur King over there.
Over six meters tall—slightly smaller than a giant-class elite.
"Am I really supposed to fight that?"
I glanced back slightly—
The summoned beings were staring at me with uneasy, anxious expressions.
"…Come on, at least try to stop me."
And then, suddenly—
Swish. The Mad Demon grabbed my left wrist.
"Do not worry. I will always be by your side. Let us begin with Shadow Step."
Right. My big brother is right next to me—what is there to fear?
It's not like I'm going to die.
He's even holding my wrist like this.
Juhyeok pulled out an adamant-metal mace from his inventory.
A weapon purchased from the player shop.
No option effects, but extremely sturdy.
"Let's do this."
Shadow Step toward the minotaur.
Swat! Spot! Swa-swat!
Juhyeok dashed forward, leaving afterimages behind.
The Mad Demon moved along with him, still gripping his wrist.
"Hm."
Running hand-in-hand with another man feels a bit strange.
Spapapat!
"Honwon Thunder Strike."
"Yes, charging!"
Honwon Thunder Strike, First Form of the Three—Lightning Pursuit of the Soul.
Pachichichi…
Lightning energy wrapped around the mace.
He leaped up and smashed it into the back of a stage-one minotaur's head—
Crack!
"Ummmoo…"
The creature collapsed with a thud.
Yes! That was nothing. I worried for nothing.
The Mad Demon nodded in approval.
"Well done. Let's do it a few more times."
"Yes!"
I'll take down as many as you want.
My confidence surged.
The instinct of a true man stirred.
Spot! Spapapat!
Shadow Step grew faster and more fluid.
Juhyeok moved swiftly.
And the Mad Demon matched his steps perfectly, still holding his hand.
Hand in hand.
Spot! Spapat!
Dancing together with the Mad Demon.
Spot! Spapat!
Together, a Shadow Step waltz.
The forms of Honwon Thunder Strike bloomed one by one from the mace.
Pachijik! Pachit!
Lightning Pursuit of the Soul , Lightning Scattering, and the cooldown-based finishing move, Lightning Flash.
Crack!
Stage-one and stage-two minotaurs—just a light hop, and their skulls shattered.
"Mmuh…"
Stage-three and stage-four minotaurs—leaping with full force, bang!
"Mooaaar…"
He was completely immersed, in an ultra-focused state, rampaging relentlessly without a moment to breathe—
"That will do. Let us leave now."
"…Huh? We just got started. I can take down more."
"That is sufficient."
What choice was there? Abandon the mission and head out.
Spot!
Juhyeok and the group appeared in the penthouse.
The Mad Demon was still holding Juhyeok's wrist.
Then he spoke.
"Think of skills acquired in the tower as a kind of automatic macro. That is how the system is designed."
A former martial master who knows what a macro is?
"For that reason, when a player merely calls out the skill name, it fires automatically. Even without conscious effort, magic power moves on its own."
"But no matter how much it is a macro, for a real skill to be released, magic power must still be transformed and circulate within your body."
I get what he means.
The Blood Jade Force used inside the tower and the Blood Jade Force used in reality had different activation principles.
In reality, Blood Jade Force required circulating internal-energy formulas, transforming qi, and releasing it outward in the form of techniques.
"So I observed how the summoner's magic power transforms within the tower, which routes it takes, and how it is operated."
Was that why he was holding my wrist?
"Now, let us unfold it with real internal energy. Summoner, based on the Heaven-and-Earth Unified Art you learned in reality."
"…Ah!"
But is it even possible to use Shadow Step with internal energy?
Honwon Thunder Strike, maybe—but Shadow Step?
"There is a saying: all paths return to one. No matter how many roads there are, they ultimately converge."
In that instant—swoooong!
The Mad Demon's vast, heroic internal energy seeped in through Juhyeok's pulse gate.
"Walk."
The internal energy flowed to his lower body.
Qi gathered toward the Yongcheon point on the soles of his feet—
Without thinking, he took a step.
Swat! Swa-swat!
Shadow Step unfolded across the penthouse living room.
Swa-swat! Swat! Swat!
It works. I did it.
"Remember the flow of qi. Etch the method of operation into your body."
Swa-wa-wat! Swa-swat!
Afterimages formed with every step.
Though it felt like dancing with the Mad Demon, he could use Shadow Step outside the tower.
Thunderous applause erupted.
"So cool! You can run away real good outside now!"
"Miss, I can finally rest easy. Who could possibly chase Young Master now?"
"Senior Officer Veronica Caliber. Efficient tactical maneuvering."
"O light! Bless my lord!!!"
Rajiks, seemingly excited, began moving along with Juhyeok.
Rolling this way, rolling that way.
At some point, the Mad Demon released Juhyeok's hand.
Juhyeok continued casting Shadow Step on his own.
This is fun.
Shadow Step powered by internal energy.
A completely different feeling from inside the tower.
No matter how spacious the penthouse living room was, moving like this made it feel far too small.
He wanted to unleash it freely in an open space.
As Juhyeok sank deeper into a state of self-forgetfulness—
That was when it happened.
Kosak shouted in a panicked voice.
"Huhhh!!! It's the Minotaur King!"
"…What?"
In that instant—
Sssshk!
A massive shadow approached from behind Juhyeok.
"Whoa—shit! You scared me!"
It was instinctive.
Qi surged into the mace.
Pachijik! Lightning Pursuit of the Soul, unleashed at once.
Swaeek! Kwaak! Taeng!
"…Huh?"
It was Gobang.
"…."
Juhyeok's mace slammed into Gobang's head. Gobang stared blankly.
Having just come back from fighting minotaurs, and seeing something huge appear, Juhyeok had reflexively swung his mace.
"Why are you there?"
"…An assassin pushed me."
That damn Kosak.
"Oops! It was Gobang. He's so big I thought he was the Minotaur King. Hehehehe."
"…"
Should I hit him once?
"…Does it hurt?"
"A warrior does not feel pain. Strike me as much as you like."
That feels… oddly strange.
It was a solid, decisive blow.
But it doesn't seem cool at all?
"Kyaa! As expected of Gobang. Summoner Bong, try hitting him a few more times to test if it works well."
"Should I?"
"Yes!"
Juhyeok rushed toward Kosak.
Swa-swat! Swat! Swat!
"Eek?! Why me?!"
"You said to test it."
"H-hit Gobang!"
"Don't want to."
"Aaaargh! Th-then Bardin, at least—he likes getting hit!"
Swa-swat! Swat! Swat!
Juhyeok chased; Kosak fled.
"Freeze!"
"So what?"
Are we playing freeze tag now?
Rajiks rolled in as well, tumbling along.
"Hoeh, freeze!"
I said this isn't freeze tag.
The penthouse living room filled with the shadows of Juhyeok and Kosak.
The Rune Necklace of Liberation?
Juhyeok was already liberated.
'Still, I won't be able to hit Kosak even once.'
Shadow Step—whose skill do you think that is?
But Kosak's fate had already been sealed.
Grab! Gobang swiftly seized Kosak by the collar.
"…Hiiik?"
Then, with a thick finger, to the forehead—
Flick! Kwaaang!
Gobang's flick came with an explosive sound.
Kosak's head snapped backward.
"Ghk!"
Thud!
He sprawled flat on the living room floor.
The summoned beings watched the scene with satisfied expressions.
The Mad Demon chuckled softly and spoke to Juhyeok.
"Summoner, clear the 71st floor without me."
"Why?"
"They are sufficient."
"Then what about you, Mad Demon…?"
Wouldn't it be easier if we went together?
"There is a saying in the martial world: a warrior must always hide thirty percent of his strength. Inside the tower or outside it—only then can you strike the enemy where they least expect it, at the decisive moment."
"Ah!"
"I am the summoner's hidden card. Thirty percent of your strength."
That's not true though?
From where I'm standing, it's more like seventy percent.
Anyway, he's earned his credit, so I'll pin a badge on him.
"Hrm… my chest feels heavy."
Before long, the Mad Demon's three-hour manifestation limit expired.
With a satisfied smile, he returned to the other world.
Now then, it's about time to prepare for the 71st floor.
First, I should contact Deputy Commissioner Jeon Gwang-il.
After all, I need to notify them that I'm going to attempt the 71st floor.
The Administration must already be in an uproar.
Given that a world announcement had gone out.
Suddenly—
Bzzzzing!
My phone rang out of nowhere.
It was Jeon Gwang-il, of all people.
"Hm? I was just about to call him."
I picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
—Player Bong, we have a request for you.
"Yes? What is it—"
—Please go up to the Korean Black Tower's 71st floor immediately and secure the four items.
"Oh, I was actually planning to go up anyway. I was thinking of clearing it while I'm at it. That's fine, right?"
—As much as you like. The clearing time limit doesn't mean anything anymore. In any case, once you secure the items, do not hand them over to anyone. Keep them in your inventory at all times.
"Hm."
—Especially the Rune Necklace of Liberation…
Huh? He sounds like he knows what it is.
"Um, do you know what the Rune Necklace of Liberation is used for?"
—Not for certain, but I have a pretty good guess.
"How?"
There wasn't even an explanation attached.
—Have you been on YouTube recently?
"No."
—Check it. It's getting as many views as those videos of Japanese anti-Korean protesters getting schooled. Search for 'China Beijing Tiananmen.'
What is this?
"I'll check now."
Juhyeok opened the YouTube app on his tablet.
As soon as he entered the search terms, several videos with tens of millions of views popped up.
Tiananmen Square in China.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary video.
A Chinese streamer introducing Tiananmen Square.
But then, suddenly, someone appeared in the background.
Swaeaeek!
Someone was sprinting across the square at a terrifying speed.
How can a human move that fast?
Is it a doctored video?
But there are far too many similar videos.
From the side, from behind, from atop buildings, or from entirely different locations—
—It's not edited. They were all captured by chance. The man running has been identified as a Chinese player named Bailong.
"…A player?"
—Yes. Bailong's trait is high-speed movement. He's believed to have used a Tower Jumping Ticket to reach the 71st floor and acquire the four items.
So he used the Rune Necklace of Liberation.
—There are also rumors that something has happened to the newly appointed Chinese president, Wang Yuan. Public Security and the People's Liberation Army have designated Bailong as a dangerous individual and are currently pursuing him.
I see it now.
The conflict has begun.
A clash between nations and players.
Juhyeok finally understood why Deputy Commissioner Jeon Gwang-il had insisted on securing the four items.
If someone was going to take them anyway, he must have decided it would be better if Juhyeok did.
So Juhyeok waited about three hours before entering the 71st floor.
Together with Kosak, Gobang, Gyeon Dallae, Rajiks, Veronica, and Bardin—Blood Wolf included.
The Mad Demon was the hidden card.
Let's clear it completely and come back.
Would the world announcement sound again this time…?
[Entering the Korean Black Tower, 71st Floor.]
Finally, the first entry.
[You have reached the Korean Black Tower, 71st Floor, for the first time.]
Well?
[Congratulations. A four-item gift set has been delivered to your inventory.]
"Oh."
[The Ring of Form Transformation has been delivered to your inventory.]
[The Potion of Disease Cure has been delivered to your inventory.]
[The Elixir of Rejuvenation has been delivered to your inventory.]
[The Rune Necklace of Liberation has been delivered to your inventory.]
There was no world announcement. No global announcement either.
But that makes it even scarier.
No one would know who obtained them.
"Should I go receive the mission?"
What's the 71st floor mission?
What if getting an S++ clear is impossible?
There is a way.
The start-pack item received for accumulating seventy Platinum Badges.
This is an item tied to S++ clears and Platinum Badges.
A ticket that gives you one extra chance when failure is anticipated. If things go south, I can just reset it.
"That aside, where is this place?"
They said it was a new beginning, and even the entry location is unusual.
"Is this… a house?"
It looked like a log cabin.
There was a door leading outside.
The inside of the house seemed to be a safe zone.
"Do I have to go outside?"
Juhyeok grabbed the doorknob.
At that moment—
Ding! A mission appeared.
[71st Floor Basic Mission: Defeat 20 members of the Pommel Mercenary Corps.]
[71st Floor Additional Optional Mission: Defeat James, Vice-Captain of the Pommel Mercenary Corps.]
[71st Floor High-Difficulty Optional Mission: Defeat Pommel, Captain of the Pommel Mercenary Corps.]
[71st Floor Ultra-High-Difficulty Optional Mission: Defeat the Necromancer Kate.]
[Completion Condition: Pommel Mercenary Corps members defeated 0/20.]
[Time Limit: Within 10 hours.]
What?
I get that the way missions are assigned has changed, but—
"…They're people?"
Seriously?
"They are people."
"Humans."
"Easy. Just give the order. I'll handle everything."
"A simple mission. Please do not worry."
"Sniper ready."
"Hoee…"
No, you guys.
That's not the issue here.
They're telling us to kill people.
"This is troublesome."
For the first time, I really feel like abandoning the mission.
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