Lately, Rajiks had been subtly getting mocked by Kosak for having no presence to speak of.
But he wiped away all worries and doubts in one fell swoop, as if to prove them wrong.
"Hooeeng!"
Hot steam burst from his nostrils as his short arms planted themselves firmly on his hips.
I'm this kind of beastman, you know!
His shoulders shot up sky-high, not knowing any limit.
Of course, that was fine.
After all, he was Rajiks the absolute top farmhand.
"Ay~ our number one farmhand, you're awesome. I knew it—this Kosak believed in you."
"Hooeeng."
"Hehehe, your shoulders are getting so high you'll be launching any second now. At this rate, aren't you really going to fly off into space?"
"Hooek?"
At Kosak's exaggerated fussing, Gyeondallae spoke in a tone that sounded amused and slightly derisive.
"Sir Kosak, you truly change your tune with the wind."
"…What are you sayin'?"
"You were the one who kept belittling him, saying our top farmhand had lost all presence. And now you're buttering him up?"
"When did I ever say his presence disappeared?"
"You did."
"No idea. Don't remember."
"Oh my, oh dear! The shamelessness!"
In a way, Gyeondallae and Kosak looked like they were the closest of all.
Anyway, let's finish organizing the items Rajiks hauled back.
There were the most high-grade magic stones.
By weight alone, they were in the ton range.
Next came metal ingots.
They were materials, so it was worth keeping them.
There were also gemstones.
Did Earth even have gems like these?
Some were cold, others warm.
Effect: When carried in your pocket, it grants a mental focus effect. Can also be processed and used as jewelry.
Limitation: The effect does not apply if stored in the inventory.
Nice.
It was basically a kind of talisman.
Then there were all kinds of equipment items and consumables—potions, elixirs, and the like.
I touched each one individually to check its information.
But this was taking way too long.
How am I supposed to check all of this?
Then—
"Hooee."
"You'll help me?"
"Hooe, yeee."
"Oh wow, as expected of our worker. The best."
The sorting criteria were simple: items with the Tower-exclusive modifier, and those without it.
Most of them were Tower-exclusive—about 95%.
The remaining 5% had no such modifier.
Those went separately into my own inventory.
The Tower-exclusive items went back into Rajiks's pack.
Tower-exclusive items were valuable supplies that helped players climb the Tower—but items without the Tower-exclusive modifier?
I can't just release those carelessly.
Especially when something like the Necklace of Liberation was already being given out as a reward.
If a liberated player wielded a weapon whose options applied even in reality?
The world would become dangerous.
Instead, Tower-exclusive items—whose option effects don't work in the real world—will be handed over to the Administration.
I planned to consign them for sale at the player shop.
I should tell them not to price them too high.
So players would be willing to open their wallets.
If items raised the overall level of Korean players, the world would become a safer place.
Before finishing the inventory sorting—
"If there's anything you like among these items, feel free to take it."
The summoned ones just stood there, blankly watching, gauging the mood.
Guess not.
Seriously—too picky.
These were items that players would go crazy over.
Then, suddenly, a thought occurred to me.
What about repeat missions?
If I go in again, can I loot the treasure vault again?
Actually, there was something I was even more curious about.
The true nature of the 71st- and 72nd-floor missions.
My first question concerned the mission targets: Deputy Commander James, Commander Pommeldo, the necromancer Kate, and her master, Norma.
If the Tower's rules hadn't changed, they would exist on the 71st and 72nd floors of every Tower—Korean, Japanese, American, all over the world.
Then in Korea's Black Tower, would they be the originals? Or copies?
Judging by the case of Kabalon, that was an important question.
And the second question—
The 71st and 72nd floors were worlds from a bygone era.
Why was that?
Coincidence? Or inevitability?
Could the floors that followed also be worlds connected to other summoned beings?
If so, would future Tower missions involve resolving the regrets and traumas of those summoned beings?
For example—
Kosak died after charging at a Swordmaster when he was still an assassin.
If a mission related to Kosak appeared later, we might have to face a Swordmaster.
Gyeondallae—the Celestial Empire's Imperial Palace.
Rajiks—Apophis of the underground labyrinth.
Bardin—a world where the gods had vanished.
Veronica—the northern front lines where monsters roamed.
But if this hypothesis were correct, a serious problem arose.
The more I thought about it, the more chills ran down my spine.
The Mad Demon.
How did he die?
After fighting for seven days and nights against the Martial Alliance Leader, the Lord of the Four Emperors, and the Cult Master of the Demonic Sect, he eventually lost his life.
If that was the Mad Demon's regret and trauma—
Surely the mission target wouldn't be the Martial Alliance Leader, the Lord of the Four Emperors, or the Demonic Cult Master… right?
Just imagining it was terrifying.
That would be impossible to clear.
Even with the Mad Demon, it couldn't be done.
The Tower climb would end there.
Of course, I didn't know whether that would be a main mission or an optional one, but—
So being an LSSR summoned being isn't necessarily a good thing.
Just how massive must the regrets they left behind be?
Could anyone even bear them?
Nothing had been revealed yet.
The fact that the early 70s floors were worlds of the past could still be mere coincidence.
Anyway, let's summon the Mad Demon.
Could he answer my questions?
"Summoner."
"Welcome."
Even though I'd consistently given him five-star ratings, his summon duration stubbornly refused to increase.
Still just three hours.
Most of the other summoned beings had nearly reached eight hours.
Did being stingy with the star ratings early on affect this?
While the other summoned beings prepared the party, Juhyeok and the Mad Demon sat down on chairs and talked.
The first question.
Was the necromancer Norma the original? Or a copy?
Was she even truly human?
"That much, I can answer."
The Mad Demon spoke slowly as he opened his mouth.
"Of course she was human. In the past."
In the past meant—
"So… does that mean she's actually dead?"
"That's right. Norma, too, is nothing more than a soul collected by the Tower—specters of the past taken from timelines already gone by. The body was provided by the Tower."
"Ah!"
"They're merely materials for the Tower's content. The backgrounds inside the Tower, the monsters, the humans—everything is nothing more than a fabricated world."
She wasn't alive.
The body was something provided.
The 71st and 72nd floors, too, were not real worlds, but ones processed and created by the Tower.
Then what about Kabalon?
Why was there a distinction between an original and a copy for that demon race?
"It was because the original was needed to resolve the cursed mission. You can think of it as a sort of 'find the original among the copies' game."
Kabalon's curse.
In a way, that too was a mission given by the Tower.
"The Tower has at least some sense of shame. How could it give an impossible mission? The original Kabalon was simply the key for players to complete their mission."
"On the other hand, missions related to the necromancer Norma aren't a 'find the original' game. Is there any reason to distinguish between an original and a copy?"
That was true. She wasn't the one who cast a curse.
"Most sentient beings that will appear in the Black Tower from now on will be copies. Think about it—if you wanted to place the same beings in all 145 Towers, copying would be the only way."
If we were to enter the 72nd floor again right now…
"The necromancer would be alive and well. Properly reset."
"What about the treasure vault?"
"…The treasure vault?"
Juhyeok told the Mad Demon about Rajiks.
"Heh heh heh, admirable indeed. 'Top farmhand' really is the perfect description. But in my estimation, the treasure vault won't appear again. Do you think the Tower is that easy? Once is enough. If it were another country's Tower, that might be different."
Oh!
On the 72nd floor of another country's Tower, there might be another treasure vault.
That alone was something.
Now for the second question.
Would all the floors they climbed from here on out be worlds connected to the summoned beings?
"Regrettably, I don't know. And even if I did, I couldn't tell you."
It seemed a restriction had been placed on him.
Well, information about the floors had been restricted from the very beginning.
Either way, you'd only know by climbing.
A good deal of his curiosity had been resolved.
From now on, it was time to focus on healing.
Starting with the badge ceremony.
He went ahead and handed one out to everyone.
Except Rajiks.
The cosmic super-farmhand got two.
After playing all night and watching the sunrise, it was time to head home.
They would watch the sunrise together with the summoned beings, right on schedule.
Tomorrow, he would also need to stop by the Administration.
Because Rajiks had caused quite an incident.
Even the subspace backpack was completely full.
Time to empty it once.
Only then could it be filled again.
After returning home, Juhyeok turned on his smartphone and sent a message to Deputy Director Jeon Gwang-il.
He said he had business at the Administration.
A reply came back almost immediately.
– I'll head over right away.
After a quick wash and getting ready to go out, Juhyeok went down to the underground parking lot and got into the car Jeon Gwang-il had arrived in.
"Player Bong."
"How have you been?"
"Yes, thanks to you. Because of you, Korea has become much safer."
"Oh, it's nothing. It's only what I should be doing."
After exchanging routine greetings, they headed for the Administration.
On the way, Jeon Gwang-il brought something up.
"Yesterday, we received a request for information from the U.S. side."
A request for information?
"They're planning to clear the 70th floor tomorrow and enter the 71st the day after. Not just entering—they said they'd try to clear it if possible. They asked what the 71st-floor mission is, and whether a holy sword is required…"
It looked like the U.S. was moving up as well.
Well, from the 71st floor onward, the time limits for clearing overlap.
That much could be shared.
There was no guarantee the missions would be identical, though.
"For now, the target to clear is… a person. You have to kill a human."
"..."
Silence filled the car.
Then Jeon Gwang-il spoke in a trembling voice.
"A… a human? Are you saying the mission target is a human?"
"Yes. The mission is subdivided. If you only complete the basic objective, it's easy—but there's also something called an optional objective…"
Juhyeok explained in detail how the 71st- and 72nd-floor missions worked.
"…I see. I'll relay this information to the U.S. side as is."
What about Player Gerald?
He would receive a mission that required him to deal with the members of the Pommel Mercenary Group on his own…
If he'd already cleared the 70th floor, there shouldn't be any major aftereffects.
After all, Kabalon had essentially been no different from a human, a sentient being.
And who knew?
There might even be players who felt more interest in killing humans.
In any case, even high-difficulty missions should be possible.
As for ultra-high-difficulty missions?
Well…
He might be able to fight Kate, a fifth-circle necromancer, but her behavior pattern was to flee.
Could he catch her while she flew away at high speed?
If Kate escaped, the 72nd-floor mission would change as well.
She could end up joining her master.
That was how linked missions worked.
Before long, the car arrived at the Administration's materials warehouse.
Juhyeok told Jeon Gwang-il why he'd come.
"I want to sell a few items."
"Oh! Is that so?"
Jeon Gwang-il's face filled with anticipation.
Player Bong was selling items.
They wouldn't be ordinary items.
"I'll show you."
Juhyeok designated Rajiks for summoning. Spot!
"Hooeeng!"
"…Huh?"
Isn't that Lord Rajiks?
He didn't know why Player Bong had summoned him, but…
"Welcome, Lord Rajiks."
"Hooe."
Rajiks raised his short hand to greet Jeon Gwang-il—
Then promptly took off his backpack and held it upside down.
"Deputy Director, please step back. You might get crushed."
"…Crushed?"
What did that even mean?
In the next instant—
Thudududud!Thud!Thududududud!
Items came pouring out in a torrent.
"Gah!"
Jeon Gwang-il hurriedly stepped back.
Good grief!
What on earth is all this?
They just kept rolling out without end.
High-grade magic stones, metal ingots, all kinds of potions, gemstones, weapons, armor—
It was so overwhelming he was left speechless.
"Please sell these at the player shop."
"…Y-you're selling all of them?"
"Yes."
"T-then the price—"
"Please assess it as you see fit. And be sure to take the sales commission as well."
Juhyeok trusted Jeon Gwang-il.
He would sell them at reasonable prices.
He might even sell them for more.
"If possible, sell them cheaply. And besides these, there's more…"
More?
"I excluded weapons and armor without the Tower-exclusive modifier. I didn't think it'd be good to release those outside, so I'm keeping them in my inventory."
Jeon Gwang-il stared blankly at the mountain of items before snapping back to his senses.
"Well done. Items without the Tower-exclusive modifier must never be leaked outside."
Especially now that even the Necklace of Liberation had been released.
"Oh! And please take this as well."
Juhyeok handed Jeon Gwang-il a necklace and a vial of holy water.
"…Th-this necklace is?"
"The Necklace of Liberation. I had two, and I got another one."
"Gah!"
"Please have the state keep one."
"Y-yes, yes."
A relentless barrage—
That's right.
This, too, was an attack.
A mental attack.
Thanks to it, his mind went completely blank.
"As for the holy water, please check the item effect and run some tests."
"H-holy water?"
"It supposedly manifests the power of radiance."
"..."
"If my guess is right, the holy sword rental business won't do so well—but that's fine. We can just sell items instead."
He couldn't even find words to respond.
All the things Juhyeok had brought in until now—
Holy swords, leather, ores—
He'd thought he was past being surprised.
Now the man was knocking people out with sheer volume.
Juhyeok said to Rajiks, who had completed his task,
"I'll unsummon you now. See you at home."
"Hooeeng!"
Spot! Rajiks vanished.
"I should head home too… I'm planning to challenge the 73rd floor in a few days. That's okay, right?"
"O-of course. Absolutely. Go right ahead. I'll drive you home."
The 73rd-floor conquest.
He would have to confirm it.
Was the target really the fake hero, the king of the Norton Kingdom?
Would vengeance for the bygone era be possible?
After dropping Juhyeok off at home, Jeon Gwang-il returned to the Administration's materials warehouse.
The mountain of treasure was still piled there.
How was he supposed to sort all this by himself?
He picked up his smartphone.
"Team Leader Lee Mina. Come to the materials warehouse right now. You're with Player Nam Gae-eun? Perfect. Come together."
A short while later—
Lee Mina and Nam Gae-eun arrived at the warehouse.
The moment they walked in—
"…Oh, oh my? W-what is all this?"
"My goodness!"
They gasped in shock.
"Let's sort them by type and check the item info. Player Nam Gae-eun, please help as well. We'll be selling them at the player shop."
"…A-all of this?"
"In return, pick one weapon or piece of equipment you like. I'll buy it for you with the Administration's budget."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Lee Mina and Nam Gae-eun dove into the pile of items, checking their information.
Exclamations burst out.
Light-attribute, dark-attribute, fire-attribute, ice-attribute—so many different kinds.
And that wasn't all.
The potions?
There were actually the fewest healing potions.
Most were elixirs for strength enhancement, speed enhancement, magic-power enhancement, and the like.
"H-how could items like these even exist…"
"This is insane. They're all conquest reward items?"
"And who cleared all this…?"
"Player Bong, right?"
"Who else could it be? It has to be him, doesn't it?"
Jeon Gwang-il didn't bother denying it.
If not him, who else could pull something like this off?
Even while talking, the two of them were completely absorbed in checking item info.
They were players too.
There was no way they wouldn't feel tempted.
"I-I want this helmet… no, wait, the boots are better? Should I take these?"
"…Can't I buy two? I'll pay for one myself."
"I'll buy the whole set. I'll transfer the money immediately."
Nam Gae-eun's eyes gleamed wildly.
Lee Mina was no different.
What player could possibly resist?
The moment these hit the player shop, they'd sell out instantly—
No matter the price.