The black-market guild master, Dmitri.
After being kidnapped in Prague, he was dragged all the way to North Korea.
Kept in a near-unconscious state due to constant drug injections.
When he finally woke up—
He was in North Korea.
The most closed-off country on Earth.
Even so, he did not lose hope.
He would escape no matter what.
But how could he get out of this place?
He even considered negotiating using items from his inventory.
Hand over what they wanted and regain his freedom.
But these people were not to be trusted.
He'd been screwed once already—falling for it twice would make him an idiot.
They wouldn't kill him.
Was there even a reason to?
As a high-level player, his value was undeniable.
And if he died, his inventory would be locked anyway.
So he endured.
Through all kinds of torture, he stubbornly protected his inventory.
Because the items inside would one day become the foundation for escaping North Korea and starting anew.
Then, something changed.
Tower occupation?
The nationality of the North Korean Tower was changing?
Then what would happen to him?
That day finally came.
A world announcement declaring the revocation of nationality for temporary naturalized players.
At the same time, a system message appeared.
[You must acquire a new nationality within 10 days.]
[Failure to acquire nationality will result in revocation of player status.]
Nationality: None.
What the hell was this?
Fine—his nationality being revoked was one thing.
But how was he supposed to acquire a new nationality while imprisoned?
If he were free, he could've just rushed to any embassy and applied for player naturalization.
But in ten days—
His player status would be revoked.
He wouldn't even be able to use the Tower-exclusive inventory.
While he was spiraling in anxiety, the atmosphere at the detention camp where Dmitri was held began to change.
The imprisoned North Korean players were released and allowed to return home.
The Spring of Pyongyang.
Relations between South and North Korea shifted into reconciliation mode, and the South planned to establish a branch of the Awakening Management Agency for exchange purposes.
For the first time, he felt a spark of hope.
Maybe he, too, would be released.
But there was no news.
No more torture—but he was still imprisoned.
What should he do?
Should he try negotiating now?
But there was no one willing to listen.
Time kept passing.
Five days left.
His anxiety intensified.
If his player status was revoked, his value would disappear.
Then—
A lifeline descended.
The rise of North Korea's new power figure.
The People's Armed Forces Minister, Kosak.
Accompanied by an interpreter, he came to see Dmitri.
"Comrade, you the head of the black market?"
"Y-Yes, sir."
"What's your nationality on the player status screen?"
"…Currently stateless."
"Is that so? Then if you don't get a nationality within five days, you lose your player status."
Dmitri watched the minister carefully.
He hadn't come for nothing.
He wanted something.
"I can let you live. Even arrange for your nationality."
"…Really?"
"If the conditions are right."
"Please—anything."
Gulp.
Dmitri swallowed dry saliva.
At last.
A chance to escape North Korea.
He could give up inventory items—plenty of them.
Just not the most expensive ones.
"I want just one thing."
"What is it?"
"A small pebble. About the size to fit in your mouth. Eat it, and your traits increase like crazy."
"..."
"If you give me that, I'll release you immediately. I promise."
The Trait Enhancement Rune.
He had one in his inventory.
He'd originally had three—sold two to the U.S. and kept one as a spare.
But he absolutely couldn't give it up.
It was the most valuable item he owned.
Essential for starting over after escape.
"I don't have it. Could I give you something else? I have three hundred million dollars deposited in a Swiss bank—"
Snort.
Kosak laughed mockingly.
"You think I'm stupid? You think I don't know how much you sold those pebbles to the American bastards for?"
"…Uh—"
"Listen carefully! No trait enhancement rune, no negotiation. You lose your player status."
"N-No, that's—"
"If you're not a player, you're useless. You'll mine coal till you die in this republic."
"H-But I don't have it! I swear!"
Dmitri desperately denied it.
The rune could not become a bargaining chip.
"Well then, no rune, no talk. Rot here for the rest of your life."
Kosak stood up abruptly.
"W-Wait!"
Ignoring him completely, he left the solitary cell.
Just like that?
No.
He would come back.
Kosak was certain.
That guild master bastard had the rune in his inventory.
But he couldn't rush it.
He had to give him time.
Enough time for him to voluntarily spit out the rune.
The outcome was already decided.
He would return one day before the nationality deadline.
And by then, the rune would be in his hand.
The northern tower had been cleared up to the 74th floor.
Next—
The original No.1, the South Korean Tower.
After taking a full day of rest—
He summoned all familiars except Mari.
"Summoner, good morning."
"C-Confirmed! Summoner sir! The People's Armed Forces Minister has arrived!"
"The warrior is here as well."
"Young master, did you cough?"
"My lord."
"Sergeant Veronica Caliber."
"Ho!"
"Woof woof!"
With so many, greetings alone took ages.
And there would only be more.
"Let's finish this quickly. I've got a house to build."
Shall we enter?
To the uncleared upper floors—
[Entering Republic of Korea Black Tower (No.1) Floor 75.]
Spot!
A safe zone.
It looked like a barn.
But the atmosphere was eerie.
It didn't seem cold, yet a chill crawled over his entire body.
'Hmph. Feels like ghosts might show up.'
Creepy as hell.
'Let's buff up first.'
Potions given by Mari.
Drug dependency wasn't ideal, but potions made by an LSSR-grade Sage—what side effects could they have?
Glug, glug.
After downing them—
Juhyeok creaked open the barn door and stepped outside.
A dark night with no moonlight, not even the sound of insects.
"Light!!!"
Fwoooosh!
Quick on the uptake, Bardin manifested radiance.
Swoop!
The gigantified tank grabbed Bardin—the human holy sword and human lantern—and hoisted him up.
Like a torch.
Behind them came the Mad Warrior and Kosak, Juhyeok and Gyeondallae in the middle, and at the rear, Rajiks riding Bloodfang with Veronica.
Only then did the surroundings become visible.
Elegant, traditional tiled buildings scattered everywhere.
All of them—
Half-collapsed.
Broken roof tiles and overgrown weeds carpeted the ground beneath their feet.
This place would be perfect for YouTuber streamers doing an "abandoned house exploration" series.
But Gyeondallae tilted her head.
After looking around for a long moment, she spoke in a trembling voice.
"I think I know where this is. This place is…"
Suddenly—
Ding!
A mission window unfurled.
[Floor 75 Basic Mission: Defeat 30 Palace Guard Soldier Earthbound Spirits.]
[Floor 75 Optional Mission: Defeat 15 Palace Guard Warrior Earthbound Spirits.]
[Floor 75 High-Difficulty Optional Mission: Defeat Palace Guard Captain Heukchisoo, Earthbound Spirit.]
[Floor 75 Extreme-Difficulty Optional Mission: Defeat Agwi Gyeonsul.]
A palace.
Earthbound spirits.
Then that means—
This was the palace of the Cheon Empire.
And it was in ruins.
Gyeondallae's expression turned desolate.
Of course—it was the place where she had been born and raised.
"It is ruined… the Imperial Palace… the Empire…"
That seemed to be the case.
There wasn't a single living person in sight.
Instead—
Slither… glide… slither…
Whitish shapes drifted through the air as if swimming.
"…So they really are ghosts."
Spiteful wandering spirits.
Souls unable to ascend to the afterlife, bound to a specific location in the living world—earthbound spirits.
"G-Ghosts scare me…"
"Senior Bae, you mow down undead like crazy—what's so scary about ghosts?"
"Are undead and ghosts the same thing?"
"Honestly, if you think about it, aren't we ghosts too?"
"Shut it! You damn primary enemy bastard—want me to turn you into an actual ghost?"
"Oh come on, our hardcore anti-communist Senior Bae—unification's right around the corner and you're still calling people the primary enemy?"
It wasn't just Senior Bae who was scared.
Rajiks was clinging to Bloodfang's neck, shivering like crazy.
"…Hmm."
Even Juhyeok's mouth went dry.
Senior Bae had a point.
Were ghosts and undead really the same?
Traditional Korean ghosts were especially terrifying.
He still vividly remembered watching horror dramas as a kid, hiding under his blanket.
'Damn… my heart's pounding.'
He pulled out a mental-strength-enhancing mango juice crafted by a Sage from his inventory and drank it.
"Princess."
"Yes?"
"We have to defeat Agwi Gyeonsul in the end. Do you know who that is?"
"If it is Gyeonsul… he is my uncle."
As expected.
Gyeondallae's uncle.
The man who staged a rebellion, killed her younger sibling, seized the throne—and was later slain by her own hand.
"I have one request," she said quietly.
"Just say the word. I'll do anything."
"Please grant me the chance to release the resentment and sorrow of the dead."
"…Ah."
Right.
That would be better than brute-forcing the stage.
These earthbound spirits had lived in the same palace as Gyeondallae—some might even have known her personally.
"I wish to guide them to the afterlife and perform a cheon-do ritual, praying for their rebirth in paradise."
A good idea.
There was nothing better than a ritual for dealing with ghosts.
Whether it really sent them to the afterlife didn't matter—
This was the Tower's world.
There was probably a Tower version of the underworld too.
"Hoeng!"
Swish.
Rajiks pulled out a handcart loaded with a power bank, large speakers, an amplifier, and an MP3 player.
"I'll pull this."
"If the People's Armed Forces Minister is pushing a handcart like this—"
"Hey, don't tease me. There's only one person I'm loyal to."
"Who? Chairman Kim?"
"C'mon, you know who. Hehehe."
"Hahaha."
Joking around eased the fear a little.
Kosak switched on the player.
Boom! Boom-boom!
Clang! Clang-chang!
Drumbeats echoed as the melody of the cheon-do ritual filled the palace.
Chya-rik! Chya-rrr!
Holding bells and a blade, Gyeondallae stepped forward.
In truth, during the undead floors in the 60s, her rituals and talismans had their limits.
She could slightly weaken dark auras, but couldn't deal real damage or inflict fatal debuffs.
The decisive role back then had been played by the holy sword—and the holy knight familiar—Lucius Bardin.
But this time was different.
Earthbound spirits were not undead.
And this was the palace where Princess Gyeondallae had lived.
The chief shaman of the Cheon Empire's imperial shrine—
Princess Gyeondallae, Bari-degi, guide of the dead to the afterlife.
To her, the palace's earthbound spirits were nothing more than minor wraiths.
Chya-rerere!
As the bells rang, the soldier spirits panicked and fled.
Fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh!
Yellow talismans scattered like falling petals.
Pop! Pop-pop-pop!
The ghosts vanished the moment they were touched.
This was a matter of compatibility.
What palace earthbound spirit could possibly stand against the chief shaman Gyeondallae?
The clear was instantaneous.
[Cheon Empire Palace Guard Soldier Earthbound Spirits defeated: 30/30]
[Floor 75 Basic Mission completed.]
[Level up!]
[Reward: Mana Stones 1.5 kg / Advanced Mana Stones 6 kg]
Basic mission complete.
[Would you like to continue the optional mission?]
[If declined, the Tower will be exited with mission success.]
Continue.
Next target: Palace Guard Warrior Earthbound Spirits.
Though higher-ranked than regular soldiers, they stood no chance against Gyeondallae's ritual and talismans.
Honestly, the moment they faced her, it was already over.
What had these warriors done in life?
They had protected the royal family.
And now, the very person they had sworn to protect stood before them.
'Princess…'
'Your Highness.'
'We are honored.'
'Please destroy the traitorous ones.'
Some of the warrior spirits even recognized her and bowed.
Pop! Pop-pop-pop!
The earthbound spirits retreated of their own accord.
[Optional Mission completed.]
[Reward: Advanced Mana Stones 20 kg]
Next—
The high-difficulty optional mission.
Palace Guard Captain Heukchisoo, an evil spirit.
A named enemy with accessible information.
Type: General (Ghost)
Heukchisoo had once been a low-ranking officer tasked with guarding the Cheon Empire's imperial palace.
However, after siding with Gyeonsul, he became one of the ringleaders of the rebellion and betrayed his young liege.
"You bastard!!! Heukchisoo!"
Gyeondallae's furious shout.
The palace guard captain's earthbound spirit Heukchisoo shuddered violently, his spectral body quaking.
'The princess? Is that really the princess?'
"I knew it would end like this. Such a miserable fate suits a traitor—reduced to a wretched stray ghost, unable to leave the Nine Heavens."
'Kekeke. Betrayal, my ass. When wealth and glory are right in front of you, anyone who doesn't seize the chance is a fool.'
"So tell me—are you enjoying that glory now?"
'You bitch! This is all your fault! You were the one who hurled the killing curse at the emperor! Because of you, the Empire fell!'
"If the world collapses just because a single emperor dies, then it deserves to end quickly."
'You damn bitch!!!'
Heukchisoo charged forward with terrifying momentum.
But make no mistake—
This was Gyeondallae's domain.
"There will be no afterlife for you. Die once more, traitor!"
Snap!
A talisman flew.
Flaaash!
A bronze mirror radiated blinding light.
"Gyaaaaaaah!"
Struck by the talisman and exposed to the mirror's radiance, Heukchisoo melted away.
[High-Difficulty Optional Mission completed.]
[Reward: Tower-exclusive Cursed Palace Guard General's Saber.]
"So it's shamans, not marines, who hunt ghosts."
"They weren't lying when they called her the chief shaman."
"That presence… reminds me of when I got chewed out for slurping noodles."
"A warrior does not make noise when eating noodles."
Though she had died young and never lost her girlish appearance, within the palace Gyeondallae was invincible.
The natural enemy of earthbound spirits.
Who could possibly stand against her?
Now—
The final target.
Gyeondallae already knew where the Extreme-Difficulty Optional Mission target, Agwi Gyeonsul, was.
She walked alone, unsteadily.
Toward the largest hall in the palace.
Creak.
She pushed the door open.
"…Uncle."
Inside crawled a ghost—emaciated, skeletal, moving on all fours like a dog across the vast hall.
Clack. Clack.
The pitiful form of a hungry ghost.
Type: Emperor (Ghost)
Gyeonsul was the man who murdered his nephew Gyeonuk and ascended the throne.
However, not long after becoming emperor, he was struck down by yet another nephew.
To block the killing curse, he used proxies and even performed counter-curse rituals, but the curse cast by the Cheon Empire's chief shaman pierced through and struck him regardless.
After Gyeonsul's death, his three sons were seduced by an evil nine-tailed fox spirit and fought among themselves for imperial authority.
Taking advantage of the ensuing chaos, Japanese pirates and northern nomadic tribes invaded.
The Empire ultimately fell to war.
Agwi Gyeonsul looked at Gyeondallae.
'Oh! My niece has come. Just like before—your flesh looks plump and delicious.'
"How utterly wretched. Even in death, bound to the Tower, unable to depart. How can one cling to regrets so deeply?"
'Shut up! I should've killed you before killing your brother. That is my one lingering regret.'
"Have you still not realized the futility of power? Even after reducing the Empire to this?"
'Heeheehee. Power is something you can't share—even between father and son.'
"There is something I wish to ask… Did you kill my father as well?"
'Heh heh. You already know, don't you? Yes, I killed him. Your weak father was never fit to be emperor.'
Stagger.
Gyeondallae's body swayed.
Her eyes trembled.
Her face drained of color.
Even watching, Juhyeok's chest ached.
How could anyone not understand her pain?
The enemy who murdered both her father and her brother.
That bastard deserved to be cursed a hundred times over and still not be enough.
Juhyeok stepped forward and gently held her fragile shoulders with both hands.
"Princess."
"…Ah!"
"We'll handle him."
"T-That—"
"Don't carry this alone."
Gyeondallae stepped back.
Rajiks toddled over and hugged her tightly.
"Ho-e."
"Rajiks… I-I'm fine."
"Hoooeeeh!"
It was heartbreaking.
On the 74th floor, she had lost her mentor.
On the 75th, she was forced to face once again the enemy who killed her father and brother.
Juhyeok issued an order to Veronica.
"Senior Bae."
"Sergeant Veronica Caliber!"
"Give him a heavy round."
"Confirmed! Attribute absorption activated."
Veronica approached Gyeondallae and spoke carefully.
"Princess, excuse me for a moment."
"…Yes. Sergeant Bae, let me attach the talisman."
An exorcism talisman was affixed to the magic rifle.
Its spiritual energy was absorbed into the weapon.
"Hungry ghost target locked!"
Click!
The rifle's ammunition was made of mana stone.
A devastating attack combining physical force, magic, attribute absorption, and the talisman's divine power.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Agwi Gyeonsul charged on all fours like a rabid beast.
'I'll devour you at all costs!!!'
Yeah, keep dreaming.
Have a heavy round.
The rifle glowed white-hot.
Ziiiiing!
Bzzzzzzzt!
Veronica's entire body shook violently.
Thunk!
The heavy round struck Agwi Gyeonsul head-on as he lunged.
Flaaash!
KABOOOOM!
The Mad Warrior and the Tank blocked the blast wave.
Agwi Gyeonsul lay on his back, all four limbs twitching in the air.
"Keek…."
Still not dead?
"One more."
"Yes, sir!"
Ziiiiing!
Bzzzzzzzt!
Thunk!
Flaaash!
KRAAANG!!!
Agwi Gyeonsul vanished instantly.
Well—he'd probably respawn if the floor reset.
[All Floor 75 missions completed.]
[Rewards: Ring of Form Transformation / Restore (Restoration) Scroll.]
That wasn't even hard.
Gyeondallae had practically cleared the floor on her own.
So then—
Straight to Floor 76.
No reason to waste time.
[Calculating clear rank.]
[World Announcement: You have achieved S+++ Clear Rank on Black Tower No.1 (Korea), Floor 75.]
[S+++ Clear Reward: 2 Platinum Badges awarded.]
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