After parting with her master on the 74th floor,
and facing her old enemies once more on the 75th—
Gyeondallae was pitiable.
Yet she remained strict, dignified, and serious.
Just as her title in the catalog suggested.
When you looked closely, the results weren't bad.
Her master ascended, her enemies were slain once again—
Of course, the wounds left in her heart couldn't be washed away so easily.
Now—
The final gate.
Without resting, they climbed straight to the 76th floor.
[Entering Republic of Korea Black Tower (No.1) Floor 76.]
Spot!
The environment was a mountain valley deep in the wilderness.
A scene you'd expect to see only in a traditional landscape painting.
No—
It felt as though a painting itself had been brought to life.
"How strange," the Mad Warrior said, scanning the surroundings.
"What is?" Juhyeok asked.
"This place is where nature's energy has pooled. Like a sea where rivers of qi converge. Try circulating your qi—you'll understand what I meanU meant."
Qi circulation.
Juhyeok activated Heaven and Earth as One Art.
A thick, sticky surge of energy flooded into him like a tide.
'Oh!'
He could feel it clearly.
"However, a place rich in qi is not always good. Excess leads to imbalance—this is the perfect place to fall into qi deviation."
That made sense.
Even good things must be taken in moderation.
Anyway—
What was the mission here?
The group headed upstream.
Then—
Shrrk!
A mission window appeared.
[Floor 76 Basic Mission: Defeat 15 Inmyeonjo.]
[Floor 76 Optional Mission: Defeat 5 Dueoksini.]
[Floor 76 High-Difficulty Optional Mission: Defeat Gangcheori.]
[Floor 76 Extreme-Difficulty Optional Mission: Defeat Evil Spirit Gumiho + @]
'Hmm.'
Inmyeonjo.
Dueoksini.
Gangcheori.
And an evil spirit gumiho—with a plus alpha.
Traditional Korean yokai from folklore.
'That's refreshing.'
Until now, Tower monsters had mostly been drawn from Western mythology and fantasy.
Goblins, orcs, trolls, minotaurs…
Why were they all Western?
It wasn't like monsters needed to practice cultural favoritism.
Korean yokai deserved representation too.
Only fair.
Just then—
A sound came from the sky.
Flap, flap, flap.
Grruk, grruk, grruk.
A flock of Inmyeonjo—birds with human faces.
Well, flying monsters could be left to their dependable Senior Bae.
"Please."
"Victory assured!"
No need for heavy rounds.
Not long ago, Veronica had upgraded her Magic Rifle Marksmanship skill to LSSR rank using five badges.
"Fire selector: automatic. Target: Inmyeonjo."
Pajuk! Pajujuk! Pajujukjukjuk!
Struck by rapid-fire mana-stone bullets, the Inmyeonjo fell helplessly from the sky.
Any that managed to land were finished off by Gobang and Kosak.
Then—
"Sergeant Veronica Caliber! Ammunition resupply needed!"
"Alright. Our quartermaster should—hm?"
Where was Rajiks?
He'd been right next to them a moment ago.
"Anyone seen our cosmic farmhand?"
"Just now he went 'Ho-e! Ho-e!' and rode off on Bloodfang. Had a pickaxe."
"…Ah!"
Did he find something?
That sounded promising.
If there was no quartermaster, Juhyeok could handle it himself.
He had plenty of mana stones in his inventory.
Rattle—
He loaded mana stones into the rifle.
And—
Automatic fire resumed.
Pajuk! Pajujuk! Pajujukjukjuk!
[Inmyeonjo defeated: 15/15]
[Floor 76 Basic Mission completed.]
[Level up!]
[Reward: Mana Stones 1.6 kg / Advanced Mana Stones 6 kg]
The basic mission was done in no time.
Ridiculously easy.
At least for them—other players might not feel the same.
Next mission: Dueoksini.
Large, walking monsters.
They resembled yaksha from Buddhist lore—
Humanoid yokai wielding spiked clubs.
"I'll handle this. I didn't get to do anything on the 75th floor—I'm itching for action," the Mad Warrior said.
"Please do."
Wooooong!
A crescent-shaped blade of qi formed above his hand.
Snap!
It flew toward the Dueoksini.
Slice. Slice. Slice…
Heads were severed.
Clubs raised to block were cut clean through as well.
With the Mad Warrior stepping in personally, the optional mission ended instantly.
The crescent of qi swept around a few times—
Leaving behind only scattered fragments of Dueoksini corpses.
The reward was healing potions.
Honestly, they should've just given advanced mana stones.
Either way—
Optional mission complete.
They continued upstream.
The high-difficulty optional mission was Gangcheori.
An Imugi that failed to become a dragon.
Suddenly—
Bubble, bubble.
Foam rose from a pool in the valley.
Craaaaash!
A massive black serpent with iron-plated scales burst forth.
It flicked its tongue, hissing.
"ROOOAAAR!"
The giant Gobang let out a taunting roar and splashed into the pool.
Splash, splash!
Then—
Grab!
He wrapped his arms around the creature's thick body.
Crunch!
A bear hug.
"Grrrkk?!"
Gangcheori struggled violently.
It coiled its thick body around Gobang in return—
But could it overpower him?
Against an LSSR-rank tank?
Crack. Creak.
After writhing for a moment—
It went limp.
[High-Difficulty Optional Mission completed.]
[Reward: Multinational Tower Access Ticket (2)]
"Oh! Jackpot!"
Two tickets.
That felt like a good omen.
Still—
"It feels like the missions in the 70s aren't very hard. Even the extreme ones," Juhyeok said.
Gyeondallae nodded in agreement.
"I believe the floors were designed this way from the start. It feels as though they were made for you, Young Master."
Exactly.
Anyone who didn't realize that was an idiot.
71st, 72nd, 73rd floors—Gobang's theme.
74th, 75th, 76th floors—Gyeondallae's theme.
Then 77th, 78th, 79th—
They would also be theme floors for other familiars.
In short—
These were rank-breakthrough floors for familiars.
Other countries' Towers were the same.
But who would realize that?
That was probably why the basic missions were so easy.
Easy enough to speed-climb by doing only the basic objectives from the 71st floor onward.
Still—
One thing bothered him.
"Do you know anything about the 80th floor?"
This time, the Mad Warrior answered.
"I can't say for certain. But it will likely be difficult. And probably… unusual. Like the 70th floor, Kabalon."
Unusual?
Something like a curse of averages?
If so, something big might happen the moment they stepped in.
If that were the case, then the first person to climb would take all the responsibility.
That's exactly what happened to Guillaume, the French player.
Because of depression, he jumped straight to the 70th floor and was the first to encounter Kabalon, triggering the Curse of the Average.
Guillaume was cursed and blamed even after death.
A nuisance player.
A nuisance nation.
'Ugh… just thinking about it is horrifying.'
Considering how France was treated back then…
'We should delay climbing to the 80th floor as much as possible.'
Anyway—
The final Extreme-Difficulty Optional Mission.
Juhyeok and his party continued upstream.
The sound of rushing water grew louder.
In the distance, a massive waterfall came into view.
Right.
A valley wasn't complete without a waterfall.
Kwaaaaash!
Water crashed down.
And beneath it—
Someone stood there.
'…A gumiho?'
On a broad rock near the waterfall lay a mysterious woman, reclined at an angle.
Water splashed onto her, soaking her clothes completely.
As a result, the curves of her body and her bewitching allure were fully revealed.
"..."
"..."
"Ahem!"
This is awkward.
Where was he supposed to look?
So he subtly turned his head away.
"Gobang's gone cross-eyed. Keeps sneaking glances."
And you?
Meanwhile, the Mad Warrior didn't even try to look away.
He simply stared calmly at the waterfall—and the gumiho.
'…Then maybe I should take a look too?'
No other reason.
Just to check the info.
Really.
Type: Gumiho (Divine Beast)
As expected—LSSR.
Gumiho Yeochi could not resist her desire for human livers. Her sister Yeopae was the same. The fastest and easiest way to gain nine tails—why would they refuse it?
Her ultimate goal was ten tails. Why must a gumiho have nine? Because nine is incomplete. Only with ten does one become whole. Yet no gumiho had ever surpassed nine—even after ascension.
Yeochi's lifelong wish was to become a yokai god with ten tails. To do so, she needed to blind the eyes of Heaven. That's why she intervened in imperial power struggles and seduced rulers into starting wars. Nothing deceives Heaven better than war.
She consumed countless human livers, yet still failed. Ordinary livers weren't enough to break the wall. She needed one more—just one—special liver, from a human of high soul rank. Only one! Just one special one!
The gumiho Yeochi rose from the rock, gently swaying her nine tails.
"Mmm~ What an extraordinary guest. It seems my wish may finally be fulfilled today."
Her wish?
Ten tails?
"You've come all this way to offer me your liver, so I must give you a proper welcome."
Yeochi's gaze fixed on a single person.
Juhyeok.
Her tails spun like a pinwheel.
Like a pet dog catching the scent of its favorite treat.
Don't tell me—
"…My liver?"
"Heeheehee, of course. Who else could it be but our handsome young master?"
I mean—yes, I am handsome—
But why my liver?
And why say there's no one else?
There are plenty of people here—
"The rest are all fakes. Eating counterfeit livers only gives you indigestion."
"..."
Hmm.
She kind of had a point.
Which made him uneasy.
"Uh… I left my liver at home. I don't have it on me right now. I can take it in and out, you know."
Kosak jumped in shock.
"No, I told you again and again! Always pack your liver when you go out!"
"…I forgot."
Kosak clicked his tongue.
"Tsk, tsk. No wonder you've looked tired lately. That's what happens when you don't have your liver. Can't be helped—make sure you pack it next time."
Yeochi burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.
"Ahahaha! How amusing. In any case, it doesn't seem like you plan to hand it over peacefully… so I'll take it myself."
In that instant—
Click!
Veronica had already chambered her magic rifle.
"You crazy bitch—how dare you target our commander—!"
Ziiiiing!
Pajujuk!
THOOM!
The heavy round fired with a thunderous roar—
And just as it seemed to strike Yeochi—
Thwung!
It bounced aside, repelled by an invisible barrier.
BOOM!
The round smashed into the cliff.
Then—
"KEEEEK!"
"Krrrk!"
"Kyaaa!"
"Kyah!"
From above the waterfall—
Three-tailed, five-tailed, seven-tailed fox spirits came pouring down.
There were so many they couldn't even be counted.
'I knew she wouldn't be alone.'
Were these the "plus alpha"?
The battle began.
Gobang moved.
Bardin flew up and landed in Gobang's hand.
Kosak shot forward with Shadow Step.
Veronica's rifle roared in full auto.
Gyeondallae began her exorcism ritual, talismans flying.
"GRRRRR!"
Crunch, crack, snap!
Yeochi's body twisted and transformed from a woman into a monstrous evil spirit.
A massive frame rivaling Gobang's.
Coarse fur bristled across her body.
Blood-red eyes, drool dripping from her mouth, a long, lolling tongue.
Did she really have to transform?
Couldn't she just fight in human form?
Then—
The gumiho battling Gobang vanished in an instant.
'Huh?'
A chill shot up Juhyeok's scalp.
Yeochi had appeared directly above him.
"NOT A CHANCE!!!"
Gobang hurled Bardin like a spear.
SHWAAAAK!
Bardin flew with arms outstretched like a superhero.
"Light!!!"
Fla-ra-ra-ra!
Gyeondallae's talismans filled the sky.
Pajuk! Pajuk! Pajuk!
Veronica's rifle spewed fire.
Kosak snapped to Juhyeok's side.
The thrown Bardin hit home.
Struck in the side, Yeochi twisted midair.
"KRONG!"
At the same time—
"ROOOOOAR!"
An LSSR-rank Taunt Roar.
All fox spirits rushed Gobang.
Yeochi flinched, shuddered, and shifted her target from Juhyeok to Gobang.
As for Juhyeok—
Spot, spot, pop! pop! pop!
He had already escaped the danger zone using Shadow Step and Blink.
'Holy crap.'
This was a first.
A Tower monster singling him out personally.
But one thing was certain—
He had to survive.
If he died, everything would end instantly.
Meanwhile, the Mad Warrior—
Did not move.
He was concerned about the summoner, yes—
But he trusted the other familiars.
They were handling things well.
The summoner had already evaded on his own.
No need to interfere.
The reason he stayed still—
There was something behind the waterfall.
Something as dangerous as that gumiho.
If he missed it and got ambushed later, it would be disastrous.
But charging into the cave wasn't an option either.
For now, vigilance was best—
Until the others gained the upper hand.
Then—
TSH-PIPIPIPIT!
"KIIIIIYAAAH!!!"
A massive beast burst from behind the waterfall, splitting the falling water.
"You bastard!!!"
Snap!
The Mad Warrior fired his crescent qi blade.
CLANG!
It was blocked—by the beast's claws.
As if he'd expected it, the Mad Warrior charged in, fists clad in Blood-Jade Qi.
KWAAAAANG!
A storm of qi swept across the battlefield.
Juhyeok saw it clearly—
The creature that emerged from the cave.
It was another nine-tailed fox.
'What?'
Another gumiho?
'That's the +α?'
Not underlings?
Type: Gumiho (Divine Beast)
Yeopae is Yeochi's sister. She went mad after overconsuming human livers. Only her instinct to slaughter remains.
Yeochi and Yeopae.
Twin gumihos.
Isn't this cheating?
One was already overwhelming.
KWAAANG!
The Mad Warrior clashed head-on with the insane gumiho Yeopae.
Gobang and Bardin faced Yeochi.
Veronica and Kosak handled the three-, five-, and seven-tailed foxes.
And Gyeondallae—
Held the rear as support.
Rajiks and Bloodfang were nowhere to be seen—not even a glimpse of them.
"Don't let a single one slip through."
"Mad Warrior, just hold on a bit. We'll finish these guys and regroup."
"You'd better do your job. If the summoner so much as gets scratched, you're all dead."
"Yes, sir!"
"KUOOOAAARGH! Look at me! Come at me!"
"Light!!!"
Snap! KABOOM!
WHAM! Pajujuk!
It was pure chaos.
There had never been a battle this fierce before.
And that was exactly why—
He hated it.
'…Hoo.'
The reason the loser had decided to climb the Tower in the first place—
Because it was easy.
Because it was safe.
No matter how strong the enemy was, he could just leave it to the familiars and watch a flawless clear.
If things ever got a little tough, summoning the Mad Warrior ended it instantly.
But what was this?
It was evenly matched.
Fighting was breaking out everywhere.
Sure, they would win in the end.
These weren't ordinary familiars.
Time would solve everything.
Once Veronica and Kosak finished off the fox underlings and joined either the Mad Warrior or Gobang, the twin gumihos would be wiped out in moments.
Still—
He hated this.
The outcome needed to be predetermined.
An overwhelming victory.
Not this drawn-out, troublesome struggle.
'I need help.'
But if he jumped in himself, he'd only get in the way.
So then—
A message Mari had sent him earlier.
If things got difficult during a clear, call her—she could help.
Aliamari, an LSSR-rank alchemist.
A non-combat familiar.
What help could she possibly offer on a battlefield like this?
There was only one way to find out.
"Unsummon Bloodfang."
And then—
"Designated summon: Aliamari."
FWAAAAASH!
A radiant mass of light appeared amid the raging battlefield.
SPAPAPAT!
Flashy special effects.
As if by prior agreement, the fighting suddenly stopped.
Gumihos and familiars alike froze, faces full of confusion.
Mari appeared.
The shut-in alchemist with severe social anxiety manifested crouched on a wide rock in the valley, head buried low.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Silence blanketed the battlefield.
Then—
From Mari's arms, a round metallic sphere dropped with a clink and rolled away.
It wasn't just one.
Clink, clink, clink, clink—
Rrrrrrroll—
Five metallic spheres bounced and rolled in different directions.
They were red.
In the next instant—
The spheres collapsed.
Breaking apart into countless tiny fragments.
Red grains.
Ts-ts-ts!
At the same time, the crimson particles began swirling.
Ts-ts-ts-ts-ts-ts…
They surged across the battlefield like a raging current.
They were homunculi.
Tiny humanoids made of blood-red metal.
Looking closer—
They weren't flowing.
They were running.
With legs.
Dadadadak!
Incredibly fast.
Running, jumping, rolling—some even flying.
They started with the three-tailed, five-tailed, and seven-tailed foxes.
Psh! Psh! Psh! Psh! Psh!
The red homunculi latched onto the foxes one by one.
The foxes tried to dodge—
But it was impossible.
They were too small.
Too fast.
And there were too many.
They forced their way into every opening—
Ears. Nostrils. Mouths.
Every hole.
"Krrk?"
"…Kehk?"
"Kekek!"
The foxes panicked.
Their bodies were quickly covered in red.
Then—
KWA-KWA-KWA-KBOOOOM!
They exploded.
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KBOOOOM!
All the homunculi detonated simultaneously.
They exploded outside—
And inside.
The foxes' bodies exploded with them.
BOOM! SPLAT!
KWA-KWA-KBOOM! SPLASH-SPLASH!
Blood and flesh sprayed across the battlefield.
The valley stream turned crimson.
Next—
The insane gumiho Yeopae, locked in combat with the Mad Warrior.
The same thing happened.
Homunculi swarmed her.
"…Kikik?"
Yeopae couldn't stop them either.
She unleashed her qi, forming a defensive aura to repel them—
BAM! BAM! KWA-KWA-BOOM!
CRACK! CRRACK!
A few explosions shattered the qi barrier effortlessly.
And through the gaps, more homunculi poured in.
Clack, clack, clack-clack.
Onto her hands.
Onto her feet.
Onto her stomach.
Onto her face.
Into her mouth.
Into her nose.
Into her ears.
…And then—
They exploded.
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KBOOOOM!
A massive detonation.
Yeopae's body was blown into fragments.
The shockwave even shoved the Mad Warrior backward.
Mari—
The one controlling all these homunculi alone—
Didn't even look at the scene.
She stayed crouched, staring at the ground.
Like a bullied kid drawing pictures in the corner of a schoolyard—
A shut-in alchemist.
Severe social anxiety.
A keyboard warrior of cyberspace.
And—
She was also a bomber.