The Republic of Korea's tower-clearing progress, announced via a world notice.
No. 1 Tower: cleared up to the 76th floor.
No. 2 Tower: cleared up to the 74th floor.
At the Awakening Management Agency of Korea, two countdown boards showed the collapse deadlines.
The No. 1 Tower had about three years left before collapse.
The No. 2 Tower had about two years.
Plenty of time.
The days of fretting and anxiously watching the shrinking collapse timers were long gone.
And it wasn't just the collapse timers.
What about the flood of high-grade magic stones?
And then there was Korea's biggest risk of all—
The heightened tension caused by the division between North and South.
But with the towers secured, the atmosphere changed drastically.
Unification was right in sight.
It was a perfect example of "a blessing in disguise."
So what about other countries?
They were climbing the upper floors one after another.
The United States had reached the 73rd floor.
Of course, only by clearing the basic missions.
Russia, France, Norway, Saudi Arabia—every country considered a leader in tower climbing had reached the 70s as well, advancing by tackling only the basic missions.
Basic missions were easy.
They were even easier than the undead zones, whose difficulty had supposedly dropped.
On top of that came high-quality equipment, a wider variety of potions and elixirs, and the temptation of high-grade magic stones.
In the past, since collapse deadlines didn't stack, people would wait out the full six months before attempting a clear.
Now, they stacked time by pushing upward without hesitation.
Before long, other countries might catch up to Korea's progress.
No—some might even overtake it.
Did it matter?
There was no special benefit to being first in tower clearing anyway.
Still—
"Even so, please tell each government to be cautious about attempting the 80th floor. I'm planning to take a break from upper-floor climbing for a while myself…"
Juhyeok was speaking with Jeon Gwang-il in the materials warehouse of the Awakening Management Agency.
"The 80th floor? Is it that difficult to clear?"
"I'm not sure… but you experienced it on the 70th floor, didn't you? Things like Kabalon's Curse."
"Ah!"
It was a perfectly plausible hypothesis.
In other words, there was a strong possibility that something similar to Kabalon's Curse could occur on the 80th floor as well.
"Yes, I'll pass that along."
Well, it was a floor they'd have to climb eventually—but being overly cautious wasn't a bad thing.
Thinking about it, it was a little funny.
Back then, they worried because they couldn't climb the upper floors.
Now, they worried about climbing too fast.
Who stood at the center of that change?
Jeon Gwang-il spoke with a satisfied smile.
"This is all thanks to you, Player Bong. Making it possible to sell items in the shop—once players fully gear up with reward items, the difficulty drops sharply."
It was true, but Juhyeok stayed humble as always.
"Oh, come on. I'm just selling things for money anyway. I'm always grateful that the player shop handles sales on my behalf."
This time too, he handed over items.
He summoned Rajiks and piled up the items he'd secured from the 72nd and 73rd floors of the North Korean tower in one spot.
And it wasn't just items.
He also consigned for sale the mental-strength enhancement elixirs crafted by the "Shut-in Alchemist."
They were the hottest sellers these days.
Nothing was more important to a player than mental resilience.
And they were effective not just for players, but for ordinary people as well.
At three million won per bottle, they were selling out as fast as they could be stocked.
"Japan recently succeeded in clearing the 60th floor as well."
"Already?"
The 60th floor was the one where the Wyvern Lord and the Venom Wyvern appeared together.
"That was thanks to the poison-resistance items sold through our player shop."
True enough—if you had a way to deal with the Venom Wyvern, the Wyvern Lord itself wasn't that difficult.
Of course, that was only for talented players.
"And the Japanese prime minister has sent a negotiation team to visit our agency."
Juhyeok could guess why.
They'd cleared the 60th floor, so now they needed to break through the undead zone.
"It seems they've decided holy water alone isn't enough. To ensure a reliable strategy, they've also requested to borrow the holy sword…"
Originally, Juhyeok and the Awakening Management Agency had decided never to lend the holy sword to Japan.
But that was because the previous Japanese cabinet had secretly stolen Korea's top player by forcing a fraudulent naturalization.
That Japan and the Japan of today were different.
Prime Minister Maeda, himself a former player, had personally issued a public apology to Korea.
After being burned once, they seemed to have come to their senses.
Territorial disputes like Dokdo, economic conflicts, historical issues—on every front, Japan had backed down.
"Would it be all right to lend it to them?"
"Sure. Go ahead."
The combination of holy water and the holy sword—an enormous weakening of the dark aura.
Japan would soon start climbing at breakneck speed too.
Just like the other countries.
Anyway, lending out the holy sword was more than welcome.
It brought in money.
You have to earn while you can.
In fact, the money spent on buying the 61-floor building had already been recovered.
Although it had decreased compared to before, holy sword rentals were still ongoing.
And then there was the revenue from items sold through the player shop.
That wasn't all.
Products made from basilisk and wyvern hides.
With production greatly increased, Juhyeok's income had risen significantly as well.
With that in mind—
"I'm thinking of buying more buildings…"
"Oh? Where would you like us to look? Gangnam? Seocho?"
"No. Location doesn't matter. I just want a small, pretty building—or maybe a country house. Somewhere outside the city is fine too."
"Understood. I'll speak with the department in charge."
The reason he wanted to buy a building was simple.
He planned to copy it and paste it onto the 17th floor of the White Tower.
Wouldn't copying someone else's building be a problem?
That's why he'd copy his own.
With business mostly finished—
"Oh! This is an item I picked up in the tower. Use it if you have a need."
"What? This is—"
As Juhyeok handed Jeon Gwang-il the Rune of Player Awakening and explained its effects—
"T-this… it awakens an ordinary person into a player?"
"That's right. You do need one platinum badge, though."
"B-badge? You mean… the one I'm wearing right now?"
"Exactly. You consume the rune, but you need the badge."
"…"
"Well, since you happen to have the badge, it might be a good idea to try using it yourself."
Jeon Gwang-il's eyes wavered.
Player awakening?
Me?
"If you don't want to awaken, you can give it to someone else. You'd have to hand over the badge too, though."
"…Ah—then what's the price of the item?"
"Oh, come on. Between us, what price? It's free. I have no use for it anyway."
What good would it do to keep it?
There was no one else to give it to.
Jeon Gwang-il had known about the existence of the platinum badge for a long time—and he even had one on him.
Family?
The only remotely suitable candidate was his younger brother, Min-hyeok…
Would that guy even do it?
An even worse cowardly loser than himself.
And he didn't want to pressure him either.
If anything, Jeon Gwang-il awakening made the most sense.
After all, he was the vice director of the Awakening Management Agency—soon to be the director.
Director of the Player Awakening Management Agency.
What better justification could there be?
After finishing his business, Juhyeok returned to his villa in Namyangju.
From now on, it was healing time.
He summoned all his blood-summoned beings at once.
Even Blood Wolf.
He felt proud.
Nine friends who didn't even require a "friend allowance."
How great was that?
Just seeing each other's faces was enjoyable.
They even held a badge award ceremony.
First, one badge for Gwangma, for the merit of sending Haeryeong—Gyeon Dallae's master—to ascension.
"Kuhum! My chest feels heavy—I can't straighten my back."
"There you go again. If Lord Gwangma can't straighten his back, our Rajiks worker would have to crawl around every day."
"Want me to make you crawl for real?"
"N-no, sir."
Next, one badge for our comrade, the Minister of the People's Armed Forces of the Republic.
"Thank you very much. From now on, with the revolutionary spirit of Juche, I will defend Summoner Bong with my life. Long live Juhyeok!"
Clap clap clap clap.
"Ahh, Lord Gwangma is right. My back feels like it's bending."
"..."
Of course, Rajiks couldn't be left out.
One badge for the achievement of discovering a high-grade magic stone vein.
"Hoeng!"
Clap clap clap clap.
Suddenly, Rajiks started rolling around wildly.
"Worker Rajiks."
"Hoe?"
"Is it too heavy for you to stand?"
"Hoe!"
"Endure it. You must bear the weight of the badge to become a cosmic farmhand."
"Hueeek!"
Unfortunately, Gobang, Veronica, and Bardin were not eligible for badges.
Same for Blood Wolf.
As for Gyeon Dallae, he could give her twenty-one at the farewell ceremony.
She already had four badges on her chest, making a total of twenty-five.
And the highlight of the badge award ceremony?
Naturally, it was the shut-in alchemist, Aliamari.
Two platinum badges.
She more than qualified.
"Blood-summoned being Aliamari."
Ding!
: Yes♪♪月
"You are hereby awarded two platinum badges for completely annihilating the Twin Nine-Tailed Fox and its subordinate foxes on the 76th floor using overwhelming firepower from explosive homunculi."
Ding!
: Thank you. I'm really happy.
After that, Juhyeok opened the door of the camper where Mari stayed alone and quietly placed the two badges inside.
Swoosh—
A white hand darted out and swiftly retrieved the two badges.
Clap clap clap clap.
The badge award ceremony was over.
Now, the real party began.
They lit a fire, grilled meat, set up a portable screen, watched movies together, played games…
Time flew by.
It was time to send Gyeon Dallae off.
Holding her hands tightly around a Rune of Blood-Summoned Rank Breakthrough and twenty-one platinum badges, Juhyeok said,
"Even if the breakthrough fails, it's fine. Just come back safe and healthy."
Tears streamed down Gyeon Dallae's face.
"This maiden shall surely succeed in the breakthrough and become nourishment for the young master's grand journey."
The other blood-summoned beings spoke as well.
"I've been a warrior, so I know. Breakthroughs are no easy matter—but the princess will succeed."
"Certain victory! Congratulations in advance on your promotion."
"Blessings upon the heretic priestess! Light, descend!"
"Come back safe."
"Hoe."
"Can't wait. Holding my breath and waiting."
And then, Gyeon Dallae's summon was dismissed.
Spot!
The farewell party ended.
It was a shame.
Not seeing the strictly serious Gyeon Dallae for two weeks…
"From today, we can do noodle-slurping."
"The warrior will cook ramen."
"…Deputy Baek, a-are you staying to eat ramen?"
"Want to die?"
One seat was empty.
Time for a welcome party.
Why wait?
Let's fill it with someone new.
"I'll summon right away."
Would someone decent come out this time?
Who cared if it was random?
He was already used to it.
Wasn't this the tenth time already?
"Random summon!"
Hwaaaaaat!
Gathering lights converged.
Hwaaaaaat!
The lights merged into one—
Papapapat!
A form revealed itself.
Who was it?
The gender was male.
That was how he looked.
His hair was slicked straight back, neatly combed.
His face was deathly pale, completely devoid of color.
In stark contrast, his lips and eyes were a vivid crimson.
A large black cloak hung from his back, and his overall appearance was almost like…
Name: Jepet
Rank: SSR (Special Super Rare)
Type: Vampire (Pureblood)
Manifestation Duration: 5 hours
Satisfaction Rating: None
Resummon Cooldown: 3 hours (applies after dismissal)
"…A vampire."
Wait, vampires were summonable too?
This was unsettling.
Beastfolk and elves were one thing, but…
The gourmet vampire noble Jepet does not drink just any blood. Blood from humans whose souls are untainted—pure and noble—this is the flavor Jepet loves most.
That said, he neither killed humans nor drained them excessively to turn them into thralls. Because pure humans are exceedingly rare, he always asked for consent first, carefully taking small sips, and paid a sufficient price. After all, it was a taste to be savored for a long, long time.
Then an incident occurred. A Vampire Lord abducted a human under Jepet's protection, drained their blood, and corrupted them into a lesser blood fiend. Jepet was enraged. That human had been precious to him, so he raised a rebellion. Naturally, it failed, and as the price, his heart was torn out by the Vampire Lord, killing him.
"Master?"
"…Y-yes."
Even if he was a blood-summoned being, having a vampire suddenly talk to me sent chills down my spine.
"Thank you for summoning me. In that sense, I have a request…"
"Go ahead."
"Would you be willing to grant me a taste of your blood, Master?"
"…What?"
My blood?
"Master's soul is nobler than that of any human I have ever met. To taste your blood would be the greatest honor and joy of my life, and at the same time the ultimate experience for a gourmet of my caliber—"
"..."
This felt… strange.
Jepet, the vampire who craved only the blood of humans with pure souls.
Meaning, he was saying I was one of them.
Was this a compliment?
At that very moment—
"Hey, you crazy vampire bastard!"
Spit!
"Huh?"
Thud!
"Kegh!"
Kosak's dropkick slammed squarely into Jepet's face.
"What? You said you wanted our boss summoner's blood?"
Crash, bang!
Jepet was sent tumbling by a flurry of kicks.
At the same time, Lucius Bardin rushed in, grabbed Jepet by the hair, lifted him up, and unleashed radiance.
"Die! You demon bastard! Light!"
"Kyaaaah!"
Bzzzzzt!
Jepet's body burned as the radiance seared into him.
Veronica Calibur didn't hold back either.
"The worst thing about my time in the army was bastards like you—mosquito trash!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
She smashed his face repeatedly with the butt of her rifle.
"Go on, try biting this."
Gwangma shoved his forearm right up to Jepet's mouth.
"Let's see whether my skin gets pierced, or your straw-like fangs snap first."
With a chilling gaze, the madman spoke.
"Don't kill him. That'd be too easy. We've got time, so let's take it slow and beat him properly."
[Mari]: That #$&@ bastard—I'll shove a homunculus up his asshole and blow him apart!
"Kill him!"
"Pull out his fangs!"
"Blood Wolf, bite him!"
"Woof woof!"
"Hoeeeek!"
"H-hey, Rajiks worker, easy with the pickaxe. You'll punch a hole in his head."
"Mari, the homunculus is here. Spread this bastard's ass."
Thus began the brutal initiation of the vampire Jepet.
And then—
Ding!
[You have used Random Summon 10 times.]
Oh!
[The catalog list is now full with 10 entries.]
"An achievement?"
[To register an 11th blood-summoned being, a Catalog Expansion Ticket is required.]
"…Huh?"
[If you perform an 11th random summon without expanding the catalog, entries will be deleted in order, starting from the oldest.]
"…What now?"
So the catalog limit is ten?
Summon one more, and someone already listed gets deleted.
And if it's the oldest entry, who would that be?
Our People's Armed Forces Minister.
"…Haah, fuck."
I thought it was an achievement, but instead there was a restriction.
The curse slipped out on its own.
Of course, summoning an 11th without an expansion was out of the question.
Just imagining Kosak being deleted from the list was enough to make my blood boil.
"Is this the tower's scheme again?"
[Catalog]:
John Kosak / Barbarian Meat Shield / Gyeondallae / Rajiks / Gwangma / Veronica Calibur / Lucius Bardin / Blood Wolf / Alia Mari / Jepet
— Additional entries unavailable.
"…That's quite a lot."
Well, being able to summon endlessly without limits would be a balance breaker.
If I holed up for just a year, I'd have twelve more.
There's no way the tower would allow that.
"Still… where do you even get a Catalog Expansion Ticket?"
Judging by the item type, it would obviously come from special privileges.
"Well, is that a problem?"
Until an expansion ticket shows up, I just won't use random summons.