A conversation among the Tower administrators.
[He succeeded in strengthening his trait again.]
[We had no choice. It was a guaranteed reward given after accumulating 100 badges.]
[Even so… how many times has the system granted trait enhancement so far?]
[A total of four times. The rest were brought in by blood-summoned beings from outside or received from other nations.]
[If you look closely, it's actually three times. One of the four came from spinning the roulette.]
[Right, the roulette. He pierced that absurdly low probability right in our faces. Anyway, that makes eight trait enhancements in total?]
[Yes, that's correct. He can simultaneously summon nine blood-summoned beings.]
[A record.]
[It is indeed a record.]
[He might strengthen his trait again.]
[Not "might," really. The probability is extremely high. You could say it's already scheduled.]
[Haah… from now on, climbing the Tower will be like taking a walk. If catalog expansion gets added on top of that, we can't even predict how many he'll be able to summon.]
[He'll clear the 80th-floor trial with ease.]
[With that many blood-summoned beings, what couldn't he do?]
[Exactly. And Alia Mari's seal has already been lifted.]
[And if he achieves another accomplishment and receives rewards related to the White Tower?]
[All of us would have our competence questioned. We might even be expelled.]
[Hoo… then what can we do right now?]
[For now, we have no choice but to block catalog expansion. Even if he strengthens his trait several more times, there will be a limit.]
[Good! Lower the probability of Catalog Expansion Tickets in the privileges.]
[To what extent?]
[As low as possible. The absolute minimum. Any more achievements would be troublesome. If White Tower–related rewards keep appearing, they'll interfere with other projects we're running.]
[Understood. I'll adjust the probability of Catalog Expansion Tickets to the minimum.]
[And if an expansion ticket still appears?]
[…Well, what should we do then?]
Jepet was beaten like a dog.
No—worse than that.
Because he was also beaten by an actual dog.
Blood Wolf clamped down on Jepet's groin.
"Grrr! Grrrk!"
"Kyaaaah! P-please, spare—!"
"You're useless anyway, you mosquito bastard!"
Kosak delivered soccer kicks, Veronica smashed him with the butt of her rifle, Rajiks tortured him with a pickaxe, and Bardin burned him with radiance.
Even Mari's homunculus joined in.
Good thing it wasn't the explosive type.
The moment he was summoned, Jepet started getting beaten.
He was ground down bit by bit.
Juhyeok didn't stop them.
He had asked to be granted blood.
Saying Juhyeok's soul was noble, that he wanted to taste it.
Was he joking?
How could anyone agree to that?
If a line wasn't drawn here, he'd be licking his lips at Juhyeok every chance he got.
Still, seeing him get beaten did sting a little.
Tsk, tsk—he should've thought before opening his mouth.
"Um…"
"Hm? What is it?"
"Please stop. At this rate, he'll die."
"At this point, let's just kill him."
"That's right. He dared to covet Summoner Bong's blood. We can't let him live."
"I'll finish him. With a flick to the forehead."
"…"
An LSSR-grade flick.
That would be certain death.
A hundred days without being summonable.
"Don't do that. Let's talk to him slowly instead. He seems good-natured at heart."
"…Hmm. If that's the summoner's wish."
Then tears rolled down from Jepet's tightly shut eyes.
"T-truly pure and n-noble, Master. I o-overstepped my bounds. Sob! Uwaaaah…!"
"It's okay. It's okay—just don't do it again next time."
"Uwaaaah!"
Jepet burst into loud sobs.
But Kosak didn't even blink.
"Quit bawling, Jepet. I'll personally take responsibility for educating this bastard."
Educating him.
Despite being the same SSR rank.
"Workplace harassment or bullying is prohibited."
"Oh come on, this Kosak was voted the No. 1 Best Senior Colleague of the Year by all blood-summoned beings in 2024. A senior who looks after—no, who cherishes his juniors."
On what basis was that No. 1?
"Well, do as you like. Just mind your spacing."
"Yes, sir!"
I just hope he doesn't go too far.
"Oh! Summoner Bong."
"Yes?"
"Tomorrow, if things go well, a trait—uhm—"
"What did you say?"
"Huh?"
"You were about to say 'trait' just now, then you cut yourself off."
"N-no, I wasn't."
"You were."
"I wasn't."
You totally were.
Why stop mid-sentence?
Anyway, before Jepet actually died, I sent him back.
"Jepet, dismiss summon."
Spot!
At last, the commotion came to an end.
After hanging around a bit longer,
As time passed and the manifestation limits expired, the blood-summoned beings returned one by one.
Juhyeok was left alone.
After finishing up the cleanup—
"Enter White Tower, Floor 17."
To the White Tower.
A blue plain spread out before his eyes.
And heaps upon heaps of high-grade mana stones piled like mountains.
The permitted items upon entry were the same as the Black Tower.
The clothes he wore, his belongings, and Tower items.
He had already transferred the mana stones received from Rajiks into his inventory.
This should easily be ten tons.
He tapped the [Basic] category in the hologram menu.
One of the three unlocked subcategories.
It could construct a network within a certain range and even connect to Earth's communication network.
And it was the cheapest option.
Ten tons of high-grade mana stones.
"Should I build it?"
As he tapped the menu—
[Do you wish to construct the White Tower Floor 17 Wireless Communication Network? The cost is 10 tons of high-grade mana stones.]
"Construct."
[Constructing the White Tower Floor 17 Wireless Communication Network.]
And then—
Flash!
Most of the piled high-grade mana stones vanished in a lump.
Shine!
In the blink of an eye, a massive communication tower appeared in the middle of the blue plain.
An iron tower shaped like the Eiffel Tower.
[The network has been established. You can now communicate with the outside.]
Juhyeok pulled his smartphone from his pocket.
He launched an app.
"…It really works."
Internet, games, banking apps, SNS—everything ran perfectly.
Even inside the Tower.
Next construction option?
But not yet.
The cost was a whopping 20 tons of high-grade mana stones.
Twice what he'd just spent.
Time would solve that.
He'd just go into the 76th floor with Rajiks and mine more.
There was no need to deal with the Twin-Tailed Fox at all.
Still… no matter how many times I look at it, this place is fascinating.
White Tower, Floor 17.
Does it really have no function other than being a refuge?
I'll find out once I start decorating it.
There might also be more White Tower–related rewards later on.
Awakening Management Agency.
Jeon Gwang-il fell into deep contemplation as he looked at the Rune of Player Awakening.
Should he use this rune himself?
Or should he choose a talented-looking civilian and awaken them instead?
Jeon Gwang-il was in his early forties.
Too late an age to be active as a player.
In fact, once you're in your forties, the probability of awakening drops sharply.
…Should I hand it over to someone else?
That also posed a problem.
How were you supposed to judge a player's talent before awakening them?
You only know after they awaken.
Of course, mentality is the most important factor, but—
Combat ability, situational judgment, skill proficiency, trait compatibility, and so on.
Player talent is judged through a very complex mix of factors.
For example, say a soldier currently serving in a special forces unit awakens.
Would they become a talented player?
Not necessarily.
Once you enter the Tower, magic power and physical ability are adjusted equally to the level of that floor.
A trained soldier or an untrained civilian—there's no difference in physical ability.
What about mentality?
Does being special forces mean you're immune to PTSD?
Mental strength can seem solid, only to collapse in an instant.
And once it breaks, it's hard to recover.
Rather, people with easygoing personalities—optimistic and ordinary—often perform better as players.
Player Bong is the prime example.
Just look at Player Nam Ga-eun, or Gerald from the United States.
Especially Gerald.
Jeon Gwang-il had even talked about him with Director Antonio.
He sulks at the slightest thing, throws tantrums, has no patience.
And yet, Gerald is the top player in the United States.
Despite never receiving any special training.
Jeon Gwang-il had his own strengths as well.
He passed the Level-5 civil service exam and started his first job at the Awakening Management Agency.
The know-how he'd accumulated while proposing and overseeing player training programs.
…What should I do?
The deliberation dragged on.
At last, Jeon Gwang-il made his decision.
He would awaken himself.
Player Bong also wanted him to awaken.
And how long had he himself wished for it?
For the chance to awaken to come his way.
Yet until he turned forty-two, that fortune had never arrived.
But now, the opportunity was here.
Then he should take it.
Having made up his mind, he acted immediately.
Jeon Gwang-il lifted the rune and swallowed it whole.
In an instant—
Sssrrk.
The badge pinned to his chest melted away and disappeared.
Ding!
[Jeon Gwang-il has awakened.]
"Hahaha."
So awakening was this simple?
He felt nothing at all.
The only difference was that he could hear the message.
Anyway, now that I've awakened…
The most important thing was the player trait.
Status window.
[Name]: Jeon Gwang-il
[Affiliation]: Black Tower (Korea)
[Level]: Lv. 1
[Trait]: Monstrous Strength and Martial Spirit
[Trait Skills]: Monstrous Strength / Fighting Spirit / All-Out Strike
[General Skills]: Tower Entry (once per day) / Tower-exclusive Inventory
[Combat Skills]: None
Monstrous Strength and Martial Spirit…
He'd heard of it before.
A fairly rare trait in the martial-type category.
Now what remained?
Tower entry.
Jeon Gwang-il pressed the intercom and called Team Leader Lee Min-a.
"Director, you called?"
"I'm not the director yet."
"Well, you will be soon. Anyway, what's going on?"
"You've got body cams, right? Bring me one."
"What are you going to use it for?"
"I'm going to use it. I want to enter the Tower and try killing some maggots."
"…Excuse me?"
Lee Min-a looked utterly confused.
"You're entering the Tower?"
"Yes."
"You're joking, right?"
"Can't you see my face? I'm serious."
"…Um, do you perhaps have an item that lets civilians enter the Tower?"
"There's no such thing. I just awakened."
"Ohhh! You awakened—…wait, what? Awakened?"
Lee Min-a's eyes widened to their limits.
Awakening?
In his early forties?
"…Um, if this is because you've been under too much stress from work lately—"
"Team Leader Lee."
"Yes?"
"If I enter the Tower right now, that'll be proof, won't it?"
"T-that's right."
"Then hurry up and bring a body cam."
"Uh—y-yes."
Lee Min-a hurried out and came back with a body cam.
"Then I'll be off. Keep the fact that I awakened a secret for now."
"R-right… that would be best."
Jeon Gwang-il took the body cam and activated the Tower Entry skill for Tower No. 1 in Korea, Floor 1.
Spot!
Only Lee Min-a remained in the office.
"…It was real?"
It really was awakening.
Entering the Tower right before her eyes.
What proof could be clearer than that?
"…Wow."
What on earth was going on?
Her superior suddenly awakening out of the blue?
What could she do?
It had actually happened.
Lee Min-a waited.
About thirty minutes later—
Spot!
Jeon Gwang-il reappeared.
"…That was faster than expected. Did you clear it?"
"Yeah. I surprised myself too. Maybe I've got some talent?"
"And the mana stone…?"
"Here."
It was about the size of a fingernail.
A first-floor reward was only about 100 grams.
"May I review the body cam footage?"
"Of course! That's why I wore it."
Lee Min-a played the footage.
First-person perspective.
The target was a tough-skinned, obese maggot.
A massive body with excellent defense but zero offensive power.
And yet, that huge maggot went rolling sideways from a single kick.
At the same time, the punching began.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
After being struck several times, the maggot's tough hide began to split.
And then—crack!
The maggot was crushed.
Good heavens!
Honestly, I was surprised.
Setting awakening aside, such ruthless hunting…
"T-the trait?"
"Monstrous Strength and Martial Spirit."
"Ah!"
After reviewing the footage carefully from start to finish—
"Director."
"You think it's decent?"
Lee Min-a suddenly grabbed Jeon Gwang-il's hand and spoke.
"Sign a contract. An elite contract."
What kind of nonsense was that?
"I'll train you."
"…I'm the director, you know?"
"That doesn't matter. Even if you're a civil servant, dual employment is allowed as long as it's a player job."
"E-even so…"
Lee Min-a's eyes sparkled.
Like a tiger that had found its prey.
"You deserve treatment befitting your talent. Join the elite team."
"…"
"I'll bring the contract right now, so don't move an inch. Wow, our director's going to be rich."
"…"
What should I do?
I hadn't expected things to turn out like this.
Pyongyang Player Detention Facility.
Dmitri anxiously chewed on his fingernails.
A day and a half remained.
The deadline for revocation of player status.
If he failed to obtain citizenship by midnight tomorrow, his inventory would disappear as well.
But there was no solution.
He was trapped like this.
Why isn't he coming?
Gosageuk, the Minister of the People's Armed Forces.
He had definitely said he would come.
He had to come.
Only he could pull Dmitri out of this pit of despair.
Back then, I offered too little money.
That was it.
He had only named three hundred million dollars.
The scale had been far too small.
Didn't they already know he was the head of a black-market guild?
I should've offered a billion dollars.
Money he could use freely.
Almost his entire fortune, but it wasn't a waste.
If he asked them to bring a laptop, showed the account with his own eyes, and offered one billion dollars in exchange for citizenship and escape from North Korea—
They'd bite without question.
An amount that would put anyone in the top ten richest across both Koreas.
The Trait Enhancement Rune is absolutely off the table.
It was a precious item, the foundation for his comeback.
He had to protect it at all costs.
At that moment—
Clank!
The iron-barred door opened.
"Have you been well?"
He was here.
The most powerful man in North Korea at present.
Gosageuk, Minister of the People's Armed Forces, who could free him from this place with a single word, appeared with an interpreter.
"Guild Leader comrade, have you given it some thought?"
"Y-yes. Of course I have."
"And your conclusion?"
Hoo—one deep breath.
"There is a secret shell account. One billion dollars. If you have a laptop, I can show it to you with my own eyes. If I can just get out of here, I'll transfer it immediately—"
Swoosh!
Gosageuk raised a hand to stop him, his brow deeply furrowed.
"You bastard, you still haven't come to your senses!"
"…What?"
"Listen carefully!"
The atmosphere turned icy.
A chilling killing intent cut into his skin.
"As I said before, unless it's the Trait Enhancement Rune, there is no negotiation at all."
"A-ah, r-really, I don't have that item."
"Don't spout bullshit."
"I'm telling the truth."
Gosageuk leaned in close, his mouth almost touching Dmitri's ear, and whispered.
"Let's do this. I'll sit here for exactly ten minutes. When ten minutes pass…"
From his chest, he pulled out a gleaming dagger.
"I'll stick this knife in your head and be on my way."
"No, I swear—"
"Shh! Keep talking and I'll stick it in right now."
The killing intent grew denser.
Gosageuk's triple-white eyes flashed.
Dmitri realized it instantly.
This was a man who felt no hesitation about killing.
Eyes that had already seen countless deaths.
Now escape wasn't the issue anymore.
Nor was maintaining player status.
His life was in danger.
When ten minutes passed, he would die no matter what.
One minute passed.
Three minutes, five minutes, nine minutes…
"Alright. I'll grant your wish."
"W-wait!"
"What is it?"
He couldn't endure any longer.
"I-I'll give it to you."
Dmitri pulled the Trait Enhancement Rune from his inventory and placed it on Gosageuk's palm.
"Good. You've made the right choice."
Gosageuk's eyes showed satisfaction.
Turning to the interpreter—
"Hey!"
"Yes!"
"Send the Guild Leader comrade to the Czech embassy. Safely."
"Understood."
The interpreter took Dmitri and led him away.
After confirming no one else was present—
"Yes!!!"
Kosak threw his hands up and cheered.
"Man, I was scared to death."
Sometimes there are people like that.
Hard men who would risk even death for their convictions.
Extremely difficult to deal with.
What if that guild leader had refused to take out the enhancement rune from his inventory and dared them to kill him?
Thankfully, he wasn't that kind of man.
To be honest, Kosak hadn't even dared to mention it to Summoner Bong until now.
That he would bring back a Trait Enhancement Rune.
If he'd said it beforehand and failed—
Summoner Bong would surely have been disappointed.
But now, he could finally report it proudly.
I should give it to him quickly.
What if he got dismissed while holding something this precious?
He needed to contact him and tell him to come to North Korea as soon as possible.