The next day.
Juhyeok finished preparing to head to Pyongyang.
The establishment of a regional branch of the Awakening Management Administration.
It was an extremely major event—
especially in terms of symbolism.
The first step toward reunification.
Many people Juhyeok knew were scheduled to attend.
Former commissioner Park Gyeong-su, current (acting) commissioner Jeon Gwang-il, team leader Lee Min-ah, and our People's Armed Forces Minister, comrade Rrsssal Go Sa-geuk.
Originally, he had planned to bring as many summoned companions as possible.
But the day before, Gyeondallae came to him.
"With deepest respect, we have matters to attend to in another world. We therefore seek your permission."
Matters?
"Mm… propaganda and agitation. There's a need to sway public opinion."
…What?
What was that supposed to mean?
Propaganda and agitation?
Was that a metaphor?
He didn't ask in detail.
They'd tell him later.
So the attendees were kept to a minimum.
First, Kosak—
after all, he was a high-ranking North Korean official.
Also Diamat and the Mad Demon.
They would attend as Juhyeok's bodyguards.
That was more than enough.
They entered the Black Tower, then used the Ring of Tower Exit to arrive at the Pyongyang Tower in North Korea.
Using the car Kosak had prepared in advance, they headed to the venue.
After attending, he planned to grab a bowl of naengmyeon and head back.
What were the summoned ones left behind in the other world doing?
In fact, they were genuinely working hard at propaganda and agitation.
『The administrators are petty, despicable cowards! How dare they shamelessly try to deal with Young Lord, manipulate probabilities—how can we just stand by and watch this?!』
『That's right! The shaman speaks the absolute truth!』
『If there had been no probability manipulation, the catalog would have expanded, and by now at least two more souls would be standing shoulder to shoulder with Young Lord. What kind of contemptible trick is this?!』
『Kill the administrators!』
『Hang them! You fucking bastards!』
『A warrior despises cowardly acts above all! Come at us openly!』
『Do you know how deeply wounded my lord's heart is? Justice for the administrators! O Light!!!』
『Yes! Well said! O Light!!!』
『I propose that Senior Officer Veronica Caliber be immediately court-martialed and executed by firing squad!』
『Firing squad! Firing squad!』
『Put about a hundred holes through their heads!』
『Hooeeeeeek!!!』
『You administrator bastards! Even your workers find you pathetic!』
『As a member of the night race and a noble, I will say this—better to suck mosquito blood than behave like you!』
『You fucking pieces of shit! Anyone who hurts our summoner's heart—I'll kill every last one of you! $#%$#%#@&&@ bastards!』
...
『The foul-mouthed elf bitch showed up too.』
『Swear more! More!』
『Woof woof! Grrr! Woof woof!』
『Even a dog curses you, you administrators who are worse than dogs!』
The infinite world was vast—truly vast.
Because of that, telepathic communication normally had limits.
Each region had its own communication channel.
But now—
every communication channel across the infinite world was in uproar.
Why go this far?
To make their will known.
To that lofty place above.
For the punishment of administrators and the normalization of probabilities.
And, well, compensation for damages would be nice too.
The world was changing rapidly.
Especially the Korean Peninsula, in the midst of upheaval.
The demand of the era was reunification.
And the first step was about to begin in Pyongyang.
South and North Korea jointly responding to Black Tower conquest and sharing know-how?
That was practically a military alliance—
something only extremely close allied nations would do.
A joint South–North Black Tower alliance.
With this, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the tensions and conflicts surrounding the peninsula had disappeared.
In the past, one might have worried about a stab in the back—
but now, that wasn't a concern.
North Korean players participated actively as well.
Their treatment, once exploitative, would change.
The Pyongyang Awakening Management Administration branch would purchase ordinary and upper-grade magic stones, as well as various Tower byproducts, and pay North Korean players at current market prices.
Accepted currencies included North Korean won, yuan, dollars, and South Korean won.
Among them, the most popular were dollars and South Korean won.
As a result, North Korean player registration rates skyrocketed.
After all, clearing Towers now meant living well.
Perhaps because of that, the venue was filled with North Korean players.
Every face was brimming with anticipation.
Reporters were engaged in fierce coverage competition.
Every newspaper and broadcast network in South Korea had come to cover the event.
The Pyongyang branch establishment ceremony would be broadcast live via satellite to countries all over the world.
Foreign media too—
the United States, Europe, Japan, even China.
North Korea was no longer a closed society.
The venue was an old player detention facility.
The Pyongyang branch of the Korean Awakening Management Administration would be established there.
Once the ceremony ended, operations would begin immediately.
Juhyeok blended in and took a seat.
Toward the back, where the North Korean players were seated.
The Mad Demon and Diamat sat on either side of him.
The North Korean players looked curiously at Juhyeok.
"Comrade, judging by your clothes, are you a South Chosŏn player?"
"Ah, yes."
"Elite player?"
"That's right."
"Hahaha, good to meet you. I'm Jeong Dong-hwa, up from Kaesong."
Juhyeok responded in kind.
"Bong Juhyeok."
"Oh! A fine name. Long live Juhyeok!"
"… Uh, is that so?"
"Then are the female comrade and the old gentleman next to you also elites?"
"Yes, they're comrades."
"It's good to sit together like this, fellow countrymen. I look forward to working with you."
Soon, the ceremony began.
At the same time, the satellite live broadcast went out.
After the guests' greetings, Kosak was called to the stage.
"Please welcome with a big round of applause Comrade Go Sa-geuk, Minister of the People's Armed Forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea!"
Clap clap clap clap clap clap!
Thunderous applause.
Click-click-click-click!
Camera shutters fired nonstop.
Kosak, wearing a People's Army uniform with medals covering his chest, stepped onto the podium.
"Comrades! Good to see you. Long live Juhyeok!!!"
After the formal greeting—
"Today, we have gathered here for a grave and historic mission. The call of the times toward reunification can no longer be ignored."
Kosak looked quite serious.
"First, I extend my deepest gratitude to the South Chosŏn government for its bold decision to establish the Pyongyang Awakening Management Administration branch for joint North–South Black Tower response."
Park Gyeong-su and Jeon Gwang-il stepped forward and bowed.
Clap clap clap clap—applause followed.
"Our North and South shall advance forward without pause toward the construction of a fully unified homeland of the Korean Peninsula! Long live Juhyeok!"
He really was a gifted speaker.
Born for it.
Though this was a global live broadcast, and he kept shouting "Long live Juhyeok."
Juhyeok made a mental note to tell him to stop later.
"Lastly, we will hear a greeting from the great Comrade Chairman Kim In-jung."
Kim In-jung, now slim after losing much weight, stepped onto the podium.
"I am deeply moved. I would like to say a few words about the future of our republic. From now on, our North and South shall erase conflict and hostility—"
Right then!
Whoosh! Boom! Whoosh! Boom!
A sound from far away?
What was that?
It was coming from the sky.
People's gazes snapped upward.
"Huh?"
"Fire!"
"What, what is that?"
"A person is flying?"
"No way—"
A man in a North Korean People's Army uniform was leaping from building to building,
moving as if he were flying.
Whoosh! Boom!
In an instant, he landed right in front of the stage.
It happened in a blink.
No one had time to react.
Even armed guards carrying guns missed the timing.
"Everyone freeze! Move a finger and I'll blow it all up!"
A booming voice.
The unidentified soldier carried a large cylindrical backpack.
The backpack bore the nuclear material symbol, and in his hand was a small device.
Which meant—
"You know what's on my back, right? A nuclear backpack. Best stay still!"
A nuke.
A nuclear backpack.
Small, but enough to kill everyone gathered here if it detonated.
Everyone on the stage froze.
After a moment, Chairman Kim In-jung spoke in a trembling voice.
"… C-comrade, who are you?"
"I am Major Jang Chang-su, player of the Republic People's Liberation Army! Long live the Chairman!"
"I see. But then, comrade, what are you doing right now?"
Jang Chang-su's eyes were bloodshot.
"I have come to stop the treasonous act of handing our republic over to the vicious South Chosŏn government."
"Treason? How dare you speak such words before me?"
"On behalf of comrades who share my will, I appeal with utmost loyalty. Chairman, you are being deceived."
He then pointed at Kosak.
"Minister of the People's Armed Forces Go Sa-geuk is a treacherous reactionary. A scheming flatterer who has blinded the Chairman's eyes and ears!"
Kosak snorted.
So there were still fools like this around.
Looks like the purge hadn't gone far enough.
Leaving players alone as much as possible had been a mistake.
Kosak rose from his seat and slowly moved toward Jang Chang-su.
"Comrade, you're wearing a Rune Necklace of Liberation, aren't you?"
"That's right. So don't try anything foolish."
"Where'd you get it? And that nuclear backpack."
"That's none of your business."
"I think I know."
Where else would it be?
China.
"Stop your nonsense and apologize to the people of the republic."
"And if I do, you won't detonate the nuke?"
"Why aren't you answering? You came here planning to detonate it anyway, didn't you?"
"For the republic, I will gladly sacrifice this body. Apologize first!"
As he spoke, Kosak was measuring the distance.
Jang Chang-su held a wireless detonator.
If he leaped now, he could sever the wrist in an instant.
Jang Chang-su seemed to notice Kosak's intent.
"Don't act rashly. If something happens to me here and my heart stops, the bomb detonates immediately. If the detonator drops from my hand, it detonates. If the detonator is destroyed, it detonates. There's only one way."
Was it true?
It didn't seem like a lie.
Which meant no risks could be taken.
If it were just him, Kosak would have chopped off the wrist and neck without hesitation, bomb or not.
But what about Summoner Bong?
If something went wrong, he could be endangered.
So Kosak couldn't even release his killing intent.
"If that explodes, you won't survive either. You know that."
"It doesn't matter. I came prepared."
"Fine. Calm down, comrade. What do you want? I'll give you everything."
"Hehehe, don't waste your breath. I've already made up my mind. Today's sacrifice will be recorded forever in the history of the republic."
This was driving him insane.
More importantly—
what was Summoner Bong doing right now?
He needed to get into the Tower and escape, fast.
The venue was thrown into chaos.
Everyone now understood exactly what the object strapped to Major Jang Chang-su's back was.
People screamed and scattered in panic.
Spot! Spot! Spot!
Players fled into the Tower.
But Juhyeok didn't run.
Not because he was particularly brave.
If he entered the Tower, the summoned ones would naturally follow him.
Then he could just exit through the Ring of Tower Exit to Tower No. 1.
But what about everyone else?
Commissioner Jeon Gwang-il and Team Leader Lee Min-ah were players, so they could escape into the Tower—but what about the civilians?
How could he be such a coward as to run off alone?
His legs were shaking uncontrollably, but he forced himself to gather his courage.
"… Um, Mr. Diamat?"
"Yes, Master."
"Can you control that man using dreams?"
"Hmm. I can put him to sleep, but I can't control what kind of dream he'll have."
"Then?"
"What if he dreams of pressing the detonator?"
Then it would be pressed in reality too.
Or the detonator might slip from his hand.
Either way, it would explode.
"And you, Mad Demon?"
"… I could sever his wrist or destroy the detonator. Haah, however, the risk is extremely high. It seems the assassin is thinking the same. It would be best to retreat into the Tower before it's too late."
Indeed, Kosak was sending Juhyeok desperate signals with his eyes.
Please enter the Tower! Quickly! What are you doing?! This is maddening!
What should he do?
Was there really no way?
He would be lying if he said he wasn't afraid.
Especially since he had firsthand experience of what a nuclear weapon could do.
Juhyeok looked around.
Everyone was fleeing with tails tucked between their legs; even players capable of entering the Tower had already vanished.
But some people remained.
Former commissioner Park Gyeong-su, Jeon Gwang-il, and Lee Min-ah.
Along with high-ranking officials from both North and South, lower-level civil servants, and reporters.
The foreign and domestic journalists, in particular, kept hammering their camera shutters even in this dire situation.
Click-click! Click-click-click!
The live broadcast was still going.
"… Are they insane?"
Juhyeok's eyes met those of Commissioner Jeon Gwang-il.
He was silently mouthing words at him over and over.
Run. Hurry. Into the Tower!!!
Even the Mad Demon, who normally never showed emotion, was pleading earnestly at Juhyeok's side.
"Summoner, please, let us enter the Tower. I beg you."
"Master, please heed the Mad Demon's request."
"Otherwise, we will be forced to invoke Clause 3 of Principle 3 of the Summoned Ones and carry you away by force—"
"Wait."
There was one method worth trying.
If it failed, he could still enter the Tower then—it wouldn't be too late.
"Even if the wireless detonator is pressed, there should be about one second of leeway."
"Th-that may be, but—"
He knew from experience.
Did it really explode the instant it was pressed?
And so, Juhyeok summoned someone.
The ultimate specialist.
Major Jang Chang-su wore a faint, rancid smile.
Go Sa-geuk, the Minister of the People's Armed Forces—
a man who had suddenly appeared and become the core of the republic's power.
Almost certainly a player.
That meant a player whose abilities inside the Tower manifested in reality thanks to the Rune Necklace of Liberation.
He must have crossed over from the South.
That was why he was pushing all this reunification nonsense.
Reunification?
Reunification after I'm dead?
Don't make me laugh.
His body was already ravaged by an incurable disease.
Stage-four pancreatic cancer—something even American and South Korean hospitals couldn't cure.
A life destined to end anyway.
That was why he accepted the Chinese broker's offer.
He demanded that his family be evacuated to China and enough money for them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
The offer was accepted immediately.
And so, two items were delivered to him.
One was the nuclear backpack.
The other was the Rune Necklace of Liberation that allowed him to get this far.
The necklace had only one remaining use.
But one was enough.
He infiltrated the venue safely and grasped the wireless detonator.
The game was over.
No one could stop him.
Not even Go Sa-geuk, even if he was a liberated player.
It would detonate, no matter what.
Go Sa-geuk's gaze remained icy cold.
Kim In-jung trembled in fear.
'You miserable bastards.'
If only they'd unified sooner—
before he got pancreatic cancer.
The reason Jang Chang-su hadn't detonated the nuclear backpack immediately
was one of China's conditions.
They wanted his suicide nuclear bombing to be perceived not as external intervention, but as the act of an internal North Korean military faction dissatisfied with reunification talks.
In exchange, they promised an additional 20 million yuan for his family.
So he dragged out the conversation a little.
He had thoroughly imprinted his intent.
And it would all have gone out on the broadcast.
His objective was achieved.
'Hoo…'
Jang Chang-su took a long, deep breath.
Now, all he had to do was let go of the detonator—
And at that moment!
Roll-roll-roll.
"… Huh?"
Roll-roll-roll.
A white ball of fur came rolling toward him.
When had it appeared?
It rolled neatly along, a tiny backpack strapped to its back.
Roll-roll.
'What is that?'
This cute little creature—
it looked like a hamster.
"Hoaee."
Jang Chang-su stared blankly at the rolling object.
Not a person, but a fluffy, round, harmless-looking ball of fur.
"Hoa?"
It even came right up to him and waved its short little arms in greeting.
'Ah…'
He almost waved back without thinking.
He felt no sense of threat whatsoever.
And then—
"Hooee."
The furball stretched out its tiny arms.
Toward his back.
"… Why?"
In that instant—
Shloop!
Slack!
His shoulders suddenly felt light.
"… Gah!"
What—?
Jang Chang-su frantically reached behind his back.
Nothing.
He couldn't feel anything.
The nuclear backpack was completely gone.
"Wh—"
His mind snapped back to attention.
Click! Click!
He mashed the wireless detonator repeatedly.
"Th-this—!"
As if it would explode.
The nuclear backpack was already inside Rajiks's subspace.
"Huek!"
Rajiks placed both hands on his waist.
Then puffed out his chest, shrugged his shoulders,
and extended one arm forward, forming a V sign with two short fingers.
A uniquely proud expression.
Steam practically puffed from his nose.
"Hoeng!"
Click-click-click! Click-click-click-click-click-click!
The reporters didn't miss the moment, firing flashes nonstop even in broad daylight.
"Heh heh heh."
Kosak let out a dry laugh.
He had no choice but to acknowledge it.
Beyond a cosmic errand boy—
the universe's greatest problem solver.
'Ah! This isn't the time!'
Spot!
Kosak dashed forward in an instant and seized Jang Chang-su by the neck with one hand.
"Comrade, are you prepared?"
"U-uh—"
Kosak's eyes overflowed with killing intent.
At some point, the Mad Demon had also rushed over.
"Leave this one to me. I ask you."
"Let's do it together. This time, I won't yield."
"Very well."
But the attention of the people gathered at the venue
was still firmly fixed on Rajiks.
"Hoaeeek!"
Click-click! Click!
No one cared about Jang Chang-su anymore.
And the entire sequence of events
was broadcast live to the whole world via satellite.