The World of Souls.
The souls were still anxiously worrying about the Summoner in the outside world.
But there was nothing they could do.
How were they supposed to know what was happening outside?
With the White Tower in place, even their last connection to the external world had vanished.
And then—
『Greetings, brothers and sisters. This is Jephet, reporting in.』
『Jephet? What's that supposed to be?』
『Why are you asking me? How would I know who some nobody is?』
『Ah! Come to think of it, I've heard that name. Wasn't Jephet the SS-rank true-blood vampire brat who went on about gourmet food?』
『A vampire? Then what's so special that he's making formal greetings like this?』
『Probably just showing off because he's true-blood.』
『Get lost, punk! We're already on edge worrying about the Summoner in the outside world.』
Jephet felt hollow.
They didn't even know that he had been dispatched outside.
Whether on Earth or in the World of Souls, having no presence was the same.
『Um, you see, I was a resident of the White Tower.』
『What are you talking about?』
『Delusions are free, but don't get cocky. We're not in the mood for jokes.』
『I am a proud true-blood vampire. And I am a summoned being chosen by the Summoner. I've merely been dispatched here temporarily for a task.』
The World of Souls fell silent.
This was a place where communication wasn't done by voice, but by mental waves.
Lies were instantly exposed.
『Hmm. I can tell you're not lying. But then why are you here?』
『We also know about the White Tower. So the fact that you've returned here means—』
『Did this guy screw up and get kicked out?』
『What kind of mistake did you make for the Summoner to abandon you?』
『That's not it.』
Slowly, in detail, Jephet laid out the story.
Starting with the abnormal reward system of the Liberation Rune Necklace, the events unfolding on Earth because of it, how he ended up here, and even why random summoning was currently impossible.
Then—
『Impressive, vampire Jephet. I apologize for underestimating you.』
『Indeed. To reject the sweetness of the White Tower's 17th floor… I praise your restraint and spirit of sacrifice.』
『Truly a true-blood. Now I understand why you were sent.』
『You are a genuine loyal retainer. I acknowledge you.』
Praise poured in.
Jephet felt good.
When had he ever received such praise before?
At the same time, criticism of the administrators followed.
Each soul spoke in turn.
『The new administrators have crossed the line again.』
『They take causality far too lightly. They don't understand how terrifying it is to violate the laws.』
『We can't just leave this be!』
『Still, it's fortunate for the Summoner that a magitech engineer has joined. Waiting a mere hundred days is something we can tolerate.』
『Then shall we begin? We must pull down the administrators again, like before.』
『I, Jephet, will place my trust in you, brothers and sisters.』
The souls' fervor merged into one.
The mental waves they emitted became a massive current, shaking the infinite barrier.
The environment of the Black Tower's 86th floor was volcanic terrain.
In the distance, a volcano's crater could be seen.
Above it, a flying monster burned with intense flames.
To fight it, do we have to go all the way over there?
No idea whether pulling was possible.
Not that it would change much even if it were.
A phoenix.
Or one of the Four Divine Beasts—the Vermilion Bird.
Originally, the phoenix's fire was the fire that does not die.
With "phoenix" meaning an undying bird, it symbolized immortality.
But it also possessed another kind of fire—fire as an elemental attribute.
That was why its entire body was a mass of flame.
Phoenix ash and feathers were materials used in various elixirs.
They were also used for nectar.
They could be substituted with a Thousand-Year Fox Orb, but the more, the better.
Whoooooosh—
Each time it flapped its wings, terrifying flames rippled across its entire body.
When Juhyeok first saw the phoenix, his honest impression was—
"…It's beautiful."
He meant it.
It hardly even felt right to call it a monster.
The 9th-circle mage Mackenzie nodded in agreement.
"I'm not taking sides just because I practice fire magic, but fire often symbolizes the soul in many dimensions. Unlike the rotting physical body, the essence of the soul is eternal. Thus, the phoenix is the incarnation of immortality, a spirit body composed of pure flame—"
Snicker.
A mocking laugh came from beside him.
"Pure my ass!"
"What's your problem? If you've got complaints, say them properly."
"Is now the time to admire the phoenix? How are we supposed to deal with that thing?"
"Uh, th-that is—"
"Can your precious fire magic deal with it, old mage?"
It couldn't.
How do you fight fire with fire?
Especially against a spirit body with no physical flesh.
If he unleashed hellfire on the phoenix, it would just absorb the flames and grow stronger.
"Who was it that said we should challenge the 86th floor… anyway, I'm out."
What?
"I'm not even a warrior."
"The old man was quiet at first too."
"The girl only followed because the old mage was so confident."
"O Light! What power does an SS-rank even have? We just followed because you said to climb."
"Same here."
"Elemental Core Veronica Caliber—those who devised the operation must take responsibility."
"Hoaaat!"
Traitors.
You really can't trust these people.
When it was about gathering nectar and elixir materials for the Summoner, everyone was enthusiastic.
"So is there a method or not?"
"…If it were a Silver Dragon's Ice Breath, it could extinguish those flames."
"Say something realistic. Where are we supposed to find a dragon here?"
"With 9th-circle wide-area freezing spells like Blizzard, Frozen Storm, and Frost Orb—"
"Are you an ice mage now? Can you even cast Blizzard?"
Mackenzie was miserable.
How was he supposed to know a phoenix would appear on the 86th floor?
"This is bad. We'll end up using another Tower mission reset ticket. If we use a ticket every time we climb, we'll go bankrupt."
Juhyeok felt sorry for him.
Poor old mage.
Why did he insist on hosting the briefing?
"You pushed yourself too hard."
Just quietly following along would've been enough.
This is why E-type personalities are dangerous—they don't realize how easily things can turn against them.
"Anyway, we need ice-element magic or some kind of freezing attack. I once learned a skill called Ice Spear—"
Gyeondallae hurriedly intervened.
"I do not mean to belittle Young Master, but such moderate freezing methods would not even freeze a single phoenix feather."
True.
Just looking at it, it was impossible.
"So it doesn't have a physical body? If it's a spirit—"
"It is made of fire. However, it is said to leave feathers and ash when it is destroyed."
"How do we kill it?"
"By extinguishing the flames."
Should they throw water on it?
"Water would be insufficient. Unless you drop it into the sea, it would turn to steam the moment it touches."
So that won't work either.
"I knew this would happen. Fire magic is outdated! It's behind the times! Cold noodles taste better than hot noodle soup these days!"
What's with Kosak?
He's bullying the poor old mage too much.
"What we need isn't someone who starts fires. We need someone who puts them out."
Mackenzie wilted.
Sniff.
"Don't be too harsh. There might be another way—like when we blew up the ultra-giant Titan Behemoth with a nuke."
At Juhyeok's words, El's eyes went wide in shock.
"…A nuke? You don't mean a nuclear explosion inside the Tower?"
"You didn't know? Well, back then you were a Tower monster and your mind wasn't quite right."
That was true.
Back when her summoned-being status had been stripped away.
She'd been nothing more than a rampaging giant-class monster.
"Hahaha, that was the best moment."
"Indeed. Just thinking about it still gives me chills."
"It was a brilliant change in perspective. The administrators must have fainted."
"Though it's blocked now."
Mackenzie nodded.
The nuclear explosion on the 81st floor.
"The World of Souls was in an uproar back then too."
El still couldn't believe it.
Still—
a nuke?
Then she noticed Rajiks.
She understood.
How a nuke had been brought into the Tower.
With his subspace backpack, nothing was impossible.
No wonder he was number one.
The more she saw him, the more mysterious he seemed.
Meanwhile, Mackenzie narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
His mind tingled.
It feels like something's about to click…
Thoughts flashed through his head.
Then—
"…Huh?"
Mackenzie's eyes snapped open.
What the assassin had said earlier:
What we need isn't someone who starts fires. We need someone who puts them out.
And the nuclear strategy—a change in perspective.
Plus Rajiks's subspace.
Then—
"S-Summoner!"
"Yes?"
"I've just thought of an idea."
"Go ahead."
"What if we bring a fire truck into the Tower?"
What kind of nonsense is that?
"…A fire truck?"
"Yes. I've always had an interest in fire, so I've seen it on the news."
Mackenzie elaborated.
"Some fire trucks don't spray water, but special chemical extinguishing agents."
Huh?
"…Chemical fire trucks?"
"Exactly. If we bring those into the Tower and spray that phoenix with them—"
Oh!
"That's actually a pretty good idea."
"With the dimensional farmhand being RSS-rank, transporting about ten chemical fire trucks shouldn't be a problem."
"Hoah?"
Ten vehicles?
Make it twenty—no, thirty might be better.
It was worth trying.
If dozens of fire trucks discharged chemical firefighting agents all at once, that was basically dragon breath.
"Aww, our genius Archmage Mackenzie—truly worthy of a 9th circle. Your mind is absolutely brilliant."
"Y-you flatter me."
At Juhyeok's praise, Mackenzie practically sparkled from head to toe.
"An 86th-floor firefighting strategy—how could anyone come up with something like this!"
"Hahahaha! Starting fires is important, but extinguishing them is just as crucial. Shouldn't one always double-check even extinguished flames?"
"Absolutely! As expected of a professional."
Mackenzie was thoroughly encouraged by Juhyeok's praise.
Seeing the tide had turned, even Kosak chimed in.
"I was just about to suggest the same thing myself. The fire truck strategy—good idea."
First, they exited the Tower.
[Upon use, you will automatically exit. The mission on the current floor will be reset, and the entry record will be deleted.]
Screee—
[You have used a Tower Mission Reset Ticket. Exiting the Tower.]
Spot!
First things first—call Commissioner Jeon Gwang-il.
If they were going to secure fire trucks, he was the man to talk to.
They also had to make sure firefighting duties weren't disrupted.
Back on the 17th floor of the White Tower.
One of the great things about the 17th floor was meeting Vice Commissioner Jeon.
Send a message, and he'd arrive within ten seconds.
As long as nothing urgent was happening.
That was why Juhyeok had given him a permanent residency permit.
Chairman Jeong Dong-hun too.
Thinking about residency permits suddenly reminded him of Jephet.
Their gourmet vampire.
He said he wanted to drink my blood, didn't he?
When I get the time, I should donate some blood and bottle it for him.
With a straw included.
Spot!
Jeon Gwang-il entered the 17th floor at Juhyeok's call.
"Mr. Bong Player, I'm here."
"Ah! Sorry for calling you back and forth all the time."
"Not at all. Please feel free to call me anytime."
Juhyeok showed him footage of the Black Tower's 86th-floor monster—the Superheated Cataclysm Phoenix.
"Th-this thing?"
"Yes. Floor 86. A phoenix."
"…A gigantic bird made entirely of flames. The opposite of the Colossus Condor."
"They say it's a spirit body."
A spirit body.
Meaning it had no physical flesh.
"Can it be defeated?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but we do have a method worth trying."
Juhyeok explained the plan—fire suppression using chemical fire trucks.
"…What?"
Jeon Gwang-il looked dumbfounded.
"F-fire trucks? You mean the fire trucks I'm thinking of?"
"Yes. Those fire trucks."
Then he pointed at Rajiks.
"This is only possible because we have Mr. Rajiks."
That's right.
It was absurd, but completely impossible for anyone else to replicate.
"So we need to secure chemical fire trucks. Not water trucks—ones that spray special extinguishing agents."
"How many?"
"At least 20 to 30. Preferably more."
Jeon Gwang-il nodded.
"That's doable. I'll contact the National Fire Agency."
"We need to make sure this doesn't interfere with actual firefighting operations."
"Don't worry. If vehicle availability becomes an issue, I'll put in a request to the US Forces Korea."
USFK?
"They operate their own firefighting units."
Oh!
US military equipment would be big and high quality.
"Will that work?"
"One phone call should do it. They'll cooperate."
Right.
He could ask Minister Macmillan.
Anyway, they couldn't borrow everything for free.
There had to be compensation.
What would be appropriate?
Money was the only thing he really had.
"Um, Commissioner."
"Yes, go ahead."
"I was thinking of making a… donation to the Korean Fire Agency."
Now he understood how important extinguishing fires really was.
Korean firefighters—
No, firefighters worldwide—
They fought monstrous disasters like phoenixes in the real world.
Borrowing fire trucks without offering anything in return would be shameless.
"Ah, yes. Then may I ask roughly how much you're considering donating?"
How much should it be?
He honestly had no sense of scale.
It's not like I've ever donated before.
One hundred million won?
That felt cheap.
Ten billion?
Still didn't feel right.
Commissioner Jeon knew exactly how much money Juhyeok made.
The anti-obesity bracelet, mana-sealing scrolls, dream-resistance kits, all kinds of item sales—
Soon they'd even start renting magic guns.
Money was overflowing.
So much that he didn't even know how much was in his accounts anymore.
It was probably well into the trillions by now.
Ah, whatever.
He'd casually bought a 1.3-trillion-won building in Gangnam before.
Firefighters—
I'll cover it this time.
Buy lots of good equipment and stay safe while fighting fires.
So rather than stingily donating a few tens of billions—
"I'm thinking of donating about one hundred billion won."
A true alpha-male donation!
"…Pardon?"
The summoned beings reacted instantly.
"Wha—!"
"Wow!"
"That's blazing hot!"
"As expected of the Summoner."
"Truly magnanimous."
"Hoeeee."
Juhyeok felt his chest swell with pride.
"Well, it's not strictly necessary—"
"What's the point of making money if you don't use it at times like this?"
"U-understood. I'll contact the Fire Agency and arrange the donation under the Top Player's name."
Perfect.
Now his conscience was clear.
And so the operation to secure chemical fire trucks began.
The arranged trucks began arriving one after another at the Awakened Management Agency's parking lot.
Whenever he had time, Juhyeok summoned Rajiks and had him store the fire trucks in his subspace, then transfer them to the White Tower.
They secured a total of thirty fire trucks.
Did they all fit?
Of course they did.
He was RSS-rank, after all.
They also placed orders for special firefighting agents.
The more, the better.
Among them was liquid nitrogen.
Not absolute zero, but capable of dropping temperatures to minus 196 degrees Celsius.
It was fairly common—
Used even as school teaching material or for cooking.
What would happen if they sprayed massive amounts of it on the phoenix?
They purchased liquid nitrogen in bulk, stored it in metal tanks, and stacked them inside the White Tower.
Now all that remained was learning how to operate the firefighting equipment.
They obtained manuals and videos, practicing diligently until they became proficient.
Almost all summoned beings participated in the drills.
Mari joined as well.
Though she couldn't enter the 86th floor herself, once she heard the monster was a phoenix—
Ding!
Mari: I'll try making cold-based potions too. Strong enough to really harass a phoenix.
Magitech engineer El began researching the potion auto-injector belt that Rajiks had "borrowed," moving on to crafting special ammunition.
She applied inventory-magic mana circuit diagrams to bullets so they could assist in the firefighting strategy.
Time passed.
The preparations for the raid progressed smoothly, step by step.
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