Idiots. Do you think I don't know the former administrators?]
But then—
[Designer, the Earth Summoner has entered Korea's No.1 Tower, 86th floor.]
[What?]
That annoying bastard.
He just keeps climbing endlessly.
At this rate, he'll reach the 90th floor in no time.
Wait—
[If it's the calamity beast on the 86th floor…]
What was it again?
[The Hellfire Cataclysm Phoenix.]
That one?
[Among the forces the Summoner commands, is there an ice mage or a yin-cold Murim martial artist?]
[None. There is an alchemist, but at best that means cold potions.]
[Tsk.]
Then they won't clear it.
The Hellfire Cataclysm Phoenix is a top-tier fire elemental spirit.
Comparable to an Elemental King.
How do you extinguish that fire?
[They'll fail.]
[High probability.]
[Project a hologram of the scene at Korea's No.1 Tower, 86th floor. I want to watch their failure with my own eyes.]
Perfect timing.
I'll relieve some stress watching the Summoner fail.
Just as Juhyeok's group was about to begin the fire-truck Crane Wing strategy against the 86th-floor phoenix,
an article broke outside.
It was short.
The headline was the entire content.
But the impact was massive.
Because of the amount—100 billion won?
Of course that mattered.
But more importantly, the donor was officially confirmed to be the Top Player.
This was the first time.
Until now, everything believed to be done by the Top Player had only been speculation.
From holy sword rentals to mass production of mana-sealing scrolls.
Never once had anyone said, "This business was done by the Top Player!"
Still, everyone knew.
If not him, then who?
But this time, the Awakened Management Agency released an official statement.
That was new.
L Even his donations are S+++ rank.
L His spending is pure alpha energy.
L I wish I had enough money to donate 100 billion.
L Grandpa, how many bowls of meat soup is that?
L North Korea, is meat soup your unit of value?
L I grew up without meat, that's why…
L But 100 billion feels cheap. Should be at least 1 trillion.
L Have you ever donated even 1 won?
L Damn it, no—but if I were the Top Player, I'd donate at least 1 trillion. Not some measly 100 billion.
L You bastard, you've got a loose mouth. Can you take responsibility for that?
L Whoa, calm down. That guy's just trolling.
Most reactions were positive.
Especially regarding the fact that the donation went through official channels.
L Is he getting ready to reveal himself?
L Reveal his identity? No way!
L We'll find out who he is soon, then.
L That doesn't sound good.
L Right. Even here there are trolls everywhere—imagine being known in real life. Terrifying.
Meanwhile, a video was uploaded to YouTube.
It was information on the uncleared upper floor—Floor 86—released by the Korean Awakened Management Agency.
People watched with anticipation, wondering what terrifying monster awaited on the 86th floor.
And they were forced to gasp.
The background of Floor 86.
A volcano spewing smoke.
Above it, a floating, blazing mass.
Looking closer, it wasn't just fire.
It had a shape.
What is that?
Only after the subtitle appeared did its identity become clear.
– Floor 86 Monster: Superheated Cataclysm Phoenix
– Extreme Fever Infinite Fire Phoenix
L What, a phoenix?
L Phoenix?
L Uh—Vermilion Bird?
L A creature from legend…
L Phoenix literally means it can't die, right?
L No way it's literally immortal. Just extremely hard to kill, I guess.
L You can't even approach it because of the flames.
L You'd have to extinguish the fire first—how?
L Is that why he donated to the Fire Agency?
L What does a donation have to do with a phoenix?
L Maybe he realized how important firefighting is after encountering an impossible floor and decided to donate out of respect for firefighters.
L So you're saying even the Top Player can't kill a phoenix?
L Can humans kill a mythological being?
L I think it's impossible too.
L Agreed. Uncleared.
L It's called a phoenix for a reason—swords won't pierce it, half-baked magic won't work.
L I guarantee it. Absolute failure.
L Guess we won't be seeing world announcements anymore.
But then—
[World Announcement: Black Tower NO.1 (Korea) has achieved S+++ rank on the 86th floor.]
L Huh?
L Cleared it?
L They did?
L They actually did?
L They did it!
L They really did!
L You idiots, why are you all so suspicious?
L Long live Comrade Top Player!
L Long live Comrade Top Player!
L With Juche revolutionary spirit, long live Comrade Top Player!
L Long live Comrade Top Player Juhyeok!
L Impossible my ass!
L Haha, same as always. You scream "impossible" and then it's S+++ again.
L But how did they clear it?
L No idea.
Did they pour water on it or something?
The raid ended in an instant.
Among all clears so far, it was easily one of the fastest.
The moment the phoenix was pulled by Sister Veronica and entered the fire-truck Crane Wing encirclement,
its fate was sealed.
From thirty chemical fire trucks, 3,000 liters per second of extinguishing agent—
three tons every second, 180 tons per minute—
And that wasn't even counting the massive liquid nitrogen drops from dimensional firefighter Rajiks.
[You may now challenge the 87th floor.]
[Exiting Korea Black Tower (NO.1).]
Spot!
Juhyeok and the group returned to the penthouse.
The summoned beings rested in the White Tower.
All summons were released.
Then—
"Designated summon: Jephet."
Fwoosh!
"Master!"
"Welcome back, Jephet. Was it tough staying in the World of Souls?"
"Not at all. …T-the raid?"
"Haha, of course it was a success."
"Ah! I trusted you!"
Juhyeok explained in detail how they had defeated the 86th-floor phoenix.
Jephet looked deeply moved.
"P-please unsummon me quickly. I must deliver this joyful news to the souls."
"Rest at home a bit before going."
"No, the brothers and sisters over there were very curious about the phoenix raid…"
"Even so, you can hang out here and go once your manifestation time runs out."
"Ah… understood."
After that, Juhyeok entered the White Tower as well.
The summoned beings were gathered in the plaza, celebrating together.
"A perfect raid."
"Indeed. We ended it before it could even respond."
"That firefighting breath was incredible. Far better than a Silver Dragon's Ice Breath."
"Choosing the Crane Wing formation was decisive."
"Sister Veronica's pulling was flawless. Aggro was perfectly controlled."
"This was all thanks to the logistics commander from start to finish."
"Hoe."
They exchanged praise.
"Old mage worked hard too. Flying with the dimensional firefighter and dropping liquid nitrogen! Ha! Almost like a bomber. A phoenix bomber."
"And it only worked because Gwangma's crescent sword aura never missed."
"The magitech engineer and the homebody alchemist pulled their weight too."
Ding!
Then Gyeondallae looked at Juhyeok, who had just entered the White Tower.
"However, everyone must remember—this was all accomplished under Young Master's command."
"Does this old man not know that? Well done, Summoner."
"Excellent leadership."
"It is an honor to fight alongside you."
"Certain victory!"
"Hoat!"
Why is everyone being so embarrassing?
Anyway, the items obtained this time—
Phoenix Ash and Phoenix Feathers.
What are these used for?
Ah.
Not interested in nectar.
What about the feathers?
A thought suddenly crossed his mind.
In the past, Mari had said that materials for nectar and elixirs would start appearing in the 80s.
Coincidentally, a phoenix appeared on the 86th floor.
Then what about the 87th floor? The 88th, 89th, and 90th?
"I'm starting to wonder if things like the World Tree or dragons might appear as monsters."
…
Silence fell.
The summoned beings seemed to have been thinking the same thing.
"If a dragon shows up… can we really kill it?"
No one answered right away.
Eventually, Mackenzie stepped forward.
"…Anyone who has ever joined a successful dragon raid is granted the title of Dragon Slayer."
Then—
"In my former world, thanks to excellent comrades, this mage also holds the title of Dragon Slayer."
Oh! As expected of a 9th-circle archmage.
"I wouldn't say it's easy, but considering our RSS-rank companions, the technical-class magitech engineer and alchemist, and Rajiks's abilities… we can kill one."
Kosak added,
"Dragons are smarter than humans. Cheap tricks don't work well. But if we give up on S+++ rank, we can kill it."
So what if they miss out on S+++?
Two badges weren't that important.
The real problem was—
"It won't be dangerous, right? No one getting hurt?"
Silence again.
Then—
"This old man knows well how dangerous dragons are. I can't promise zero casualties. But so what if someone dies? Even if they die, they'll appear in the White Tower as a soul. And we even have revival runes."
So… someone could die.
"That's a bit…"
Ever since the White Tower appeared, the death of summoned beings hadn't been an unbearable burden.
But how could he calmly watch his companions die in the Tower?
"I think we should restock extinguishing agents, clear Tower No.2's 86th floor, and then decide whether to move on to the 87th."
They had plenty of time anyway.
There was no need to rush upward.
Besides, this was usually when problems started appearing.
An insurmountable wall, or enormous sacrifices.
Now was the time to reorganize the party.
First goal: rank breakthroughs for summoned beings still stuck at SS-rank—achieve all-RSS rank.
Second goal: fully utilize magitech engineer El.
They hadn't been together long, yet she'd already built a mass item-production system and devised strategies for giant-monster floors beyond the 81st.
If she were given enough time…
couldn't she even come up with a way to kill dragons?
So for now, upper-floor progression was on hold.
Then what should they do?
"Should we just do repeat clears?"
"Aren't repeat clears boring?"
"Is climbing uncleared upper floors any different? You climb, raid, get rewards, climb again… same pattern."
What's the difference?
"Let's just relax and rest without thinking."
"Even resting gets boring."
"Look at Mari. She plays just fine on her own."
"…Y-yes!"
Kosak had a point.
Resting only lasts a day or two.
At this rate, they'd soon suggest climbing upper floors again.
They needed something new—something to redirect their attention.
Wait.
Come to think of it, there was that.
"How much refined mana metal do we have stored in the warehouse? Over 1,000 tons?"
"I'm not sure exactly, but that should be more than enough."
We have plenty of refined mana metal.
Then—
"Shall we try building an elevator?"
"What kind of—"
"A White Tower 17th-floor elevator."
"Oh!"
That wasn't a bad idea.
It certainly seemed better than climbing uncleared upper floors and running into terrifying things like dragons.
"But even if we install an elevator, I'm not sure there's any actual benefit."
"I'm not sure either…"
"We won't know unless we install it."
Wouldn't it be a waste of 1,000 tons of refined mana metal?
There were so many other things it could be used for.
But would the White Tower menu really include an elevator installation option for no reason?
There had to be a reason it existed.
Maybe we should try building it once.
Should we make it?
If it's possible, then why not?
But what if it's useless?
Or worse, dangerous?
Decision paralysis again.
What do you need at times like this?
Something to help you decide.
For example—
"Fairy Princess."
"Speak, Young Master."
"Shall we cast a divination for once? To see whether installing the elevator will bring gain or loss."
Relying on fortune-telling instead of rational judgment might seem foolish.
People would probably call it superstition.
But wasn't Gyeondallae a genuine shaman?
An RSS-rank fairy maiden standing right in front of him.
Trusting her divination was actually quite rational.
"Very well. I shall read the omen."
Gyeondallae set a low table and sat on the floor.
Rattle—she scattered rice grains over the table and shook a bell.
"Heaven and Earth spirits, please light the path our Young Master walks."
Jingle, jingle.
She shook the bell.
Shuffle, shuffle.
She felt the rice grains on the table.
Clatter, clatter.
She drew a divination stick from the container.
Then—
"The omen has been revealed."
Oh!
Anticipation filled the air.
"It is Great Fortune."
Great fortune?
Not just fortune—great fortune.
"Yes!"
"Nice!"
"Hoe!"
"Excellent. Install it immediately."
"Seems safe to install."
"If it's great fortune, why hesitate?"
Right!
Compared to great fortune, 1,000 tons of refined mana metal was nothing.
Install the elevator immediately.
Now—where should it go?
This is the 17th-floor plaza, so the center would be best.
He opened the administrator menu and tapped the elevator installation option.
[Do you wish to install a White Tower 17th-floor elevator? Cost: 1,000 tons of refined mana crystals.]
"Install."
[Installing the White Tower 17th-floor elevator.]
Wooooong!
The entire 17th floor of the White Tower began to shake.
Clank! Clack!
A radiant light formed in the center of the plaza.
And what appeared was—
"Huh? It's a real elevator?"
It wasn't metaphorical.
An actual elevator.
A rectangular, single-story structure, sliding doors on both sides, even buttons.
The summoned beings rushed toward it.
"This is it?"
"It looks exactly like one."
"Is this the open button?"
"Hey! Why are you pressing it? The commander hasn't touched it yet."
"It's fine. Press it. We should test whether it's dangerous or not first."
Meanwhile, Juhyeok heard—
Ding!
[Achievement: You have installed the first elevator on White Tower 17th Floor.]
I wondered why nothing popped up.
[Achievement reward granted.]
The reward?
[For one time only, elevator round-trip operation cost is waived.]
Free was nice, but—
only once?
Wait, there's an operation cost? Isn't installation the end of it?
[Elevator round-trip operation cost per use: 10 kg of top-grade mana crystals.]
"Are you kidding me?!"
This was daylight robbery!
Install it, then siphon off mana crystals little by little?
Ugh!
One use is free, so let's ride it once.
After that, we'll think carefully.
The World of Souls.
『Jephet reporting! Greetings, brothers and sisters!』
『He's here.』
『Why so late?』
『We were waiting!』
『How did the 86th floor go? Success or failure?』
『It was a success, right? Right? You killed the phoenix, didn't you?』
『Did the firefighting strategy work?』
Jephet paused for effect.
『I'll explain slowly. Listen carefully. First, Sister Veronica pulled the phoenix hovering over the volcano using special ammunition created by magitech engineer El. With its aggro secured, we lured it into the fire-truck Crane Wing formation—』
The souls listened with bated breath.
When Jephet reached the part about finishing it off with a liquid nitrogen shower and obtaining ash and feathers—
『Hooray!』
『They did it!』
『Phoenix ash dropped! Ash—the material for nectar!』
『If Mari makes nectar, the Summoner will easily live another thousand years.』
『We can breathe easy now. Time is on the Summoner's side.』
『Longevity is important, but enhancement elixirs must be made too.』
『That's only a matter of time—once we get a dragon heart.』
『Dragon? Is that a kid's name?』
『I should go out there… I was a Dragon Slayer back in the day.』
『Doesn't everyone have a Slayer title? What's so special about that?』
『Yeah. It's not like you killed it solo.』
『Anyway, if I want to go out, I just need to wait about 80 days, right?』
『I wish random summoning would resume soon.』
『Next time it'll be me. I'm definitely going.』
『I'll join for sure and leave my name in the Tower's history.』
A Summoner who cleared anything with ease.
Hardship and adversity were almost nonexistent.
Wasn't this the ultimate team?
Just being summoned into that team would be an honor in itself.
READ MORE CHAPTERS HERE-https://pokemon-translation-2.myshopify.com/