Jeon Kwang-il loaded the ores onto a truck and rushed to the Player Shop workshop.
A metal workshop where players’ weapons are repaired and crafted,
“Isn’t that the Deputy Chief? What brings you here in person…?”
“We’ve discovered new tower materials and I wanted to ask if you could process them.”
“Is that so? Let’s take a look.”
At the mention of new tower materials, craftsmen flocked over.
When he showed them the ores loaded on the truck,
“Th-this looks like ore,”
“That’s right. It’s adamantite ore.”
“What?”
“O-ore?”
“Not tower reward ingots?”
“Let me see too.”
Each grabbed an ore and couldn’t hide their astonishment.
They never expected to see ores when they’d only ever seen metal ingots.
“We’d need to smelt it to be sure.”
“That’s why I came to ask for your help.”
The craftsmen broke a few adamantite ores into small pieces with hammers, sorted them, and put them into a small blast furnace to melt.
Being experts in blacksmithing and smelting, the process went smoothly.
They melted the ore to extract the metal, filtered impurities from the molten iron, poured it into pre-made molds, and let it cool.
“It’s genuine adamantite ingot.”
“The metal content is remarkably high. At least 50% or more.”
Success.
The smelting was successful.
“Could you make leather crafting tools with this first?”
“You mean tools for leather craftsmen, not tower conquest equipment? We can make those quickly, but… why?”
“It’s confidential… I’m sorry.”
“Hahaha, of course it is! It’s state business. We’ll make them right away. Should we use adamantite? How many sets do you need?”
“At least 100 sets.”
“Understood. We’ll contact you when they’re done.”
With this, the leather processing issue was resolved.
The materials were sufficient.
How much could leather crafting sets possibly cost?
And they’d be bringing more ore anyway.
Jeon Kwang-il called Go Yeon-ha.
“Director Go, I’ve secured the leather crafting tools. Let’s proceed quickly with product development.”
- Thank you. I’ll do my best to create proper products.
***
Juhyeok also received a call from Jeon Kwang-il.
The ore smelting had concluded very successfully.
The quality was excellent too.
The metal content was higher than expected, and would yield over 1 ton of ingots.
When Juhyeok told Razix, he waddled his round body back and forth, ecstatic with joy.
Seeing him so happy, well, they’d have to go mining again.
But they couldn’t just keep mining ore forever.
That day was approaching.
Just 3 days.
In 3 days, it would be time to welcome a new guest.
Plus, they’d need to conquer the 50th floor and check the special reward.
Just then, news flowed from the TV.
- <UAE Officially Requests Player’s Temporary Naturalization to Korean Awakening Management Office>
- <If granted, UAE pledges all national infrastructure projects to Korean companies>
- <Promises immediate return to original nationality after conquest> <Management Office Director Park Kyungsoo: Nothing has been decided yet>
- <Blue House remains silent, will Nam Ga-eun’s temporary naturalization be granted?>
- <Public opposition boiling, netizens threaten that any politician supporting temporary naturalization won’t survive the next election>
ㄴFuck, why are these oil country bastards coming to our country? Saudi Arabia is right next door.
ㄴRumor has it they stabbed each other in the back and relations soured.
ㄴAh! The Characteristic Enhancement Rune?
ㄴKekeke, Saudi must be secretly pleased.
ㄴWhat about America? They’d jump at the chance if offered an oil field.
ㄴNope, they’re contracted with Japan. And oil fields aren’t as valuable as they used to be.
ㄴDoesn’t Russia have a temporary naturalization player too?
ㄴYeah, contracted with China. But the Russian player isn’t a temporary naturalization specialist. Just their top player.
ㄴWow! They just freely lend out their top player?
ㄴIt’s a dictatorship, so you do what you’re told.
ㄴNam Ga-eun is our top player. It’s shameless to ask to borrow her.
ㄴIs that really true?
ㄴWhat?
ㄴIs Nam Ga-eun really our country’s top player?
ㄴAh! That’s right. We have another top player.
ㄴStill only at floor 49, but will probably reach the 60s within two months?
Crown Prince Bin Salah’s desperate request continued the next day.
<Crown Prince Bin Salah: Korea has many talented players. As a tower-climbing powerhouse, we request your generous mercy>
<Will wait for contact at the embassy anytime. Blank check prepared, religious freedom guaranteed…>
ㄴKekeke, as expected. Now they’re pointing directly without hesitation.
ㄴThey’re basically saying, “S++ grade conquest record holder, please watch the news,” while offering irrefusable money.
ㄴWhen are they going back? It’s making me anxious.
ㄴWhat’s the government doing? They should expel them quickly.
ㄴThey apparently plan to stay for quite a while.
***
Juhyeok saw the news but didn’t care much.
If only they’d offer the Characteristic Enhancement Rune.
Then he might consider it.
Do they think money can buy everything?
What do they take the future world’s richest man for?
He disconnected and went back to mining ore.
And that day drew closer.
The day before the random summon cooldown reset.
Juhyeok handed over the collected ores to the Management Office and returned to his penthouse.
Click. Opening the door,
“Chung! Welcome back!”
Today too, Kozak was meticulously cleaning the living room windows with a clean microfiber cloth.
“Loyal Kozak, helping Razix with cleaning. Hehehe.”
“Hahaha, take it easy. You probably don’t feel well.”
“I’m an SSR! A SSR! A mere forehead flick won’t affect me.”
“Yes, yes.”
I saw you nearly die from that killer forehead flick.
He had it coming.
Kozak was the one who first lured everyone into the bet.
Juhyeok had business with Gyeon Dallae.
Since she’s a priestess, she should be able to tell fortunes, right?
Juhyeok normally didn’t believe in such things, but after experiencing the effectiveness of shamanistic rituals and talismans firsthand, how could he not?
“I shall divine with rice. I cannot determine the exact future, but I can at least glimpse general fortune and misfortune.”
Gyeon Dallae grabbed a handful of rice from the kitchen rice container.
Then she sprinkled it on the dining table.
“Hmm.”
Gyeon Dallae observed the scattered rice grains, occasionally touching them.
Did it work?
Good fortune (吉), misfortune (凶), disaster (禍), or blessing (福)?
“The divination is complete.”
“Oh! What is it?”
“Misfortune rises but ultimately turns to great fortune; trouble arises but is covered by blessing.”
Huh?
That’s puzzling.
“So it’s good overall, right?”
“In the end, yes.”
“Thank you for your efforts with the divination.”
One thing done.
“Princess.”
“Speak, young master.”
“Let’s prepare the ritual soon.”
“I shall prepare it.”
***
The next day.
Juhyeok took a taxi.
The ritual location was, as discussed before, Mani Mountain on Ganghwa Island.
As before, he summoned Kozak to shop for supplies, then summoned Gyeon Dallae and Gobang near Mani Mountain.
Since it was a place frequented by many people, Gyeon Dallae strung sacred straw ropes around the ritual area.
Finally, he summoned Razix too.
“Hoeng?”
She said once the sacred ropes were strung, people wouldn’t pay any attention.
Even if drums were loudly beating.
They set up the ritual table and performed the ceremony.
Solemn, serious, dignified.
Even Razix participated, pressing his round body close to the ground and making “hoeng hoeng” sounds.
After that, they returned to the penthouse.
“Let’s enter the 50th floor.”
[Entering Black Tower of South Korea, Floor 50.]
A mission appeared.
[Floor 50 Mission: Defeat 60 scorpions of any type and 1 King Scorpion.]
They began the conquest.
Lips tightly shut, as quickly as possible, because carelessness could cost them the Platinum Badge.
Juhyeok waited in the rear with Razix to avoid getting in the way of his summonees.
Razix had a serious expression too.
He knew his fate depended on whether a Characteristic Enhancement Rune would appear.
With random summons, the catalog had 6 people.
Let’s consider Gwangma as unavailable.
That leaves 5.
Without characteristic enhancement, only 4 can be summoned.
1 person remains.
They could summon in rotation, but who would be the rotation member in this situation?
No one but the worker.
The King Scorpion appeared.
It’s no pushover.
Its huge pincers caught Gobang’s enlarged waist.
Crunch!
But Gobang escaped by spreading the pincers and breaking them backward,
Kozak’s sword energy cut off the poisonous tail sting while he mercilessly stabbed daggers into the relatively soft underbelly.
But the creature’s exoskeleton was so thick, and its resistance so desperate, that it didn’t end easily.
It was quite an intense battle.
Of course, it was being slaughtered by the SSR Gobang and SSR Kozak.
For smooth hunting, one more dealer was definitely needed.
From floor 51, there would be flying monsters, so preferably a dealer capable of ranged attacks.
But honestly, was it really necessary?
A dealer?
There already was one.
An already prepared dealer.
A 50-level dealer with dazzling talent who could freely wield an energy barrier, mace and Aegis, shadow steps, and soul-shocking techniques.
Ranged attacks?
Just make them come down, right?
He’d even set aside a pistol.
Get it approved for possession, take it in, and start shooting.
Or buy a crossbow from the Player Shop, roughly pull down the flying enemies, and take care of them.
That’s right.
There was no need for characteristic enhancement.
What if they skipped the random summon too?
If he joined as a dealer himself, everything would be solved.
But the summonees’ fuss grew even more intense.
Even Razix stood beside him, clutching his own collar tightly with both hands.
It would continue like this.
As floors increased, so did the danger—that’s common sense.
Suddenly, he remembered what Gwangma had said.
That when Earth’s Black Tower reaches the 70s floors, it would start collapsing everywhere.
That wasn’t wrong.
Even now, floors in the late 60s couldn’t be conquered without the Holy Sword.
One more thing.
How did Kozak’s previous summoner die?
Comparing with his own situation, it wasn’t hard to guess.
As floor levels increased but characteristic enhancement didn’t appear, they continued conquest with limited personnel. Eventually, the summoner himself had to take on the dealer role.
Death ended everything.
The summonees couldn’t get out, and the world ended with the tower’s collapse.
Considering everything,
The reason why summonees are desperate for characteristic enhancement is clear.
Fine, let’s do as they wish.
‘What good is it if I get stronger alone? Talent my ass.’
Juhyeok’s class is Summoner.
What’s the proper virtue of a summoner?
‘Drawing good summonees, increasing simultaneous summon count, raising their grades through leveling… that’s my role.’
There’s plenty of time.
Except for a few countries, most nations’ climbing floors are still in the 50s.
‘Don’t rush.’
Slowly.
Enjoying everything there is to enjoy.
Get the Platinum Badge and secure special rewards consistently.
And if a situation arises where the current members aren’t enough?
‘I’ll release Gwangma, what else?’
At the very least, it would obey his commands inside the tower.
His worries gradually disappeared.
Juhyeok finally reached a state of ease.
[Announcement: You have achieved S++ grade conquest of Black Tower (Korea) Floor 50.]
[S++ Conquest Reward: Platinum Badge awarded.]
Back at the penthouse.
The summonees stood in the living room with exhausted expressions.
Now it was time to open the inventory.
So the summonees were extremely anxious.
Meanwhile, Juhyeok was utterly at peace.
“…Are you checking now?”
Juhyeok nodded to Kozak with a look that conveyed his will that things would go well.
“Summoner, the warrior always…”
He nodded to Gobang with a reassuring gaze that told him not to worry.
“Young lady, no matter the outcome, I only…”
He caught Gyeon Dallae’s eye and nodded with a benevolent expression.
“Hoeeeee…”
He stroked Razix’s head and nodded with a smile that asked for trust.
Who else but him should maintain composure?
‘Let’s open it.’
50 brilliantly shining Platinum Badges.
[Special reward granted for accumulating 50 Platinum Badges.]
It has begun.
Even in the coldest weather, the plum tree breaks through adversity to fully bloom its buds.
The special reward flower would do the same.
It would finally bloom fully and comfort the hearts of Juhyeok and his summonees.
Heaven helps those who help themselves.
[Special Reward: One Multinational Tower Usage Ticket (Single Use) has been added to your inventory.]
‘Hmm.’
A Multinational Tower Usage Ticket.
‘Hmm.’
This ticket again.
‘Hmm.’
Two in total now.
“Hmm… this fucking bullshit! Throw it away!”
Isn’t this too much, even after all this?
“I quit! I’m done! Don’t need it! Tower climbing? Go play foot volleyball instead!”
By any stretch of the imagination, this isn’t right.
“I’m giving up on everything!!! What kind of joke is this special reward?”
“That’s what I’m saying! It’s like they’re mocking us.”
“I’m going straight to floor 51 to abandon the mission and come out. Don’t try to stop me! Platinum? Give it to the dogs.”
“P-please calm yourself, young master. It’s all this humble girl’s fault. I’ll gladly accept punishment for disturbing your state of mind with inadequate divination and rituals.”
“Hoeng!”
Chaos erupted.
***
Juhyeok took a deep breath.
He was too excited.
Let’s stay calm in times like these.
“Damn it, the more I think about it, the more upset I get.”
Kozak cautiously watched Juhyeok’s expression and said,
“Since it’s come to this… we should aim for the floor 55 special reward.”
In truth, that’s the only option.
“…Can we achieve S++ grade conquest with this personnel?”
“Proceed with the random summon.”
“But there are only 4 slots?”
“W-we have no choice. Until floor 55, we’ll have to remove one person.”
Who? All eyes converge on one spot.
“Hoe…”
Of course, the non-combat summonee, the worker.
“Mr. Razix, you’re suggesting we cut him?”
“With the spirit of sacrificing one for the greater good…”
What greater good? Is tower climbing the Three Kingdoms period?
“In that case, we could remove Mr. Kozak too. Since we have Gwangma…”
Kozak’s mouth clamped shut.
“Oh? Come to think of it, that’s perfect. Razix, Gwangma, and me, the three of us climbing floor 51 would be no problem. Hahaha. I should have done this earlier.”
Everyone’s mood became solemn.
“I-I’m sorry.”
“The warrior apologizes to the summoner. And to the worker.”
“Th-that’s right. Characteristic enhancement isn’t only obtainable through tower climbing special rewards. For example, items too…”
Wait!
That’s right.
There’s another way to obtain it.
“Now that I think about it, there is someone who might have a Characteristic Enhancement Rune…”
“Gasp!”
Kozak sprang to his feet and asked,
“Who is it? Just tell me. Your loyal Kozak will bring it back right away.”
“Well…”
Juhyeok explained to his summonees.
About the UAE situation.
Why the Crown Prince came to Korea.
And the uncomfortable relationship with Saudi Arabia.
The cause was competition for the Characteristic Enhancement Rune.
The UAE monopolized them, so Saudi was furious.
Perhaps, though not certain, they might possess runes.
Juhyeok’s explanation ended.
Kozak, who had been listening silently, smiled and said,
“Summoner Bong, leave it to me.”
“…Leave what exactly? Surely not robbery?”
“No, I don’t steal. Unless it comes with a ribbon.”
Theft would be better at this point.
“I’m really good at something besides assassination.”
“What is it?”
“Negotiation. I’ll meet them in person and negotiate. In a way that satisfies both parties.”
A rather confident expression.
I can guess what kind of negotiation he’s planning, but I question whether they’ll give it up so easily.
“…You really won’t take it by force?”
“Yes!”
“No killing or hurting people?”
“Yes!”
“Both parties satisfied with a win-win solution?”
“Yes!”
Should I trust him?
Searching the news, it says Crown Prince Bin Salah is still staying at a Korean hotel.
He rented an entire floor.
“But! I need something.”
“Tell me.”
“First, give me the shield and mace you received before.”
The items received as special rewards.
The Golden Aegis of Warm Dawn Light and the Golden Mace of Cold Twilight.
That’s what he means.
“They’re practically new.”
“That’s why.”
“You’re going to negotiate with these?”
“No. They’re gifts. Need to make a good impression before negotiating, don’t I?”
Hmm.
Now he’s taking my weapons too.
Nothing to be done.
Let’s grasp at straws.
“Alright. I’ll trust you this once. But! It must be negotiation only. Violence is forbidden. In return, I won’t criticize you even if you fail.”
“Yes!”
Suddenly, Gyeon Dallae’s divination comes to mind.
Fortune after misfortune, blessing after disaster.
I sincerely hope it turns out that way.