It was the 10th day since Juhyeok started climbing the tower. Yesterday’s conquest of the 9th floor had been easy. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t easy for him, but for Kozak.
The 9th floor mission was to eliminate 10 jungle man-eating corpse flowers. In the lush jungle, these giant carnivorous flowers spread their petals on the ground, ready to snap shut on any human that passed by.
“What’s this? It’s just annoying,” Kozak had muttered. The flowers had no teeth, their petals closed weakly, and although digestive juices flowed, they merely stung when they touched the skin. Kozak simply stomped on them, crushing the corpse flowers beyond recognition.
“Maybe I should try stepping on one too…” Juhyeok had suggested.
“Nah, don’t come close. They stink and will dirty your shoes,” Kozak had replied.
Juhyeok wondered if these monsters were being raised like greenhouse flowers. On the other hand, it made sense that they didn’t attack aggressively since he had no combat skills.
Anyway, the 9th floor conquest was successful. S++ grade was the default value. The Platinum Badge was a bonus. It was incredibly reassuring. The fact that Kozak was a deranged assassin who had brutally killed three people didn’t even matter.
To be honest, he did that to protect me too, Juhyeok thought.
Today was the 10th floor mission. First, he summoned Kozak. The satisfaction rating was, of course, 5 stars. But then?
[John Kozak’s satisfaction rating has been set to 5 stars.]
[Due to continuous maximum scores, John Kozak’s manifestation time has been increased by 1 hour.]
…Huh? Juhyeok hadn’t expected that. It was worth giving the highest score.
Kozak also looked pleased. “Thank you. I can assist you for one more hour now.”
“As always, I’m counting on you,” Juhyeok replied.
“Just trust me!”
Juhyeok and Kozak entered the 10th floor.
[Entering the 10th floor of the Korean Black Tower.]
[Physical abilities have been enhanced to match your level.]
[Characteristic and combat skills are now available.]
By the 10th floor, Juhyeok felt different. He could clearly sense it now. I’ve gotten stronger. His physical abilities were recalibrated inside the tower. He felt overflowing with vitality, and his strength surged. Additionally, he sensed a subtle magic power in his lower abdomen. Though it was useless since he hadn’t acquired any skills yet.
There was an item called [Combat Skills] in the status window. Juhyeok had none since he had the summoning characteristic, but other combat-oriented Players usually acquired them from level 1. Does this mean summoners never learn combat skills? Not necessarily. They could learn them as they leveled up or through reward items like skill runes.
Anyway, the 10th floor mission:
[10th Floor Mission: Defeat 1 Giant Horned Mantis.]
[Time Limit: Within 2 hours.]
[Completion Condition: Giant Horned Mantis 0/1]
[Failure Condition: Death or mission abandonment]
“I’ll help too,” Juhyeok offered.
“No, no! If Summoner Bong gets even a scratch, I’ll have to bash my head in,” Kozak protested.
“But it feels wrong to just stand around. If I get hurt, I can drink a healing potion. We got some as a reward.”
“Save the potions and just cheer for me from behind.”
Juhyeok didn’t want to be a greenhouse flower anymore. He wanted to do something. “No, this time I’ll definitely join…”
Suddenly! Crunch, crunch! A giant horned mantis appeared, breaking through the forest.
“…Oh.” It was huge. Just looking at it sent chills down Juhyeok’s spine. The compound eyes of the giant insect. Well-developed large mouth and jaws. Sickle-like forelegs. A triangular head with a horn instead of antennae. Was this really a 10th floor monster? How did other Players defeat this?
“…I-If I try to help, I might just get in Mr. Kozak’s way, right?”
“Well, it wouldn’t be particularly troublesome.”
“No, cheering from the sidelines is probably better than clumsy assistance.”
“You think so?”
“Yes! Do your best, Mr. Kozak.”
“Yes, sir!”
Papapat! Kozak charged at terrifying speed. Stab! Stab! Two thrusts destroyed the mantis’s compound eyes. Slash! Slash! Two sword strikes severed both forelegs. Stab! Squish! A blue energy blade sliced open the mantis’s belly, spilling its innards.
It was over in an instant. The Giant Horned Mantis didn’t even have a chance to counterattack.
[You have succeeded in the 10th floor mission.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Reward: 1kg of magic stone]
[Notice: You have achieved S++ grade in conquering the 10th floor of the Black Tower (Korea).]
[S++ conquest reward: You are awarded a Platinum Badge.]
[You can now challenge the 11th floor.]
[Exiting the Korean Black Tower.]
Swoosh! Juhyeok returned to his studio apartment.
…It’s already over. Was this the end of being a beginner? He checked the rewards. 1kg of magic stone. A total of 5.5kg accumulated. What about the Platinum Badge?
[Special benefit awarded for accumulating 10 Platinum Badges.]
…Again? A special benefit appeared. What could it be?
[Special Benefit: You can copy one skill possessed by the summoned being.]
[List: Blade Explosion, Shock Break, Vile Ambush, Poison Dagger, Shadow Step, Distraction, Stealth, Invisibility, Polymorph…,]
[Please state the desired skill.]
“…Wow.” Skill copying. So he could learn one of John Kozak’s techniques?
There were so many. Which one should he choose?
“Summoner Bong!”
“Yes?”
“Absolutely choose Shadow Step.”
“What…?”
“I mean the skill to copy from me. Without question, learn Shadow Step.”
Should he? He asked for the reason first. “Why?”
“It’s convenient for escaping. Even if something goes wrong, you can slip away quickly and stealthily.”
“…” Escape? What did Kozak take him for? Did he look like someone who would run away to save himself?
“…I’ll learn Shadow Step.”
[You have acquired the skill: Shadow Step.]
[Shadow Step skill has been registered in your status window.]
Fast feet were crucial in combat too. Speed was life in a fight. Of course, it was also useful for escaping.
The skill usage method instantly entered his mind.
Skill: Shadow Step
Description: Quickly escape while leaving shadows behind. The effect improves as your level increases.
Usage method: Speak the name aloud or manifest the will internally while taking a step.
This feels good.
[Combat Skill]: Shadow Step
Now he had a skill to use inside the tower.
Maybe in reality too…? He could try it out.
“Shadow Step.” He tried to manifest the skill, but… “…” Nothing happened.
“It doesn’t work.”
He had secretly hoped it would.
“This is a mess.”
The summoning skill worked outside, but why not the combat skill? If they allowed summoning, they should allow this too.
“There’s no consistency. No consistency at all!”
“I don’t know what you mean, but you’re absolutely right.”
It was a shame. Shadow Step was an incredibly useful skill for escaping. If it worked outside, there would be so many places to use it.
Still, he could use it inside the tower, so he was becoming safer. This was a good direction.
***
It was the 11th day of tower climbing. A day off from part-time jobs. He had taken a special vacation. There was something he needed to do.
A thought suddenly occurred to him. Should he quit his part-time jobs?
…Let’s wait a bit longer.
Tower conquest wasn’t difficult. Just summon Mr. John Kozak and it was over. He said there wouldn’t be any problems at least until the mid-10th floors. He’d need to add one more person for the latter half of the 10th floor. When the random summon cooldown was over, that is.
Anyway, there was something he had to do this morning. Selling magic stones. But he had to go through a special procedure. This was the most difficult and challenging moment for Juhyeok.
Magic stones, rocks containing energy harmless to humans. Used across industries and still being researched. He could sell them anywhere.
However, the moment he tried to sell magic stones, his identity as a Player would be exposed. This would put him in an extremely dangerous situation. Players were warriors inside the tower but no different from ordinary people in reality. He might be kidnapped and imprisoned by bad guys, forced to be a magic stone shuttle.
Players died a lot inside the tower, but they also died a lot in reality. Well, this didn’t apply to Juhyeok. He could summon John Kozak as a loyal bodyguard in reality too. Even so, he couldn’t feel at ease. What if something troublesome happened after Kozak was unsummoned? What if he couldn’t immediately call him due to the designated summon cooldown?
If he thought about safety, there was only one choice. Contracting with the government. In the past, Players traded with large corporations and formed guild-like alliances among themselves, but these have almost disappeared now. There were rumors that black markets and secret Player organizations still existed, but their reality was unclear.
Contracting with the national government was the safest option. They would provide personal protection if directly requested. The government would also handle the sale of mission success reward items. There might be preconceptions. Being affiliated with the government might not be free, or they might be unfairly exploited. However, that was only true in dictatorial governments.
Typical governments, especially the South Korean government, granted Players extensive freedom. Players weren’t dangerous in reality, they were only strong inside the tower but weak outside, and without them, tower collapse might occur. Rather, the government had to protect them as a top priority.
The sweet embrace of public power does feel good.
Currently, there were two types of Players managed by the government. ‘Elite’ and ‘General’.
The Elite were the special management tower climbing professional team of the government. They aimed for unconquered upper floors. On the other hand, the General, or loser team, were Players who had lost the will to climb the tower and only played on lower floors.
He just had to avoid joining the Elite team. Because it came with duties and responsibilities. What Juhyeok wanted was the loser team. Over 90% of Players contracted with the government belonged here. They just parked on appropriate floors and repeatedly performed missions. How nice was that? A goal that perfectly matched the identity of low-tier man Bong Juhyeok.
However, there was an uneasy corner. The notice he had been receiving while conquering up to the 10th floor.
[Notice: You have achieved S++ grade in conquering the △△th floor of the Black Tower (Korea).]
He had recently learned what this meant. After finishing the 10th floor conquest yesterday, he tried to search for information about the 11th floor on an internet board called the Tower Climbing Gallery, which Players occasionally visited.
└ Is that rumor true?
└ Yeah. The management office is trying to keep it quiet, but too many people have heard the notice.
└ 10 consecutive S++ grade achievements, is this national pride?
└ Then what else would it be if not national pride? Do you know what the highest record of Japanese Players is? Just A grade, I heard. There wasn’t even a general notice.
└ Even globally, A++ grade is the highest, right? There was no general notice then either.
└ Does the general notice only appear for S grade and above?
└ Seems so. But it’s not just S, it’s S++, so it’s definitely amazing national pride.
└ It’s clearly someone who awakened recently… who on earth is it?
A general notice that appeared to all Players. Everyone knew about it. It was a hot topic on various internet boards recently. Of course, the government must be aware of it too.
If it’s revealed that I’m the protagonist of the S++ grade conquests…
He might be forcibly dragged into the Elite climbing team. So what? Wouldn’t it be better to reveal himself and go out proudly? It was a golden opportunity to gain honor and wealth at once.
That’s not okay!
One moment of boldness could change the direction of his future life 180 degrees. He had to remember once again. It wasn’t because he was great that he received S++ grades. It was because John Kozak was great. Even Kozak couldn’t guarantee what would happen beyond the 20th or 30th floors. What if the random summon didn’t go well and he got a lower grade than Mr. Kozak?
Definitely join the loser team.
What’s wrong with being a loser? The magic stones they obtain develop industries, protect the environment, and enrich the world.
Now! All he had to do was dial the number. And just tell the government official, “I’ve awakened. I want to sell magic stones.” That’s all.
But he needed courage. It wasn’t easy. Was this really the right thing to do? Once he called, there was no turning back. Couldn’t he just keep hiding and living like this? Then what about the tower climbing rewards from now on? He wouldn’t be able to sell things like magic stones.
5.5kg, 2.75 million won.
He picked up his smartphone, then put it down. He dialed the number, then erased it. Even now, a thousand thoughts were racing through his mind.
Ah! The epitome of indecision. The extreme of pettiness. The curse of paternal genes. Why did my father give birth to me like this?
No. He should believe in his maternal genes.
After agonizing like this dozens of times, That’s right! I just need to hide it somehow. He had conquered up to the 10th floor with S++ grade, but from the 11th floor, he could tell Mr. Kozak to take it easy while playing.
“Phew…”
Finally, Juhyeok picked up his smartphone and dialed 1111.
Beep…
As soon as the signal went through,
Click!
“Hello? May I help you?”
“I-I’m Bong Juhyeok. Um, I… I’ve awakened, so I called.”
He had finally done it.
“Congratulations. May our government assistants visit your home?”
“Yes, that’s fine. But I’m living alone, not at my family home. The address is…”
“Understood. We’ll get there as quickly as possible.”
Common man Bong Juhyeok. This was the most courageous decision of his 25-year life. Even more so than his first tower entry.