A gruesome crime scene: severed heads adorned with ribbons like macabre gifts. Three victims, their lives snuffed out in an instant.
This is utterly insane, Juhyeok thought, his stomach churning.
The authorities had already issued a public wanted notice. The suspect’s image, captured with eerie clarity on CCTV, stared back at him from the screen.
It doesn’t look like John Kozak’s face… Juhyeok mused, but a nagging doubt persisted. Being an assassin, there was a high chance he had used a disguise. Or it could be someone else entirely… or just a chilling coincidence.
But what were the odds of two murderers who shared such a grotesque signature – tying ribbon bows on severed heads?
Did I summon a demon? Juhyeok wondered, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. Since he’s a ghost, is he some kind of malevolent spirit?
After watching the morning news, Juhyeok’s trembling fingers searched the internet for more information on the Smile Cash murder case. To his surprise, the general public’s reaction was unexpected, even disturbing.
The comment sections of community forums were filled with an unsettling sense of vindication:
└ “Should we call him the Ribbon Killer?”
└ “Killer? More like the Ribbon Avenger!”
└ “Weren’t these guys running an illegal operation under the guise of legality?”
└ “I feel a twisted sense of relief. Who knows how many lives they ruined? I heard some people even had their organs harvested.”
└ “I borrowed 1 million won and barely escaped after paying back 5 million.”
└ “That’s nothing. My friend borrowed 8 million won, paid 10 million in interest, and the principal is still untouched.”
└ “Who could have done this?”
└ “Obviously one of their victims.”
└ “Bastards. I don’t know who killed them, but at this point, isn’t it justifiable homicide?”
Juhyeok sighed deeply and shut his laptop with a soft click. The weight of what had happened – what he might have inadvertently caused – pressed down on him like a physical force.
Wasn’t it supposed to be absolute obedience? he thought, his mind racing. He had never given an order to kill. He just told Kozak to watch TV. So why? Why is this happening?
With trembling fingers, Juhyeok called up his status window and examined the catalog entry, hoping for some clue, some explanation for the chaos that had erupted around him.
+++
<Catalog: Deranged Assassin from the Cruel Assassination Guild>
Name: John Kozak
Grade: SR (Super Rare)
Type: Assassin (Human)
Manifestation Duration: 6 hours
Satisfaction Rating: None.
Resummoning Cooldown: 3 hours (Currently available for designated summon)
+++
Summoning was possible. Should he call him and ask? Did he really kill those people? If so, why?
But a chill ran down Juhyeok’s spine. What if he turns on me? he thought. No… he didn’t seem like he would. Maybe he even did it to protect me.
Steeling himself, Juhyeok made his decision. “John Kozak, designated summon!” he called out.
At that moment, a hologram appeared before Juhyeok’s eyes, displaying five colorless stars.
[Before designated summoning, please leave a satisfaction rating for John Kozak.]
[Please move your finger to rate the stars.]
Ah! So that’s why there was a satisfaction rating in the catalog, Juhyeok realized. Star ratings, huh?
He felt he should give something, but how many stars? Juhyeok was the type to always give 5 stars when given the chance. His mother worked as a rental water purifier coordinator, so he knew how heartbreaking low satisfaction ratings could be.
But he couldn’t give 5 stars to a murder suspect either. So…
Tap!
[John Kozak’s satisfaction rating has been set to 3 stars.]
An ambiguous score of 3, neither here nor there. There was dissatisfaction, but not enough for 1 star. This was the star rating of a low-tier man.
Suddenly!
Whoosh! Poof!
[John Kozak has been summoned by designation.]
“At your service! Delighted to see you again! Thank you for the 3 stars! I shall strive to improve my performance!” Kozak exclaimed, his archaic speech pattern unchanged.
“…Yeah,” Juhyeok replied, taken aback by Kozak’s innocent expression. Could this person really have killed three people? he wondered. No way!
“I summoned you because I have something to ask,” Juhyeok began hesitantly.
“Yes, sir! Ask away.”
“Did you… did you kill those people who came to our house yesterday, Mr. Kozak?”
“Indeed, I did. I took care of them last night, just before I was unsummoned.”
“…”
The realization hit Juhyeok like a ton of bricks. This man before him was indeed the murderer. He was face to face with a killer. The hair on his body stood on end.
Mustering his courage and swallowing hard to prevent a hiccup, Juhyeok asked, “H-how? You wouldn’t even know where their office was.”
“When those scoundrels barged into your abode, I planted a tracking mark on them. I knew exactly where to find them,” Kozak explained matter-of-factly.
A tracking mark? Must be some kind of skill, Juhyeok thought.
“Why? Why did you go that far?” he pressed.
“They were a threat. It’s best to deal with such elements preemptively.”
“But… I didn’t order you to do that.”
“Ah, that’s because of the 3rd principle, sir.”
The 3 principles… Juhyeok recalled them. The 1st was to prioritize the summoner’s life. The 2nd was absolute obedience to orders. And the 3rd…
“When the 1st and 2nd principles conflict, the 3rd principle states that the 1st takes precedence,” Kozak explained.
“Ah!” Juhyeok exclaimed, understanding dawning on him. For example, if he ordered Kozak to kill him, Kozak would disobey because the 1st principle took priority.
“But there was no real threat,” Juhyeok argued. “Isn’t that just your arbitrary judgment?”
“That’s true,” Kozak admitted. “However, the 3rd principle can be interpreted broadly. If those miscreants were left alone, they would surely threaten your life someday.”
“…”
This was driving Juhyeok crazy. The assumption that illegal debt collectors might kill him someday… Kozak must have thought he couldn’t protect Juhyeok when he wasn’t summoned, so killing them was the best option.
“Wow! You really are ins-” Juhyeok caught himself. “Ah! I’m sorry.”
“It’s quite alright. I’ve heard that many times,” Kozak replied nonchalantly.
Juhyeok was at a loss. How should he handle this situation? I shouldn’t be grateful for this… it’s extremely dangerous, he thought. He’s like a ticking time bomb. He might be difficult to control.
Imagining a scenario where they walked down a crowded street and someone accidentally bumped into him, threatening him… Kozak might perceive that as a threat to Juhyeok’s life, resulting in another ribbon-adorned severed head.
This couldn’t go on. Juhyeok wasn’t sure if he’d keep summoning Kozak, but he had to make things clear.
“The murders weren’t for my benefit,” Juhyeok explained. “They could put me in a difficult situation.”
“…N-no one will know,” Kozak assured him, but as Juhyeok continued to frown, he knelt down. “I apologize profusely.”
“…Don’t kneel,” Juhyeok said, uncomfortable.
“Yes, sir!”
“You won’t do it again, right?”
“I… I cannot promise that with certainty.”
The way Kozak’s eyes darted around didn’t inspire much confidence, but at least he seemed honest.
“Unless my life is in immediate danger, killing people based on a mere assumption is…” Juhyeok began.
“Understood! I shall endeavor to judge situations more judiciously,” Kozak replied enthusiastically.
“Alright. You can go back now.”
“But… aren’t you going to climb the tower?”
Tower climbing.
Since it had come up, Juhyeok decided to be honest, even if it was embarrassing.
“I haven’t decided yet. …I’m a coward, you see. I’m scared. I don’t want to die.”
“Ah! I understand completely. In my experience, that’s exactly how summoners who call upon us should be.”
Huh? Summoners should be cowards? Juhyeok thought, surprised. And from this guy’s experience?
“Were there other summoners? I mean, people who summoned you like I did?”
“Indeed, there were.”
So there are more people like me? Juhyeok marveled.
“…From the same Earth?”
“No. A world similar to Earth’s civilization, but different. There are quite a few such worlds.”
“Hmm.” The idea of worlds similar to Earth’s civilization intrigued Juhyeok. Is it a parallel universe?
“Then they could summon you there too, right?”
“They cannot.”
“Why not?”
Kozak’s expression turned somber as he replied, “They perished.”
“Ah!”
“That world met its doom as well.”
The atmosphere grew heavy.
“They were truly valiant,” Kozak continued.
“I see.”
“They would rush out to confront monsters before me. They were an exceptionally strong summoner.”
“You must miss them a lot.”
“I’m uncertain. I can’t remember now.”
Juhyeok felt strange. A slight sense of contempt, his face reddening with shame. The other summoner was brave, so why was he such a coward?
“I must seem pathetic in comparison, right?” Juhyeok asked.
“Pardon?”
“Because I’m a coward afraid to enter the tower.”
Kozak waved his hands vigorously. “No! Absolutely not! I actually prefer it. I’m quite fond of you!”
“…Eh?” Juhyeok was confused.
“Summoners should be like that. Bravery is poison. Cowardice is the greatest virtue.”
“Uh…”
“Brave summoners are dangerous. You never know when they’ll die. If they die, we can’t come out either, you know.”
So that’s how it was connected.
“Summoner Bong, just keep playing it safe and live a long life. I’ll handle all the dirty work.”
“Yeah, well…” It was easy for Juhyeok. Even if Kozak didn’t tell him to, he would.
“Anyway, I’ll think about climbing the tower.”
“Take your time deciding. It’s fine if you don’t do it.”
“Then I’ll…”
“Yes! Please summon me again next time!”
Juhyeok used the summon release skill, and with a poof, John Kozak disappeared.
He’s gone, Juhyeok thought, his mind hazy. The past couple of days had been full of high-impact events.
Now, back to daily life. He had to go to work.
Juhyeok worked two part-time jobs: at a convenience store during the day and at a meat restaurant at night. There were many expenses to cover. His father’s rehabilitation was far from complete, and his mother worked as a water purifier coordinator. He needed to contribute to the household expenses.
That’s why working two part-time jobs was much better than getting employed at one place. With the money he earned, he sent some home, saved some, and paid off debt.
…Do I need to pay off the debt? he wondered. Well, the person to collect the debt has disappeared.
He’d be late if he didn’t hurry. He needed to leave quickly.
***
At the convenience store where Juhyeok worked, he couldn’t concentrate on his tasks at all, despite it being the day shift.
The 0.01% awakening. And a player with the summoning characteristic.
No matter how good the characteristic was, it was clearly dangerous. Was summoning really that easy?
It’s better not to do it, Juhyeok thought.
But he was also a young man in his prime. He felt the desire to challenge himself at least once.
Damn it! Why can’t I do it?
His future was uncertain. He couldn’t live working part-time jobs forever.
Should he do it, or not? He went back and forth.
Typical low-tier man! Indecisive, unable to make a decision.
At this rate, his awakening might be canceled. If tower climbing didn’t occur within 3 months of awakening, the player qualification would be lost. Even existing players lost their status if they didn’t work.
It would be a shame to just let it be canceled… Juhyeok mused. In a way, it might be fine if nothing happened and it just passed.
Maybe I should at least take a look at what it’s like?
When you become a player, the government provides full support. Legal advice, identity protection requests, buying rewards obtained from tower climbing at high prices, and countless other benefits.
Initially, players hid their identities, but now many openly revealed their status and were active. They were almost like celebrity entertainers. Some even brought video recording devices into the tower to broadcast their conquests.
There were a few videos if you looked for them.
Are there any conquests by players with the summoning characteristic? Juhyeok wondered.
There were. He found a video recorded by a player with the characteristic of summoning golems.
…Wow!
Monsters rushed in. The summoning characteristic player gestured towards them.
Thump thump thump thump!
A golem about 3m tall tore the monsters apart. Although it was pushed back a bit due to the sheer number of monsters…
This characteristic seems sweeter than I thought, Juhyeok mused. The summoner didn’t seem to be doing anything.
It looked doable.
Should I try it?
But then Juhyeok read the comments on the video:
└ What’s a level 30 doing on the 21st floor? Go climb the 31st floor.
└ He must have gotten scared after trying once. That place has trap zones and tons of monsters.
└ Just go back to the 1st floor.
└ Does repeating the 21st floor mean you can make a living?
└ Fucking coward.
└ Hey, don’t be too harsh. If you die in the tower, they can’t even find your body. We should understand.
Players who stopped climbing further were quite common. It was natural that it got harder as you went up. It would be fortunate if it was just difficult. One wrong move and you die.
That’s why they parked on easy floors and just collected rewards. You could repeat floor missions multiple times anyway.
I like this guy, Juhyeok thought. It was actually better. What’s wrong with enjoying the easy floors?
This changed things. In a corner of Juhyeok’s mind, the thought of giving it a try began to slowly blossom.