‘So what if I don’t climb some stupid tower? So what if I don’t awaken some stupid superpower? I just won’t do it. Besides, since I have my subspace ability, it’s not like I have no abilities at all...’
Suho consoled himself like that, but he was disappointed to the point of madness.
He hadn’t expected Ravi, a nonhuman long-lived race and a higher species, to understand him completely, but that day, he couldn’t help feeling bitter toward Ravi for not knowing how he felt.
‘What matters is an unbreakable spirit...!’
Even so, he did not let go of hope.
If the blooming of an innate talent came from the meeting of talent and ether, then wasn’t he the one who had more points of contact with ether than anyone else?
When he suddenly looked back, it seemed he had admired Admittees for a very long time.
The reason he had tried to get a job at an agency that took care of Admittees’ lives in general, since he didn’t have what it took to enter the Tower Management Administration or a management company,
the reason he had obtained the Cheonyangwon ability and even impersonated an Admittee, acting the part,
all of it had been because of that admiration.
Now, renowned S-class Admittees from Korea and abroad were around him, calling him brother and friend, but...
‘Those relationships aren’t complete either...’
The more they trusted him, the more uncomfortable Suho felt.
Of course, Suho’s subspace ability and the resources of Cheonyangwon that he possessed were real, but either way, he wasn’t a true Admittee. Much less an S-class.
Fear would sometimes surge over him—that one day he might be found out, and everything he had built up like a sandcastle might collapse overnight.
While his mind was tangled like that, the tall tower that rose in Korea shook Suho’s uneasy heart once more.
A tower that had risen in Paldal-gu, Suwon.
The tower’s height was a full 83 floors. It was the second tower in the 80-floor range after the 80-floor tower that had risen in Songpa-gu three years ago,
and it was the tallest tower in the history of the Republic of Korea.
Even by global tower generation statistics, it was tall enough to rank within the top fifteen.
Since even A-class Admittees had a climbing limit of the 75th floor, floors 76 through 83 had to be cleared entirely by S-classes.
Moreover, considering the fact that stronger monsters appeared the higher one climbed in a tower, and the tower’s characteristic that the initial entry members were fixed and could not be replaced, it was only right for the clearing team to be composed solely of S-classes from the very beginning.
Because members could leave the clearing party formed from the people who first entered the tower, but no one could be added.
The number of people who could enter was about 16,
and the clearing time limit was about 250 days.
Since, given its height, the scale of damage from a Tower Break in the event of a failed clear was sure to be beyond imagination, failure to clear it and a Tower Break could not be options.
And the Republic of Korea had only ten S-classes.
Naturally, the entire country was thrown into unrest, and the Tower Management Administration at the center of it all was on fire.
“Which of the domestic S-class Admittees are currently participating in clears!? Bring me the data, now!”
“Yes, here it is! Of the ten domestic S-classes, excluding Jeong Suho, who is in production and support, four of the remaining nine are already participating in tower clears...!”
One could not climb two towers at the same time.
An Admittee who began clearing one tower became bound to that tower until its clear was complete, and it became entirely impossible for them to enter any other tower.
In this situation, the four S-classes who were already in the middle of clears had to be considered as good as unavailable.
“Damn it... Then that means we only have five? We need sixteen... Are any of them finishing soon? Which one will end the fastest?”
An analysis team employee, who had been staring holes through the status board, immediately gave a report in response to the Director’s question.
“Thunder Lion. Both of Thunder Lion’s S-classes are currently deployed in a 74-floor tower clear, and they have entered the 53rd floor.”
“Of all places, Thunder Lion...”
Thunder Lion, the number one clan in Korea, also possessed both the number one and number two domestic S-class Admittees, fitting their prestige.
That said, there was not an enormous gap between them and the third-ranked S-class, Frost Sword Lee Danbi. There was only a narrow difference.
“How long do we estimate Thunder Lion will take to clear the remaining twenty-one floors?”
“According to the analysis team’s simulation, approximately fifty days.”
“Fifty days... Then, aside from the two Thunder Lion members, the other two S-classes will take even longer to come out?”
“That’s correct!”
Bang—
The Director slammed both fists down onto the situation room desk, and everyone broke out in cold sweat from the tension.
They couldn’t throw away fifty days of the clearing time limit just to wait for four S-classes. And, in truth, fifty days was the minimum.
It was also unclear whether those four would be willing to resume clearing immediately after finishing their current clears, without any proper time to rest or reorganize.
And that was for the tallest tower in Korean history, with a staggering 83 floors.
No matter that it was the state, no matter that it was the Tower Management Administration, they had no authority to order S-class Admittees to clear a tower.
They could appeal to their patriotism and their sense of responsibility toward social duty, but that was all.
If the Admittees refused to climb the tower, that was the end of it.
Naturally, no one had the right to demand that they throw away their lives for the country and its people.
A heavy atmosphere pressed down on the entire situation room.
Amid that suffocating weight, one employee mentioned the taboo everyone had been keeping silent about.
“...I-In fact, it’s still uncertain whether even the five we currently have will try to climb an 83-floor tower...”
“What are you talking about! We have to get them to climb it no matter what!”
The employee flinched at the Director’s roar and lowered his head deeply.
“It’s the largest tower in Korean history! The clearing team has to be filled to the full sixteen. Not only our five, but shortlist eleven more. Compile a full list of available S-class Admittees from the United States, Japan, Australia, India, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France, Singapore—wherever—and request cooperation! Move!”
““Yes, sir!!””
Before the 83-floor tower clear even began,
the curtain rose on a war to recruit clearing members.
* * *
Information regarding the situation was sent to every Admittee residing in Korea.
Suho, Danbi, and Taeung, of course,
as well as Joshua and Thomas, who had expressed their intent to naturalize in Korea and completed the legal procedures, were all contacted without exception.
And for the S-class Admittees, for each and every S-class, a “Special Clearing Recommendation Delegation” composed of the highest-ranking government officials visited them, explained the nation’s urgent situation, and politely requested their participation in the clear.
This, of course, also included an introduction to the various rewards and benefits the government could provide.
Requesting cooperation from S-class Admittees overseas for the clear was a far more complicated and difficult matter.
First, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea had to officially consult with the foreign ministries of each country, convey the necessity of the request, and obtain official permission from that nation’s government regarding Admittee activity.
Even if, through emergency meetings, they negotiated compensation terms between nations, completed legal permission procedures, issued visas, and supported swift entry into the country,
persuading and requesting cooperation from each individual overseas S-class Admittee was another matter entirely.
Because they, too, were not beings whom their countries could order around.
Furthermore, there was no national government anywhere that could force an S-class Admittee to “go to another country and help with a clear.”
In the end, even if they somehow obtained the permission and cooperation of the relevant nation,
a complicated, difficult, and arduous process awaited the Korean government, in which they would once again have to prepare and present generous compensation for that country’s S-class Admittees and negotiate with them one by one.
“Whoa... 83 floors is no joke.”
Thomas, arms crossed as he flipped through the briefing materials on the current situation, muttered.
Coincidentally, Joshua, Thomas, Danbi, Taeung, and Suho were all together that day as well, leading to the unexpected incident of receiving five recommendation delegations at once.
It was fortunate that they had happened to be gathered at the Sanarae Clan building that day; otherwise, they might not have been able to accommodate all those people who suddenly visited.
After listening to their earnest explanation and sending away the dozens of delegation members from the five teams, the five members sat around the executive conference room of Sanarae Clan.
“What are you going to do?”
When Suho asked, Danbi answered firmly.
“We have to go. Of course we have to go. This is what Admittees exist for. Clans and clearing teams are the same.”
Her eyes, as she clenched her fist, shone brightly as if sparks might fly from them.
“But they said it’s 83 floors. It’s an unprecedented tower.”
“For Korea, yes. But it’s not the worst tower in history. In the United States, there was once a tower that rose all the way to 100 floors, wasn’t there?”
The 100-floor tower in Texas, which was still considered the highest, largest, and worst tower in history.
Twenty Admittees composed entirely of S-classes carried out the clear, and they did succeed in the end, but in the process, the United States lost many S-classes.
Suho cautiously looked at Joshua.
Because Joshua, an S+ class beyond the heavens, had definitely climbed that tower back then.
“...How was it, Joshua? Back then?”
As if it were a memory he did not want to recall, Joshua faintly furrowed his brow, then spoke after a long while.
“Of the twenty, only eight returned.”
A clear that took 300 days. From the 85th floor onward, almost every time they completed a floor, the entire team exited and received care prepared by the government.
It was a clear that received the full support of the U.S. government, from all kinds of potions and heals to mental care and equipment repairs.
Even so, the number of people returning began to decrease with every floor, and by the time they finished clearing the 99th floor, only thirteen members of the clearing team remained.
And when they finished the final clear of the 100th floor, those thirteen S-classes had been reduced to eight.
All of America cheered over the successful clear of the 100-floor tower, and the news was broadcast noisily around the world, but...
For the members of the clearing team themselves, it was no doubt only a horrific and cruel memory.
Regretting that he had asked Joshua about the incident and made him gloomy for no reason, Suho turned to Thomas.
“Thomas, what’s the highest floor you’ve climbed?”
“For me, 80 floors.”
“Oh... Danbi and Taeung, you two were at 80 floors too, right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s right.”
Danbi and Taeung had participated in the 80-floor tower clear that had risen in Songpa-gu three years ago.
Back then, a fifteen-person clearing team had been organized as well, and fortunately, all nine Korean members had participated, so they had only recruited six from overseas.
From what Danbi had told him, Korea had paid an enormous price to borrow those six at the time too.
Even then, from around the 77th floor onward, the clear difficulty had skyrocketed, causing much debate over whether they could succeed or not, and as ominous rumors circulated that a Tower Break might occur, land prices in Songpa-gu plummeted.
In the end, none of the S-classes died, and they succeeded in clearing it.
In any case, Joshua was the only one who had climbed above the 80th floor.
Danbi asked Joshua again.
“Joshua, is it very different above the 80th floor?”
After collecting his memories, Joshua shook his head.
“No... Not really. In my memory, the difference began to show in earnest from the 85th floor. From then on, it started to feel overwhelming, and especially from the 90th floor, every single floor was a hellgate.”
“Oh! Then there’s hope. This one is 83 floors.”
Suho’s face brightened as he clapped his hands, but the other S-classes did not share his expression.
Joshua poured cold water on Suho’s unreserved optimism.
“That is not necessarily the case. Each tower is independent, and the environments inside them and the types of monsters vary wildly. It is generally true that the higher the floor, the stronger the monsters that appear and the more difficult the clear becomes, but you cannot define everything simply by the number of floors. There are 70-floor towers that are more difficult than 80-floor towers, and cases of the opposite as well. Towers are still an unknown realm to humanity.”
At those words, everyone nodded, and Suho let out a deep breath.
“Whew... Anyway, that means we won’t know until we try. Then, for now, what will you all do?”
* * *
After a long discussion, Suho’s group decided that everyone except Suho would participate in the 83-floor tower clear.
And for the duration of clearing that tower, they would select the very best among Sanarae’s A-classes and assign them as Suho’s dedicated guards.
When they informed the Tower Management Administration of this, the Director and the Chief were overjoyed and expressed their gratitude again and again.
In addition, the other three Korean S-classes besides Danbi and Taeung fortunately expressed their intent to participate, so with this, seven members were confirmed first.
What remained were the nine S-classes they had to bring in from overseas.
Recruiting those nine proved more difficult than expected and ran into trouble.
According to what Suho checked from time to time through the Chief of the Administration, a week passed without any effective results.
He said each country was trying to use this opportunity to extract all sorts of things.
Even though, even if they gave permission, the issue of persuading each individual S-class Admittee still remained separate.
The “Special Overseas Clearing Request Delegation” met with high-ranking Admittees overseas individually, proposed personalized benefits, and listed compensation packages, but the S-classes, who were already enjoying many benefits, wealth, and glory in their respective countries, were generally lukewarm.
Because most of them were skeptical about whether they really had to leave their own country and their own clan, coordinate with unfamiliar S-class Admittees from another country, and climb a high-floor tower while taking on various risks.
Despite the delegation running around busily, the recruitment of overseas S-classes produced no results even after a full two weeks.
They had not recruited a single S-class.
The time limit for clearing the tower had already begun to shrink, but the raid team had not even been formed, let alone entered.
Finally, unable to keep watching this, Suho stepped forward.