Jeon Gwang-il rushed early in the morning to an item-crafting workshop located on the outskirts of Seoul.
He met a master craftsman who had devoted his entire life to blacksmithing. "Sir, is the repair finished?"
"The sword's material was orichalcum metal. There was plenty of orichalcum, so repairing it was no trouble, but..."
"Is there a problem?"
"It was an old sword to begin with, with pieces missing here and there. The engravings have faded so much that the original can't be verified. So I couldn't fix the pre-existing damage."
"Then what about the new damage caused by Player Nam Gaeun's use of it?"
"Those parts are completely repaired."
"Ah! That's good to hear. No problem, then."
Damage that existed when the item was first acquired can't be helped.
But newly acquired damage can be repaired.
Still, it was something.
He didn't forget to deposit the rental fee into Bong Juhyeok's account either. The first rental was free, but this was the second rental. 'I should deposit a billion won.' In this urgent, critical situation, what was a billion won?
Besides, this was a benefit received because it was South Korea.
But when renting out to other countries, they would demand at least ten times more than this.
Jeon Gwang-il ran to the Awakening Management Agency with the repaired sword.
All the staff were gathered in the agency's main hall.
To Player Nam Gaeun, who stood waiting among them, fully equipped,
"Here it is."
"Is it fully repaired?"
"Not completely. You see..."
Jeon Gwang-il relayed to Nam Gaeun what the master craftsman had told him.
"Aha! As long as it's the same as when I started, it's fine. I'll have to use it carefully."
"Are you really conquering it today?"
"I told you. As long as I can withstand the Dark Aura, skeletons are just piles of bones."
After thoroughly checking that the body cam on her chest was working properly,
"I'm off to the 63rd floor."
"Best of luck."
"Let's all do our best, fighting!"
The Management Agency staff cheered her on as well.
"Fighting! Nam Gaeun!"
"Come back safe."
"I'll hold my breath and wait until you return."
"Go show them the terror of the gym rat."
Waving to each of them one by one, "See you later."
Flash!
Nam Gaeun vanished.
The Management Agency staff remained rooted in place.
Would things go as she wished?
And about two hours later.
Once again.
Flash!
She appeared.
"H-how did it go?"
Nam Gaeun beamed and drew a V with her fingers.
"Conquest successful!"
And then, "WOOOOAAAH!!!"
A roar erupted that seemed to shake the entire Management Agency.
The bridge of her nose stinging, Nam Gaeun touched her nose with her hand and squirmed about for no particular reason.
She knew, too.
That it wasn't because she was exceptional. 'Player Bong, thank you so much.' What if she hadn't had the holy sword item he'd provided?
The tower's collapse would have been guaranteed. 'I should get him a gift.' The rental fee was the rental fee, and a gift was a gift.
What do men like?
Jeon Gwang-il was deeply moved as well.
With the holy sword in hand, she could reach the 66th floor—no, even the 67th floor—without difficulty.
Then what about the 68th floor?
By then, it would be about time for Player Bong Juhyeok to climb into the 60s.
He would be even more reliable than the holy sword.
"Player Nam Gaeun, please hand over the body cam."
"You're releasing this footage right away?"
"We have to calm the public's anxiety."
"Yes, sir!"
The game had been turned around, utterly and completely. ※ ※ ※ He had rested for a long while.
Honestly, the 28th floor conquest had been far too easy.
Even Kosak simply stood by, watching him rampage.
The 30th floor was a level with the Twin-Head Troll as its boss.
Might it be a bit more fun? 'How many should I kill?' Come to think of it, there seemed to be some benefits to Gyeon Dallae being here.
Because Kosak couldn't move an inch.
If she shouted at herself, "Lord Summoner Bong shall not move a muscle!"
She might issue a stern rebuke: "You impudent wretch! Where are your manners!" 'I'll read the mood and kill a reasonable ten or so.'
[You are entering the Black Tower of South Korea, Floor 30.]
He took out his mace and shield, activated his energy barrier, stretched to loosen up his body, and while doing so, glanced sidelong at Gyeon Dallae—
The figure of a delicate, slender girl standing beside Juhyeok.
Though her expression seemed resolute, what kind of abilities would she show?
"Alright! You're ready, aren't you?"
"Chung! After so long away from battle, strength wells up within me of its own accord. Watch closely! I shall sweep them all away."
"I'll do it all myself. Even if it kills me, I'll protect my Summoner."
At that,
"Hoh, I thought you were ignorant wretches who knew no etiquette, but your spirits were properly rooted after all."
"Heh heh, is, is that so...?"
"You must give your utmost. The day Lord Summoner Bong is disappointed in us is the day we receive heavenly punishment."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Honestly.
What was with that expression?
The look of someone feeling proud at receiving praise from a fellow SSR.
Like a rolling stone dislodging a settled one.
Kobang took the lead.
Kosak followed behind.
Gyeon Dallae also advanced with light, graceful steps.
[Floor 30 Mission: Slay 80 trolls of any kind and 1 Twin-Head Troll.][Time Limit: Within 13 hours.][Completion Conditions: Trolls of all kinds 0/80, Twin-Head Troll 0/1]
The moment the mission appeared,
Trolls revealed themselves one or two at a time.
But then? 'Huh?'
Gyeon Dallae's behavior was strange.
She was pulling something out from within her wide sleeves— '...A portable speaker?'
She even had a USB memory stick.
A speaker that played music when a USB was plugged in.
Why would a mudang carry that?
When Juhyeok looked at her with curious eyes,
"It is embarrassing to admit. Originally, there should be a master drummer to beat the drum for me, but as this girl travels alone, I procured this as a stopgap measure."
"Uh, yes, yes."
He had no idea where she'd procured it or why it was necessary.
In any case, the conquest began.
"UWOOOOOO!"
Kobang charged out with a roar—
Kosak with his lithe shadow steps.
And Gyeon Dallae?
Then it came.
Doom! Doom! Doom-doom! Doom-doom!
The sound of a drum rang out from the speaker.
In time with it, Gyeon Dallae shook her bells.
Tling-tling-tling...
A strange harmony of drumbeats and bell chimes.
Prrrring!
The ring of a blade joined the harmony as well.
It turned out the sword in her hand wasn't for killing monsters either—it existed to make sound.
"Heaven and Earth's divine spirits grant their protection to Young Master Bong! Begone, you wicked things, at once!"
"...I see. So that's why she needed the speaker."
Out of nowhere, inside the Black Tower... a gut performance?
In that instant!
Fwoooosh!
The bronze mirror hanging from her neck lit up like an LED bulb.
A warmly spreading wave of qi.
"Ah!"
Magic power surged through his entire body.
Strength welling up.
Senses sharpening. 'This is...'
A buff.
One that raised the stats of his fellow party members—
Juhyeok wasn't the only one affected.
Kobang's body grew even more massive.
At the same time, his skin turned a murky black.
The trolls raked Kobang's skin with their sharp claws, but—
Clang!
With a metallic screech, it was the trolls' claws that snapped instead.
Kosak went wild as well.
The blade-qi of his daggers grew longer and deeper still; his shadow steps became impossible to follow even with the eye, as he flickered about, slashing like a madman.
"This is incredible! I'll kill you all! I'm going crazy!"
The trolls were affected by the drumbeats and bell chimes too.
But not with a positive effect—quite the opposite.
Exposed to the mirror's light, the blades, and the bell sounds, the trolls visibly slowed.
Confusion was plainly visible in their eyes—
and even the trolls' most powerful ability, their regeneration, vanished.
Trolls now inferior to mere orcs.
Torn apart by Kobang, cut down by Kosak.
The drumbeats grew faster and faster.
And with them, the bell chimes—
Doom-doom-doom-doom! Doom-doom-doom-doom!
Charararang! Charararang!
Parararang! Parararang!
A relentless, dizzying hwimori rhythm.
His body moved of its own accord along the melody.
At last, Juhyeok's chest swelled with grandeur.
Surging fighting spirit, swelling exhilaration, overflowing confidence—the feeling that he could accomplish anything.
Trolls?
Smashing those skulls would be child's play.
The top dog is coming.
I'll slaughter every last one of them!
But the moment he raised his weapon and tried to charge out—
Grab.
A hand catching his collar from behind. 'What the—?'
Gyeon Dallae shook her head side to side and said,
"It would be best to leave the fighting to your subordinates. Young Master, please simply watch in comfort."
Huh?
This felt like a bad omen.
"Um... I was planning to kill just a few and pull back."
"A gentleman does not run even in the rain. How could you deign to stand shoulder to shoulder with lowly creatures?"
"I'm a lowly creature too, when you get to know me. I'm a bottom-feeder. A bottom-feeder."
"Absolutely, utterly unacceptable. You are such an upright, noble young master—excessive modesty does not become you."
There was no time for this.
At this rate, Kosak and Kobang would kill everything.
He tried to wrench himself free with force—
Grip!
She held his collar and would not let go.
"Haah. Fine, I'll kill just one and come back."
"Your safety is paramount, Young Master."
So frustrating.
His kill count was rising,
and the girl was holding him back from going,
so, left with no choice,
"That's an order. Let go of this hand. Now!"
Speaking in a deliberately stern voice—
"Th-that, I cannot do."
"I've already decided. I'm going, so shout at me or don't, it's up to you."
"Ah, ah, no..."
Suddenly, Gyeon Dallae's face went deathly pale.
And then—
"Hnnng..."
Huh? 'Is she... crying?'
Tears welled up in Gyeon Dallae's large eyes. 'Wait, why...?'
Juhyeok was utterly flustered.
When had she ever cared about yelling at him for slurping her ramyeon loudly? 'Is this an act?'
It didn't seem like one.
Tears were actually falling, drop by drop.
So this was Gyeon Dallae's reaction when the three principles and three clauses of Absolute Obedience versus Protected Summoned Being collided?
Isn't it a bit much for an SSR-rank to be crying?
In that instant!
Juhyeok's eyes met Gyeon Dallae's.
And he understood at once.
The sorrow and fear dwelling in her gaze. '...Oh no! Damn it!'
Like an idiot—
why hadn't he realized this?
Protected summoned beings weren't summons to be judged by rank alone.
They were people.
Real humans, with emotions and reason.
Wasn't there a reason the catalog gave background descriptions for the protected summoned beings?
If they were mere summons, what need would there be for backgrounds?
Kosak died trying to assassinate a Swordmaster.
Yaman Kobang, though he was deceived into it, died bravely facing off against the super-monster Hydra.
Both had fought fiercely to the end—any lingering attachment to life?
Not a trace of it showed.
But Gyeon Dallae?
Having lost her father, betrayed by the uncle she trusted, even her young sibling killed—for what must her heart have felt when, for revenge, she threw her flesh into the blade knowing she was going to her death?
She must have been afraid.
She must have been lonely.
She must have despaired.
She must have felt the same even after death.
She was not a strong girl.
On the contrary, she was weak to the extreme.
She merely put on a show of strength to hide her weakness.
A chihuahua that barks a lot because it's weak.
Just like his little brother Minhyeok.
He was like that a lot when he was young too.
"Are you afraid I might die?"
"Th-that is so."
"Should we not go?"
Nod, nod.
"Then I won't go. Rest assured."
"I am deeply grateful."
What did killing a monster or two matter, anyway?
He was a bottom-feeder, after all.
He'd briefly mistaken himself for a top dog because of the buff.
Time to return to his true nature.
The battle ended quickly.
Even faster than when he'd taken down the Orc Great Chieftain.
The Twin-Head Troll died the moment it appeared.
One head was torn off by Kobang, and the other was severed by Kosak.
The moment the mission success message appeared,
Kosak came running, breathless.
Whispering into Juhyeok's ear.
"But why didn't the Princess make a move?"
"...Something of the sort happened."
"Did Lord Summoner Bong scold you for treating me so rudely earlier, perhaps?"
"As if I would. And you got scolded because you earned it—I did nothing wrong."
"I'm hurt. I might cry."
"Cry or don't."
At that moment!
"You wretch!!! How dare you approach the Young Master with a body stained in monster blood! Get away at once. Shoo, shoo!"
"...Yes, yes, understood."
Pfft.
By now, that scolding didn't bother him at all.
In any case, he had to treat her well.
So that she could at least live happily here.
But then again—
Kosak, and Gyeon Dallae too—
they all tried, by any means, to keep him out of danger.
That effort was truly heartbreaking. Heartbreaking.
And then, for the first time in a while,
a global announcement rang out to all players in South Korea.
[Announcement: The Black Tower (Korea)
[…cleared the 30th floor with a grade of S++.][S++ clear reward: You have been awarded a Platinum Badge.]
Either way, that makes 30 badges accumulated now.
What would the next perk be?※ ※ ※Commissioner Park Gyeongsu's bombshell declaration in the middle of a National Assembly audit.
The successful clearance of the 62nd floor of Korea's Black Tower, an announcement that the 63rd floor would be cleared the very next day, and on top of that, a pledge to clear the 66th floor within a month.
The reaction was explosive enough to bury the news of Yu Cheolmin's naturalization.
All day long, the TV aired footage of Player Nam Ga-eun clearing the 62nd floor.
Wielding an enormous, rather worn-looking greatsword as she cut her way through zombies, a faint radiance pushing back the aura of darkness.└ Are the zombies paper dolls? Divine power is on a whole different level from the light attribute.└ The clear time is absurdly fast. That has to be faked.└ Why would they bother?└ Public opinion's in the gutter, so they might've cooked up a video to try to weasel their way out of it.└ You'd tell a lie that's guaranteed to be exposed? Is the Management Authority stupid?└ Right. I don't know about the Management Authority, but I trust Player Nam Ga-eun. Do you not know how good her reputation is?└ Anyway, it comes out today. The 63rd floor clear result. We'll see then.
The nation held its breath.
They would soon find out.
Could Player Nam Ga-eun really clear the 63rd floor back to back?
And then—Breaking news erupting all at once.
The reaction could only be called explosive.
Every single internet forum in South Korea was a festival in full swing.
Even on short-form video SNS—YouTube Shorts, Dils, TipTok—Nam Ga-eun's 62nd and 63rd floor clear videos were edited into one-minute clips and began to spread.
And then, the finishing touch.
A message that rang out only for players of Korean nationality.[Notice : You have cleared the 30th floor of the Black Tower (South Korea)
with a grade of S++.]└ Uh, what?└ Holy···└ No way!└ What what what?└ First global notice in a while.└ Ahhhh, if it's a global notice, could it be...?└ 30th floor S++ grade clear record achieved.└ Whoa, that's basically a lethal dose of national pride.
Player Nam Ga-eun's 2-hour clear of the 63rd floor was already satisfying enough.
But on top of that,from a player whose identity no one knew,but who was unquestionably Korean,a 30th floor S++ grade clear record had been piled on.
How could the nationalist crowd possibly hold out?────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────