The day Nam Ga-eun's player raid of the 63rd floor of the Korean Black Tower was scheduled.
Jeon Gwang-il hurried early in the morning to an item-crafting workshop located near Seoul.
He met a master craftsman who had devoted his entire life to blacksmithing and asked,
"Sir, is the repair finished?"
"The sword's material was orichalcon metal. There's plenty of orichalcon, so repairing it wasn't a problem, but…"
"Is there some kind of issue?"
"It was an old sword from the start, with chips missing here and there. Many of the engravings were worn away, so I couldn't even identify the original design. Because of that, I couldn't fix the existing damage."
"Then what about the damage that occurred after Player Nam Ga-eun used it?"
"That part was repaired perfectly."
"Ah! That's great. No problem then."
Any damage that existed from the moment the item was acquired couldn't be helped.
New damage could be repaired.
Still, wasn't that good enough?
He also didn't forget to transfer the rental fee to Bong Ju-hyeok.
The first rental was free, but this was the second one.
'Gotta wire over one billion won.'
In this urgent and critical situation, was one billion even money?
Another benefit of being in South Korea.
If it were rented out to another country, he'd charge at least ten times this amount.
Jeon Gwang-il took the repaired sword and rushed to the Awakening Management Agency.
All the staff were gathered in the agency's main auditorium.
To Nam Ga-eun, who was standing there fully equipped among them—
"Here it is."
"Is the repair done?"
"It's not completely restored. Well, the thing is…"
Jeon Gwang-il explained to Nam Ga-eun what the master craftsman had told him.
"Ah-ha! As long as it's the same as before, that's fine. I'll just have to be careful using it."
"Are you really going to raid today?"
"I told you already. As long as I can endure the dark aura, skeletons are just piles of bones."
After carefully checking that the body cam attached to her chest was working properly—
"I'll be back from the 63rd floor."
"We wish you the best of luck."
"Let's all give it our all—power!"
The agency staff cheered her on as well.
"Fighting! Nam Ga-eun!"
"Come back safely!"
"I'll hold my breath and wait until you're back."
"Go show them how scary a gym rat can be."
She waved to everyone one by one.
"See you later."
Spot!
Nam Ga-eun disappeared.
The agency staff didn't move an inch from where they stood.
Would things really go as hoped?
And about two hours later—
Again.
Spot!
She appeared.
"Ah—how did it go?"
Nam Ga-eun broke into a wide smile and made a V sign with her fingers.
"Raid successful!"
And then—
"Woooooo!!!"
Cheers loud enough to shake the building erupted through the agency.
Sniffling as if her nose stung, Nam Ga-eun rubbed it with her hand and twisted her body awkwardly for no reason.
She knew it too.
That it wasn't because she herself was amazing.
'Player Bong, thank you so much.'
If it weren't for the holy sword item he had given her—
The tower would've collapsed, no question.
'I should get him a gift or something.'
A rental fee was a rental fee, and a gift was a gift.
What did men like, anyway?
Jeon Gwang-il was deeply moved as well.
With the holy sword, she could probably reach the 66th floor—no, even the 67th—without much trouble.
Then what about the 68th floor?
By then, Player Bong Ju-hyeok would be climbing into the 60-floor range himself.
That would be even more reassuring than the holy sword.
"Player Nam Ga-eun, please hand over the body cam."
"You're going to release this right away too?"
"We need to calm the public's anxiety."
"Yes!"
The tables had been turned completely.
※ ※ ※
I'd rested for quite a while.
To be honest, the 28th-floor raid was way too easy.
Even Kosak reached the point of just standing by and watching me rampage.
The 30th floor had a Twin-Head Troll as the boss.
Might be a little fun.
'How many should I kill?'
Come to think of it, having Gyeon Dallae here had its advantages.
Kosak couldn't even move.
If she were to scold me, saying, "Summoner Bong, stay put!"—
There was a chance I'd get a furious rebuke like, "You insolent wretch! How dare you!"
'I should read the room and take down more than ten, but not too many.'
[Entering the 30th floor of the Korean Black Tower.]
I took out my mace and shield, activated my energy barrier, stretched to warm up, and glanced sideways at Gyeon Dallae.
Standing beside Ju-hyeok was a frail, slender girl.
Though her expression looked resolute, I wondered what kind of abilities she would show.
"All right! You're ready, right?"
"Ch! It's been a long time since I've been out on the battlefield, so I'm feeling extra strong. Please watch me! I'll wipe them all out."
"I'll handle everything. Even if it kills me, I'll protect the summoner."
Then—
"Oh? I thought you were uncouth lowlifes with no sense of etiquette, but it seems your minds are in the right place."
"Hehe, i-is that so…?"
"You must do your utmost. If Summoner Bong were to feel disappointed, you would suffer heavenly punishment."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Seriously.
What's with that look on his face?
That proud expression of someone being praised by a fellow SSR.
Like a rolling stone knocking out the stone that had settled there.
Gobang took the lead.
Kosak followed behind.
Gyeon Dallae advanced lightly as well.
[30th-Floor Mission: Defeat 80 trolls of any type and 1 Twin-Head Troll.]
[Time Limit: Within 13 hours.]
[Completion Conditions: All trolls 0/80, Twin-Head Troll 0/1]
The moment the mission appeared—
Trolls began to reveal themselves one or two at a time.
But then?
'Huh?'
Gyeon Dallae's actions were strange.
She pulled something out from within the wide sleeves of her robe.
'…A portable speaker?'
She even had a USB memory stick.
A speaker that played music when a USB was plugged in.
Why would a shrine maiden be carrying something like that?
When Ju-hyeok looked at her with curiosity—
"I am ashamed to say it. Normally, there should be a master who beats the drum, but since this young lady travels alone, I prepared this as a last resort."
"Ah, yes, yes."
I didn't know where she got it or why it was needed.
But anyway, the raid began.
"Uwooooo!"
Gobang charged out with a roar,
Kosak moving with fluid, shadow-like footwork.
What about Gyeon Dallae?
That was when it happened.
Thud! Thud! Dudoong! Thud-thud!
Drumbeats rang out from the speaker.
In time with them, Gyeon Dallae shook her bells.
Jingle-jingle-jingle…
A strange harmony formed between the drumbeats and the ringing bells.
Parrrrit!
The sound of blades joined the harmony as well.
It turned out the sword in her hand wasn't for killing monsters, but for making sound.
"May the spirits of heaven and earth grant their protection to Young Master Bong. Begone at once, you impure things!"
"…"
So that was why she needed the speaker.
Holding a shamanic ritual…
Inside the Black Tower, of all places?
In that instant—
Fwoooosh!
The bronze mirror hanging from her neck lit up like an LED bulb.
A warm wave of qi spread outward.
"Ah!"
Magic surged through my entire body.
Power welled up explosively.
My senses sharpened.
'This is…'
A buff.
One that increased the party members' stats.
I wasn't the only one affected.
Gobang's body grew even larger.
At the same time, his skin darkened.
The trolls slashed at Gobang's skin with their sharp claws, but—
Clang!
A metallic sound rang out, and instead, the trolls' claws snapped.
Kosak went wild as well.
The blade energy of his daggers grew longer and denser, and his shadowy footwork moved so fast it was impossible to track with the naked eye, flashing as he hacked away like a madman.
"This is insane! It's amazing! I'm losing my mind!"
The trolls were affected by the drumbeats and bell sounds too.
But not positively—quite the opposite.
Exposed to the mirror's light, the blade, and the bells, the trolls visibly slowed down.
Confusion was plain in their eyes,
and even their regeneration—their strongest ability—vanished.
Now they were weaker than orcs.
They were torn apart by Gobang and sliced to pieces by Kosak.
The drumbeats grew faster.
In response, the bell sounds—
Thud-thud-thud-thud! Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Charrrit! Charrrit!
Parrrrit! Parrrrit!
A frenzied whirl of rhythm crashed down.
My body moved on its own, carried by the beat.
At last, my chest swelled with grandeur.
Surging fighting spirit, rising exhilaration, overflowing confidence—a feeling that I could accomplish anything.
Trolls?
Cracking their skulls would be child's play.
A real man was going in.
I'll kill every last one of them!
Just as I grabbed my weapon and was about to charge—
Grab!
A hand seized my collar from behind.
'What?'
Gyeon Dallae shook her head side to side and said,
"It would be best to leave the fighting to your subordinates. Young Master should simply relax and watch."
Huh?
This is giving me a bad feeling.
"Uh… I'll just kill a few and come right back."
"A gentleman does not run even when it rains. How could you lower yourself to stand shoulder to shoulder with such base creatures?"
"But if you look closely, I'm pretty base myself. I'm a hannamja. A loser."
"That is utterly unacceptable. You are such an upright and noble young master—excessive humility is not virtuous."
There's no time for this.
At this rate, Kosak and Gobang will kill everything.
I tried to wrench myself free with force, but—
Squeeze!
She wouldn't let go of my collar.
"Haa… I'll just kill one and come back."
"Your safety is the most important thing of all."
This is suffocating.
The kill count is going up,
the girl is holding me back,
and so, left with no choice—
"That's an order. Let go of my collar. Now."
I spoke in a deliberately firm voice.
"Ah—th-that cannot be allowed."
"It's already decided. I'm going, so scold me or yell if you want—do whatever."
"Ah, ah, no—"
Suddenly, Gyeon Dallae's face turned deathly pale.
And then—
"Uhh…"
Huh?
'Is she… crying?'
Tears welled up in Gyeon Dallae's large eyes.
'Why…?'
I was utterly flustered.
Wasn't she the one who yelled at me for slurping ramen loudly?
'Is this an act?'
It didn't seem like it.
Tears were actually falling, drop by drop.
Is this how Gyeon Dallae reacts when absolute obedience collides with Clause Three of the Three Principles of Blood-Summoned Beings?
Still, isn't it a bit much for an SSR-grade to cry?
In that moment—
Our eyes met.
And I understood instantly.
The sorrow and fear reflected in her pupils.
'…Damn it.'
Like an idiot,
how did I not realize this sooner?
A blood-summoned being wasn't a summon evaluated solely by rank.
She was a person.
A real human being with emotions and reason.
Did those background descriptions in the catalog exist for no reason?
If they were just simple summons, why would backgrounds even be needed?
Kosak died attempting to assassinate a swordmaster.
Savage Gobang, even if he'd been deceived, died bravely fighting a super demonic beast, the Hydra.
Both of them died after fierce battles.
Lingering regrets about life?
They didn't seem to have any.
But what about Gyeon Dallae?
After losing her father, being betrayed by the uncle she trusted, and even losing her young sibling, what must she have felt when she threw herself into vengeance knowing she would die?
She must have been afraid.
She must have been lonely.
She must have despaired.
Even after death, she must have felt the same.
She wasn't a strong girl.
She was weak—painfully so.
She only pretended to be strong to hide that weakness.
A chihuahua that barks a lot because it's weak.
She reminded me of my younger brother, Min-hyeok.
He was like that a lot when he was little too.
"Are you afraid I might die?"
"Th-that is so."
"Should I not go?"
Nod, nod.
"Then I won't go. Don't worry."
"I am deeply grateful."
What does killing one or two monsters matter?
I'm a hannamja anyway, right?
The buff had made me mistake myself for a real man for a moment.
Time to return to my true self.
The fight ended quickly.
Even faster than when we fought the Orc Chieftain.
The Twin-Head Troll died the moment it appeared.
Gobang tore off one head, and Kosak sliced off the other.
The moment the mission success message appeared.
Kosak came running over in a hurry.
He whispered into Ju-hyeok's ear.
"Hey, why's the princess crying?"
"…Something happened."
"Did Summoner Bong scold her 'cause I was rude earlier?"
"As if I would. And you actually deserved to get scolded, so why would that be on me?"
"That hurts. I might cry too."
"Cry if you want."
Just then—
"You wretch!!! How dare you approach Young Master with a body stained by yokai blood! Step back at once! Shoo, shoo!"
"…Yes, yes, got it."
Snrk.
Now that scolding didn't faze him at all.
Anyway, I should treat her well.
At least here, let her live happily.
But on the other hand—
Kosak, and Gyeon Dallae too,
they both kept trying to stop me from ever being in danger.
That effort was honestly tear-jerking. Truly.
And then, for the first time in a while,
a nationwide announcement rang out to all players in South Korea.
[Notice: You have achieved an S++ raid grade for clearing the 30th floor of the Black Tower (Korea).]
[S++ Raid Reward: A Platinum Badge has been awarded.]
That makes thirty badges accumulated now.
What will the next perk be?
※ ※ ※
During a National Assembly audit, Commissioner Park Gyeong-su made a surprise announcement.
Success in clearing the 62nd floor of the Korean Black Tower, a forecast of the 63rd-floor raid the very next day, and a declaration that the 66th floor would be cleared within a month.
The reaction was explosive enough to completely overshadow Yoo Cheol-min's naturalization.
All day long, TV stations replayed footage of Player Nam Ga-eun's 62nd-floor raid.
Though the sword looked extremely old, it was massive, and the sight of her cutting down zombies with it—its faint radiance repelling the dark aura—was unmistakable.
└ Zombies look like paper dolls? Holy power is on another level compared to light attribute.
└ The clear time is absurdly fast. This looks staged.
└ Why would they even bother?
└ Public opinion is at rock bottom, so they might've produced a video to try to dodge the heat.
└ They'd tell a lie that obvious? Do you think the Agency is stupid?
└ Yeah, maybe not the Agency, but I trust Player Nam Ga-eun. You don't know how good her reputation is.
└ Anyway, it's coming out today. The 63rd-floor result—then we'll know.
The nation held its breath.
Soon, they would find out.
Would Player Nam Ga-eun really clear the 63rd floor consecutively?
And then—
Breaking news exploded all at once.
<64th-floor Dark Ghoul raid announced for three days later—"I'm confident. I'll definitely succeed.">
<66th floor? At this rate, it might not even take a month.>
└ It's up!!!
└ Shout it! Sixty-sixth floor!
└ All you idiots who said it was staged, come out now!
└ It only took two hours.
└ I remember watching the U.S. raid footage. Didn't that take like seven hours?
└ The holy sword was a cheat item.
└ Yoo Cheol-min bastard—serves him right. If he'd just stayed quiet, he could've used that sword to clear the 66th floor himself.
The reaction was nothing short of explosive.
Every internet forum in South Korea turned into a festival.
Short-form video platforms—SNS clips, YouTube Shorts, Deals, TipTok—were flooded with one-minute edited highlights of Nam Ga-eun's 62nd- and 63rd-floor raids.
And then, the final masterstroke.
A message that rang out only for players of Korean nationality.
[Notice: You have achieved an S++ raid grade for clearing the 30th floor of the Black Tower (Korea).]
└ Huh?
└ What the hell…
└ This is insane!
└ What is it, what is it?
└ A nationwide announcement for once.
└ W-wait, a nationwide announcement means…?
└ 30th floor S++ raid record achieved.
└ Wow, this is basically a lethal dose of national pride.
Player Nam Ga-eun's two-hour clear of the 63rd floor was already a massive rush of catharsis.
But on top of that,
someone—identity unknown,
but definitely Korean—
had set an S++ raid record on the 30th floor.
How could the national pride crowd possibly endure that?