Juhyeok was on the phone with Team Leader Jeon Gwang-il.
"Sorry it's late, but congratulations on clearing the 63rd floor."
Hahaha, thank you. It was all thanks to you, Player Bong.
"What are you talking about? Player Nam Ga-eun did great. Honestly, her talent seems even greater than Player Yoo Cheol-min's, doesn't it?"
It's always been that way. We were blind and poured all the enhancement runes and resources into that guy, so she never got a chance to shine. Of course, she still can't compare to you, Player Bong.
"Speaking of Yoo Cheol-min, did that guy happen to live in our officetel too?"
No. He lived in the △△ Apartments in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul. The top-floor penthouse.
Juhyeok had passed by and seen it before.
A thirty-story building, a single tower.
A place where top celebrities, third-generation chaebol heirs, and IT CEOs were said to live.
"Cheongdam-dong △△ Apartments, top-floor penthouse—wow. He lived well. And even after enjoying perks like that, he still naturalized as Japanese."
Just thinking about that bastard still makes my blood boil.
"He must've left most of his stuff behind in the apartment when he fled in a hurry."
Yes, he only took his valuables. We haven't even had time to clean it out yet. If you're interested in that apartment—
"Oh, no thanks. I'm perfectly satisfied with my officetel."
After chatting a bit more, Juhyeok ended the call with Jeon Gwang-il.
"You heard where it is, right?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Go and bring back a few things he used. Stuff that won't be noticed if it's gone."
"How about a remote control? It's probably handled a lot."
"That should be fine."
"I'll move out."
Srrrk—
The assassin Kosak vanished with stealth invisibility.
The door would probably be locked—would he be able to open it?
If not, he'd probably just cut through the steel door and go in.
After sending Kosak off, Juhyeok also got ready to head out.
When he went down to the first floor, a staff member came out of the security office.
"Player Bong Juhyeok, are you heading out?"
"Yes, I'm going to visit my family home."
"I'll have the car prepared."
"Thanks every time."
"Hahaha, not at all. It's our job."
Juhyeok's new family home.
A new apartment provided as part of the Elite Team contract.
Though it was far below Yoo Cheol-min's penthouse, it was still worlds apart from where they used to live.
His family had finished moving in.
Juhyeok entered after punching in the password he'd learned beforehand.
"Wow! Nice place. Mm-hmm, that new-house smell."
His mother, Hong Geumja, greeted him.
"Welcome home. Have you eaten?"
"No. I came to eat here."
"Good, sit down. I'll get things ready quickly."
His father, Bong Cheolsu, was home as well.
He'd been temporarily discharged from the hospital after hearing Juhyeok was coming.
"Dad, how's your health?"
"I'm doing fine, just getting chubbier by the day. My bones have almost fully healed. I think I'll be able to get discharged soon."
"Hehe, you know who you have to thank for that, right? Thanks to having such a good son."
At that moment—
Both his father's and mother's expressions darkened.
"…Why? Did something bad happen?"
"What bad thing? It's just that thinking about enjoying comfort after sending our son into a place of death makes us feel so good."
"Come on, I'm totally fine. You know how careful I am when climbing."
It was true.
Whenever he tried to fight a monster, Kosak frowned, Gyeon Dallae cried,
and just yesterday he hadn't even touched a troll's hair.
"Don't you know me, Dad? If it looks even a little dangerous, I pull out immediately."
"That's because you take after me."
"Well, I've got a bit of Mom's genes mixed in too."
"Is that something to brag about?"
"Yes."
At that moment—
Bang!
The door burst open and a blood relative barged in.
"I heard my brother's here! Where are you? Hyung! Hyung!"
"Stop bouncing around like a puppy."
"Oh! You're eating? Anyway, you're on the Elite Team too now, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then did you see Player Nam Ga-eun's face?"
"I did."
I even hugged her, you brat.
"Get me an autograph. I want a photo too, but that might be asking too much."
"An autograph?"
"What, you can't? Guess you're not that close. I mean, someone like you—do you think you'd even get to talk to Player Nam Ga-eun?"
This little bastard…
"Bring me some paper."
"Here."
Juhyeok scribbled his own signature on the paper in one swift stroke.
"…What are you doing?"
"My autograph."
"What? That's a waste of paper."
"Just keep it for now. Who knows? I might become more famous than Player Nam Ga-eun someday."
"Hyung, are you serious?"
"Yeah."
You idiot.
Why can't you tell that it's the truth?
"Want one too, Dad?"
"What would I use that for?"
Mom shook her head too.
Hey, it's your son's autograph!
That actually hurt a little.
"…Fine. I'll get Player Nam Ga-eun's autograph for you. How many do you need?"
Then—
"I want one too."
His father added,
"Son, I'll take ten—no, twenty."
Even Mom—
Haah.
They really don't know.
They have no idea what an incredible person their son, Bong Juhyeok, is.
A man who's pulled off thirty consecutive S++ clears.
What can you do?
He can't exactly reveal it.
Might as well get them autographs.
Still, seeing his family living well made him happy.
The shackles of poverty were finally far, far behind them.
"I'll catch him and show him what real luxury is."
※ ※ ※
After spending some time at his parents' place, Juhyeok returned to his officetel.
Beep—
As he opened the door, Kosak, who had been watching TV, sprang to his feet.
"Salute! You're back, sir?"
"Yeah. You're already done?"
"Mission accomplished."
"Oh! How'd you open the door?"
"It was already open. There were police officers inside."
"You weren't spotted, right?"
"Who do you think I am? I'm Sseu-sseu-al! Sseu-sseu-al!"
As expected of Sseu-sseu-al Kosak.
Juhyeok took the everyday items Yoo Cheol-min had used, which Kosak handed over, and said,
"Sorry, but you'll have to head back early today. I've got something to take care of."
"Yes, sir."
After dismissing Kosak with a summon release, Juhyeok opened his status window and checked the catalog.
[Catalog]: John Kosak / Barbarian Meat Shield / Gyeon Dallae
After giving all three a five-star rating—
"Designated summon: Gyeon Dallae."
[Gyeon Dallae has been designated-summoned.]
"To receive such high ratings from you, Young Master… I scarcely know how I could ever repay this kindness."
Gyeon Dallae stepped lightly forward and bowed, looking as if she might float.
Tomorrow was the planned attempt at the 31st floor.
The mission was to defeat a monster called a Minotauros.
A large-monster zone.
A new monster.
A half-man, half-bull creature—upright-walking, with a bull's head.
Supposedly carried a massive axe.
He wanted to face it.
It had been a long time since he'd used Shadow Step.
At this rate, he might even forget how to use it.
Now, the one he had to persuade wasn't Kosak.
It was Gyeon Dallae—her.
Even though she was a woman, she was still a summoned companion.
So there wasn't much pressure.
He'd studied and practiced plenty.
Time to exploit her weaknesses and clear this properly.
First, the justification for having to fight the monster—
"Ahem. Princess Gyeon Dallae."
"Please speak, Young Master Bong."
"Though I was born a man and may not rule a nation or bring peace to the world, surely I cannot be frightened by a mere monster?"
"That is not so. How could you say such a thing? Young Master Bong is more than capable of ruling a nation and pacifying the world."
"What kind of noble man can't even defeat a single monster?"
"..."
Gyeon Dallae had no answer.
Though a princess, she was still young.
If he couldn't even persuade a middle or high schooler, what kind of real man would he be?
So he put on an extra gloomy expression.
"I've got skills, plenty of defensive items, my level's gone up—and yet I can't face one monster? Doesn't that sound ridiculous?"
"T-that is not what I meant…"
"I wouldn't even be able to refute it if someone called me a coward."
"…How could you say such a thing? My heart is being torn into a thousand, ten thousand pieces."
It was working.
Next came the temptation strategy.
"…The ice cream was good, right?"
"Huh?"
Gyeon Dallae looked confused by the sudden question.
"There's an ice cream shop I know that has thirty different flavors. Thirty."
"Th-thirty flavors?"
"Strawberry, chocolate, cherry, cheese, yogurt, mint… Whew! There are so many I can't even remember them all."
Gyeon Dallae swallowed hard.
"You haven't tried macarons, have you? They're Western sweets—chewy and incredibly sweet. And cakes? Soft whipped cream just—bam!"
Gyeon Dallae was, after all, a girl.
She stared blankly at Juhyeok's mouth.
As expected, desserts were far more effective on girls than a hot bowl of soup.
"I'll only kill five monsters. I'll preserve my dignity as a noble man, and you can eat as much of the desserts I mentioned as you want."
Gyeon Dallae hesitated, lips parting and closing.
Then—
"Th-then… just one…"
"Let's make it three! Clean and simple!"
"…I was only worried you might be in danger."
"We've got Kosak and Gobang. And your drumbeats and bell sounds too, Princess."
"..."
Would she give in?
"…Very well. This girl shall follow the Young Master's will."
"That's a promise."
"This girl never breaks a promise."
She gave in.
"I keep my promises too. I brought what I mentioned earlier—items Yoo Cheol-min used."
In an instant, Gyeon Dallae's gaze turned icy.
"You mean that Japanese pirate?"
"Yes."
Juhyeok handed her the plastic bag containing Yoo Cheol-min's daily-use items.
"Please wait just a moment. It will be finished shortly."
"Take your time. Slowly."
Suddenly, Gyeon Dallae pulled a small silver dagger from her sleeve and cut her own finger.
"Gasp!"
Didn't that hurt?
A vivid line of crimson blood flowed from her hand.
"P-Princess! You said there'd be no harm!"
How painful must that be?
Flustered, he hurriedly took out a bandage from the medicine kit to cover it, but—
"It is all right. It does not hurt."
Then, with her other hand, she picked up the remote control from the bag.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Unknown symbols and diagrams were carved into the plastic surface with her blood.
She filled it densely.
A moment later—
The symbols and diagrams began to glow red.
"It is finished."
"…That was simpler than I expected. Aside from the bleeding."
"Sending karma cannot be compared to sending flesh. I am merely entrusting it to the judgment of heaven."
"Oh!"
"If the sin is light, it will end with minor misfortune. If the sin is heavy, great calamity shall arrive."
Good luck, Yoo Cheol-min!
I sincerely hope your sins aren't too grave.
Now then, the 31st-floor clear.
Let's take it slow.
A three-person setup: tank, dealer, buffer.
They could safely go up to the 40th floor like this.
There was no need to use the skill cooldown reset ticket right now.
They were climbing slowly anyway.
No rush.
If it were urgent, he'd have used it immediately.
From the 41st floor onward?
Once the cooldown came back, he'd summon one more.
If the new summoned companion's rank didn't meet expectations, he'd use the ticket and summon again.
That would do it.
"Heh! A perfect plan."
If a trait enhancement popped up in the meantime, that would be the icing on the cake.
There were even runes for trait enhancement—wasn't there some way to get those?
※ ※ ※
A major broadcasting station in Japan.
Yoo Cheol-min appeared as a guest on a special program.
With him having naturalized and become Japan's top player, ratings soared endlessly.
An announcer fluent in Korean and multiple interpreters were mobilized.
"Ryusang, thank you for agreeing to this interview."
"You're welcome."
After the customary greetings were exchanged—
"I hear you're planning to clear the 57th floor today?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"There's still plenty of time left before the clear deadline, isn't there?"
"Hahaha, that's true. There would be no problem even if I took it slow. However—"
He looked smoothly into the camera.
"I wanted to send some encouragement to our citizens, who may be feeling disheartened by various recent incidents."
As his words were conveyed through real-time interpretation—
"That's incredible! As a fellow Japanese citizen, I'm proud."
"Please don't worry. Japan is safe. As long as I'm here, the Tower will never collapse."
"My heart is swelling with emotion. Then when and where will you be attempting the clear?"
"There's no need to drag it out, is there? I'll go right now, from here."
"Oh!"
This broadcast had been planned by the Kawaguchi cabinet.
Yoo Cheol-min's desire for recognition aligned perfectly with the Kawaguchi administration's need to boost approval ratings.
So everything—from Tower entry to exit, and even the body-cam footage afterward—was planned to be aired live as the full process of a successful clear.
A ten-hour live broadcast in total.
While Yoo Cheol-min was clearing the 57th floor, singers and celebrities would perform until the clear was complete.
At intervals, highlight footage from when he successfully cleared Korea's Black Tower 57th floor back when he was Korean would be shown.
At the time, Yoo Cheol-min's clear record for Korea's 57th floor was about eight hours.
Since his level had gone up, he should be much faster now.
Five hours would probably be enough.
They couldn't watch the clear in real time, but once he exited the Tower, the pre-recorded body-cam footage would immediately be broadcast nationwide.
The Kawaguchi cabinet, whose approval ratings had been sinking, would be revived by this spectacle.
It was, in every sense, a perfect plan.
"Then I'll be off."
The moment he finished speaking, the audience, announcers, panelists, and staff all erupted into cheers and applause.
Yoo Cheol-min smiled with satisfaction.
'Yeah. This is it.'
It had been a long time since he'd felt cheers like this.
Lately, Koreans had been swarming his SNS accounts, pouring out mockery and hateful comments.
But there had been good times in Korea too.
When he joined the Elite Team and surged ahead of everyone else in Tower climbing, the Korean public had cheered for him as well.
He'd been treated like a hero—given a salary he'd never dreamed of, a spacious Han River–view apartment, a luxury car, and even immunity privileges.
When he'd caused a drunk hit-and-run accident, others stepped in to cover it up.
When he'd punched a room-salon hostess who refused to go for a second round and was arrested for assault, a law firm hired by the Administration took care of it.
He'd committed plenty of other petty crimes, but none of them even made it onto the record.
Those were truly good times.
If there'd been even a slim chance of clearing the 66th floor, he would never have chosen to naturalize.
Well, it was the same here.
When signing his contract with Japan, he'd made sure to include immunity from arrest and criminal liability.
'Shall I enter now?'
But just then—
'Huh?'
Yoo Cheol-min tilted his head.
Something felt off.
Both hands tingled, and his head hurt slightly too.
'Is my condition bad?'
I'll rest well after I get back.
The 57th floor?
What's difficult about that?
The only question is how much I can shorten the time.
Just go and come back quickly—
It was a floor he'd already cleared successfully at level 57.
And through countless repeated missions, he'd memorized all the patterns.
Now he was level 66.
When entering the Tower, your physical abilities aren't adjusted to the floor—they're adjusted to your level.
There was no way he'd fail a mission nine floors below his current level!
Flash!
It was a live broadcast.
In an instant, Yoo Cheol-min vanished from the TV screen.
As soon as he disappeared, the announcer spoke.
"To all Japanese citizens watching, please send your strength to Ryusang!"
Japanese singers came out, singing while shouting, "Ganbare, Ryusang!"
At intervals, footage of Yoo Cheol-min's past exploits was shown.
About an hour passed—
Suddenly!
Fwoooosh!
A cluster of light gathered inside the broadcast studio.
Could it be?
Only an hour had passed—had he already succeeded?
Flash!
Yoo Cheol-min reappeared, as if exiting the Tower.
But something was off.
His face was clearly filled with dismay.
The announcer rushed over.
"Ryusang… d-did you clear it?"
Yoo Cheol-min let out a deep sigh,
then pulled out a bottle of healing potion from his inventory and gulped it down.
"It must have been quite a tough fight."
"…Fuck!"
"Pardon?"
Without another word, Yoo Cheol-min turned around and walked off the set.
"Ryusang! Ryusang! W-where are you going?"
He didn't respond.
The broadcast was ultimately cut short.
An animated program appeared on the TV screen instead.
And a few hours later—
Breaking news alerts began popping up all across Japan.