Handcrafted enchantment production has been temporarily suspended.
Now is the time to prepare a transition to a mechanized, mass-enchantment production system.
To that end, a separate group chat was created.
Participants included the 9-circle mage Mackenzie, the stay-at-home alchemist Aliamari, the magitech engineer El, the businessman Kosak, Commissioner Jeon Gwang-il, and Jung Dong-hoon, CEO of Rajiks Trading.
I always think this, but the White Tower's communication towers are truly broken.
People inside the tower and people outside the tower can hold real-time conversations in an SNS chat room.
We didn't spend the whole day just talking.
We also climbed the tower.
There were things that needed to be checked.
First, Tower No. 2, 84th floor.
To see whether Tower No. 2 also had the same upper-grade magic crystal vein, and whether naturally occurring 최마 existed there as well.
As expected, it was the same environment as Tower No. 1.
A snowy landscape, massive ice walls, an upper-grade magic crystal vein hidden inside a cave, and naturally occurring embedded in the cave walls.
Check complete.
We'll leave this place alone for now.
When the 84th-floor vein of Tower No. 1 is depleted, we'll mine here then.
Next was Tower No. 2, 85th floor.
To find out whether we could retrieve the mana core engine and other parts from the Gigant.
Inevitably, El had to take another mana EMP hit.
I told him we could put it off, but El insisted that if we were going to do it anyway, we should just get it over with, so we decided on consecutive climbs.
The advance lineup consisted of Rajiks, El, Gobang and Kosak, Gwangma, and Bardin.
"The warrior is deeply moved. It finally feels like I've found my proper place."
"I, too, can finally earn my keep. O Light."
"Hoe!"
In the meantime, Kosak grumbled,
"Haah, I'm busy to death. We need to finish this fast. I've gotta go to North Korea to supervise a construction site. Time is money."
He really seemed to have fully possessed the role of a businessman now.
Just a few days ago, he'd been throwing a huge tantrum about being left out.
Talk about being fickle.
And so, Juhyeok and the summoned ones entered the 85th floor once more.
Preparation for the raid.
Once again, El stepped forward.
Just one more hit.
There was exactly one mana EMP round left.
It was stored in the compartment on El's left thigh.
Well, he said he could make more later anyway.
Next time, he'd probably modify it so the user wouldn't be affected by the EMP.
Boom boom boom boom!
The Magnus Ego Gigant charged straight at us without hesitation.
Even though it had an Ego installed, it didn't seem all that clever.
Its intelligence was far inferior to Earth's AI technology.
Drrr!
Flash! Crack! Papapop!
A wave of explosive light burst outward.
Flinch! Flinch!
At the same time, both the Gigant and El froze.
"Five minutes. Let's work."
First came the finger separation.
Suuuk!
The gigantified Gobang and Bardin grabbed and pulled on the Gigant's fingers.
Ziiing!
Swoong!
Sword aura from swordmaster Kosak.
Along with Gwangma's blood-jade energy.
Crunch, crack, rip!
They were cut off without much difficulty.
Even a single finger segment with a joint attached was the size of a car.
"Hoe!"
Rajiks stuffed it into his subspace backpack.
Next was opening the armor plates.
The heart section, which contained the core engine and other key components of the Gigant.
There wasn't much time.
We had to hurry before the raid completion message appeared.
The close-combat summoned ones, active again after a long time.
Working together, they carefully dismantled parts and equipment.
What we took was only a tiny fraction of the entire Gigant.
But this was just the beginning.
Someday, we'd haul the whole thing out in one piece.
The mission completion message appeared, and we returned to the White Tower.
Swish, swish, swish.
Rajiks laid out the Gigant's fingers, core engine, and parts recovered from the 85th floor.
A short while later.
El, the magitech engineer, woke up from the blackout.
Staring at the pile of Gigant parts,
"Ahhhh."
His expression still showed disbelief.
Now there were ten mana core engines.
And they were cores from the Magnus Gigant, the magitech empire's ultimate weapon.
"Surprised?"
"…There's no way I wouldn't be."
"This is our Boss Summoner's tower-clearing method. Eating it raw."
That's right.
We swallowed it whole.
Who would have thought there was a strategy like this?
"From now on, we need to complete the mass-production system for the anti-obesity escape bracelet. You need money to eat, drink, buy clothes—do everything."
"Don't worry. With these parts secured, it won't even take a month."
"Oh my, our factory manager's ambitions are impressive. I'll gift you some top-grade lubricant later."
At the time, I thought the first joint product of the Magitech Research Institute would be the anti-obesity bracelet.
But the first mass-produced product wasn't a bracelet.
It was something completely unexpected.
Chongqing, China.
A megacity of 30 million people.
The number of registered ordinary players in Chongqing alone ranged from three to six thousand.
Haoren lived in Chongqing.
A level 58 ordinary player.
Talented enough that he had even received an offer to become a state-sponsored player.
However, because he disliked being tied down, he signed a relatively free ordinary-player contract instead.
Lately, Haoren's dissatisfaction had reached its limit.
Because of the excessive surveillance and interference from the Chongqing Public Security Bureau.
They showed up at his house at all hours, checking his whereabouts, asking whether he had entered the tower, and if so, what items he had received as rewards.
They came again today.
Two armed officers.
"Haoren, you were at home."
"I have to be. If I go out, I'll obviously be tailed."
"Hmph, still prickly. Can't you be a little more cooperative?"
"More importantly, why do you keep coming? You were here yesterday too. Isn't this too much?"
"You're the highest-level ordinary player in Chongqing."
"Hoo."
He felt like his insides were churning.
If you're high level, you should be respected.
Instead, he was treated as a surveillance target.
To the public security officers, high-level ordinary players were objects of caution.
If their inventory contained a Rune Necklace of Liberation, they would be extremely dangerous.
At first, he understood.
But wasn't this going too far?
When did this oppressive crackdown on players begin?
Quite a long time ago.
It started when China's top player, Bai Long, first climbed to the 71st floor.
Using a tower jumping ticket, Bai Long obtained a set of four 71st-floor gifts.
At the time, the Chinese chairman Wang Yuan tried to forcibly seize the items.
Resenting this, Bai Long killed Chairman Wang Yuan and fled.
Then came the explosion of the Beijing Crisis Management Headquarters.
From then on, players were no different from potential threats to China's political elite.
For that reason, suspicion toward players reached its peak.
What if they received a Rune Necklace of Liberation as a reward?
What if they hid it in their inventory and waited for a chance to overthrow the state?
"What floor did you climb today?"
"I didn't climb."
"…Today as well?"
"Yes."
"This is suspicious."
Haoren was dumbfounded.
"This is ridiculous. If I climb, you tell me to open my inventory and check whether I got a C-rank reward. If I don't climb, you say it's suspicious."
The Chongqing officer smiled thinly.
"There are plenty of guys who hide the fact that they climbed in order to sell upper-grade magic crystals to overseas brokers. Upper-grade magic crystals are national assets, you know."
"..."
Now anger was starting to rise.
"So what do you want me to do?"
"What else? You should know how to conduct yourself."
He knew it.
They wanted money.
Another reason the public security harassed players.
There were government directives, but most of them were just trying to make a quick buck.
Players made good money, after all.
"How much do you want?"
"Hm, are you openly offering a bribe?"
"Isn't that what you want?"
"You insolent migrant-worker trash. You get lucky and awaken, and suddenly you think you're above everyone else?"
"You picked the wrong day. We'll teach you a lesson. Cuff him!"
Something felt off.
Normally, they'd take the money and leave.
Click!
Handcuffs snapped around his wrists.
They even put shackles on his ankles.
"Check his neck! Is he wearing any items?"
"None."
"Is that so?"
That was when it happened.
As if on cue, armed troops flooded into his home.
They must have been waiting outside.
"Huh? … Why?"
The atmosphere suddenly changed.
"Haoren! Chongqing branch chief of the Chinese Player Association! Did you think we wouldn't know?"
"Ah…"
He'd been exposed.
They had clearly come knowing everything.
The pointless interrogation about climbing earlier had just been a ploy to put restraints on his arms and legs.
'How did they find out?'
Only two possibilities.
Either the public security's investigation was exceptional, or there was a traitor inside.
Haoren closed his eyes.
Took a deep breath.
Enough.
He'd endured enough.
If he was taken away now, it would be execution anyway.
Rather than die meaninglessly, he'd make a move and leave China.
Swish!
He opened his inventory.
Unnoticed by anyone, a Rune Necklace of Liberation appeared in his hand.
You didn't necessarily have to wear it around your neck to use it.
'Activate.'
Suuuuuk!
A powerful surge of mana erupted.
Mana.
The most decisive difference between inside and outside the tower.
Whether mana existed or not.
Now he was a player who hunted monsters.
And here—
The public security were monsters outside the tower.
Haoren opened his eyes again.
A terrifying killing intent overflowed from them.
The officers flinched in shock.
They had sensed the sudden change in atmosphere.
"Haoren, you—"
Crack! Crunch!
The restraints on his wrists and ankles snapped apart in the blink of an eye.
The public security officers hurriedly aimed their pistols at Haoren.
"Kill him!!!"
Bang bang! Ratatat!
Gunshots rang out reflexively.
The armed troops with automatic weapons also pulled their triggers nonstop.
Ratatatatatatatatang!
But Haoren was already no longer there.
Slash! Slash! Crunch! Rip!
Haoren's chamado flashed from all directions.
This, too, was an item without a tower-only modifier.
Which meant the options attached to the chamado could be fully used in the real world.
Thud, thud.
Thump-thump-thump.
Severed heads rolled across the floor of Haoren's home.
Level 58.
Haoren, who was climbing while hunting terrifying wyverns.
How could ordinary public security officers withstand his liberated power?
"Ghk."
Haoren wasn't unscathed either.
Several bullets had hit his chest and thigh.
He pulled a bottle filled with red liquid from his inventory.
Sprinkled it over the wounds.
Hisss!
Then drank the rest.
Gulp.
A healing potion without a tower-only modifier.
That was why it worked even in the real world.
The bullets embedded in his body were pushed out.
The bleeding stopped.
His body returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
"Hoo."
Blood had been shed at last.
But spilled water couldn't be gathered again.
And it wasn't over yet.
There were armed troops outside the house as well.
"Everyone, get a grip!!!"
"Don't let him escape!"
"No need to capture him alive. Kill on sight!"
The duration of the Rune of Liberation was one hour.
Two uses remained.
He only had one spare healing potion left.
No matter what, he had to get out of here and leave China.
Bloodshot veins appeared in Haoren's eyes.
Spot! Pabababat!
"There!"
"On the roof!"
"He's running!"
Ratatatang! Ratatang! Bang bang!
A hail of bullets.
Dozens of helicopters filled the sky.
That day,
the entire city of Chongqing was thrown into chaos because of a single liberated player.
As many as fifty armed public security officers were killed in Chongqing alone.
Haoren didn't make it out safely either.
In the end, he was shot dead.
No matter how liberated a player was, on the ground he couldn't evade the pursuit of hundreds of public security troops and dozens of helicopters in the sky.
The Chongqing Massacre.
But this was only the beginning.
Similar incidents occurred all across China.
And this incident spread across the world,
through foreign media and SNS.
White Tower, 17th floor.
Juhyeok wore a grim expression.
It couldn't be delayed any longer.
Rajiks's rank breakthrough.
At the shortest, he might not be seen for seven days—at the longest, even fourteen.
But just because it was regrettable, should he hold him back forever?
When would the breakthrough ever happen then?
Was he going to keep leaving him as an SSR forever?
He had to send him off now.
In the lobby of the landmark high-rise on the 17th floor of the White Tower, a badge award ceremony was held.
The total number of accumulated badges Rajiks had obtained was currently twenty-three.
Just two more would make twenty-five.
These weren't handed out randomly.
They followed the summoner-approved system of merit-based rewards.
They met the summoned one's own standard of "deserved to receive them."
Badges granted by mutual agreement.
The first summoned one to receive twenty-five badges would be Rajiks.
Everyone else had used breakthrough runes to take shortcuts and raise their rank.
Honestly, there was still no absolute certainty.
Could a breakthrough really be achieved with just twenty-five badges and no rune?
Well, if it didn't work, he could just hand over a breakthrough rune.
Instead of the main ceremony,
they began with the pre-ceremony events.
"Defector and convert, Diamat, please step forward."
"Yeees!"
Her contributions were considerable as well.
"You assisted in the conquest of the Magnus Gigant through the deployment of the Dream Domain, thereby providing a decisive opportunity to recruit the magitech engineer El. For this merit, you are awarded a Platinum Badge."
Diamat grinned broadly, twisted her body slightly, and subtly pushed her chest toward Juhyeok.
At which point—
"Y-y-you seductive thing, don't use your skills!"
"…I didn't use anything?"
Diamat widened her eyes innocently, as if asking what the problem was.
"What? You didn't use anything? Don't be ridiculous. Then why are you twisting your body?"
"Guess you can't change your habits—what else would you expect from a succubus?"
"Does she think she's some kind of swimsuit model?"
"She's trying to bewitch our pure Summoner Boss and squeeze out another badge later."
"Our Boss Summoner has the lowest possible resistance to women, can't even date, a lifelong solo. He hasn't even gotten his vaccination yet. If a skill goes off, it'll be a disaster."
Attacks from all sides.
To be honest, Diamat felt wronged.
Seduction was a succubus's instinct—what was she supposed to do?
"Hey! What's wrong with all of you? Huh? What do you mean no resistance to women? Huh? Am I really that easy of a guy?!"
When Juhyeok burst out angrily, the summoned ones fell silent.
"Ms. Diamat."
"Yes!"
"Please come closer. I'll attach the badge for you."
Juhyeok brought the badge toward Diamat's chest.
A seductive fragrance stabbed into his nose.
His mind reeled.
Tremble tremble tremble.
His hand shook.
Sweat poured from his forehead.
"Ugh."
This was impossible.
Not the chest—
the side instead.
Click!
He attached it there.
"See? Totally fine."
"…"
…
"Next, Cosmic Farmhand Rajiks."
"Hoe-eng!"
Once again, he had rendered tremendous service.
Even three badges would've been justified, but—
"You discovered an enormous upper-grade magic crystal vein on the 84th floor of the Black Tower, and even mined naturally occurring, laying the foundation for the future development of the White Tower. For this achievement, you are awarded a Platinum Badge."
"Hoe!"
Clap clap clap clap!
Unlike with Diamat, thunderous applause poured out.
Now twenty-four.
One more.
"You retrieved the mana core engine of the Magnus Gigant from the 85th floor of the Black Tower using a subspace backpack, rendering immense service to the future development of Earth's magitech science. For this achievement, you are awarded a Platinum Badge."
"Hooe."
What would happen?
Would the breakthrough start immediately?
Thump!
Twenty-five.
At that moment—
Fwoooosh!
Rajiks's body lifted slightly into the air, wrapped in light.
"Hoeh!"
It resembled the radiance Bardin emitted.
No—
it was even more brilliant and dazzling.
The light continued.
At the same time, a circular halo gathered behind Rajiks's head.
A nimbus, a halo—he looked like a saint.
Time passed,
and the body floating in the air descended back to the ground.
Rajiks toddled forward on his own.
His destination was the elevator in the landmark lobby.
It seemed he was trying to go up to the topmost floor where Veronica had broken through.
Then he hopped up and pressed the button with his short hand.
Slide—
the elevator doors opened.
He hopped again, pressed the 61st-floor button,
then waved cheerfully.
"Hoe."
I'll be back.
Wait for me.
Juhyeok waved back.
Have a safe trip.
Slide—
the doors closed.
The elevator ascended toward the top floor.
"Hoo…"
Regret flooded in immediately.
I shouldn't have sent him.
Without Rajiks, what am I supposed to live for?
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