Juhyeok was still shopping in the Player Shop.

Adamant mace: purchased.

‘I’ve got a weapon now, so...’

Armor?

Honestly, I don’t even need it.

That bracelet-shaped Energy Barrier Kit protects me from head to toe.

Still, I should at least buy shoes.

Sturdy combat boots.

Since the clerk was a man, it was easier to talk to him.

“These are combat boots made from basilisk petrification leather. The sole is hard, and it’s built with a sectonium steel plate that has a self-repair function.”

“Does this go into the inventory too?”

“Haha, of course. It’s all made from materials that came out of the tower.”

I liked it a lot.

The design was decent, too.

“How much?”

“Hmm, 3 million won.”

Oh, come on.

It’s at least 30 million.

There’s no need to refuse.

They’re selling it at this price?

Then I’m buying it.

“One pair. Size 275.”

“Yes, right here...”

Bought shoes, too.

‘Should I look around a bit more?’

There was also a place selling potions.

Looks like they buy what Players get as rewards and resell it.

Other than that—armor, helmets, gloves, greaves, belts, knee and elbow guards... they had everything, but there was nothing I needed.

Ahhh!

Energy Barrier.

How good is it?

One integrated suit of armor that standardizes all defense into a single piece.

‘This really is a perk.’

Anyway, I was going to look around a bit more, but—

‘Let’s go.’

If I need something later, I can just come again.

※ ※ ※

Juhyeok rested for about four more days.

Slowly, taking it easy.

Even then, I kept repeating Floor 15.

And the more I did it, the more I felt like I could settle here.

But I wanted to confirm something.

When I finished all preparations and stepped onto Floor 16,

what kind of result I’d get.

‘If the Random Summon cooldown would just come back...’

Platinum Badges.

They’re a real devil of an item.

Not the badge itself, but the perk they give every five.

From the beginning, I decided I wouldn’t get greedy when I started climbing the tower, but badges are different.

If I clear Floor 20, I’ll get the fourth perk—what will it be?

Another Trait Enhancement would be nice, and a skill or item I can use in the real world would be great, too.

Either way, Random Summon was finally just one day away.

By tomorrow evening, a new summoned would show themselves.

Money also came into my bank account.

The money from selling Magic Stones.

After subtracting the 5 million won I spent on gear, the balance was a full 13 million won and change.

‘What am I saving this money for?’

Spend it now.

So I sent my father 2 million won.

What’s this money? Did you win the lottery or something?

“My savings matured. It must be hard for you to walk—buy crutches or something. Or one of those walking aids ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) old folks use.”

...You know, I’ve been looking at a pretty nice fishing rod.

“A fishing rod when you don’t even know when rehab will end? You won’t catch fish—you’ll catch people.”

If I buy one, maybe I’ll heal faster. Because I want to go fishing.

“Use it however you want. If Mom chews you out, I don’t know anything.”

...I guess I should buy crutches.

I sent my mother 2 million won too.

You didn’t borrow from a loan shark, did you?

“I said my savings matured.”

Loan sharks were something I used in the past.

If you’re lying, you die by my hand. You know my personality, right? Son or not, I don’t care!

“Come on! Have you been scammed your whole life or what. Use it until you find a new job. Your living expenses must be tight.”

Fine. But treat it as a loan. I’ll write you an IOU.

And to that guy with the same genes as me too.

“Sent you 200. Use it toward tuition.”

Th-thank you, big bro, this much money... can I buy a laptop?

“Yeah. If you’re buying, buy a good one. Permission granted.”

SNAP! Thank you!

Six million vanished in an instant, but it felt refreshing to flex like that.

But only for family?

I had a plan for that too.

After I summoned John Cossack,

“Look. Nice, right? When I make money later, I’m going to buy this car.”

I opened my laptop and showed him a photo of my dream car—the one I’d always wanted.

“I object. If you crash in a light car like this, it will be a disaster. If you hit a truck, you will become flat.”

“Then what kind of car do you like, Mr. Cossack?”

“A big car, no matter what! Choose a large car with a solid frame, and even if there is a minor collision, the airbags should explode without mercy.”

And what Cossack pointed to was a huge limousine that only chairmen ride around in.

“That makes me look too old.”

“Is that a problem? Summoner Bong’s safety is the most important.”

“Oh! I didn’t realize that. Hahaha!”

“Hehehehe!”

They said if I signed with the Elite Climbing Team, they’d even give me a house and a car.

But there’s no such thing as free in this world.

It’s all debt.

※ ※ ※

Now the time had come.

Tonight was the day of an important event.

So I went to the public bathhouse.

After soaking my body in a steaming hot bath, I scrubbed my whole body hard with an exfoliating mitt.

For my back, where my hand couldn’t reach, I used an automatic scrubbing machine.

Because I still didn’t have the courage to talk to a stranger in the bathhouse and ask them to scrub my back for me.

Clean the body, avoid filthy things.

Keep flesh and mind neat.

That way, I can pull a good one.

The Random Summon cooldown that was only a few hours away.

The moment to draw one more reliable person and clear Floor 16—no, push all the way through Floor 20, no, even straight to Floor 30.

After finishing my bath,

I trimmed my fingernails and toenails,

changed into new underwear and casual clothes I’d brought separately in my bag,

and went back home.

I was hungry, but I held it in.

I’ll eat after I do the Random Summon.

Who will it be?

I have to draw well.

The higher the rank, the better.

John Cossack’s rank is SR—Super Rare.

We achieved an ultra-fast, perfect clear through Floor 15, racking up S++ clears.

He even said clearing Floor 16—no, even the 20s—wouldn’t be a problem.

It’s just that recording S++ would be difficult.

‘If I could get just one more Super Rare...’

SSR—Special Super Rare—would be great too.

Even LSSR—Legend Special Super Rare—I’m not even hoping for that.

Before Random Summon, first: Designated Summon John Cossack.

What if some weird person comes out?

[John Cossack has been Designated Summoned.]

“SNAP! Greetings, Summoner Bong! I am honored you have called me again today.”

“Welcome.”

“Are we performing the Floor 15 repeat mission again this time?”

“No. Let’s go up to Floor 16.”

“...Uh.”

Cossack’s face stiffened as if troubled.

He’d said it before.

Clearing itself is easy, but an S++ clear might be difficult.

Cossack also knows that Summoner Juhyeok has already tasted the Platinum Badge perks.

So he wants to earn badges for me.

After agonizing for a long time, he clenched his fist tight.

“I will do my best. Even if I die in the tower, I will absolutely record S++...”

“Don’t worry. You won’t be alone.”

“Hm?”

“The Random Summon cooldown is back. Let’s summon one more.”

“Ooooooh! You are brilliant. Certainly, two are better than one.”

He gave a thumbs-up, then—

“So you had a plan, Summoner Bong. Did you perhaps attend Seoul National University?”

“I’m a high school graduate.”

“Then stop talking nonsense. Hehehe, how could mere Seoul National University possibly have Summoner Bong.”

“...”

Fast stance change.

A perfectly timed, pleasantly flattering bit of toadying.

I’m sure of it.

Cossack was a scheming toady in a past life.

So what if he was?

Why do scheming toadies get loved?

They only say things that sound good—so it feels good, it relieves stress, it helps mental health.

“Then I’ll do it.”

“YES, SIR!”

I steadied my mind.

Amen, hallelujah, Amitabha Buddha, Om Mani Padme Hum, spirits of Heaven and Earth, Infinite Life Buddha, abracadabra...

And then.

“Random Summon!”

WHOOOOOSH!

Beside me, Cossack kept rhythm.

“DRUM-ROLL, DRUM-ROLL, DRUM-ROLL... what’s the result?”

In an instant!

A white mass of light gathered, then transformed into the shape of a human.

A human of light growing.

It kept getting bigger.

More, more...

‘Th-this is getting too big, isn’t it?’

Its head was already touching the ceiling.

And then—

POP-POP!

At last, the shape fully revealed itself.

“Huh?”

“HIIIK?”

It was human.

But it had to be about three meters tall.

A body bigger and thicker than a bear.

Thick muscles.

Hair covering its whole body.

‘...Is it human or a monster?’

I checked the rank first.

So?

‘...R? Rare.’

A little disappointing.

Rare is the lowest rank.

If only it had one more S...

Do I wait another month and do Random Summon again?

‘No. Even Rare is still something. And that size doesn’t look normal.’

That was when—

THWIP!

“Hey, you idiot bastard!”

John Cossack suddenly leapt and drop-kicked the newly summoned giant human.

THUD!

Then he started throwing punches nonstop—

THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!

“Why the hell are you here? You trying to ruin someone’s life?”

Cossack’s sudden blow-up.

It’s not like he’s doing that because it came out Rare, right?

“Die! Drop dead! Huh? Look at those eyes! Get on the ground, you bastard!”

I had no idea what was going on.

Why Cossack was acting like that.

He was raging like he’d met a mortal enemy.

“Just get out of here! Get out! You useless bastard!”

Cossack punching like a madman.

And the big guy, getting hit, just scratching his head and standing there awkwardly.

“Not hurt. It itch.”

“Oh yeah? Let’s see if you can say that after your neck gets cut off. I’ll tie a ribbon nice and pretty.”

So I checked the Catalog.

<Catalog: Dull Barbarian Meatshield of the Great Plains Tribe>

Name: Unknown

Rank: R (Rare)

Type: Barbarian Warrior (Human)

Manifest Time Limit: 10 hours

Satisfaction Rating: None

Resummon Wait Time: 3 hours (applies after Dismiss Summon)

Barbarian meatshield.

No name.

‘Meatshield... what kind of story could there possibly be?’

But it says dull?

That means he’s stupid, doesn’t it?

He really looked like it.

A gigantic upper body covered in scars, but eyes that looked unbelievably innocent.

Even while getting pummeled by Cossack, he didn’t resist once.

A completely cowed posture.

Cossack was panting, like he’d gotten tired of hitting him.

“Mr. Cossack?”

“...Huff, huff, speak.”

“Please step aside for a moment. I need to talk to him.”

“You don’t even need to know. That one is famous. In this world, he’s known for being stupid. He can’t do anything alone. He probably doesn’t even know what the Three Principles are.”

Then—

“T-that... I know the Three Principles. I memorized hard.”

“Then recite them.”

“Uh... Clause 1 is the summoner’s obedience... uh, absolute life. Clause 2, the summoner’s... um... v-value, prioritize and understand, it conflicts. Clause 3 is...”

What are you even saying?

“See? That’s what he’s like. You pulled a dud! We should just kill him and make him unavailable for summoning for 100 days.”

If they die, you can’t summon them for 100 days?

First time I’d heard that.

“...I’ll handle it.”

“Yes, sir.”

Juhyeok tilted his head and asked the barbarian warrior, who was standing there blankly.

“Your name?”

“Don’t know. Forgot.”

“Do you know why you came here?”

“D-don’t know.”

“What about the tower?”

“...Don’t know. I don’t remember.”

It’s frustrating.

Looking at the detailed description—

The barbarian meatshield of the Great Plains Tribe. His physical stats were top class, with strength that could catch a giant ogre by the waist using a bearhug technique and snap it in half. But he was far too dull. He had forgotten even his own name.

In the end, he fell for a fake hero’s deception and was chosen as a meatshield for a duel against the super-demon beast Hydra. While fighting the nine-headed super-demon beast Hydra, he was struck by acidic breath but did not die. Instead, he grabbed its jaw and tore it apart. Even while being hit by breath, he grabbed necks and ripped them off, and ripped them off again and again—yet from the accumulated acidic breath damage, his body melted away, and he died.

Aaaah...

How can someone be this miserable?

‘So that’s why he was a meatshield.’

Scenes flashed through my head like a movie.

A barbarian warrior snapping a humanoid monster’s waist with an innocent expression.

Then, in exchange for killing the monster, happily accepting nothing but a lump of moldy bread from people.

Falling for a slick-looking punk’s sweet talk and fulfilling his fate as a meatshield...

Tears came on their own.

How kind did he have to be to live his whole life getting used by people?

So what if he’s Rare?

So what if he’s stupid?

Juhyeok grabbed the barbarian warrior’s pot-lid-sized hand and said,

“Welcome. Let’s climb the tower together.”

“Me always do what told.”

What should I call him?

Let’s pull it from the Catalog.

“Let’s make a name first. Do you like Barbarian? Or Meatshield?”

“...Don’t know.”

“Pick just one. Barbarian? Meatshield?”

“Meatshield.”

“Our Meatshield, I’ll make you happy. You trust me, right?”

“Me Meatshield. Summoner trust. Do what told.”

Then—

“Mr. Cossack, Meatshield and me—we three are teammates from now on. Let’s do well.”

Cossack, who had been rolling his eyes like crazy, said—

“Ah, you’re right. Now that I look again, he’s a reliable meatshield. I will teach him well and turn him into a proper person.”

“Good. Then let’s enter Floor 16 right away.”

“YES, SIR! ...Hey, Meatshield! Why are you just standing there? You won’t answer?”

“YES, SIR.”

“Don’t copy me, you bastard!”

A timid weak-man Player, an insane assassin, and a barbarian Meatshield who’s seriously lacking upstairs.

A total shitshow party.

I feel a little uneasy, but—

‘...Still, it’ll probably work out, right?’

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