At China’s highest Standing Committee meeting, they decided to clear Floor 70.

At this point, they would climb as soon as possible—one day sooner if they could.

China’s top Player, Bai Long, Level 59, was summoned immediately to clear the Black Tower.

Bai Long could enter Floor 59.

Since Floor 70 would only be cleared by reaching Floor 71, the number of floors to skip was twelve.

“Bai Long.”

“Yes.”

The chief of China’s special public security unit for Players handed Bai Long three Tower Jumping Tickets.

“Remember this. Tower No. 3. Twelve floors. Each ticket can jump up to five floors, so you only need to skip twelve.”

“...Understood.”

Bai Long put the tickets into the Inventory,

then entered China’s Black Tower.

[You are entering China’s Black Tower (NO.3) Floor 59.]

‘...Right.’

Floor 59.

A section that still couldn’t be cleared, even after Trait Enhancement twice.

The mission here was an Electric Wyvern purge—wyverns that discharged lightning from their bodies.

It was a terrible matchup.

Bai Long’s Trait was [Rapid Dash].

The wyverns protected themselves by releasing electricity, so even a light graze made the body lock up stiff.

If they used breath attacks, at least there was something to dodge.

But against Electric Wyverns that wrapped their entire bodies in an electromagnetic field, there was no way to avoid contact.

How many times had Bai Long been chewed out for failing to clear Floor 59?

Even after clearing Floors 1 through 58 at breakneck speed.

Not just one Tower, either—three Towers.

But the moment Floor 59 stalled, pressure came down from the Chinese government.

They switched from carrots to whips.

The medals and rewards Bai Long had received were stripped away.

The house, the car, the real estate, the bank accounts—everything was frozen.

There were even threats that if Floor 59 couldn’t be cleared, Bai Long would be displayed in an exhibition of “human body mysteries.”

“Those sons of bitches.”

In China, Players were no better than slaves.

When things were going well, they were praised as heroes of the people.

One slip, and unbearable pressure and blame poured down.

It wasn’t even strange that China kidnapped foreign Players and shoved them into Tower clearing.

Not when they treated their own Players like this.

Bai Long wanted to escape China and take permanent naturalization somewhere else—

but in reality, Bai Long was far too weak to pull it off.

Climb first.

Get out of this damned Floor 59.

Bai Long tore a ticket—

RRRIP!

[You have used a Tower Jumping Ticket.]

[Please state the number of floors you wish to jump.]

“Five floors.”

A clear message blared.

Now Floor 64.

Another ticket.

RRRIP!

Another five.

Floor 69.

Two more floors.

The message rang out as it pulled—

[You are entering China’s Black Tower (NO.3) Floor 71.]

At last, Bai Long reached Floor 71.

[World Notice : Limited to China’s Black Tower (NO.3), the restriction on high-grade Magic Stones will be lifted.]

At that very moment!

[World Notice : Kabalan Duke (Copy) has been annihilated on China’s Black Tower (NO.3) Floor 70.]

A World Notice announcing the clearing of Floor 70.

Would the benefits actually apply?

[World Notice : Benefits will be granted regarding the clearing of Black Tower Floor 70.]

[World Notice : Limited to China’s Black Tower (NO.3), the restriction on high-grade Magic Stones will be lifted.]

[World Notice : Limited to China’s Black Tower (NO.3), the restriction on various potions and elixirs will be lifted.]

[World Notice : Limited to China’s Black Tower (NO.3), the restriction on weapons and equipment items will be lifted.]

‘Good.’

[World Notice : Clear benefits apply to all floors of China’s Black Tower (NO.3). Additionally, reward probability will increase very slightly.]

Very slightly.

In Korea, it had greatly increased.

Even so, Bai Long felt no joy at China’s Black Tower benefits.

What benefit was there for Bai Long?

Nothing would change.

If anything, Bai Long would be thrown into the Tower every day without rest, for high-grade Magic Stone rewards.

But then—

[World Notice : A Player has reached Black Tower Floor 71 for the first time.]

‘...What?’

Another World Notice?

[World Notice : A congratulatory gift set of four items will be granted to the Inventory of the first Player to reach Black Tower Floor 71.]

‘...A gift?’

A set of four.

[World Notice : Ring of Appearance Transformation will be granted to your Inventory. You may freely change the user’s face and body shape.]

[World Notice : Potion of Disease Treatment will be granted to your Inventory. Permanently cures all diseases.]

[World Notice : Rejuvenation Elixir will be granted to your Inventory. When consumed, you become younger by up to 10 years.]

[World Notice : Liberation Rune Necklace will be granted to your Inventory. Usable a total of 3 times.]

Bai Long could only stare with mouth slightly open.

A World Notice that had never even been imagined.

[World Notice : After this, the same four-item gift will be granted once to the first Player who climbs to Floor 71 of each nationality’s Tower.]

‘...So you get all of it just for being the first to set foot on Floor 71?’

And—

[World Notice : The four items above can also be obtained as mission-completion rewards when clearing Floor 71 and above.]

Even as clear rewards?

There was a condition—Floor 71 and above—but still.

[World Notice : With the climbing of Floor 71, Black Tower Clearing Season 2 has begun.]

[World Notice : Going forward, upon mission success on Floor 71 and above, a 6-month Tower Collapse time limit will be added to the existing time limit and will stack.]

[World Notice : The more you climb uncaptured upper floors, the longer the Tower Collapse time limit becomes and the lower the risk of collapse.]

[World Notice : Tower Jumping Ticket loophole clearing does not apply on Floor 71 and above.]

[World Notice : We cheer on the Players’ Black Tower climbing.]

The world flipped upside down again.

*****

Jeon Gwangil was meeting CEO Ko Yeonha of HG Fashion at a Korean set-meal restaurant near Seoul.

Ko Yeonha’s expression was sour.

Because of information acquired recently.

After Ilseong Apparel split off and changed its name to “Rajix Trading,” it had begun operating a leather-processing factory.

Leather-processing, out of nowhere.

Jeon Gwangil had sent people to find out.

The leather being processed was wyvern.

So where did the wyvern leather come from?

Obviously, the TOWER PLAYER AWAKENING ADMINISTRATION.

“Deputy Commissioner, I’m really disappointed. You handed wyvern leather to Ilseong Appa—no, Rajix Trading. Didn’t you promise that wyvern leather would be supplied to HG Fashion?”

Jeon Gwangil gave a small, amused smile.

“Did we ever sign a supply agreement for wyvern leather?”

“Well, no, but... with the exclusive basilisk-leather supply, I thought it was already understood.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Haa...”

Ko Yeonha let out a short sigh.

“Fine. Leather supply is under the TOWER PLAYER AWAKENING ADMINISTRATION, so I don’t have the standing to complain. Still, please supply wyvern leather to HG Fashion too.”

“Hm. Since you brought it up...”

Jeon Gwangil stared straight at Ko Yeonha.

“Going forward, basilisk leather will no longer be supplied to HG Fashion.”

“...What?”

Suddenly.

Ko Yeonha froze.

“Isn’t that already—already under contract? You can’t just announce this out of the blue. No, more than that, what did we do wrong?”

Wrong? Plenty.

“It doesn’t look like HG Fashion has the capacity to handle basilisk leather.”

“What?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. Can you even find basilisk leather products in department stores, online, or at franchises and pop-up shops? They aren’t selling at all.”

That was true.

Even though Korea was the producing {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} country, it was something you couldn’t even see in person.

“Th-that’s because supply can’t keep up with demand.”

“Don’t lie. We know you’re deliberately limiting production to drive up scarcity, then pulling strings behind the scenes to take advantage of it.”

“....”

Basilisk leather products were no longer for ordinary consumers.

They were produced in tiny quantities, priced up, and turned into goods meant only for a certain class.

Even in Korea, you couldn’t find basilisk leather products.

Not even the so-called cheapest “light quality” products.

Their website took reservations, but ordinary people couldn’t even get their names into the waiting list.

Meanwhile, the bags were being moved quietly—lobby gifts, bait in import-export contract negotiations, limited editions for the wealthy.

Why?

Because selling leather goods didn’t leave much profit.

Sell one product and 95% of the net profit went to Player Bong.

HG Fashion got only 5%.

Work hard and sell products, and it was still only 5%—so they used the bags as bait and chased other profit streams.

“It’s a m-misunderstanding. We don’t have proper facilities, so our production capacity—”

“Even after we provided you with crafting tools made from Tower metal?”

“Uh... ah... th-that...”

Jeon Gwangil stood up.

“I’ll be going now. Watch and see how many basilisk and wyvern leather products Rajix Trading produces.”

Ko Yeonha’s mind went blank.

The meeting was meant to ask for wyvern leather supply—now even basilisk leather supply was about to be cut off.

“W-wait. If you leave like this—”

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“Please—just give us one chance to make it right.”

Jeon Gwangil answered with cold eyes.

“One month. Until then, I’ll watch how much basilisk leather product actually gets released into the Korean market.”

“Ah...”

Jeon Gwangil left the restaurant without looking back and got into the car.

Let’s see.

If it doesn’t go the way warned, there will be no leather supply.

The more they sold, the more profit would go back to Player Bong.

Player Bong said a building was wanted.

That meant more money was needed.

Korean real estate wasn’t cheap.

Buildings worth hundreds of billions of won—one trillion, even land worth ten trillion.

‘Since I’m out anyway, should I stop by Rajix Trading?’

To check whether production had issues.

But right then—

[World Notice : Kabalan Duke (Copy) has been annihilated on China’s Black Tower (NO.3) Floor 70.]

“...What?”

China?

When they were still stuck in the 60s.

‘Tower Jumping Tickets.’

Twelve floors jumped.

‘How are they going to clean up the aftermath?’

And the notices kept coming.

“Ah...”

Jeon Gwangil had no choice but to pull the car over.

‘Items are items, but...’

That last World Notice.

The beginning of Black Tower Clearing Season 2.

[World Notice : Going forward, upon mission success on Floor 71 and above, a 6-month Tower Collapse time limit will be added to the existing time limit and will stack.]

The collapse time limit stacks. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Meaning—

If there were three months left, then another uncaptured upper floor above 71 was cleared, it would become nine months.

Clear one more: fifteen months. One more: twenty-one months.

Six months added per clear.

A bizarre gift set of items, and Black Tower Clearing Season 2.

What in the world was going on?

*****

China’s Black Tower (NO.3), Floor 71.

Bai Long still hadn’t exited.

No mission was accepted.

Season 2 or whatever—it meant nothing to Bai Long.

The four gifts in the Inventory:

Ring of Appearance Transformation.

Potion of Disease Treatment.

Rejuvenation Elixir.

Liberation Rune Necklace.

They all had one thing in common.

None of them had the “Tower-Only” modifier.

They could be used in reality, even by ordinary people.

Three of the four gifts were self-explanatory.

The names alone were intuitive.

But the Liberation Rune Necklace—

A chain with a rune engraved with letters.

An item you couldn’t understand from the name alone.

So Bai Long checked the info.

< Liberation Rune Necklace. >

Effect : For 1 hour, the Player’s abilities manifest even outside the Tower.

Limit : Usable a total of 3 times. When uses are exhausted, the rune is destroyed.

“...Insane.”

Bai Long checked again and again.

It didn’t change.

Liberation.

Liberating restricted Player abilities outside.

‘W-what do I do with this?’

These were things Bai Long could never be allowed to keep.

If no World Notice had appeared, no one would know.

But everyone heard it.

The moment Bai Long exited, it would be taken.

Anyone would lose their mind over it.

Permanent disease cure. Rejuvenation.

No one could resist greed.

‘Damn it.’

Greed rose anyway.

Bai Long didn’t want them taken.

Not the potion, not the elixir, not the ring—

and not the Liberation Rune Necklace.

A long hesitation.

One question.

Loyalty to the homeland?

‘Like that exists.’

Bai Long made a decision.

‘They’re all mine.’

Even the gifts from the other Towers—

*****

The new chairman of China rushed to the spot where Bai Long had entered the Tower the moment the World Notices came in.

Armed public security and a direct security detail came along.

A rejuvenation elixir.

Up to ten years younger if consumed.

And the other items.

Even more important—

none of the item names had the “Tower-Only” modifier.

Meaning ordinary people could use them.

‘Going up to Floor 71 was the right call.’

A perfect move.

Who could have known items like these would be given?

And China had three Towers.

If the first Player reached Floor 71 in each Tower, that meant three of each item type.

All of it had to be taken.

Rejuvenation elixir. Disease treatment potion. Appearance transformation ring.

The Liberation Rune Necklace was unknown, but confiscate it and check it, and the truth would be clear.

And Black Tower Clearing Season 2.

From Floor 71 onward, the Tower Collapse time limit stacked.

From now on, going up was mandatory.

Because the rejuvenation elixir and the disease-treatment potion could appear as clear rewards.

All three Towers in China, to Floor 71.

No matter what it took.

Up to Floor 71, Tower Jumping Tickets still worked.

‘But why isn’t Bai Long coming out?’

Anxiety built.

Either way, when Bai Long exited, Bai Long would reappear at the entry location.

Grab Bai Long before any ideas formed, and make the items come out.

At that moment—

SPOT!

Bai Long appeared in a halo of light.

The chairman brightened and greeted Bai Long.

“Oh! Player Bai Long, you worked hard. I heard the World Notices.”

“Yes. I completed the mission and returned.”

“Then show it.”

“...Show what?”

“The four-item gift set.”

As expected.

Bai Long smirked.

“Why would I show that to you?”

“...What?”

“I received it.”

“Y-you dare...”

ZIP!

Bai Long’s Trait was [Rapid Dash].

That power manifested in reality.

Before anyone realized it, Bai Long was behind the chairman—

SNATCH.

“Ghk!”

Both hands clamped around the neck.

DRRRRK—

a full twist.

Thud.

The chairman died on the spot.

At once, armed public security and the bodyguards turned paper-white.

“Ghk!”

“B-Bai Long?”

“Why?”

China’s top leader died right in front of them.

By a Player.

“G-grab him!”

“Subdue him!”

Their fate was no different.

ZIP! ZIP! ZIP! ZIP!

So fast no eyes could track it—

CRACK. CRACK. CRRRACK.

Necks snapped one after another.

With a Player’s Tower abilities manifested in reality, could ordinary people even fight back?

Bai Long smiled thinly.

Liberation Rune Necklace.

Better than expected.

But time was short.

Duration: one hour.

Escape fast. Leave China.

With the Ring of Appearance Transformation, getting away wouldn’t be hard.

Family?

Not worth thinking about.

Leeches that had sucked Bai Long dry.

Live or die.

And so the Player’s great revolution began here—at China’s Black Tower (NO.3).

A new beginning, together with Season 2.

*****

Juhyeok’s penthouse.

Cossack was still sulking on the sofa.

Juhyeok ignored it and chatted with the summoned entities.

“When I think about it now, it feels like a dream. Just a few months ago, I was a broke nobody with nothing, and it’s all thanks to you...”

Gyeon Dallae answered quickly.

“Where in the world would anything be simply given by the heavens? This is the reward for the virtue you have built up, Master Bong.”

“Is that so? Hahaha!”

“Of course it is. Hohoho!”

Cossack still didn’t react.

“The warrior thinks the summoner deserves it. I hope you live even happier.”

“Staff Sergeant Veronica Caliber, I will always be by the Commander’s side.”

“My lord, your joy is God’s joy.”

“WAAH...”

A warm, cheerful mood.

Even so, Cossack didn’t move. So—

“But the person I’m most grateful to is Cossack.”

Cossack’s ears twitched—just slightly.

“You were the first one I met, and right after we met, you protected me from loan sharks.”

A flinch.

Cossack’s hips shifted.

“I learned Shadow Step too, and honestly, the first person who came up with the Tower climbing profit-project idea was you, Cossack.”

“This girl agrees as well.”

“If not for the assassin, it would’ve been hard to buy a place like this.”

Slowly.

Still seated, Cossack began scooting closer, inch by inch.

“And honestly, rescuing the Players kidnapped in China—wasn’t that almost all you?”

“Staff Sergeant Veronica Caliber, correct. I only assisted.”

Slowly.

“If you hadn’t been there, would I have made it this far? I miss it. Your cheerful self, Cossack.”

Slowly.

“Now I can’t hear it anymore, though.”

That was when—

SPOT!

With Shadow Step, Cossack snapped right up beside Juhyeok.

“Awwww, Summoner Bong!”

“Hm? When did you get here?”

A bright, sunny grin.

“What did I even do, sir? Heh heh heh heh.”

“....”

“It’s all thanks to Summoner Bong, sir.”

In a way, an easy summoned entity.

“You’re done sulking?”

“Huh? When did I ever sulk, sir? I’m Cossack, sir. They say summoners and summoned entities start to resemble each other, right, sir?”

Was that really a saying?

“An alpha male summoner and an alpha male summoned entity—an eternal truth, sir.”

“Hahaha. That’s true. Now, for a new beginning, let’s travel agai—”

Right then—

[World Notice : Kabalan Duke (Copy) has been annihilated on China’s Black Tower (NO.3) Floor 70.]

“What?”

A World Notice out of nowhere.

And it was China.

China, which had been crawling and gasping, unable to even clear the 60s.

But the notices weren’t over.

[World Notice : A congratulatory gift set of four items will be granted to the Inventory of the first Player to reach Black Tower Floor 71.]

Then the details of what the gifts were—

[World Notice : With the climbing of Floor 71, Black Tower Clearing Season 2 has begun.]

A notice announcing the new season.

“Hm.”

A new beginning.

He’d heard over and over that everything would change from Floor 71 onward.

It really changed—drastically.

“Did you all know about this?”

At Juhyeok’s question, Gyeon Dallae answered.

“This girl’s... i-inhibition about Season 2 was just lifted. But those items being given as gifts are only shocking. They’re items that shouldn’t be able to appear yet...”

The other summoned entities looked the same—Why are those items appearing now?

Most of them weren’t even items for Tower climbing.

All of them affected outside the Tower—reality.

And they even said they could be obtained as mission-completion rewards when clearing Floor 71 and above.

‘So I have to step onto Floor 71.’

Before that, summon Mad Demon and talk.

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