A YouTube video showed a man—presumably Chinese—dashing across Tiananmen Square at [Rapid Dash] speed.

He was so fast, you didn’t even realize he’d passed.

SWOOOSH—then, in an instant, he was a black dot.

You practically had to replay it in slow motion just to tell what it was.

Honestly, it wasn’t even that shocking.

Is this the first time something like this happened?

› With this, the Korea–China–Japan trilogy is complete.

› What are you talking about?

› Korea’s hotel terror incident, Japan’s anti-Korea protester “discipline” grandpa, China’s Tiananmen Square sprinter.

But there was another side to it.

Unlike the earlier videos, the Tiananmen Square sprinter’s identity was known.

› Korea and Japan, we don’t know who it is, but China’s guy is known?

› Who?

› Bai Long. He used to be China’s top Player.

› Oh, I’ve heard of him.

› Search him and his face pops right up. Chinese communities say it’s Bai Long too.

› And the Floor 71 clear this time was Bai Long too.

› So he’s the Player who took the four-item set?

› Is he running like that because of the four-item set?

› No. Rejuvenation, disease cure, and appearance change don’t make you run faster.

› Why are you leaving one item out?

› Ah! The Liberation Rune Necklace?

› Yeah, that one. By the way, Bai Long’s Trait is [Rapid Dash]. He said it himself in an interview with Chinese media a year ago.

› No way.

› Yeah. What you’re thinking is probably right.

› “Liberation,” as in liberating a Player’s abilities?

› Probably. They said it’s usable three times.

› Holy shit. A Player using abilities in reality?

› That’s insane.

The true nature of the Liberation Rune Necklace.

Liberating a Player’s abilities in reality.

It wasn’t an unreasonable leap.

If anything, it was a rational hypothesis.

Because it fit too perfectly.

› Then Korea’s hotel terror suppression and Japan’s anti-Korea protester “discipline” were that item too?

› But the Liberation Rune Necklace is supposed to be a gift from Floor 71.

› If you get an S++ clear rank, couldn’t you receive it early?

› That’s convincing. The mystery’s solved.

Global communities went insane.

If ordinary people were reacting like this, what were governments around the world feeling?

A nation has no way to stop a Player from climbing the Tower.

Tower climbing is entirely the Player’s choice.

All you have to do is be the first to reach Floor 71 of your nationality’s Tower, and you score the four-item set.

The one saving grace was that there was a line of defense.

The undead section in the mid-to-late 60s.

In other words, without a holy sword, you can’t recklessly clear the undead section.

And if you can’t pass the undead section, you can’t climb to Floor 71.

The limit for ordinary Players—and the wall that stops them.

But what if the undead section is neutralized?

Then the world will plunge into uncontrollable, total chaos.

*****

When was it?

That conversation I had with Cossack.

When I asked if the monsters on Floor 71 were really that strong—

Cossack said it was troublesome to deal with them.

Said he never expected things like that to appear.

But the truth was, it started in the late 60s.

Only now did the question resolve.

Death Knights and liches... and then the Floor 70 boss, the High-Ranking Demon Kabalan Duke.

The first intelligent being humanity had faced.

That had been the trailer.

A preview that the targets of Tower clearing going forward would be intelligent beings—

in other words, humans.

Are they truly humans from another world?

Or are they just monsters wearing a human face?

And is it even valid to put mercenary-company members and Tower monsters on the same line?

“What’s the difference between humans and monsters? The minotaurs we killed might’ve been heads of families. Fathers.”

What is this idiot suddenly talking about?

“They’re working hard on Floor 35, and then their little minotaur-calf daughter calls like, ‘Dad, I’m hungry.’”

How does a minotaur make a phone call?

Whatever. Fine.

“So the father minotaur buys a box of premium seasoned hay, heads home after work, and then Bardin goes ‘Light!!!’ and POP!—smashes his skull. How would that feel?”

...Huh.

Annoyingly, the scene formed in my head.

That’s heartbreaking.

“How sad would the little minotaur-calf daughter be? Because of wicked humans, she’s a kid without a dad.”

“Bardin is a very bad person.”

“An orphan factory, right?”

Bardin looked wronged, like: Why me?

“There are tons of humans worse than minotaurs.”

That part is true.

“For example—imagine walking alone on a dark mountain road and you run into someone.”

“Mm. And?”

“Would you be more scared of a human or a monster?”

“A monster.”

“...Huh? Uh—uhh—y-yes.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Yeah?”

Gyeon Dallae let out a long sigh at Cossack’s blank face.

“Ha... from now on, Cossack, stay quiet. Don’t say weird things for no reason.”

Then—

“Master Bong, humans are beings who must not be discriminated against.”

Right.

That’s what you learn in elementary school.

“But if you kill monsters inside the Tower without a second thought, yet refuse to kill humans... is that not discrimination as well?”

“...”

She starts strong and then says something insane.

“You must kill fairly. Miss, I believe that is the proper posture of a Player who seeks to realize equality.”

The logic is deranged, but the point is: humans and monsters are no different.

“A warrior is equal. Monster, one hit. Human, one hit.”

“WAAH?”

“Beastkin, one hit.”

“HURK!”

Let’s go out first and judge.

I can reset the mission anytime.

“A warrior leads.”

Meatshield grabbed the doorknob instead.

CREEEAK—he opened the door and went out.

His soul-bonded partner, Bardin, followed.

Then Cossack, Veronica, Rajix riding Blood Wolf, and finally Juhyeok and Gyeon Dallae.

The moment we stepped outside—

It was a small village.

Surrounded by mountains, so probably a mountain hamlet.

But the stench of blood hit my nose, and shouts and screams clawed at my ears.

It was hell.

“Kill the old!”

“Kill them all—leave only children under ten!”

“Leave the women!”

“Catch them!”

What the hell?

Villagers were running.

And mercenaries with swords were chasing them.

It was easy to tell them apart.

Because above their heads, like game characters, floated nameplates.

Like <Pommelle Mercenary Company member>.

‘Mercenary... member?’

They weren’t mercenaries.

They were sword-wielding bandits.

Villagers fell while bleeding out.

Terrified children scattered in confusion.

Mercenaries with vicious faces chased them down with eyes gone mad.

“...Ah.”

I saw it clearly.

A middle-aged woman holding children tight, shielding them.

A mercenary bastard raising a sword to kill her.

Right in front of me.

How do you look away from that?

If I did nothing, I wouldn’t just be a weak man.

I’d be a human-shaped piece of trash.

Juhyeok shouted on reflex.

“Cossack! Hurry—”

Before I even finished, Cossack was already moving.

SPOT! A gust of wind—

He appeared behind the mercenary trying to kill the woman.

TSFIT! Slice! THUD!

The mercenary’s head vanished from above the shoulders.

The body dropped like a log.

THUD.

The first time is the hardest.

But the first time was already over.

So what about the second?

“Fine, holy shit! We clear!!!”

The summoner’s declaration.

One sentence was enough.

There was no need to give detailed orders.

Enlarged Meatshield charged forward with heavy steps.

He grabbed one mercenary with a nameplate.

“Ghk! M-monster...?!”

CRRRUNCH!

“AAAAAGH!”

He folded the man in half.

“Light!!!”

Radiant Bardin crushed a mercenary’s head with a flail.

WHAM!

Blood Wolf went wild too.

Rajix, riding Blood Wolf, swung the golden pickaxe and roared a battle cry.

“HURK?!”

CRUNCH!

Pommelle Mercenary Company members’ throats were torn out in Blood Wolf’s jaws.

A slaughterhouse unfurled in moments.

Pommelle Mercenary Company members died.

“AAAAAGH!”

“W-what are these bastards?!”

“S-save me!!!”

“...Damn it!”

It sat heavy in my chest.

This was different from clearing monsters.

Gyeon Dallae slipped closer and gripped Juhyeok’s hand tightly.

She knew.

She knew my soft heart.

Juhyeok squeezed her hand back.

Don’t worry.

I don’t regret it.

If I’d just looked away and declared mission abandonment, I’d regret that far more.

Troublesome?

Yeah, it was troublesome.

Who wouldn’t be shaken when the mission tells you to kill people?

But the hesitation vanished.

Because they were the kind you could kill.

It was right.

There should be no guilt.

Inside the Tower, reality’s laws and ethics don’t apply.

And if I felt guilty?

That would make the summoned entities the ones doing evil.

So I didn’t avert my eyes.

Even if it was still hard to jump in directly, I couldn’t look away.

For my own sake.

For theirs.

Then—

[Pommelle Mercenary Company members killed 20/20]

[You have succeeded in Floor 71 Basic Mission.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Reward: Magic Stones 1.1 kg / high-grade Magic Stones 6 kg]

Mission complete.

No clear-rank evaluation?

But then—

[Would you like to continue the Additional Optional Mission?]

[If you refuse, you will exit the Tower with a mission success evaluation.]

The Additional Optional Mission was to kill Vice-Captain James.

If we’re going, we finish it.

‘Continue.’

A man opened the door of what looked like the largest house in the village.

A huge sack—loot, probably—hung over his shoulder.

“Ghk! W-what is this?!”

The nameplate read—

<Vice-Captain James of the Pommelle Mercenary Company>

And then—

[Would you like to check James’s information?]

Information?

Of course.

‘Check information.’

<Vice-Captain James of the Pommelle Mercenary Company>

Rank: R- (low-tier rare)

Type: Mercenary (Human)

It was much shorter than a Catalog entry, but it showed rank and type.

The breakdown was more granular than I expected.

Rare, but R-—a low-tier rare.

‘Then...?’

Juhyeok stared at James.

And then—

Vice-Captain James and Pommelle were friends from the same village. One day, James and Pommelle raped and murdered a young woman they both desired, then fled the village. They went to the outside world and founded the Pommelle Mercenary Company. It was called a mercenary company, but it was no different from a bandit gang.

A background description popped up.

‘Why give me background?’

So I can kill him without hesitation because he’s already a bastard?

If that’s the intent, it worked.

“A rapist and a murderer.”

“Kill?”

What—spare him?

“I almost feel sorry for monsters. I’ve beaten monsters to death countless times—why would this one be exempt?”

And in the middle of that—

“AAAAH!”

James turned and ran.

He didn’t get far.

TSHUK! THUD!

Veronica’s magic bullet blew out the back of his head.

[You have completed the Additional Optional Mission.]

[Reward: Multinational Tower Use Ticket.]

...The optional mission had a reward too?

A Multinational Tower Use Ticket landed in my Inventory.

They said reward probability would rise sharply.

It really did.

Then—

[Would you like to continue the High-Difficulty Optional Mission?]

‘Continue.’

Reward aside, the purpose was justice.

Pommelle was obviously a bastard too.

In that instant—

Another man came out of the same house.

He was yanking a half-naked woman by the hair.

“Damn bitch! You dare resist? I’ll have my men strip you and toss you— ...Huh?”

I knew it. Worse than a dog.

“And who are you?”

Who else?

A weak man here to deliver justice.

<Captain Pommelle of the Pommelle Mercenary Company>

Rank: R++ (high-tier rare)

Type: Mercenary (Human)

The number of murders Pommelle committed personally exceeds 100. He came to the Taunt Mountain Range slash-and-burn village because Necromancer Kate requested a search for sacrifices needed to resurrect a superior magical beast. The sacrifices were children under the age of ten.

‘You—’

Rape. Murder. Child abduction.

Juhyeok pointed at Pommelle.

“A harmful monster.”

Then Cossack said—

“I do it.”

“My lord—grant /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ me the honor of fulfilling the mission.”

Why send only one?

“Both of you. Go.”

SPOT! SWOOOOSH!

“Th-this!”

Pommelle panicked.

What the hell was this?

Were there people like this in this backwoods village?

But he couldn’t just accept it.

SSSHIIING—he drew his sword.

BWOOOOONG!

Sword aura flared, and he swung at the first one charging him—

TSFIT!

“...Ghk!”

Nothing.

He’d only cut empty air.

Slice!

Something fell.

THUD—his right arm, hitting the ground.

“Ah...”

Then—

SWOOOOSH!

A knight in grotesque spiked armor—

WHAM!

A brutal body slam.

“AAAAAAGH!”

Pommelle’s entire body was impaled by spikes.

Blood poured out from every puncture.

“S-s-spare—”

The pain didn’t last long.

Slice!

[You have completed the High-Difficulty Optional Mission.]

[Reward: Thunderstorm Club of Destruction.]

“...”

Rewards really are dropping like crazy.

Clear it and it just hands it over.

And there’s no Tower-Only modifier, either.

[Would you like to continue the Extreme-Difficulty Optional Mission?]

Fast. Clean.

‘Continue.’

Then—

“Oh my. Now what do we do? I’m going to get scolded by my master again.”

This time, it was the sky.

A woman in a red robe floated in the air.

<Necromancer Kate Loreang>

Rank: SR- (low-tier super rare)

Type: Necromancer (Human)

A dark mage?

“You look pretty strong. Right? I wouldn’t stand a chance alone.”

Kate is a 5-circle necromancer. On the orders of her master, Norma, an 8-circle necromancer, she was tasked with collecting children’s living souls. It was a grand undertaking—summoning the spirit of a superior magical beast. She needed at least 1,000 children’s living souls. For the final completion, she needed 15 more. Not many were left.

Vile bitch.

Monsters look cute by comparison.

“I’m not an idiot. Why would I fight you?”

Who said we were negotiating?

“I remember your faces. I’ll come back with Master Norma and kill you—piece by piece—then toss you to my chimera as feed. See you next time. Bye.”

She slid away in flight.

Trying to run?

“Staff Sergeant.”

“Staff Sergeant Veronica Caliber.”

“Handle it.”

“CERTAIN VICTORY!”

Veronica fired from a standing, squared stance.

“Loading one heavy round. Target is the bitch.”

ZZZIIIING!

The magic gun glowed white-hot.

BZZZTZTZT!!!

A heavy round launched—

It chased Kate like a guided missile.

“W-what is that?!”

A barrier formed around Kate.

At the same time—

“Blink.”

SPOT! Kate jumped instantly.

But Veronica’s magic gun had guidance built in.

SWOOOOSH!

The heavy round pivoted and kept chasing.

“B-blink!”

SPOT! SWOOOOSH!

“...What the hell?! Why does it keep following?!”

Kate panicked.

“Blink, blink, blink...”

SPOT! SPOT! SPOT!

But then—

ZZZIIIING! BZZZTZTZT!!!

A second heavy round fired.

“Blin—”

Kate’s eyes went wide.

Right in front of her new position sat the first heavy round.

WHAM! BAAANG!

Kate’s body burst like fireworks.

THUDUDUDUD!

Blood and flesh fell like gritty snow.

[You have completed all missions on Floor 71.]

[Reward: Potion of Courage / Tower-Only Holy-Power Holy Water.]

‘Hm.’

Two rewards.

One without Tower-Only, and one with Tower-Only.

‘Holy Water?’

[Calculating Clear Rank.]

‘Ah.’

[World Notice : You have achieved Clear Rank S+++ on Black Tower (Korea) Floor 71.]

A World Notice.

S+++.

Triple plus.

“...Holy shit.”

There was a higher rank.

[S+++ Clear Reward : 2 Platinum Badges will be awarded.]

Two badges too.

Probably because it’s S+++.

Up to now I had 79 total—two more makes 81.

‘That means perks.’

What will it be?

I’m looking forward to it.

Let’s treat the wounded weak-man soul with perks.

[You may challenge Floor 72.]

[Exiting Black Tower (Republic of Korea).]

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