Floor 73’s Basic Mission was Battle Chimera Hounds.

And as Additional Choice Missions, I had to take out Royal Guards, the captain, and even the king.

But the High-Difficulty and Extreme-Difficulty Choice Missions had an extra note: conditional clear.

What kind of condition?

I’d find out once I got into it.

“Meatshield.”

“I’m listening, summoner.”

“Do you know someone named Jornthe?”

“I do.”

“...Who?”

“In the past, he was one of my comrades.”

I knew it.

One of the bastards who’d shoved Meatshield into trauma.

Would he be okay?

“It’s someone you know, so if it’s uncomfortable—”

“It isn’t uncomfortable. I want to meet him soon and snap his waist in half.”

Okay. He’s fine.

Let’s start with the Basic Mission.

Battle Chimera Hounds.

I didn’t even have to look for them.

“Sniff, sniff... grrrr...”

“Woof-woof!”

“Grrrk!”

The hounds appeared, sniffing the air.

Their bodies were as big as Siberian tigers.

Blood-red eyes.

Drool dripping in strings.

Jaws modified with steel—gleaming metal mandibles—teeth like sharpened blades.

Their claws were the same.

Like someone had hammered pointed, sharp daggers in where claws should be.

If you got bitten or raked, chunks of flesh would get torn out.

Even their torsos—like they’d been pumped full of steroids—bulging muscles fully exposed.

But the hounds didn’t charge in mindlessly.

They sniffed, advanced, retreated, repeating, approaching with extreme caution.

‘This is different.’

The chimera packs on Floor 72 had nothing but attack instinct.

They’d just rushed and slammed into you.

“A completed chimera.”

“...Completed?”

“When you refine a chimera, the most important core is intelligence. With high intelligence, it can judge situations on its own.”

Meatshield really was a chimera expert.

“If it’s stupid, it’s useless no matter how strong it is. Like me in the past.”

“....”

His voice turned bitter.

“When you enhance intelligence, the essential ingredient is a soul—usually a human soul, most of all. Because humans are smart.”

So those Battle Chimera Hounds were refined using human souls.

Something unforgivable.

Who made them like that?

Obviously necromancers like Kate and Norma, and the Norton Kingdom king who gave the orders.

“Still, a dog’s a dog.”

“Yeah.”

Cossack pointed at Blood Wolf with Rajix riding on his back and kept talking.

“Dogs gotta be handled by dogs. Time for Blood Wolf to earn his keep.”

“Blood Wolf is our farmhand’s ride.”

“Rajix’s worker got fat. Needs exercise. Look at that potbelly.”

“...WAAH?”

Rajix looked like he’d taken critical damage from the cruel body evaluation.

‘Hmm.’

Honestly, I agreed.

Rajix had put on weight.

Sure, he was round enough to roll well, but what if he got lifestyle diseases?

‘Do I need to buy a huge hamster wheel for the house or something?’

And Blood Wolf couldn’t just be a mount.

Getting him involved in clearing was a good idea.

<Catalog : Blood Wolf>

Rank : Stage 1 (Level 71)

Type : magical beast

He was Level 71, but still only Stage 1.

A summon’s level synced with the Player, but real growth came from stage evolution.

Blood Wolf had never fought a proper battle, so he was still stuck at Stage 1.

“All right. Put him in.”

“Huuuh...”

The instant Rajix got off Blood Wolf—

“Earn your keep!”

Cossack kicked Blood Wolf’s ass toward the Battle Chimera Hounds.

“YIPE!”

No, you can’t just kick him like that—

“Gotta raise ’em tough.”

Blood Wolf, punted forward, dropped into the hound pack.

“WOOF!”

“GRRR!”

“SKREE!”

“SKREEE!”

The Battle Chimera Hounds rushed him like they’d been waiting, steel fangs bared.

“YI-YI-YIPE!”

Blood Wolf got focused down.

He was only Stage 1.

And he was outnumbered on top of that.

Bitten on the scruff, bitten on the legs, bitten on the ass—

until Blood Wolf was soaked in blood, tail tucked, fleeing.

“Uh...”

“Why’s he so weak?”

Yeah. He’s not even in the same league.

Rajix collapsed to the floor and wailed in a devastated voice.

“WAAH...!”

Guess he’d gotten really attached.

I shouted quickly.

“Clear them, now!”

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP!

Meatshield charged forward.

Lucius Bardin, already perched on Meatshield’s shoulder and ready to be swung, moved naturally with him.

“Light!!!”

In that instant, a chimera hound that had been attacking Blood Wolf leaped for Meatshield’s head.

“WOOF!”

At the same time, another hound went for Meatshield’s ankle.

“GRRNG!”

And that wasn’t all—another hound aimed for the ribs.

A perfectly coordinated group attack—

KRAK!

A chimera hound clamped onto Meatshield’s forearm and hung on.

Steel teeth sank into flesh, fresh blood spilling.

But it didn’t matter.

It’d regenerate in no time.

CRACKCRACKCRACK!

Instead, the biter’s teeth shattered.

“Light!!!”

Meatshield grabbed Bardin and swung.

WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMPWHUMP!

A simultaneous attack—torso and flail.

SHHHHHK! SHHHHHHHK!

Veronica followed up with focused fire.

SPOTSPOTSPOTSPOT!

Cossack sprinted in and hauled Blood Wolf out, now on the brink of death.

“Whiiine...”

Rajix rolled over in a panic, seeing Blood Wolf’s miserable condition, and burst into tears.

“Huuuurk...”

At this rate, he’d die.

Before he did—

“Dismiss Summon: Blood Wolf.”

SPOT! He’s alive, right?

I checked the Status Window catalog—he wasn’t in an unsummonable state.

I’d saved him before he died.

“Whew.”

At least that.

“S-sorry. Rajix’s worker.”

“HURK!”

“I won’t do it again—”

“HURK!”

“No, what did I even do wro—”

“WAAH!”

Tsk, tsk.

I was wondering if he’d stopped causing trouble lately.

If you wanted Blood Wolf to fight, you should’ve joined him up with the others, not boot him like a ball.

Anyway, filling Blood Wolf’s spot—

“Designated Summon: Mad Demon.”

FWOOOOSH! I filled the gap with Mad Demon.

“Summoner.”

“Welcome.”

“You called me sooner than I expected.”

“I figured we’d have enough time... come with me.”

“Heh-heh-heh. It’s an honor for this old man.”

I already felt secure.

Royal Guards? Captain? King?

Dead men walking.

This was someone who could wipe out a country.

‘Sending Blood Wolf and getting Mad Demon is pure profit.’

Still, it wouldn’t be easy.

Those things had bitten into Meatshield’s forearm and actually made a wound.

And they attacked in coordination, too—Floor 73 looked like even the Basic Mission would be hard for ordinary Players.

‘Not for us, though.’

[Dungeon Battle Chimera Hounds defeated 20/20]

[You have succeeded in Floor 73 Basic Mission.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Reward : Magic Stones 1.3kg/ high-grade Magic Stones 6kg]

The Basic Mission was just a light warm-up.

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

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

Now for the real Choice Missions.

Obviously, continue.

But then—

“Uh, Summoner Bong.”

Cossack, who’d been bickering with Rajix, slid up beside me and whispered like something had happened.

“What is it?”

“Rajix’s worker keeps telling me to come with him somewhere...”

Where?

Don’t tell me—

“Is he trying to drag me somewhere nobody can see and beat me up? I saw you two fighting earlier.”

Cossack recoiled in horror.

“Eek? Why would I hit our worker? No. Absolutely no.”

I didn’t trust him.

I should confirm with Rajix.

“Do you really have something you need?”

“WAAH.”

“Seriously?”

“WAAH!”

Did he smell items?

Then I had to let him go.

“Take good care of our worker. If even one hair gets hurt...”

“Hey! I’d rather slam my head into the ground and die. I’ll protect the cosmic bald farmhand for sure.”

All right, then.

When I nodded, Cossack and Rajix vanished somewhere.

We didn’t need them.

Mad Demon was here.

“Continue.”

It was time.

I opened my Inventory and took out <Potion of Courage>.

A potion that kept your mind strong for ten minutes and stopped you from being shaken by outside influence.

Gulp.

Doping complete.

‘Does it work?’

It felt like courage was rising, at least.

Right then!

CLINKCLINK. CLINKCLINK!

BANG! BANG! BANG...

The iron doors of the prison cells opened one by one.

And knights in heavy plate armor, with swords and shields, stepped out.

<Norton Kingdom Royal Guard>

‘...Huh?’

But the knights looked wrong.

Their faces and builds were all identical.

A right arm as big as their torso, lower bodies like a horse’s legs, a massive single eye taking up half the face—

Not undead.

More like they’d modified their own bodies... or had been modified.

“They are human chimeras.”

“.....”

“An arm transplanted from a troll. The eye is cyclops. The lower body is a warhorse’s.”

They modified their own bodies?

Why?

“To gain power, I would presume. If one enters the path of heresy instead of training properly, a price is always demanded.”

Disgusting.

Could you even call them human?

Their eyes looked empty, too.

“Hello?”

No answer.

Just shhrrk, shhrrk—

they drew their swords with those monstrous right arms and leveled them forward.

FWOOOOSH!

Sword aura coating the blades.

At minimum, they could handle aura.

‘Even the Additional Choice Mission got harder.’

Fifteen knights who could use sword aura.

And they were moving as an organized unit.

There was no need to give orders.

My summoned entities clashed with the chimera Royal Guards as-is.

KRAK! SPAPAPOT!

I gripped the Thunderstorm Club of Destruction.

I had to join the clear.

Because what does “clear” mean?

I had to kill the knights.

But then I froze.

My body wouldn’t move.

They were human.

Even if they were just souls that had already died once, if they had real flesh now, that was human.

Even after drinking the Potion of Courage, I was like this.

My mind was supposed to be fortified—still no effect.

And in a way, that made sense.

It wasn’t even related in the first place.

Courage and murder.

Does killing people well mean you’re courageous, and failing to kill people makes you a coward?

“That is correct. It has nothing to do with courage.”

Mad Demon had come up beside me at some point, speaking quietly.

He must’ve seen me drink it.

“Courage is needed to uphold one’s convictions, to not yield to power, to possess a will that does not break. But murder...”

Mad Demon pointed a finger at a Royal Guard.

“It only requires experience. Once you pass through a single rite of passage,”

TSSPIT!

A lump of ki shot from his hand and pierced straight through the knight’s eye.

“the next kill becomes very easy. Like slapping a mosquito dead on a summer night with the palm of your hand.”

The one-eyed knight collapsed, eye pierced through.

Thud.

“Summoner.”

Mad Demon patted my shoulder.

“...Yes.”

Warm energy flowed into me.

“Do not rush. There is no need to stain yourself. Is a person weak because killing is difficult? In truth, the opposite can be stronger.”

He was right.

But it was already too late.

I’d stepped onto this path, too.

Is only direct killing killing?

Indirect killing is killing, too.

Making my summoned entities do all the dirty work while I stayed clean in the back—that was shameless.

A rite of passage?

So what.

‘It’s not like I can’t do it.’

I drew up my magic power.

And I was about to charge forward—

[You have completed the Additional Choice Mission.]

[Reward : Multinational Tower Use Ticket]

‘...Damn.’

The Additional Mission was already over.

I hesitated and missed my window.

‘Next time, for sure.’

Still, the ticket drops were nice.

How many was that already?

Then!

Ding!

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

[From High-Difficulty Missions onward, this is a conditional clear.]

[If you do not wish to, you may exit the Tower here.]

[If you succeed, you will receive 10x high-grade Magic Stones and a 100% chance additional clear reward.]

Ten times the reward?

But there was a condition.

I’d find out once I tried.

“Continue!”

At that exact moment!

SKRREEEE—

A point of light came in from the ceiling.

What?

SKRREEEEEEEEEE...

It was opening.

The ceiling was opening.

Like ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) a nightclub’s dome roof.

[A conditional clear has been established.]

[You have entered the Royal Palace Circular Arena.]

[You cannot forfeit midway.]

[The Extreme-Difficulty Choice Mission will also proceed automatically.]

[You cannot forfeit midway.]

‘Wow.’

It was a trap.

I thought it was a prison, but it was actually under a circular arena.

The ceiling opened fully.

Beyond it, I could see spectator stands.

From their clothes, most looked like nobles or wealthy merchants.

And at the highest point, wearing a brilliant crown, with his chin propped on his hand and a bored expression—a middle-aged king.

The king stood.

With a greasy smile, he raised his thumb.

Then turned the thumb from sky to ground.

“Kill them all!”

A roar erupted.

“WOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

A frenzied crowd.

“Kill them!”

“Tear the intruders to pieces!”

“Fresh blood!”

At the same time—

THUD!

A giant man with a huge axe dropped down into the arena from above.

<Royal Palace Royal Guards Captain Jornthe>

Step... step...

A knight in iron armor with a physique big enough to match Meatshield even when Meatshield Enlarged.

And he wasn’t alone.

GRRRRRR—more than thirty hounds again.

And more than twenty knights were entering the arena, too.

“This is fun.”

Mad Demon grinned brightly.

*****

Meanwhile.

Rolling fast through a dark passage, Rajix—

SPOT! SPAPAPAPOT!

—with Cossack chasing close behind.

“Rajix’s worker, slow down.”

“WAAH! WAAAH!”

“Ah, if we’re late, you won’t be able to bring it all back? ...Bring what?”

“Huuuurk!”

“Ah, got it. I’ll follow quietly.”

Still, Cossack felt pleased.

Seeing Rajix exercise that hard.

He followed Rajix into the royal palace.

Through maze-like corridors, and whenever they ran into soldiers, they subdued them on their own.

Then—Rajix stopped short.

“WAAH!”

With short feet, he tapped-tapped the floor.

“Hm.”

Cossack examined the floor closely.

“There’s a mechanism. Secret passage. You smell items?”

Rajix nodded.

“Ah, our worker. That’s why you brought me. I’m Cossack, a mechanism-disarm expert, right?”

Cossack grinned and pulled out twin daggers.

Then he pressed his ear close to the floor.

“Let’s see. Break here,”

Thunk! A dagger stabbed into the stone plate.

“Cut here.”

Slice!

“Cut there,”

Slice!

“and if I break these two spots too...”

Shhk! The floor opened.

A pitch-black hole came into view.

A sloped passage like a slide.

“WAAH!”

“Don’t mention it!”

Rolling down the opened passage, Rajix and Cossack—

they descended for a long time.

Then they stopped again, and this time Rajix went tap-tap on a wall.

“Smell comes from here? ...Disarm?”

Nod nod.

Thunk thunk! Slice, slice!

Another door opened.

This one was different.

Not a narrow corridor, but a fairly wide underground passage.

Ahead was a gigantic iron gate, guarded by four sentry soldiers.

“Take care of them?”

Nod nod.

SPOT!

Cossack appeared behind the soldiers.

WHUMPWHUMPWHUMPWHUMP!

One smack to each back of the head, and they dropped where they stood.

“Like before, I didn’t kill them. Soldiers aren’t guilty, right? I’m Cossack—this is what I look like, but I separate who I kill and who I don’t.”

“WAAH.”

Rajix tapped-tapped the iron gate.

Meaning: stop talking and open it.

“I’m the master locksmith, Cossack. There’s a lock spell too, but this is nothing.”

Tap tap! TATATATAK!

After fiddling with the whole gate a few times—

CLUNK.

The sound of the lock releasing.

Creeeak—

The iron gate opened.

Cossack and Rajix went inside.

“Huuuuuh...”

Rajix wore an ecstatic expression.

“Eek?”

Cossack jumped.

He couldn’t help it.

The entire room was dazzling with light.

The Norton Kingdom underground treasure vault.

More than twice as big as the Necromancer’s Dungeon treasure vault.

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