The decision was made to climb to Floor 80.

Then they had to start with Floors 77, 78, and 79.

What would the mission types be like?

Would the summoned entities know?

They were beings who had experienced towers in other worlds.

If they were not bound by restrictions, they knew most of the clear information for each floor.

But they did not know anything about Floor 77.

Because missions in the seventies were not fixed.

The mission changed depending on which summoned entities the summoner had called forth.

For example, if Juhyeok had not summoned Meatshield, Floors 71, 72, and 73 would have been completely different floors.

Because Meatshield was there, because Gyeon Dallae was there, the tower’s missions had been custom-designed.

So they would only know about Floor 77 once they climbed it.

Whether it was a summoned-entity-themed mission, or a place completely unrelated.

Then what about Floor 80?

No one had ever made it up to Floor 80.

The world had already been destroyed before that.

“For us, there was no problem with climbing at all.”

“Then?”

“The signs of destruction appeared in other countries.”

“Ah!”

The Mad Demon continued with a desolate expression.

“The tower isn’t just one, is it? What’s the use if only we do well? The problem is not inside the tower. Things explode outside the tower. This old man tried too, but there was a limit.”

Wars breaking out everywhere.

Would Players be safe through that?

Collapse began first in the towers of weaker nations.

“The towers collapse in a chain. They pierce the surface like giant nails and drive deep into the earth. And once they’re driven in far enough... the world starts turning into a tower.”

He had heard it from Cossack before.

Collapsed towers terraformed the Earth.

Then the boundary between the world and the tower disappeared.

In other words, even without a Liberation Rune Necklace, Players would be able to use their power in reality.

Because the world itself would be a tower.

“Monsters manifest and pour out, Players die inside and outside the tower... and even if new Players Awaken, what good does it do? Their levels are too low.”

This was why the Mad Demon had urged world conquest.

Let’s finish it before the towers collapse.

“A time may soon come when we will have to use the Tower Occupation Proclamation Loudspeaker often, so we must prepare. This old man will help even if it costs my life.”

If things went wrong, Earth could meet the same fate as those other worlds.

Why had Diamat manifested outside the tower?

Whatever the reason, there was no way Diamat had come out for nothing.

It was not trying to do something inside the tower.

It would be plotting outside the tower.

Dealing with Diamat was mandatory.

The True one, not the Copy.

What would be the point of killing the Copy and climbing to Floors 81 and 82?

The True Diamat would still remain somewhere outside the tower, somewhere on Earth.

“Let’s go up.”

Let’s find the True one through the Copy.

“We shall prepare.”

“Once we catch the true Diamat, we’re taking it easy after that.”

Cossack nodded repeatedly as well.

“That’s right. Don’t do anything, sir. You can’t do any Random Summons either.”

This time, he was planning to climb the North Korea tower.

Since they had already cleared up to Floor 74, they would start from Floor 75.

And pick up some Platinum Badges while they were at it.

Total accumulated badges: 106.

After giving Cossack 3 badges not long ago,

physical badges in hand: 17.

Not many left.

At this rate, he might not even be able to hold a badge-awarding ceremony.

That aside.

“Princess.”

“Please speak.”

“We’ll be reclearing Floors 75 and 76... but you can rest. We can handle it ourselves.”

Because she would have to face her painful past again.

But—

“This humble girl is at a loss before your generous consideration, young master. However, even if I face a past that has already passed once more, it will have no effect on me.”

Ah!

Our sturdy Gyeon Dallae.

“Rather, it would be fastest if this humble girl steps forward. Please do not worry.”

Right.

Let’s leave it to her.

To the LSSR fairy maiden.

Total clear personnel, including Juhyeok: 10.

For now, Mari the shut-in alchemist was excluded.

The explosive homunculi had not been replenished yet.

He should at least get some medicine from her before going in.

*****

Juhyeok climbed the North Korea tower.

[Entering Republic of Korea Black Tower (NO.2) Floor 75.]

Floor 75.

A place they had already experienced once.

The palace of the ruined Cheon Empire.

The bound spirits of soldiers and warriors wandering the earthly world.

And Heuk Chisu, commander of the palace guard who had committed high treason, and Hungry Ghost Gyeonsul.

It was a floor Gyeon Dallae had practically carried by herself.

Even before the rank breakthrough.

And now she had returned at LSSR rank.

Floating through the air, Gyeon Dallae glided forward.

The lower bound spirits could not even run before they vanished.

The same went for Heuk Chisu, commander of the palace guard.

‘Princess? Truly...?’

Glide—

‘Kyaaaargh!’

There was no need for conversation.

A fairy maiden had manifested—what could mere evil spirits possibly do?

Hungry Ghost Gyeonsul was the same.

The moment he ran into Gyeon Dallae in the palace hall—

Glliiide—

‘It’s my niece. Huh? ...How? H-how can this be?’

He staggered backward in complete panic.

‘D-don’t come near me! P-please...’

And in the end—

POP!

Hungry Ghost Gyeonsul vanished like a bubble.

[Global Notice: You have achieved clear grade S+++ on Black Tower NO.2 (Korea), Floor 75.]

Acquired 2 Platinum Badges.

And immediately after—

[Entering Republic of Korea Black Tower (NO.2) Floor 76.]

As for the hardest enemies on Floor 76, it was still Yeochi and Yeopae, the Twin Nine-Tailed Foxes.

“Should we summon the shut-in alchemist?”

“No. We’ll do this ourselves. We’ve got the LSSR princess, and Mr. Jepetto too.”

“Oh! Jepetto and Yeochi! Those two match. I’m putting the bastard who asked Summoner Bong for blood on the bitch who asked Summoner Bong for his liver.”

At Cossack’s signal to Meatshield—

BAM!

Meatshield kicked the dazed Jepetto in the rear toward Yeochi.

“Kehk!”

FWOOSH!

Jepetto went flying.

Yeochi, who had been lying down, sprang up and slashed down with blue claws—

TSHHT!

But—

“Eek-hik?”

POOF!

Jepetto transformed into a bat and dodged the attack.

At the same time, the three-tailed, five-tailed, and seven-tailed foxes leaped down from the waterfall.

The battle had begun in earnest.

“Mr. Meatshield, keep the underling foxes busy with taunts, and everyone else just beat the hell out of Yeochi.”

Juhyeok had discussed it with Gyeon Dallae in advance.

How they would handle the clear without Mari the bomber.

For now, focus only on Yeochi.

And if Yeopae appeared from the cave behind the waterfall—

TSPIIIT!

SHWAAAAK!

“Kiaaaak!!!”

A gigantic beast burst through the waterfall.

But then—

FLICK!

A yellow talisman fired from Gyeon Dallae’s hand.

Neither slow nor fast.

It flew along a strange trajectory.

And—

SMACK!

It stuck to Yeopae’s body as if pulled by a magnet.

“Stand right there and do not move!”

It was a Binding Talisman.

A talisman with the effect of making the target unable to budge an inch.

This was the talisman art of LSSR Gyeon Dallae.

And it was not just the effect itself. Her ability to make the talisman slap right onto the target.

Was it only the Binding Talisman?

Three or four more talismans flew toward Yeopae.

Demon-Repelling Talismans.

Talismans for driving out evil fiends.

They flew and stuck to Yeochi too.

Yeochi was getting swarmed by the SSR summoned entities, the Mad Demon included.

After Yeochi, then Yeopae, and then the underling foxes.

The clear was quick.

[Global Notice: You have achieved clear grade S+++ on Black Tower NO.2 (Korea), Floor 76.]

Rajix and Blood Wolf were missing again.

Did they mine a lot of high-grade Magic Stones?

*****

Three tower entries per day.

The third was Floor 77.

[Entering Republic of Korea Black Tower (NO.2) Floor 77.]

SPOT!

From here on, the real journey began.

Today up to Floor 77.

Tomorrow, Floors 78, 79, and 80, all at once.

He would check the privileges in a batch again, like before.

What was the environment of Floor 77?

SHWAAA, SHWAAA.

A seaside beach stretched wide.

It was a shore where waves crashed in.

“Oh! Smells like the sea.”

It felt like they had come to a beach resort.

Not that it mattered. After catching Diamat, he really ought to go on vacation.

“Let’s go to the beach too.”

“That’s a good idea. We need to buy swimsuits first.”

That was true.

They needed swimsuits.

Juhyeok slipped a hand inside his clothes and discreetly checked his abs.

He felt the ridged washboard beneath his fingers.

‘Not bad.’

The result of daily breathing exercises.

At this level, there would be nothing embarrassing about it.

He could picture it.

The summoned entities swimming, surfing, running across the beach, and batting a beach ball around.

‘Hmm.’

He definitely had to go.

Everyone buying swimsuits together.

Anyway, first they had to receive the mission.

Looking around, this seemed to be some kind of island.

If they went inward from the beach, the mission would probably appear.

Sure enough—

Ding!

The missions rose one after another.

[Floor 77 Basic Mission: Kill 24 Alto Island prisoners.]

[Floor 77 Additional Optional Mission: Kill 11 long-term prisoners of Alto Island.]

[Floor 77 High-Difficulty Optional Mission: Kill Gillian, leader of the Alto Island prisoners.]

[Floor 77 Extreme-Difficulty Optional Mission: Duel the ruined Sword Master Hartmann of Alto Island.]

So it really was an island.

And prisoners?

A prison?

“This is Alto Island.”

At Juhyeok’s words, Cossack jolted in surprise.

“D-did you just say Alto Island, sir?”

“Yeah. Do you know it?”

No way.

“Damn, Alto Island is a prison in the middle of the open sea. Only the most vicious criminals in the Empire get locked up there. It’s famous.”

The fact that Cossack knew the place name meant—

‘From Floor 77 on, it’s a floor for Mr. Cossack.’

Apparently Cossack had realized it too.

Tilting his head, he said,

“This is strange, sir. I don’t have some special tragic backstory. Sure, I was raised as an assassin, but it suited me well enough, and I didn’t regret it. Well, I did die after pushing too hard...”

Cossack’s background explanation.

John Cossack was a guild member regarded as dead weight within the CRUEL ASSASSIN GUILD. His end came from a single failure. He died a miserable death after attempting to assassinate the Empire’s strongest Sword Master.

Then—

“Was the person who killed you Sword Master Hartmann, Mr. Cossack?”

“Huh? How did you know, sir?”

“Because the extreme-difficulty optional mission is a duel with the ruined Sword Master Hartmann.”

“Damn! That is surprising, sir. Back in the day, that guy was the best Sword Master in the Empire. Why is he locked up here as a wreck?”

“I don’t know either. Anyway, it says to duel him.”

Cossack frowned slightly as he spoke.

“He did kill me, but honestly I don’t hold even a little grudge. It was just an assassination job, sir. Accepting a mission to assassinate a Sword Master in the first place was stupid. It was all my fault.”

No regret, no grudge.

Then why was this appearing as a mission?

At that moment—

People suddenly came running across the beach with swords or spears in their hands.

Each one had a nameplate reading <Alto Island Prisoner>.

The way they moved as they ran was no joke.

They looked stronger than the mercenaries they had met on Floor 71.

“This warrior is curious. Why keep prisoners alive?”

“Yeah. If they’re that vicious, wouldn’t it be enough to just shoot them?”

“Because they’re nobles, sir. Imperial law says nobles can’t be killed casually. So they dump ’em here and leave them to die on their own.”

Ah!

So all those bastards were noble-born criminals?

“Nobles are outside the law to begin with, sir. So if they got locked up here, how rotten do you think they are?”

It sure looked that way.

The look in their eyes was different from the start.

“Meat’s here. And there are ten of them!”

“T-there’s a woman too.”

“We’ll eat the woman slowly.”

“No, you can’t eat the woman.”

“Let’s catch the men first and roast them on a fire.”

“If you want them to last longer, you should boil them.”

What?

Eat?

“They are talking about us right now, aren’t they?”

“Looks like those bastards stayed on the island so long they turned into cannibals, sir.”

Then suddenly—

Something caught Juhyeok’s eye in the sand of the beach.

Human skulls, rib bones, leg bones, and more.

It looked like they had already eaten plenty.

Those insane bastards.

“...Let’s hit them.”

“Yessir!”

The moment he finished speaking, Staff Sergeant Bae’s magic gun spat fire.

PAJUK! PAJUK! PAJUK!

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Perfect headshots.

The prisoners dropped.

“W-what is that? ...A crossbow?”

“Scatter! Don’t bunch up, split apart! Run in zigzags!”

“Mage! Take out that woman first!”

“I thought you said not to kill the woman!”

“You can kill her and do it later!”

SPOT!

Cossack shot forward like lightning.

“O light!!!”

SHWAAAAK!

Bardin followed behind him.

“Hoe!”

At Rajix’s command, Blood Wolf joined in as well.

Twenty-four prisoners?

They could not even run away.

In less than ten minutes, they were all cleaned up.

Basic mission complete.

Next—

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

[If you decline, you will exit the tower with a successful mission result.]

‘Continue.’

There was an old brick building in the middle of the island.

It was probably where the prisoners lived.

And then eleven humans appeared.

These ones were even armored and equipped.

<Alto Island Long-Term Prisoner>

Well, they seemed stronger than the regular prisoners, but—

They charged all at once,

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

and got beaten like dogs,

“Aaagh!”

“Y-you bastards!”

“S-save—”

“Do you know who I am? I am from a baronial—kuheok!”

Slash! Slash! Slash...

Cossack cut off their heads and finished it off by tying ribbons on them at the same time.

“They’re human-eaters, sir. Need to be put down.”

A reward came up too, but it was not very good.

Just ordinary equipment items.

High-Difficulty Optional Mission.

A giant of a man emerged from inside the building.

<Alto Island Prisoner Leader Gillian>

The nameplate, information, background explanation.

Rank SSR++, top-tier Sword Expert. Gillian was the third son of a {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} count’s family, imprisoned on Alto Island for charges including raping and murdering multiple women and girls, eating human flesh, and so on and so forth.

A bastard that made heaven and earth rage.

He was definitely quite strong.

He looked to be a full three meters tall.

But when Meatshield enlarged his body and walked toward him—

“Hhk! W-wait! L-let’s talk—”

Meatshield’s fist crashed down like lightning toward Gillian’s crown.

CRACK!

CRUMBLE!

That was the end of it.

High-Difficulty Optional Mission complete.

Then what about the final Extreme-Difficulty one?

The party entered the building.

It was quiet.

Inside, there was nothing except household items like beds and clothes, and human bones.

Where was Hartmann supposed to be?

“There’s a locked door here, sir. Tough padlock.”

“Let’s open it.”

“Yessir!”

CLACK!

When they opened the door, there were stairs leading downward.

‘A basement?’

Meatshield took the lead.

The Mad Demon followed behind.

And then they saw Hartmann with the nameplate over him.

Half naked.

His head hung low, both arms bound in chains and fixed into the wall.

A metal hook attached to a chain hanging from the ceiling pierced through his collarbones, pinning him in place.

Blood and pus ran from the wounds.

His legs were the same.

Shackles were fastened to his ankles and knees too.

His skin had already begun to rot.

It was horrific.

He looked as though death would be kinder.

<Ruined Sword Master Hartmann>

Rank: LSSR (Legend Special Super Rare)

Type: Human (Knight)

Naturally, LSSR rank.

And the background explanation?

Sword Master Hartmann enjoyed both wealth and honor as the Empire’s strongest swordsman. He entered a marquis household as a son-in-law, married a beautiful young lady, and even had a son. He believed that happiness would last forever.

But from that point on, his misfortune began. His son, only three years old, went missing. Even though it was the tightly guarded estate of a marquis, the child disappeared without a trace. Hartmann searched desperately, but to no avail. He fell into despair, and his wife, shattered by the shock, took to her bed and gradually wasted away until she died.

His family destroyed, Hartmann left the marquis household and lived alone while tending to his wounds. To overcome the pain, the best method was to bury himself in work. He joined the Empire’s wars and achieved victory after victory, further elevating his name. And so more than twenty years passed.

Then one day, an assassin secretly crept into his bedroom. Was this the first or second time someone had tried to assassinate him? He cut the intruder down in a single stroke. The assassin died. But the face looked familiar. Where had he seen it before?

The same hair color and eye color as his own, an eerily similar face, the bridge of the nose and jawline, and even the familiar moles and scars on the body... No. It couldn’t be. It must not be. Hartmann investigated the dead assassin. And he found out. The assassin was the son he had lost in the past. Hartmann became a ruined man that very day.

‘...’

Juhyeok doubted his own eyes.

‘What kind of insane nonsense is this...’

A birth secret?

I am your father?

Maybe it was some assassin other than Cossack.

But the scenes flashing through his mind along with the background explanation—

It was Cossack.

Hartmann’s son was Cossack.

Wow.

His mind went blank.

What was he supposed to say?

“Summoner, what exactly was the extreme-difficulty mission?”

At the Mad Demon’s question, Juhyeok forced his mouth open.

“...A duel with Hartmann.”

“A duel? Must this man be killed?”

“No! You absolutely can’t kill him!”

“Huh? Why not, sir?”

“Th-that’s...”

What should he do?

Hide it?

No.

Better to reveal it than hide it.

“Mr. Cossack.”

“Yes, sir?”

“D-don’t be too shocked, and listen carefully to what I’m saying. Actually, Hartmann is...”

Slowly, in detail, without leaving out a single thing, Juhyeok told him Hartmann’s background explanation.

By the time he reached the end, Cossack’s mouth had fallen open.

He looked like he could not believe it at all.

“I-is this some trashy soap opera, sir?”

The other summoned entities also fell silent.

“Then this guy is...”

And then Cossack’s lips parted with difficulty.

“...Dad?”

At that sound, Hartmann raised his head.