Tower Player Awakening Administration, Hannam-dong, Seoul.

Commissioner Park Kyungsoo listened to Team Leader Jeon Gwangil’s report.

“Player Bong went to the shop again?”

“Yes. He did it without me knowing. If I’d known in advance, I would’ve gone down to receive him.”

“What did he buy?”

“A shield. A small hand shield, at that.”

“Tsk. If he’d just signed an elite contract, we could’ve outfitted him properly from head to toe...”

He’d cleared up through Floor 18 at S++.

Floor 19 wouldn’t be hard either.

The problem was Floor 20.

Every type of goblin they’d seen so far appeared there.

The mission time limit alone was ten hours.

They weren’t expecting an S++ clear on Floor 20.

A simple clear within ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) the time limit would already be a blessing.

Some Players wasted months just trying to get past it.

“What is Player Bong’s Trait, anyway?”

“Based on the mace and shield purchase, we suspect he’s melee-oriented.”

“Heh. As if wearing a full kit wouldn’t still be lacking.”

A close-combat type.

They used powerful skills strike by strike, but the tradeoff was vulnerability—your whole body had to be protected.

“Why didn’t he buy armor and a helmet? Fine, skip the pants and greaves, but the head and heart have to be protected as much as possible.”

“That’s what worries me too.”

Other injuries still gave you time.

Because you had Tower-Only Healing Potions.

But if you took a hit to the head or heart, you died on the spot.

No chance to drink a potion.

“I’ll come up with some excuse and get a full set of armor to Player Bong—”

Just then—

ZZZIIING!

A call came in.

He checked the caller ID: the police unit dedicated to Players.

“I’ll take this call for a moment. It’s the police—”

“Take it.”

“Yes, hello. This is Jeon Gwangil. What happened? Ah—attempted item robbery, hmm, armed with a pistol...”

Crime between Players.

Somebody saw an item and went crazy, probably.

It happened from time to time.

Kidnap a Player with expensive items, torture them, and loot their Tower-Only Inventory.

That kind of crime was vicious.

To cover evidence, they usually killed the robbed Player.

It was kept quiet, but people who knew, knew.

That a Player’s corpse went into the Tower-Only Inventory.

So the odds of a perfect crime were actually pretty high.

At least outside the tower, skills and level effects were blocked—so it was only this bad.

If Players could exert the same power in the real world as they did inside the tower?

A disaster bigger than the tower would come.

“The victim said my name? Who is it? Twenty-five years old, male... what? P-Player Bong Juhyeok?”

What kind of lightning strike was this?

“W-what did you say? The victim... is he, is he okay?”

Jeon Gwangil’s face went pale.

Commissioner Park Kyungsoo, listening beside him, jolted in shock.

“Damn. Injuries?”

“N-none, they say. But he looked a little... s-startled.”

“Go there immediately.”

“Understood.”

Jeon Gwangil ran out at full speed.

Left alone, Commissioner Park Kyungsoo bit his lip hard.

It was a mistake.

They couldn’t only think about danger inside the tower.

Players didn’t die only in the tower.

They died outside too. A lot.

‘We should’ve signed an elite contract from the beginning.’

Then the security problem would’ve been perfectly solved.

He wanted to attach trained, official protection.

But that wasn’t something the Administration did directly.

They had to request protection through the police or the National Intelligence Service.

And they hadn’t even signed an elite contract with Bong Juhyeok.

The Administration was a state organization.

There were procedures.

To attach protection to a regular Player, they needed a valid basis.

For example, the fact that he was the S++ clear record-holder.

But if they did that, reports would go up the chain, and his existence would be exposed to the outside.

Would scout brokers like wolves sit still?

Bong Juhyeok would be in even more danger.

Forced contracts. Kidnapping. Dragged to another country.

He’d thought it was safer to pretend not to know and leave him alone than to push clumsy protection.

And then this happened.

‘We can’t stall anymore.’

No matter what, we bring him in.

To the Elite Climbing Team.

※ ※ ※

Juhyeok tied Choi Hoseok up with rope and called the police.

He used Dismiss Summon on Cossack and sent him back.

Cossack looked kind of disappointed, but the police were coming soon—what could he do?

The police arrived faster than expected.

“Whew. You really nailed the back of his head.”

“H-he’s not dead, right? ...Does self-defense apply?”

“Hard to say. We have to investigate, but it looks like a concussion. At least his heart’s still beating.”

“Uh... h-he won’t die, right?”

Seeing the police made him nervous for no reason.

Even though he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Well... Cossack had done something in the past.

But that was in the past.

Honestly, the moment Choi Hoseok showed up with a gun, he was basically dead.

And he’d said he was going to kill him—multiple times.

If that wasn’t suicide, what was?

Either way, even if the gun had fired, Juhyeok would’ve been safe.

Because he’d already turned on his Energy Barrier.

And then—

“Ghhh...”

Choi Hoseok opened his eyes into a squint and came to.

Juhyeok let out a breath.

Thank god. Not dead.

As a police officer snapped cuffs on him—

“Mr. Choi Hoseok? You are under emergency arrest for unlawful entry and aggravated robbery.”

Choi Hoseok’s eyes rolled around wildly.

“W-wait! It’s a misunderstanding. Misunderstanding! I’m the victim. He’s the attacker.”

Oh?

“he kidnapped me into his house and tried to rob my items.”

“Then what is this suppressed pistol?”

“F-for self-defense. He tried to kill me, so I had no choice... you know how dangerous Players are. Ah! And he’s not alone. There’s an accomplice, an accomplice!”

Wow.

Is that why he’s popular?

He talks like water flowing downhill.

The officer in charge looked at Bong Juhyeok.

“Was there someone else?”

“N-no? I-I’m alone.”

The officer studied Juhyeok with suspicious eyes.

“Either way, it looks like both of you will have to come with us.”

“No, the thief is him.”

Choi Hoseok thumped his chest like he was frustrated.

“My level is 34. If I clear one floor, I get over 3 kilograms of Magic Stones. Why would I commit robbery? What am I lacking?”

...Maybe I should’ve let Cossack drag him outside.

He was going to play dumb in this situation?

“On the other hand, he’s just some guy clearing in the teens. He approached me and told me himself. If you ask the Awakening Administration and check his registration date, it’ll all come out.”

That was when—

BANG!

Team Leader Jeon Gwangil from the Administration kicked the front door open and stormed in.

Seeing him, Choi Hoseok lit up and shouted.

“Team Leader! It’s me, Choi Hoseok. You know me, right? I’m the victim, but I’m being framed—”

SMACK!

A crisp slap echoed through the room.

“Uh? Why’d you hit my cheek—”

It wasn’t just once.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK—

Choi Hoseok’s head whipped left and right.

His face reddened in an instant.

Blood beaded at the corner of his mouth.

“You son of a bitch! You think you can lie like that when it’s obvious?”

“...Th-that’s not—”

GRAB!

Jeon Gwangil grabbed him by the hair and snarled.

“Choi Hoseok, you fucking bastard. You’re going to prison starting today. You dared come here trying to kill a fellow Player?”

“N-no, listen to me—”

“Your registration is getting revoked. I don’t care whether you climb the tower in prison or not. Released? Don’t even dream of it. If you want out, die in the tower.”

“W-wait... I’m telling you, it’s not—”

Choi Hoseok couldn’t understand.

What was this?

‘You won’t even listen?’

Jeon Gwangil spoke to the police.

“Take him away. The National Intelligence Service will be here soon—hand him over to them.”

National Intelligence Service?

The state was extremely strict about crimes targeting Players.

If you were unlucky, you could get tortured.

‘N-no!’

Choi Hoseok begged frantically.

“I was blind. P-please, show mercy—”

“Bullshit! I know you’re a repeat offender. We’re going to dig up everything you’ve done. Get a lawyer, you bastard—though you won’t have anyone to defend you.”

Then, to the police—

“Also—y’all know the Player arrest manual, right? He might enter the tower on the way to the station. If he disappears, wait at the spot. If he shows back up, arrest him again.”

Then he turned to Juhyeok.

“Player Bong Juhyeok, I’m sorry. Are you injured anywhere?”

“...I was just startled.”

Jeon Gwangil bowed so deeply it looked like he was about to slam his head into the floor.

“We will prepare thoroughly so that something like this never happens again.”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

Jeon Gwangil’s face was grim.

“For now, I think you should install a few more locks at home.”

“...I will.”

He wanted to take stronger measures, but there were too many eyes on them right now.

All he could do was ask the police to increase patrols.

A stifling frustration.

Either way, they couldn’t delay anymore.

The elite contract.

※ ※ ※

Time passed.

The commotion ended.

The police offered to strengthen patrols around his home, but he refused.

They’d knock and ask if everything was okay every time.

‘Who on earth is safer than me?’

When Choi Hoseok broke in, he’d been more worried about the guy dying than himself.

Back to daily life.

He gave Meatshield and Cossack five stars each.

[John Cossack has been designated and summoned.]

“Salute! Was everything alright yesterday?”

“Thanks to you. They arrested him.”

“Death penalty?”

“No way. He’ll do a few years and come out.”

“...Hmm. Do you know where the detention center is?”

“I don’t. And don’t try to find out.”

“Yes, sir.”

Next.

[Barbarian Meatshield has been designated and summoned.]

“...First time.”

“What is?”

Meatshield folded down his fingers one by one.

“St-stars. Five.”

So he could count.

Today, Floor 19.

“Let’s go.”

[Entering Black Tower (Republic of Korea) Floor 19.]

The mission was to kill Goblin Shamans.

[Floor 19 Mission: Kill 30 Goblin Shamans.]

They weren’t actually that threatening.

They’re goblins—what, were they going to throw Ice Spears? Spray Chain Lightning?

At most, curses, binding, or some weak fire arrows.

And among those, the most dangerous was still the curse.

It was extremely harmful to mental health.

Hallucinations, weakening, loss of motivation, inducing depression... it all poured out nonstop.

And curses could stack, so you had to kill them fast.

But that only applied to Players around the same level.

It didn’t apply to an assassin whose mind was already gone, or to a meatshield who’d survived everything by tanking it with his body alone.

THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!

Meatshield charged.

The size difference between him and the goblins was a newborn versus an adult.

Ignore curses and binds, run in, slam them around, and it’s over.

Cossack hid behind Meatshield to avoid the curses, then when a window opened, he moved like lightning and slaughtered the shamans.

SLICE! SLICE-SLICE-SLICE-SLICE...

Blood and flesh sprayed across the Floor 19 battlefield.

‘Then me too.’

Juhyeok gripped his mace and shield.

ZZZING!

Energy Barrier was baseline.

Now he’d join the battle and confirm his talent with flashy skills—

[You have succeeded in the Floor 19 Mission.]

‘Huh?’

What?

Already?

In the distance, John Cossack was covered in red and grinning.

‘God damn it!’

Did he end it fast on purpose?

‘So I can’t participate?’

[Notice: You have achieved Clear Rank S++ on Black Tower (Korea) Floor 19.]

[S++ Clear Reward: You are awarded a Platinum Badge.]

Fine.

He’d let it slide today.

And the next day.

At last—the Floor 20 clear.

[Entering Black Tower (Republic of Korea) Floor 20.]

Nicknamed the first talent detector, infamous for brutal difficulty.

A place people even said Floor 21 was easier.

“This place is extremely dangerous. All goblins appear. Scout poison needles, tactical warriors, stealth assassins, shaman curses, and a huge hobgoblin, whew, scary.”

“...”

John Cossack made a huge fuss, trying to scare him with how terrifying Floor 20 was.

“If it were me, I would wait in a safe place.”

As he spoke, he poked Meatshield in the side.

“Summoner, you do nothing. I kill all.”

Even Meatshield joined in.

[Floor 20 Mission: Kill 100 goblins of any type and 1 hobgoblin.]

[Time Limit: Within 10 hours.]

[Progress: All goblin types 0/100, Hobgoblin 0/1]

[Failure: Death or Mission Abandonment]

“Meatshield, you go first. Block everything with your body. Once you’ve pulled enough aggro, I’ll go too. Got it?”

“I pull all aggro.”

“Okay! Good!”

After that, Cossack subtly stepped in front of Juhyeok.

Like he was trying to stop him from going out.

THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD.

Barbarian Meatshield charged like a tank.

Poison needles flew.

A warrior unit blocked the front.

Assassins aimed for the back.

Curses and fire arrows poured down.

And at that moment—

ZZZIIING.

Juhyeok burst out.

Energy Barrier, basilisk petrification leather combat boots, mace and hand shield.

“Huh?”

John Cossack, who’d been casually picking his nose, flinched and screamed in despair.

“S-s-summoner Bong! No!!!”

SWAT! SWAT-SWAT!

Juhyeok advanced in a zigzag.

SWAT! SWA-WA-WA...

Shadow Step unfolded in a dazzling display.

Afterimages left behind every time he changed direction.

One, two, four, eight...

Everything around him was Juhyeok’s shadow.

‘Am I insane?’

Seems like it.

At least in this moment, he wasn’t a timid weak man.

He was free.

SWAT!

He took a shaman’s back and smashed once with the mace.

CRUNCH!

SWAT!

He crushed a warrior’s skull with the mace.

CRUNCH!

Incoming poison needles—he caught them with the hand shield—

TING-TING!

SWAT! SWAT! SWAT!

So fast you couldn’t track it with your eyes.

Cossack let out a sigh.

A perfect Shadow Walker that even he would struggle to imitate.

He’d thought it was a relief that this summoner knew how to cherish his own life.

He had to protect him.

Even if it meant burning his soul.

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