Pyongyang, North Korea.

Chairman Kim Injung was deeply immersed in his work inside his private office.

He had been extremely busy lately.

After taking control of the Black Tower and integrating it into a single national tower, the country was now moving toward de facto national unification.

Perhaps because of that, the national situation had improved greatly.

In particular, investment requests from South Korean companies were pouring in.

Production factories that major Korean conglomerates had originally planned to build in China or Southeast Asia were now being redirected to North Korea.

From the perspective of South Korean companies, North Korea offered optimal conditions for setting up factories.

Labor costs were low, and the workers spoke the same language.

Of course, political stability was a prerequisite.

Chairman Kim Injung welcomed it as well.

Regardless of whether the South Korean administration changed or not, he promised that the profits and safety of South Korean companies entering North Korea would be fully guaranteed.

More defectors were being released as well.

Whether in Pyongyang or in the countryside, vitality was overflowing throughout North Korea.

That said, unification could not be rushed.

The southern government knew it, and he knew it as well.

Slowly, step by step, minimizing side effects while easing cultural differences.

It would easily take at least five years.

He had to work hard.

Only then could he survive.

He didn't want to die meaninglessly in a bunker from a nuclear explosion like the Chinese president or the standing committee members.

He wanted to live a long life, and before dying, pass away bearing the title of the leader who completed North-South unification.

Just then—

BANG!

A man burst into the office without even knocking.

He was dragging no fewer than four large travel suitcases.

"Chairman comrade. Have you been well? It's been quite a while since we last met."

"C-Comrade Cossack!"

It was the Minister of the People's Armed Forces.

"Welcome. Please come by more often."

"I've been busy lately. Same with the others."

Cossack sat down in a chair and spoke.

"It's nothing much, but I have a request for you, Chairman comrade."

"Please tell me anything. I'll handle it with top priority."

"There are rumors that Chinese player bastards are smuggling high-grade Magic Stones in the Sinuiju border area..."

"I was just about to report that. I'll send comrades from the State Security Department and wipe them out in one sweep."

Cossack shook his head.

"I'm not telling you to wipe them out."

"Then...?"

"Buy them all up."

"W-What? You mean the high-grade Magic Stones?"

"That's right. Even if they're expensive, buy them unconditionally. Even if you have to pay in crisp cash."

He then opened one of the suitcases he had brought.

"It's all dollars. If it's not enough, request more anytime."

"That won't be necessary. If we purchase them with the republic's budget—"

At that moment, Cossack exploded in anger.

"Chairman comrade! Have you lost your mind? The republic's budget is for the people of the republic! Are you planning not to feed them rice and meat soup?"

"Ah, I understand."

Only then did Cossack smile in satisfaction.

"No inconveniences these days?"

"N-No, none."

"Good. Just keep doing this. You'll live out your natural lifespan. I promise."

Kim Injung smiled back. Then—

"Please also convey this to him. Tell him I'm working diligently."

"Heh heh, don't worry. I report everything without fail."

"Thank you."

Kim Injung suddenly stood up and raised both hands to the sky.

"Long live Juhyeok!"

Cossack responded.

"Long live Juhyeok!"

And thus, at the North Korean government level, the covert purchase of high-grade Magic Stones began.

Rajix Trading headquarters.

Oh Jinsuk ran into Juhyeok in the 61-story building.

Juhyeok felt a bit awkward.

It had been a long time since they last met, but there wasn't much to say.

Jinsuk seemed to feel the same.

"I work at Rajix Trading. You've heard of it, right? A leather brand company for tower materials."

Of course he had.

It was his company.

"What about you? What are you doing these days? Did you get a job?"

"No."

"Then?"

"I'm self-employed."

At that moment—

"B-Bong Player?"

Jung Donghoon came running from afar, out of breath.

Oh Jinsuk hurriedly greeted her company's representative.

"Hello, sir. CEO."

"Ah, yes, yes... Employee Oh Jinsuk? I'm a bit busy right now..."

Jung Donghoon bowed so deeply to Juhyeok that his head nearly touched the ground.

"Oh my, Player Bong. I'm Jung Donghoon."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Bong Juhyeok."

"I-I'm sorry. I was told you were coming, but I didn't know when..."

"Ah, it's my fault for barging in without an appointment. Oh, and this is Veronica, who came with me."

Veronica Caliber gave a slight nod in greeting.

"Oh dear, I thought you were a model."

Oh Jinsuk could only stand there with her mouth hanging open.

Jung Donghoon, the CEO—

Who was he?

A third-generation chaebol from Ilseong Group, who had spun off Ilseong Apparel, renamed it Rajix Trading, and grown it into the world's top tower-leather production and distribution company. A legendary figure.

Getting into Rajix Trading was equivalent to joining a major conglomerate.

No—actually, it was even harder.

Oh Jinsuk had miraculously made it in.

She thought she'd fail, but somehow got accepted.

A special high-school-graduate hire, with excellent interview scores.

Joining Rajix Trading was the greatest achievement of her life.

The employee ID hanging from her neck was her pride.

And yet that very Jung Donghoon, CEO of Rajix Trading, was groveling before Bong Juhyeok.

And he had even called him a Player?

That Bong Juhyeok?

Wow...

Player.

The profession of professions.

Ever since high-grade Magic Stone rewards appeared, it had become the highest-earning job.

There weren't many of them.

About ten thousand in South Korea?

And Bong Juhyeok was one of them.

"What a waste."

If she'd known, she should've gotten closer to him back in high school.

But more importantly—who was that woman?

Was she really Juhyeok's girlfriend?

She didn't even seem human.

Her face, her skin—beauty and a figure like someone descended from the heavens.

If she really was his girlfriend, there was no way to compete.

...I need a cigarette.

She should go outside and smoke one.

The CEO's office at Rajix Trading.

Jung Donghoon was extremely tense.

He was meeting the man who had been hidden behind a veil.

The supplier of basilisk leather and wyvern leather.

The true owner who held over 90% of Rajix Trading's shares.

Player Bong Juhyeok.

Even his uncle, Chairman Jung Seongtae of Ilseong Group, had tried to scheme against him—only to receive a warning from the Korean Awakening Administration and immediately bow his head.

Moreover, he was the owner of a holy sword, a supplier of tower metals, and even suspected of being the world's strongest player.

And that Bong Juhyeok had come to meet him.

With an exotic-looking female bodyguard.

Of course he couldn't help but be nervous.

Meanwhile, Juhyeok liked CEO Jung Donghoon.

His chubby, round appearance.

For some reason, he felt a similar vibe from him.

The complete opposite of a macho man—

Timid, cautious, always reading the room.

That made him easy to deal with.

So he got straight to the point.

"The basilisk and wyvern leather will be supplied as early as tomorrow. I've prepared plenty."

"Thank you! We'll work hard to manufacture and sell products."

"And I brought a new type of leather as well."

"...A new leather?"

"Here."

FWOOSH!

He pulled a sample of snake skin out of his inventory.

"This is...?"

"Apophis leather. You know it, right? The Black Tower's Floor 82 monster."

Apophis.

Now it was certain.

This man truly was the world's strongest player.

With trembling hands, Jung Donghoon accepted the leather sample.

It was beautiful.

The color, the pattern—everything about it was stunning.

However—

"It's quite thick. That makes it heavy as well."

Naturally.

It had come from a giant monster.

"It doesn't seem very suitable for bags or everyday goods."

"...Is that so?"

Damn it.

Was all that effort wasted?

"I had to clear it repeatedly for nothing..."

"On the other hand, it would be excellent for furniture like sofas or chairs."

"Or automotive interior and exterior materials—thickness can actually be an advantage there."

That worked.

If it could be used for car leather seats alone, demand would be enormous.

"Understood. I'll supply Apophis leather in bulk as well."

"Yes! We'll research it thoroughly and succeed in commercializing it."

He liked him.

Despite being a third-generation chaebol, he was surprisingly modest.

Meeting someone new didn't make him nervous at all.

Maybe their personalities were similar?

Should I give him a White Tower Floor 17 one-day experience ticket?

No.

That could wait until they got closer.

"Oh, by the way, the female employee we met in the lobby earlier—what is your relationship with her? She's a special high-school-graduate hire. Did she happen to offend you?"

He seemed to be referring to Jinsuk.

"She's a high school classmate."

"Ah, yes."

"She's a good person. Please take good care of her."

"Hahaha, of course. If she's a friend of Player Bong, we'll treat her well."

Jinsuk.

It was good to see you again.

Live happily from now on.

I've put in a good word for you.

The CEO will probably take good care of you.

The pure heart of a small, timid man who once had a crush on you.

The next day.

Juhyeok came to White Tower Floor 17.

The blood summons were still resting comfortably.

Just looking at them made him feel pleased.

Even if the summons were released, they didn't return to the Infinite Prison.

Here, they maintained a comfortable life with physical bodies and all five senses.

But what happens if they die?

A 100-day summoning ban penalty.

During that time, would they return to the Infinite Prison, or remain here waiting?

Well, that could only be known by dying.

Of course, that was something that must never be allowed to happen.

All right, now what should I do...

Up until now, I'd only been collecting leather.

And all through repeated clears.

Should I try something different today and climb higher?

To the upper floors.

Floor 83.

And this time—

"Mackenzie."

"Yes, Summoner."

"Let's climb the upper floors together."

It was about time to loosen things up.

The other blood summons also seemed to have forgotten the mistakes they'd made at the beginning.

But then—

Mackenzie shook his head in clear refusal.

"No. I appreciate the consideration, but I have something I'm working on right now... and I wouldn't be much help in hunting anyway."

Ah.

He said he was crafting artifacts, didn't he?

The warehouse was already overflowing with items, but still—

Something made by a 9-circle archmage would surely [N O V E L I G H T] be on another level.

Honestly, I was looking forward to it.

"Then get some rest."

The rest of us headed out to test Floor 83.

[Entering Republic of Korea Black Tower (NO.1) Floor 83.]

The environment was a scorching jungle of annihilation.

A dark forest where thick trees blocked out most of the light.

We moved forward cautiously.

Would a giant monster appear here too?

If possible, I hoped it would be something we could skin.

As we went deeper, dead, withered trees came into view.

At the same time, white, laundry-glue-like substance clung all over them.

What's that?

I poked it with my hand.

SSSK.

The sticky substance clung to my hand and wouldn't come off.

It was ridiculously viscous.

"...Don't tell me."

And then the mission popped up.

[83rd Floor Mission: Defeat 1 giant monster Arachroid.]

[Time Limit: Within 15 hours.]

[Completion Condition: giant monster Arachroid 0/1]

"Spider?"

"A spider."

"It's a spider."

"A spider, huh?"

"Could've befriended it."

What are you talking about?

...Spiders get burned.

There probably wouldn't even be any leather.

What a waste of time.

Still, at least we'd earn badges.

"Boss, fire a few heavy shells and clean it up."

Should we?

As we kept walking, the white glue—no, spider silk—covered the entire jungle.

Squish, squish.

It stuck to our feet, making it hard to move.

Spider silk everywhere.

Why was the spider silk as thick as laundry glue?

I pulled out my smartphone and recorded the environment of Floor 83.

Suddenly—

SSS—

A spider peeked its head out.

Huh?

It was strange.

It said giant spider, but it was only about the size of a puppy.

"It's smaller than expected."

"Small."

"Small indeed."

"It's small."

"Small, sir."

Right then—

SSS, SSSSH, SSS, SH, SH.

Spiders poured out endlessly from between the webbing.

Front, back, left, right.

An overwhelming number.

They blackened the jungle.

And the moment they appeared, they started spraying sticky silk everywhere from their rear ends.

"Ugh!"

"Eek! That's gross."

"...Haa, of all things, spiders."

Then—

WOOOOONG!

SKRRK, SKRRK, SKRRK!

Pillar-thick arthropod legs tore through the thick webbing.

Beyond them, the silhouette of a massive body emerged.

"Insane!"

A giant spider.

The mission target—Arachroid.

An enormous body, thick legs, bristling hairs everywhere.

A face shaped like a human's, studded with countless eyes.

This wasn't about size anymore.

It was genuinely the most disgusting thing I'd seen since the Plague Troll.

So the small ones are baby spiders.

I instinctively stepped back.

But—

Stick, squelch, rip.

The ground beneath my feet was already covered in thick spider silk.

The blood summons looked displeased as well.

At this rate, even an S+++ clear might be difficult.

Movement was severely restricted here.

The giant queen spider was a problem, but the real issue was the countless baby spiders.

One careless moment, and the summoner could be in danger.

Then I'd be too distracted to clear properly.

I frowned.

Kind of want to reset the mission.

They seriously expect me to kill this?

But—

Well, I'll kill it.

How?

Just call someone.

Current simultaneous summon limit: 11.

Blood summons inside the tower: 10.

One slot was empty.

"Designated Summon: Mackenzie Dronak."

SPOT!

Mackenzie appeared, crouched down, busily working on something in his hands.

"Enchanting magic, heave-ho! If it succeeds, big money! Heave-ho! The envy of all! Heave-ho! Even a Platinum Badge, hea—"

He froze.

He sensed that the environment had changed.

He raised his head.

"...Dragons?"

He looked around.

"Oh!"

After spotting the giant spider and the swarm of baby spiders ahead—

"Ohhh!"

When I nodded—

"Ooooooh!"

He jumped to his feet and strode forward.

"Burn them to your heart's content. Burn everything. No mercy."

At my command, Mackenzie answered in a voice full of emotion.

"I shall show you, Summoner, what true fireplay really is."

He raised his hand.

"Fire Rain!"

FWOOOOOSH!

Fireballs rained down.

Once more—

"Flare Storm!"

A raging firestorm erupted across the jungle.

Again—

"Hellfire!"

Infernal flames surged up from the ground.

The tropical jungle was engulfed in flames.

Everything burned in crimson fire.

"Gyaaaaaaah—!!"

Countless baby spiders were consumed by the flames.

The sticky spider silk melted away.

Even Arachroid burned fiercely.

Yet not a trace of heat reached us.

Mackenzie had already cast barrier magic to protect our side.

CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!

Applause erupted.

The blood summons' attitude shift was lightning-fast.

Once nothing but criticism, now—

"Excellent fireplay. Even if you wet the bed at night, it's fine. I'll wash the blankets."

"A magnificent sight. As expected of a 9-circle mage—truly deserving of the name."

"Maiden is in awe. This is the true form of Lrssal."

"The firepower is insane."

"Amazing! Mage! Behold the light!!!"

"It's hot. That's why I like it."

"I take back what I said before."

"WAAH!"

"Woof woof woof!"

[World Announcement: You have achieved clear grade S+++ on Black Tower NO.1 (Korea), Floor 83.]

[S+++ Clear Reward: 2 Platinum Badges have been granted.]

SPOT!

A spotlight once again shone down over Mackenzie's head.

All the bitterness he'd endured until now melted away like snow in spring.