Anyway, trying to pass the buck had failed.

Tch. This is why quick-witted summoned entities are such a pain.

Eh, whatever. I'll just open it myself.

If I step on a landmine, I'll get blamed—but isn't this Cossack, who's been tempered by countless insults?

And who says I have to step on a landmine?

The odds are actually low.

If I pull something good, this is a chance to get praised.

"P-please, I absolutely won't open it. Please...."

"I won't hold you responsible. Don't you trust me?"

"The other summoned entities won't stay quiet. Look at those gleaming eyes. If I get cursed out again this time, I'll be traumatized."

Juhyeok agreed.

Had this happened to him once already? Or twice?

Honestly, he could have forced someone to open it.

If he pushed just a little more with his will, the principle of Absolute Obedience would activate.

But invoking Absolute Obedience just to make someone open a box felt petty and cowardly.

"Then why aren't you opening it, Bong Summoner?"

"I've got a bad feeling."

"Same here."

Oh? Then...

"What about our reliable Meatshield?"

"Summoner."

"Please spare me."

Well, what can you do?

If someone begs to be spared, you spare them.

"What about you, Mad Demon?"

"...N-no. This old man has carpal tunnel syndrome, so I can't straighten my fingers."

"Ah. Yes, yes."

The blood-drenched, peerless Mad Demon of all ages—carpal tunnel, my ass.

Next was Gyeon Dallae.

As a fairy, maybe there was some kind of way?

"Perhaps it is only natural. Young Master has ridden a tide of great fortune all this time. However, great fortune cannot last forever."

So?

"The current of great fortune has briefly turned aside. It may be wiser to accept misfortune now. Think of it as taking one step back so that greater fortune may come later."

So accept bad luck now?

So that great fortune could come next time?

"What if we plaster it with luck talismans?"

"Hmm, not just talismans—even prayer rituals would be difficult... Waiting until the flow changes may be one option."

Wait?

Then when exactly would that be?

I want to open it now.

For a small man, immediate gains matter more than the future.

"Then Fairy Dallae should open it herself. If a fairy opens it, surely it'll be different—"

At that moment, Gyeon Dallae's eyes fluttered.

"Ah—suddenly I feel dizzy..."

THUD!

She collapsed.

"Princess Dallae!!! What do we do?!"

Veronica, who had been beside her, quickly supported her and lifted her up.

"I'll support her and take her inside."

Bardin also put on an exaggerated look of alarm.

"G-gasp! I-I'll help. O Light!!!"

The three of them fled immediately.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. What perfect coordination.

So who was left?

The extremely extroverted lord of the Mage Tower who loved stepping forward.

How starved for attention must he be?

If he succeeded, he'd get everyone's praise. Fine, let's put him in the spotlight and have him open it.

But—

He was gone?

"Where did Mackenzie go?"

"He already blinked away. Blink Magic."

What? Not even a POP!?

A silent Blink?

It was a chance to get attention, so why run?

And not just Mackenzie.

Jepetto and Diamat had run off too.

Seriously, no one is helpful when it counts.

How nice would it be if someone just raised a hand and said, I'll open it!

Ding!

A tablet message notification, right on cue.

Right.

There was Mari.

<Mari> Please don't come to me.

...

Whew.

Still, there was at least someone who hadn't run away.

The Blood Wolf sat quietly beside him, panting with its tongue hanging out.

Should I make a dog do it?

When Juhyeok's gaze turned toward it, the Blood Wolf whimpered, tucked its tail, and backed away.

Even the dog won't do it.

Meanwhile, Rajix looked at Juhyeok with an innocent expression.

"WAAH?"

Oh! Our cosmic farmhand.

But—

...No, Rajix won't do.

He didn't want to sully him.

What if he pulled something bad and got cursed out?

No choice.

He would have to open it himself.

Juhyeok reached out toward the box.

The bad feeling was still there.

It was practically certain.

If he opened it now, it really felt like it would be a Multinational Tower Access Ticket.

...Let's hold off.

Fortunately, there was no condition saying he had to open it within a certain amount of time.

He could take it slow.

For now, he should focus on making the bracelet.

Still no effect?

From Chairman Kim Injung and CEO Jung Dong-hoon, that is.

At the Tower Climbing Bureau under the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary MacMillan, Director Antonio, and Player Gerald were watching the 83rd-floor monster footage sent by the Korean Awakening Administration.

"Now it's giant spiders... and this time they've even got minions."

"Damn it. Even one of those would be impossible."

Antonio asked as he glanced at Gerald.

"Gerald, what do you think?"

"About what?"

"The 83rd-floor Arachroid."

"It's big. Creepy. And it has baby spiders too."

"That's all you've got to say?"

Gerald shrugged.

"What else is there to say? It's already been decided that the 83rd floor is impossible to clear."

Gerald's current level was 81LV—

meaning he had cleared the 80th-floor monster, Nightmare, the Black Demon Knight.

He had cleared the relatively manageable floors in the 70s, then used a dream-resistance kit purchased from the Korean Awakening Administration to pull it off.

The 80th floor.

Nightmare's greatest special ability was dragging Players into dreams, but that had been blocked from the start.

After clearing the 80th floor, Gerald had gained confidence.

He entered the 81st floor in high spirits—only to exit immediately.

The 81st-floor giant monster, Behemoth.

Just facing it shattered his mental state.

Its body was so enormous that the idea of "clearing" it never even occurred to him.

Good grief.

It has to at least seem killable for someone to even try.

Before Behemoth, his sword felt as pitiful as a toothpick, and his magic as feeble as a firefly.

"The 81st floor is impossible. Same with the 82nd. And that doesn't apply only to me. It applies to all Players."

Gerald spoke with bitter self-mockery.

"Except for that person—my lifesaver, and the greatest Player in the world."

MacMillan and Antonio stayed silent.

They already knew it, even without hearing Gerald confirm it.

"So the limit for ordinary Players is the 80th floor."

"Yes, unless a miracle happens."

"Haa..."

From the 71st to the 80th floor—

ten floors in total.

If all of them were cleared, the overlapping collapse deadline would be 60 months.

Five years.

After five years, towers around the world might begin collapsing one by one—

Except for the two Korean towers.

There were two prototype Weight-Loss Bracelets.

One was being worn by Chairman Kim Injung of North Korea,

and the other had been delivered to CEO Jung Dong-hoon of Rajix Trading through Jeon Gwangil.

About two days had passed.

Mackenzie had said you could feel changes in the body after just one day of wearing it.

Was it still too early?

At that moment—

"Summoner!"

Cossack appeared on White Tower Floor 17 after being automatically unsummoned in North Korea.

"Welcome back."

"Chairman Kim lost weight. I checked on a scale—he lost more than 600 grams in two days."

"Oh! Really?"

600 grams in two days.

Well, it wasn't a huge amount.

What mattered was that he had done nothing but wear the bracelet—

and still lost weight.

What about CEO Jung Dong-hoon?

Compared to Kim Injung, he was only mildly obese.

They said the more severe the obesity, the stronger the effect...

Was it because his obesity was only mild that the effect hadn't shown yet?

Then—

BZZZT!

A smartphone rang inside the White Tower.

He answered it.

—H-hello? This is Jung Dong-hoon.

"This is Bong Juhyeok. CEO Jung, have you been well?"

—Yes, th-thanks. Actually, I contacted the former commissioner first, but he told me to call Player Bong directly.

"Ah! I see."

Jung Dong-hoon continued.

—That bracelet worked. My weight changed by about 300 grams in two days.

"You didn't intentionally try to lose weight, did you?"

Jung Dong-hoon's voice grew more excited.

—No. Quite the opposite. I got hungry at night and even ordered late-night food.

Nice.

If it worked, there was no need to wait any longer.

"Does Rajix Trading have a distribution division that handles jewelry or accessories?"

—Of course. Despite the name 'Trading,' our main sectors are fashion-related.

Perfect.

Time to begin production.

But before that—

"CEO, if you're not too busy, would you like to come to my place? There's something urgent I'd like to discuss."

—I'll head over immediately.

It had been on his mind for a while.

Rajix Trading—

a company named after their cosmic farmhand.

If you were the CEO running that company, you should at least know what its roots were.

Of course, it wouldn't matter if he didn't, but while he was there, there were things Juhyeok wanted to confirm as well.

After receiving the call, CEO Jung Dong-hoon arrived at Juhyeok's house in a hurry.

"P-Player Bong, I'm sorry—I came so quickly that I didn't bring anything."

"Oh, that's fine. No need for gifts between family."

Family?

Jung Dong-hoon felt strange at those words.

Didn't that mean he was being acknowledged?

By the owner of Rajix Trading and the greatest Player in the world.

His mood lifted slightly.

"Um, there's something I'd like to ask."

"Yes, go ahead."

"This bracelet—is it a Tower reward item?"

"No."

"Th-then?"

"It's a crafted item. It's called the Weight-Loss Bracelet."

A crafted item.

He had expected as much.

What Commissioner Jeon Gwangil had said when he handed over the bracelet came back to him.

It was an item, but not a Tower reward.

Try wearing it, and if anything changes, report it immediately—especially changes in weight.

And the reason he'd been summoned here.

If it was a crafted item, then of course sales were being considered.

This absurd jackpot of a bracelet.

Ahhh.

A bracelet that lets you control your weight just by wearing it.

He couldn't even begin to estimate how enormous the demand would be.

This had far more impact than tower leather goods ever had.

If it became possible to distribute it on a large scale, Rajix Trading would rise into the ranks of the greatest conglomerates in the world.

"S-so, how exactly is it made...?"

Jung Dong-hoon was visibly fired up.

"To show you that, there is a procedure."

"A procedure?"

"And we need to maintain security."

"Don't worry. I may not look it, but I'm very tight-lipped."

Juhyeok took a sheet of paper out of his inventory.

A White Tower Floor 17 1-Day Trial Pass.

"This is...?"

"Take it. Then you'll understand."

Jung Dong-hoon looked confused.

What could possibly be written on a sheet of paper that thin?

But the moment he accepted it—

TSSST! TSSST! TSSST!

Letters were inscribed onto the paper.

"Complete!"

— White Tower Visitor: Jung Dong-hoon —

Ding!

At the same time, a system message rang out in his mind, like a World Announcement.

[The designated visitor is a non-Player.]

[A temporary skill window has been activated. Valid for 24 hours.]

"What?!"

Jung Dong-hoon's eyes widened.

Then—

[Temporary Skill: Enter / Exit White Tower Floor 17 (Valid for 24 hours).]

"Do you feel anything different?"

Juhyeok was curious too.

Wasn't this the first time an ordinary person had ever been given a 1-Day Trial Pass?

"Y-yes. A temporary skill window appeared, and...."

Jung Dong-hoon explained the messages he had heard and the temporary skill window that had appeared.

"Ah-ha."

So that was how it worked.

Even ordinary people could have a skill window activated.

Unlike Players, though, they were limited to a single skill.

And only for 24 hours.

Then my family too...?

Inviting them to White Tower Floor 17 was possible now.

I should grant them Residency ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) Rights.

Even if the world ended, it would still be a safe place.

But...

Before that, something had to come first.

His true identity—and the existence of the summoned entities.

I should probably reveal it.

Honestly, it wasn't much of a secret anymore.

Most people with any sense probably already knew.

Of course his family should know too.

He would pick a day and tell them properly.

He would introduce the summoned entities as well.

Turning back to Jung Dong-hoon, Juhyeok said,

"Shall we try entering?"

"E-entering where?"

"You said it's in your temporary skill window. White Tower Floor 17."

"Ah—do I just say, 'Enter White Tower Floor 17'?"

"Yes. Exiting works the same way."

And so—

"Enter White Tower Floor 17!"

SPOT!

Jung Dong-hoon entered the White Tower.

The moment he arrived, one structure immediately caught his eye.

A massive high-rise soaring straight into the sky.

"Huh?"

What was that?

He had seen it plenty of times before—on his commute, no less.

Is this Gangnam?

No.

On White Tower Floor 17, there was only one building that tall.

Everything else was detached houses.

And over there, something that looked like a communications tower.

"Surprised?"

Player Bong was suddenly standing beside him.

Of course he was surprised. How could anyone stay calm?

"T-that building, is it by any chance—?"

"That's right. Rajix Trading's headquarters. Think of it as twin towers—one in Gangnam, and one here in the White Tower."

At that very moment—

PATPATPATPAT!

"Salute! Bong Summoner, you've arrived, sir!"

Cossack appeared in an instant using Shadow Step.

"Oh, say hello. This is CEO Jung Dong-hoon."

"Oh! Is that so? I've heard a lot about you from the Commissioner. I'm Cossack."

"...Y-yes."

Who was this?

Was he another visitor?

The badge on his chest looked like some kind of employee ID. It seemed to say Resident Pass.

Questions just kept piling up.

"And what about our cosmic farmhand?"

"He's cleaning, sir. Look over there—he started on the 61st floor and is working his way down. Only the lobby is left."

"As expected of his cleaning skill."

"There's probably no one who can match our farmhand when it comes to cleaning."

Farmhand...?

In the 21st century, not the Middle Ages?

Was this some place where people were kidnapped and forced to work like salt-farm slaves?

Then—

Juhyeok shouted loudly toward the building.

"Rajix!!!"

Jung Dong-hoon doubted his ears.

W-who?

Rajix?

He had definitely heard it.

He said Rajix.

"Rajix, our farmhand, come here for a moment!"

Right then—

"WAAH!"

DEGURURURURURUR—

From the distant lobby, a white fluffball came rolling toward them like a maniac.

Jung Dong-hoon was half dazed.

Finally—

"WAAH!"

The fluffball revealed itself right in front of him.

...A hamster? No—a person?

It felt familiar somehow.

Ah! The live broadcast of the Pyongyang terror incident!

Juhyeok continued,

"CEO Jung, say hello. This is the foundation and namesake of Rajix Trading—its spiritual pillar, supreme existence, and cosmic farmhand, Rajix."

At last, Jung Dong-hoon came face-to-face with the very "Rajix" his company had been named after.

....

Originally, the Black Tower had three administrators.

The Designer, the System Engineer, and the Item Maker.

Among them, the Designer held the highest authority.

That was why, this time, only the Designer had been replaced.

The Engineer and the Maker remained.

[They even recruited Mackenzie Dronak. There's no stopping this now.]

[This is serious. The alchemist is already with them, and now a 9th-circle mage like Mackenzie has joined too.]

[The synergy will be beyond imagination.]

[Even so, Mackenzie's specialty isn't enchantment magic, is it? The effect should be minimal.]

[No. Mackenzie is a genius. He'll master simple enchantment magic in no time.]

[Ugh...]

[If they recruit a magitech engineer too, then...]

[Shut up! Don't say such unlucky things. Do you want to get fired? A magitech engineer, my ass!]

[...]

If they really recruited a magitech engineer too?

Then there would be nothing they could do.

Only then did the new administrator understand

why the previous administrator had made such a reckless gamble.

There was no choice.

He would have to act as well.

[We'll have to adjust the items.]

[W-what? That would interfere with causality—]

[Relax. I'm not talking about tampering with probability.]

[T-then how?]

[I'll adjust the direction of the rewards. Funnel them into specific towers. The overall item drop rates won't change.]

[Ah!]

[There are countries where the conflict between the government and the Players is severe, right?]

[There are a few.]

[Concentrate the reward items there.]

[Which items?]

[Liberation Rune Necklaces, and items without tower-exclusive modifiers—things ordinary Players can use.]

The intent was obvious, but—

[However, Liberation Rune Necklaces normally only drop from the 71st floor and above. Ordinary Players won't have access to them.]

[Exactly. Players on the 71st floor and above are mostly those fostered by governments. They're cooperative. If a necklace like that drops, they'll hand it over to the state.]

[Then make them drop on lower floors too. From the 30th to the 70th floor. That way ordinary Players can obtain them.]

[...Will that really be all right?]

[Minor anomalies like that happen all the time when managing towers. It's fine. Well within acceptable limits, and it won't affect causality.]

[Understood.]

Let's see what happens.

Let's see how the seeds you've sown take root.