Repeated clears of Republic of Korea Black Tower (NO.1) 84th Floor.

You could enter the Tower up to four times a day, but in practice, he only worked once a day.

As always.

Juhyeok’s ultimate goal was to live a long, happy life without a single worry, together with his summoned entities.

So—work as little as possible.

And spend the rest of the time recklessly wasting it, just having fun.

“Four times a day, my ass.

You want me to work myself to death in the Tower?

No thanks.”

Even doing it once a day, high-grade Magic Stones poured out. One run alone yielded at least fifteen to thirty kilograms of high-grade Magic Stones.

There was no need to buy high-grade Magic Stones from outside anymore. In the first place, the bracelet business had been started to buy high-grade Magic Stones, but now he could mine them himself.

Thanks to that, he had plenty of liquid capital to work with. Add together the money already in his accounts and the proceeds from the recent leather sales, and it came to several hundred billion won.

Enough money to live the rest of his life without ever working again.

But apparently, Cossack thought differently.

“Money ain’t something you let sit still. You’ve gotta invest it.”

Invest?

“Do I really need to?”

“You do. I’ve told you over and over. Money is the purest form of power. It can make even the impossible possible. You need to make as much as you can while you still can.”

Hmm.

What should he do?

Well, there was nothing bad about making a lot of money. So he asked where they should invest.

“The genius of investment, the ruler of stock charts, the man who buys at the bottom and sells at the top. Is it good news? No, it’s fire. No need to check the Han River’s water temperature—why? Because I’m not the one jumping in. The regressed chaebol bastard that makes Wall Street tremble—that’s me, Cossack.”

...What?

“The core of investing is future value.”

“That’s true.”

“You invest in fields that look worthless now but are guaranteed to explode later.”

“Oh!”

Cossack really did sound like a genuine investment expert.

“And the answer is real estate.”

“...”

“You need land to run businesses.”

“Hmm.”

Ah, come on.

He’d expected something brilliant.

Real estate, seriously? With land already so crowded, where was there even left to invest?

“Not South Korea. You invest where the current value is lowest—North Korea.”

Huh?

North Korea?

“Unification is inevitable. Once that happens, land prices will jump by thousands of times. You secure the land in advance, build factories, put up buildings—”

That was true.

North Korea.

With Cossack and the summoned entities intervening, unification was only a matter of time.

“...That actually sounds good?”

“Who do you think I am? Master Summoner Bong won’t even need to lift a finger. I’ll multiply your wealth thousands of times over. I’ll turn you into the shadowy mastermind who manipulates the world economy from behind the scenes.”

Juhyeok tightly grabbed Cossack’s hand.

“This is why you’re our Cossack. One little poke, and the answer comes right out.”

“Y-you flatter me. I’ll work out the detailed plan directly with CEO Jung.”

“Anytime. Whatever you decide is my decision.”

“Come on, am I really the number two among the summoned entities? Right after Rajix?”

“Of course. I officially acknowledge your solid number-two position. Hahaha.”

“Hehehe.”

MacMillan watched the scene with envy.

At the same time, a little dark cloud seemed to gather over his head like an icon.

The number-two spot was slipping farther and farther away.

He had to do something.

Whew... I need to at least climb to number three.

That was MacMillan’s biggest concern these days.

Veronica Caliber’s sub-light-speed round had a forty-eight-hour cooldown.

In other words, two days.

Time passed quickly.

“Commander, we’re ready.”

“Already?”

If you kept goofing off all the time, you got bored.

The same went for repeated clears.

Sometimes, you needed a change of pace.

Another chance to witness Veronica Caliber’s sub-light-speed round.

Thanks to Rajix, their supply of top-grade Magic Stones was abundant.

Now he had two choices.

First: clear Republic of Korea Black Tower (NO.2) 84th Floor first.

Second: challenge the unexplored upper floor—Republic of Korea Black Tower (NO.1) 85th Floor.

Either choice was fine.

Anything was better than staying cooped up in White Tower Floor 17 making bracelets.

If I have to choose, then a new floor...

Would Veronica Caliber’s sub-light-speed round work on the 85th Floor?

In his opinion, it should be more than enough.

He could still remember it vividly.

The sight of the flying monster—the Colossus Condor, an airborne battleship—blowing apart in the sky.

Wasn’t that exactly the kind of clear he wanted?

An overwhelmingly simple, click-and-done clear.

Then this time too?

Decision made.

They would go up a floor.

Republic of Korea Black Tower (NO.2) could wait.

They would deal with it all at once later.

Time to organize the party.

But this time, a little differently.

One lesson from clearing the giant-monster zone in the early eighties:

There was no need to summon everyone just because he could.

In the past, if he didn’t summon them, the summoned entities had to wait in the world of souls. Feeling bad about that, he used to summon almost all of them.

But now there was White Tower Floor 17.

If they weren’t summoned, they could just stay there and relax.

So he divided them into a main party and a reserve party.

A main party optimized for the floor.

A reserve party that could be summoned immediately if something unexpected happened.

When Juhyeok announced the assault on the 85th Floor, the summoned entities came rushing over.

But—

“Mr. Cossack, Mr. Meatshield, Mr. Bardin, Rajix, and Blood Wolf—you’re sitting this one out. You’re the reserves. We’ll see what the 85th Floor is like and decide whether to summon you.”

Then—

“Huh...?”

Rajix trembled violently, disbelief filling his eyes.

Him? Excluded?

“Sorry. We’re planning to clear it quickly anyway, so there probably won’t even be any work for you. Just bear with it this once.”

“WAAH...”

Cossack, Meatshield, and Bardin all looked shocked too.

“No, why am I out?”

“It’s a giant-monster zone, so close combat is a bit...”

“I-I am the summoner’s shield. A shield must always be brought along.”

“If it comes to that, I’ll summon you right away.”

“Ah... I shall reflect on my inadequacy. This is all my fault. O Light!”

Cossack still looked sulky.

“Then why are you bringing Jepetto and Diamat?”

“They’re still rookies. Let’s give them a chance to grow.”

“And they can fly.”

In a giant-monster zone, the value of melee fighters dropped drastically.

It was dangerous too.

If you got too close to a giant monster, you could die instantly.

Tower Clearing Mission Reset Tickets could be used freely.

If things got dangerous, they could just reset.

But he didn’t want to use resurrection runes.

Not because they were precious.

Because he was afraid of seeing someone die.

And so the party was formed.

Main party: Mad Demon, Veronica Caliber, MacMillan, Gyeon Dallae, Jepetto, and Diamat.

Reserves: Cossack, Meatshield, Rajix, Bardin, and Blood Wolf.

“Old man MacMillan, why are you grinning like that? It’s annoying.”

“Ahem! When did I grin?”

“Then what’s with that big smile icon floating over your head? Wipe it off.”

MacMillan couldn’t hide the upward curl of his lips.

He’d been chosen for the main party—

while Cossack, the former number two, had been pushed into the reserves.

A complete reversal in one stroke.

This—this was life.

[Entering Republic of Korea Black Tower (NO.1) 85th Floor.]

The moment they entered, Juhyeok handed one kilogram of top-grade Magic Stones to Veronica Caliber in advance.

“Load it into the magic gun.”

“Veronica Caliber will pierce it the moment it appears.”

The background of the 85th Floor was a desolate desert.

But it wasn’t just sand.

Ahead of them, a ruined city came into view.

A city?

Human-made structures were scattered here and there.

Half-collapsed walls, broken roads, and sunken buildings.

All right.

So this time it was a city stage?

Since it was a giant-monster zone, something enormous should appear.

For example, the thing that had destroyed this city.

“Looks like an urban combat mission.”

“Yeah. Let’s head in.”

Juhyeok and the group slowly advanced into the city.

Then the mission appeared.

[85th Floor Mission: Defeat 1 unit of the Magic Empire’s ultimate weapon, Giant Golem Magnus Gigant.]

[Time Limit: Within 15 hours.]

[Completion Condition: Giant Golem Magnus Gigant 0/1]

...Magnus Gigant?

Golems were nothing new.

There were even summoner-type Players who specialized in summoning them.

But a giant golem—

just how big was it?

“Veronica Caliber, have you ever heard of the Magic Empire’s ultimate weapon, Magnus Gigant—?”

“No. This is my first time hearing that name.”

Huh?

Even though she had been part of the Magic Empire Ranger Corps?

“At least during my lifetime, Magnus Gigant didn’t exist. I’ve never heard that designation.”

Ah.

Then maybe—

“It was probably created after I died. Even this sub-light-speed magic gun I received later didn’t exist in my era.”

If that was the case, then Magnus Gigant might be from a future era—after the time Veronica Caliber had lived in.

That was when—

KUUUUUUUNG!

The ground shook violently.

And then—

CRACK! SHWAAAAK!

Something enormous and long burst up from the ground.

A pillar?

No.

It was an arm made of dark gray metal.

Uh...

That was just an arm—

and it was already that huge.

Then came the head.

Humanoid in shape.

CRRRRACK!

The head rose.

RUMBLE!

The torso followed.

And finally, two legs even larger than the torso emerged.

A humanoid giant golem with an overdeveloped lower body.

Its height was roughly that of a thirty-story building.

Its entire body looked metallic.

Is that a robot or what?

It resembled the giant robots from childhood cartoons.

Then—

“Enemy intrusion detected. Enemy intrusion detected.”

It talks?

A chilling mechanical voice.

“Enemy intrusion. Analyzing response. Determining countermeasures.”

The Giant Golem Magnus Gigant fully straightened up.

Then it turned its head toward Juhyeok.

ZIIING!

Its two eyes glowed red.

This was bad.

“Gasp!”

“C-Commander!”

“Summoner!!!”

“No!!!”

Reflexively, Juhyeok activated Shadow Step.

SPOT!

At the same time, he used Blink, the skill engraved into his ring.

PATPATPATPAT!

The instant Juhyeok moved, crimson beams like lasers shot out from the monster’s eyes.

CRRRRZZZZT!

The ground the lasers passed over burned red-hot.

“...Whoa.”

If he had stayed there, he would have died.

“You bastaaard!!!”

Mad Demon roared in fury.

Blood-jade energy erupted from his whole body.

In the next instant, he was standing on top of the Gigant’s head.

“How dare you target the summoner? I’ll tear your head off.”

A blazing blade of blood-jade energy formed.

THRUST!

Mad Demon plunged his hand deep into the thing’s head.

He stabbed again and again.

THRUST! THRUST! THRUST! THRUST!

But it didn’t seem to take meaningful damage.

Had he failed to pierce deeply enough?

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

With Mad Demon still clinging to its head, the Gigant strode forward as though nothing had happened.

“Enemy close-range attack detected. Analyzing response. Determining countermeasures.”

In that instant—

CRRRRZZZZT!

A blue barrier crackling with electricity spread over the Gigant’s entire body.

“Damn!”

Mad Demon sensed the danger and retreated at once.

Now the Gigant’s whole body was wrapped in arcs of lightning.

If you got close, you’d be electrocuted.

The real battle began.

SPOT! SPOT!

Mad Demon flickered around the Gigant at high speed.

Crescent-shaped blades of energy poured out.

The crimson beams fired back.

BOOM!

Dodge and strike, strike and dodge.

With each exchange, crescent-shaped scars were carved into the Gigant’s body.

But the thing was made of metal.

Unbelievably hard.

Still, they managed to stop its advance.

The Gigant could no longer move forward and was forced to endure Mad Demon’s relentless attacks.

“Veronica Caliber! Are you done aiming?”

“I’m working on it. Hold out a little longer!”

The sub-light-speed round was a one-shot attack.

To give Veronica Caliber a clear firing line, Mad Demon had stepped up alone.

The magic gun glowed white-hot.

Mad Demon pulled back as well.

Aim complete.

But then—

“Sub-light-speed projectile attack predicted. Analyzing response. Determining countermeasures.”

“...What?”

It recognized the sub-light-speed round?

And it even had a countermeasure for it?

Veronica Caliber’s body jolted as she fired.

The sub-light-speed bullet launched.

At the same time, a massive explosion erupted from the front of Magnus Gigant.

It wasn’t caused by the magic gun—

it was an explosion the Gigant generated on its own.

KWA-KWAAANG! KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWAAANG!

A huge dust cloud billowed up from the shockwave.

Once the dust settled, the Gigant appeared again.

...What the hell.

It was completely fine.

Their decisive blow had missed.

The sub-light-speed round had destroyed a nearby building instead of Magnus Gigant.

The counter-explosion had distorted the bullet’s trajectory.

Don’t tell me...

From the look of it, Magnus Gigant was a future Magic Empire weapon—

one created by the same civilization Veronica Caliber had belonged to.

Which meant it likely carried technology capable of neutralizing sub-light-speed rounds.

“Enemy suppression required. Searching for suppression methods. Suppression method selected.”

Even as that thought crossed his mind, Magnus Gigant started moving again.

KUUUUUNG! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

It charged straight toward Juhyeok’s position—

moving naturally, smoothly, and frighteningly fast, like a living person.

A direct charge...

What now?

Sword attacks didn’t work.

At least it was a relief that Cossack, Meatshield, and Bardin weren’t here.

If they had been, this might have turned deadly.

...Should they abandon the mission?

Or reset again?

As Juhyeok stood frozen, struggling with the decision—

“Dig, Dig, Dig...”

Deep pits suddenly opened along Magnus Gigant’s path.

One foot plunged into a hole—

and it crashed down.

KWA-THUD!

A ninth-circle mage.

The basic spell Dig.

Every cast gouged out a massive pit in the ground.

Right.

There was still hope.

“Enemy mobility restriction detected. Analyzing response. Determining countermeasures.”

Despite its enormous body, Magnus Gigant rolled across the ground and sprang back up with alarming agility.

But MacMillan didn’t give up.

Mad Demon joined in too.

“Hellfire!”

Magma erupted from the ground.

“Enemy fire-magic attack detected. Analyzing response. Determining countermeasures.”

“Dig, Hellfire, Dig, Hellfire!”

The ground exploded and split again and again.

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

Magnus Gigant zigzagged through the field, weaving between magma pits and ground traps while enduring Mad Demon’s ranged attacks and charging forward.

Damn.

It was fast.

If something that huge was fast too, what were you even supposed to do?

No choice.

Time to use the last hidden card.

Just recently, the shut-in alchemist with severe social anxiety had sent him a message—

their stock ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) of explosive homunculi had been replenished.

“Aliamari, Designated Summon.”

SPOT!

The moment she was summoned, Aliamari immediately grasped the situation.

Red metallic spheres spilled from her arms and scattered across the ground.

Their metal shells cracked open, revealing crimson pellets.

Explosive homunculi.

Like a flood, they rushed toward the charging Gigant.

“Autonomous small explosive attack predicted. Analyzing response. Determining countermeasures.”

This bastard...

The blue electric field covering Magnus Gigant transformed into a dense, spiderweb-like net and burst outward.

The explosive homunculi clung to it—

only to be caught in the electric web and explode before they could fully attach.

KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWAAANG!

A terrifying chain explosion.

And even so—it kept charging.

This was hopeless.

Magnus Gigant was nullifying everything.

Physical attacks, magic, explosions—everything.

“Haah... fuck...”

Sure, if he summoned the rest of the summoned entities and overwhelmed it by numbers, there had to be some way.

But what if even one of them died?

Just because resurrection runes existed, because they would meet again on White Tower Floor 17—

was he supposed to throw them in recklessly anyway?

How was he supposed to watch them die?

No.

Better to give up on the clear.

Fine. Reset.

Juhyeok pulled a ticket from his inventory.

But—

“W-wait! Master!”

Diamat stopped him.

“Why...?”

“I think Dream Domain might work.”

What?

This was obviously an inanimate golem.

And yet a mental attack—Dream Domain—might work?

“It’s possible. But its resistance is strong. I need a little more power.”

Gyeon Dallae’s eyes lit up as she spoke.

“Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Then I shall assist.”

A sacred, fairy-like aura bloomed across the battlefield.

Talismans fluttered through the air.

Buff talismans attached themselves to Diamat, amplifying her abilities.

Debuff talismans stuck to Magnus Gigant, weakening it and filling it with lethargy.

Empowered, the SSR-ranked succubus Diamat closed her eyes and focused.

Dream Domain.

Would it really work?

At that moment—

THUD. THUD.

Magnus Gigant’s charging steps slowed...

then began to wobble, as if it were about to collapse.

At last, it dropped to one knee.

Even so, it tried to stand.

One step, then another.

Then—

Gyeon Dallae’s ritual drumbeat joined in.

The effect was immediate.

THUD... THUD... THUD...

As if it had completely lost its sense of direction, Magnus Gigant veered right, then left, spun in place like a top—

and then toppled backward like a felled tree.

KWA-KWAAANG!

It worked.

With Gyeon Dallae’s help, Diamat’s Dream Domain had brought Magnus Gigant down.

Mad Demon’s martial power.

Veronica Caliber’s sub-light-speed round.

MacMillan’s brilliant magic.

Aliamari’s explosive homunculi.

None of it had fazed Magnus Gigant.

And yet—

it fell to a mental attack.

But the mission completion message still didn’t appear.

Diamat shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Mad Demon! Its chest—its chest! There’s something inside!”

“Got it.”

Mad Demon leapt onto the fallen Gigant’s chest.

He hammered it with his fists.

“Hollow... There’s a weak point here.”

Blood-jade energy swelled.

He started carving into one section of the chest.

After cutting at it for quite a while, he finally tore away the chest armor plate.

CRACK!

“Heh.”

“What is it?”

“Well... what’s this? A person?”

Juhyeok hurriedly climbed up onto the Gigant as well.

“...What...?”

Mad Demon was right.

Inside was something that looked almost human.

A smaller golem, sleeping peacefully—

as if it were sitting in the cockpit of a giant robot.

A golem... inside a golem?

Information.

<Magitech Engineer El, whose soul has been damaged by profound loss>

Grade: LSSR (Legend Special Super Rare)

Type: Golem (Human)

A magitech engineer.