Temporary—but a Sword Immortal with his name engraved on a Residency Rights card.

Let’s try going outside the Tower.

Could he come out with us?

He wasn’t even a summoned entity listed in the Catalog.

For now, exit.

SPOT!

But then—

“...Huh?”

I looked around.

“Where did he go?”

The summoned entities had come out, but the Sword Immortal was nowhere to be seen.

“Don’t tell me he can’t come out with us—”

At that moment—

SCREEEECH!

A fissure ripped open in midair.

Holding a sword, the Sword Immortal stepped out through it.

“...You made it out.”

“I followed Great Hero Bong’s aura and sliced through space with my sword to reach this place.”

“And the bike?”

“I stored it away in infinite space.”

Infinite space?

“It is a technique similar to subspace. I asked a Daoist Immortal I know for a favor and obtained one. It is not very large, however.”

As he said that, the Sword Immortal looked around.

“What a desolate place. Could this be the world Great Hero Bong lives in?”

“No. It’s another world. It has already fallen.”

“What a pity.”

Now then, the White Tower, 1st Floor.

The other summoned entities could simply be unsummoned.

“Do not worry. I shall follow you inside. Once I touched this Residency Rights card, I understood how to enter.”

Then—

First, unsummon the summoned entities.

SPOT! SPOT! SPOT...

And then Juhyeok as well.

SPOT!

White Tower, 1st Floor.

A moment later—

SCREEEECH!

A /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ fissure opened, and the Sword Immortal stepped through it.

“Here? This is the space you said was separated from reality?”

“That’s right, but this is more like a villa. We need to move one more time.”

“How troublesome. Then go on ahead.”

“No, from here on we can go together. Over there—by elevator.”

“Elevator?”

And so we moved together.

Inside the elevator—

“Aha! So this is it. A tool for dimensional travel.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Truly ingenious. Instead of opening a gate or a door, you ride an elevator to move.”

Everyone got on, and the elevator began to move.

SHASHASHASHASH.

DUDUDUDUDU.

Slide.

The doors opened.

“Welcome. This is our home—the White Tower’s 17th Floor, a separate space connected to my world.”

“...Ho?”

Even the transcendent Sword Immortal looked slightly surprised.

No wonder.

It was on a completely different level from the White Tower’s 1st Floor.

The moment you arrived, a sixty-one-story skyscraper came into view.

Residential districts, luxury cars parked in lots, broad roads, and a Gigant standing in the plaza.

“Hoo!”

The Sword Immortal kept exclaiming in admiration as he looked around the space Juhyeok had created.

“Please make yourself comfortable. I need to take care of a few things.”

“Do not concern yourself with me.”

It would be nice if someone showed him around.

“This young lady shall attend to him.”

With Princess Dallae, there was nothing to worry about.

“Could you do that?”

“I shall ensure it does not disgrace Young Master’s dignity.”

Then the Sword Immortal said,

“Hmm, I had wondered how I was able to hear Great Hero Bong’s voice. So there was a child with ties to me at your side.”

Huh?

What does that mean?

Tied to Gyeon Dallae?

“Your master was a fox, was she not?”

“That is so.”

“Good. Your master is doing well. So do not worry.”

“...Th-thank you very much.”

Ah—

I see.

Gyeon Dallae’s master, the thousand-year fox Haeryeong, had attained enlightenment, ascended, and escaped being a Tower-bound soul.

I had wondered where she had ascended to.

So it was the Immortal Realm where the Sword Immortal lived.

And so one connection led to another, until it finally brought forth a transcendent being like the Sword Immortal.

“Then please enjoy your conversation. I’ll go place an order for a custom bike.”

“Oh! About the bike.”

“Yes?”

“I would prefer one that runs on gasoline—fuel—not a battery.”

“Of course! A bike should roar—VRRRM, VRRRM! That’s the real charm, isn’t it?”

“Indeed, Great Hero Bong. The smell of fuel burning is an irreplaceable allure.”

I need to prepare quickly.

I don’t know when he’ll leave.

I’ll have to raid a department store today.

Everything top-of-the-line.

After Juhyeok went out to take care of his errands, the Sword Immortal sat on a plush sofa in the plaza on White Tower Floor 17, drinking tea and eating the snacks Dallae had brought him, completely absorbed in a tablet.

At first, he had thought there would not be much to see.

But this was content from another world—

similar to the culture of the Earth connected to the Immortal Realm, yet also different.

‘If I rest here for a few days and then return, that should be fine.’

Still, what exactly is this Black Tower?

A place where monsters appear.

It occupies space in reality, yet in another sense feels detached from it.

Well, were such anomalies truly rare?

Though the forms differ, in the end they are all invasions of one dimension by another.

Wars in which dimensions collide and devour one another.

In some cases, mana is transmitted directly.

In others, it comes through gates.

Or, as on this Earth, things called Towers are created—

twisting the laws of the dimension, assimilating it, and ultimately consuming it.

Such things happen all throughout the universe.

He himself had experienced it.

How vast is the world?

How many stars float in that sky?

No one could even begin to count them.

The same was true of parallel universes.

There must be countless worlds in the cosmos.

Even conservatively, tens of millions?

No—

wouldn’t it be over a hundred million?

While lost in such thoughts, he noticed an old man in the distance glancing at him again and again.

Perfect timing.

“Hey, you there!”

The Mad Demon flinched at the Sword Immortal’s call.

“Come here.”

The Mad Demon approached hesitantly.

“What is your name?”

“M-Mad Demon... sir.”

“Is that so? Hmm. Do you know the Heavenly Demon or the Blood Demon?”

“I do not know much about the Blood Demon, but I once crossed hands with the Heavenly Demon.”

“Oh? Then tell me in detail about that Heavenly Demon you fought. And also about the martial world you lived in.”

The Mad Demon began explaining calmly.

Though he himself had been a grandmaster who had established a name in the martial world, how could he defy the words of an immortal?

If told to speak, he spoke.

So he explained everything.

After hearing it all, the Sword Immortal nodded.

“I see. Your martial world and the one I know are entirely different worlds.”

The Mad Demon thought so too.

Not all martial worlds were the same.

Even worlds that shared the same magitech civilization—such as El’s world and another world’s—could still be entirely different.

“Let us speak more. About how beings who are neither fully alive nor fully dead have attached themselves to Great Hero Bong, and what purpose they serve.”

The Mad Demon resumed his explanation.

The Black Tower, Tower collapse, Awakening, Players, Tower raids, rewards, summoners, and summoned entities.

‘I think I understand.’

If the Black Tower was a tool of extradimensional invasion, then Players and summoners were likely the intradimensional defense mechanism meant to stop it.

Where there is offense, there must also be defense.

That was causality.

“So you and those people are helping Great Hero Bong save this world called Earth No. 1,001?”

“That is correct.”

“Tsk tsk. Half-baked weaklings, and they think they can save a world.”

“What?”

Half-baked?

“Curious why I call you half-baked?”

“Yes.”

“Then show me the martial art you are most confident in.”

Is he about to give guidance?

There was no reason to refuse.

He had already realized his own shortcomings.

The summoner seemed to know it as well.

Otherwise, why would he have suggested halting Tower climbing for a while?

If guidance was being offered, then you learned.

That was the path for the summoner’s sake.

What did pride matter?

The Sword Immortal.

Not only an immortal, but the very one who had split the supreme demonic dragon Helcrasus with a single gesture.

“Hoo.”

He took a deep breath and was just about to raise his Blood Jade Energy—

“Sword Immortal, please wait just a moment.”

“...Hm? Who called me?”

“It was me.”

“And who are you?”

Cossack hurried over.

“An illustrious summoned entity who rose from being an assassin, learned the sword from his father’s soul, and became a Sword Master; Great Hero Bong’s right-hand man; second-in-command in this line of work; perhaps not a Sword Immortal, but at least a Sword King; a genius of swordsmanship—Cossack, sir.”

“...”

What a strange fellow.

“So?”

“I would like to demonstrate my swordsmanship as well. I need guidance.”

“Hm.”

There was no reason to refuse.

“Go ahead.”

Then—

“Me too!”

“Hand! Hand!”

“I want to learn too!”

“Light!!!”

“Veronica Caliber, training preparations complete.”

“This young lady as well...”

A flood of summoned entities stepped forward.

“Fine. All of you. Do it—every last one.”

And so, each of them began to display their specialty on White Tower Floor 17.

The Mad Demon’s crescent-shaped energy slashed through the sky.

Cossack displayed his Shadow Step and the Hartmann sword form.

Meatshield enlarged himself and smashed the ground with his hammer.

Gyeon Dallae used talisman arts, Veronica fired her magigun, Bardin radiated brilliance through his shield techniques, Jepetto transformed into a bat and darted around—POP-POP-POP-POP!

Diamat swayed her tail and spread charm, while Mackenzie repeatedly cast Fire Spear and Hellfire.

Even the Blood Wolf went berserk, barking and snapping, El fired a destructive eye beam, and Aliamari—who had been hiding inside the house—slipped outside at some point and released a homunculus.

Everyone was giving it everything they had.

They had no choice.

How often did one get the chance to receive guidance from a transcendent being?

“Enough!”

At the Sword Immortal’s shout, the summoned entities froze where they stood.

“I understand. I will help you. However—”

The Sword Immortal pointed with a finger.

“You and you, step aside. You two do not seem to need instruction.”

The ones he singled out were Diamat and El.

“...Why? Why are we being excluded?”

“There is no need.”

“Is there some kind of standard? There’s even a dog over there.”

“Well, that is—”

That was when—

“Wow! Everyone’s gathered here.”

It was Juhyeok.

Rajix was with him.

“Oh! Great Hero Bong, did your errand go well?”

“Yes, I did some shopping first.”

“Shopping, you say?”

Juhyeok looked at Rajix.

“Mr. Rajix, take everything out.”

“WAAH!”

SSSK, SSSK, SSSK—

...

Items poured out of the subspace backpack.

Not only snacks—various sweets and drinks—but also laptops, smartphones, tablets, liquor, beer, distilled soju, Japanese sake, Chinese spirits, and side dishes.

All kinds of high-end goods spilled out in heaps.

“Oh my! Great Hero Bong! You truly are wealthy. Such precious items—”

The Sword Immortal exclaimed in amazement.

“Please put them away for now. I’d like to check how much room your infinite storage has, Sword Immortal. There also needs to be space for the bike.”

The Sword Immortal laughed heartily.

“How grateful I am. But I cannot accept such expensive items for free. I must pay for them.”

“You really don’t have to.”

“Should there not be give and take?”

“Saving my life was more than enough.”

“Oh, that is nothing worth mentioning.”

FWOOSH!

This time, the Sword Immortal took something out.

“This is—”

Fruit?

It looked like a peach.

As large as a child’s head.

“A peach—called a celestial peach.”

A celestial peach?

The kind immortals eat?

Good heavens.

That was a treasure.

“In the Immortal Realm, celestial peaches are used as currency.”

“Ah!”

Peaches were money?

This time, a gleam of greed flashed in Rajix’s eyes.

Looks like he recognized their value.

“I have about a hundred of them. It is nowhere near enough to pay for these, but please accept them as a token of sincerity.”

“W-wait! This is too much—”

“Indeed. Compared to these goods, a few peaches are pocket change.”

“But do not look down on them. Celestial peaches still have value of their own.”

Ah...

What kind of world was the Immortal Realm, anyway?

A place where such precious peaches were used just to buy Earth goods like these.

There was no chance to refuse.

SSSK!

Rajix swiftly swept all hundred or so peaches into subspace.

“WAAH!”

Meanwhile, the Sword Immortal stored away the Earth goods Rajix had taken out.

“Incredible.”

The two of them moved with astonishing speed.

SSSSS, SWOOSH-SWOOSH-SWOOSH!

“Hahaha!”

“WAAH!”

A barter completed in an instant.

When the exchange was over, the Sword Immortal looked at Rajix with satisfaction.

“Excellent. And what is this... hero’s name?”

“Rajix.”

“Ah! So you are Hero Ra. Hero Ra! My thanks.”

“WAAH.”

“I could tell at a glance—Hero Ra, compared to the others, your very body is different.”

Of course it was.

“He’s a beastman, after all.”

“I am not speaking of race.”

“...Pardon?”

“I mean the harmony of essence, energy, and spirit is perfect.”

What did that mean?

“I was about to explain that anyway.”

The Sword Immortal continued, pointing at the summoned entities.

“Their bodies were likely created. They are not the bodies they originally possessed.”

That was true.

They normally existed in a soul world, and when Juhyeok summoned them, bodies were materialized for them.

‘As expected of a transcendent being.’

He saw through it at a glance.

“Creating bodies to match the rank of the soul is something very familiar to me. In the Immortal Realm—no, even in Hell—bodies are created according to one’s level.”

Bodies in Hell?

“The reason bodies are created for sinners is to inflict physical pain as punishment.”

“I see.”

“Conversely, bodies are also created for celestial beings—the residents of heaven—in order to grant them joy and happiness.”

Different reasons, but the same conclusion: a body.

Only with a body could one feel true pain and true happiness.

Wasn’t that why souls desperately wished to become summoned entities?

However—

“It is that created body that causes the problem.”

A problem?

“You may think of it as the soul and the body being out of sync in frequency. For example—”

The Sword Immortal asked the Mad Demon,

“Is your current body the same as the one you had in life?”

The Mad Demon shook his head.

How could it be?

It was a body generated upon summoning.

“The true body that formed the foundation of your soul’s growth is gone, and you are wearing a newly made body instead. Then tell me—can that body truly harmonize with your soul?”

The Sword Immortal continued,

“Soul and body are inseparable. When the harmony of essence, energy, and spirit is already misaligned, how could one possibly advance to a higher realm?”

So that was it.

That was the problem.

Different frequencies between soul and body.

That was why they could no longer progress.

“Is there a solution?”

“Of course there is. Otherwise, why would I have gathered you all here?”

“Oh!”

“I intend to bring the misaligned soul and body into harmony—through the unification of essence, energy, and spirit.”

Oh—

“But excluding those two.”

The Sword Immortal pointed at El and Diamat.

“That demoness likely still possesses her original body. Her abilities have regressed, but she can grow again, so there is no need to interfere. And that golem—calling it a body would be a stretch.”

That was why El and Diamat were excluded.

“As for the rest, this old one shall release immortal energy and induce the unification of essence, energy, and spirit.”

The Sword Immortal raised his hand.

“...R-right now?”

“Is there any reason to delay?”

SPAPAPAPAT!

A tremendous aura erupted from the Sword Immortal’s body.

At the same time—

SWOONG, SWOONG, SWOONG, SWOONG—

No one knew where they had come from, but dozens of smartphones set to video-recording mode flew above White Tower Floor 17.

Some took long-range positions, some close-range—front, back, right, left of the Sword Immortal—settling into place.

“Assistants of Great Hero Bong. I acknowledge your mission. It would not be wrong to call it a noble spirit of self-sacrifice. However!”

The Sword Immortal’s eyes gleamed sharply.

“Is it reasonable that those who claim they will save the world cannot even handle a single miserable dragon whelp?”

He stepped forward with his hands clasped behind his back.

“I shall resolve it. As a representative of the Immortal Realm, as the patriarch of the sword acknowledged by the Jade Emperor and King Yama—I, the Sword Immortal, shall bestow my guidance upon this Earth!”

CLATTER-RATTLE-RATTLE!

The smartphones moved noisily.

At the sight, the Mad Demon’s lips parted without thinking.

“...Mind Sword Control?”

No—

those were not swords.

They were smartphones.

‘Mind-Controlled... Phones?’

The Sword Immortal’s majestic and mysterious presence.

Steady angles, vivid composition, lifelike expressions, flawless direction.

Ah—

this truly was the filming of an immortal.

Deeply impressed by the sight, Mackenzie made up his mind—

I have to learn that.

Absolutely.

Then—

a sacred, mystical energy flowed from the Sword Immortal’s hand.

It wove together like fine threads and stretched toward the summoned entities.

SSSSSRRK!

“The harmony of essence, energy, and spirit is merely the first step—unfastening the buttons that were wrongly fastened and fastening them again.”

CLATTER-RATTLE!

A cut to another angle.

The smartphones focused on Juhyeok and the summoned entities.

“And then comes the second step—growth. Awaken your realms. Break your limits. Surpass the wall. I shall help you!”

CLATTER-RATTLE-RATTLE!

The direction reached its climax.

First, Meatshield.

SSSRK!

The instant the energy touched his body—

“Hrk!”

He collapsed on the spot.

THUD!

“Do not worry. That is a natural reaction. Pain is necessary to break out of the shell.”

Then Cossack, Gyeon Dallae, the Mad Demon, Bardin, Veronica Caliber... even the Blood Wolf.

Immortal energy adjusted the frequencies of their essence, energy, and spirit.

Lastly, even Juhyeok—who had just been standing there blankly listening to the Sword Immortal’s dramatic speech—

SSSRK.

“Huh?”

Why me?

His head spun.

It felt like dizziness.

Juhyeok lost consciousness as well.

And so White Tower Floor 17 began to fill with sacred, auspicious immortal energy.