I cleared Floor 33 safely too—Clear Rank S++—and exited the Tower.

Time for a short break.

Cossack said it was drama time and turned on the TV, but almost every public broadcast channel was plastered with special coverage.

Nam Gaeun—Floor 65 clear successful.

Floor 66 clear announcement coming soon.

Cossack blew up.

“What the hell is that? Since when is Floor 65 such a big deal! Huh? If Summoner Bong hadn’t lent her the holy sword, she wouldn’t have had a chance! I’m mad, I’m mad! Are they making a joke outta the record of thirty-three straight S++ clears?!”

Then Gyeon Dallae said,

“Cossack. Please do not be so angry. It is seasonal attention, nothing more. Once the Floor 66 clear is complete, even the news will gradually stop mentioning her.”

“Oh! Is that so?”

“Yes. In the end, only the Master’s achievements will remain. Forever.”

“Hehehe. That’s the truth.”

Achievements, my ass.

Those are their achievements.

How much credit do I even deserve?

Still, Nam Gaeun was truly solo.

Of course, in Tower clears, items matter a lot.

They even say ‘gear carries’ for a reason—one high-quality item can completely flip the entire fight.

But a Player’s personal skill matters just as much as items do.

Even the best item only shines if you can use it right.

‘She really is amazing.’

Honestly, I’m jealous.

Even if I can’t be like Nam Gaeun, [N O V E L I G H T] I at least want the ability to protect myself inside the Tower.

‘But right now, I’m basically dead weight.’

There was no way my summoned entities would ever think of me as baggage.

But even during the Floor 33 clear, it was the same.

I got overwhelmed by the size of the Stage-3 minotaurs and couldn’t even swing my mace properly once.

‘Just do what I can.’

The next day, Juhyeok decided to clear again.

Yesterday was Floor 33.

Today was Floor 34.

Two days in a row.

Black Tower (Republic of Korea), Floor 34.

A mission to clear Stage-4 minotaurs.

Now the bull heads were pushing nearly six meters tall.

“...Big.”

“Real big. If you wanna see a bull head, you gotta crank your neck way back.”

Aaaah!

It was impossible to jump up and smash skulls forever.

Does that mean I can’t use any of the Mixed-Origin Thunderclap Staff forms at all anymore?

As the floors go up, they’ll get even bigger.

Should I just keep hunting low-floor orcs and trolls?

I suddenly felt depressed.

This timid, coward personality—can’t I fix it somehow?

While I was agonizing, the clear was already underway.

THOOM THOOM THOOM THOOM!

JINGLE JINGLE!

SHHHK—!

Gyeon Dallae’s buffs spread across Floor 34.

With that behind them, Meatshield and Cossack swept through the minotaurs.

Meanwhile, Juhyeok couldn’t bring himself to step out.

I’d sworn to myself so hard.

Outside the Tower: a timid but gentle weak man.

Inside the Tower: a forceful, macho man.

But the moment I faced a giant monster, that resolve started shaking again like a reed in the wind.

‘Let’s just hit the legs. If I keep tapping away with cheap tricks, it’ll fall over eventually. Then I can finish it.’

Well. Not exactly the macho-man way.

As Juhyeok stared at the battlefield with a gloomy face, Cossack stopped mid-kill on a Stage-4 minotaur and ran over.

“Summoner Bong, is the bull head too big?”

“Yeah. I’ve hit my limit.”

“Don’t worry. Who do you think I am? SSR Cossack will solve it for you.”

“Huh?”

“But you gotta promise you’ll only kill one. There ain’t many left anyway.”

There was a way?

That was tempting.

“Okay. I’ll kill just one.”

“Fast decision. Excellent.”

Cossack glanced at Meatshield.

“Meatshield. You gotta earn the price of beef, yeah? You ate the most. When everyone else ate one slice, you ate four, five slices, like—!”

“...I do. Anything.”

“It ain’t hard. Lace your fingers together. No, not like that—like this.”

Ah.

I think I get it.

He was making a foothold with his hands.

“Oh! You want me to step on it and jump up?”

“Hehehe. Meatshield’ll WHAM—launch you right up.”

The scene painted itself in my head.

I step on the foothold, WHOOSH—fly up, come crashing down in style, and smash the bull head.

How cool would that be?

‘He’s a genius.’

Cossack is cute no matter how many times I look.

How does he scratch the exact spot that itches like this?

Good.

Let’s do it.

“Meatshield, lift me up.”

“Understood. Warrior lifts summoner.”

Meatshield set his stance.

“Here I go.”

TAP TAP TAP!

Juhyeok sprinted in.

He planted one foot hard onto the foothold Meatshield made with his hands and snapped his knee straight at the same time—

HUP!

He jumped into the air.

Meatshield put his strength into it too.

WHOOSH!

My body kept rising.

Cool wind across my face,

a leap that threw off every shackle and restraint.

This is insane.

I’m glad I tried.

‘Yeah. This is what a macho man is.’

I kept going up.

Up and up,

up...,

‘Huh.’

Why isn’t it stopping?

How far is this supposed to go?

‘...I’m screwed.’

Meatshield is insanely strong.

But he’s also dumb.

If you give him an order, he follows it.

So if I told him to lift me up, he lifted me up.

The problem is: he doesn’t know how high is “enough,” so he probably did his absolute best.

And I’m not blameless either.

Inside the Tower, your physical ability improves with your level.

Strength, agility, mana—everything gets way stronger.

Not thinking about that, I pushed way too hard when I stepped on the foothold.

Even a normal human can go shockingly high if they step properly.

Action and reaction, stacking together.

So—

WHOOOOOOSH!

I was still going up.

“Hahaha...”

I laughed emptily.

It was such a ridiculous situation that I wasn’t even sure I felt scared anymore.

‘If I fall, will I die?’

No way.

My level stats apply, too.

It’ll just hurt a bit.

I have healing potions.

I angled my eyes downward and looked at my feet.

Cossack was dropkicking Meatshield.

Looks like he was blaming him for sending me too high.

‘What’s his problem.’

He’s the one who told him to do it.

‘This is reminding me of those jungle trolls.’

This is how they felt when Meatshield shook the tree, huh.

My speed started to slow.

At last, I stopped rising.

Which meant the only thing left was falling.

If I thought it was dangerous, I should’ve just stayed still.

But no—had to go out there trying to smash a monster’s skull...

And then—

WHOOOOOSH!

My body started to plummet straight down.

“Oh, hell.”

Something nearly leaked.

I feel like I’m gonna pee myself.

But weirdly enough, despite my body’s reaction, I’m not that terrified.

Gyeon Dallae was holding her bell, ready to fling talismans, and Meatshield had already stretched both arms out, ready to catch me.

Looks like Gyeon Dallae would slow me down and Meatshield would catch me.

With that bulk, he could probably catch me safely and gently like a bridal carry.

But it made my skin crawl.

All that shaggy hair, that grotesque chest—me getting cradled like some new bride?

‘...’

The more I imagined it, the more horrifying it got.

Isn’t there a way to land coolly by myself instead of being caught?

Then I remembered a movie scene.

A hero in an iron suit with rockets in his feet, flying around.

Like the robots in animation, too.

I wished I could do that.

A rocket ignites from my feet—FWOOSH—

In that instant—

‘Huh?’

What is this?

The moment I imagined the rocket ignition from movies and animation, energy gathered toward my soles.

‘Oh...’

I think I know what this is.

Mana.

My mana responded to my will.

At the same time, I felt resistance.

It even felt like I was falling a little slower.

‘Don’t tell me...?’

Instinctively, Juhyeok used Shadow Step in midair.

SWAT! SWAT! SWAT!

“...Huh?”

It works.

Shadow Step unfolded even in empty air.

‘So it works.’

SWAT! SWAT! SWAT!

Mana was pushing the air.

That gave my feet just enough “purchase” to step—barely.

In a zigzag—

SWAT! SWAT! SWAT!

No doubt about it.

My falling speed slowed even more.

Juhyeok focused all the mana in his body into his soles.

Meanwhile—

Down below, Cossack, Meatshield, and Gyeon Dallae stared up, dumbfounded.

“Summoner walks. In the sky.”

“Uh... I... I’m seeing it too.”

In midair... Shadow Walker?

That’s possible?

Cossack remembered something he’d heard from the guildmaster of the CRUEL ASSASSIN GUILD.

If a Shadow Walker reaches the ultimate level, they can walk through the sky.

Back then he’d snorted and laughed—like, where are you trying to scam me?

And now he was seeing it with his own eyes.

Cossack realized it clearly.

“...Our Summoner Bong. His talent is monstrous.”

“Cossack speaks truth. Who could have imagined we would witness walking on air here?”

Juhyeok still felt uneasy.

My descent had slowed a lot, but it was still fast.

Would I land properly?

Could I plant my feet on the ground cleanly?

The ground was close now.

Right then—

One Stage-4 minotaur beneath my feet entered my view.

And at the same time, one idea flashed through my mind.

‘...Hmm.’

I can just try it.

In the split second as I fell, I pulled back the arm holding my mace—

‘Falling Thunder Flash.’

—and drove it straight down into the Stage-4 minotaur’s head.

WHIIIP—!

CRUNCH!

A perfectly postured Falling Thunder Flash.

And the power was beyond what I imagined.

The minotaur’s upper body—gone. Erased.

And with that recoil, I landed lightly.

TAP!

“Huff—huff!”

My breath climbed up to my throat.

This is... not bad.

‘Did I... without realizing it...?’

Juhyeok lowered his gaze carefully.

My pants were clean.

Thank god—I didn’t pee myself.

CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!

The summoned entities clapped and came running, all flustered.

“A-amazing. Dazzling talent! I can’t even do that.”

“Summoner must receive warrior title.”

“Ah... how can you be so outstanding? This girl is only afraid of the Master’s terrifying talent. I beg you, please restrain yourself.”

Come on—don’t make me blush.

“I’m kind of... something, right?”

“Fantastic! It wasn’t enough that you went that high—you did Shadow Walker in midair, beautiful. Look at my pants. Ain’t they damp? I peed like crazy.”

“You wretch!!! N-no—Cossack, how can you be so filthy? There is no end to your vulgarity.”

Thanks.

You peed for me.

Honestly, I was panicking.

I thought I’d flail my arms and legs and drop helplessly until Meatshield caught me in his arms.

But what is this?

Shadow Step worked in midair.

Honestly, I think I really do have talent.

Even I thought it—Shadow Step in the sky was insane.

I practically flew.

And Falling Thunder Flash?

The moment I used it, I felt it.

It went in so cleanly it couldn’t be cleaner.

Anyway, mission complete.

[You have successfully completed the Floor 34 mission.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Reward: 3.4 kg of Magic Stone]

[Reward: Summoned Entity Rank-Up Rune]

Today again, without exception, Magic Sto—wait.

“Huh?”

What is that?

“Gasp!”

It’s a reward. A reward.

Not even a perk—

and a Summoned Entity Rank-Up Rune drops as a reward item?

Is the Tower giving me a gold star because I looked cool?

[Notice: You have achieved Clear Rank S++ on Floor 34 of the Black Tower (Republic of Korea).]

[S++ clear reward: You are awarded a Platinum Badge.]

[You may challenge Floor 35.]

[Exiting the Black Tower (Republic of Korea).]

SPOT!

Juhyeok and the others returned to the officetel.

The moment he came out, Juhyeok collapsed onto the sofa.

“Wow...”

I still couldn’t believe it.

I opened my Inventory and checked.

‘It’s real.’

First, I quietly called Cossack over.

“If I use a rank-up rune, can you go from SSR to LSSR?”

“Not a chance. Rank reinforcement from runes stops at SSR. LSSR is the exception.”

I see.

Then I decided.

This rank-up rune goes to Meatshield.

“Let’s rest now.”

“Yessir!”

“You worked hard. However, please—next time, protect your own body. This girl felt as though her heart would tear apart.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s do a get-together. What do you want to eat?”

I turned on my smartphone and tried to open the delivery app, but Cossack—

“Don’t order. We gotta eat nothing but instant noodles for a while.”

“Why?”

“We ate Korean beef, didn’t we? Especially that punk Meatshield—he can go hungry for days. How many servings did he shovel down by himself?”

As Cossack rained fiery accusations, Gyeon Dallae piled on too.

“No matter how well he works, one does not employ a servant with a beggar living in his stomach. Ah! Of course, I am not specifically referring to Meatshield.”

You?

With that tiny mouth, how many wraps did you eat?

Poor barbarian Meatshield.

His head drooped, like he’d been scolded into dust.

This won’t do.

I should give it to him now.

“Meatshield.”

“...Next time. Eat less.”

“Don’t do that. Take this.”

“Warrior can starve. Won’t eat. Summoner should eat more... Huh?”

Meatshield’s eyes went wide.

Looks like he knows what it is.

“Go raise your rank.”

“...”

Meatshield lowered his head and went silent.

His shoulders trembled.

‘Is he crying?’

He must’ve been holding it in this whole time.

Getting scolded for eating a lot, getting mocked for being dumb.

Drip. Dripdrip. Dripdrip.

Tears as big as his body hit the floor.

“You’re crying again? Don’t cry—”

“Gasp!”

Meatshield suddenly grabbed Juhyeok and pulled him into a hug.

Because of the height difference, Juhyeok’s face pressed into Meatshield’s stomach.

Meatshield had a lot of hair on his stomach too.

My face felt prickly against it.

‘...Mm.’

What is this?

I worked like crazy tap-dancing in midair so I wouldn’t get hugged—

and I end up getting hugged here.

But can he even use the rune properly with a brain like that?

I’m worried.

*****

Commissioner Park Kyungsoo of the Tower Player Awakening Administration received an official request from the United States regarding holy sword rental.

He accepted immediately and even set the visit schedule.

After Korea clears Floor 66—

“As soon as the Floor 66 clear ends, Player Gerald Watson and Director Antonio from the Department of Homeland Security say they’ll enter through Incheon International Airport.”

“That fast? What’s so urgent?” 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Even Jeon Gwangil had spoken with Antonio by phone four days ago.

Back then, Antonio offered one million dollars as the holy sword rental fee, so Jeon had coldly shot him down—think it over and call me back.

He knew why.

They were testing the waters.

Even so, this crossed a line.

“Are they saying they’ll clear the Floor 67 Phantom Reaper this time?”

“No. There’s still a long way to go. There’s no need to clear it quickly.”

“Then what?”

“They want to repeat-clear the Floor 66 specter and experience the holy sword’s effect.”

Gerald Watson.

The highest-level Player in the United States.

Even he took almost over thirteen hours to clear Floor 66.

“What’s the per-run rental fee?”

“They offered ten million dollars.”

“Anything else?”

“Lifting anti-dumping regulations on Korean Magic Stone steel products.”

“Hm.”

Well, there was no point discussing it now.

In the end, the rental price would be decided by Player Bong Juhyeok anyway.

“Oh—and one more thing.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“That penthouse Yoo Cheolmin used.”

“Why? It’s not cleared out yet? Burn everything Yoo Cheolmin used.”

“We plan to. But it seems like Player Bong Juhyeok is interested in that place.”

“Ah...”

Commissioner Park Kyungsoo hesitated for a moment.

The penthouse’s ownership had been confiscated and folded into state property.

A home—

Bong Juhyeok had earned it.

If not him, then who?

“I was already thinking of giving him something else anyway... A home should be fine.”

The justification of being the holy sword owner was more than enough.

Even the President didn’t know that Bong Juhyeok was the S++ record-holder.

The fewer people who know, the better.

But the report that he was the holy sword owner had already gone up.

Rental fees would have to be deposited into his account, so his identity would be revealed anyway.

“Good. Clear out every single thing inside and hand it over to him. I’ll handle the upper approval.”

“Yes. I’ll proceed.”

Perfect timing.

Honestly, it had been bothering him that they’d only given a twenty-billion-won annual salary and an officetel.

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