Up to now, I’ve received six perks.

If I list them out one by one—

Starting with the first, Trait enhancement.

Second, the skill-copy Shadow Step.

Third, the item Energy Barrier Kit.

Fourth, the random box: Mixed-Origin Thunderclap Staff techniques and a Summoned Entity Rank-Up Rune.

Fifth, an encore perk: Trait enhancement, reselected.

Sixth, the item Skill Cooldown Reset Ticket.

And aside from perks, I’d also gotten one more Summoned Entity Rank-Up Rune as a Tower clear reward.

So this time?

What perk would it be?

The moment I open my Inventory and confirm the total of 35 Platinum Badges, I’ll be able to see it.

“Should I go to the water purifier and draw some purified water? We gotta offer devotion.”

“I’ll go draw it.”

Gyeon Dallae shook her head side to side.

“Water from a purifier is not purified water. It is nothing but tap water. If you offer devotion with such water, you may instead invite defilement.”

It is tap water, sure, but—

“If the result is something completely different from what you hoped for, then you will regret it. Simply cleanse your mind and face the perk with sincerity.”

Juhyeok stared at Gyeon Dallae with a subtle expression.

“Why is that? Is there something on this girl’s face?”

“N-no. Of course not.”

Defilement, huh...

When he did Random Summon with purifier tap water, who was the one who got called?

Was it because of defilement?

He should never say that out loud.

It would hurt her feelings.

“Alright! Then I’m checking.”

“Summoner Bong, fighting!”

“May you achieve the result you desire.”

“I, Meatshield, believe in the summoner’s luck.”

Thirty-five radiant Platinum Badges inside the Inventory.

In that instant—

[Perk granted for accumulating 35 Platinum Badges.]

“Trait enhancement?”

“Waaah! It’s happening! We gotta go for it!” 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

“Let’s go!”

[Perk: Item Warm Dawnlight Golden Aegis has been delivered to your Tower-Only Inventory.]

“...Huh?”

[Perk: Item Cold Twilight Golden Mace has been delivered to your Tower-Only Inventory.]

“Wait, what?”

Two of them popped.

“An item!”

“...Yes? Ah, an item?”

“An item?”

“An item?”

<Tower-Only Warm Dawnlight Golden Aegis.>

Effect: When equipped, improves the user’s concentration, emits a dazzling flash, enhances physical defense and magical defense, and on a successful defense has a certain chance to reflect an attack back at the enemy.

Feature: Maintains composure under any status ailment. Can never be destroyed.

<Tower-Only Cold Twilight Golden Mace.>

Effect: In combat, increases attack speed, freezes the target, increases attack range, and on a successful hit has a certain chance to activate an Ice Field.

Feature: Guides the enemy to twilight’s rest. Can never be destroyed.

“Oooo! The effects are good!”

It wasn’t the Trait enhancement he wanted, but... hey. He’d take it.

Juhyeok smiled, satisfied.

‘It’s perfect.’

Both were gold.

A perfect sword-and-shield set item.

He could already picture himself bravely facing monsters with these in hand.

‘Should I swing it once?’

Oh. It fits his hand perfectly.

Light, too.

Meanwhile, the others watched him with worried faces.

Cossack said to Gyeon Dallae,

“Look at Summoner Bong. His mouth is up to his ears.”

“Haa... and the items are so flashy... the enemies’ eyes will snap right to him.”

“Do you think he’ll sit still? He’ll start negotiating again. ‘I’ll just kill three,’ then he kills five, ‘I’ll just kill five,’ then he’s launching himself up into the sky.”

Gyeon Dallae nodded.

“I think the same. With radiant talent and item wings attached, if this becomes the trigger and he starts engaging in combat actively...”

Cossack’s face went pale.

“Ma’am, don’t say that. We’re doomed. What do we do? Princess, is there no method?”

There was, of course.

“Disloyal as it is, I suppose I must cling to the Young Master’s pant leg and wail. Cry a whole bucket of tears.”

“Will it work? You already used it once, didn’t you?”

“The Young Master is a man of deep mercy. Even a second time, a third time—he will never turn away this girl’s desperate heart.”

Would he, though?

Cossack felt suffocated.

The perk he needed didn’t show up, and instead it was that?

Wasn’t the summoner the type who had to try it if it was an item or a skill?

“I should’ve offered devotion. I regret it.”

“With that purifier water? It wouldn’t have been better. Something even more vicious might have appeared.”

Then Meatshield cut in bluntly.

“A warrior remembers. We offered devotion with purifier water and did Random Summon, and Princess Gyeon Dallae appeared.”

“...Excuse me?”

Gyeon Dallae tilted her head as if asking what nonsense that was.

“Meatshield, your j-joke is excessive. Indeed! You have grown smart enough to joke.”

“A warrior does not lie. And does not know how to joke.”

“It’s true.”

“...”

Her pupils shook violently.

Then—

“Ah-ha! Now that I look, it was n-not an ordinary purifier. To turn tap water into purified water... since I was summoned, it must be a magnificent purifier.”

“It’s not a magnificent purifier. It’s a normal purifier.”

“...If this girl says so, then accept it.”

“Yes.”

SSR Meatshield spoke again.

“Anyway, since Trait enhancement did not occur, for the time being we are a three-person formation.”

“Right.”

“That is so.”

He looked at both Gyeon Dallae and Cossack at once.

“Random Summon is not far. The summoner will soon call a new person. Then who must leave?”

“....”

“....”

Cossack’s face turned white.

It was coming.

Meatshield could serve as both tank and melee damage dealer.

Gyeon Dallae, already entrenched as a buffer and even helping daily life with talismans.

But me—just a nothing-special melee damage dealer.

It was obvious.

Over there, where the Tower-bound souls swarmed—

Which job type got treated best?

A buffer, or a holy healer like a saintess?

Royalty, regardless of rank.

And the rarest.

A tank for soaking hits?

Nobility.

Also not many.

Then damage dealers?

The most common.

You had to break them down further.

Magic damage dealers were middle-class commoners.

Relatively popular.

Jobs were decent.

Ranged damage dealers were poor commoners.

Still, they let you in.

And finally, melee damage dealers.

The lowest of the low.

They were everywhere.

As you climbed higher, people stopped taking them.

Cossack had experienced it himself.

So if the new summoned entity turned out to be a ranged damage dealer, or a magic type capable of area attacks...

Gulp.

Cossack swallowed dryly.

Meanwhile, Meatshield and Gyeon Dallae looked relaxed.

“A servant who seems unnecessary should step aside on his own. A useful servant must fill that place.”

“That is correct. That is the path that serves the summoner.”

“...”

You miserable bastards.

You’re relaxed because you think you’re safe, huh?

Even so, what they said was right a hundred times over.

“...If that moment comes, I’ll decide.”

Even if Summoner Bong pitied me and kept me to the end, that was still a problem.

For smooth Tower clearing, I should step aside on my own.

That was the proper posture of a summoned entity.

But how could I?

“M-maybe when we hit Floor 40, Trait enhancement could show up, right? If we work hard and rush a Floor 40 clear before Random Summon—”

In that instant—

“COSSACK!!!”

“...Yes?”

Gyeon Dallae’s voice was sharp as a blade.

“Uncleared upper-floor climbing lies solely in the Young Master’s decision. How dare a lowly servant attempt to meddle with the Young Master’s sole authority!!!”

“N-no, that’s not what I meant—”

He tried to explain, but—

“For your sake, must Young Master Bong strain himself so your heart may be at ease? Even now, after he acquired weapons as a perk, this girl’s heart feels as though it is being torn apart...”

“...”

Cossack couldn’t answer. He only bowed his head low.

“Whew... yes, yes. I will step down beautifully. It was fun, all this ti—”

That was when—

“Who told you to leave, Cossack?”

Juhyeok had already walked up, eyes blazing.

“Meatshield?”

“I-it wasn’t me. I-I was staying still.”

“Princess Gyeon Dallae?”

“...No. I-it is a misunderstanding. It was only assuming a worst case.”

Juhyeok was angry.

Why were they suddenly talking about who leaves and who stays?

When a timid person gets mad, that’s when they’re the scariest.

Juhyeok drove it in with a firm voice.

“Listen. I won’t climb the Tower at all before I kick someone out. I’m never removing anyone. We go with this roster. Until the end of the climb—especially...”

Juhyeok’s eyes met Cossack’s.

Cossack flinched, then tears gathered in his eyes.

Seeing him, Juhyeok nodded, meaning, Don’t worry.

Ahhh...

Do you feel it?

This is fiery comradeship.

...No, scratch the ship part.

If you’re not careful, it’ll get weird.

Anyway, fiery comrades’ friendship!

He’d overheard their conversation by accident.

So there were about fifteen days left on the Random Summon cooldown.

If he failed to achieve Trait enhancement by then, there would be only three slots left.

And if Random Summon brought in a skilled damage dealer?

They’d assumed someone would be removed in advance.

He understood why they thought that.

Compared to Cossack, who could be replaced anytime—

Meatshield and Gyeon Dallae had unshakable positions.

But no chance.

The possibility of Cossack leaving wasn’t even a speck.

How had Juhyeok climbed this far?

Because Cossack had paved the road.

He climbed by stepping on Cossack’s back.

Because of him, Juhyeok could function like a person inside the Tower.

“What if Random Summon brings a shield knight with perfect gear—what then? Meatshield, would you leave?”

“...”

“If a saintess or a priest shows up, Princess Gyeon Dallae, are you out?”

“...”

Everyone went silent.

An imperial princess, a barbarian warrior—shut down by the summoner’s authority.

‘Was that cool?’

Probably.

He could tell just by Cossack’s eyes, full of gratitude and trust.

Ah...

Why am I so good at talking?

Either way, Trait enhancement felt even more desperate now.

He’d make it happen.

He’d get it, no matter what.

“Cossack.”

“Yes!”

“You want Trait enhancement? Should we run straight to Floor 50?”

Cossack answered, tears spilling again.

“I understand your heart for me, Summoner Bong, but I am fine. If you ever overdo it, I would not be able to forgive myself.”

“Let’s run it anyway!”

“N-no. Please don’t. Absolutely don’t.”

“Then how about this?”

Juhyeok stuck out his pinky, the gesture of a promise.

“Until Trait enhancement comes, I won’t kill monsters. I’ll stay back. Not a single one. I won’t even take my weapons out of my Inventory.”

Cossack’s eyes went wide.

Gyeon Dallae brightened.

Meatshield nodded.

“How about it? Anyone opposed to running until Trait enhancement shows up?”

Gyeon Dallae answered quickly.

“If the Young Master does not participate in combat, how could we refuse? This girl will shake her bells until they shatter.”

“Do not worry. I, Meatshield, protect the summoner. I will achieve S++ clear rank as well.”

And—

“Cossack, you in?”

Overcome with emotion, Cossack threw his hand up and screamed miserably,

“I-I’m in! I’m in, I’m in! IIIIIN!!!”

“Good! Let’s do it! Starting from Floor 36!”

And so began the uncleared upper-floor climb—

of Cossack, for Cossack, by Cossack.

*****

Commissioner Park Kyungsoo of the Tower Player Awakening Administration and Director Park Iljun of the National Intelligence Service held an emergency meeting.

The two men had grown much closer after the recent National Assembly Audit.

They were sharing the investigation process for the “Imperial Traditional Massage Mass Murder Case.”

It wasn’t a simple murder case.

It was a case where someone had attempted to kidnap the ELITE TOWER CLIMBING TEAM.

Of course, every single participant had died.

“It’s highly likely all the dead were soldiers. And very well-trained ones.”

“These fucking bastards... any hard evidence on who planned it?”

“Haa... there’s no evidence. If even one of them had survived, we could’ve extracted it through interrogation. But they’re all dead already.”

Still, the suspicion was China.

It had to be.

A rumor had been spreading quietly for a long time—

that China was coaxing or kidnapping talented Players from weaker countries.

And now Korea was on the list.

It felt like Korea had suddenly been labeled a weak country.

“Among their targets was the actual owner of the holy sword.”

“Grr...”

At the director’s words, Park Kyungsoo’s face reddened with rage.

They might have narrowly avoided a national catastrophe.

“It’s unlikely they knew. It was probably an overlap of coincidences.”

At present, Player Bong Juhyeok was only publicly known as the holy sword’s owner.

Only three people knew he was also the S++ clear-rank record holder.

The National Intelligence Service director didn’t know.

“I shouldn’t say this, but I almost feel grateful to that murderer.”

“Either way, we need a thorough investigation. How they entered Korea, whether there are remaining remnants, and also the identity of the murder suspect.”

“One more thing. The National Intelligence Service needs to pay closer attention to security.”

“Yes. We’ll keep it in mind. We’ve issued a total mobilization order for domestic organizations as well as overseas ones. We should see good results soon.”

If they found proof it was ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) China, they wouldn’t let it go.

“By the way—didn’t you say Gerald Watson is entering from the United States in a week?”

“Yes. We received an official diplomatic note.”

“What do we need to do?”

“Nothing. Transportation, security—they say they’ll handle everything themselves.”

“Of course they would.”

Not when they were bringing in the top Player in the United States.

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