It was another Global Notice.

Floor 65, Clear Rank S++.

As expected, the media put their anxiety on full display.

<He finally made it to Floor 65. Floor 66 tomorrow?>

<At this rate, what if he goes all the way to Floor 70?>

<We need to consider the possibility of a climbing rampage.>

<Repeat-clears are more than enough. Meatshield, stop sprinting.>

But then, the follow-up article that came right after.

<According to a Tower Player Awakening Administration official, it’s unlikely Meatshield will climb as far as Floor 67. He’ll probably stop at Floor 66.>

<The Tower Player Awakening Administration seems to know something. They refuse to elaborate despite demands for a detailed explanation.>

<Was there prior coordination between Meatshield and the Tower Player Awakening Administration?>

<Experts: Nothing surprising here. This was entirely predictable.>

└ So the Administration already knew Meatshield existed. Was I the only one shocked?

└ Then he’s not clearing Floor 67.

└ Those two might be people the Tower Player Awakening Administration raised and trained with extreme precision.

└ We call those people elite Players.

└ No, not “elite”—more like special forces soldiers who were forged through brutal training from childhood.

└ Hm. Like... a super soldier?

└ If you make drugs using Magic Stones or herbs you get from the Tower and inject them, wouldn’t that level of tech be possible?

└ LOL, drug-enhanced superhumans—what is this, a movie script? Captain Korean?

└ Well, it’s plausible. The giant is the Korean Hulk.

Jeon Gwangil at the Tower Player Awakening Administration read the article and comments carefully, checking them off one by one.

Just as expected, the public’s anxiety was dying down.

‘Perfect.’

Letting it slip that they “knew,” then muddying the waters with vagueness.

He cut it off at an appropriate point.

But it was still too early to relax.

For now, Bong Juhyeok’s existence was being masked thanks to Meatshield and the white man summoned entity, but the risk of exposure could surface at any time.

They had to keep every possible danger scenario in mind—everything that might happen if Summoner Bong was exposed—and prepare for it at all times.

Because the Tower Player Awakening Administration existed to protect Players.

Especially if the Player in question was the nation’s top Player. That went without saying.

Anyway.

Jeon Gwangil picked up the documents sitting on his desk.

A monthly settlement report from HG Fashion, for leather goods.

The report was precise.

The amount of leather used per product, manufacturing costs, marketing costs, and sales revenue.

But the quantity being sold was low.

It felt like they were intentionally limiting production.

He understood the intent—raise the product’s value.

But—

‘I don’t like it.’

Right now, Wildflower & Basili’s products were in a state of “sold out before they even exist.”

They were a global want-it item.

Yet HG Fashion seemed far more interested in something else than selling bags.

The leather goods were bait.

And not just any bait—bait for a specific class of people.

In reality, ordinary citizens couldn’t even look at the bags, let alone buy them.

Not even the so-called cheapest Light Quality product.

‘They’re definitely playing games with the bags.’

They were doing things like pre-selling to power brokers worldwide—tycoons, corporate owners, politicians—or placing them on “top-priority reservation lists,” then collecting other benefits behind the scenes.

Buy our other products, too.

Switch your existing supply contracts with other companies over to HG Group affiliates.

And then we’ll “special exception” you a bag.

Because of that, HG Group’s standing and total revenue skyrocketed with no ceiling in sight.

The stock price, too.

Of course, on paper, there was nothing wrong with the contracts.

And the leather-payment money would be coming in soon as well.

It just rubbed him the wrong way.

They should be focusing on bag sales and increasing the profit that would flow to Summoner Bong—yet they were getting greedy over side income?

And that wasn’t all.

They were also taking it for granted that wyvern leather supply would come to HG Fashion.

HG Fashion had already finished trademark registration for a brand called “Wildflower & W.”

As if the person who was supposed to “give the rice cake” had even thought about giving it to them.

‘CEO Goyeonha... I didn’t take you for this.’

People were one way when they walked out, and another when they walked in.

She needed a wake-up call.

If she kept playing games like that, she might lose not only wyvern leather supply, but even basilisk leather supply.

In the first place, Jeon Gwangil had already obtained Summoner Bong’s approval for full authority over wyvern leather supply.

Monopoly brought a lot of harm.

It was rational to sign wyvern leather supply contracts with companies other than HG Fashion.

That would create competition, too.

‘Is Daehyeon better... or Ilseong?’

Honestly, there was another solution.

Summoner Bong could just start a company.

How simple was that?

But he couldn’t, for reasons.

‘At least I should ask each company about interest.’

Jeon Gwangil picked up the phone and pressed the call button.

KNOCK KNOCK.

An employee opened the office door and stepped in.

“Jeong Donghun at Ilseong Apparel, right? Call his secretary’s office. Ask if it’s okay for him to take a quick call.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll do it right away.”

A moment later.

Another knock, the door opened again—

“Deputy Commissioner, I’m connected to Jeong Donghun’s secretary’s office. Would you like me to patch you through immediately?”

“Yeah, thanks. Put it through.”

A dial tone rang out as Deputy Commissioner Jeon Gwangil picked up.

“Hello. This is Jeon Gwangil. Am I speaking with CEO Jeong Donghun?”

Uh, yes, yes. I—I’m Jeong Donghun.

Jeon Gwangil tilted his head.

Strange.

CEO Jeong Donghun’s voice was shaking uncontrollably. What happened?

And a moment later—

In the middle of the call, Deputy Commissioner Jeon Gwangil stormed out of his office with a face gone bright red.

“Get a car ready right now! I’m going to Ilseong Apparel.”

*****

Ten minutes before Deputy Commissioner Jeon Gwangil’s call came in,

Ilseong Apparel’s CEO Jeong Donghun did nothing but sigh like the earth might collapse.

It was all there in the documents.

Bong Juhyeok—the elite Player suspected to be the basilisk leather supplier—along with the suspicion that he was even the true owner of the holy sword.

And there was evidence.

The sudden explosion of cashflow, the purchase of a top-tier penthouse in Cheongdam-dong paid in cash—

‘Why did my uncle hand these documents to me?’

Something he could’ve handled by directly contacting the person himself.

And his uncle was—

A conglomerate chairman.

A heavyweight with connections tangled through politics, prosecutors, the legal world, and the National Intelligence Service.

You might not know the President’s name, but there was no one who didn’t know the name of Ilseong Group’s chairman.

His uncle was the kind of man who could do anything and get away with it.

But even he had one thing he found troublesome to touch.

The Tower Player Awakening Administration.

The elite Players under their management.

Sure, it wasn’t like the sky would fall—

but if you ended up on the Tower Player Awakening Administration’s bad side, all sorts of complications followed.

At the same time, when you got useful information that reeked of money, it was hard to just let it go.

And conveniently, there happened to be a perfect scapegoat.

The child of his uncle’s younger brother—someone who wasn’t even a direct son, yet still sat on a whole affiliate company like it was nothing.

So his uncle tossed him the documents.

Try contacting him instead.

If it worked, great.

If it failed, his uncle bore zero burden.

He would just play dumb.

Claim he knew nothing.

Claim he’d never seen these documents in his life.

Bow his head once and apologize about “failing to manage his nephew properly,” and it would pass without incident.

And in the end, only Jeong Donghun would be punished.

His uncle might even be aiming for exactly that.

‘This is a poisoned apple.’

No.

It wasn’t even an apple.

It was just poison.

If you touched it carelessly, you died.

Even if it meant stepping down as CEO of Ilseong Apparel—

Jeong Donghun closed the binder.

Something that could never be allowed outside.

‘Should I seal it?’

He was already out of his uncle’s favor.

All that was left was being thrown out.

‘Either way, it feels like it’s time to start cleaning up.’

He’d built up a lot of stress taking on a CEO position that never fit him in the first place.

Maybe he’d take this chance to settle down somewhere rural.

That was when it happened.

KNOCK KNOCK.

His secretary tapped on the office door.

“Come in. What is it?”

“Sir, we got a call from the Tower Player Awakening Administration.”

Jeong Donghun froze.

His face drained white.

Cold sweat slid down his spine.

His heart slammed—THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD—beating violently.

“W-why... why are they calling?”

“Deputy Commissioner Jeon Gwangil says he wants to speak with you.”

Out of nowhere? Did he know everything?

“...Tell him I’m not here. Tell him I’m out of the office.”

“Ah—um, sir, I already said you were in your office...”

No choice.

“...C-connect it.”

“Yes! Understood.”

Jeong Donghun took the call.

With a voice trembling so badly it felt like it might crack.

“Uh, yes, yes. I—I’m Jeong Donghun.”

Please let it be nothing.

“Th-then... what is this about?”

It’s nothing big. I just have something to ask you regarding supply of Tower-material leather...

Tower-material leather?

‘Damn it...’

It was over. He knew everything.

But he couldn’t just die like this.

Jeong Donghun blurted out on reflex.

“I—I haven’t met him yet. I only received materials about Bong Juhyeok.”

......

Silence flowed through the receiver. After a long time—

Where are you right now?

“I-I’m at the company office.”

Don’t move. Stay right there. I’m coming immediately.

CLICK.

The call ended without even waiting for an answer.

Jeong Donghun leaned back in his chair and dragged a hand down his face like he was washing it.

‘Do I run?’

He didn’t even know if he had anywhere to run.

*****

Juhyeok’s penthouse.

All the summoned entities had already gone back.

He didn’t re-clear Floor 65.

It wasn’t an environment Rajix could explore comfortably, and—

well, he’d obtained a Summoned Entity Rank-Up Rune. That was enough.

Veronica Caliber was about to rank up.

Once she did, everyone would be at least SSR.

The first summoned entity, John Cossack.

At the time of summoning, his rank had been Super Rare (SR).

Then he ate a rank-up rune and became SSR.

Meatshield had been Rare (R).

Once upon a time, his nickname had been “Al-Meatshield.”

Then he jumped two ranks thanks to a blessing effect and became SSR.

Gyeon Dallae had been SSR from the moment she appeared.

In a way, she was the best pull.

Rajix was the same as Meatshield.

From an “egg servant” to an SSR servant—Rajix, the world’s greatest top-class worker—

As for Lucius Bardin... well.

Let’s exclude him.

He was a holy sword.

Now all I had to do was wait.

Wait for Veronica to come back.

It usually took about a day, so I could probably summon her tomorrow evening.

Anyway, something good happened—how could I just sit still?

I should have a drink and share the joy.

Alone?

I had a new drinking buddy now.

A summoned entity who shouted world conquest like it was a habit, a man with unwavering conviction—

the Legend Special Super Rare (LSSR)—

“Designated Summon Mad Demon.”

FWAAASH! PA-PA-PA-SPOT!

“Oh! You summoned me again.”

“You said if I ever felt like drinking, I should call you anytime.”

“Hahaha, thank you. You’re the first Summoner who’s thought of me like this. Everyone else avoided me.”

So it wasn’t just me.

“I prepared some Chinese liquor today. Not sure if it’ll suit your taste.”

“...China?”

Mad Demon’s expression shifted, subtly strange.

Then—

“Does China cause trouble in this world as well?”

“...Uh... a little.”

“As expected. Full of problems. Tsk, tsk. Even if it’s a different world, where did that country go wrong from the start?”

So even across the multiverse, even in parallel worlds, China was still a mess.

“Summoner, if you’re going to conquer the world, you must strike China first. They have a large population, so it doesn’t matter if tens of millions die.”

“...”

“Especially those who hold political power—best to kill every last one. If you let them live, they become a future calamity.”

“...”

Mad Demon was still Mad Demon.

In some ways, China was the closest thing to the martial world he’d lived in.

Then again, didn’t he kill people in that world?

He even killed an emperor.

Mad Demon’s epithets.

Public enemy of the martial world, the most vicious under heaven, the one who caused a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

“...Let’s have a drink.”

“Hahaha, I accept with gratitude.”

Man, even his smile was scary.

SLIDE... SLIDE...

And so, our second drinking party began.

Most Chinese liquor was strong.

Nearly all of it was over 40% alcohol.

We talked about this and that.

Starting with how I got a fanatic from a Random Summon and was using him as a holy sword.

“You did very well. That’s exactly how he should be used. Cossack—he’s smarter than I expected.”

“I do feel a little guilty.”

“No. Those types are the most dangerous—forcing their values onto the Summoner... hm... ahem!”

“...”

A sudden silence.

Maybe something stung.

Was this what people meant by spitting in your own face?

“O-of course, I’m not so different from Bardin either.”

If I grabbed Mad Demon and swung him around, would he become a magic sword?

Not that I’d ever do that.

To change the mood, I told him I’d used the System’s power to learn one of his skills.

“Oho! It is nothing but an honor that you learned my skill. Blood Jade Force is a fine martial art. Once your mastery reaches a certain level, it will be useful.”

“Yesterday, I sent a few undead back to hell. Hahaha.”

“What a shame. I’d like to witness it with my own eyes, but this is reality.”

“We can go into the Tower and check.”

“Is that so? Huhuhuh.”

I also told him about the HG Hotel terror incident.

How I used the Ring of Departure to cross into China and rescue kidnapped Players.

And then—

“You filthy bastards! I knew it would happen! How dare they touch the Summoner!”

His reaction was more intense than I expected.

“I’m fine. Thanks to our summoned entities...”

“Fools. You went all the way there, yet you only rescued the Players and came back? You don’t even know the basics of pulling weeds out by the roots. And you expect me to trust them?”

Mad Demon seethed with anger.

“You should’ve wiped them out. What an opportunity. This won’t do. We’re going back one more time—together.”

“...No.”

“Hm.”

He closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

Then—

“Your identity may soon become known.”

“Well, someday. There’s no such thing as an eternal secret in this world.”

“Tsk, tsk. That’s a disaster.”

A disaster, my ass.

If I were alone, sure.

But I had reliable summoned entities.

Mad Demon’s expression grew more and more mournful.

“Summoner.”

“Yes?”

“Do you know when Players die the most? The Tower is dangerous, yes, but in truth it’s not the Tower at all—it’s...”

“Yeah, yeah. Outside the Tower. Even if a nuclear bomb goes off, the Tower is safe.”

“...”

Mad Demon, who’d been trying to set the mood, looked awkward.

But he didn’t give ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) up.

“Then let’s take China and Japan first. They’re close, aren’t they? I’ll kill as few as possible. Use the Ring of Departure and cross over—”

“Sir, you’re doing it again. Just drink.”

“...”

Even the smallest opening, and he lunged straight in.

Not happening.

Mad Demon looked offended.

His brows knitted hard.

“You truly have no intention of taking the world into your hands?”

“No.”

“Fine. Then.”

In an instant—

Mad Demon stood up.

Why?

“I have no choice but to activate Summoned Principles, Article Three.”

What? Activate what?

Why are you using Article Three here—

Mad Demon tapped a finger against my body.

TAP TAP! TAP-TAP-TAP! TAP TAP!

I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t even part my lips.

My whole body locked up, stiff as stone.

“At Legend rank, you can do things other summoned entities can’t even dream of.”

I swallowed.

Mad Demon walked behind me.

I didn’t know what he intended, but I didn’t resist.

What could I do?

He said he was activating Summoned Principles, Article Three.

The ultimate purpose of Article Three was protecting the Summoner’s life and safety.

So he wouldn’t hurt me, but—

“It’s fine. Relax.”

He placed both hands on my back.

“Some lunatics talk about ‘transferring’ the inner power they cultivated into someone else. There is nothing more dangerous than that. If you swallow just anything, you’re only taking the shortest path to a catastrophic backlash.”

BWOOOONG.

A warm current poured in through my back.

“But I can give you something like a basic cleansing. Make your body suitable for learning martial arts.”

A cleansing? Martial arts?

“I’m going to help you cultivate inner power that isn’t the Tower’s power. With inner power, you’ll be able to use strength even in reality.”

Hey, at least ask for consent first—

“I’ll teach you how to train it. And I’ll teach you how to operate Blood Jade Force as well.”

I don’t really want to train. Isn’t that hard?

How am I supposed to do that?

“Once you succeed in the Grand Circulation, simply breathing will become training. That is the nature of the Heaven-and-Earth Unity Art.”

Hm. Just breathing?

Perfect for a weak man. Then...

“Breathe. And observe. Realize the path the current travels.”

The current pouring from Mad Demon’s palms whipped through my entire body.

“Summoner—may you become even a little safer.”

Yes.

I will.

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