WSGCT Chapter 13

The next afternoon.

Juhyeok once again visited the Player Shop at the Awakened Management Office. He had spent the night deep in thought.

Should he give it his all or not?

Since he’d already jumped in, it might be good to test the extent of his talent.

In truth, he thought he knew why he could do this.

Monsters were frightening.

Not just their appearance, but the fact that one wrong move could cost him his life.

But with repeated exposure, his fear had greatly diminished.

Moreover, his combat abilities increased with each level, plus he had special rewards and reliable companions.

Juhyeok’s timidity stemmed from difficulties in interpersonal relationships.

The fear people gave him was fundamentally different from the fear monsters inspired.

There was no need to fathom a monster’s thoughts.

What did it matter how a monster perceived him?

He didn’t need to act while considering a monster’s feelings.

Was he going to become friends with monsters?

He didn’t have to worry about what they liked or disliked in an attempt to get close to them.

There was no need to agonize over how to phrase messages, repeatedly writing and erasing, considering special characters and emojis.

Nor did he have to wonder why the “1” notification wouldn’t disappear, or why it vanished but his message was still left on read.

Monsters were simple.

Though scary, their relationship was clear: meet and smash their heads.

Was tower climbing like socializing?

Of course not!

For these reasons, he could shake off his timidity in the tower.

He could do it.

A tough guy in the Black Tower.

To do it properly, the energy shield alone wasn’t enough.

As he climbed higher, the monsters’ attack power would increase even more. Relying solely on the shield could lead to disaster.

‘Where was that place selling shields… Ah! There it is.’

Perfect to use alongside the energy shield, with a synergistic effect.

‘It’s quite crowded today, isn’t it?’

The first time he came, there wasn’t a single customer.

Now, players were shopping for items everywhere.

‘Let’s buy quickly and go home.’

On his way to the armor shop,

Juhyeok recalled Kozak’s advice from yesterday.

-You’ll gradually find combat more enjoyable.

-Your confidence will grow.

-And the risk will increase proportionally.

Every word was true.

Yet it was truly paradoxical.

He was afraid, but he wanted to fight again.

Who would have thought?

Who could have predicted he would change like this?

His father would be shocked, and his brother’s jaw would drop.

‘I’ve really grown up,’ Juhyeok mused.

That timid wimp.

His life philosophy had been to live long and lean.

It was too late to turn back now.

Currently, Juhyeok’s mind was filled with his brief battle against the goblin assassins.

‘I want to do it again.’

He understood Kozak’s concern.

Kozak had mentioned a previous summoner.

But that summoner had died.

Kozak must have witnessed his summoner’s death firsthand.

The guilt of failing to protect his previous summoner.

A firm resolve to protect this summoner no matter what.

That’s why he overreacted to anything he perceived as dangerous.

‘I’d like to follow his advice if I could, but…’

He was sick of living timidly.

This was a chance for change.

‘Why shouldn’t I have confidence?’

Things would be different from now on.

Spreading his wings, from a wimp to a tough guy.

Yes!

Yesterday’s Juhyeok was gone.

Only today’s Juhyeok remained.

Juhyeok stood before the armor shop with confident, dignified steps.

“Welcome, Player. How may I assist you?” the shop employee greeted.

“…Pardon?”

The shop employee.

Of all people, it was a woman.

“Um, well, you see, that…” Juhyeok stammered.

“Hohoho, if you don’t know the equipment names, you can just point with your finger,” she said kindly.

“Sh-shield…”

“Oh my? Looking for a shield, are we? Shall I choose one for you?”

“…Yes, please.”

Oh, he couldn’t meet her eyes.

So much for being a tough guy.

“How about this? It’s a large rectangular shield made of orichalcum and sectonium alloy. It’s big, right? It also has a self-repair function, so you don’t need to worry about maintenance.”

“…H-how much?”

“Just 100 million won. As you know, we’re only charging for the material cost.”

“Um, it’s too heavy for me… and ex-expensive. If that’s all you have, I suppose I’ll have to…”

This was driving him crazy.

Why couldn’t he speak properly?

“Aha! This one should be suitable. It’s a round hand shield made of adamant and sectonium alloy. It’s small and light, and it also has a self-repair function.”

Oh!

This was perfect.

A circular shield, slightly over 30cm in diameter.

A small hand shield that you use by slipping one arm through the handle.

He loved it.

It matched his mace so well, they could be a set.

“…How much?”

“40 million won.”

“In-installments…”

“Of course. We can also deduct it from your magic stone sale proceeds.”

“…I’ll take it.”

“Certainly!”

The installment payment was processed through a palm recognition device.

Beep!

He finally bought it.

At last, he had a matching set.

Mace in his right hand.

Hand shield in his left.

‘It might take a while to pay off the installments, but…’

Well, he’d pay it off soon enough.

Talking to the employee was far more difficult than facing goblins.

He quickly made his way to the exit.

Time to go home.

Going home meant resting.

But at that moment!

“Hello there.”

A man approached Juhyeok.

Who was he?

“You’re a player, right? Haha, I’m a player too.”

Of course he was.

Anyone who could come here had to be either a player or a Management Office employee.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Choi Ho-seok,” the man said, extending his hand for a handshake.

Refusing would be impolite, so Juhyeok shook his hand.

“…I’m Bong Juhyeok.”

“Hahaha, so it’s Juhyeok! I come to the shop every day, but it’s my first time seeing you, so I wanted to get acquainted.”

“Ah, yes, this is my second visit.”

“I see. If you don’t mind me asking, what floor are you on? I’m currently climbing in the 30s.”

He was high-level.

“…Um, I’m in the 10s.”

“Aha, you must be new to being a player. If you have any difficulties during your conquests, feel free to ask me anything. I’ll answer whatever I can.”

What a friendly attitude.

He looked kind, with a gentle expression.

He seemed naturally extroverted.

That’s why he was so approachable even to strangers.

“Ah, I don’t have any questions yet.”

“Is that so? Well, feel free to ask anytime. I’m here often. Hahaha.”

“Yes, yes.”

“See you around!”

Ho-seok waved goodbye as he walked away.

The bold interpersonal skills of an extrovert.

Witnessing it up close was truly impressive.

‘With skills like that, he must have a girlfriend,’ Juhyeok thought enviously.

***

Since he was already out, Juhyeok decided to grab dinner before heading home.

He planned to take a break from conquering today.

He usually ate alone, so his options were limited.

Fast food joints or soup restaurants.

He stopped by a soup restaurant near his home.

He ordered a steaming bowl of pork soup, loaded it with chives, salted shrimp, red pepper paste, and perilla powder, and heartily finished it.

By the time it got dark, Juhyeok returned home.

After a quick wash,

“Status window.”

+++

[Name]: Bong Juhyeok

[Affiliation]: Black Tower (Republic of Korea)

[Level]: 19LV

[Characteristic]: Summoning (Simultaneous Summons: 2)

[Catalog]: John Kozak / Barbarian Meat Shield

[Characteristic Skills]: Designated Summon / Random Summon / Summon Release

[General Skills]: Tower Entry (1 per day) / Tower-exclusive Inventory

[Combat Skills]: Shadow Step

+++

He felt satisfied.

When had he climbed so high?

Level 19, eligible to challenge the 19th floor.

Now, time to start the persuasion process.

Juhyeok took out his mace and round hand shield from the tower-exclusive inventory, holding one in each hand.

He gave both John Kozak and Gobang 5-star ratings in the catalog list, then:

“John Kozak, designated summon.”

[John Kozak has been summoned by designation.]

“At your service! Thank you for the star rating… Oh my.”

Kozak was struck by the sight of Juhyeok, standing tall with mace and shield in hand. His eyes shone with determination.

Kozak understood even before Juhyeok spoke. 

Slumping to the floor, he whimpered:

“Sob, so you’ve finally…”

Summoner Bong’s appearance was an expression of his resolve. A demonstration of his will to give his all in the tower.

“D-do you really have to do this?” Kozak pleaded.

“I’ll be as careful as I can,” Juhyeok assured him.

“My previous summoner said the same thing,” Kozak lamented.

“Don’t worry. I’m a wimp, so I’ll give up immediately if things get tough.”

Kozak wiped his tears with the back of his hand. “Promise me. No charging ahead at the front.”

How pitiful, how heartbreaking he looked.

Juhyeok put his mace and shield back in the inventory and grasped Kozak’s hands firmly with both of his.

“…I promise.”

“If it gets difficult, sacrifice me and Gobang to escape.”

“Um, alright.”

“It’s probably better to sacrifice that bastard Gobang rather than me, if possible.”

That would depend on the situation.

“Shall we go right now?”

“No, let’s start tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll just watch TV… Huh?”

Just then!

Kozak suddenly tilted his head, his expression turning cold.

“Summoner Bong.”

“What is it?”

“Do you have anyone who holds a grudge against you?”

“A grudge? Of course not. I’ve never done anything to make enemies.”

“Someone’s outside. Overflowing with killing intent.”

Killing intent?

Who?

Suddenly!

Click, click,

The sound of the front door handle turning.

It seemed someone was trying to force it open.

“…Hide for now.”

“Yes, sir!”

Swoosh,

Kozak vanished.

Then,

Zing!

A transparent energy shield enveloped Juhyeok’s body.

Finally,

Clunk!

The door opened.

“Hello? Hehehe,” a voice called out.

“…What is this? How did you… No, how did you know where I live?”

“It took some effort to follow you.”

Juhyeok clenched his fists.

***

Choi Ho-seok, a level 33 player, was more interested in other pursuits than tower climbing. 

His self-proclaimed other occupation was an item broker.

He procured useful items and sold them to buyers.

How did he obtain these items?

By conquering the tower?

Not at all.

He stole them from those who had items.

First, he scoped out potential prey at the Player Shop.

He didn’t choose just anyone.

He picked easy targets.

The kind of losers who probably served as errand boys for school bullies.

Today, he had found a suitable mark.

The type who’d panic at the mere sight of a knife.

And what a jackpot it was.

The bracelet on the guy’s wrist.

That was definitely an item.

It looked extraordinary at first glance.

He had deliberately approached him in a friendly manner, even shaking hands.

While shaking hands, he closely examined the wrist, confirming his suspicion that it was indeed an item.

If this bracelet didn’t have the “tower-exclusive” modifier attached to it?

It would be worth a fortune.

Even if it did, it didn’t matter.

The guy had admitted to conquering floors in the 10s, so he was only in the level 10 range.

What if he were level 50 or 60?

So what?

Outside, they were just ordinary people.

So as soon as Bong Juhyeok left, Ho-seok discreetly followed him on a motorcycle.

He tailed the taxi Juhyeok took, watched him eat at a restaurant, and finally found out where he lived.

As long as he wasn’t part of the elite team, it was fine.

Harming them would lead to government pursuit.

That would be disastrous.

But this guy wasn’t.

An elite team member wouldn’t live in such a shabby place.

Seizing a moment when no one was around,

Click, he picked the lock with a master key,

Then entered with a gun he pulled from his jacket.

It wasn’t difficult to obtain firearms these days.

With a silencer attached, no one would hear if it was fired.

“Hehehe,” Ho-seok chuckled.

The guy was still wearing the bracelet.

His inventory probably contained equipment too.

First, he’d make him spill everything through torture and threats,

Then kill him afterward.

He’d dispose of the body inside the tower.

Amusingly, player corpses could be stored in the tower-exclusive inventory.

Because players belonged to the tower.

“Don’t make a sound! One peep and I’ll put a bullet in your head,” Ho-seok threatened.

Juhyeok’s eyes widened in shock.

“Take off that bracelet and open your inventory. See this gun? It has a silencer, so it won’t make much noise. If you don’t like guns, I have a knife too. I’ll fillet you like a fish.”

No!

Why did he have to say such things…

It was practically suicide.

“Make your choice. Want to try enduring torture? Or just hand over your items and live?”

Please!

Juhyeok’s hands and feet trembled.

His heart raced.

It was an extremely dangerous situation.

Him?

No way!

Not with his energy shield active.

The one in danger was this man, Ho-seok.

So,

“Mr. Ho-seok.”

“Shh! Stop the useless talk and open your inventory! And take off that bracelet.”

“…It’s not too late. If you put away the gun and leave now, you won’t die. I promise.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? Should I really put a bullet in your knee?”

Ah!

It was as good as over.

Ho-seok was already dead.

His head would be severed and adorned with a ribbon bow.

But what about the body?

What excuse would he give the police?

Just then.

Swoosh,

Something whitish obscured his vision.

‘…Huh?’

Suddenly, the gun vanished from Ho-seok’s hand.

“Wh-what?”

Ho-seok was bewildered.

Where did the gun go?

It was in his hand just now.

In that instant!

Whack!

A sharp pain exploded in the back of his head.

“Kek!”

What was that?

‘…Sh-shit, there was another one?’

He was sure the room had only contained that one guy.

His consciousness was fading.

Ho-seok collapsed forward.

Thud!

Juhyeok’s eyes widened in surprise.

What a twist!

‘He didn’t kill him?’

Swoosh, Kozak appeared.

Ah!

What a reliable assassin he was!

He had so decisively honored Juhyeok’s request not to kill.

“You did so well! That was amazing, Mr. Kozak, subduing him without killing!”

“…Yes?”

“Hahaha! Knocking him out, I really commend you. A 5-star rating is too stingy. I want to give you 50 stars, no, 500 stars!”

“Hehehe, r-really?”

Kozak quietly slipped the throat-slitting dagger and ribbon for tying bows back into his jacket, out of Juhyeok’s sight.

Originally, he had planned to knock the intruder out to avoid blood splattering in Summoner Bong’s room, then lay down plastic or newspapers before getting to work.

“I-I’ll dispose of this guy outside…” Kozak began.

“Just leave him. We can report this to the police,” Juhyeok said.

“Th-there’s no need for that. If I carry him out and leave him far away…”

“It’s fine. Reporting is the easiest way.”

Kozak glanced at the fallen Ho-seok with regretful eyes.

This bastard who dared to attempt to kill Summoner Bong.

He should be killed.

His head should be cut off and prettily decorated with a ribbon.

What a waste.

What did it matter if a little blood splattered?

He should have just killed him instead of knocking him out.