WSGCT Chapter 29

Juhyeok was on the phone with Deputy Chief Jeon Kwang-il.

“Belated congratulations on conquering floor 63.”

• Hahaha, thank you. It’s all thanks to Player Bong.

“Not at all, it’s because Player Nam Ga-eun performed so well. Her talent is clearly superior to Player Yoo Cheol-min’s, isn’t it?”

• She’s always been that way. We were blind to it, giving that bastard all the enhancement runes and everything else, which prevented her from shining. Of course, she can’t compare to Player Bong.

“Speaking of Yoo Cheol-min, did he also live in our officetel?”

• No. He lived in △△ Apartments in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul. The top floor penthouse.

Juhyeok had seen it in passing.

A 30-story building with a single tower.

Home to top-tier celebrities, third-generation chaebol heirs, and IT company CEOs.

“Cheongdam-dong △△ Apartments, top floor penthouse. Wow! He lived in a nice place. Hard to believe he naturalized to Japan after enjoying such benefits.”

• Just thinking about that bastard still makes my blood boil.

“He must have left everything behind in his apartment when he fled in a hurry.”

• Yes, he only took valuables. It was so chaotic we haven’t even cleared it out yet. If you’re interested in the apartment…

“Oh no, I’m perfectly content with my officetel.”

Juhyeok chatted about this and that with Jeon Kwang-il before ending the call.

“You heard where it is, right?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Go and bring back a few items he used. Things that won’t be noticed if they disappear.”

“How about something like a remote control? It should have plenty of his hand oils on it.”

“That would work.”

“I’m moving out!”

Whoosh…

Assassin Kozak disappeared with his stealth invisibility.

The door will be locked, but can he open it?

If not, he’ll probably just cut through the steel door.

After sending Kozak off, Juhyeok prepared to go out as well.

When he went down to the first floor, an employee came out from the security office.

“Player Bong Juhyeok, are you going out?”

“Yes, I’m heading to my family home.”

“I’ll prepare a car for you.”

“Thank you as always.”

“Hahaha, it’s nothing. That’s our job.”

Juhyeok’s new family home.

The new apartment he received as part of his Elite Team contract.

While it wasn’t anywhere near Yoo Cheol-min’s penthouse, it was worlds apart from where he used to live.

His family had finished moving in.

Juhyeok entered using the passcode he had been given.

“Wow! Nice place. Hmm, that new house smell.”

His mother, Hong Geum-ja, greeted him.

“Welcome. Have you eaten?”

“No. I came to eat here.”

“Good, sit down. I’ll prepare something quickly.”

His father, Bong Soo-cheol, was home too.

He had temporarily checked out of the hospital upon hearing Juhyeok was coming.

“Dad, how’s your health?”

“I’m just putting on some weight. My bones have almost healed. I think I can be discharged soon.”

“Hehe, and who do you think is responsible for that? It’s all thanks to having a good son.”

Suddenly!

His father and mother’s expressions darkened.

“…What’s wrong? Did something bad happen?”

“What bad thing? We’re just thrilled to be living in luxury while sending our son into death’s jaws.”

“Come on, I’m perfectly fine! I’m being incredibly cautious during my climbs.”

It was true.

When he tried to hunt monsters, Kozak would grimace, and Gyeon Dallae would cry.

Even yesterday, he couldn’t touch a single hair on a troll’s head.

“Don’t you know me, Dad? At the slightest hint of danger, I immediately back off.”

“Well, you do take after me in that regard.”

“With a tiny bit of Mom’s genes mixed in too, right?”

“Is that something to be proud of?”

“Yes.”

Suddenly!

BANG!

The door burst open as his blood relative barged in.

“I heard my brother’s here! Where is he? Hyung!”

“Stop bouncing around like a puppy.”

“Oh! You’re eating. Anyway, you’re part of the Elite Team, right?”

“That’s right.”

“So have you seen Player Nam Ga-eun’s face?”

“I have.”

I even hugged her, you fool.

“Can you get me just one autograph? I’d like a photo with her too, but that’s probably asking too much.”

“An autograph?”

“What? Can’t you? I guess you’re not that close. Of course, someone like you probably hasn’t even exchanged words with Player Nam Ga-eun.”

This little…

“Bring me some paper.”

“Here.”

Juhyeok flamboyantly signed his name on the paper.

“…What are you doing?”

“My signature.”

“You’re wasting paper.”

“Just hold onto it. Who knows? I might become more famous than Player Nam Ga-eun.”

“Bro, are you serious?”

“Yep.”

What a fool.

Why can’t he see the truth?

“Should I give one to Dad too?”

“You can keep that trash.”

Mom also shook her head.

What? It’s your son’s autograph!

This is truly disappointing.

“…Fine. I’ll get you Player Nam Ga-eun’s autograph. How many do you need?”

In response,

“I want one too.”

Dad added,

“Son, I need 10, no, make it 20.”

Mom too,

Sigh

They all have no idea.

Just how amazing their son, the alpha male Bong Juhyeok, really is.

A man who achieved S++ conquests on 30 consecutive floors.

But what can I do?

I can’t even reveal it.

I’ll just get them those autographs.

Still, I’m happy seeing my family living well.

The shackles of poverty have vanished far, far away.

I should pick a day to really show them what luxury means.

※ ※ ※

After spending time at the family home, Juhyeok returned to his officetel.

As he opened the door with a click, Kozak, who had been watching TV, jumped to his feet.

“Young master! You’ve returned?”

“Yes, did you finish already?”

“Mission accomplished!”

“Oh! How did you open the door?”

“It was open. There were police inside.”

“You weren’t caught, right?”

“Who do you think I am? I’m a Summoned being! A summoned being!”

As expected of summoned being Kozak.

Juhyeok accepted Yoo Cheol-min’s everyday items from Kozak and said:

“I’m sorry, but you’ll need to return early today. I have something else to do.”

“Yes, sir.”

After dismissing Kozak with unsummon, he opened his status window to check the catalog.

[Catalog]: John Kozak/ Barbaric Meat Shield/ Gyeon Dallae

After giving all three of them 5-star ratings,

“Designated summon: Gyeon Dallae.”

[Gyeon Dallae has been summoned by designation.]

“Young Master, to give me so many stars… I am overwhelmed by your kindness and don’t know how I could ever repay such grace.”

Gyeon Dallae approached with graceful steps and bowed as if about to float away.

Tomorrow was scheduled for the 31st floor conquest.

The mission: to hunt a monster called a Minotaur.

It was a large monster section.

A new monster.

Half-human, half-bull, a bipedal bull-headed beast.

It supposedly carried a massive axe.

I want to face it.

It’s been a long time since I’ve used Shadow Step.

I might forget how to use it at this rate.

Now my persuasion target wasn’t Kozak.

It was Gyeon Dallae. I needed to convince her.

Though she’s female, she’s still a summon.

So there’s not much pressure.

I’ve studied and practiced a lot.

Let’s exploit her weaknesses strategically.

First, establishing the necessity of hunting monsters:

“Ahem, Princess Gyeon Dallae.”

“Speak, Young Master Bong.”

“As a man, even if I cannot achieve the grand goal of governing the country and bringing peace to the world, I certainly cannot show fear before mere monsters, can I?”

“Not at all! How could you say such a thing? Young Master Bong is certainly a noble gentleman capable of governing the nation and bringing peace to the world.”

“What kind of gentleman can’t even hunt a single monster?”

“…”

Gyeon Dallae was speechless.

Though she’s a princess, she’s still young.

How could I call myself an alpha male if I can’t persuade a high school student?

So, with a deliberately dejected expression:

“I have skills, defensive items, and increased levels, yet how can it be that I cannot face a single monster?”

“Th-that’s not it…”

“I couldn’t even refute if someone called me a coward.”

“…How could you say such things? This maiden’s heart is torn into a thousand, ten thousand pieces.”

This is going well.

Next, the temptation strategy:

“…The ice cream was delicious, wasn’t it?”

“Pardon?”

Gyeon Dallae’s expression showed she didn’t understand the sudden question.

“I know a place that sells ice cream with thirty different flavors.”

“Th-thirty flavors?”

“Strawberry, chocolate, cherry, cheese, yogurt, mint… Whew! There are too many to remember.”

Gyeon Dallae gulped.

“You’ve never tried macarons, have you? They’re Western confections, chewy and really sweet. And what about cake? The soft cream is just…”

Gyeon Dallae was, after all, a maiden at heart.

She stared blankly at Juhyeok’s lips as he spoke.

Indeed, desserts are better than hot soup rice to entice a young girl.

“I’ll just hunt five of them. I’ll maintain my dignity as a gentleman, and you’ll get to enjoy all the desserts I mentioned…”

Gyeon Dallae hesitated, her lips parting and closing.

Then:

“W-well, just one…”

“Let’s make it three! Nice and clean!”

“…I’m worried you might be in danger…”

“We have Kozak and Gobang too. Plus your drum and bell sounds.”

“…”

Is she giving in?

“Very well. I shall follow Young Master’s wishes.”

“It’s a promise.”

“This maiden always keeps her promises.”

She’s convinced.

“I always keep my promises too. I brought what I mentioned earlier. Items that Yoo Cheol-min used.”

Instantly, Gyeon Dallae’s eyes turned cold.

“You speak of that Japanese dog?”

“Yes.”

Juhyeok handed her a plastic bag containing Yoo Cheol-min’s everyday items.

“Please wait a moment. This will be finished shortly.”

“Take your time. No rush.”

Gyeon Dallae suddenly pulled out a small silver knife from her sleeve and cut her finger.

“Gasp!”

Doesn’t that hurt?

Crimson blood dripped from her hand.

“Oh my, Princess! I thought you said there would be no harm to you?”

How painful must it be?

Flustered, he took out a bandage from the medicine box to put on her cut.

“I am fine. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

Then, with her other hand, she took the remote control from the bag.

Swish, swish, swish, swish!

Mysterious symbols and marks were inscribed with blood on the plastic surface.

She filled it densely with drawings.

After a moment,

The symbols and marks began to emit a red light.

“It is done.”

“…That was simpler than I expected. Except for the blood part.”

“How could sending out karma compare to sending out flesh? We are merely entrusting judgment to the heavens.”

“Ah!”

“If his sin is light, he will face minor misfortune; if his sin is heavy, great calamity will befall him.”

Fighting, Yoo Cheol-min!

I pray your sins aren’t too severe.

Now, on to conquering the 31st floor.

Let’s take it slow.

Tank, DPS, Buffer, a three-person system.

We can safely reach the 40th floor.

There’s no need to use the Skill Cooldown Reset Ticket right away.

We’re going to climb slowly anyway.

No rush.

If it were urgent, I’d use it immediately.

From the 41st floor onward?

When the cooldown is ready, I’ll summon one more.

If the new summon doesn’t meet expectations, I’ll use the ticket to summon again.

That should work.

‘Hah! A perfect plan.’

If a trait enhancement appears in the meantime, that would be the icing on the cake.

I hear there are trait enhancement runes too. I wonder where I could find them?

※ ※ ※

At a major Japanese broadcasting station.

Yoo Cheol-min appeared as a guest on a special program.

With his naturalization and status as Japan’s top player, ratings were soaring through the roof.

Announcers fluent in Korean and interpreters were all mobilized.

“Ryu-san, thank you for joining us for this interview.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

After the customary greetings:

“I understand you plan to conquer the 57th floor today?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I believe there’s still plenty of time left in the conquest period.”

“Hahaha, that’s right. There would be no problem even if I took my time, but,”

Looking skillfully at the camera:

“I wanted to encourage our citizens who might be disheartened by recent unfortunate incidents.”

As his words were interpreted in real-time:

“Amazing! I’m proud to be a fellow Japanese citizen.”

“Don’t worry. Japan is safe. As long as I’m here, the tower will never collapse.”

“I’m deeply moved. So when and where do you plan to make your conquest?”

“There’s no need to drag this out. I’ll go right now, from here.”

“Oh!”

This broadcast was planned by Prime Minister Kawaguchi’s cabinet.

Yoo Cheol-min’s need for recognition aligned perfectly with the cabinet’s desire to boost approval ratings.

That’s why they planned to broadcast the entire conquest process live—from tower entry to exit, including the body-cam footage afterward.

A program planned for 10 hours of live broadcasting.

While Yoo Cheol-min conquered the 57th floor, singers and entertainers would perform until his conquest was complete.

They would also show highlight videos of his successful conquest of the Korean Black Tower’s 57th floor when he was still Korean.

When Yoo Cheol-min conquered the Korean Black Tower’s 57th floor, his conquest time was about 8 hours.

With his increased level, it should be much faster now.

5 hours should be sufficient.

Although they couldn’t watch the conquest footage in real-time, as soon as he exited the tower, they would immediately broadcast his body-cam footage throughout Japan.

Kawaguchi’s cabinet, with its declining approval ratings, would experience a miraculous recovery thanks to this show.

It was truly the perfect plan.

“I’ll be going now.”

As soon as he spoke, the audience, announcers, panelists, and staff all erupted in applause and cheers.

A satisfied smile spread across Yoo Cheol-min’s face.

‘Yes, this is it.’

It had been so long since he’d experienced such adulation.

Recently, Koreans had been flooding his SNS accounts with all kinds of mockery and malicious comments.

But there had been good times in Korea too.

When he joined the Elite Team and climbed the tower faster than anyone else, Korean citizens had cheered for him as well.

He was treated like a hero, receiving a salary he never thought he’d touch in his lifetime, a spacious apartment with a Han River view, a nice car, and even immunity privileges.

The Management Office stepped in to cover up his hit-and-run drunk driving incident, and when he was arrested for assault after punching a hostess who refused to go to a second venue, lawyers hired by the Management Office handled it.

He had committed numerous other minor crimes, but none even made it onto his record.

Those were good times.

If there had been even a slight possibility of conquering the 66th floor, he would never have naturalized.

Well, it’s the same here.

When contracting with Japan, he explicitly included immunity and exemption from arrest for crimes.

‘Shall I enter now?’

But just then.

‘Huh?’

Yoo Cheol-min tilted his head quizzically.

He felt strange.

His hands were tingling, and he had a slight headache.

‘Am I not in good condition?’

I’ll rest well after I return.

The 57th floor?

What’s so difficult about it?

The question is how much time I can cut down.

I just need to get it done quickly.

It’s a floor I succeeded in conquering at level 57.

Through numerous repetitive missions, I’ve mastered all the patterns.

Now I’m level 66.

When entering the tower, physical abilities are adjusted according to level, not the floor.

How could I possibly fail a mission nine floors below my level!

Swoop!

It was a live broadcast.

In an instant, Yoo Cheol-min disappeared from the TV screen.

As soon as he vanished, the announcer spoke:

“To all Japanese citizens watching, please send your energy to support Ryu-san.”

Japanese singers came out to perform, cheering “Gambare, Ryu-san!” between songs.

Footage of Yoo Cheol-min’s previous achievements played intermittently.

After about an hour had passed…

Suddenly!

WHOOSH!

A gathering of light appeared on the broadcasting station’s set.

Could it be?

Only an hour had passed, yet the conquest was already successful?

POP!

Yoo Cheol-min reappeared, seemingly having exited the tower.

But something seemed off.

Yoo Cheol-min’s face was clearly filled with dismay.

The announcer rushed over:

“Ryu-san, …the conquest?”

Yoo Cheol-min heaved a deep sigh,

Then took out a healing potion from his inventory and gulped it down.

“It must have been quite a difficult battle.”

“…Fuck!”

“Eh?”

Yoo Cheol-min turned around and walked off the set without another word.

“Ryu-san! Ryu-san! Where are you going?”

He didn’t respond.

The broadcast was eventually suspended.

Instead, an animation began playing on the TV screen.

And a few hours later,

Breaking news began to spread throughout Japan:

<Player Yoo Cheol-min Fails to Conquer Japan’s Black Tower 57th Floor.>