The properly repaired holy sword was sent to the ADMINISTRATION.

The rental business would start soon.

Since the performance was more than twice as good as before, customers would swarm, money would keep flowing in steadily.

He planned to go back to the Cheongdam-dong penthouse tomorrow.

He hadn’t even been able to properly relax because of the holy sword repair.

Alright, then. The badge award ceremony.

The team’s hope, and their cheat key.

“Rajix the worker, step forward.”

“Hoh-eeng!”

He rolled forward—

Rumble-rumble-rumble—

Snap! He lifted his chin high,

Thrust! He puffed out his chest.

“Wow! So arrogant.”

“So what if he’s arrogant? The top farmhand is allowed to be.”

“Warrior also acknowledges.”

“Supply Officer’s charm is exploding.”

“Hoo-eeng!”

Was it confidence, or was it arrogance?

Of course, he could have both.

“You have faithfully performed the role of household manager and, with astonishing skill, repaired the broken holy sword, contributing to maintaining a continuous stream of income. Therefore, you are hereby awarded badges. For your reference, the badges to be awarded are two.”

Clapclapclapclapclapclapclap!

Thunderous applause.

Juhyeok took a Platinum Badge out of his Inventory and pinned it onto Rajix’s backpack.

Poke!

“Hoh-ee...”

Four were attached now.

“I’ll attach one more.”

If he attached this, the total would be five.

Poke!

And then—

Fwoooosh!

Suddenly, the five badges shone brilliantly.

“...Huh.”

Something happened.

This... could it be?

Did something trigger because it hit five? Maybe.

Even for Juhyeok, five Platinum Badges had been a condition for perks.

He’d received benefits for every set of five.

Did that formula apply to summoned entities too?

[The cumulative badges awarded to summoned entity Rajix are 5.]

[Summoned entity Rajix has received trust and recognition from the summoner.]

[Rajix’s badges have been reset.]

Fwoosh!

Pop!

In the blink of an eye, all five of Rajix’s badges vanished.

Why did they disappear? What a waste.

But the summoned entities’ expressions were calm.

As if they knew this would happen.

[One of the summoned entity’s skills will be upgraded to LSSR grade.]

[The skill to be upgraded will be chosen by the summoned entity.]

What?!

Did he hear that wrong?

So one skill would be raised to LSSR grade?

Unbelievable.

It was basically a perk.

No, but these people—

“You should’ve told me sooner!”

“Yes?”

“That awarding five badges has an effect like this.”

“T-there’s a reason for that.”

A reason, my ass. It was a skill upgrade.

To LSSR grade.

A benefit that could flip the entire landscape of clears—and they hadn’t said anything?

“Cossack, get up here right now.”

“...Yessir.”

Cossack stood up awkwardly and came in front of Juhyeok.

“We’ll skip the ceremony. I’ll just start pinning badges on you.”

Cossack only had one badge.

Ah... it brought tears to his eyes.

As a founding member, it was pathetic.

Up until now, he’d only thought of badge awards as motivation for summoned entities.

If he’d known this, he would’ve distributed badges evenly among them.

Juhyeok pulled out a whole stack of badges from his Inventory and pinned them one by one to Cossack’s chest.

One, two, three—and then four, making five.

“....”

What?

“Hm.”

Nothing changed.

“...It’s not glowing?”

“That’s because you pinned them without meaning.”

“Huh?”

Without meaning?

“Summoner Bong has to believe I’m worth giving those badges to, and I have to believe I deserve to receive them with a clear conscience. Only then do the badges have an effect.”

“Ah!”

So that was it.

“That’s why we didn’t tell you from the start. If you knew ahead of time, the standards for giving badges would get shaky. The standards have to be clear. For Summoner Bong, and for us.”

He understood.

The situation had to match.

When the will to give and the will to receive became one, only then did the meaning of five badges occur.

“It’s hard. I’ve always been grateful, so I want to just pin however many I can.”

Gyeon Dallae bowed so deeply she looked like she might take off.

“Your heart, vast as the sea—this girl is overwhelmed. However, aside from the top farmhand, the remaining farmhands have achieved no worthy merit, and thus do not receive your grace.”

Veronica said as well—

“That is correct, Commander. If I receive decorations through false merit, it is not honor—it is disgrace. I will work harder. CERTAIN VICTORY!”

Meatshield, too—

“Warrior also tries. Then warrior will receive badge proudly.”

There was no helping it.

They were human, too.

Each with firm standards.

It felt like a raising simulation game.

He’d have to raise them well somehow.

He should praise them even if they only twitched a finger.

Cossack really... did he put oil on his lips? How could he talk this well?

Princess Gyeon Dallae... just existing felt like strength for him.

Staff Sergeant Veronica... she was just good to look at.

Meatshield always felt like a reliable big brother.

If he kept doing this, wouldn’t the standards for awarding Platinum Badges drop a lot?

Still—

Which skill had Rajix upgraded?

“Hoh-ee. Search.”

“Oh!”

“I’ll find more, hoh-ee.”

So admirable.

Rune fragments and ticket fragments would start pouring out.

Anyway, they’d need a lot of badges going forward.

Was there anywhere to get a new supply?

But the day they could climb an uncleared Tower again was still far off.

And they didn’t have many multinational Tower use tickets left, either.

No content. No content at all.

Clearing the Tower was great, but it was annoying how it was one pattern.

Shouldn’t it change a little?

Was this what a max-level veteran felt like?

*****

The relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia was extremely close.

They had a mutual defense treaty, a military alliance, and active exchanges between politicians.

American support of light-attribute items had also played a major role in letting Player Nasser Al Aboud climb the sixties.

So obtaining Nasser’s Floor 66 bodycam footage wasn’t that difficult.

Of course, they did it unofficially—secretly.

Minister MacMillan and Director Antonio watched it first.

First-person bodycam footage.

You could see the hand holding the holy sword.

And he swung the holy sword like an axe—

CRUNCH! CHOPCHOP! WHAMWHAMWHAM! WHAMWHAM!

The holy sword’s blade split a Specter’s torso, and still had so much force left that it dug into the ground.

CHOP! CHOP! CHOP!

Dust and stone fragments flew everywhere.

The blade of the holy sword trembled, ringing as if it were vibrating.

“He’s insane.”

“He’s the one who went around with his mouth, calling himself some brave Arab warrior. Honestly, we didn’t even need to see it.”

“Stupid bastard. Borrowing the holy sword, and he has no consideration for the people after him. This is why I hate macho types.”

“What should we do? We can’t just leave it alone.”

MacMillan thought for a moment, then—

“Leak it on YouTube.”

“On an official U.S. government channel?”

“Is something wrong with your brain? Ask a question worth asking.”

“Hahaha. I was just asking. We’ll say a hacker group that loves freedom and peace hacked the Saudi government network and uploaded it.”

And so, the bodycam video was suddenly released on YouTube.

Under the title: <The Madness of Saudi Player Nasser Gone Completely Insane>

Of course people ignited.

—I knew it.

—He applied axe-only skills to a sword?

—Fuck, that executioner bastard.

—And he pretends to be an alpha male? What a pathetic weak man.

—Isn’t there a way to really screw him over?

—Floor 67 is gonna be doomed, I bet. Saudi Tower, just collapse already.

—Six months left. How are we supposed to wait?

—Hey, without the holy sword, we’re in the same boat.

—Right. Timing-wise, Saudi’s Black Tower will probably collapse last.

—Goddamn it!

Saudi Arabia didn’t stay still, either.

On their national TV news, a Saudi royal and the minister of the Tower climbing management department, Majed, appeared in a special segment.

“We have done nothing wrong. From the beginning, it was a holy sword with insufficient durability. Fatigue had been accumulating. Player Nasser is not a perpetrator—he is an unfairly accused victim.”

“Saudi paid Korea an enormous rental fee. And the return was already complete. You took ten million dollars, and now you’re saying it’s damaged so we’re responsible?”

“Rather, we want to ask Korea. Do you even intend to repair the holy sword? If you lack the technology and capability, seek help. Saudi is also willing to assist with full sincerity.”

He argued shamelessly.

It didn’t look like he had any intention of apologizing, let alone compensating.

From Saudi’s perspective, he had to.

If he apologized, it would be admitting fault.

Majed’s interview was like pouring oil on a burning house.

The entire world condemned Saudi Arabia.

And then, out of nowhere, a country stepped up to support Saudi Arabia.

Japan.

Japan’s Prime Minister Kawaguchi appeared on TV to deliver a statement.

“Japan supports Saudi’s position. The two nations have signed a mutual Tower Collapse defense treaty. Through smooth temporary naturalization and Tower materials support, Japan and Saudi will move forward toward the future.”

And then, directed at Korea—

“The holy sword is a global public good. Therefore, we make an official request. If you cannot repair the holy sword, hand it over. Japan will fix it. We have sufficient technological capability to restore the holy sword.”

They latched onto each other.

Saudi and Japan.

*****

Korea’s TOWER PLAYER AWAKENING ADMINISTRATION watched Saudi Minister Majed’s interview.

And Japan Prime Minister Kawaguchi’s statement, too.

But they didn’t get angry.

Commissioner Park Kyungsoo even wore a gentle smile.

“Cute.”

“...Them?”

“Don’t judge by appearances. What they’re doing is cute.”

Jeon Gwangil agreed.

Repair it for them?

Not even worth replying.

It felt so trivial.

It was cute, even.

Besides—did those bastards even know what Player Bong could do?

“When should we reveal the repaired holy sword?”

“There’s no hurry. Take it slow. If you want to drink refreshing soda, you have to swallow dry sweet potatoes first.”

“A lot of people are going to feel like they’re choking.”

“What can you do? If you drink plain soda without anything else, it just stings your throat.”

Commissioner Park Kyungsoo had actually experienced that before.

Back then, because of the incident where Korea’s top Player ran off and naturalized overnight, he suffered through hearings—then pulled off a reversal and survived at the last second.

How could he forget that thrill?

“It’s a shame Saudi’s next Tower clear time limit still has six months left.”

“I’m more disappointed Japan is still in the fifties.”

“If only the clear time limits would shrink drastically. Ah—except for us.”

“Words have power. If you go around saying that, you’ll be in trouble.”

“I’m just thinking. Just thinking. That can’t happen.”

Words have power.

The old sayings aren’t wrong.

*****

France’s Player Guillaume Loiret made his decision.

He would carry out what he’d been thinking.

France—his homeland.

But he resented it.

France’s government bore a huge share of responsibility for driving him this far.

They had always forced him.

It was no different from deliberate gaslighting.

Stop France’s Black Tower Collapse and save France, they said.

Then who saves me?

His wife, who had always soothed him, died of cancer.

She wasn’t saved, either.

Or... was she saved?

Yeah.

The answer had already been decided.

His wife was saved.

And for him, death was salvation, too.

Let’s go together.

Dying alone wasn’t enough.

He would take the France he loved with him.

SPOT!

[Entering Black Tower (France) Floor 65.]

[Your physical abilities have been enhanced to match your level.]

[Trait and combat skill use is available.]

Floor 65.

He could die here.

If he did, would France’s Black Tower collapse?

Not a chance.

The United States, Norway, or Korea could just temporarily naturalize a Player who could clear Floor 65 and clear it.

Even if he disappeared, the chances of France’s Black Tower collapsing were extremely low.

He couldn’t let it stay that way.

France had to collapse.

So that no one could touch it.

Until the Tower collapsed, and collapsed again, until French territory was mangled beyond recognition.

Guillaume pulled out an item he’d kept hidden in his Inventory.

A Tower reward item he’d received while clearing Floor 62.

<Tower Jumping Ticket (Up to 5 LV, Up to 5 Floors)>

Effect: Skips up to 5 Tower floors. Your level rises along with it. Skipped floors are recognized as successful clears.

If he went up five floors from Floor 65, that was Floor 70.

Who would dare clear Floor 70?

With this, France’s fate was decided.

Guillaume tore the Tower Jumping Ticket without hesitation.

RRRIP!

[You have used a Tower Jumping Ticket.]

[State the number of floors you wish to jump.]

“Five. I’m skipping five floors.”

[Tower Jumping begins.]

SPOT!

[Global Notice: Black Tower (France) Floor «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» 65 has been cleared.]

[Global Notice: Black Tower (France) Floor 66 has been cleared.]

[Global Notice: Black Tower (France) Floor 67 has been cleared.]

[Global Notice: Black Tower (France) Floor 68 has been cleared.]

[Global Notice: Black Tower (France) Floor 69 has been cleared.]

And finally—

[Entering Black Tower (France) Floor 70.]

And so, Guillaume Loiret became the first in the world to reach Floor 70.

The background was a dark forest.

And a road stretching straight ahead.

Now, let’s go die.

To what he guessed was the final boss monster of the undead section—Floor 70’s boss.

[Floor 70 Mission: Kill High-Ranking Demon Kabalan Duke (Copy).]

[Time Limit: within 20 hours.]

[Clear Condition: High-Ranking Demon Kabalan Duke (Copy) 0/1]

A demon?

And what was this “copy” thing?

He didn’t need to know.

He came to die. Who killed him—what did it matter?

Guillaume kept walking along the road.

Then a huge mansion appeared ahead.

The door into the mansion was closed, and—

Creeeak.

Guillaume opened the door.

A long red carpet laid out inside.

At the end of the carpet was a tall dais and a chair.

And on the chair—

“Welcome.”

“W-what...?”

The monster... spoke?

And in French.

“You climbed with a trick. You skipped five floors.”

That was when—slither.

“Hng!”

Guillaume’s body moved on its own.

Floating in the air, he was dragged toward the chair.

Clench!

Demon Kabalan Duke grabbed Guillaume by the throat.

But Guillaume didn’t resist.

He only stared at Kabalan with empty eyes.

“Did you come to die?”

“...”

“You’ve lived a hard life. I’ll grant your wish—after I observe the world through you first.”

And then—

Ding!

A message rang out.

[World Notice: Humanity encounters an intelligent demon monster for the first time.]

[World Notice: High-Ranking Demon Kabalan Duke (Copy) observes the world.]

“So sluggish.”

Sluggish—Tower climbing?

“I’ll help you.”

[World Notice: High-Ranking Demon Kabalan Duke (Copy) has placed the ‘Curse of the Average’ on the world’s Black Towers.]

A World Notice.

Delivered to everyone living on Earth.

To Players as System messages, and to ordinary people as a telepathic broadcast translated into each nation’s language.

[World Notice: The average floor of Earth’s Black Towers is fixed at Floor 70. Rapid Tower climbing is required to reach the average.]

[World Notice: Ten countries will be selected in the first wave. Selection method is random.]

The messages continued.

[World Notice: The clear time limit of Black Tower (Republic of South Africa) is gradually decreasing.]

[World Notice: The clear time limit of Black Tower (Mexico) is gradually decreasing.]

[World Notice: The clear time limit of Black Tower (Saudi Arabia) is gradually decreasing.]

[World Notice: The clear time limit of Black Tower (America/USA) is gradually decreasing.]

[World Notice: The clear time limit of Black Tower (Japan) is gradually decreasing.]

Ten countries announced.

And finally—

[World Notice: The Curse of the Average will be lifted only when global Tower climbing reaches an average of Floor 70, or when High-Ranking Demon Kabalan Duke (True Body) is cleared.]

Then Kabalan Duke spoke to Guillaume.

“Now I’ll fulfill your wish.”

CRACK!

Guillaume’s neck snapped.

“I will send your corpse outside. It is my kindness to you.”

SPOT!

And just like that, Guillaume’s corpse vanished from the Tower.

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