Japan had fire at its feet.

The holy sword repair press conference was a story from a distant world to them.

Floor 61 was still far away—what holy sword?

Floor 58. Barely Floor 58.

It was a floor most advanced countries could clear without much trouble.

And yet Japan had no Player who could clear it.

It was Japan’s shame.

The Kawaguchi cabinet hadn’t been wasting time either.

They had been pouring an enormous budget into training Players on a national level.

Results would come soon.

They just had to overcome the immediate crisis in front of them.

There was no choice.

They had to request temporary naturalization from America one more time.

There was precedent, so they had no doubt it would be accepted.

But—

“...W-what is that supposed to mean? A-America refused temporary naturalization?”

“T-that’s correct.”

“Are they trying to drive up the price by playing tricks?”

“It didn’t seem like that.”

Prime Minister Kawaguchi doubted their own ears.

Why would America?

It wasn’t like Japan was asking for it for free.

They had offered even better terms than before.

“What’s the reason?”

“Minister MacMillan advised that it might be better to improve relations with Korea first.”

“...What?”

“He said that up through Floor 70, they have to rent the holy sword, so from America’s perspective, they have to prioritize relations with the Korean government above all.”

Improve relations with Korea?

“Damn it!!!”

Calling it “improving relations” was just a nice way of saying: bow your head and go in.

Flatten yourself.

It meant: accept any condition Korea demanded.

“AAAAAAAGH!!! You bastard monsters!!!”

Absolutely not.

He’d rather collapse the Tower.

Even America, the country he’d trusted, had abandoned Japan.

If that was how it was, then he’d go all the way.

“From today on, every Player belonging to the Japanese cabinet—deploy them all to upper-floor climbing. No exceptions.”

“F-forcefully? If they refuse or say they’ll withdraw—”

Prime Minister Kawaguchi’s eyes were bloodshot.

“Detain them. Threaten them, frame them—whatever it takes. Until Floor 58 is cleared, they don’t leave. Even if they die, they shatter inside the Tower and go down fighting!”

Thus began the so-called Tower Die-In-Place Operation.

*****

Saudi Arabia wasn’t doing well either.

Black Tower Floor 67.

The only known information was that an undead reaper monster called the Phantom Reaper appeared.

Korea, America, Norway... there were quite a few countries preparing to clear it, but not even bodycam footage had come out yet.

But the Players who had faced Phantom Reapers knew.

They knew what a terrifying undead monster it was.

Zombies, ghouls, Specters—every undead had a dark aura wrapped around its body.

So undead always latched onto Players first.

Because the dark aura served as both a barrier and a close-range attack.

But Phantom Reapers were different.

They swung a huge scythe and fired clumps of dark aura at Players.

A ranged-type undead Phantom Reaper.

Once you got hit even once, it inflicted physical degradation like lethargy, and mental damage like inducing panic—ranged dark aura.

One hit and it was over.

The only way to block it was Radiance.

That was why even Player Gerald Watson in America had said clearing Floor 67 was impossible without the holy sword.

And Saudi Arabia’s top Player, Nasser Al Aboud, only understood after going up to Floor 67.

He couldn’t kill even a single one.

He took one hit from a clump of dark aura, retreated to a safe zone, gave up the clear, and came back out. That was all.

But now the holy sword had been perfectly repaired?

Nasser hurriedly checked the footage.

“M-my god!”

It was fantastic. Almost a rebirth.

If he protected his whole body with that brilliant Radiance, clumps of dark aura would be no different from water balloons.

Nasser rushed straight to Minister Majed.

They had to rent the holy sword. No matter what.

“Minister, we need to reserve it immediately. If I get Trait Enhancement one more time and carry the holy sword too, I’m confident even about Floor 70.”

“I’m negotiating with the Korean ADMINISTRATION right now and trying to secure a reservation.”

“Then when—”

“Korea has conditions. I’m deciding whether to accept them.”

Conditions.

“Money?”

“If it were money, it would be easy.”

“What in the world are they demanding?”

“An official apology from the Saudi government, and a Trait Enhancement Rune.”

“...What?”

Nasser’s face turned absurd.

“No. What did we do wrong?”

“Either way, it’s true you handled the holy sword roughly, isn’t it? Even knowing its durability was weak.”

“...”

To be honest, he had used too much force.

Drunk on power, he hadn’t cared about durability at all.

He’d slammed it into the ground, slammed it into rocks...

“Hm. A Trait Enhancement Rune is not happening. But if they want my apology, I’m willing. Bowing my head once isn’t hard.”

Minister Majed stared at Nasser for a moment, then spoke.

“The Korean government didn’t demand your apology.”

“I understand. They probably couldn’t assign responsibility—”

“Instead, they demanded legal punishment.”

Legal punishment?

“W-what kind of nonsense is that?”

Nasser jolted in shock. Was that even possible in the first place?

“So I’m thinking it over.”

“...Thinking it over?”

Nasser’s eyes changed.

“That’s something you think over? Without me, «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» how are you going to clear Floor 67?”

Minister Majed answered in an indifferent tone.

“There are alternatives. The next Player, Akram.”

“Ha! Akram is only Level 62... W-wait, don’t tell me?”

His mind snapped awake.

Akram. Nasser’s backup Player.

Even at Level 62, there was no problem.

If they had the holy sword, Floor 67 was quick.

“...So? Are you going to accept Korea’s demands?”

“I just said it. I’m thinking it over.”

“Thinking it over? Minister Majed, have you lost your mind? How dare you—me, Nasser—like I’m a trade piece you can deliberate over?”

Majed’s brows knit tightly. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

“You’re the one who’s lost your mind.”

“Me?”

“Do you see nothing? You’re a Player inside the Tower—outside, what can you do?”

“Uh...”

“Why? Want to rebel? Go on. Try.”

The atmosphere shifted abruptly.

For a moment, Nasser felt his skin crawl.

That’s right.

How had he forgotten?

That outside the Tower, a Player was nothing.

“M-my point wasn’t that...”

“Go home for now. You don’t need to climb the Tower today. Rest.”

“...Y-yes.”

Majed watched Nasser’s back for a moment, then picked up the phone and gave an order to someone.

“From today, add Nasser to the watch list. If he tries anything funny, arrest him immediately.”

*****

There was a country that was more ecstatic about the holy sword’s rebirth than anyone.

America.

Especially the American people.

That brilliant Radiance holy sword was a lightsaber from the sci-fi movies they loved.

A Player holding a lightsaber saves America.

How could they possibly resist that?

Minister MacMillan, Director Antonio, and Player Gerald Watson shared the joy as well.

The moment the press conference ended, the three of them hugged and shouted YES! YES!—to that extent.

“Our turn?”

“We reserved first. Both the East Coast Tower and West Coast Tower at once. Either way, getting out of the ten selected countries comes first.”

“Good. It’s a Tower we have to clear anyway—clearing a little earlier won’t cause any problems.”

The countries in the 50s had already rushed into clear preparations.

By tomorrow, countries would start escaping the ten selected countries.

“Ah! Did you notify Japan?”

“Yes. I told them directly. That we have to watch the Korean government’s mood. They understood. The cabinet will take action soon.”

Minister MacMillan wanted Japan to apologize to Korea and improve relations.

For that, Japan’s apology had to come first.

If relations between the two countries smoothed out, America was willing to support Japan through temporary naturalization.

“Prime Minister Kawaguchi won’t stubbornly dig in to the end, will he?”

“He’ll apologize. Otherwise his country’s Tower will collapse.”

“Well. I think Japan will never submit.”

“Haha. Unless they’re insane...”

“Think about the Pacific War. They took two nuclear bombs and still only surrendered begrudgingly.”

“...Hm.”

Could that really happen?

What did pride matter?

“If they come out with an attitude like they don’t care about Tower Collapse, Japan might do anything.”

MacMillan hesitated for a moment.

“Well, if that’s Japan’s choice, there’s nothing we can do... but they won’t be stupid enough to go that far.”

“Right. It’d be suicide.”

They didn’t know.

That Japan could absolutely do it.

*****

Bong Juhyeok kept staying at his family home.

That World Notice that had suddenly sounded.

His family had been extremely anxious.

Mom was one thing, but his father and Minhyuk—weak-man bloodlines—were jittering in fear.

Saying, what if something happens?

Could he do it?

The only “alpha male” in the house had to take care of his family.

So he stayed with them for about two days.

He went out to eat with them, went shopping, signed a contract for his father’s car, and took Minhyuk to the Apple Store so he could get applause.

Each time, bodyguards followed.

He told them it was fine even without security.

But it turned out the bodyguards weren’t attached to him.

They were attached to his family.

ADMINISTRATION does good work.

No need to worry.

Juhyeok returned to the penthouse.

While he’d been with his family, he hadn’t seen the summoned entities for two days.

If he summoned them at the family home, his family would be startled, and then he’d have to explain again.

It was a huge pain.

Anyway, the boss of Floor 70 had been revealed.

An intelligent monster demon—Kabalan Duke.

He remembered something the Mad Demon had said before.

A prophecy that Towers would start collapsing here and there.

A situation had come where that prophecy might be fulfilled.

Cossack had mentioned it too.

That in the late 60s, something started changing.

But he’d said he couldn’t remember.

And the Mad Demon had said he was under a restriction.

So he should summon them and ask.

That the identity of the Floor 70 boss had been revealed.

So he performed Designated Summon one by one.

“Has Demon Kabalan Duke appeared?”

“Huh?”

“Did it place the Curse of the Average again this time?”

“And in the first wave of ten selected countries, did the Commander’s country also—”

“No. Korea was excluded, but—”

“Do not worry. I will protect the summoner.”

“Eek!”

What the hell—how do they all know? Are they messing with him?

They’d said they didn’t know when he asked before.

And now?

“Inhibitions have been lifted. Thus, the memory regarding Kabalan naturally surfaced.”

“When one of Earth’s Players reaches Floor 70, the blocked information is released.”

“Classified military intel just got declassified.”

“This warrior knows now too.”

“Eee...”

Ah! That’s how it worked.

The way the restriction lifted.

When humanity learned about an unknown floor, only then would the summoned entities’ memories revive too.

“Then what about Floor 68?”

“It’s a Death Knight. Strong, but stupid.”

“And Floor 69?”

“It is a lich, an evil mage. However, it acts on instinct, having lost reason, so killing it is not difficult.”

They knew everything. Everything.

“What about Kabalan Duke? It’s an intelligent monster and even though it’s just a Copy, it cursed the whole Earth.”

“The curse was not placed by the Copy.”

“Then who?”

“Obviously, the True Body. The Copy is merely a scarecrow.”

That’s what he expected.

“If the ten countries succeed in clearing...?”

“It is only the first wave. Whether the first wave ends or not, the second wave will follow with twenty countries, then the third wave with thirty, the fourth, the fifth... there are even cases where a previously selected country is included again.”

“...Wow!”

It was a vicious curse.

You could assume every country would be targeted.

That’s why Towers were collapsing here and there.

“Korea will be safe. Guardian spirit Cossack will protect Summoner Bong’s homeland.”

What’s the point if only Korea is safe?

Other places were about to get ruined.

He’d finally made a fortune and was about to live large, but if the world ended, what would it matter?

So—

“Anyone know where Kabalan’s True Body is?”

No one.

Then—

“Who knows a way to find it? Hands up!”

Cossack slowly raised his hand.

“Oh! How do you find it?”

“We just take down the Copy. The True Body and the Copies share consciousness. It will take time, but I, Cossack—the master negotiator—can do it.”

As expected of Cossack.

But Cossack seemed to have something to say, hesitated, then spoke.

“Um—Summoner Bong.”

“What?”

“Do you really need to step in? Even just repairing the holy sword, you’ve already given so much.”

“Hm.”

Seems like Cossack was against it.

Which meant—

“Is it dangerous?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then why?”

“To take down Kabalan, we must climb Black Tower (France) Floor 70, but your level does not match.”

Juhyeok’s current level was 67.

To go up to Floor 70, his level had to be 70 as well.

“And it’s not like you can climb Black Tower (Korea) up to Floor 70, and don’t you only have two Multinational Tower Use Tickets?”

“True.”

“Even if we find the True Body, there is still a problem. We must clear the Black Tower of the country where it is hiding up to Floor 70 again...”

That was the core.

A Player could only clear the Tower of their own nationality.

Tower Use Tickets were items that could bypass that, but the quantity was insufficient.

Of course, there was a method.

Temporary naturalization.

“If I choose temporary naturalization?”

“Your identity may be exposed. This one fears your peaceful daily life may be disturbed.”

Gyeon Dallae was worried about Juhyeok’s identity being exposed through temporary naturalization.

‘That is something to think about.’

But on the other hand—

‘How long can I hide it anyway.’

Some countries already suspected he was the holy sword’s owner.

‘Temporary naturalization...’

Part of him wanted to try it once.

‘It has advantages too.’

If he cleared Black Tower (France), he could obtain a Platinum Badge.

Get benefits, give badges to the summoned entities—

‘I can’t pass that up.’

Identity exposure?

So what if it happens a little?

The time to worry about safety had already passed.

He had Heaven-and-Earth Unity Art, Blood Jade Steel Aura he could use in reality too, an energy barrier, a blink ring...

And the summoned entities?

He could call them anytime.

Even if the others were on cooldown, calling the Mad Demon would end it.

Thus, the weak man’s chest swelled grandly.

“Let’s do it right now.”

“...Huh?”

“Temporary naturalization—whatever. I’ll experience it this time.”

The moment Juhyeok decided—

“Awoo, as expected of Summoner Bong. What an alpha male. Hehehehe.”

“At the boldness of your decision, this girl can only marvel.”

“The summoner decides. Meatshield obeys.”

“CERTAIN VICTORY! Staff Sergeant Veronica Caliber will support the Commander with a burning heart!”

“Eeeeek!”

They were summoned entities who obeyed unconditionally.

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