<Tower of the Korean Man: Strategy Guide 11>
Not just one or two—no, three.
It all begins on the 16th floor.
[Entering the 16th floor of Korea’s Black Tower.]
[Physical abilities have been enhanced to match your level.]
[Traits and combat skills are now unlocked.]
An even greater boost to physical prowess.
Cossack stepped forward to receive the mission.
Juhyeok trailed behind.
But then—
“Gobang! Why aren’t you following?”
The barbarian Gobang remained motionless, ignoring Cossack’s words.
He didn’t even glance his way.
Gobang simply stared fixedly at Juhyeok.
Definitely stubborn.
And he clearly knew whose orders to heed.
“Follow me, Gobang.”
“Understood. Gobang pledges absolute obedience to the summoner.”
Only then did the barbarian warrior Gobang fall in line.
From now on, I’d have to issue direct commands.
Annoying, but necessary.
[16th Floor Mission: Eliminate 30 Goblin Scouts.]
[Time Limit: 5 hours.]
[Completion Requirement: Goblin Scouts 0/30]
[Failure Conditions: Death or mission abandonment]
The forest erupted into chaos the moment the mission appeared.
Rustle. Rustle.
Something stirred in the shadows.
“Summoner Bong, activate your energy shield! Prepare to use Shadow Step at once!”
“Got it.”
Right then—
“Kek!”
“Keeeek!”
Goblin scouts materialized from nowhere.
Ambushed—their numbers overwhelming.
There must be well over fifty.
Thwip! Thwip-thwip!
Jet-black needles rained down on the trio.
Front, rear, ground, treetops—attacks came from all directions.
“Evade!”
Tak! Tak-tak!
“I’ll cover you!”
Cossack parried poison needles aimed at Juhyeok with his dagger before lunging into the forest.
But then—
“Huh?”
The barbarian warrior stood rooted, peppered with needles.
They barely even lodged in his flesh.
A single shake sent the needles clattering to the ground.
“Gobang? Stop tanking hits and clear them out!”
Instantly—
The barbarian’s eyes blazed like a wild beast’s.
“Orders received. Annihilate all. Kill human assassin too.”
“Except Cossack.”
“Assassin excluded.”
A high-maintenance summons.
Yet—
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom!
“Groooaaaaah!!!”
Gobang’s roar shook the battlefield.
Goblin needles ricocheted off his dense hide.
Snap!
A scout’s skull vanished into his colossal grip—
Crunch!
Squelch!
—reduced to pulp in an instant.
“...What the hell?”
That inhuman crushing strength—
Was he even human?
Cossack danced between needles, severing goblin throats, while Gobang eschewed all finesse.
Needles? Arrows? Irrelevant.
He rampaged forth, skulls exploding under his palms—
Crunch! Splat! Crack!
—or seized legs to swing like flails.
Whoosh! Thud! Thud-thud-thud!
Pure, brutal dominance.
Amid the carnage, Gobang glanced at Juhyeok with childlike expectancy: How’d I do?
“Good work, Gobang!”
“Summoner praised me. Better than assassin.”
And he wasn’t wrong.
At least when it comes to combat.
"That barbarian warrior is only Rare grade?"
He should at least be SR, if not SSR.
"Maybe he’s Rare because he’s dumb."
That must be it.
Being stupid is a massive flaw.
The barbarian dominated the battlefield.
Goblins flew through the air—not because they had wings, but because the barbarian warrior was hurling them.
Even ancient trees were uprooted and sent flying.
Boulders the size of houses soared through the sky.
Goblins who failed to dodge were crushed one after another.
Cossack almost got squashed by a boulder too.
"Hey, you damn—!"
Nice throw, man.
The barbarian warrior tanked every poison needle from the goblin scouts with his bare skin.
With the aggro drawn, Cossack’s attacks grew fiercer.
Juhyeok pulled a mace from his inventory.
His energy shield was already active.
Ting! Tingtingting! Needles clattered harmlessly against the barrier.
"...Whoa! What if I didn’t have this shield?"
Sweet.
"Guess we’re field-testing the energy shield here."
The special rewards are definitely worth it.
No wonder I’m clinging to this Platinum Badge.
"What about my skill?"
I’ve only practiced alone—how’ll it work in real combat?
"Let’s try it."
Juhyeok stepped forward.
"Shadow Step."
Swish! He vanished instantly.
Only an afterimage remained.
Poison needles pierced the shadow and harmlessly passed through.
Pipipipit!
Swish! Swaaash!
"This is insane."
Is there any better escape skill than this?
No wonder Cossack told me to learn this first.
I’m getting the hang of it.
To the point where the needles don’t scare me anymore.
The scouts concentrated their fire on Juhyeok, but—
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish...
They were utterly outplayed by his speed and deceptive afterimages.
"This is fun!"
Way better than I thought!
"Do I actually have talent for this?"
No way!
That’s ridiculous.
Finally,
[System Alert: You have achieved an S++ clearance rating for Floor 16 of the Black Tower (Korea).]
[Reward: Platinum Badge granted.]
Two’s better than one—or is it three?
Hannam-dong, Seoul.
Chief Park Kyung-soo and Team Leader Jeon Gwang-il sipped tea while discussing Player Bong Juhyeok, the S++ record holder.
They’d even supplied him with gear at a bargain.
"Phew, glad that’s settled. Is Player Bong satisfied?"
"Seems so. He notified us he’ll attempt Floor 16 tonight."
"Really? Good."
I hope he starts soon—and sets a new record.
"Should we maintain Player Bong’s current affiliation? Or keep feigning ignorance?"
"Feigning ignorance is best."
"Why?"
"First, it conceals the S++ record holder’s existence. Second, it suits Player Bong’s personality."
"Hmm. Logical."
"We’ll monitor him and intervene when necessary, like we did this time."
Chief Park nodded, though privately baffled.
They’d offered countless benefits, yet Juhyeok hadn’t blinked.
"Let’s call it a day. You staying?"
"I’ll monitor Player Bong’s Floor 16 attempt before leaving."
"Think he’ll succeed? Floor 16’s brutal."
"…We’ll see."
Right at that moment!
Knock, knock.
The door to the director’s office opened, and in walked Lee Min-ah—a player and the section chief of the management department.
“Oh, Section Chief Lee! What brings you here?”
“I-it just came through.”
“What…? Oh! You don’t mean—?”
“Yes. The S++ clear record for the Tower’s 16th floor.”
He chuckled. “Just because I gave him a discount on some gear, he cleared it that fast?”
“Sixteen consecutive S++ clears… Is that even possible?”
Section Chief Lee Min-ah replied, “It’s like a baseball pitcher throwing 16 perfect games in a row.”
“That’s insane.”
This wasn’t a time for unguarded celebration. At this rate, neighboring countries wouldn’t stay idle.
“Lock down this information. Monitor China and Japan’s movements closely.”
“Understood.”
Building trust remained crucial.
“Assemble a dedicated team. Include Player Bong and his family in the support program.”
Rewarding his family as well as him? That could amplify their leverage.
“But keep it subtle.”
“…If we’re too subtle, how will they know it’s us?”
“Player Bong will figure it out. He’s cautious, not clueless.”
“I’ll oversee this personally.”
Director Park Kyung-soo now had a mission: before his term ended, he would get Player Bong Joo-hyuk into the elite team.
※ ※ ※
Korea’s Tower record stood at the 65th floor—a global second-place tie with Norway and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, China and Japan lagged far behind in East Asia.
Information about each floor was publicly shared worldwide, making it easy to learn objectives and mechanics. The real challenge was securing elite players. A nation’s fate hinged on them, sparking fierce recruitment wars. Talented players were guarded like national treasures.
Yoo Cheol-min, who’d solo-cleared Korea’s Black Tower to the 65th floor and now challenged the 66th, was a global target. Japan and China relentlessly pursued Korean players—a silent war. If Yoo switched nationalities, his new country would instantly gain access up to the 65th floor.
China’s massive population meant more players, yet their progress stalled at the 58th floor, with the 59th still unconquered. Korea’s 65th-floor dominance was stark by comparison. China had tried everything: hero titles, lavish rewards, mass production of magic stones fueling their economy. But Tower progress remained stagnant.
With Shanghai’s Black Tower deadline just two months away, failure risked triggering a collapse countdown. Inaction wasn’t an option. Aggressive measures were needed—like naturalization policies to poach top talent. But where to find them?
It's Korea, the neighboring country.
There’s no shortage of talented players.
Even without recruiting Korea’s top player, Yoo Cheol-min, simply naturalizing any elite team member would eliminate concerns about the tower collapsing.
Popularity? Pride? None of that matters anymore.
Those crumbled to dust long ago.
But then came news from Korea.
A player who achieved S++ ratings on 16 consecutive floors?
We’ve never heard of—let alone encountered—such a player.
How can we sit idle?
Pro-China factions are nearly nonexistent in Korea’s political sphere, making backdoor deals difficult, but there’s still a glimmer of hope.
Though Korean nationals, they’re ethnic Koreans from China—naturally inclined to cooperate with China.
Even now, they’re pouring their energy into luring elite team members and uncovering intel on the S++ record holder.
※ ※ ※
Japan’s situation is more desperate than most.
There’s only one tower, but its location spells trouble.
Japan’s Black Tower lies west of Mount Fuji.
Though distant from major cities, its collapse could destabilize the seismic zone.
A catastrophic Kanto earthquake—unlike any in recorded history—might strike.
The Japanese archipelago sinking could become a grim reality.
Even the Hamaoka Nuclear Plant may not be safe, risking another Fukushima-like disaster.
Korea is comparatively fortunate.
Its tower isn’t near a major city or fault line.
This fuels Japan’s bitter envy.
Why must Japan’s tower sit in a seismic zone while Korea’s rests on a remote rural hill?
Why are Korean players superior? Wasn’t Japan the globally recognized gaming powerhouse?
When the tower first appeared, Japan was confident.
Tower climbing mirrored game mechanics.
With hikikomori—reclusive gamers—aplenty in Japan,
we assumed their awakening as players would make climbing effortless.
The result was humiliation.
Stuck at the 56th floor—
dead last among Korea, China, and Japan.
Even if we barely clear the 50s, what happens when the 60th floor arrives?
The tower’s collapse is inevitable.
Japan’s solution mirrors China’s:
Poach Korea’s elite team players.
Or recruit the infamous S++ record holder.
Fortunately, pro-Japan politicians are numerous in Korea’s government, offering a viable shortcut.
※ ※ ※
The 16th floor was cleared with another S++.
Kossak claims the 17th to 20th floors will pose no issues.
“Summoner Bong, I nearly lost my shit. You turned that barbaric lump of muscle into something vaguely useful.”
I wanted to say, “You’re clearly stronger than Kossak,” but…
“Ah, we only succeeded because Kossak led the charge.”
“Heh heh, you flatter me.”
“Hahaha!”
He then glared at the barbarian warrior.
“Hey, you glutton! Stop hogging the food!”
“Chicken good.”
“Chicken?! Is this a kitchen? Chicken!”
“Yeah. Chicken.”
Post-raid celebrations are mandatory.
We ordered chicken—10 whole birds for the barbarian’s appetite, gone in seconds.
He shoveled entire boxes into his mouth.
Crunch, crunch!
Bones and all.
“Summoner, you’re alright. Feed me chicken, and I’ll die for you.”
“Chicken!”
“Right. Chicken.”
“Ugh, dammit!”
It’s just chicken.
The 20th floor looms ahead.
If everyone earns a platinum badge,
what’s the special reward?
A skill? An item? A trait upgrade?
Anything to boost our survival chances.
During the 16th-floor goblin scout mission, I was in danger too.
Without Shadow Step and Energy Shield, I’d have taken a poison dart.
Imagine facing that unarmed and skillless.
Constant vigilance.
No room for arrogance.
Let’s clear the 17th floor first.
