<The Tower Strategy of a True Man 12>
Juhyeok, Kosak, and the barbarian Gobang – the trio’s cooperative climb.
Yesterday, the 16th floor. Today, the 17th.
[Entering the 17th floor of South Korea’s Black Tower.]
[Your physical abilities have been enhanced to match your level.]
[Traits and combat skills are now available.]
“Whoa!”
Power floods my veins.
Muscles flex, mana surges, senses sharpen.
If the 17th level feels like this, what would surpassing level 30 be like?
I stretch in the safe zone, retrieve an adamant mace from the tower’s exclusive inventory, activate my zzzing! energy shield, and position healing potions for quick access in my pocket.
“Kosak! Gobang! Let’s move.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Gobang’s ready!”
The 17th floor: Goblin Warrior extermination.
Intelligent monsters armed with shields, swords, and armor – capable of tactical formations.
We advance deeper.
[17th Floor Mission: Eliminate 30 Goblin Warriors.]
The objective materializes.
Thirty targets.
Then—
Thud-thud. Clatter-clatter!
Goblin Warrior squads emerge in perfect ranks from front, right, and left.
Thirty from each direction. Ninety total.
A near-company-sized force.
Disciplined.
Their swords, shields, vine armor, and helmets radiate elite military prowess.
How do others clear this?
Retreat to the safe zone immediately upon the squads’ appearance.
Wait until the company disperses into patrols of three. Lure and eliminate them in trios.
A brutally delicate process.
If six follow instead of three, abort mission.
Ranged players have it easier – snipe stragglers and retreat.
But Summoner Juhyeok?
“Gobang!”
“Summoner. You called.”
“Can you handle them?”
“I’ll slaughter them.”
“Wipe them out.”
A single command unleashes:
“GRAAAAAH!!!”
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
The barbarian Gobang charges the Goblin ranks.
Goblins stand under 1.5 meters.
Gobang towers over 3 meters.
A mountain of dense muscle.
The same brute who decapitated a hydra.
Crunch-crunch-CRACK!
Goblins erupt into crimson mist, bodies hurled skyward.
Weapons?
Fail to pierce.
Armor?
Shredded like paper.
“That insane Gobang… I’ve got no words.”
“...”
Like a K2 Black Panther tank crushing ninety bicycles.
Strategy? Only matters between equals.
Assassin Kosak joins the fray.
[Notice: S++ rank achieved for Black Tower (Korea) 17th floor clear.]
[S++ Reward: Platinum Badge granted.]
We push onward.
Next: 18th floor.
Home to Goblin Assassins.
Stealth-capable monsters.
Low-tier invisibility – detectable through focused observation.
Simple in theory.
But far from easy.
Assassins scheme.
One feigns failed stealth as bait while another ambushes from behind – a favored trick.
Here, Kosak excels.
A master assassin.
“Must’ve been painful watching that oaf’s crude methods. Let me demonstrate true finesse.”
Goblin Assassin underlings? He’d slaughter them blindfolded.
John Cosack demonstrates what stealth truly means.
Swoosh!
"The assassin disappeared. Coward. He’s scum."
"...He’s not that bad."
"Understood. Assassin’s good. I’ll assist."
Thud thud thud thud!
Gobang stepped forward but only scratched his head, bewildered.
He couldn’t act.
He couldn’t see.
Yet he flailed his arms wildly—
Thwack!
—and by sheer luck, crushed a goblin assassin into a bloody mess.
"Kek!"
Meanwhile:
Slash! Slash-slash-slash!
The sound of Cosack’s blade.
The kill counter climbed swiftly.
[Objective: Goblin Assassins 7/30]
Silent and efficient.
Floor 17 belonged to Gobang. Floor 18 was Cosack’s stage.
‘What about me?’
I spent 2 million won on this adamantite mace and haven’t even swung it once.
Floors 16, 17, and now 18—no real need to fight, but...
‘Should I try?’
Trusting my energy shield.
And my Shadow Step skill.
The more I used it, the more exhilarating it became.
Juhyuk moved opposite Cosack.
As he crept forward:
Swoosh!
‘Huh?’
Stab!
A goblin materialized behind him, dagger aimed at his back.
"Shit! Damn it!"
Danger. He needed to evade—now.
Swish! Swish-swish!
His body reacted instinctively.
Shadow Step.
But he hadn’t come to flee.
He’d come to swing his mace.
What’s the best approach?
A route flashed in his mind.
Swish! Swish-swish-swish!
In an instant, he was behind the assassin.
His adamantite mace swung—
Crunch!
Squelch!
The goblin collapsed, vitals crushed.
The kill counter ticked up.
‘...Dead?’
I killed it?
With a mace?
‘...Huh.’
His first kill left him stunned.
Only on Floor 18 had he finally slain a monster himself.
A historic moment.
No time to dwell.
Another assassin emerged.
"Kikik!"
Leap!
A 1.5-meter goblin lunged for his throat.
‘...You little bastard.’
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Juhyuk flickered like a phantom,
dizzying the creature with chaotic movement before—
Crunch!
Squelch!
Thud!
"Kek!"
Another kill.
‘Ah.’
His hands shook. His heart raced.
Adrenaline roared.
Oddly... it felt good.
‘Another?’
Yet another assassin appeared.
Swish! Swish-swish!
His body moved first.
Ah—
The world slowed.
The goblin’s strike crawled like molasses.
Swish!
He circled behind—
Thud!
Squelch!
"Kii..."
It survived?
No proper attack skill, perhaps.
So—
Crunch!
Squelch!
Another blow.
Next?
Nothing.
But then:
[Notice: S++ Rank Achieved – Floor 18 of Korea’s Black Tower]
[Reward: Platinum Badge Awarded]
He’d dealt the final blow.
Completed the mission alone.
‘...This is better than I expected.’
Surprisingly satisfying.
‘How...?’
He barely believed his own actions.
Using Shadow Step, he’d mirrored the exact path he’d imagined:
dropping low, exploiting blind spots, pivoting seamlessly behind his target.
Shadows thickened with each motion.
Fluid. Precise.
Hadn’t he just started training this skill?
‘Did I do that?’
Gobang and Cosack stood frozen nearby—
one gaping, the other shaking his head with a sigh.
[Floor 19 Unlocked]
[Exiting South Korea’s Black Tower]
※ ※ ※
Director Park Kyung-soo’s Office, Hannam-dong, Seoul
Lee Min-ah, bureau manager and player, slammed her fist and shouted:
"Global alert! Floor 18—S++ clear!"
"Outstanding!"
"He’s relentless. Preparation paid off."
Park Kyung-soo’s face flushed crimson.
"Honestly, I want to announce it nationwide! The back-to-back S++ conqueror of Korea’s Black Tower Floor 18—it’s him!"
"Even if it's a joke, you shouldn't say things like that. We need to provide unwavering support so he can quietly and discreetly climb to the 60th floor."
"That's how proud we are of him."
Bong Joo-hyuk was no longer just an ordinary contractor.
He was now a supreme-tier player requiring more meticulous care than even the elite team.
"Tomorrow's the 19th floor?"
"Most likely, but I hope we can pace ourselves. The speed is concerning."
"Hmm, fair point."
It wasn’t just the Management Office.
All of South Korea was electrified.
The system-wide announcement to Korean Black Tower players had leaked to the public within hours.
Even the 9 PM network news covered it:
A new era dawns for Korea's Black Tower climbing. After a 20-day hiatus, an unprecedented 18 consecutive S++ clears have rewritten tower-climbing history.
Players and citizens alike marvel at how far this streak might extend. The enigmatic player is currently estimated to be on floor 19...
Debate rages over the S++ player's identity. While mainstream opinion suggests a new elite recruit by the Awakened Management Office, officials remain silent...
Both regular and elite players were fired up.
Korea's magic stone production surged overnight.
Quitters resumed climbing, while complacent low-floor dwellers pushed upward.
Elite team members felt the pressure too – a mix of envy, competitiveness, and wounded pride. We’re the nationally-backed elites – how can we be outperformed?
Online forums exploded:
└ 18. Just 18.
└ When the alerts stopped for two weeks, I thought they died or quit.
└ How far can they go? Maybe 20th floor, but 30 seems impossible.
└ If they stop at 20, I’ll bet my left nut against the guy below me.
└ FYI I’m a woman. And I think they’ll clear past 30.
└ Who even is this? Must be elite, right?
└ Obviously elite. They’re hiding them so other countries don’t poach.
Tower-streaming YouTubers joined the frenzy – typically level 30-ish contractors broadcasting their climbs:
This is the 18th floor where the latest S++ was achieved. See that blur by the tree? An assassin-type. Let me try engaging it.
└ Why’s a level 35 grinding floor 18?
└ We know what 18’s like already.
└ Try 35 again and I’ll donate ₩10k.
└ Yeah right! You barely escaped 35 last time by retreating to safe zone.
The hype reached fever pitch.
All eyes now turned to:
• The mentally grueling 19th floor
• The 20th – dubbed "The Talent Gauntlet"
Could S++ clears conquer these notorious barriers?
※ ※ ※
Meanwhile, tension filled Joo-hyuk’s apartment.
Assassin John Cosack stared vacantly, exhaling dramatically:
"Wheeeew..."
"Haaaaah..."
What’s his problem? Did I screw up?
While Cosack sighed, barbarian Gobang devoured ten large pizzas like snack chips, unwrapping boxes to shovel slices into his maw.
"Just tell me what I did wrong."
"W-well, you see..." Cosack fumbled before blurting:
"...Too fast."
"Meaning?"
"Your talent awakening speed."
"What?"
Did I mishear?
"Talent? Me? Nonsense."
"Who else but Summoner Bong?"
"Me... talented?"
"Obviously."
A timid guy from Hanam?
"Stop joking!"
"If you lack talent, who has it?"
"Must be a mistake."
"Didn’t you feel it earlier? That flawless Shadow Step even I struggle with!"
It was that impressive?
Gobang chimed in through pizza muffles:
"Our summoner smash good!"
Cosack pressed on mournfully:
"Awakening talent this early is dangerous. You’ll grow combat-addicted. Overconfident. Risk escalates – courage breeds peril."
"I know that..."
"Should’ve stacked ten perks first! This pace is reckless!"
"...We agreed – safety first! Preservation!"
True. But why?
His original resolve had warped beyond recognition.
Have I gone mad?
Yet...
Talent.
The memory burned fresh – the skill’s electric success, his first hunt’s visceral thrill.
Bizarre.
Cosack always warned: "Courageous summoners die young." He’d agreed, playing ultra-safe.
But now...
The tower’s addictive rush had rewired him.
Cosack pleaded:
"From now on, stay hidden behind Gobang or me. Promise."
"......"
"You’ll level up passively anyway. Just wait for ten perks."
"......"
"Why silent?!"
"......"
"Oh no... You’re hooked. This is catastrophic."
Gobang snorted:
"Assassin crybaby."
"SHUT IT! Clueless meat-pile!! I’ll stew you alive!"
Joo-hyuk massaged his temples.
Need rest. Time to rethink everything.
