<The Strategy of the Hanamja's Tower, Chapter 25>
It had been nearly an hour since Player Nam Ga-eun entered the 62nd floor.
Team Leader Jeon Gwang-il waited anxiously for the results.
Player Bong Joo-hyuk had excused himself to the player shop, claiming he needed to sell magic stones (마정석).
The more I interacted with him, the more intriguing he became.
My initial request to meet him was to urge him to reach the 60th-floor range as quickly as possible—even a single day sooner.
Of course, it was an impossible demand.
How could anyone climb from the 29th to the 66th floor in three months?
I’d resigned myself to the first tower’s collapse.
Gangwon Province’s mountainous terrain would likely cushion the damage compared to other nations.
And though the second tower’s location remained unknown, Bong Joo-hyuk might have breached the 60th-floor range by then.
But then he casually produced a holy sword?
He’d even bristled when asked about the item’s nature—though exhaustion likely played a role.
If only he’d brought it a little sooner…
Would Yoo Cheol-min have avoided defecting then?
No.
Disaster.
Had that happened, the holy sword would never have reached Nam Ga-eun.
The Management Bureau would’ve handed it directly to Yoo Cheol-min as Korea’s official representative player.
And that bastard wouldn’t have defected to Japan overnight without calculating every angle.
He’d have absconded with the holy sword in tow.
Because of Yoo Cheol-min, Director Park Kyung-soo now faced a grilling at the National Assembly during its annual audit.
I wanted to update him immediately, but without verified facts, it was futile.
A holy attribute.
I’d always believed the dark aura’s weakness was light.
But holy?
Unheard of. Unseen.
Even the U.S. likely lacked such an item.
The Black Tower’s undead section began at the 61st floor: mummies, zombies, skeletons, ghouls, Dullahans, specters, and phantom reapers up to the 67th.
America struggled against the 67th-floor phantom reaper.
Could the sword remain effective that high? If true, the time saved would be monumental.
Knock, knock.
A timid rap at the office door.
“Come in.”
Joo-hyuk peeked through the gap.
“Ah! You’re back. Did the magic stones sell?”
“…Yes. Is Nam Ga-eun still inside?”
“Haha, it’s barely been an hour. The clearance window is 15 hours.”
“Feels long.”
Jeon Gwang-il smirked inwardly.
Who’s he comparing her to?
Bong Joo-hyuk averaged 20 minutes per floor—often less.
Calling an hour “long” was laughable.
Whoosh!
Light erupted in the room—a player’s return signal.
Too soon for success. Had she abandoned the quest?
Even the holy sword failed?
Pop!
Nam Ga-eun materialized, disheveled.
“Player Nam Ga-eun, how—?”
“One sec.” She chugged a tower-grade healing potion. Injured?
“Phew.” She inhaled deeply, locked eyes with Joo-hyuk, then—
Thud!
She tackled him in a hug.
“Wha—?”
Joo-hyuk froze, mind blank.
“Thank you! I’d have failed again without this sword. It’s incredible!”
Jeon Gwang-il leaned forward. “Does that mean…?”
“Yes! The 62nd floor is clear.”
“Unbelievable! How…?”
“Aja! Perseverance prevails! I’ll tackle the 63rd tomorrow!”
Tears streamed down Jeon Gwang-il’s face—relief after weeks of strain.
“But isn’t tomorrow too soon? You need rest.”
“The sword’s glow negates the dark aura. I’m fine.”
“To that extent?”
“I’m certain. With this, I can reach the 66th. Without the aura, undead are just mobs.”
True enough.
“Oh! I recorded the run. Review it.”
“Understood. Can we publicize this?”
“Go wild.”
Joo-hyuk squirmed.
“…Could you let go if you’re gonna keep talking?”
“Oops! Sorry—got carried away.” She released him, handing back the nicked blade.
“Used it hard, huh?”
“Hmm.” The sword had always looked decrepit.
“It’s fixable. I’ll have it repaired.”
Jeon Gwang-il interjected, “The player shop’s craftsmen can handle it.”
“Costs?”
“We’ll cover them.”
“Just buy it. You’ll need it for future floors.”
“Ah, that’s…”
Sell this?
Its value was incalculable.
Even if only effective up to the 67th floor, every tower’s undead section worldwide could benefit.
A hidden card against collapse.
After a pause, Jeon Gwang-il proposed, “Keep the sword. Don’t sell.”
“…Not buying it?”
I wanted to fund a building…
“Instead, we’ll rent it. 10 billion per use.”
“What?”
“Hundreds of global towers need it. Charge accordingly.”
Rental fees?
A cash cow. Landlord income would pale in comparison.
But handling logistics alone?
“The Bureau will manage rentals.”
“Great! Then…”
Free for Korea?
Should we charge our own?
“For the Bureau… 1 billion per use. Free this time, 1 billion from the 63rd onward.”
“You don’t have to—”
“We’ll charge others more. Market it globally.”
“Th-thank you!”
Joo-hyuk gulped. What’ll I do with this much money?
“One exception: no rentals to Japan.”
“Naturally.”
Nam Ga-eun grinned. “Yoo Cheol-min would choke if he knew!”
Jeon Gwang-il’s gaze turned lethal. “I’ll kill him first.”
“Whoa! Boss is fire!”
How does that bastard live with everyone’s hatred?
Even as a player, he’d be vulnerable off-duty. Japan’s 60th-floor climbers would bleed dry without holy items.
Nam Ga-eun’s lingering glances made Joo-hyuk uneasy.
“Um…”
“Yikes! Late already. Gotta go.” Before she drains my energy.
But his excuse wasn’t entirely false.
※ ※ ※
The National Assembly Building in Yeouido.
The day Yoo Cheol-min's naturalization scandal broke out coincided with the National Assembly’s audit period.
All public officials responsible for the incident were summoned.
Park Kyung-soo, Director of the Awakening Management Agency; Park Il-joon, Director of the National Intelligence Service; Kim Cheol-min, Commissioner General of the National Police Agency.
The lawmakers’ barrage of questions continued.
“Is Yoo Cheol-min’s statement true? That he received no proper support, and that agency executives were only focused on political games?”
Nonsense.
That brat who devoured every privilege handed to him.
“It is untrue. Until now, he was the highest-paid elite team player, provided with attribute-enhancing runes and numerous light-attribute items funded at great expense.”
“Then why would he say such things? Didn’t he choose to naturalize? The results speak for themselves.”
“Yoo Cheol-min fled because he feared the 66th-floor raid. My only mistake was misjudging his character. Had I known he was this spineless, I would’ve—”
“So you admit your failure. Because of that failure, South Korea now faces ruin.”
Park Kyung-soo gritted his teeth.
“We have a Plan B.”
“You mean the female player stuck on the 62nd floor for 100 days?”
“...”
The National Intelligence Service wasn’t spared.
“What exactly was your security detail doing? When Japanese agents took Yoo Cheol-min, did you just stand there gawking?”
Park Il-joon, NIS Director, bit his lip hard.
“There’s no excuse. I take full responsibility.”
“Is that all? Where’s your solution?”
“We’ll retrieve him by any means. First, we’ll contact Yoo Cheol-min and demand he revoke his naturalization.”
“And if he refuses?”
“...”
Director Park Il-joon paused.
Then he answered solemnly,
“He’ll pay the price.”
“...How? Are you implying assassination?”
“If necessary.”
“Ha! Director Park! Do you even grasp where you’re spouting this madness?”
Police Commissioner Kim Cheol-min interjected.
“The police are investigating. Everyone involved will face thorough scrutiny and legal judgment.”
“Why not handle this properly from the start? Do you think belated accountability absolves you?”
“I’m prepared to resign.”
It was a merciless grilling.
What could they do?
Their failures were undeniable.
Not just Commissioner Kim, but Directors Park Kyung-soo and Park Il-joon also contemplated stepping down.
But then—
“Director Park.”
Park Kyung-soo’s secretary, seated behind the witness stand, crept forward and whispered.
“What is it?”
“A message from Team Leader Jeon Gwang-il.”
Why now?
He knows full well what’s happening here.
“I’ll check later. I’m busy.”
“You should see this now.”
“...What?”
What could it be?
Park Kyung-soo accepted the smartphone.
Moments later—
“Ghk!”
His eyes bulged.
“Wh-what?!”
A lengthy, detailed message.
But could text alone confirm it?
Ignoring the lawmakers’ glares, Park Kyung-soo tapped his phone.
“Team Leader Jeon—is this true?!”
The assembly erupted.
“Are you taking calls during testimony?!”
“This is the National Assembly! Have you no respect?!”
“No wonder your player defected!”
Park Kyung-soo tuned them out.
“You verified the raid footage? Really? Perfect! How long? Hah! Excellent!” He raised his voice deliberately.
“Item repairs are feasible? Good. Then push for the 63rd floor tomorrow. Spare no support—maximize her conditioning. And Bong... No, I’ll handle that meeting myself.”
Hanging up, he radiated calm.
“What’s this? Taking calls during an audit?!”
“A dismissal notice from the President?!”
“Think you can escape consequences?!”
Park Kyung-soo smiled.
“I won’t flee. I’ll take responsibility.”
“How?”
“We’ll clear the 66th floor. We don’t need Yoo Cheol-min.”
The tension spiked.
“Mocking the Assembly now?!”
“Are you deranged? Think empty boasts will save you?!”
“Perhaps the Director should naturalize instead!”
Amid the jeers, Park Kyung-soo replied serenely:
“Two hours ago, Nam Ga-eun of our elite team cleared Korea’s Black Tower 62nd floor.”
Out of nowhere?
He continued.
“Tomorrow, we tackle the 63rd.”
He’s lost his mind.
Lawmakers shook their heads, tsking.
“And within a month—” He bulldozed over their scorn, “—we’ll conquer the 66th. I stake my life on this—not my title, but my neck.”
The bombshell detonated in the Assembly.
Murmurs swelled. Reporters snickered at the “delusional” claims—until—
Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Bzzzt!
Every reporter’s phone buzzed simultaneously.
“...What?”
“Official statement—62nd floor cleared? In 1 hour 20 minutes?!”
“Confirmed? Send the raid footage!”
The tide turned instantly. An audit about accountability became the stage for a 66th-floor declaration.
※ ※ ※
That evening, every Korean media outlet blared:
<Awakening Agency Director pledges 66th-floor conquest within a month during Assembly testimony!>
<62nd floor conquered! Bodycam footage released!>
<Holy Sword revealed—divine attribute item fuels bold claim!>
<New star Nam Ga-eun eyes 66th-floor triumph!>
<Yoo Cheol-min? Who’s that? Already forgotten!>
<63rd-floor raid tomorrow—proof is coming!>
Amid the frenzy, Bong Joo-hyuk arranged a small altar with purified water (well, filtered tap water) and summoned Cossack and Barbarian Gobang.
“Begging you—LSSR! Only Legend Special Super Rare!”
He kowtowed toward the balcony moon.
“LSSR!”
“Must get LSSR!”
“Eh, er, esu... al!”
“Dumbass! Pronounce it right!”
His random summon cooldown expired tomorrow.
