Juhyeok's officetel.
Once again, the smell of ramen filled the air.
They said they'd be eating nothing but ramen for a while.
Ramen after finishing the 34th-floor raid, ramen again while resting the next day, and now—ramen yet again.
When he called Gyeon Dallae and Kosak over, they headed straight to the kitchen and pulled out a pot.
How do you eat only ramen for three days straight?
When he suggested ordering delivery food, they insisted on eating ramen for at least five days.
They said that was the only way they'd feel at ease.
If that was the case, they shouldn't have eaten so much back then.
One hundred and fifty servings for four people—one hundred and fifty!
'And I didn't even properly eat two servings.'
So when they suggested eating ramen together, Juhyeok declined.
He planned to secretly order chicken later by himself.
At the moment, only two summoned beings were cooking ramen—Kosak and Gyeon Dallae.
What about Gobang?
He couldn't be summoned.
Because the catalog looked like this:
[Catalog]: Barbarian Meat Shield (Summoning Unavailable)
Summoning unavailable…
He had already asked about it.
What exactly did "summoning unavailable" mean in the catalog?
That was just yesterday.
In response to Juhyeok's question, Kosak had scratched his face and answered:
"Normally, rank ascension is very dangerous. You have to strengthen the soul, you see. So during enhancement, um… if it fails, there's a chance of… d-destruction…"
"Gasp!"
Destruction?
His heart had plunged into extreme anxiety.
'…Did I give him poison?'
Kosak had returned just fine, though.
"What is this…?"
He had heard something similar from Kosak before.
That rushing it was dangerous, and that he'd prepare properly after returning.
But he hadn't known it was this dangerous.
"I-is that really true? Destruction?"
"…That, even I'm not entirely sure—"
Haah.
This is driving me crazy.
Then Gyeon Dallae spoke.
"Please do not worry. If it were true destruction, the name would be completely deleted from the list. The fact that it says 'summoning unavailable' while the name remains means there must be another reason."
Another reason…
What could it be?
She wasn't just saying that to reassure him, right?
"While strengthening the soul, there is an extremely small chance that the magnitude of ascension increases, causing it to leap up by two or more ranks at once. In such cases, the summoned being becomes unavailable for several days."
Oh!
All his anxiety vanished.
If it wasn't something bad, but potentially something good instead.
As expected of someone born into royalty—Gyeon Dallae really knew a lot.
Glare.
Juhyeok shot Kosak a sharp look.
'Talking about destruction when you don't even know for sure.'
Scaring people like that.
Kosak avoided his gaze, looking sheepish.
In any case, Juhyeok had heard of something similar before.
Game enhancement systems.
You apply an enhancement scroll to a weapon or armor, and thanks to blessing and luck, a +1 upgrade turns into a +2—a massive success.
Blessed enhancement, or critical enhancement.
If that was the case, then thank goodness.
"Hehehe, thinking about it, Her Highness is probably right. That guy's soul is like a flower garden—pure. And pure souls enhance well."
Juhyeok felt relieved.
Wait.
If it's a two-rank jump, then—
"Does that mean Gobang's SSR too?"
At Juhyeok's words, Kosak's shoulders slumped.
Looks like he'd lost his favorite thing to nitpick about.
That had been yesterday.
Even now, Gobang was still unavailable for summoning.
It seemed the ramen was done.
Kosak and Gyeon Dallae naturally sat at the table and started eating.
Peaceful.
No shouting.
If there was one complaint—
'Tsk.'
Thirty billion won sitting in my bank account, and I'm stuck eating ramen.
At least their ramen-cooking skills had improved—perfect broth, firm noodles, an absolute masterpiece.
From now on, ramen wouldn't just be ramen.
At minimum: abalone ramen, octopus ramen, king crab ramen, truffle ramen, jumbo prawn ramen, wild matsutake ramen, A++ Hanwoo ramen…
'I should go grocery shopping later.'
For now, he'd just let them eat ramen.
At least they added plenty of eggs and green onions.
With that in mind, Tower climbing was temporarily suspended until Gobang returned.
He'd been planning to rest for a few days anyway.
Juhyeok opened his smartphone and searched the news.
Tomorrow was the scheduled challenge of the Republic of Korea's Black Tower, 66th floor, by Player Nam Ga-eun.
Originally, they had wanted to keep the schedule secret out of fear of failing like Japan had, but at Nam Ga-eun's strong insistence, the date was made public.
How would people react?
Because of the backlash from Yoo Cheol-min's surprise naturalization attempt, the public opinion toward Player Nam Ga-eun was overwhelmingly positive.
└ It's okay even if she fails.└ Right. As long as she comes back safe. She can recover her mental state and challenge it again and again.└ She has the Holy Sword. We believe in her.└ I pray every dawn.└ Well, it's only the 66th floor—let's go straight to the 67th too.└ Watch what you say. The 67th floor is still far away.└ You got this! Fighting!
It even felt like he could spot a comment he himself had written.
'Oh, right. I promised to get Player Nam Ga-eun's autograph.'
I'll get it after she clears the 66th floor.
I should also stop by my parents' place for once.
'Might as well bring the talisman Gyeon Dallae wrote for them too.'
At that moment—
Bzzzt.
His phone rang.
It was Team Leader Jeon Gwang-il.
"Hello?"
—It's late, but congratulations on achieving 34 consecutive S++ clears.
It wasn't like it was that big of a deal.
Still, there had been a lot of talk.
So-called experts appeared on TV, in newspapers, and online, saying that the 30th floors were a turning point in Tower climbing, that the difficulty spiked sharply and S++ clears would no longer be possible—but he'd achieved it anyway.
"Player Nam Ga-eun is more impressive than me. Is preparation for the 66th floor going well?"
—Smoothly. We even borrowed and handed over a light-attribute item. According to our support team's analysis, we're confident she can clear it. She herself is confident as well.
"Yes, I believe it'll go well too. Please pass along my encouragement."
—Haha, will do.
This wasn't false modesty.
She really was an incredible player.
—Oh! There's something I wanted to discuss…
"Yes?"
—About the apartment that bastard Yoo Cheol-min used to live in.
An apartment—out of nowhere.
Did they find out Kosak had been there?
"Ah, why the apartment…?"
—It's currently vacant. There's no one to move in, so if you're interested, we can just transfer the apartment to you. We can handle the deed transfer as well.
"..."
What?
Did I hear that wrong?
Wasn't Yoo Cheol-min's place a penthouse?
Just hand it over means—
"For free?"
—Yes. Though you'd have to pay the maintenance fees separately. That part isn't covered.
The maintenance fee alone for a penthouse would be enormous, but—
So what?
They're offering to transfer ownership.
But—
'Do I take this… or not?'
This is a choice I need to make carefully.
It's not something I can decide on the spot.
I need to examine everything thoroughly.
"Could you give me some time? I'd like to think it over."
—That's fine. Even if you accept the apartment, nothing will change. It's just a token of sincerity for lending the Holy Sword at such a low price.
Well…
Is it really just a token of sincerity?
I should talk it over with the summoned ones.
Then decide.
※ ※ ※
After finishing the ramen and washing the dishes,
Juhyeok called Gyeon Dallae and Kosak over.
"I just got a call a little while ago…"
He explained everything in detail.
Then he opened his laptop and searched for photos of the penthouse Yoo Cheol-min used to live in, showing them.
As punishment for breaking the contract, all of Yoo Cheol-min's Korean assets had been confiscated.
This house was one of them.
"Kosak, you know it well, right? You went there once."
"Yes, sir!"
"What was it like?"
"I can't even describe it. It was ridiculously extravagant. There was even a rooftop garden. You could grow lettuce and eat it with beef."
Gyeon Dallae studied the photos closely.
"It looks finer than the palace the maiden once resided in. It seems a residence befitting Young Master's stature."
He felt the same.
Though rather than dignity, what he needed now was space.
Juhyeok had more family living with him now than back at his parents' house.
And after a few more rounds of trait enhancement, would there still be only three summoned ones with him?
How were they supposed to live crammed together in such a small place?
"Do you all think it's better to keep living here, or to move?"
"I like it here too. But if possible, wouldn't a big house be better?"
"The maiden agrees with Kosak-nim."
"Hmm…"
In truth, he'd already decided.
He needed a big house.
And he liked the penthouse a lot.
But his real dilemma wasn't whether to move or not.
It was whether to accept it for free—or buy it with money.
That was a much harder decision.
So he shared that concern.
"In my opinion, I'm against taking it for free. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Capitalism is ruthless. You always end up paying the price one way or another."
"The maiden believes it is acceptable to accept it. Compared to the grace Young Master has bestowed upon them, that house is but a trivial recompense."
Their opinions split.
Kosak's argument made sense, and Gyeon Dallae's was also reasonable.
What should he do?
Taking it for free felt like it would upset his stomach.
'Should I just buy it outright?'
The most expensive thing Juhyeok had ever bought was a 40-million-won hand shield.
And even that was bought with a loan.
That was for survival, so it doesn't really count.
He wasn't the type to splurge on purchases.
"Impulse buying" didn't apply to Juhyeok.
When he needed something, he went to an online shop.
If he found something he liked, he'd first put it in the cart.
Then he'd look for similar products with comparable specs and add those too.
He'd compare multiple items, weigh cost-effectiveness, and narrow it down to the single best choice.
But did he buy it right away?
Of course not.
He'd read reviews.
Why the good reviews were good.
Why the bad reviews were bad.
Whether they were viral ads.
Only after weighing everything would he finally move the mouse toward the checkout page.
Click immediately?
Not a chance.
He'd hit the back button at checkout and search the online store again, wondering if this really was the best choice.
He'd repeat this process multiple times.
Sometimes it took over three hours to buy a single item.
And after all that deliberation, the item usually cost less than 10,000 won.
He'd trembled even buying a 10,000-won item…
And now—an apartment?
Either way, this discussion would take a while.
His throat was dry; he needed something to drink.
"Let's keep talking over some coffee. Through the delivery app—"
Kosak spoke up.
"Delivery fee's a waste. I'll go get it."
"There's no need. Delivery fees aren't that much."
"I'm faster than delivery. It's right up ahead. I'll be back quick."
If he insisted that much—
"Here, pay with this card."
"Yes, sir!"
"Just in case, take the perception-disruption talisman and the entry card key with you."
"Understood. I'll take the orders before I go."
※ ※ ※
Kosak left the officetel alone.
The world hadn't collapsed yet.
People moving busily about.
Roads packed with cars.
From that abyssal place filled only with souls—
Just being able to come out with a physical body was already something to be grateful for.
And yet, here he was, freely enjoying all the material comforts of the real world.
Summoner Bong must live a long, long life.
Beyond the fixed lifespan of humans—like elves or dragons.
All they had to do was keep clearing the Tower.
Among the Tower's rewards were treasures that extended human lifespan.
Once they reached the 80th floors or so, those would probably start appearing.
'Anyway, which café should I go to?'
There were way too many cafés in Korea.
Enough to give you decision paralysis.
Even around the officetel, they were everywhere.
He didn't understand what was so good about that bitter coffee that people drank it like water.
Summoner Bong, for instance—iced Americano.
Meanwhile, Gyeon Dallae preferred strawberry latte, and he himself liked sweet-and-sour grapefruit ade.
'Let's go to the biggest one.'
That Star-whatever café.
It had the most people.
If it's crowded, it must be good.
Carrying the perception-disruption talisman, Kosak opened the café door and went inside.
'Where's the kiosk again?'
He knew how to use it.
A few days ago, when they went sightseeing in Seoul after eating beef, he'd watched Summoner Bong operate it several times.
He could just order directly from an employee, but he wanted to try this too.
So he headed toward the kiosk—
'Hm?'
Suspicious people caught Kosak's eye.
Two men sitting at a table with tea drinks in front of them, poking at their smartphones.
'Oh…'
An extremely ordinary sight.
But he could feel it.
The thick scent of blood wafting from their bodies.
'Well, well?'
Kosak was an assassin.
When you met your own kind, you could tell instantly—just by looking into their eyes.
He instinctively began to observe.
Small cuts on their hands.
Likely from handling blades.
And a faint gunpowder smell drifting from inside their jackets.
'Guns.'
Their ankles were suspicious too.
They were probably carrying knives.
And not just one.
Sleeves, waistbands—everywhere.
In this peaceful world, two men who had killed people—no, likely dozens of people—were sitting in a café near Summoner Bong's officetel, drinking tea?
Coincidence?
Not a chance.
Still, they could be Korean soldiers or intelligence agents.
So Kosak casually shifted his steps.
He passed by their table without turning his head.
First, he left a tracking mark imbued with his unique mana.
Slip… slip.
On both of them.
Just then, the men stood up to leave.
Kosak postponed ordering his drinks and followed them.
The moment they stepped outside the café—
Vroom, screech.
A suspicious van pulled up.
Slide.
The door opened, and the two men got in.
Reflected in the café's glass, he saw that there were quite a few people already inside the van.
Kosak placed a tracking mark on the van as well.
Let's see.
Whether they show up again tomorrow.
Of course, they might have nothing to do with Summoner Bong.
But if there was even the slightest chance they were connected—
Grin.
Kosak's lips twisted upward.
He was smiling, but his expression was chilling.
Eyes cold enough to freeze solid.
A red tongue flicked briefly between his lips.
'I should prepare plenty of ribbons.'
He intended to keep this a secret from Summoner Bong.
Because the Third Clause of the Three Principles of Summoned Beings had already been triggered.
Kosak went back into the café, ordered the drinks,
Placed them on a tray, and returned to the officetel.
Beep, beep-beep!
Opening the door, he called out in a loud voice.
"Salute! Hehehe, deliveryman Kosak has arrived!"
"Good work. Come sit down quickly."
"Yes, sir!"