Srrk—
Less than half a day after leaving the hotel, he returned in an instant.
“Wow… this would be handy for traveling, huh?”
Travel. A luxury he had never dared to dream of.
In fact, this trip to Japan was somewhat regrettable.
Who would’ve thought his first trip to Japan would be such a business errand?
Still, the reward was substantial, so he could bear it.
When else would he get the chance to snatch a reward from Japan’s Magic Tower?
They promised to handle the aftermath cleanly, too.
In a separate room of the suite in the hotel where Choi Junseok was temporarily staying,
Team Leader Kang, who had been typing on his laptop, sensed someone approaching and walked toward Choi Junseok.
“You’re back safely. That’s a relief.”
His expression carried a hint of tension and unease.
The Japanese archipelago hadn’t yet erupted into chaos over the unidentified F-rank player who set the fastest clear record for Floor 1 of the Shibuya Magic Tower.
Since Choi Junseok had returned mere seconds after clearing it,
It was only natural that Team Leader Kang hadn’t yet received the report from the Shibuya Magic Tower.
“Don’t worry. I succeeded.”
Choi Junseok proudly summoned the bound reward box onto his palm.
Team Leader Kang gazed at the hidden reward from Floor 1, something he had never seen before.
“So it comes in the form of a box? I thought Floor 1 rewards were fixed.”
“Well, yeah. It’s more like packaging, honestly.”
Having opened two Floor 1 rewards already, Choi Junseok knew the mechanism.
Though it appeared as a randomly awarded box, the items from Floor 1 were fixed for each Magic Tower.
Moreover, the moment a new recipient claimed the reward, the previous items would vanish.
As if it were none of his concern, Team Leader Kang nodded repeatedly, expressing satisfaction.
“I’ll report to the higher-ups immediately. You’ve done something incredible, Junseok-nim. On behalf of Korea and… the players who were unjustly sacrificed, I extend my gratitude.”
Then, Team Leader Kang bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.
“You’ve truly done something remarkable, Junseok-nim. The Director of the Player Management Office said he’d like to meet you in person if you’re willing, and he lamented that the current reality prevents it. On behalf of Korea and… the unjustly sacrificed players, I extend my gratitude.”
Choi Junseok waved both hands, shaking his head as if to say it was enough.
“Alright, alright. Tell the Director if he’s grateful, he should send money.”
“I will.”
“And let’s be clear. I didn’t do this for revenge or praise. I did it purely for my own greed and gain.”
Indeed, that was the case.
He had seized the opportunity for maximum profit driven by his petty desires.
There were no special goals or aspirations beyond that.
“Well then, now that I’ve confirmed your safe return, I’ll take my leave. Also… I might be out of contact for a while.”
“It’s not just about taking responsibility for the attack on your home, but a large-scale investigation is underway, and I’m not exempt…”
“An investigation is an investigation, but… who do I talk to about my family in the meantime? My mom and sister are okay, right?”
“Of course. But until the situation stabilizes, you’ll need to refrain from meeting or contacting your family for at least a week.”
What’s unavoidable is unavoidable.
He wasn’t unaware that this was a national emergency.
And such protective measures were for his and his family’s safety.
“Then, on your way back, find me a penthouse.”
It might seem out of the blue, but it was a very Choi Junseok-like conversation pattern, and Team Leader Kang chuckled and nodded.
Now, Kang Jinsu took it somewhat as a joke.
“A penthouse, huh? That’ll be pricey. Will climbing to the 20th floor cover it?”
“No reason I can’t. I’ll reach the 40th floor within a month.”
“That’s true. You’re climbing two floors at a time. I’ll take my leave then.”
Team Leader Kang left the room without asking about the reward from the Shibuya Magic Tower or how he was climbing two floors at once.
Though it was a fixed reward box, Choi Junseok still called Song Hana to bless it before opening it.
The three of them stared meaningfully at the box on his palm.
“This one’s probably something that surpasses the systemic limits of the Magic Tower too,” Lee Nayeon said.
Choi Junseok nodded in agreement.
“Definitely. Bonus rewards and Floor 1 hidden rewards have that vibe.”
“Come on, give us something good!” Song Hana exclaimed.
As always, her blessing felt so lackluster it was hard to believe it was a real blessing.
The only difference was that her face was beaming more than usual.
She was more excited than anyone about breaking the Floor 1 record of the Shibuya Magic Tower.
When asked if he wanted to open the box, he unhesitatingly chose “Yes.”
Pop! Smoke rose from the box with a sound.
The item that emerged still resembled a paper ticket.
Choi Junseok immediately activated his Appraisal skill.
Item Name: Magic Tower Floor Selection Entry Ticket (Mythic)
Category: Consumable
Description: Allows entry to any desired floor of any Magic Tower (Floors 2 to 100).
– No return is possible by any means until the selected floor is cleared.
(Return Scroll cannot be used.)
“What the heck is this…?”
Song Hana and Lee Nayeon also seemed to sense that it was no ordinary item.
Go straight to Floor 100? But if I can’t clear it, I can’t return?
—Don’t do it!! You’ll die if you go to Floor 100!!
What’s this guy going on about?
“Why would I go to Floor 100? For whose benefit?”
Why would he willingly put himself in mortal danger?
To Choi Junseok, this ticket looked like this:
“Isn’t this basically a penthouse voucher?”
It wasn’t even a bound item but a general Mythic-grade consumable with unlimited transferability.
There was no need for Choi Junseok to break the binding.
That meant the item’s value was considerable.
Especially for nations, it was an item they’d want to secure at any cost.
Dozens of countries had Magic Towers in their major cities.
Those nations would likely spend national budgets to acquire it.
His porter’s instinct for gauging an item’s value told him so.
This would fetch no small amount of money.
***
Around the same time,
Japan sent hostile signals to the Korean government through unofficial channels.
Their expression of regret and warning filled roughly two A4 pages, but the content could be summarized in two lines:
We know you sent Hana, you bastards.
Do you think you’ll get out alive?
Korea’s response followed a predetermined script.
The response sent to Japan was half a page in Korean, summarized in three lines:
Got any “solid evidence” it was us?
We heard a new F-rank powerhouse appeared climbing the Shibuya Magic Tower.
We wish them luck.
It was a direct jab, pointing out that Japan had denied involvement in the Korean player massacre with the same lack of evidence.
They used the same tactic, down to the exact phrasing, to retaliate.
Matsumoto Hirobumi erupted in rage at the message.
He vowed not to let Hana leave the island alive.
He also expressed a strong desire to bring Song Hana back to Japan.
And he questioned how she had managed to break their binding relationship.
Whether he knew it or not, the Japanese public was in a festive mood.
“An extraordinary player has appeared in Japan!”
Everyone cheered at the emergence of the anonymous F-rank.
At the same time, as news spread about a similar F-rank player, Hana, from South Korea, the Japanese archipelago cooled down.
Japanese news outlets unanimously reported that South Korea had violated international EU agreements by illegally raiding another country’s Magic Tower, an act comparable to military provocation.
Amid growing public calls for compensation from Korea,
Choi Junseok delivered another dose of torment to Japan.
The next day, he cleared Floor 2 of the Shibuya Magic Tower in 0 seconds, fueling their wild hopes.
Having already set coordinates in Japan, he teleported instantly, entered the Magic Tower, and vanished without a trace.
Recalling the pre-briefed Magic Tower strategy, he summoned the holy sword.
“Summon!”
TUKWAAAANG!
[Congratulations!]
[You have cleared Floor 2.]
[Clear Time: 0 seconds.]
[Would you like to register anonymously in the Hall of Fame? (Y/N)]
[Registered anonymously.]
While Japan was thrown into chaos, another place was quietly shouting in anger.
It was China.
An item managed by the state, the Magic Tower Floor Selection Entry Ticket, had vanished.
China’s Magic Tower Department.
Unlike Korea’s Foreign Ministry or Defense Ministry, it was organized as a separate State Council department, reflecting China’s approach to Magic Towers and players.
The Magic Tower Department was turned upside down.
A furious order was issued from the department, akin to Korea’s Foreign or Defense Ministries.
Ren Haoyong, the head of the Magic Tower Department,
Received a shocking report.
“The last bastion we bought for 32 billion has disappeared.”
“…What?”
“It seems Korea’s Hana hit the Shibuya Magic Tower in Japan.”
“What?!”
A loss of 30 billion in China’s budget was negligible.
The real regret was losing the last bastion, the final card to push a player to their death to challenge Floor 100.
So, the 32 billion wasn’t the issue, nor was the fear of repercussions, but the shock that Korea had invaded Japan’s Magic Tower.
“According to intelligence, Korea designated Japan as a suspect in the Korean player massacre, but Japan refused to cooperate, playing dumb.”
“…So this is retaliation?”
“It seems so. They’re also claiming they didn’t send Hana.”
“My memory of the previous record…”
“It was 27 seconds, but the new record is 0 seconds.”
“What? 0 seconds?”
Who could achieve 0 seconds?
Unless a time-manipulating awakener had appeared, it made no sense.
China, thinking it was a safe item, had paid a premium to Japan, securing it for a hefty sum.
The cost to acquire the item was 170 million yuan, roughly 32 billion won.
The Chinese government had initially planned to spend around 28.5 billion,
But with Japan’s negotiations and strong emphasis on safety, the price had soared to 32 billion.
The premium, over 4 billion, came from the 27-second record.
That hard-earned Magic Tower Floor 100 challenge ticket.
The last resort to challenge Floor 100 without sacrificing top rankers’ strength.
Regret was regret, but his task became clearer.
“Understood. Prepare to contact North Korea.”
“Yes.”
He immediately sent a discreet message to North Korea.
The content was concise.
It meant the Kaesong Magic Tower was in danger.