It has been 20 years since the pitch-black tower was built.
It was a sleek cylindrical building with a black exterior, tall and of a scale that was on a whole other level than the typical high-rise buildings.
One or three were established in each country around the world.
South Korea has one.
The location is a mountain in Hwacheon, Gangwon-do.
When the towers first appeared out of nowhere one morning, armies from all over the world were mobilized, and scientists and the media gathered to find out what it was.
But no one could get close to the tower.
It’s visible but physically blocked.
It seemed as if it did not allow human entry.
It was the same in heaven.
What the heck is that?
Why did you show up?
No one knew until the players showed up.
The facts they found out when they showed up:
The tower is there for you to climb.
Who?
Of course, the players.
Those who are qualified to enter the tower.
The number of players relative to the total population is estimated to be 0.01% to 0.02%.
Between 700,000 and 1.5 million people out of the world’s 7 billion population.
South Korea, approximately 5,000 to 10,000 people out of a population of 50 million.
Only players could enter and exit the tower whenever and wherever they pleased, ignoring the constraints of space and time.
What if they enter the tower?
Carry out tasks assigned to each floor.
Climbing the tower is like a game.
Inside the tower, players climb the tower while carrying out difficult missions using their powerful abilities and skills.
Basically, players are independent.
Party or cooperative climbing is not possible.
It is completely impossible to do so.
Even if you perform the same task on the same floor, the phases are different.
There is no need to meet each other inside the tower.
Alone, without anyone’s help.
A single player determines the fate of a nation.
If you succeed in your mission, you will receive a reward.
In the real world.
The magic stones they brought have become an essential resource in today’s industry.
The rewards increase as you go up.
But no one knows how many floors of the tower there are.
The country that climbed the highest was the United States, which had 66 floors and two towers, and both succeeded in reaching the 66th floor.
Korea also has a very good climbing speed.
I went up to the 65th floor.
One level difference from the United States.
So why should you climb?
Is it necessary to keep going up?
It’s not just about the rewards.
If you don’t climb the upper floors that have not been conquered, the tower will collapse.
The deadline is approximately 6 months.
In it, one of the players must climb to the upper floor that has not been conquered.
What if the upper layer doesn’t update?
[Notice: Climbing the Black Tower of △△ Country is slow.]
[Notice: The tower collapse countdown is activated.]
[Notice: The countdown stops when you successfully climb an unexplored upper floor.]
Finally,
[Notice: The black tower of country △△ is collapsing.]
The collapse of the tower.
A huge disaster.
It’s not just the tower that’s collapsing.
The ground around the city where the tower stood splits, magma erupts, and huge sinkholes appear everywhere, completely destroying the entire city.
That was India three years ago.
There are three towers in India.
New Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai.
Among them, the Mumbai Black Tower climb stopped at the 43rd floor, and the incident occurred about 180 days later.
Over ten million people died, and Mumbai is now a lost city.
It doesn’t end when one thing disappears.
A new tower has risen in Chennai, India.
So there are still three black towers in India.
It collapses and is created again.
Thus, tower climbing became an issue that the national government had to directly address.
The country has created and manages a separate ‘elite top climbing team.’
There is not much a country can do in top climbing.
It can help you bring items into the tower, take care of the player’s mental health, or provide strategy information.
Anyway, the only people who can enter the tower are the players.
Since I’m a civilian outside the tower, I need personal protection.
Players also have a time limit to conquer the game.
If you do not enter the tower for more than 3 months, your qualification will be revoked.
So the country was desperate to secure and manage talented players.
Bong Joo-hyuk returned home after finishing his part-time job at a meat restaurant.
I told you in advance that I would rest tomorrow.
I also called the convenience store owner.
‘Let’s go into the tower.’
I’m just trying to take a picture.
If it’s too much, just spit it out.
If you do nothing for three months, it will just pass by.
[Universal Skill]: Tower Entry (once a day)/Top-only inventory
Since I’ve already decided, I’ll do it now.
I’ve already researched what the first floor is like.
The mission is to subdue monsters.
The defense is quite high, but the attack power is almost non-existent.
Just hit him, and it’s over.
It’s tough, so it doesn’t die easily, but…
“Okay, then…”
For a moment!
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
Should I summon the crazy assassin John Cossack?
Isn’t there a slightly better direction?
Calling out anyone else in their right mind besides John Cossack.
Do you know?
Will the Legend Special Super Rare grade float?
Good.
Let’s try it and then think about it.
One more random summon.
But…
[Random summoning is not possible.]
[Random summoning cooldown is 28 days, 11 hours, 08 minutes, 37 seconds left.]
‘…There was a cooldown?’
I guess about a month.
The Cossack summoning time is 3 hours.
That makes sense.
It doesn’t really cost any money, and since there’s no cooldown time, you can just keep pulling them out until you get a good grade.
Let’s just call the Cossacks.
SR, Super Rare is also a very good grade.
You don’t know that I was trying to call someone else besides you?
I wish I didn’t know.
Then…
“Summon John Cossack!”
Hwaaaat! Paaaat!
This time again, a message popped up asking me to rate my satisfaction.
[Before the designated summon, please leave a satisfaction rating for John Cossack.]
Sorry, 5 out of 5.
[John Cossack has been summoned.]
“Summoner Bong, thank you for the 5 points. Loyalty! Just give me orders.”
Aaaah!
What a refreshing person.
“I’ve decided. Let’s go into the tower.”
“Ohhh! Already? That’s brave. … Ah, no, I’ll take back what I just said. You shouldn’t be brave.”
“Don’t worry. I’m just going to have a taste and then get out.”
“As expected, you are smart. Once you enter the tower, don’t move a finger. I will drive comfortably and safely.”
John Cossack rubbing his palms together and acting cute.
Joo-hyuk nods his head as if satisfied.
You don’t know?
The fact that you were trying to call someone else just a moment ago.
I’m sorry if you know.
“Shall we go? By the way! Can we enter together from here?”
“Oh my, we have to go together. I am the Summoner’s tool and hunting dog. Hehe.”
Okay?
Then what…
Top entrance.
The current time is 11:00 PM.
The entry cooldown time is one day.
That means, even if you go in now, you can still go in an hour later at 12 midnight.
But is it really necessary to be so diligent?
[Would you like to enter the Black Tower of the Republic of Korea?]
[The current available floor is 1.]
Of course.
“To the first floor.”
Papat!
In Bong Joo-hyuk’s studio,
He and John Cossack disappeared at the same time.
[Enter the first floor of the Black Tower of the Republic of Korea.]
Finally got in.
System messages are pouring in at the same time.
[Physical abilities are improved according to level.]
[Trait and combat skills can be used.]
Automatically improves physical abilities…
It was subtle, but I felt like it had gotten stronger.
Even though it’s only level 1.
“I’m going to move. Please follow me.”
The entrance is a safe zone.
You have to go further inside to get the mission.
Then, when a mission appears, start the attack.
Tiring!
[1st floor mission: Kill 5 Tough Leather Fatty Maggots.]
[Completion time: Within 2 hours.]
[Completion condition: 0/5 Tough Leather Fatty Maggots.]
[Failure condition: Death or abandon mission.]
The mission is simple monster subjugation.
But nothing is simple for Joohyuk.
‘Ha,’
I’m so worried.
You want me to catch a maggot?
A wasteland without a single blade of grass.
Maggots crawling all over the place.
Its size is that of a dog raised indoors.
I don’t even know where the front is.
There are no hands or feet, no eyes, no nose, no mouth.
So there would be no means of attack.
Instead,
‘The leather is tough.’
It means that it is difficult to kill easily.
That’s true, actually.
From what I’ve heard from other players, you can only catch one every 30 minutes at best.
There are even players who fail missions because they are hesitant.
Well, if you fail, you won’t die though.
The first floor is a place to test your skills.
The fat, leathery maggots crawling around there are a kind of scarecrow concept.
Do you think Mr. Cossack can do it?
Typically, players with the Summon Trait share levels with their summons.
If Joohyeok is level 1, then John Cossack is also level 1.
But since it is displayed as a grade instead of a level, it seems different.
“You know the mission on the first floor, right?”
“Pressure!”
“Then let’s go.”
“Loyalty! I will follow your orders.”
Spot!
A Cossack disappears from the spot.
“Huh?”
Where did you go?
In the blink of an eye, a maggot appeared in front of me.
“Blade explosion.”
He swung a red-hot dagger.
Spirit!
Phew!
Phew!
A fat maggot with a chewy, leathery body that bursts out.
“…And.”
That easy?
Just one.
“I’ll finish it quickly.”
Skills used by John Cossack.
If a maggot gets stuck in your body, it will burst.
Spirit! Phew! Phew! Spirit! Phew! Phew! Spirit! Phew! Phew…
Two, three, four… and the last fifth.
[Kill Tough Leather Fatty Maggots 5/5.]
[You have successfully completed the 1st floor mission.]
[Level up.]
[Reward: 100g of Magic Stone.]
Following that…
[Notice: You have achieved S++ level of strategy for the 1st floor of Black Tower (Korea).]
[S++ Strategy Reward: Platinum Badge awarded.]
‘…What is this,’
It’s so smooth.
At least not level 1.
And S++ strategy level.
Are there grades for the strategies?
‘That would be good.’
I don’t know what it is, but it’s definitely something great.
So there are two rewards.
Usually, only magic stones are accepted.
‘Platinum badge…,’
What is this item used for?
I think it’s given for achieving the S++ strategy level.
[You can challenge the 2nd floor.]
[Exit the Black Tower of the Republic of Korea.]
Spot!
The environment changed in an instant.
It was Joo-hyuk’s studio.
‘This is home.’
You’re already back after completing your mission?
‘How much time has passed?’
I entered at 11 o’clock.
But now it’s 11:03.
Only three minutes have passed.
The time it took to read the message on the first floor was about 1 minute.
It took about 1 minute to get to the mission area.
The actual time it took to kill the maggots was…, 1 minute, no, it probably didn’t even take 1 minute.
“Thank you for your hard work. Hehe.”
John Cossack smiling brightly.
“I was just sitting there doing nothing.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“…”
Is this a dream?
Spirit! Phew! Phew! Then he came back with a Spot!
‘It’s really easy, right?’
In the status window, [Level]: 2LV
I heard that it ends when other people are exhausted from beating maggots to death.
Let’s check if the reward has arrived.
Top-exclusive inventory.
It works outside too.
However, only rewards received from the tower can be put in and taken out, and no other items can be put in.
‘…There it is.’
100g of magic stone.
Also a platinum badge.
It was a real, physical badge.
‘Are you telling me to wear it on my chest?’
What the hell are you talking about?
I took the magic stone out.
A shiny, fingernail-sized piece of stone.
The price for 100g is around 50,000 won at the current market price.
That’s because the price of magic stones is falling day by day.
It was quite expensive in the beginning.
That is, when mankind first obtained the magic stone.
It’s a lot more relaxed now.
‘The first person to conquer it must have made a lot of money.’
I heard that each tower has an initial attack system.
The first player to complete each floor’s mission will receive a reward 10 times, or up to 50 times.
Is the reward only the magic stone?
If you complete a high-rise mission above the 30th floor, you will receive a series of extraordinary items.
‘But you still earned 50 thousand won.’
And that too in just 3 minutes.
He chuckles, and the face of the Cossack next to him lights up.
“Should we get some snacks? What do you like?”
“I’ll eat anything.”
“How about pig’s feet?”
“…Father, is it a problem?”
“No, with garlic pig’s feet.”
“Garlic too…, spicy, spicy,”
This is a serious map-slinger.
“Then I’ll order it with the normal front legs.”
“Hehehe, I’ll eat well. Thank you for your kindness.”
What grace can you give me with pig’s feet?
“But Mr. Cossack.”
“Pressure!”
“Is that your normal way of speaking?”
“What part are you talking about?”
“No, it’s too short, it’s too short.”
“That, that’s because I’ve been hanging out with the old summoner for a long time…”
Aha.
Is this like your ex-boyfriend’s work?
In this case, it would be a former Summoner’s work.
“I will fix the discomfort in your hearing.”
LUNA-CAVE
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