Juhyeok sat in his officetel with his eyes half-closed, staring blankly at an empty wall.
He'd had a good time for a whole week.
So, with only two days left until the random summon—
What did Juhyeok do?
A shamanistic ritual?
No.
A simple prayer ceremony?
Didn't do that either.
Wall-facing meditation for mental cultivation.
He needed to maintain inner calm.
Just stay composed.
Let go of all desires.
He had barely managed to obtain a trait enhancement.
He had to properly welcome a new addition.
This was the final stretch of a long journey.
After all, if the ending is good, everything is good.
Two days ago, Gyeondallae had said:
"I have already held a prayer ritual for the trait enhancement. Perhaps thanks to that, you achieved great fortune."
"However! The heavens beware those with excessive greed. If one does not know contentment and continues to beg for more, instead of great fortune, one is bound to receive punishment."
Very logical.
If you give someone a rice cake and they ask for another, you don't give them more rice cake—you slap their ears.
"Therefore, this time it would be best to sever desire through mental cultivation. Do not hold any rituals or ceremonies. Simply face the random summon with a peaceful heart."
As expected of Gyeondallae.
Did she really snatch the position of top shaman of the Heavenly Empire just by snapping her fingers?
Following her advice, Juhyeok calmly began wall-facing meditation at home.
He informed his family in advance and turned off his smartphone for two days.
He even put up a sign outside the officetel door that read, Please do not disturb.
He had spoken with Jeon Gwang-il from the Administration two days earlier as well.
During that call, he heard that Gerald Watson would be entering the country via Incheon Airport, but—well, things would work out.
After all, the ten-million-dollar contract was already a done deal.
All summoned individuals were also temporarily on hold.
They agreed to gather when the day came.
And so he devoted himself to wall-facing meditation.
Honestly, he didn't really know what wall-facing meditation even was.
It was basically just staying home and doing nothing.
Something Juhyeok was very good at.
The second day was the same.
Stare at the wall, sleep. Wake up, watch TV, sleep again.
And finally, today.
The day the random summon cooldown ended.
Soon, a new summoned being would appear.
After calling everyone through designated summons—
"Welcome, everyone."
"Yeees."
"Yup."
"···."
A heavy, solemn atmosphere.
Greed was forbidden.
Even a Rare would be enough.
They said that with the current three-person setup, reaching the 50th floor with an S++ would be easy anyway.
'Still, if it's SR··· maybe the heavens will take pity and give SSR··· or if I go crazy, LSSR···,'
No, no!
Greed would ruin everything.
Juhyeok stood up.
Then he moved to the center of the living room.
The moment he opened his mouth, the summoning would begin.
At last—the long-awaited moment!
He took a deep breath and was about to speak when—
"Dugudugudugudugu···"
A sound made with Kosak's mouth.
Juhyeok snapped.
"Hey, seriously!"
"Assassin, be quiet!"
"Mr. Kosak, that's bad luck!"
"···Sorry."
Things were going so well—why did he always have to overdo it?
'Hmph.'
He steadied his mind again.
"Random summon."
[Starting random summon.]
It began.
Hwaaah!
A very small cluster of light floated in midair.
Smaller than expected.
Would it grow?
But—
Hwaaah!
With no special effects at all, the summoned being appeared far too quickly.
Pop!
"···Huh?"
"···."
"···."
"···."
What the heck.
Is that a person?
What kind of person looks like that?
It looked like a fat hamster.
A small body reaching only to Juhyeok's waist, round like a ball. White fur, extremely short limbs, a small backpack on its back, and a helmet-like round hat on its head.
"Hoeh, Summoner-nim. Hello there."
"···Pardon? Ah, yes, hello."
What in the world…?
Name: RajiksGrade: R (Rare)Type: Laborer (Beastfolk)Manifestation Duration: 10 hoursSatisfaction Rating: NoneResummon Cooldown: 3 hours (applies after dismissal)
"···."
A laborer?
And not even human, but Beastfolk.
He knew the summonable range included humans and demi-humans, but—
A laborer was a non-combat summoned being.
In other words, completely useless for climbing the tower.
What was this?
He'd spent two whole days meditating.
Did he get bad luck because he didn't do it properly?
Juhyeok wasn't the only one thinking that.
Everyone had the same look on their face.
Laborer Rajiks seemed to sense the mood.
In a timid, shrinking voice:
"Hoeh··· should I go back?"
Haah.
That innocent expression.
And it was even cute.
Probably a hamster-based Beastfolk.
His heart ached, but—
"I'm sorry, Rajiks. I'll call you again later. There's no room right now."
"Hoehng, okaaay···."
"Dismiss summon."
Spot!
First summon—failure.
It couldn't be helped.
If not now, when would he use it?
Juhyeok pulled out a Skill Cooldown Reset Ticket from his inventory.
The way to use it was to tear it.
"One more time."
"Think of it as warding off bad luck. But he truly was adorable."
"What good is cute? A summoned being has to help with tower climbing, Summoner-nim."
"Summoner, this time it'll work."
He spent about another hour doing wall-facing meditation.
This time, he was truly serious.
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.
··Still, maybe just a tiny bit of greed.
"Kosak,"
"Yes?"
"Dugudugu."
"Pre-ignition!"
Rip!
He tore the ticket.
"Random summon."
[Starting random summon.]
At the same time, Kosak's entrance chant continued.
"Dugudugudugudugudu···"
Hwaaaaaaaaah!
This time, something was different.
Clusters of multicolored light filled the entire room.
Brilliant radiance whirled wildly in the center of the living room.
This kind of phenomenon was a first.
'Could it be…?'
[Achievement: You have successfully summoned an LSSR (Legend Special Super Rare) for the first time.]
"Gah!!!"
Did he hear that right?
He pulled an LSSR?
'Is this a dream, or am I awake?'
This was insane.
He had never even imagined it.
Dopamine—maxed out.
A thrilling sensation surged from his toes all the way to the top of his head.
At this point, trait enhancements or whatever—
They didn't matter anymore.
With an LSSR pulled, the party was complete.
And of course, an achievement.
Right.
Pulling an LSSR and not getting an achievement would be weird.
[Achievement rewards will now be distributed.]
Whoa, even a reward?
'A two-for-one deal.'
How could he not be grateful?
[You may now enter the tower twice per day.]
"···."
No, really, you didn't have to give that kind of reward.
That was basically telling him to work twice a day.
Anyway, time to welcome the LSSR.
The light slowly took on a human form.
Welcome, LSSR summoned being.
Papapapapapap!
The figure became clear.
"Oh!"
An elderly man appeared, hands clasped behind his back in a relaxed posture, wearing an old-fashioned Taoist robe, with white hair and a white beard.
'A-an immortal has descended upon such a humble place…'
Juhyeok hurriedly checked the catalog entry.
< Catalog: The greatest person of past and present, a public enemy of the martial world, the most vicious being of the Jianghu, the mastermind behind seas of corpses and mountains of blood. >
Name: Gwangma ( Mad Demon)Grade: LSSR (Legend Special Super Rare)Type: Martial Artist (Human)Manifestation Duration: 3 hoursSatisfaction Rating: NoneResummon Cooldown: 6 hours (applies after dismissal)
'···.'
Those catalog descriptors were unsettling.
A public enemy of the martial world, seas of corpses and blood, the most vicious.
Even the name—Gwangma, combining madness and demon .
Kind of scary.
Still, Juhyeok bent at the waist in a full ninety-degree bow.
"Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm the summoner, Bong Juhyeok."
"It is my honor as well to meet such a distinguished person. You may call me Gwangma."
Nice!
His manners were impeccable.
Why on earth was someone like this called the Mad Demon?
Then, Gwangma's background story flashed through Juhyeok's mind.
—There is a saying that the state and the martial world never encroach upon one another. The first martial artist to break that taboo was Gwangma. What began as a small dispute between Gwangma and the authorities spread like wildfire, eventually reaching the Imperial Palace.
—After storming the palace, Gwangma beheaded the Emperor and displayed the head in the marketplace. In response, the Martial Alliance, the Unorthodox Sects, and even the Demonic Cult declared Gwangma a public enemy. After a seven-day-and-night battle, Gwangma finally lost his life under the combined assault of the Martial Alliance Leader, the Lord of the Four Evils, and the Demonic Cult Leader.
Scenes flickered through his mind.
Countless warriors dying by Gwangma's hand, Gwangma bursting into mad laughter with blood and flesh splattered across his face.
Gulp.
This was… unsettling.
Still, his combat ability had to be absurdly good.
And since he was a summoned being, he'd obey orders, right?
Besides, there was already one more insane summoned being in the group.
That unhinged assassin, for instance.
Gwangma spoke.
"Those must be your existing companions."
"Yes, that's right. Let me introduce—"
Hm?
What was going on?
Gyeondallae had gone pale.
Kosak stood on full alert.
Gobang was frozen in place.
"That won't be necessary. I have no desire to exchange words with such insignificant things."
"···Huh?"
A creeping sense of unease set in.
Gwangma slowly walked toward the balcony window as he spoke.
"Summoner, may I ask you a few questions?"
"Ah, sure. Go ahead."
"How many towers have collapsed in this world so far?"
Collapsed?
That would be—
"Only one."
"Then that is at least fortunate. What is the highest floor reached so far?"
"The 67th floor. It's the one with undead enemies."
"Ah-ha! That explains why it's still only one."
"Yes?"
"Once you reach the seventies, collapses will start happening everywhere. Wouldn't you agree?"
Juhyeok didn't answer.
He didn't even want to imagine it.
"As you know, Summoner, a tower collapse is an omen of destruction. A collapsed tower will drive itself deep into the ground like a massive nail and change the world itself. Of course, with only one so far, it's still manageable."
Still gazing outside, Gwangma slowly turned around.
"Do you know what the filthiest aspect of tower conquest is?"
"Well, I'm not sure I do—"
"That each tower is bound by nationality. Each awakened individual can only conquer the tower of their own nation. A truly cunning scheme."
Nationally bound towers.
That had always struck many people as strange.
Even now.
"At the very least, Summoner, the nation you belong to will be safe. Even dragging along such worthless trash, conquering the tower would pose no problem at all."
His tone was growing increasingly ominous.
"But what good is it if only your nation survives? When the towers of all other nations collapse, the entire world will perish."
"I, too, do not wish for this world to end. Having emerged into it once more, I would like—if possible—to remain with you for a long time, Summoner."
That was a bit—
"So I shall help you."
"···With what?"
"World conquest."
"···What?"
"To place this world beneath your feet."
Out of nowhere—
World conquest?
He wasn't some shadowy mastermind plotting to rule the world.
Juhyeok could only blink.
"The world must be unified into a single nation. Then you and I together can freely conquer every tower in the world. After all, by summoning me, you even received a tower re-entry benefit."
Huh?
That was… novel.
No need for temporary naturalization or voluntary citizenship.
Just unify every country into one.
For example, if every nation on Earth became South Korea, Juhyeok could enter any tower he wanted.
World conquest.
A clichéd trope found only in movies, novels, or comics.
But was there ever a justification stronger than this?
"Let us begin with your nation. We will kill the politicians who deceive the masses and line only their own pockets. Even if there are tens of thousands of them. And then, Summoner, I will hand all authority over to you."
"And then we move on to the next country. Starting with those whose tower progress is the worst, we do the same—kill the rulers and subjugate each nation one by one. In that way, the moment of annihilation will be pushed much farther back."
Only now did he realize—
The source of his unease.
This man was insane.
Insane even in death.
Compared to him, Kosak was a simple, innocent, normal person.
Blind patriotism?
This kind of blind patriotism would kill you the moment you swallowed it.
Nope. Absolutely not.
"I will stain my hands with blood, Summoner. You will become the sovereign of this world and forge a single nation."
Was that even possible?
More importantly, he didn't want it.
Clutching his pounding chest, Juhyeok managed to speak.
"···P-please don't do that. That's an order. I don't want to be some sovereign."
"It must be done. I cannot obey that command. If it is to save you and this world, it is something that must be done."
Then, with a smile brimming with pride—
"This is Clause Three of my Three Principles."
You son of a—
"Now then, I should be going. There is no time to waste if I am to kill this nation's leader and politicians and place you at the pinnacle of power. Well then—"
That was when—
"Stop!"
Overcoming her fear, Gyeondallae cried out, raising her bell.
Jingle!
"Such reasoning does not justify Clause Three. What you intend to do goes against the mandate of heaven—"
"The mandate of heaven? You milk-stinking wench, what could someone who only shakes a bell possibly know! Everything I do is for the Summoner's sake."
Then Kosak spoke up as well.
"Shut up! You think that's for the Summoner? I can't agree."
"Hahahaha! Didn't you stain your own hands with blood to protect the Summoner as well? And yet you object?"
"I eliminated only direct threats."
"I am no different. The scope of what I consider a threat is merely broader."
Gobang stepped forward.
"Obey the Summoner's words. Otherwise, I will kill you."
"···How absurd. A man who's barely reached the Hwagyeong realm dares to threaten me?"
In an instant, Gwangma's expression changed.
Woooooo—
A storm of qi raged through the living room.
An overwhelming pressure crushed down upon the three summoned beings.
"Ghk!"
"Huaaagh!"
"Urgh!"
Naturally, Juhyeok alone was unaffected.
"Very well. I will kill you. Then things will be quiet for at least a hundred days. Ah! While I'm gone, the Summoner will need someone to guard him, so I'll make an example of just one of you. If that's not enough, perhaps one more."
Shiiing.
No one knew where it came from, but Gwangma was now holding a sword forged of dense, violent qi, leveling it at them.
"So—who will die?"
"The bell-shaking wench?"
"The insolent assassin?"
"Or the foolish bear?"
That was when—
"Sir Gwangma?"
Gwangma turned his head and looked at Juhyeok with a benevolent smile.
"I expected you would try to stop me. But this too is Clause Three of my Three Principles—an expression of my loyalty, born solely from the desire to protect the Summoner."
"Um, I didn't call you to stop you."
"Hm? Then what were you about to say?"
Juhyeok quietly recited,
"Dismiss Gwangma."
"This is—"
Spot!
Gwangma vanished.
So what if he was LSSR?
Only then were the summoned beings released from the crushing pressure.
"Phew."
"Haa, haa."
"Huff, huff… I thought I was gonna die."
It wasn't good luck.
He had pulled something that should never have come out.
"Salt! Where's the salt?!"
Gyeondallae rushed to the kitchen cabinet and brought some salt.
"Ptui, ptui!"
She scattered it generously over the spot where Gwangma had been.
Juhyeok immediately opened his status window and went to the catalog entry.
"Is there no minus rating? Or at least a zero?"
"Unfortunately, one point is the lowest possible score."
Honestly, even one point was too generous.
[Gwangma's satisfaction rating has been set to 1 point.]
He took revenge with a single point.
Still terrifying.
Maybe summoned-being rank didn't represent strength, but how insane they were…
Instead of holding a ritual for trait enhancement, maybe he should hold one for random summoning.
Juhyeok collapsed onto the sofa with an exhausted expression.
His heart was still racing.
The three summoned beings, who looked half-soulless after the ordeal, sat down on the floor as well.
"I'm never summoning him again. Ever."
But then Kosak spoke.
"Um, Summoner Bong."
"What?"
"No matter how batshit crazy that old man is, he might still be useful inside the tower."
"Even if he's useful, I'm not using him."
"Still, might be best to think it over with time."
Such a generous heart.
Did he already forget that the guy had just tried to kill him?
"The girl thinks the same. Even a rusty nail becomes fine once it's polished."
"I agree as well. When we reach higher floors, we'll need him."
Even Gobang and Gyeondallae.
"All right. I'll think about it."
Time passed.
He just sat there silently, trying to calm his startled heart.
The summoned beings did the same.
Only after quite some time had passed did Juhyeok open the status window again.
[Catalog]: John Kosak / Barbarian Meat Shield / Gyeondallae / Rajiks / Gwangma
"Catalog entries can't be deleted, right?"
"That is correct."
What a waste.
If deletion were possible, he'd have deleted that one immediately.
'…Three hours have passed, right?'
He selected Rajiks and gave him five stars.
[Rajiks's satisfaction rating has been set to 5 points.]
At the same time—
"Designated summon: Rajiks."
[Rajiks has been designated-summoned.]
"Hoehng? Why five points?"
"Welcome back, Rajiks."
"Hoeeeh? You're welcoming me?"
"Of course! We're comrades now. Haha."
Seeing Rajiks's cuteness made his heart feel cleansed.
"Oh my! Looking again, he's an angel. An angel!"
As Juhyeok made a fuss—
"That's right. Looks like he'll work hard."
"My goodness, how can you be this cute?"
"Let's get along from now on. I'm Gobang."
Rajiks froze, overwhelmed by the flood of attention.
"All right, all right. To celebrate becoming comrades, let's do a cheering toss."
"Hoehng?"
YO-HEAVE-HO! YO-HEAVE-HO!
Round and plump Rajiks was tossed up into the air like a volleyball in the middle of the living room.
At this rate, someone might spike him.
"Hoeeeh! It's high! Too hiiigh!"
Well, even if he was just a laborer who didn't help with tower conquest, he was a hundred—no, a thousand times better than Gwangma.
'But is his ability really limited to just labor work?'
READ MORE CHAPTER HERE-https://shinchan1.podia.com/wimp-s-strategy-guide-to-conquer-the-tower-chapter-42-50