At the Black Tower of Earth No. 675.
With full summoned-one rotation groups cycling in, they beat him without a shred of regret.
And now—
"Brakios?"*
At just a single word—
"Yes."
Immediate response.
Swoosh! Back into the red gourd.
The one-horned evil dragon, Brakios—his body and even his soul torn to shreds.
This was probably enough.
Juhyeok exited the tower, entered the White Tower, and took the elevator back together with all the summoned ones.
All that remained was the clear.
He should talk with Commander Jeon Seong-il and line up the schedule.
But before that, there was something from Brakios's karma footage that needed to be addressed.
The dimensional traveler, sure—but more than that—
"What exactly is this 'created god'?"
"This maiden has no idea either. The very notion of creating a god is a logical contradiction, is it not?"
Exactly.
If it can be created, then it's already not a god.
"Has Whitey still said nothing? If we ask, maybe it'll tell us."
"Since we came to Earth No. 843, communication's been cut off."
"Even on Earth No. 675 or No. 1001?"
"Yes. It hasn't appeared at all. There's nowhere to ask…."
"If only Earth had a god. We could pray and ask."
Tsk, where would Earth have a god?
In a world fundamentally based on science, there is no god.
That's why the Black Tower was able to invade so easily.
If you really stretch it, there is something similar.
When you think of omniscience and omnipotence—
A being that answers human questions effortlessly, knows everything happening across the world simultaneously, and can act instantly to solve problems.
That would be—
"Artificial intelligence. AI?"
"Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Earth's god."
"Eh?"
"In a way, AI can be considered a created god."
If you ask what could replace the role of a god in a godless world, nine times out of ten people would point to AI.
There are countless SF movies where AI is god.
Whether it's about machines or virtual reality.
In those films, AI is always positioned as god.
Could the 'created god' in Brakios's karma footage be AI?
"No way."
"Right. How would a mere computer create the Black Tower?"
"Exactly. A human, maybe—but not that."
A ridiculous hypothesis.
Even if AI played god—omniscience aside—how would it wield the authority of creation?
In any case, arguing now wouldn't get them anywhere.
They'd find out eventually.
Someday.
Juhyeok contacted Martial Law Commander Jeon Seong-il.
He still hadn't given him residency rights.
You've heard the story, right?
That if two versions of the same soul meet, one of them dies?
Jeon Gwang-il and Jeon Seong-il—different worlds, but they could meet anytime via the elevator.
What if they met by chance in the elevator?
One of them might die—or explode.
Juhyeok went out with Kosak to meet Commander Jeon Seong-il.
When he told him that the 90th-floor boss, Brakios, had been captured—
"…Captured, you say?"
"Yes. He's not dead yet. He's in here."
Juhyeok lifted the red gourd as he spoke.
"If we take this to the 90th floor and release him, the mission will generate. Clear it, and that's success."
Jeon Seong-il stared blankly.
Really? That works?
"Partalon was handled the same way."
"That's right. Easy, isn't it?"
Easy, he says.
"T-then if we clear it, how long will it take?"
"Hmm, one minute? Too short? Then two?"
"…Y-yes."
Jeon Seong-il felt no sense of reality at all.
End the sinkhole waves in two minutes?
"So, about that—this isn't an ordinary event. Wouldn't it be good to hold a ceremony?"
"Y-yes, that's right."
"How about picking an auspicious date and doing it then? Our Great Shaman Kyeondallae is here too—have her choose a lucky day."
"Y-yes, let's do that."
Jeon Seong-il nodded repeatedly.
An event that would shock the entire world.
How could they just gloss over it?
Still, there was something bothering him.
Once the 90th floor was cleared, every country with sinkholes would benefit.
That was the problem.
"So… would it be all right to delay announcing that Brakios has been captured?"
"…What?"
Delay it?
Why?
"…It's just…"
Jeon Seong-il hesitated, then spoke.
"What angers me the most is that China and Japan will also benefit from the clear."
China and Japan.
When they were begging for Chulri Weapons and golems, they acted like they'd hand over Baekdu Mountain, Gando, and Tsushima immediately.
But now?
They were dragging out treaty negotiations with every excuse imaginable.
And if the sinkholes were sealed by the event?
It would become even harder to extract concessions.
"I absolutely can't accept that. Before the event, we'll apply strong pressure and force the treaties through."
Eh, if they won't give it, then fine.
Why go that far?
"Let it go. We don't need to take anything."
"…What? Why?"
"I've already decided."
"D-decided what?"
To delete the Black Tower in both countries.
Of course, after fully clearing the 100th floor.
But if China and Japan kept their promises, deleting the towers would become impossible.
You'd feel too guilty to do it.
Better to not take the land and delete the towers.
Then Kosak, who'd been listening quietly, spoke up.
"Master Bong Summoner."
"…What is it?"
Please don't tell me this is another cliché.
"I think there's a country that should be dealt with before China and Japan."
"Which one?"
"North Korea."
"…Uh…."
China and Japan could be punished later if needed—but North Korea couldn't.
They were already clinging on like parasites.
Jeon Seong-il agreed.
"Kosak is right. Despite sharing the same Black Tower, those bastards gave us no support when the South was in crisis."
So what now?
A preemptive strike?
"Revolution."
"…"
"The people of North Korea on Earth No. 843 deserve to eat white rice and meat soup too."
That damn white-rice-and-meat-soup line again.
Still, Kosak was trustworthy.
He was a former Minister of the People's Armed Forces.
"Well… give it a try."
"Thank you! I shall carry out the task with Juche-style revolutionary spirit, following the will of the great Master Bong Summoner—Ju-hye—"
"That's enough. Stop there."
He was about to start spreading Juhyeok worship again.
"When are you going?"
"If you permit it, I'll go now."
"…Just don't cause an incident."
"Oh come on, anyone watching would think I'm some kind of troublemaker."
Aren't you, though?
Honestly, you are.
—
Pyongyang, North Korea, Earth No. 843.
Chairman Kim Il-jung was in an excellent mood these days.
Ever since seizing power, it had been nothing but smooth sailing.
Naturally so.
Only one tower in the entire world yielded upper-grade magic stones as rewards.
That was the Black Tower of Korea—which shared nationality with North Korea.
How could he not be happy?
Just sit back, open your mouth, and honey flows in.
Burden of climbing uncleared upper floors?
Threat of tower collapse?
Besides, all the sinkholes were in South Korea.
Wave defense was entirely the South's problem.
Just sit still, and everything gets handled for you.
Just like now.
They broke through the undead zone and cleared the 70th floor, enabling rewards of upper-grade magic stones on every floor of the Black Tower.
North Korean players received rewards too.
Upper-grade magic stones were now one of the republic's major exports.
Rare and extremely expensive.
Foreign currency was pouring in.
And that money would be used to solidify his dictatorship.
But maintaining the regime had recently become much more difficult.
Times had changed.
The age of sinkhole waves.
A time when a player's abilities inside the tower manifested in reality.
Because of that, the greatest threat to the current republic was players.
They had to be controlled.
There were many methods.
First, make players monitor other players.
Elevate high-level players as national heroes, shower them with benefits, and have them manage lower-level players.
Another method?
Hostages.
Gather players' families in one place, pretend to treat them well, and hold them as leverage.
Don't do anything stupid.
If anything looks suspicious, you and your family will all be killed.
Even so, Chairman Kim Il-jung didn't feel at ease.
He brought loyal high-level players into the State Security Department to guard him personally.
Of course, safety measures were standard.
Even when working, he stayed in an underground bunker.
"Long live the great Chairman Kim Il-jung!"
"Comrade Park Dong-hyeok, come in."
An interrogation-room-like place in the underground bunker.
Anyone who wished to meet Chairman Kim Il-jung had to be in a room with walls of tower metal on all sides.
They couldn't even see each other's faces.
Communication was via microphone and speaker only.
Park Dong-hyeok, head of the republic's player tower-climbing division, was no exception.
Surrounded by steel walls—and guarded by State Security player agents armed with personal weapons and swords.
Park Dong-hyeok, level 41.
Naturally, his family was in a camp.
Being summoned like this made him extremely uneasy.
Watching Park Dong-hyeok's anxious expression on the monitor, Kim Il-jung let out a snort of laughter.
Reactionary bastard.
In Kim Il-jung's eyes, Park Dong-hyeok was a risk to the dictatorship.
Low level, yet trusted by the republic's players.
It was about time to purge him.
Bringing his mouth close to the microphone, Kim Il-jung spoke.
"Listen here, Comrade Park, Head of Climbing."
The voice echoed through the speaker.
"Yes, Chairman, sir."
"I want to get my hands on Chulri Weapons. What do you think? Is there any way?"
"T-that would require making a request to the South Korean martial law government—"
In an instant—Kim Il-jung exploded in rage.
"Do you think I don't know that? I'm saying this because those sons of bitches are obviously not going to give them up!"
"…If our republic's players were to support the South's sinkhole wave defense—"
"Comrade Park!"
"Yes?"
"Are you insane? You want to sell our republic's players to the South?"
"N-no, that's not it. If we want something, we also have to give—"
"Shut up! I always thought your ideology was impure."
Kim Il-jung continued in a cold voice.
"Comrade Park Dong-hyeok."
"Yes! Chairman, sir!"
"I will give you a mission."
"…J-just say the word."
"Raid the South Korean Joint Chiefs' arsenal in Daejeon and bring back Holy Weapons. Stuff your inventory full."
What?
Park Dong-hyeok looked completely lost.
"A republic player can't even manage that much? Go at once. Ah! If you can also get Rejuvenation Elixirs and disease-curing potions, even better."
Park Dong-hyeok realized it.
This was a purge.
South Korea was full of players higher level than him.
There would surely be terrifying players in Daejeon who had cleared up to the 89th floor.
"You know this, right? If you get caught, there must be no damage to our republic."
Go and die.
Whether he succeeded or failed, he would die.
"Don't worry about your family, Comrade Park. The republic will take responsibility for their care."
Park Dong-hyeok hesitated.
Should he end it here?
His level was 41.
Not even high by republic standards—rather on the low side.
Even so, if he really set his mind to it, he was confident he could at least take a few State Security players down with him.
You die, I die.
But Kim Il-jung?
The supreme ruler of the republic, watching him from behind that wall of tower metal?
The republic's methods for controlling players didn't stop at hostages.
Anyone who awakened as a player was required to have an explosive chip implanted near the cervical vertebrae at the back of the neck.
Press a button, and the chip explodes from inside.
Even players couldn't withstand that.
Unless their level was extremely high.
Well—if they had time to drink a healing potion, maybe they could survive.
The device that detonated the cervical chip was in Chairman Kim Il-jung's possession.
Even now, he might be opening his bag, deciding whether to press the button.
"Phew…"
A dead end.
What choice did he have?
If ordered to die, then die he must.
"I-I understand. I'll go to the South—"
That was when it happened.
Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash.
…
Brilliant light filled the underground bunker.
At the same time—
Slice, slice, slice, slice.
The sound of something being cut.
What on earth was happening?
It all happened in an instant.
Park Dong-hyeok couldn't move.
Neither could the State Security players in the room.
Screech—crack!
Even the tower-metal walls were neatly cut into square sections.
And beyond them—
Chairman Kim Il-jung appeared, wearing a stunned expression.
At the same time—
Thud, thud-thud, thump, thump!
The heads of the State Security player agents fell to the floor.
"…W-what?"
Park Dong-hyeok was utterly shocked.
These were players.
The terrifying State Security players who had purged countless "reactionaries" with guns and blades, loyal only to Kim Il-jung.
And yet their heads were rolling on the floor?
All that had happened was a flash of light.
It didn't feel real.
Like a dream.
Chairman Kim Il-jung was no different.
A flash of light had appeared on the monitor.
Then the walls separating his office from the interrogation room were cut apart.
The trusted State Security agents lay decapitated, their heads scattered across the floor.
"…Could it be Park Dong-hyeok?"
No.
He was frozen in place.
And he didn't have that kind of power.
"…An intruder?"
In that moment—
Swish.
Kim Il-jung felt it.
A cold sensation against his neck.
Gulp.
He swallowed dryly.
It really was an intruder.
Why this was happening didn't matter anymore.
His life was in immediate danger.
If he resisted even slightly, his head would be cut off.
"W-who are you?"
"Me? Minister of the People's Armed Forces, Kosak."
"…What?"
Kim Il-jung's eyes trembled like aspen leaves.
Kosak? The Minister of the People's Armed Forces?
"I-I don't believe such a person exists."
"Of course not. I'm from a parallel-universe Earth."
"Ah!"
Kim Il-jung knew well.
The top player currently shaking the world.
He had also heard that man came from a parallel universe.
Was this him?
"Y-you're from a parallel-universe republic?"
"No."
"…Then why call yourself the Minister of the People's Armed Forces?"
"That's none of your business. Ha! I even prepared a video message, but I guess I won't need it."
A video message?
"Chairman of Earth 843, you have no potential for reform. Truly vicious, you are."
"…What?"
"Farewell."
Slice!
Kim Il-jung's head fell.
Park Dong-hyeok's mind went blank.
Was what he was seeing real?
In Pyongyang, the supreme leader's head had been severed—
By a player claiming to be the Minister of the People's Armed Forces of a parallel-universe North Korea.
And now that terrifying man was looking at him.
He had no idea what to say.
"Why look so shocked? Think of it as a revolution."
"…Uh…"
"Don't worry. I'll let you live. You'll soon be eating white rice and meat soup."
Park Dong-hyeok nodded without thinking.
Yet unease still gnawed at him.
The death of the republic's supreme leader—
Could the aftermath really be handled?
The entire country would be thrown into chaos.
Civil war might even follow.
But he couldn't say anything.
The intruder's gaze was sharp enough to cut flesh.
Suddenly—
Swoosh!
The man reached into his clothes.
Flinch.
Park Dong-hyeok jumped in fright.
A knife?
Was he going to kill him too?
But—
"…Huh?"
What he pulled out looked like a radio—
Probably a satellite phone.
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.
He dialed a number.
"Connecting! Hehe, Master Bong Summoner, it's me. Minister of the People's Armed Forces, Kosak."
…What?
That flippant voice?
An eunuch? A sycophant?
It didn't match the murderous figure from moments ago at all.
Juhyeok was in the White Tower.
They had decided to clear the 90th floor after Commander Jeon Seong-il's press conference.
So he had nothing to do for now.
He was about to sleep—
Bzzz!
The satellite phone rang.
It was provided by Commander Jeon Seong-il.
So he could be contacted anytime, anywhere.
It used a satellite system called Planet Link.
Apparently it had been developed by Lumitri—the former richest man who had triggered Kabalon's curse by climbing the 70th floor.
In any case, the person carrying this phone was Kosak.
So the call must be from North Korea.
"Hello?"
—Connecting! Hehe, Master Bong Summoner, it's me. Minister of the People's Armed Forces, Kosak.
The voice from the receiver.
Something felt off.
He usually talked like that after causing trouble.
"Did you… not cause an incident in North Korea, did you?"
—S-sorry. I already caused one. Principle Three, Clause Three. Hehehe.
Sigh.
"…What kind of incident?"
—I tied a ribbon on Chairman Kim Il-jung's head.
It's chaos. Absolute chaos.
You killed the supreme leader?
Something even their own Earth hadn't done because of the aftermath.
—So, about that, I have a favor to ask.
"What kind of favor?"
—I think we'll need to bring over Chairman Kim In-jung from Earth 1001.
Chairman Kim In-jung of their Earth's North Korea?
"Why that man all of a sudden—ah!"
He got it.
He didn't know the exact details, but Earth 843's North Korean supreme leader, Kim Il-jung, was dead.
Leaving it like this would cause problems—
So they'd bring in Kim In-jung from Earth 1001, a parallel-universe counterpart.
"As a stand-in?"
—Haha, exactly! We really are on the same wavelength, Master Bong Summoner.
—They look identical, right? No one will notice.
True enough.
Who would know?
Anyway, Kosak's scheming brain really was something else.
He must have planned this from the start.
But still—
What would Chairman Kim In-jung think when he learned his parallel-universe self had been killed?
He'd even prepared a video message, apparently.
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