Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Ordinary Guy's Tower clear 157
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One of the great perks of owning the 17th floor of the White Tower?
A super private space just for Joo-hyuk and his summoned beings.
Now they could crank up the festivities without a care—blasting music, partying hard, no holds barred.
No complaints about noise between floors or sound pollution. Nobody to tell them to pipe down.
Time to party for real.
Screaming at the top of their lungs, hosting events and all.
After polling the summoned beings, they decided on a singing contest.
They whipped up a makeshift stage in no time.
Set up a karaoke machine and massive speakers too.
It's a contest, so gotta stoke some rivalry.
Grand prize: one Platinum Badge.
No matter how many badges he had, he could spare one for the winner.
Gyeon Dal-rae was tapped as judge.
She didn't seem to crave badges.
Or maybe she lacked confidence in her singing...
The contest kicked off.
First up: Kosak, as expected.
"K-pop's rising star, topping album charts nationwide, flower of unification and People's Defense Minister, leader of the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble—nice to meet you! Kosak who whistled last night too."
Grabbing the mic.
Poking in his number.
Out came the backing track.
A ballad.
A pretty famous one at that.
"What to do? What should I do? Dare I, dare I with her... I love her."
Song over.
Karaoke machine score: 80 points.
Meh.
"Hmph, not thrilled with the score, but I held my own."
But Gyeon Dal-rae ruled:
"You're out."
"...Huh? Why?"
"Doesn't fit the vibe, poor pronunciation tanks the lyrics delivery."
"..."
"Any complaints? Bold move singing a banned karaoke track. Might've let it slide if you'd nailed it."
Next, the human holy sword Bardin.
Poke poke poke poke.
"Light!!!"
Whoosh!
The stage lights flared up on their own.
"In the dark night, pitch-black night, setting off to find dawn. Bells ring, roosters crow, but in my eyes... Shiloh..."
A holy knight's hymn.
Praise of glory.
Bam, bapapapa bam!
Karaoke score: 100 points.
But.
"Out!"
"Gasp!"
No mercy from Gyeon Dal-rae.
"Why?"
"Why bust out a hymn outta nowhere? It's not even your god."
"Uh, liked the lyrics..."
"Out regardless."
Diarmat stepped up too.
In a white blouse and breezy blue skirt—who knows where she got them.
"A song for Master. I picked something trendy."
Poke poke poke poke.
The number entered.
With light steps, one hand mic, the other stretched out—cute, peppy vocals with cute dances.
"Ah, my love, riding the southern wind, blue..."
Bam, bapapapa bam! 100 points.
Gyeon Dal-rae's score?
"Out!"
"Why?"
Diarmat looked baffled.
"My mood's soured badly."
"But why..."
"Tch! Don't touch the mic next time."
Of course, everyone else knew why Diarmat was out.
She sang a Japanese song.
Though Gyeon Dal-rae was holding back big time.
Back in the day, she'd have roared, "You wench! Singing enemy songs?!"
Eh, people sing Japanese tunes sometimes.
I heard K-pop's blowing up in Japan these days anyway.
But nationalism reigns supreme.
Works in any medium.
Wanted first place? Should've sung a patriotic banger.
Failed to read the judge's tastes—rookie mistake.
Razix grabbed the mic too.
But.
"Hoe-e, hoe, hoe-e-e-et! Hoo..."
"Out."
"Hweung."
Poor Razix.
The lyrics were on screen, but he just hoes along? Instant out.
Next: Sergeant V, Jepetto, even Gobang took the mic.
But the winner?
Sergeant V, whose only song rep was military marches.
"Charge! Sergeant Veronica Caliber! Thank you!"
He handed her a badge.
Now she had seven total.
"Summoner Bong, sing one too."
"Nah."
"Aw, c'mon..."
"Shh! Don't even suggest it."
"Yessir!"
No song requests allowed.
He couldn't sing.
He was tone-deaf as hell.
Joo-hyuk had hit coin karaoke solo a few times back in the day.
Best score: low 40s.
How could he perform here?
The singing contest wrapped up successfully, and the party rolled on.
Joo-hyuk got curious.
What was their shut-in alchemist up to?
He took his tablet out.
<Real Man>: Mari? Bored? Come join the fun?
<Mari>: Nah, watching's plenty fun♪♪♬
Fair enough.
They were killing it.
<Real Man>: Next time for sure. You sing too.
<Mari>: Yes♡♡♡
Joo-hyuk set up a booze sesh with the Mad Demon.
Pulled out all the liquor he'd stockpiled.
Mari-brewed herbal soju.
Fancy Chinese stuff too.
Passing bottles back and forth.
"Nice."
"Agreed."
Today: nothing but chilling on 17.
Work comes after.
First: random summon.
Time for a new family member.
Then a welcome party.
He had to show that Apophis hide to Chief Jeon Gwang-il too.
Check its marketability.
If viable, skin and supply it.
"Anyway, floors 81 and 82 were twisty rides."
"Yeah. Nonstop chaos."
Just two floors.
But they were total rollercoaster spectacles.
Floor 81: difficulty spiked with ultra-giant Titan Behemoth—nuked its core dead. The reward? They freed Kosak's dad's soul.
Floor 82: apology for admin overreach and probability tweaks—got clear rewards. The mission tied to Razix's trauma, they'd nailed it. The rewards were massive.
He thought it'd be bad news, unsolvable even.
Turned positive, huge luck payoff.
If not Lady Luck, what was helping him?
And he checked the haul.
Catalog expansion, mega haul of high-grade mana stones, even a trait enhancement rune.
He was grateful to both the old and new admins.
"All thanks to you, Summoner."
"Aw, stop. Not like I'm all that. Did zilch."
"Hahaha, no flattery!"
The Mad Demon downed herbal soju and continued.
"Who first thought of the core strat? You, Summoner."
Well, true.
"Plus on floor 82: you used the reset ticket for a perfect clear time."
Hm.
He used two total on 81-82.
None were left now.
"Your quick calls made it happen, heh heh."
"Aw, shucks. I couldn't do squat without you all."
Good vibes, he poured one.
Glug glug.
"Whoa, lemme pour too."
Received.
"Cheers!"
The Mad Demon was right: reset tickets were huge.
No tickets, no S+++ badge, They'd likely have had to skip the hidden quest.
But he burned 'em all...
He wondered where to restock.
Perks? The hype's dead, don't count on it.
Right then!
Roll roll.
It was the Ultimate Worker tumbling with his golden broom.
A sight that sparked a memory.
During past shortages: Razix's fragment hunts paid off big.
He even scored trait enhancement rune.
'Not collecting anymore?'
He asked him.
"Razix!"
"Hoeng!"
Being called, he rolled over.
Roll roll.
"Did you find tickets and fragments while harvesting hides and mining ore?"
Razix tilted his head.
Hm? Something was off?
"Hoe, lots."
"...Pardon?"
What?
Lots of what?
"Hoe."
Razix reached out.
In that instant!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Endless paper scraps, stone bits, junk, trash poured out.
"I collected lots of fragments. Hoe."
"..."
What the hell?
These were all runes and ticket pieces?
When'd he gather this?
"Why no heads-up... hm."
Duh!
He Never asked.
Messages were flying nonstop.
"Whoa."
Insane.
They were rapidly sticking together, and messages were popping out.
Tickets only?
No, runes too.
Holy crap.
His mind was blown.
His jaw dropped on its own.
Couldn't close it.
Oh, Razix.
You pulled off the heist of the century.
How would he atone for this crime?
And Ordinary Guy's heart might explode.
"Worker Razix."
"Hoe?"
"Badges? How many? Name your price."
"Hua..."
Perks, achievements? Who cares.
Razix is the real perk.
It was an overnight rags-to-riches vibe?
His inventory was stuffed with tickets and runes.
If he had one gripe: it was that there were no trait enhancement runes.
Eh, greed's no good.
His momentum was hot.
Keep rolling.
'Straight to random summon!'
Joo-hyuk called the summoned crew to the penthouse.
Mari too.
Ten sans Hyeolrang.
Hyeolrang stays to romp on 17.
There was no choice.
He was the easiest target, right?
Pet lovers might pout.
But people first.
The trait enhancement rune already used.
So.
One slot free—perfect for random summon.
Wonder who?
"No duds, right?"
"None. Though sanity is not guaranteed."
"True. The Infinite prison breaks even normal people."
Eh, fine.
Anyone works.
"Haha, guess I'm lucky. I've pulled only gems. I'm grateful every day. You all feel that, yeah?"
Dead silence from the crew.
"...Nah?"
"Ahem!"
"Hrm!"
"W-Well..."
"Tch."
Fair.
Hard to affirm.
Kosak ribboned a loan shark on arrival, dim Gobang, bellowing Gyeon Dal-rae, pint-sized beastkin Razix, the crazu Mad Demon, sleepy Sergeant V, zealot Bardin, social-phobe Mari, vampire Jepetto, the defector Diarmat...
So what?
Results speak: they were irreplaceable now.
He had no worries this time either.
Anyone's fine.
Quirky's okay.
'Here we go.'
Oof, random summon jitters after so long.
"Wait! Hold up."
"Why?"
"...Uh, the catalog is expanded for sure?"
Kosak was uneasy.
No expansion = oldest entries deleted first.
"I did it. Twice."
"Y-Yes."
Okay then.
"Random Summon!"
Brilliant light bloomed.
Whoosh!
Brightness and hue tell grade.
Weaker for lowers.
Intense, multicolored? At least SSR, maybe LSSR.
This? Blinding.
Prismatic too.
So...
Whoosh!
Light vanished in a flash.
There.
Right in front.
Looked like Mad Demon: elderly with white hair.
Hands clasped at chest, muttering to himself.
"Please, let it be my turn this time. It has to be me! I'm going out! God! Heave-ho! Heave-ho!! Heave-ho!!!"
Eh?
Why this on arrival?
'...Catalog info?'
Ah, a mage.
'...'
He live-streamed his own death.
Via a meteor even.
'This guy's no normie.'
Then.
Sensing a change, the new summon Mackenzie Dronak snapped his head up.
"...Whoa."
He glanced around and spotted the Mad Demon.
"Oh!"
Kosak, Veronica, Gyeon Dal-rae, Razix... everyone made eye contact.
"Ooh!"
Finally Joo-hyuk.
"Ooooh!"
He raised right hand, and snapped his fingers. Snap!
Instant!
Swoosh.
Living room plunged dark.
Then.
Bang bang, bang bang bang!
Rainbow mini fireworks lit up the penthouse.
That was not all.
He pulled paper from his pocket and ripped it.
Pop pop!
White light sources spawned midair.
Two spotlights.
One on Joo-hyuk, one on Mackenzie.
Rose petals swirled in the beams.
9th circle showman mage Mackenzie spread arms wide to Joo-hyuk, strode forward.
The spotlight followed.
What?
Was this a concert venue?