Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Lawyer's Offer
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Joo-hyuk wasn't unaware of what Kosak was worried about.
His awakening trait was Summoning.
Rather than fighting directly, the beings called forth through summoning bore the majority of a summoner's combat power—that was the summoner's way of battle.
There was no need to fight personally.
This was especially true for Joo-hyuk.
He wasn't an ordinary summoner, but an Irregular. If he drew high-grade summons, or used trait-enhancing runes or privileges to increase the number of simultaneous summons, he could practically climb the Tower while taking it easy.
'Anyway, I need to clear the 21st floor.'
From floors 21 to 25, Orcs appeared.
This was a section where casualties had surged in the early days of the Tower.
Back then, it was utter chaos.
There was a sudden, massive increase in people disappearing for unknown reasons.
Nowadays, with high-performance items readily available and successful strategy videos easy to find, almost no players died here anymore, but...
'I still need to be careful, right?'
Even though he felt confident, he had no intention of being reckless.
'Who am I to be overconfident?'
That person in some parallel universe who had the same trait and skills as him—Kosak's former summoner.
Did he die because he lacked ability?
He was surely stronger than Joo-hyuk is now.
He must have been decked out in privileges too.
And yet, he died.
The world he lived in was also destroyed.
That's why Joo-hyuk understood Kosak's worried feelings well. It wasn't like he didn't know why Kosak kept sighing deeply.
But I'm human too.
I've just started to enjoy the thrill of being a real man.
And I learned a new skill, so I have to try it out at least once.
'I can persuade him. His basic rule is absolute obedience, after all.'
He called Gobang.
He called Kosak.
"...Hooong! I'm heeere."
Why does he look so sullen?
His shoulders were slumped dejectedly.
"Did something unpleasant happen...?"
"..."
Was it because of the attack skill he acquired yesterday?
Kosak opened his lips and continued.
"...Acquiring an attack skill could become poison. Honestly, I was uneasy even on the 20th floor. It was fine only because they were Goblins..."
Right.
The attack skill was indeed the cause.
It seemed he thought Joo-hyuk would step forward again to try out the skill, which could lead to danger.
"It was fine up to Goblins, but it won't work from Orcs onward. I'll say this in advance and apologize. I will commit the crime of treason. Summoned Being Principle Clause 3 will be invoked."
"...Huh?"
What?
That damn Clause 3?
The one that states a summoned being's free will can manifest to defy obedience for the sake of the summoner's life?
"Uh..."
"This is the only way."
Calm down.
As he'd experienced before, the recognition scope of Clause 3 was broad.
If this continued, he might not even get to swing his mace once.
If you look into it, the S++ clear is also related to Clause 3.
It's about finishing the conquest before the summoner is endangered.
Additionally, it's about accumulating platinum badges to draw out privileges and make the summoner stronger.
It seemed Kosak thought Joo-hyuk's actions had crossed a line.
His intention was to completely cut off any sprout of danger.
"...Are you saying you'll tie me up or something? With a butterfly knot?"
"How would we tie you up? Gobang will just safely hold onto Summoner Bong. I'll handle the conquest alone."
Joo-hyuk looked at Gobang as if to ask, "Are you really going to do that?"
"..."
Gobang quietly averted his eyes.
So they had conspired together.
"Come on, give me a break. Just this once, I'll be careful from now on."
"I can't trust you."
Sharp.
Does he have some kind of truth-discernment eye?
There was no other way.
Sincerity! He had to approach this with sincerity.
Mind control.
He repeated it inwardly.
From now on, he would be careful, and then more careful.
He wouldn't rush out recklessly.
He would be cautious with his body.
Safety first.
That's it.
"For real! I stake everything on it! I won't step forward first ever again."
"...Is that truly the case?"
"But just sitting around doing nothing is pointless, so I'll take down exactly one. Carefully, slowly. That much should be okay, right?"
Kosak pondered.
"Just trust me this once! Safety first! I'll be extra cautious!"
Then,
"If you insist... then fine! But! I will provide an escort right beside you. If a dangerous situation arises, I will intervene immediately."
"Deal!"
"Roger!"
Whew.
What a relief.
Kosak's voice was firm.
The persuasion had worked.
Kosak's agreement, after considering levels, equipment, skills, etc., meant he deemed it somewhat safe.
Joo-hyuk was also reassured.
"Alright, shall we go?"
To the 21st floor.
From the 21st floor onward, Orcs appeared.
The type here were the common green-skinned Forest Orcs.
Individually, they were stronger than Goblins.
However, their slightly lacking intelligence was their weakness, if you could call it that.
"Orcs are stupid. Of course, they're probably smarter than Gobang."
"I am smarter than Orc."
"Yeah, yeah, shut up."
Even if they're dumb, look at their bodies.
They were muscular all over.
If he ever got caught by an Orc, his limbs would be torn apart, and he'd die before even getting a chance to use a healing potion.
It was a good thing he promised to take down only one.
"Anyway, Summoner Bong, make good use of Shadow Step. It's perfect for deceiving Orcs. They'll just chase after the shadows and tire themselves out."
"Don't worry, I'll only take down one, so trust me and leave it to me."
"Yes, sir."
After equipping his gear in the safe zone first,
"Wait a bit. Let's practice exactly ten times before we go."
Let's practice before going.
The mission needed to appear for the conquest to start.
"You can practice a hundred times if you wish."
Joo-hyuk held a shield in his left hand and the Adamant Mace in his right.
Skill: Primordial Thunderbolt Staff, First Form: Falling Thunder Soul Chaser.
Whoosh!
Mana concentrated into the mace.
The first form was a simple vertical strike.
However, its speed and power were anything but simple.
Crack!
Thud!
A mace descending like a single streak of lightning.
'Is this right?'
Once more.
Crack!
Thud!
He swung it about five or six more times like that, but...
"Hmm."
He still wasn't satisfied.
Seeing this, John Kosak said,
"How can you practice properly without a target to attack?"
"Right? I think I need to try it in actual combat..."
"Even so, jumping straight into real combat is too much. You need sufficient proficiency for it to be effective."
"Then what should I do?"
"There is a way."
Kosak turned his head and looked at Savage Gobang.
"Gobang."
"Speak, assassin."
"Kneel down for a moment."
"A warrior does not kneel to just anyone."
"Not to me, but to Summoner Bong."
"I will kneel."
Thump!
Joo-hyuk and Savage Gobang's eye levels became almost equal.
Then, a thought instantly occurred to him.
He could feel it coming.
"...Uh."
Surely not that?
"Here! We have a practice dummy, Gobang. Go ahead and give him a good whack."
"..."
Sigh.
Have they really lost their minds?
"You want me to hit Gobang?"
"Isn't it great? Even if you hit him with all your might, he won't get a scratch. He's perfect for practice."
"..."
"I'm too weak... Hehehe."
Then, Savage Gobang also said,
"Summoner, you can hit me. It won't hurt."
"See? He says it's fine, so give him exactly ten hits and then we can start."
"..."
This is driving me crazy.
Kosak was telling him to hit, and Gobang saying it's okay to be hit.
They're both the same.
What was Joo-hyuk's choice?
It wasn't even worth contemplating.
"Let's go receive the mission."
"Ah, no, just ten hits..."
"Shh! If you keep this up, I'll charge in alone, you know?"
"Yes, sir! I'll be quiet."
After leaving the safe zone, a moment later.
"Shall we begin?"
"I'll go first!"
"I go too."
Joo-hyuk stayed behind.
He had promised to take down only one, so he had to keep his word.
Grah! Grook! Groonk!
Making strange noises, Forest Orcs poured out in droves.
He remembered a video he saw on YouTube.
A video of a summoner player summoning a golem to conquer this floor.
'That player was level 30, right?'
While reminiscing, the Forest Orcs were being swept away.
At this rate, he might not get to take down even one.
He needed to choose quickly.
Suddenly!
One Forest Orc separated from the group and was left alone.
'That one looks suitable...'
Joo-hyuk made eye contact with Kosak.
Can I take that one?
Nod.
Kosak nodded his head.
"Okay!"
Swish!
Approaching in a single bound using Shadow Step,
"Guek?"
Swat! Swat! Swat!
He disoriented it with several afterimages, approached it from behind,
Crack!
And slammed the mace down on its crown.
Thud!
Crunch!
"Kiiieee..."
It collapsed from electrocution and a crushed skull.
"Oh!"
Easy.
Too easy.
'One more?'
No.
He felt a prickly gaze on the back of his head.
If Clause 3 gets invoked, it's over.
The next day, during the subjugation mission for Desert Orcs in the wasteland terrain, he also took down just one.
On the 23rd floor, in the pitch-dark cave environment with traps everywhere, during the Cave Orc subjugation mission, he also took down just one.
On the 24th floor, in the land flowing with red-hot lava, he barely managed a single Volcano Orc kill.
'Tch.'
Only taking down one at a time was frustrating.
But for now, he had to build trust.
Now, the long-awaited 25th floor.
After resting for about a day...
'Should I hand over the rune now?'
Since both Gobang and Kosak had been together all this time, he hadn't been able to give them the item.
So the next day, Joo-hyuk called only Kosak separately.
"Roger! I'm here."
"Welcome."
"Didn't you say we were resting today?"
"That's right, but... Oh! I found this on the way. Take it."
"Huh? Is it edible?"
"No. Check it out."
As if it were nothing, Joo-hyuk nonchalantly tossed the Summoned Being Grade-Up Rune to Kosak.
As soon as he caught it, Kosak's pupils trembled.
"Uh, uh, uh..."
He brought it close to his eyes to look, bit it to check,
Suddenly!
"Huuuurk! What, what is this? Gr, grade enhancement?"
"Good, right? Do you like it?"
"Are you, really, giving, giving this to me?"
"Yes."
"...It's amazing. A grade-up. I'm moved."
Is he that happy?
"I'm truly happy. From now on, I'll be able to protect Summoner Bong even better."
At least he seemed pleased.
"Will you start the grade-up now?"
"No, I cannot. Doing it hastily is dangerous. I need to prepare mentally as well. I'll do it when I return."
So it's not something you can just do right away.
"So I'll see you tomorrow after the grade-up, then?"
"Yep!"
He'll probably handle it well on his own.
"Since you're here, why not hang out for a bit?"
"Then I'll just watch TV..."
Kosak skillfully turned on the power with the remote.
Joo-hyuk, who was also bored, watched TV with him.
Clickclickclickclick!
The channels were changing too fast.
"Let's watch one thing. Just one!"
"Hmm, there was something I was watching, looking for a rerun."
"Just watch it on replay."
"Isn't that expensive?"
"What are you saving that money for! Just replay it right now... Huh?"
That's when it happened.
"W, wait a minute!"
Joo-hyuk pointed at the TV screen with his finger and spoke.
"What's the matter?"
"Flip the channel forward."
"Yes, sir."
"Forward, more more... Stop there!"
It was a terrestrial news broadcast.
A woman with a red bandana tied around her head was being interviewed by a reporter.
A very familiar face.
'...Mom?'
It was Joo-hyuk's mother, Hong Geum-ja.
But why was she on TV?
Hong Geum-ja was holding a one-person protest in front of the headquarters building of Jin Saemmul Water Purifier Company.
She held a picket with slogans like "Oppose unfair contract termination," "Improve treatment of water purifier maintenance staff," "Prevent company abuse of power," etc.
She told her family she was going out to look for a job, but the place she came to every single day was the water purifier company headquarters.
She just couldn't bear it anymore.
Because she had been unfairly dismissed from her contract.
She had visited a home to replace a water purifier filter, and when leaving, they told her to take out the food waste and separate the recycling. Does that make any sense?
Hong Geum-ja had a different personality from her husband or son.
She confronted things head-on.
She said she wasn't there to run errands but to perform water purifier maintenance work.
But the company told her to apologize to the customer.
Apologize when she did nothing wrong?
What came back was ultimately contract termination.
That's why she embarked on a one-person protest.
It had been over ten days since she started.
It seemed broadcasters and the press had no intention of covering it.
The company had probably blocked them.
During that time, the company's executives passed by her but ignored her completely, only giving her scornful, mocking glances.
Hong Geum-ja bit her lip tightly.
She would never yield.
Right at that moment!
"Ms. Hong Geum-ja, right?"
A neatly dressed man in a suit appeared before her as she protested alone.
He handed her a business card.
"Who are you?"
"You've been through a lot. I'm Attorney Lee Chang-seok from the Park & Kim Law Firm."
An attorney?
And from the Park & Kim Law Firm, no less.
Korea's top law firm.
Famous for representing large corporations, as well as state-owned enterprises, and especially for providing legal counsel and representation for players under commission from the Awakening Management Bureau.
What did it mean that an attorney appeared here?
Hong Geum-ja straightened her expression and spoke.
"Is the company going to sue me or something? Go ahead and tell them. I won't back down."
"Hahaha! Far from it. It's the opposite."
"What?"
"Let's formally sue Jin Saemmul Co., Ltd. Our law firm will represent you, Ms. Hong Geum-ja, free of charge."
"...W, what?"
The attorney's words were completely unexpected.
Had she misheard?
It was absurd.
This couldn't be happening unless it was a scam.
"No need to worry. It's not a scam. It's part of a project for socially vulnerable individuals. Most law firms do this... You'll understand soon if you come with me to the firm."
Hong Geum-ja thought blankly for a moment, then,
"Hmm, I don't really understand what's going on..."
"Do you have a phone? You can record here. We'll make a verbal agreement."
She couldn't make heads or tails of it.
It didn't seem like a scam no matter how she looked at it,
What should she do?
Should she accept?
"Please trust me. I stake my honor on it. And we will definitely win."
She agonized for a long time.
Well, she'd come this far. It was all or nothing now.
"Alright. I'll entrust you with the case."
"I knew you were decisive. Then..."
Attorney Lee Chang-seok snapped his fingers.
"Shall we start with the media outreach?"
"...Huh?"
Instantly!
Reporters and broadcast cameras swarmed toward Hong Geum-ja.
"When answering reporters' questions, it's fine to be detailed even if it's long. They'll edit it later, so don't leave out a single instance of the unfair treatment you've suffered."
Hong Geum-ja could only nod.