Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: Ordinary Guy's Tower Strategy
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Clack-clack! Clack-clack-clack!!!
A building rises. Building, building.
Sprouting up, sprouting up, sprouting!
Right across from the residential complex,
a 61-story skyscraper had been pasted on.
Even after doing it, he couldn't believe it.
Honestly, he had doubted if it would work.
Not a single-story house, not a 5-story or 10-story building.
But it worked.
A building identical to one in the real world appeared right before his eyes.
But,
'Ugh.'
The alcohol cleared from his system instantly.
Regret flooded in immediately.
'...No refunds?'
Why the hell did he do this?
50 tons of high-grade magic stones.
Probably 25% of the stockpile in the warehouse had vanished in a flash.
He was insane.
Bong Joo-hyuk, you're insane.
100 billion gone up in smoke.
Hah.
What if the summoned beings complain?
The White Tower 17th floor elevator installation cost 1,000 tons of high-grade magic stones.
To gather that, he'd bought from North Korea, mined veins, used item acquisition rights—put on a full show.
'And I blew 50 tons on a drunken whim.'
They're not going to take kindly to it.
Why paste a totally unnecessary building?
Are you sane?
Does it feel good wasting 50 tons we sweated blood for?
Joo-hyuk had witnessed it himself.
Mackenzie and Kosak getting roasted over a single mistake.
Of course, they wouldn't be that harsh on him...
- Summoner, you made a mistake.
- Young master, that was reckless.
- Huh? Summoner Bong, you went too far.
- The warrior laments the summoner's lack of restraint.
- <Mari>: You're too wasteful. I'm disappointed.
.
.
.
Stuff like that was plenty enough.
'Is it my turn to get chewed out now?'
Seemed like it.
Rumble rumble.
Footsteps rushing toward where Joo-hyuk stood.
Yeah.
Time to take the scolding like a man.
Can't help it.
He did the deed.
"Summoner Bong!!!"
Kosak called out.
With his mind prepared,
he turned his head innocently with a straight face,
"...Yes?"
Kosak's face flushed red with excitement.
"Amazing. Fantastic. Our 17th floor feels like a backwater village now. It's a city."
Aaaah,
Founding hero Kosak.
How does he always pick the best words?
"I hear property values are shooting up. Gonna charge double for one-bedroom and monthly rents from now on. As expected of Summoner Bong."
The other summoned beings chimed in.
"Truly astonishing. I never dreamed this was possible."
"Summoner, this transcends magic. It's divine power."
"This girl nearly fainted."
"Congratulations on the building completion, Commander."
"Um, can we go inside and look around?"
"Cleaning... ho!"
Whew.
Thank goodness no scolding.
But!
Ding!
Something rang out.
No way?
Oh! Achievement!
What is it?
Another White Tower reward?
'...'
That means he can relocate an entire district as-is.
1 km² is about the size of a small neighborhood in Seoul.
Like Dogok-dong or Hangang-dong.
Not a total bust.
Built it drunk, but still unlocked an achievement.
Alright then.
"Let's go inside. See how the interior looks."
Rumble rumble.
People rushing toward the building.
"There's an underground parking garage too."
Of course.
The original was basement 6 levels, 61 stories above ground.
The area around the building was barren, but the interior was spotless.
Exactly like newly completed.
The copy included foundation facilities and essential interiors.
"Elevators are here too."
Seemed to mean the building's elevators.
Not the White Tower ones.
"Look at this bathroom. All clean, water flows great, flushes perfectly."
Plumbing fully equipped.
Where does the water come from, and where does it go?
Nothing weird about it.
Copy-pasting itself is already mystical.
Anyway, how to use this place?
'Eh, whatever.'
Leave it be for now.
Sure to find a use.
The next day.
Korean Awakening Management Agency.
Jeon Gwang-il arrived at his office.
He'd drunk too much yesterday.
But he was fine.
Better than before drinking, even.
Thanks to the hangover cure drink with amazing effects.
<Purification Potion Brewed by the Sage>
A potion gifted by the White Tower 17th floor alchemist.
Hangover vanished the moment he drank it.
"Whew."
Leaning deep into his chair, Jeon Gwang-il recalled yesterday.
He'd been floored with shock.
Still felt like a dream.
Watching that massive building appear like magic.
'So that's how he's been building up the 17th floor.'
Like a city-building simulation game.
Who'd believe it if he told them?
Not that he planned to.
Bong Joo-hyuk, the Player.
To him, at least inside the White Tower 17th floor, the guy was no different from a god.
'Talk about godlike.'
Creation itself.
No exaggeration.
That's why the other summoned beings freaked out.
'Now I get why Player Bong needs high-grade magic stones.'
What the hell is the 17th floor like?
A self-sufficient world that could survive the apocalypse?
Suddenly!
Knock knock.
"Director, may I come in?"
"Yeah, come in."
Lee Min-ah, the team leader, entered.
"What's up?"
"Delivered the piled-up hides from the tower materials warehouse. To Razix Trading and HG Fashion."
"Good. No complaints?"
"HG's CEO Go Yeon-ha was pretty grumpy. Said they got less than Razix Trading."
Jeon Gwang-il snorted at that.
"They're lucky we're supplying them at all. I'd love to cut them off completely."
"Yes sir! I'll give them a firm warning."
Should've behaved from the start.
Plans were to gradually reduce HG Fashion's supply going forward.
Perfect timing with Lee Min-ah here.
Jeon Gwang-il pulled out his smartphone.
"Come here. Got something to show you."
"What is it?"
"This is the 83rd floor conquest video."
"Oh! Tower 1 got cleared yesterday, right?"
Lee Min-ah watched the video on the smartphone Jeon Gwang-il handed her.
A tropical jungle-like environment, spiderwebs everywhere,
and spiders appearing.
"Ewww..."
"Creepy, huh?"
"Yeah, but they're kinda small. It was supposed to be giant monsters, right?"
"Keep watching."
Then the giant spider appeared.
Too big for the video to capture fully.
One leg longer than the tall trees.
"...Insane."
"Right?"
"How do you even kill that?"
"They did."
"...Huh? Oh! Right. Player Bong's video."
Once the giant spider appeared and the spiderlings started moving,
the conquest began.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-crack!
A barrage of flashy fire rain pouring down in the smartphone video.
"Oh my god!"
Simultaneously, a flame storm and lava erupting from the ground.
The spider burned.
Melting away.
The previous video from Player Bong just showed the giant monster's appearance, size—basic info.
"This time they filmed the conquest too. But isn't Player Bong a magic trait? No, summoning trait?"
As far as known.
Player Bong of the summoning trait.
"Summoning trait, yeah."
"...Then? Ah!"
Lee Min-ah nodded knowingly.
"Spirit summoning trait! Fire spirits! Right?"
Totally wrong, but no need to correct her.
"Something like that."
"What's the spirit's grade? High, top? Or Fire Spirit King?"
"No idea."
Anyway,
"Edit out the latter part of this video and send it to tower climbing departments worldwide."
"Yes sir."
"Attach a comment that it seems weak to fire."
"Got it."
Skip the burning part.
Just share Arachnoid info. No need for full conquest footage.
What good would it do?
They can't replicate it.
No reference value for conquest anyway.
"Oh, Team Leader Lee?"
"Yes?"
"Still dieting?"
"Of course! Dieting's for life. ...Do I look fat?"
"No, not that..."
So slim yet always dieting.
Is it just her?
Player Nam Ga-eun's a gym rat too.
"Team Leader Lee, what if there's an item that melts fat without effort?"
"Huh? Something like that exists?"
"Just suppose."
"I'd buy it. No question."
"What if it's a tower item, super expensive?"
"I'd take out a loan. Or got loan shark if needed."
"Huh. Got it."
"I'll head out then. Need to edit the video."
After Lee Min-ah left,
Jeon Gwang-il pulled out a round bracelet from his pocket.
Obesity Escape Bracelet.
Received from Player Bong yesterday.
But not for him.
Someone else to use it.
He dialed a number,
ring ring.
"Hello? CEO Jeong Dong-hoon?"
- Ah! Director.
"Got the hides alright?"
- Thanks to you. Apophis hides too. Please thank Player Bong for me.
"Sure, will do."
- Payment for hides incoming right away.
And,
"Actually, Player Bong sent a gift for CEO Jeong Dong-hoon."
- Huh? G-Gift? I should be the one giving.
"Hahaha, handle that later. Anyway, it's a health bracelet..."
- Health bracelet?
"Yeah, health bracelet. Try it on and give feedback on changes ASAP. Like weight shifts."
- Tower reward item by chance?
"Half right, half wrong. It's made from tower materials, but not a reward."
- Got it.
"Want me to bring it over?"
- No way. Heading to the Agency now.
The target: mildly obese Jeong Dong-hoon of Razix Trading.
If the bracelet really works?
'Gonna make a killing.'
Diet market is insanely huge.
Medical, food, fitness...
Flood the market with obesity bracelets, ripple effects massive.
Bigger than ED pills or hair growth tonics.
Look around.
More fat people or bald ones?
Even non-obese want to slim down. Overflowing.
Like Team Leader Lee Min-ah.
Joo-hyuk's penthouse.
Tower conquest today as well.
Recruited from the 17th floor manpower market.
Everyone except Mari.
"Time to climb."
Cleared Tower 1, time for Tower 2.
Mission identical.
Defeat 1 Giant Queen Spider Arachnoid.
Sticky webs, swarms of spiderlings, massive queen spider.
Conquest same as before.
Roarrrrrr..., blaze, boom boom boom!
9th Circle Archmage Mackenzie Dronak's wide-area fire magic.
'Hm.'
Hot stuff is great, but...
'Pushing too hard again.'
Thud!
Mackenzie collapsed again.
Take it easy.
Too greedy.
Still riding the high from last time's attention and praise.
He was expecting the same reaction.
He won't get applause though.
The Summoned beings are cold.
No second reactions to a repeat performance.
The summoned beings were bored.
Not even claps.
Mackenzie, who expected but got no response, was deeply disappointed.
"Tch!"
Flick!
Spotlight out.
"Good work."
Rumble, summoned beings dispersing.
They had their own tasks.
First up: setting up facilities to mass-produce the Obesity Escape Bracelet bodies.
'Anyway...'
Tower 1 and 2 83rd floors, both S+++, total 4 Platinum Badges.
Cumulative badges: 136, 14 in hand.
He was eligible for cumulative perk.
'Check!'
'Probably nothing big?'
'...Huh?'
Lucky Random Box.
Feels like he got one before.
Hence the "New."
'Oh!'
Lucky means good stuff was possible.
He opened his inventory.
In it was a wooden box, cake-box sized.
The Lid on top.
He checked the info.
"Holy crap!"
What is this?
The old <Random Box> gave 3 tower reward items.
This one just 1.
But none are ordinary.
High-grade 200 tons, top-grade 20kg vouchers, trait enhancement rune, multi-national tower ticket, and...
'Platinum Badge 50 voucher?'
50 badges = 25 uncleared Black Tower floors at S+++.
Not cumulative, so no perks from them.
Still, that's something.
'Jackpot.'
He could distribute the to the summoned beings.
Only were 14 left, it was worrying.
'With this, Ican send our Sergeant Veronica to break through her grade limit.'
Deserves the "Lucky" label.
All good options.
The trait rune best, of course.
But one landmine.
Multi-National Tower Usage Ticket.
That's ruin.
'1/5 chance of crap?'
Just dodge that one.
The rest were all winners.
'Hmph, luck? Piece of cake'
Luck? He was Bong Joo-hyuk.
He'd get the best outcome this time too.
Grabbed the lid boldly to open it.
"... "
Weird.
His hand wouldn't move.
It feels like a total bust.
'This screams multi-national tower ticket.'
Bad vibes.
Different from usual.
Truth is, his luck's been insane so far.
Everything was a hit.
There was no guarantee it lasts.
Luck's fickle.
Always great until one inevitable slip.
That Feels like now.
'...Have someone else open?'
Then no blame if bust.
If my luck fails, use someone else's.
Yeah.
'Let's do it.'
He started yelling dramatically,
"Emergency! Emergency! Everyone assemble!"
Rumble, the summoned beings rushing over.
"Kosak here, what's up?"
"Sergeant Veronica Caliber! Fully geared?"
"What is it, Summoner."
"Young master, this girl reportsh"
"Warrior has arrived."
Joo-hyuk pulled out the box, held it with both hands, thrust at Kosak.
"Open this for me. Quick quick!"
Kosak lit up.
"Oh! Gift? Aw, you shhouldn't have..."
Kosak grabbed the lid.
But the moment before opening!
Pause!
Tilting his head.
"...Is this a random box? That contains perks?"
How'd he know?
"Yes, uh, I don't wanna open it. ...Can't we make Gobang do it?"
He was not fooled.
He had sharp instincts.