Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Price of a Promise
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Late night.
Seoul, Ilsung Hotel Suite.
Abdul Bin sallha, Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates, could not sleep.
The UAE's Black Tower collapse deadline was now only 15 days away.
The reason he had stayed here for five days despite that...
He had expected his request for temporary naturalization to be rejected.
Would the Korean government simply hand over its top player?
But an individual's thoughts might be different.
Korea was known for guaranteeing players' personal freedoms to the maximum extent.
He had pinned his hopes on that.
So he persistently tried to contact Player Nam Ga-eun privately... but was roundly rejected.
Her stance was that she wouldn't even grant temporary naturalization for a single day, let alone fifteen.
Next.
He mobilized Korean media outlets.
To appeal to the Republic of Korea's Black Tower S++ Grade Conquest Record Holder.
He spread articles stating he was offering the best conditions and to contact the embassy.
But the only calls that came in were all prank calls.
A situation where all attempts had failed.
Only one choice remained.
Return to the UAE and beg the Saudi Arabian government.
But Saudi Arabia's demands were too excessive.
Temporary naturalization was possible.
In return, he had to hand over the Trait Enhancement Rune.
They also demanded land near the border.
An area with gas fields.
Plus 1 billion dollars in cash, 1 ton of Magic Stones, 1 ton of Tower Metals, 100 sheets of Tower Leather...
Even a thief wouldn't be this much of a thief.
But in return, they promised to conquer the 60th Floor, and the 61st Floor six months later.
'There's no choice.'
He would have to sign the humiliating contract until things normalized.
Other countries would make similar demands anyway.
A neighboring country is better than a distant one.
He couldn't keep relations with Saudi Arabia bad forever.
'I should return tomorrow.'
At that moment!
*Click! Clack!*
The suite door opened.
'Hmm?'
Was it the security team?
He hadn't called them.
*Drag... drag...*
The sound of a heavy object being dragged across the floor.
Curious, he went out towards the door and saw...
"..."
A Western man was dragging two unconscious security guards inside.
He even had a shield and an iron club strapped to his back.
He was clearly an intruder.
So Bin sallha tried to hide, but his eyes met the man's.
*Gasp!*
Bin sallha drew in a breath.
He just kept inhaling.
He needed to exhale but couldn't.
He couldn't move his body either.
As if nailed to the spot, he just stood there.
The man was smiling.
That smile was chilling beyond words.
The man walked over slowly, as if it were his own home, and sat on the sofa.
He gestured with his hand towards the sofa opposite him.
The gesture to sit. Only then did Bin sallha's body move.
His breathing also returned to normal.
Bin sallha had no choice but to comply.
*Tap.* A piece of paper placed on the table.
He glanced at it.
Two words in English: Interpreter, Korean.
'Is he Korean?'
Judging by appearance, he didn't look like it at all.
Anyway, it said to call people.
Bin sallha picked up the phone.
"May... may I make a call?"
The man nodded.
A gesture of permission.
Alright, he'd call them.
The interpreter, and the security team too.
Bin sallha sent a message via smartphone.
Saying an intruder had broken in, explaining the detailed situation.
Then.
*Rustle...*
Security guards and attendants swarmed into the suite.
Each of them aimed their handguns at the intruder.
"Don't move!"
"Hands up! If you don't want a hole in your head."
"You guys, protect His Highness."
"I'll shoot if you so much as twitch a finger."
*Click! Click! Click!*
More than ten gun barrels were aimed.
But the man was relaxed.
Sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed.
"Who are you! How dare you intrude on His Highness's..."
That was the moment.
*Swish!*
*Swipe, swipe, swipe, swiish...*
Flashes of light illuminating the dark suite from all directions.
*Tap, thud-thud, tap-tap.*
The front parts of the handguns, cleanly severed, fell to the floor.
The intruder now held a short dagger in each hand.
He had cut the handguns with a dagger.
Was that even possible?
With just a dagger?
Everyone was speechless at this absurd situation.
No, more than being surprised, they simply couldn't move.
A terrifying aura was squeezing the bodies of the security guards and attendants.
Their legs were trembling.
Their faces were deathly pale.
A feeling as if a sharp blade was pressed against their Adam's apples.
Moreover, the intruder's face, from which no emotion could be discerned.
A dreadful blankness—couldn't tell if he was smiling or angry.
The intruder pointed at the paper again.
It meant to interpret.
Bin sallha glanced at an attendant who could interpret Korean and spoke.
"Wha... what is your name?"
The attendant interpreted.
Kosak did not answer the question.
Instead,
"Bring the Trait Enhancement Rune."
*Jolt!*
Crown Prince Bin sallha flinched.
The Trait Enhancement Rune?
He could never agree.
Even if it meant dying here.
So, prepared to die, he was about to express his refusal.
"Even if you kill me..."
"I'll conquer the 60th Floor for you within 15 days. Additionally, the 61st Floor six months later."
*Gasp!*
Bin sallha stopped speaking.
"H... how? Will you naturalize?"
"No, no naturalization."
"...Are you mocking me now?"
Kosak continued with a sinister smile.
"Is there a UAE-affiliated player here?"
"..."
Bin sallha tightly closed his mouth.
In fact, he had brought one person.
A promising player being nurtured by the UAE, Omar Hassan.
He had even been given Trait Enhancement twice.
But he was still only Level 27.
He was far, far from reaching the 60th Floor.
Bin sallha always kept Omar by his side.
For security reasons.
Next to him was the safest place.
And also, the Trait Enhancement Rune.
But bring him here?
"You have one. Bring him now."
"..."
"I won't kill him. Those guys are just unconscious. But if you don't listen, everyone dies."
And then.
"Want to test it?"
The murderous intent filling the suite grew even thicker.
Without doing anything, it felt like their necks would be sliced.
Overwhelmed by extreme fear, one attendant even slumped to his knees.
"Call him quickly."
Bin sallha realized.
He had to listen to this man's words.
Otherwise, they would all really die.
Everyone's necks would roll on the floor like the front parts of those handguns.
He signaled an attendant with his eyes.
A short while later.
Omar Hassan entered the room.
Looking at him, Kosak asked.
"If you're a player, you can check items, right?"
Omar glanced at Bin sallha once, then nodded.
Kosak pulled out a yellow, card-like paper ticket from his pocket.
"Check it. You can even read the effect out loud."
The moment Omar took the paper with trembling hands,
'Hmm?'
Omar's eyes widened.
"...Multi-National Tower Access Ticket?"
Bin sallha looked at him with a curious expression.
"Omar, wh... what ticket?"
"A Multi-National Tower Access Ticket. It says you can enter any Tower regardless of nationality..."
"What?"
"The system message informed me like that."
A Multi-National Tower Access Ticket.
Intuitive, just as the name implied.
Of course, he was hearing it for the first time.
But Omar had no reason to lie, and if the system said so, it couldn't be a forgery.
Kosak, having taken the ticket back, spoke emphatically.
"I promise. The UAE Black Tower's 60th Floor will be conquered within 15 days. The 61st Floor too."
A brief silence passed.
The fear gradually subsided a little.
Because he now knew this man had come here for a deal.
Crown Prince Bin sallha's mind raced quickly.
A promise to conquer the 60th Floor within 15 days and the 61st Floor six months later.
Incomparably better than Saudi Arabia's conditions.
No need to hand over land, no Tower materials, no money, nothing.
Just one Trait Enhancement Rune.
But would a contract like this be honored?
What if the promise wasn't kept even after giving the rune?
Meanwhile, Kosak pointed at Omar with his finger.
"You."
"Why again...?"
"I'll give you a gift. As a gesture of goodwill."
"A... a gift?"
Kosak took off the iron club and shield he had brought and placed them on the table.
"Take them."
Omar, not understanding what was going on, looked at Bin sallha, then picked up the club and shield.
Simultaneously, an exclamation burst from his lips.
"Ah!"
He was startled.
He couldn't help it.
'What kind of items are these...'
Warm Dawnlight's Golden Aegis
Effect: Enhances user concentration, emits a dazzling flash, boosts physical & magic defense, chance to reflect damage on successful block.
Trait: Maintains calm under any status ailment. Indestructible.
Cold Twilight's Golden Iron Club
Effect: Increases attack speed in combat, freezes target, expands attack range, chance to trigger Ice Field on critical hit.
Trait: Leads enemies to twilight's rest. Indestructible.
Seeing that, Kosak chuckled.
You could tell just by his expression.
He must have been astonished by the item effects.
As Omar stood there blankly holding the club and shield, Bin sallha asked,
"Omar, what is it?"
"These... these are both items from the Tower. They're not crafted goods."
"Not crafted?"
"I... I've never seen items like these before. They're definitely not something you can buy on the market."
"Really?"
"Yes. The option effects are incredible too. It's no exaggeration to call them the strongest weapons. I feel like entering the Tower right now to use them."
Bin sallha looked at Kosak with a peculiar gaze.
"These items... did you come to sell them?"
"I told you. A goodwill gift."
"Even if I don't give you the Trait Enhancement Rune?"
"I won't take back what I've given. Only, everyone here will die, that's all."
It's the same thing, isn't it?
'A gift, he says.'
Omar seemed to really like those pieces of equipment.
Seeing him hugging the weapons and shield tightly, looking enchanted...
"If I hand over the rune, will the Tower really be conquered?"
"I stake my name on it."
"What is your name that you stake?"
"Gobang."
Gobang.
A strange name.
But that wasn't important.
"Your Highness, let me ask you one thing. Is the Trait Enhancement Rune in this room right now?"
"No. Surely you don't think I'd carry such an important thing..."
"It's here."
Kosak said, looking around the room.
"The living room? No. Then that room? Not there either. Perhaps the bedroom?"
A reaction came.
"That's right. It was in the bedroom."
*Gulp.*
Bin sallha swallowed dryly.
"Be honest."
"..."
"Besides killing people, I'm also very good at torture."
What couldn't he do?
He could make people unable to move a muscle with just a look.
"If I torture you, I can make you personally hand over the Trait Enhancement Rune with your own hands within a minute."
"Ugh."
"But you're just standing there. Don't miss your chance."
He had no choice but to believe his words.
A man capable of it, who could do it.
Yet, he hadn't killed anyone so far, and even gave gifts.
Countless thoughts flashed through Bin sallha's mind.
Gobang, who promised to conquer the Tower without naturalization.
He proved it with the ticket.
Who was he? Could he be the S++ Grade Conquest Record Holder?
Could someone of that level exert their abilities outside the Tower too?
No, his identity wasn't important.
Whether he would keep his promise, or whether he would take the rune and vanish.
If only he could confirm that.
The contemplation dragged on.
Nevertheless, the intruder named Gobang kept waiting.
You'd think he'd lose patience and start torturing, but...
Even now, he was so scared his heart was pounding, but belief was gradually growing.
A short while later.
Bin sallha made his decision.
He would bet his fate on Gobang.
"Wait a moment."
Bin sallha went to the bedroom, brought out a small aluminum case.
A case with fingerprint recognition, set to explode if the password was entered incorrectly.
*Clack!*
Opening the case, he stroked the rune for a while, then...
"Here it is. Take it."
Kosak grinned and said.
"Congratulations. With this, you get to live. The UAE will be safe too."
He had finally obtained the enhancement rune.
The hideous weapons were also put away.
"Keep today's events a secret, okay? It's not good if others find out."
Bin sallha's body trembled.
Somehow, he felt relieved.
Because this intruder was still letting him live, even after achieving his goal.
"O... okay. I'll keep it a secret..."
"Ah! Are you satisfied with the deal?"
"What do you mean?"
"The deal we made. You must be satisfied. Both of us. This is an important matter."
"...I... I am satisfied."
"Good. You'll be even more satisfied in 15 days. And in six months too."
And then, *swish!*
Kosak vanished into the darkness.
Bin sallha felt as if he had dreamed it all.
Was it really the right thing to do?
He would find out in 15 days.
Joo-hyuk was alone in the penthouse.
He had sent Kosak for negotiations and had released Gyeon Dal-rae, Gobang, and Razix from their summons.
Honestly, he was worried.
He boasted confidently and sent him off, but...
An assassin negotiating? How could anyone believe that?
Anyway, he had checked the special reward, and all that remained was a Random Summon.
But he had no intention of summoning now.
He had to assume the negotiation failed.
He'd have to summon Razix and look for an opportunity on the 55th Floor.
Or climb to the 60th.
Even if the negotiation succeeded, he had to climb to the 60th, and if it failed, he had to climb for the special reward.
But what if another non-combatant appeared in this situation?
"Sigh."
Only sighs came out.
He didn't even want to imagine it.
But even in the worst case, he had a card to turn things around.
Gwang-ma.
The strongest Summoned Being, LSSR Grade.
Just thinking of him gave him strength.
If only he were a little less crazy, he would have kept him summoned.
If only he hadn't talked about killing those in power, starting wars, things like that...
'Should I summon him once?'
His thoughts might have changed, you know.
Then he could be a sufficient hidden card.
His mood was gradually lifting.
He wanted to summon him.
He wanted to check what his current thoughts were.
'Ah, whatever! I'll just summon him once.'
Let's do it.
Joo-hyuk opened the status window catalog list.
"Gwang-ma, Designated Summon!"
[Gwang-ma has been designated for summoning.]
*Poof!*
Gwang-ma, who had finally reappeared.
His demeanor was still as elegant as ever.
"Summoner, I cannot express how happy I am to see you again."
"...Yes. Me too."
Truthfully, he wasn't that happy.
"After being forcibly released by the Summoner, I have reflected a great deal since then. On what exactly I did wrong."
Oh!
Something's different.
"I realized that such extreme methods do not suit this world. There are limits to killing people, it takes too much time, and it would cause serious side effects."
"That's right."
My goodness!
Our Gwang-ma has changed.
"...Would you like something to drink?"
"I won't refuse. If it's from the Summoner, I should drink even if it's poison."
Joo-hyuk took a cold can of soda from the refrigerator, *pop!* opened it, and handed it to Gwang-ma.
After taking a refreshing drink,
"It's been almost 1,000 years since I tasted the food of this world."
He really liked it.
The smile at the corner of his mouth proved it.
"Killing all those in power from the start was a foolish idea."
"Oh, it wasn't foolish, just a bit extreme."
"Hahaha! That's right."
And then.
"I'm curious which country in this world has the strongest national power."
A strong country...
"The United States."
"The United States, you say. Does a king rule it?"
"No. A president."
"Aha! I see. Then if we turn the U.S. president into a 'Sihon-in' and make him obey orders, that should do it."
"...What?"
What's a Sihon-in?
"There is something called the 'Sihon Dae-beop' (Soul Destruction Grand Method). It destroys a human's spirit and turns them into an obedient puppet. It consumes a great deal of mental energy, so even I can only create one per use."
Somehow, this is getting...
"If I use the Sihon Dae-beop on the U.S. president and make him obey orders, that will do. Instead of waging a conquest war myself, have him do it, pacify the world, and unify it later—simple. I was foolish not to think of that before..."
*Sigh.*
This is insane.
"Both you, Summoner, and I won't have to get our hands dirty. Of course, there will be great damage from the war, but it's a small sacrifice for the greater good."
"..."
"Let's execute this quickly. Where is the U.S. president? To make him wage a conquest war, we must act now."
He hadn't changed one bit.
"Gwang-ma-nim?"
"Speak. You'll like this too. It's a plan I devised after deep reflection."
"Your reflection is insufficient. The direction is completely wrong. Very, very wrong."
"...Huh?"
Gwang-ma blinked his eyes.
Simultaneously, Joo-hyuk's lips parted.
"Summon Release."
"No, why do you keep..."
*Poof!* And then,
[Gwang-ma's satisfaction rating has been set to 1 point.]
It was a mistake to summon him and ask.
He should forget about it and just do a Random Summon.
Right at that moment!
*Click!* The front door opened.
"Loyal! Summoner Bong's right-hand man, dependable vassal, negotiation expert, Kosak has arrived."
Huh?
Already?
"...How did it go? The Trait Enhancement Rune?"
"Hehehe, hehehehe, hehehehehe."
Kosak, laughing uncontrollably, as if he couldn't help it.
He could guess without even hearing.