Commissioning the Sorcerer

Roughly an hour remained ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the clock, but not a single monster from the fourth wave was left standing.

The ancient statue looked fragile enough to crumble at the faintest breath, yet not once had an imp's claw managed to graze it.

Kim Mu-saeng had officially fulfilled the standard clear conditions for the 6th floor.

"Tsk. Only managed to shave off an hour, huh?"

Wahsh hovered nearby, eyeing him with sheer disbelief. "The fourth wave was over practically the second it spawned, and that's still not fast enough for you?"

Mu-saeng's tone was genuinely laced with regret, disappointed that the Tower's rigid wave intervals prevented him from finishing any sooner.

"I'm just saying, it would've been much better if the waves triggered back-to-back," Mu-saeng said casually. "I've got a ton of things to take care of outside."

For a man already calculating his agenda in the outside world, every minute and second wasted waiting around was precious time lost.

Eight hundred and seventy-seven was certainly a larger number than the count back on the 5th floor, but considering the sheer global population of Awakeners, it was still an infinitesimally small fraction.

Not as many as I expected, Mu-saeng mused. Then again, miscalculating by a hair's breadth means instant death.

It made sense. The hidden requirement was to clear the trial while keeping the statue at precisely ninety-nine percent destruction. No sane climber would intentionally flirt with disaster like that. Most of those eight hundred-odd achievers had likely lacked the raw strength to repel the monster horde cleanly, struggling tooth and nail just to survive. Only through sheer, unyielding desperation had fortune favored them at the final second.

"Whew. Still, being forced to stay on the move for nearly twelve hours has its perks."

Rigging snares, laying traps, refining venoms, and using every spare scrap of time to puzzle out a way to reboot the Guardian's core... While the forced countdowns between waves had been an annoyance, the Tower never failed to reward effort spent wisely.

"So, are you heading out now, Kim Mu-saeng?" Wahsh asked.

"Honestly, I wanted to smash straight through to Floor 15 in one breath," Mu-saeng replied, packing the last of his gear into his bag. "But sometimes you have to take one step back to take two steps forward."

Wahsh drifted around his head in lazy circles, adjusting his horn-rimmed spectacles with a flipper. "Hmph. If you aren't going to that female, I wonder what you could possibly be scheming."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Hm? Oh, I do need to get in touch with Miss Geum Soo-ah."

"Kkwaaak?! Didn't you say you weren't going to solve this with money?"

This was the one contradiction Wahsh couldn't wrap his mind around. Reconstructing the Guardian's physical vessel required an exorbitant sum. When Wahsh had previously asked if Mu-saeng intended to milk the one person capable of handing over that kind of cash—Geum Soo-ah—Mu-saeng had flatly refused, claiming he had a far better method. Yet now he was turning right back around to see her?

"Yeah, I did. And I'm still not using money."

"...I will never comprehend the primitive babble of humans," Wahsh grumbled, shaking his duck head with an irritated squeak.

Mu-saeng only grinned. "Heh, just watch. You'll see what I mean soon enough. Anyway... Kim Mu-saeng! Requesting exit!"

When he had first set foot on this floor, his total combined stat score stood at 248. Now, after spending just a little over a full day inside the Tower, the reality had shifted dramatically.

As Mu-saeng stepped past the threshold of the exit portal, his total effective attributes under the amplification of Steel Bone had reached an astonishing 572.

One hundred and thirty-three missed calls.

Unread text messages had piled up so high on his smartphone screen that scrolling through them felt like an endless chore. Seeing that every single one of them originated from Park Hyun-gu, Mu-saeng couldn't help but chuckle as he dialed his friend's number.

"Mu-saeng! You bastard, how are you only coming out now?!" Hyun-gu's voice blasted through the receiver before the line could even ring twice.

"I literally told you I'd be out of reach inside the Tower for a bit. What's the panic? Did the office burn down or something?"

Mu-saeng's easygoing chuckle stood in stark contrast to the sheer, breathless hysteria on the other end of the line. There had been no emergency alerts from Jang Hagook over at Korea One Way Group, which meant nothing catastrophic could have happened. To Mu-saeng, Hyun-gu's melodramatic meltdown was almost comedic.

"Burn down?! My ass is the thing on fire, you punk! Where are you right now?! Still at the Tower?!"

"Yeah, just stepped out into the lobby."

"Stay right there. Don't you dare move."

Mu-saeng heard Hyun-gu's voice pull away slightly, muffled as if he were conferring with someone standing right beside him. Before Mu-saeng could even wonder who it was, the answer presented itself.

"Wait, hold on. Wait for who? What are you—"

"Sherpa Kim Mu-saeng. Good day to you."

The polite, measured greeting came from directly behind him. Turning around, Mu-saeng found three men dressed in impeccably tailored business suits standing a respectful distance away. Or more accurately, his eyes immediately locked onto the golden pins gleaming proudly on their lapels.

Geumseong.

"You've worked exceptionally hard climbing the Tower," the lead man said with a refined bow. "I am Assistant Manager Seo Yeong-hwa from Geumseong Guild's Raid Headquarters."

The Raid Headquarters. Combined with Hyun-gu's panicked screaming on the phone, the puzzle pieces fell into place instantly. Mu-saeng met them with a bright, easy smile.

"Oh, hello! What a coincidence. I actually had a few matters I needed to discuss with Deputy Head Geum Soo-ah myself."

"Is that so? As a matter of fact, both our General Manager and Deputy Head are waiting to see you right now, Sherpa Kim. If it wouldn't be an imposition, may we escort you to them?"

The man speaking, Assistant Manager Seo Yeong-hwa, maintained an extraordinarily deferential posture, his smile warm and attentive. His humility was almost disarming—enough to make Mu-saeng slightly self-conscious. It served as a vivid reminder of Geumseong's sheer institutional discipline. Compared to the arrogant thugs working under the One Way banner, this guild's internal structure was operating on an entirely different plane of professionalism.

Strict corporate training is one thing, Mu-saeng thought, but character is another.

In a ruthless meritocracy like Geumseong, the superiors managing and commanding individuals of this caliber—namely Geum Soo-ah and Yoon Pyo—had to be formidable leaders in their own right.

"By General Manager, you mean the raid leader of the 66th floor? General Manager Yoon Pyo?"

"Yes, that is correct," Seo Yeong-hwa answered smoothly. "Both of them intended to wait for you here in the public concourse, but considering the number of watchful eyes in the area... Well, haha, as you know."

It was only natural. The movements of elite figures of their stature were prime targets for intelligence operatives from rival syndicates. Mid-sized and smaller guilds constantly shadowed Geumseong's executives, desperate to scavenge whatever crumbs fell from their table. Unless a major emergency arose, high-ranking directors rarely showed their faces in the Tower's public facilities.

Familiar with the politics of the Awakener world, Mu-saeng took no offense whatsoever.

"Heh, fair enough. In that case, since we're meeting anyway... would it be alright if we met somewhere other than your guild headquarters?"

In fact, having an intermediary present gave Mu-saeng the perfect opening to set his own terms before coming face-to-face with the leadership.

"Pardon? Another location...?"

Catching the brief flicker of surprise on Seo Yeong-hwa's face, Mu-saeng leaned in slightly and lowered his voice, whispering a specific destination into the assistant manager's ear.

Mu-saeng's counterproposal was relayed almost immediately to Yoon Pyo and Geum Soo-ah. The one thrown into the deepest state of panic by the sudden change in venue was, predictably, Park Hyun-gu.

"M-Mu-saeng said that?! Wait, please, let me call him back and talk some sense into—"

"No, there is no need," Yoon Pyo said, raising a calm hand to politely forestall Hyun-gu's frantic intervention. "Sherpa Kim Mu-saeng has already stated his intent clearly. If you step in to pressure him on our behalf, CEO Park, it could easily create friction between us."

What Geumseong needed was Kim Mu-saeng's willing cooperation, and ultimately, an audience between him and Chairman Geum Byeong-cheol. Forcing the issue was out of the question. Offending Mu-saeng was the last thing they wanted, and they could not afford to let him suspect that Geumseong was using Park Hyun-gu as leverage to dictate the terms of their meeting.

"What will you do, General Manager?" Geum Soo-ah asked, turning to Yoon Pyo.

Yoon Pyo's deliberation was brief.

"I shall contact the Dungeon Management Department immediately. I will authorize the excursion under my own executive discretion and report the details to the Chairman afterward."

He was agreeing to Kim Mu-saeng's terms on the spot. Bypassing Chairman Geum Byeong-cheol to grant immediate clearance was an uncharacteristically bold move for someone as methodical as Yoon Pyo, leaving Geum Soo-ah visibly taken aback.

Noticing her wide-eyed expression, Yoon Pyo cleared his throat softly. "Ahem. It hardly warrants bothering the Chairman over a minor procedural clearance, and driving all the way back to headquarters would simply squander valuable time. Our chief priority is securing Sherpa Kim's cooperation. With you and me accompanying him, no situation will get out of hand."

"That's true," Soo-ah agreed, nodding crisply. "If the decision is made, let us move at once. I will have the vehicle brought around. Ah, CEO Park! Please have a thorough discussion with Sherpa Kim later, and be sure to keep us—"

Geum Soo-ah was already turning on her heel to leave when Park Hyun-gu cut in with an awkward, sheepish grimace.

"Ah, well... excuse me, Deputy Head. With everything going on, I completely forgot to mention something earlier."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Mu-saeng doesn't actually belong to our company anymore..."

Kim Mu-saeng was no longer affiliated with Omkim Inc.

Geum Soo-ah froze mid-stride. Even Yoon Pyo, who had been rising from his leather armchair, paused in an awkward, half-standing crouch.

"...What did you just say?" Geum Soo-ah asked, convinced her ears were playing tricks on her.

Hyun-gu rubbed the back of his neck, offering a helpless, cheerful grin. "He told me he's quitting the sherpa business. Hehe."

Why the hell are you only telling us that now?!

And 'hehe'? You're laughing right now?!

Geum Soo-ah barely managed to swallow down the screams clawing at her throat. In that breathless silence, an exasperated revelation washed over her.

Kim Mu-saeng is an anomaly in his own right, but this man... this man is completely out of his mind too!

Then again, in an organization like Geumseong, someone with nerves of steel like Park Hyun-gu might actually prove useful in the strangest ways.

Yoon Pyo smoothed the fabric of his suit jacket with a soft cough, finally regaining his composure. "Ahem. Deputy Head."

"Right. Let us move quickly," Soo-ah said, collecting herself with a brisk nod. "CEO Park, I will be in touch with you shortly!"

"Yes, ma'am! Have a safe trip!" Park Hyun-gu bowed at a crisp, military ninety-degree angle, completely oblivious to the sheer bewildered appraisal he was receiving.

Moments later, the luxury sedan carrying Yoon Pyo and Geum Soo-ah glided smoothly out of the subterranean parking structure, speeding toward their agreed destination—the very site where Kim Mu-saeng was already waiting, and the place requiring high-level clearance from Geumseong's Dungeon Management Department.

"Just where in the world have you dragged us?" Wahsh asked, floating near his shoulder.

Standing before a massive gate oozing a thick, tar-like black substance, Mu-saeng flashed both hands in front of his chest. Five fingers on the left, five fingers on the right. Ten fingers displayed in tandem, signaling a specific number so the Geumseong personnel stationed nearby wouldn't notice Wahsh's presence.

Fifty-five.

It was a forbidden sector strictly barricaded and monitored under the sole authority of Geumseong in South Korea: the 55th Dungeon.

"...Where Maia resides?!" Wahsh's eyes went wide beneath his spectacles as the realization hit him.

Mu-saeng would never have dreamed of entering this gate alone. His initial plan had merely been to rope in Geum Soo-ah for extra firepower, but then...

"The General Manager is definitely coming as well, right?" Mu-saeng asked the Geumseong guard casually. "General Manager Yoon Pyo? The raid leader of the 66th floor?"

"Yes, sir. He is en route alongside the Deputy Head as we speak."

With Yoon Pyo joining the party, the entire equation became infinitely easier.

Why bother paying an Awakener craftsman to fashion a new body for the Guardian? Why go through such roundabout hassle?

"Aiya, this is our first time meeting," Mu-saeng muttered with an apologetic grin. "I hope I'm not putting an unreasonable burden on him."

"Not at all, Sherpa Kim," the guard replied respectfully. "A dungeon of this scale poses very little danger to the two of them. You have nothing to worry about."

With Luminous (SR) and Absolute Zero (SR) leading the vanguard, the path ahead was clear.

Perfect... absolutely perfect, Mu-saeng thought, a cold, calculating smirk curling the edges of his lips. Why pay a stranger when I can make Maia build the body herself?