S-Grade Home Security Guard (2)
“Sorry for the late introduction! My name is Song Hana… I was born in the Shibuya Magic Tower! I escaped a few months ago. Right now, I’m under the protection of the Korean government!”
“From Japan?”
“That’s right. I’ve got a crazy little brother named Susanoo. He’s hell-bent on catching me… but I’m never, ever going back.”
“Hmm…”
‘If Susanoo is her little brother…’
“Is your alias by any chance Amaterasu?”
“Oh! That’s right. Whoa… You’ve heard of me? What do I do! We’re both fugitives, so let’s run away together!”
“Are you calling me a fugitive too?”
“Not exactly a fugitive, but… you do feel like you’re being chased, right?”
“…I can’t completely deny it.”
Her words were chaotic, but the core of what she said was oddly clear.
“The American seer. ‘Oracle the Farseer.’ That person is currently keeping a close watch on you, Junseok. Thanks to the talisman I just attached, they won’t be able to see you anymore.”
‘So that’s what it was for?’
“It was a good talisman. Thank you.”
“Well, whether it turns out to be a good thing or not depends on how things develop! Whether the talisman brings fortune or misfortune isn’t my domain!”
Even the way she spoke carried the vague, fortune-teller-like ambiguity.
“At the very least, you blocked their reconnaissance, didn’t you?”
“That much is true, but… human affairs are complicated.”
Lee Nayeon immediately added her interpretation.
“If long-range reconnaissance or intelligence gathering is impossible, then conducting close-range scouting is the standard approach.”
“Ah, that’s right! Exactly. In that case, it might actually become more dangerous?”
However, Choi Junseok immediately dismissed that possibility. Even though they were allies, he had already sent them a bloody warning once before.
“Well, that won’t happen. For now, please come inside.”
The conversation wasn’t suitable for the hallway.
“Ah… Then excuse me!”
Before she even finished speaking, she had already kicked off her shoes and slipped into the house in an instant.
Since there was no table for proper conversation, Song Hana plopped down on the sofa. She was the first to speak.
“If you really don’t believe my identity, would you like to use Appraisal on me?”
“Are you trying to make me pass out?”
Even without knowing the details, he could feel that her rank was extraordinary.
“Huh? Pass out? Why?”
“If the rank difference is too high, people sometimes faint.”
“Ah, that only happens if they’re being hostile. I should be fine, right?”
“…I’ll trust you and try.”
There was no hostility coming from her.
Just as she said, using Appraisal didn’t cause any pain or aftereffects.
The problem was that it didn’t reveal anything at all.
“It’s not showing me anything.”
“Probably because the gap between us is too wide.”
On a whim, Choi Junseok tried to check Lee Nayeon’s status as well.
If you forcibly attempt to appraise a target with a significant level difference, you may die.
‘Is she feeling hostile toward me?’
When Choi Junseok gave Lee Nayeon a strange, sharp look, she flinched as if she had been caught and quickly looked away.
Only then did the Appraisal skill finally activate.
“You said moving into the apartment downstairs wasn’t something the Player Management Agency ordered.”
“That’s right! It was my own decision.”
“Why?”
“I saw it! The absolute being inside you. Heh.”
Choi Junseok pretended not to know, but she, who had seen it with her divine power, knew everything.
She knew that something enormous resided within him.
That if the day came when that potential awakened, every Magic Tower in the world would kneel before him.
And at the same time, she would be able to achieve her own goal.
“Of course, I have no intention of digging any deeper! But if you’re already commanding the Lionheart King as a summon, I guess there’s nothing more to say.”
“…”
This time, Lee Nayeon’s eyes turned sharp.
“Heh. Let’s change the subject. What were you planning to do if I hadn’t come?”
“I was going to rest and then go shopping? This friend doesn’t have any spare clothes, and hers are all torn.”
She couldn’t keep wearing the hoodie and leggings full of holes from the slime’s mucus.
“What about before that?”
“Before that? …Ah. Opening the box.”
It was as if she could read his mind without him saying a word.
She seemed to know what Choi Junseok needed to do better than he did himself.
Once the tension eased, fatigue washed over him.
He had been lazing around ever since waking up.
The special reward he could obtain by clearing the 5th floor with a new record.
‘Special Reward Random Draw Box.’
He had been putting off opening the box until he was fully awake and clear-headed.
According to Team Leader Kang’s information, the item Choi Junseok needed most right now—the Ring of Protection—would drop from this box.
A defensive artifact.
It might even be useful for nullifying shockwaves.
“Special Reward Random Draw Box.”
The moment he sensed the box stored in his inventory, a notification window appeared in his vision.
Would you like to use it? (Y/N)
Just as he was about to press Yes without hesitation—
“Wait! You were about to open it just now, weren’t you!”
“…And?”
“Box gacha! Probability! You know the origins of gacha are Japanese, right?! Plus, I’m an expert! I’ll bestow a blessing on you!”
“I appreciate it, but is a shrine maiden allowed to do something like this?”
“What do you mean by ‘something like this’?”
“Bestowing a blessing for personal gain?”
“Aren’t all blessings for personal gain anyway? It’s all the same.”
Well, when she put it that way, she had a point.
However, the blessing itself was rather unremarkable, and the motion was simple.
All she did was clasp her hands together, close her eyes, and speak.
“May there be blessings upon this gacha…”
“Does this actually do anything?”
“Who knows! Whether the blessing brings fortune or misfortune…”
“No. At the very least, a blessing should bring fortune, shouldn’t it?”
“Everything depends on how you receive it! Now! Open it before the effect wears off! The item you need most will be granted to you!”
Well, if it’s good, it’s good.
When he pressed the use button, an item shot out of the box with a pop.
It was a black card.
No matter how he looked at it, it didn’t resemble the Ring of Protection at all.
When he used Appraisal, Choi Junseok’s eyes widened.
◈ Grants an additional entry pass to a Magic Tower upon clearing a floor with the highest record. (Maximum once per day)
◈ Unused entries accumulate.
◈ Remaining Entries: 1
◈ Caution: Excessive Magic Tower entries are a leading cause of death.
“Holy crap.”
“What did you get?”
“An additional Magic Tower entry ticket…”
A mythic-grade item. And it wasn’t even a consumable.
In other words, it could be reused infinitely.
That meant he could climb two floors in a single day.
“I could clear two floors a day?”
The possibilities were endless.
He could treat one floor as a bonus entry and invest in leveling up.
Or he could set anonymous records consecutively to create the smokescreen he had been wanting.
‘Or I could climb Magic Towers in other regions and only take the hidden rewards.’
Simply put, the door had opened to earning twice as much profit, twice as much experience, and twice as many rewards as everyone else.
Of course, there was the conditional restriction of “upon clearing with the highest record,” but judging from how loosely it was written, it seemed either achieving the solo highest record or the highest record regardless of party size would work.
‘Honestly… if I just prepare the protection measures for summoning the Holy Sword…’
Wouldn’t every low and mid-level floor be an instant new record with a single summon command?
“The blessing definitely worked, didn’t it?”
“Right? Heh. You’re welcome!”
Regardless, she was an S-grade summon.
On top of that, it felt like a lucky charm had rolled right into his house.
“Also, you said you were going out, right? Before you leave, I’ll give you a stealth talisman.”
She rummaged through her pockets and pulled out what looked like a notepad.
At first glance, it did resemble a notepad.
The issue was that the paper was yellowish, like a stack of blank talisman paper.
Instead of a pen, she began drawing something with her finger.
Red patterns and characters were engraved as if written in blood, which gave off an eerie feeling.
She tore off the talisman she had been concentrating on drawing, as if ripping off a receipt.
The talisman was handed to Lee Nayeon, not Choi Junseok.
“Carry this talisman with you. It should block anyone from reading that you’re S-grade or a summon.”
Choi Junseok had been waiting beside her, licking his lips in anticipation.
But Song Hana tilted her head.
“Junseok-nim… doesn’t really have anything to hide, does he? He’s F-grade.”
It was the first time Choi Junseok had ever been treated as an F-grade.
“Still, I’d like one… Being known as F-grade is dangerous, after all.”
“…Well, fine. Here.”
With a much less sincere attitude, she scribbled something sloppily and tore it off before handing it over.
Unlike before, when she had been extremely careful, this one took only about three seconds to draw.
“This talisman makes you appear as E-grade instead of F-grade.”
─┼
Choi Junseok and Lee Nayeon arrived at a nearby large department store.
The moment Lee Nayeon got out of the taxi, she continued speaking.
“No matter how capable she may be, it’s better to stay on guard. Spies don’t announce themselves as spies from the beginning…”
Her nagging stopped the instant they entered the department store.
“The scale is immense. Modern logistical supply capabilities are… truly remarkable.”
“That’s normal in this era.”
To avoid unnecessary attention, they wore masks and hats.
Lee Nayeon’s eyes sparkled with surprise as she looked around.
“There are so many people.”
“So you need to be careful. Stay right next to me. If I lose you here, it’ll be hard to find you.”
“A valid point. It would also be wise to designate a secondary rendezvous point in case of a disorderly retreat…”
“…No. Never mind. Let’s go.”
It wasn’t like they were going to war. Why would they need a retreat rendezvous point?
In the main hall of the department store, a sportswear promotional event was underway.
‘Super Sonic’
It was the fashion brand of the ranker Lee Jiyu, also known as Supersonic Bunny.
They were holding an unusual discount event.
It was a famous brand that had captured thirty percent of the Korean outdoor fashion market.
Since it had firmly established itself as a specialized brand for sneakers and various sportswear, it rarely held discounts.
“Super Sonic? I think they’re known for functional clothing.”
Many climbers, regardless of gender, often wore Super Sonic brand clothes.
The player-exclusive training suits, made with the Magic Tower’s new materials, offered performance beyond that of most beginner protective gear.
‘A discount? This is a rare opportunity.’
Choi Junseok had no idea that this discount event was because his actions had dealt a blow to Lee Jiyu’s brand sales.
Just as he casually headed toward the event area—
Lee Jiyu, Supersonic Bunny, who was rarely holding a signing event at the venue, turned her gaze toward the two of them.
Strangely enough, through the crowd, Lee Jiyu spotted the woman wearing a hat and mask and the man beside her with perfect accuracy.
Her eyes, which had barely covered her dark circles with makeup, sharpened in an instant.
An inexplicable woman’s intuition told her—
Those two… there’s something about them.
Lee Jiyu spoke to her manager, who was guarding her from behind.
“The woman with the hat and the man next to her. Appraise them.”
A moment later.
The man who had discreetly used Appraisal returned and spoke.
As if he had seen the future.
The effect of the talisman Song Hana had given was immediately proven.
“The woman is D-grade, level 18. The man is E-grade, level 18.”
‘D-grade and E-grade? That’s not right…’
Function’s rank was F-grade.
Yet the woman’s intuition was telling her that those two were suspicious.
Lee Jiyu nodded and handed a signed item to a fan before responding to her manager’s report.
“Give the woman my business card. Tell her it’s regarding a brand model offer.”
“…Yes?”
“Don’t make me explain. Go.”
“…Understood.”
“Do a background check and tail them to find out where they live. I’ll return on my own.”
“Understood.”
When Lee Nayeon saw the man in a suit approaching Choi Junseok, she whispered in a low voice.
She had already warned him that suspicious people were watching them. The man who had appraised them earlier was coming back.
“Shall I kill him?”
“No. Absolutely not. Do not kill him.”
“…Understood. Is medieval-style dueling allowed?”
“Medieval-style dueling?”
“Throwing a gauntlet at someone’s chest. It’s a challenge to a duel. I don’t have a glove, so I’ll use the gauntlet.”
She was going to throw the Lionheart’s Gauntlet?
Was she trying to kill someone?
It seemed Lee Nayeon still didn’t understand just how much impact her power had in this world.
“Absolutely not. Forbidden. Any and all combative or hostile actions are prohibited.”
“…Understood.”
However, the moment Lee Jiyu’s manager approached her and the man made eye contact, about to speak—
Lee Nayeon immediately glared at him sharply and said,
“Kneel. Our eye levels are not the same.”
Choi Junseok squeezed his eyes shut, doubting whether she had even listened to what he said.
─┼
At the same time.
The southern part of Kaesong, Pyongyang, North Korea.
Approximately 20 kilometers northwest of Paju, a massive earthquake occurred.
The repeated earthquakes and aftershocks that had been detected in South Korea earlier were finally revealing their true cause—a Magic Tower was beginning to rise.
Kugugugugu…
The forest shook, and the nearby Pyongyang-Kaesong Expressway began to collapse.
A colossal Magic Tower shot straight up toward the sky.
Finally, for the first time in history, a Magic Tower had appeared in North Korea.