Versatile

After clearing the 20th floor, the three returned to the hotel.

Song Hana was the most excited about Lee Nayeon's performance. She grabbed her hand and bounced around, unable to stop gushing.

"How did you clear the 20th floor all by yourself!? That's amazing!"

Lee Nayeon remained calm as ever. Choi Junseok was just as stunned.

'She cleared the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠20th floor without summoning the Holy Sword?'

Yu Junhyeok, residing inside Choi Junseok, didn't add anything, but he was equally surprised.

Right after clearing the 2nd floor of Japan's Shibuya Magic Tower to sow confusion, they had immediately cleared the 20th floor.

Once the emergency was lifted and the Hall of Fame at Suseo Magic Tower was made public again, players and the public went into an uproar.

The reason was simple.

If Function was the one who cleared Japan's Shibuya Magic Tower, then he had to have traveled from Japan to Suseo in under two minutes. At the very least, he should have been within visual range of either tower.

Player opinions were split. Some believed Japan's record-breaking clear was the work of a domestic irregular, while others insisted Function had used some method to travel between Shibuya and Suseo.

From ordinary clueless players to sharp analysts:

Choi Junseok scrolled through Player Inside and the news, satisfied that the smokescreen had worked better than expected.

"I'll go wash up first."

The moment Lee Nayeon and Song Hana entered the shower, Lee Nayeon used her detection ability to report that Team Leader Kang Jinsu had arrived on the hotel's first floor.

"Team Leader Kang Jinsu appears to have arrived."

"Okay."

Choi Junseok summoned the fairy dragon to sort the 20th floor rewards, regardless of Kang Jinsu's arrival.

The black dragon, looking rather full, blinked and looked up at him. When Choi Junseok carefully lifted the tilting head, it purred contentedly and rubbed its head against his chest.

After stroking its back, Choi Junseok grabbed its tail and pulled. With a satisfying crack, Kkamdori opened its mouth wide and began spilling out items.

Most items a porter would normally dismantle and collect had been automatically recovered. Even things he didn't particularly need came tumbling out—ghoul fangs and claws, items most porters wouldn't bother with unless preserving whole specimens for research or exhibition.

"Quite a haul."

Team Leader Kang, who had knocked and entered cautiously, froze at the sight.

"...You're summoning dragons now?"

"Relax. It's an item."

Choi Junseok yanked Kkamdori's tail again as it choked on something stuck in its throat. More items and magic stones poured out.

They were the magic stones awarded as fixed rewards from the lower floors. Though individually small, the total wasn't insignificant.

After a refreshing burp, Kkamdori blinked at Team Leader Kang, then looked back at Choi Junseok as if asking what that creature was. Kang smiled for the first time in a while—long enough that he was surprised he had done so.

"Last time you said you'd be stuck with the NIS for a while. You got out quickly?"

"Would they really keep someone as valuable as me locked up?"

There was a hint of ease in his tone, as if the situation had somewhat stabilized.

"So, why did you come?"

"North Korea and Japan have stopped their terrorist and provocative activities in Korea. Of course, they're probably just watching the situation... but it's thanks to you, Junseok. We deeply appreciate it."

"Ahem... Well... Is the thanks only verbal? Ahem."

Team Leader Kang grinned at Choi Junseok's cheekiness.

"I think we might be able to reimburse you for the magic stones you borrowed last time."

That caught his interest. He had requested 5 kg but received about 6 kg. At roughly 1 billion won per 5 kg, that meant around 1.2 billion won in reimbursement—though that was the market price for players and companies. The government's purchase price would be far lower. Still, it was a win-win.

Of course, this wasn't the only income coming his way.

"Did you obtain anything significant from the Japanese tower?"

"Why?"

"Well... the 1st floor hidden reward isn't small, but it seems China tried to make contact with North Korea. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Right after you cleared the 1st floor of Shibuya Magic Tower."

The explanation was long, but it was just their speculation—nothing Choi Junseok could verify.

"Hmm. I don't know the details, but I was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠going to mention what came out anyway. Here it is."

The moment Choi Junseok pulled an item from his inventory, Team Leader Kang covered his eyes and let out a short scream, as if he had seen something he shouldn't have. Yet he had already checked its information.

Choi Junseok smirked at the team leader, who had collapsed into his seat. The more he saw this man—especially the closer they got—the more exaggerated his reactions became.

"So this came from Shibuya..."

"Correct."

Kang nodded. If it had come from Shibuya Magic Tower, everything added up. He could even picture the exact transaction that had occurred.

'So the unverified intelligence was true after all.'

China had purchased this ticket from Japan, and it had vanished the moment Choi Junseok cleared Shibuya's 1st floor. An item that let even a 1st-floor clearer challenge the 100th floor immediately. At the same time, China had sent North Korea a warning: this wasn't the time to celebrate their new money source. It was a chilling message that Function might clear Kaesong Magic Tower's 100th floor.

It was clear that protecting Choi Junseok would require even more effort.

"This item isn't bound, right? I'd like to sell it. Or have the country buy it."

"......"

It was fortunate that Choi Junseok hadn't tried to sell it overseas through auctions or brokers. Not that he had expected him to make such a mistake.

"Or how about trading it for the penthouse?"

"......Is that possible?"

The 100th-floor entry ticket was certainly valuable, but Choi Junseok was aiming for a penthouse worth hundreds of billions.

"Ah~ Then I guess I'll have to sell it in the Middle East. Ahem."

"......I'll still ask the director. I don't know if we can secure that kind of budget."

"That much would be enough for me anyway. I wasn't planning to sell it abroad in the first place."

It wasn't patriotism—it was because he knew the risks. People who would commit murder over player-related matters were everywhere. With hundreds of billions at stake, plenty would kill to take it back. This was a brutal world where foreign nations launched terrorist attacks. The risk was too high.

"So, how's the retaliation going?"

"I actually came to request your cooperation on that."

"Go ahead."

"We don't know how Japan is connected to North Korea, but we've already issued a firm warning through Shibuya Magic Tower. The remaining issue is catching the North Korean players who infiltrated Korea."

A large-scale announcement blaming North Korea was inevitable. North Korea would deny it, of course, but capturing prisoners would change everything.

"You want me to help catch them."

"Yes."

"Using Song Hana's power?"

Team Leader Kang nodded.

"I'll need a hefty commission. In exchange for helping sell this without taking a cut in the middle. How about it?"

"Of course. We'll provide even more support."

"And handle the sale in a way that avoids tax bombs? You know what I mean, right?"

"......"

After a moment of thought, Team Leader Kang nodded.

"Understood. Please help us this one time."

Honestly, Choi Junseok hadn't expected this. Asking a civil servant to bend the rules? It was the kind of statement that made him wonder if this was the same man who claimed no one could escape taxes and death.

Just then, Lee Nayeon and Song Hana emerged from the shower—the stars of this operation. Song Hana, now in casual clothes, waved brightly, while Lee Nayeon bowed her head and walked off to dry her hair.

"Hana."

"Yes!"

Song Hana answered brightly, clearly in a good mood after her shower. After all, she had already gotten her revenge on Japan.

"Is there a way ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to catch the North Korean players in Korea?"

"Catch them? If it's tracking... maybe I can?"

"Is it possible?"

Team Leader Kang's eyes sparkled with hope.

"If it's tracking brainwashed targets in reverse, it should be possible. They would have had to come to South Korea to brainwash Korean players... Actually, I was curious so I already detected them in advance."

Song Hana toddled off somewhere, retrieved a talisman, and handed it to Choi Junseok.

"Actually... I didn't say anything because I thought I'd get scolded, but this tracking talisman was made by extracting the magic power from the prisoner we captured!"

"Can you detect their current location too?"

"Of course!"

She immediately placed her hand on the talisman and closed her eyes.

"Uh... near the western coast. I see a harbor... and a lighthouse... Right now they're hiding inside a container box. It's dark?"

Team Leader Kang immediately called someone on his phone, bowed his head, and rushed out of the room.

"Am I not going to get scolded?"

"You will. But it looks like you handled it well. We'll be able to catch the North Korean terrorists. You should've said something earlier."

"I was worried I'd get scolded for doing something I wasn't told to do... Hehe... If I did well, pat my head."

When Choi Junseok patted Song Hana's head, Lee Nayeon, who had been drying her long hair in the distance, peeked out and glanced over before turning away with a strange expression.