One Minute Is All I Need
A giant clock hung in the empty café.
Tick— tock—
The second hand echoed through the silence. Hour hand at nine, minute hand at twelve. It was exactly 9:00 sharp.
The Association staff had shielded the café with skills like Mana Veil, Cognitive Dampening, and Visual Distortion, and Cho Sang-hyuk now sat across from Yu Jaewoo.
On the prettily decorated table between them: one iced chamomile tea, and one steaming cup of rooibos.
"Drinking something cold in weather like this—you really are young."
"Haha, hot blood runs in the family."
Cho Sang-hyuk took a long sip of his rooibos, and Yu Jaewoo sipped his chamomile. The faint aroma of tea spread between them, and the mood settled into calm.
So every plan I made came to nothing.
Cho Sang-hyuk had genuinely intended to protect Yu Jaewoo. From whom? From everyone but himself. Most of Korea's politicians and senior officials were rotten to the core, but that hadn't mattered. He had rewired their minds with his class, Cheater—Deceiver, and its sub-skill Mind Control. He could crush them underfoot whenever he pleased.
But foreign powers were another matter entirely. Among America's S-class awakeners were men who not only matched Cho Sang-hyuk but surpassed him. And worse—hard as it was to accept, criminals were more common than not among awakeners.
And yet.
All that worry was for nothing.
The Yu Jaewoo Cho Sang-hyuk had met was no mere monster rookie. He was simply a monster. An overwhelming powerhouse—a tiger that had strolled into a den of newborn cubs.
No scheme, no threat will ever work on this man.
Would Daniel Jensen fare any better? The thought churned through Cho Sang-hyuk's mind, but that wasn't what mattered now.
My last remaining card is sincerity.
"Let me be frank with you. The Republic of Korea—and I—need you, Yu Jaewoo. The reason I've come here today is to recruit you."
"I more or less expected as much."
"Then this should go quickly. Korea will meet whatever conditions you want as far as possible. Please, tell me freely what you desire."
Cho Sang-hyuk deliberately made no mention of the United States. It was common knowledge that America could offer better terms than Korea. He simply bowed his head courteously, hoping only that Yu Jaewoo would not abandon his country.
"Hm... honestly, I expected a bit of posturing, but you're exactly as you seemed on television."
"...Pardon?"
"As thanks for your honesty, I'll be honest in return. If you or anyone connected to you had tried to threaten me or play games, I would not have spared a single one of them."
Cho Sang-hyuk swallowed dryly. Korea's top awakeners had nearly faced a mass execution—and the mere thought made his head swim.
"But you didn't do any of that. So I'll trust you—to a degree."
"To a degree, you say..."
"I'm not the sort to put myself under anyone's command or sign on with an organization. I'd prefer we work together as partners."
Partners. In other words, a temporary alliance. Cho Sang-hyuk grasped the meaning instantly.
He's drawing a line.
"Understood. So—you continue conquering the Tower freely as you are now, and the government cooperates with your climb. Is that the right way to read it?"
"As expected of a TOP ranker. You really are cut from a different cloth."
Cho Sang-hyuk was slightly taken aback.
On the outside, a young man; on the inside, a coiled viper. The sinister killing intent, that schemer's way of speaking—
And yet, somehow, that was precisely what reassured him.
Frankly, it's a shame he won't come under Korea's management, but with that attitude, he's unlikely to take America's offer either. Right now I need to see the forest, not the trees.
Yu Jaewoo took another sip of his chamomile and continued.
"If you've investigated me, then you know all about my family as well, I take it?"
"...I can't claim otherwise. It was for their protection, but I have no excuses to offer. I apologize."
"No need to apologize. If anything, I'm grateful a trustworthy man was the one watching over them."
Cho Sang-hyuk caught the hidden intent behind the words and answered swiftly.
"Your family will remain under my protection from here on as well."
"Just make sure it doesn't interfere with their daily lives."
"Of course."
"And I'd like you to assign me a secretary. Ah—not the kind who follows me around, but someone I can simply call and delegate tasks to over the phone."
"Consider it done. In fact, I hear you've already received Section Chief Jeon Sua's business card. Call her with anything at all, and it will be handled immediately. And—"
Cho Sang-hyuk raised a hand and signaled something to Assistant Manager Yu Jun outside. Yu Jun nodded and placed a call somewhere.
A short while later, a notification chimed on Yu Jaewoo's phone.
Ding—
₩10,000,000,000 deposited
Sender: Cho Sang-hyuk
Holy crap. Ten billion won?
"This is my thanks for pre-opening Floors 48 and 49. It's a modest token, but I hope you'll accept it."
Yu Jaewoo barely stopped a curse from flying out of his mouth.
Modest? What part of this is modest?! That's enough to buy three houses along the Han River!
"Is this money from the Korean Awakener Association?"
"Ah. This is a gesture of respect from me personally."
"Pardon? Why would you personally..."
"Merely a reward for letting me set down a burden I've carried a long time. Of course, thanks from the nation and the Association will follow as well."
"There's more?"
"Recruiting you into the Association outright isn't something we can decide on the spot—it will require discussion. But the compensation is guaranteed."
"You really don't have to..."
"I intend to prepare everything you could possibly need going forward. So that one day, words like 'Korea really isn't bad at all. That Cho Sang-hyuk fellow does good work' come out of your mouth."
"...You really don't need to go that far."
'That Cho Sang-hyuk fellow' does feel a little off, though...
"If you ever need anything at all, just contact Section Chief Jeon Sua or myself."
Cho Sang-hyuk deferentially extended his business card, and Yu Jaewoo received it with both hands.
"Thank you. Though there is one more thing I'd like to ask."
"Ask away, by all means."
"What about taxes for awakeners?"
Cho Sang-hyuk answered with a serene smile.
"You won't be paying any taxes, Yu Jaewoo."
"Oh. It's really that simple?"
"Normally it wouldn't be. But I'll take responsibility and make it so."
"Haha. Thank you. Well then, I suppose I should return the favor."
"...A favor, you say?"
Yu Jaewoo had received considerable consideration and countless promises from Team Leader Cho Sang-hyuk. By any measure, Jaewoo held the clear position of power. But—
I have no intention of only ever taking.
Especially since—
I've been sleeping with both feet stretched out thanks to him this whole time. And ten billion won? Whose family dog has a name like that?
Yu Jaewoo respected Cho Sang-hyuk. Had he not seen it at home?
Father always said he wanted to lift that weight off Team Superhuman's shoulders, too.
So he intended to do just that—starting now.
"Let's clear Floors 48, 49, and 50 together, using your Cheater class."
"...!"
Cho Sang-hyuk was genuinely floored. Climbing the Tower alongside Yu Jaewoo, the man who had achieved legendary-tier feats? He had entertained the fantasy, sure, but he'd never believed it possible.
Before meeting Yu Jaewoo: The level gap is too vast. It won't work. After meeting him: I'm far too weak to stand beside him.
And yet Yu Jaewoo—an overwhelming powerhouse—had offered first.
"Truly? You would do that?"
"Of course. Ah—not this week, though. I have things to do."
"Every schedule will of course be arranged around you. But—"
Cho Sang-hyuk raised the one thing that had been nagging at him.
"When you say Floor 50...?"
Yu Jaewoo smiled serenely.
"One minute is all I need."
"Pardon?"
"Tower entry."
Ping—
In an instant, Yu Jaewoo vanished from the café.
"Ha. Haha... No way? Seriously?"
Cho Sang-hyuk burst out laughing at the empty air.
Tick— tock—
Hour hand at nine, minute hand at thirteen. It was 9:13.
Entering Floor 11 of the Tower of Korea.
Ping—
The scenery before my eyes changed. A dense jungle stretched out in every direction.
Whoosh—
I shot out of the Safe Zone in a flash. My combat senses, honed to their limit by Demonic Sight, fanned out across the entire jungle and registered countless lifeforms. And among them, the most conspicuous presence—an icy chill.
Floor 11 monster: the Ice Monkey. Creatures that used springy muscles and long arms to move through the jungle with remarkable agility.
Frigid energy darted rapidly between the trees.
Ook-kee! Oook~!
The monkeys shrieked in celebration, as if they'd just spotted some tasty prey.
Ook! Ook! Hoolooki~! Oo! Oo! Ka! Ka!
These monkey brats are seriously loud.
"Allow me to show you a new technique."
Vmmm—
I sprayed surging demonic energy into the air. The sinister force condensed midair, hardening into razor-sharp throwing blades.
"Flying Blade Art."
Shhhhhhaaaak—!
The sinister blades tore through the air, and a hole punched clean through the chest of an Ice Monkey leaping through the canopy—thwack!
Keeeeeek!
The creature dropped straight from its tree. As they say: even a monkey falls from a tree.
The Ice Monkeys who witnessed their comrade's death began screaming like mad. The racket was so tremendous it seemed to shake the entire jungle.
Ugh. Fine. Time to kill every last one of you.
Shhhhhhaaaak—! Thud thud thud thud—!
Dozens of blades flew without a hair's breadth of error, drilling refreshing holes through heads, bellies, and hearts alike.
Thudududuk—!
The monkeys rained down from the trees in a heap.
You have defeated all 20 Ice Monkeys.
You have cleared Floor 11 of the Tower of Korea.
Your level has increased.
You have been granted 100 Skill Points.
The Ice Monkeys crumbled into ash, each one hacking up a blue mana stone, which I collected with Vacuum Retrieval.
Twenty mid-to-high grade cold-attribute mana stones. A million won apiece.
"Twenty million won. Get!"
And then—
An E-Grade Random Box has been granted.
You cleared a floor matched to your level within 10 seconds.
You have achieved a Legendary Feat.
Additional rewards will be granted.
Pre-Opening Ticket Fragment — 1/5
An additional C-Grade Random Box has been granted.
Same rewards as before.
"Phew."
I'd talked a big game to Team Leader Cho, and I'd been quietly terrified the Pre-Opening Ticket wouldn't drop. I let out a sigh of relief and stowed every random box into my inventory.
"Next floor."
Enter Floor 12 of the Tower of Korea?
"Go!"
Ping—
The scenery shifted. This time, a snow-swept plain.
Whiiiiine—
A wind that stung the skin grazed my cheek as I shot out of the Safe Zone. And then—
Boom— boom— boom— boom—
The ground trembled.
"There they are."
Thirty Ice Golems, each what looked like three meters tall, came charging toward me.
The Floor 12 Ice Golems were among the monsters awakeners dreaded most. The reason: even if part of their body was destroyed, they regenerated by absorbing the surrounding cold.
The only way to bring one down was to locate and destroy its core precisely.
Of course, none of that applied to me. Find the core and destroy it? Didn't need anything of the sort.
"Demon Explosive Cannon!"
A railgun-like blast of compressed energy streaked toward the Ice Golems.
CRACK—! KABOOOM!
In an instant, the golems were smashed to pieces. They didn't even get the chance to absorb the cold and regenerate.
Thirty mid-to-high grade cold-attribute mana stones.
"Thirty million won. Get!"
You have defeated all 30 Ice Golems.
You have cleared Floor 12 of the Tower of Korea.
Your level has increased.
You have been granted 100 Skill Points.
An E-Grade Random Box has been granted.
You cleared a floor matched to your level within 10 seconds.
You have achieved a Legendary Feat.
Additional rewards will be granted.
Pre-Opening Ticket Fragment — 2/5
An additional C-Grade Random Box has been granted.
After sweeping the mana stones and random boxes into my inventory, I checked the time.
9:13:11.
"Plenty of time."