Korea Player Hunter Agency, Situation Room.
Jin Yunho and Lee Changgi sat side by side on the sofa, arms crossed, staring into empty space.
Should they laugh or cry about this?
Truly, not a single day passed quietly.
*Ding.*
Jin Yunho checked the message that had arrived.
"It's from Jinhyuk. He says there's no need to secure the 81st floor reinforcement ticket. It's been resolved."
Lee Changgi took a sip of coffee and let out a low breath.
"He's really a good person. Given his position, he'd have every right to become arrogant and cocky, but he still takes the time to personally contact us about every little thing."
"Agreed. Thanks to him, our work has gotten a lot easier lately."
There used to be plenty of incidents.
People threatening the Player Hunter Agency with naturalization and all sorts of nonsense.
But now, it was hard to find anyone like that anymore.
All of this was thanks to Runner Yoo Jinhyuk.
In the old days, whenever a somewhat famous player naturalized elsewhere, the Hunter Agency would get pummeled by public opinion under headlines like "Player Hunter Agency Loses Talent" or "Continuous Brain Drain — Can We Really Leave Korea's Future to the Player Hunter Agency?"
But now the tide had turned.
The moment anyone even brought up the word naturalization, the prevailing sentiment became, "How dare you do something even Runner won't do?" and "A selfish player who uses the nation's future as a bargaining chip. You should follow Runner's example."
*Slurp.*
Lee Changgi downed a mouthful of the savory tea and closed his eyes.
"It's truly an honor. That Runner is a Korean player."
"My insomnia has disappeared lately too."
Jin Yunho nodded in agreement and leaned back into the sofa.
Lee Changgi raised an eyebrow.
"Team Leader Jin. But do you really have the leisure to be sitting around like this?"
"We're enjoying a nice tea time together, aren't we?"
Lee Changgi glanced at the phones ringing nonstop.
"This is an emergency."
"It's not like it's just one day or two."
In the old days, they would have been running around in a cold sweat, that was certain.
But humans are creatures of adaptation, or so they say.
Thanks to Runner, this happened almost every day, so they'd just learned to take it in stride.
"The External Cooperation Department must be in more chaos than we are."
This wasn't just about the floor reinforcement.
At least according to publicly available records, this was the first time.
A player had made a deal with the Tower itself.
"Did he mention anything about the deal?"
"He did. He said he made a deal with some divine entity called Azriel. Even Jinhyuk doesn't know what that being is. He said he agreed because it offered to reinforce the 81st floor."
"Simple enough. And the reinforcement ticket for that floor?"
Yoon Miri, who had been typing at her keyboard, swiveled her chair around.
"The ticket price has dropped to a tenth of what it was ten minutes ago. It's still falling in real-time."
A rare, utterly delighted smile spread across Lee Changgi's face.
"Serves them right. Those Chinese bastards."
Even if they used anonymous accounts, they had Yoon Miri on their side.
They'd figured out who was behind it long ago.
"They dug their own grave."
Lang Feng, who must have barely managed to cling to life after the last incident.
He should have been lying low, but he was blinded by revenge and made a self-destructive move.
With the Chinese Hunter Agency's money evaporating as they bought up the expensive reinforcement tickets, he wouldn't be able to escape responsibility this time.
As they were chuckling away, Yoon Miri, who had taken a call, turned to Jin Yunho.
"Team Leader?"
"I always find it scariest when you make that face."
"You probably should."
Yoon Miri held out the phone.
"It's the Vatican. Rome."
Jin Yunho and Lee Changgi looked at each other.
What now?
At least within their common sense, this didn't exist.
A reason for the Vatican and the Player Hunter Agency to be on a call.
"This is Jin Yunho."
Urgent Italian poured from the other end.
To summarize briefly: the 81st floor must not be reinforced, and if it had already been reinforced, he must not go up.
Jin Yunho listened carefully, then opened his mouth with an awkward expression.
"I fully understand what you're trying to say. However, I'm sorry to say this, but..."
Jin Yunho's gaze shifted to his phone screen.
"You're a little late."
It was written at the very bottom of the message from Jinhyuk.
That he was about to enter the Tower of Despair right now.
---
[Entering the Reinforced Tower of Despair, 81st Floor!]
[You are the first player to reinforce the 81st Floor!]
[The feat 'First Reinforcer of the 81st Floor' is added to the Chronicle of Deeds!]
[Due to the Tower's reinforcement, the difficulty of the 81st Floor has increased dramatically!]
[Due to the difficulty increase and the request of the transaction partner, Azriel, the floor has been changed from the Hall of Sanctity to 'The Pilgrimage of a Certain Heretic'!]
[The monsters that appear have been changed to entities with higher grades and levels!]
[In the reinforced Tower, the factors used for calculating clear grades are not reflected! Upon clearing, you will unconditionally receive an SSS+ grade!]
He took a deep breath.
*Mmm!* The sweet scent of honey.
Being able to enjoy all these effects without the reinforcement ticket — couldn't be more perfect.
"Great Leader! Are you okay?! Are you sick?!"
It was apparently a face that looked like he was savoring a pleasant fragrance.
But it probably didn't look that great.
After patting Kancho's perked-up ears, who was worried about him, he started walking.
"Momo will keep working here!"
Momo, tirelessly working on scales with a mithril carving knife the size of a mouse.
He gave Momo a vigorous thumbs-up.
He'd also stacked up snacks so she could eat whenever she wanted. He'd leave the rest to her.
"Where are the monsters?!"
Kancho, holding an assault rifle, looked around.
Still, no significant enemies in sight.
Nothing was picked up by his presence detection either.
Then, after a moment.
*Rustle.*
A small light appeared at the far end.
It grew, one by one, and soon formed a long procession of lights.
Kancho ran to a hill and raised his voice.
"Great Leader! There are hundreds of them, but they're not monsters — they're people! Should I fire?!"
Before he could stop him, Kancho shouldered his assault rifle.
He looked ready to pull the trigger the moment an order came down.
"Those crazy destroyers."
Camelia shook her head as if there was no helping it.
*Gulp!*
He was scared too.
Of that little one's destructive instinct!
"Just keep watch from there. Don't shoot."
"Roger that!"
While Kancho glared at the procession with his ears twitching fiercely,
Camelia blew out smoke and spoke.
"A pilgrimage."
"Just like the floor's name. So, are those people heretics?"
The floor was called 'The Pilgrimage of a Certain Heretic.'
Because of the word 'heretic,' he still wasn't sure.
Whether they were something to be wiped out or not.
And this unfriendly system was still staying silent.
"If they're heretics, aren't they that crazy cult lady's friends?! Then I think we should just sweep them away! One cultist is enough!"
"I feel like smashing that pipe until it's in pieces."
Camelia blew out a long stream of smoke, calming her mind and body.
As the smoke dispersed, a strange smile played on her lips.
"Speaking of which, this is a familiar sight."
"You were a pilgrim too, weren't you, Camelia?"
"I was. Once upon a time, I also set out on a pilgrimage like them. Though I wasn't a heretic, of course."
"But you switched to being an apostate in the end, so doesn't that make you a heretic after all?"
Camelia blew out smoke and looked at him blankly.
"Now that you mention it, I suppose you're right. Let's just say I was a heretic."
"Sorry."
As they exchanged this and that, the pilgrimage procession drew closer.
They seemed to have spotted him too.
The procession slowed down, and a woman at the front walked out.
"And who might you be?"
The woman asked, flipping back her bright pink hair.
"Tch."
Camelia clicked her tongue beside him.
She seemed to have seen something, so he opened his spiritual vision.
Then he began to see them.
Countless vengeful spirits surrounding the woman in front and the entire procession.
*Ring!*
[You have encountered a Heretic Pilgrimage Procession!]
[This is a pilgrimage that can never be walked to its end! You must help ensure their pilgrimage begins smoothly!]
[The 81st Floor clear condition has been updated! Receive permission to accompany the heretic pilgrims!]
A faint smile formed on his face.
Among the messages that appeared when he entered, there was one he hadn't seen during the previous floor reinforcement.
The request of the transaction partner, Azriel.
It wasn't just the reinforcement ticket that had influenced the change of the floor.
The difficulty increase, combined with Azriel's needs, had resulted in this place — the Pilgrimage of a Certain Heretic.
In other words, it was only natural that Azriel's desires also touched the floor's clear conditions.
Keeping his expression as neutral as possible, he spoke.
"I've come to help you."
Doubt flickered across the woman's face.
Even if he said he was here to help, she didn't seem like she'd accept it easily.
He added with a smile.
"To be more specific, I am an apostle. Sent by the god Azriel for your sake."
"!!!"
The woman's eyes widened.
Surprise also filled the faces of the nearby pilgrims.
And not long after.
"Oh, Apostle...!"
Starting with the woman, every pilgrim holding a candle knelt down.
"Ha."
Camelia let out an exclamation and looked at Jinhyuk.
The nerve to say something like that without even wetting his lips.
Jinhyuk winked one eye.
She felt it was a thousand pities that her master's dream wasn't to be a cult leader.
If it had been, a cult leader who would go down in history would have been born.
"Finally, the god has answered our penance!"
"What's your name?"
"My name is Belia Blackwell. I lead this sacred pilgrimage."
"To be honest, I only received the god's command to protect you. I don't know anything else. So let me ask you. What is the purpose of this pilgrimage?"
Jinhyuk took a step closer and leaned toward Belia.
Then he lowered his voice.
"If that purpose is not for the god Azriel, I will not protect you. Even if it is the god's command."
Seira, who had been listening to his incredible method acting, was stunned.
She wanted to give him a seal clap, but she held back for now.
"How could we not act for Him! Every step, every breath — it is all for the god Azriel!"
Belia rose to her feet and clasped her hands together.
"The purpose of this sacred pilgrimage is the resurrection of the god Azriel. For that, I would throw away this worthless life thousands, tens of thousands of times over."
"If your pilgrimage succeeds, can the god awaken? But you are merely human, are you not?"
Belia Blackwell wore a solemn expression.
"I will show the apostle of the god Azriel our necessity."
Belia turned toward the procession.
With a light gesture, the followers pulled down the cloaks they had been wearing over their heads.
Soon, a prayer began, and the entire space filled with a low murmur.
*Shoooosh...!*
In response, light burst from the followers' bodies.
The light gathered in the air, forming a massive pattern.
Jinhyuk's eyes widened at the sight.
Not just because it was dazzling.
He had seen that pattern before.
*Ring!*
[The heretic pilgrims display infinite trust toward the player!]
[The clear condition has been met!]
[The Reinforced Tower of Despair, 81st Floor, has been cleared!]
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T/N:
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