We had expected the three, but one person was unexpected.
“Even Administrative Officer Choi Hyeong-woo...”
<However, the people who went to Administrative Officer Choi’s side are moving very carefully!>
“How?”
<They only installed wiretapping devices and hidden cameras, then disappeared.>
“What about the other side?”
<Armed personnel are guarding it.>
“Really? If this goes well...”
After falling into thought for a while, the Commissioner opened his mouth.
“Section Officer Lee.”
“Yes, Commissioner.”
“Return to Korea immediately. Hwanseon Cave should be fine.”
He meant for me to move directly to the Tower through the Status Window.
“I will handle things here.”
The Commissioner’s expression turned serious.
“The board has grown larger than expected. America is targeting you as well. So...”
At that moment, Ms. Su-a’s TTS voice was heard.
<Eric is joining us!>
The van stopped, and Eric, who had been waiting nearby, climbed in.
“Commissioner, I have returned!”
“You worked hard. Did you secure both sides?”
“Yes, they have been secured.”
“Then our side will handle the three, so Eric, you and the other black operatives should mark Choi Hyeong-woo. Once you cross the Canadian border, go to the Korean Embassy... Ah, Section Officer Lee, hurry and go. Do not worry.”
“Commissioner.”
“Yes, hurry along. I will see you tomorrow in Korea.”
“I will stay as well.”
“What? Why?”
“I think that would be better for future conversations with America.”
“...Hm?”
“I heard that Towers are normally cleared every day.”
But I had already missed two days.
And that was for negotiations with America, which had stabbed us in the back today.
Therefore...
“I will enter a Tower in North America today.”
It would be fine to simply head straight to Korea, but if I did that, something would feel lacking.
“A Tower here? It is good that you are diligent, but will it be all right?”
I fully understood what the Commissioner was worried about.
We could not give a gift to people who had betrayed us.
“Of course, it will not be an American Tower.”
“Then?”
“I will climb a Canadian Tower.”
The rice cake in someone else’s hand always looked larger than the one in one’s own hand.
All the more so if it was a rice cake one had nearly held in one’s own hand, only to miss it right before one’s eyes.
“Ah!”
The Commissioner grinned as he looked at my face.
“That is good.”
Eric also seemed to be holding back a smile.
“There are four Towers in Canada as well.”
“You can go with your team. Section Officer Lee, enter the Tower as soon as you cross the border. The clear will end quickly, so the rest of you can wait and then go to Montreal together. Ms. Su-a will book the lodging.”
“Yes, Commissioner.”
“I will see both of you tomorrow in Korea.”
Ms. Su-a, who was in front, gave me a thumbs-up.
<Good luck!>
By now, the TTS voice felt almost like a part of Ms. Su-a herself.
Against that background, the sound of fireworks could be heard.
<I wish you fortune in battle!>
RATTLE, RATTLE!
We crossed the border in a freight truck.
We crossed the border as cargo, not people, but in any case, we had safely passed one hurdle.
The problem lay elsewhere.
Because there was very little room for people to ride inside a freight truck full of cargo, we had no choice but to sit pressed tightly together.
And in front of me sat Administrative Officer Choi, a confirmed traitor.
Choi Hyeong-woo turned his gaze away every time our eyes met.
However, I was the same.
JINGLE—!
It was because of the ghost I had seen before, the one with the bell around her neck.
That ghost was glaring at me with an even more ferocious face than before.
So I also met the ghost’s gaze with cold eyes.
That alone made Choi Hyeong-woo, who felt my stare, flinch and tremble.
“......”
...It seemed the time had come to speak.
If we parted like this, I did not know when I would see him again.
“Mr. Choi Hyeong-woo.”
“Yes, Section Officer.”
“Do you perhaps know?”
“I apologize.”
He apologized outright without even listening to what I had to say.
Perhaps because of that.
“There is a ghost behind you, Mr. Choi Hyeong-woo.”
...The words came out somewhat too directly.
“Yes... what?”
Choi Hyeong-woo looked at me with startled eyes.
There was no helping it.
At this point, I had no choice but to make him understand.
“It is one of my abilities.”
“Ah, yes.”
Still, his expression did not look convinced.
“A girl with short hair and a thin build. She appears to be roughly 160 centimeters tall.”
I described the ghost exactly as she appeared.
But then.
“...What did you just say?”
Choi Hyeong-woo’s face turned fierce.
As expected.
He knew her.
Well, of course he did. Otherwise, she would not have followed him so desperately.
“There are two moles on her right ear.”
The moment he heard my words, Choi Hyeong-woo’s expression hardened.
With trembling hands, he seemed to take a satellite phone out of his Inventory, then hurriedly called somewhere.
“Chairman!”
Perhaps he no longer intended to hide it, because Choi Hyeong-woo suddenly shouted right in front of us.
A faint voice came from the other side of the call.
[Young Choi? Where are you right now?]
“Where is my younger sister?”
[Uh...]
“Why can I not reach our Hyeon-ju? Why does someone else keep answering every time I contact her...?”
[Calm down, Young Choi!]
“Chairman! This is not what you promised! You clearly said you would treat her and take good care of her somewhere nice!”
[Why do you keep doing this when she is attending an international school just fine, Young Choi?]
“An international school? Where is it?”
[That... it is a little far.]
“Where is it?”
[Shanghai. She is in Shanghai, China.]
“......”
Choi Hyeong-woo let out a deep sigh at the Association Chairman’s words.
“Why would Hyeon-ju go all the way there?”
[The latest treatment method is in Shanghai...]
However, Choi Hyeong-woo cut him off, as though there was no need to hear more.
“Chairman.”
[What is it?]
“Please tell me the truth.”
[Yes, calm down now.]
“...Hyeon-ju. Is she alive?”
The other party could not say a word.
As though he had admitted the younger sister’s death.
In that brief time, Choi Hyeong-woo’s face twisted violently. Then he continued as though coughing up blood.
“...What about my youngest sibling?”
[Young Choi...]
“What about our youngest! Chairman!!!”
It was then.
The ghost covered her ears and screamed soundlessly.
JINGLE—!
An eerie energy swept through the surroundings, enough to make even those who could not sense spirit bodies flinch and shrink back.
And then.
The ghost began to melt.
Dense resentment, enough to soak the trailer, poured from the ghost in surging waves.
“Stop.”
“Ah...”
Choi Hyeong-woo looked at me with blank eyes.
He weakly dropped the phone.
Then the ghost seemed to regain her senses and returned to her original form.
JINGLE— JINGLE—
Following the gloomy sound of the bell, the ghost shed tears that fell drop by drop.
“Choi Hyeon-ju. Is your name Choi Hyeon-ju?”
The ghost nodded.
At the same time, Choi Hyeong-woo’s gaze landed on me.
“Where... where is our Hyeon-ju?”
“She is right beside you. She seems to be making signs with her hands, like sign language...”
At that, Choi Hyeong-woo collapsed.
“...My sister cannot speak.”
He struck his own chest with his hand.
A sound like the cry of a beast filled the vehicle.
Until we arrived at our destination.
He cried like that every moment.
<Nation has changed.>
<Automatically acquiring player location.>
<Location tracking complete.>
<Player is currently in Canada.>
1. Hwanseon Cave Tower (40th Floor, 89 days 12:28:00)
2. Gwanaksan Tower (36th Floor, 79 days 21:13:34)
3. Seopjikoji Tower (26th Floor, 141 days 01:02:15)
4. Rocky Mountains Tower (31st Floor, 31 days 01:28:01): Location Reflected
5. Skylon Tower (38th Floor, 157 days 03:11:00): Location Reflected
6. Louisbourg Tower (32nd Floor, 88 days 17:25:42): Location Reflected
7. Notre-Dame Tower (40th Floor, 75 days 22:53:27): Location Reflected>
“Rocky Mountains Tower.”
<Player Jack Rich_07 will enter the 1st floor of Rocky Mountains Tower.>
FLASH—!
[Huh?]
“Homeowner!”
“Where is this?”
“The Rocky Mountains.”
Once the ghosts all appeared, a Status Window appeared.
<All Random Box components have been collected. Would you like to assemble it now?>
“Random Box assembly?”
When I checked my Inventory, I saw that the fragments had reached thirty before I knew it.
The Assembly Ticket and Upgrade Ticket were there as well.
Cha Jun-hyeok nodded.
“It is better to open things like that before entering the Tower. You have to receive the proper benefits from the beginning. That way, your rank rises quickly too.”
As expected, it was a tip worthy of a Tower veteran.
“I am curious. You said the homeowner is a Necromancer, right?”
[Wow! Finally!]
“Random Box assembly.”
<Random Box Fragments will find their places.>
FLASH!
With an intense light, the fragments spinning like a whirlwind clicked into place like a puzzle.
Then a box about the size of my palm popped out.
<Would you like to use a Random Box Upgrade Ticket to raise the rank?>
Ah, I had received something like this in Gangwon-do Tower.
“Homeowner, you can raise this up to S!”
Really? In that case.
I read the description of the Upgrade Ticket.
<Random Box Upgrade Ticket>
<Upgrades the rank of a Random Box by one level.>
The explanation ended there.
There was no separate explanation about a rank restriction or time limit.
“Does it not matter if I use it later?”
“That would be best.”
Then naturally, I had to save it.
“Cancel.”
Then the guide continued again.
<Would you like to open the Random Box now?>
<Progress | Open>
It seemed to be asking me to choose.
I had no intention of receiving an F-Rank reward right now.
“Progress.”
<Acquiring owner’s class information.>
<Class confirmed. Necromancer.>
<Applying collection method suited to class.>
<In progress ...100%>
<Application complete.>
<F-Rank Random Box has been completed. Type: Soul Collector>
<F-Rank Random Box has transformed into Soul Collector.>
Once soul collection is completed, it will be upgraded to an E-Rank Random Box. 0/200>
“Soul Collector?”
“Huh?!”
Thud.
A box darker than darkness itself fell into my hand.
When I held the box...
Click!
The lid of the box opened, and light seeped out.
But at that moment.
“Uaaaaaagh?!!!”
Cha Jun-hyeok, who had been watching right beside me, began spinning round and round as his body was pulled into the box.
At the same time, a Status Window alert appeared.
<Soul Collector has begun activity.>
<Souls have been discovered.>
<1. Cha Jun-hyeok>
<2. Chae Seon-hwa>
<3. Lee Se-a>
<Please select the soul to collect.>
“It wants me to collect souls here?”
But naturally, the only list appearing now consisted of my spirits.
On top of that, the System was kind enough to make red arrows appear over the heads of our spirits.
“Eek! Arrows?”
[...Homeowner!]
“Wh-what is this?!”
The room-corner ghosts in my house panicked the moment they saw the box and the arrows.
“What in the world is that?!”
“No, is it not usually Magic Stone collection???”
[S-so scary! The sound! I can hear a sound too!]
“What sound?”
[Come... come here. Come here... it says!]
Was the box equipped with some sort of grim reaper function?
In any case, when I held the box and approached the three...
“Huaaaaaaak!”
“Moooom!”
[I do not want to goooo!]
The ghosts began spinning together as they were sucked in.
“What about this distance?”
I stepped back about three steps.
Then the ghosts, who had been clumped together, were released freely.
“Homeowner! Do not come closer!”
That was enough experimentation.
I placed the box inside my Inventory.
Only then did the room-corner ghosts feel relieved.
“That was dangerous!!!”
“No, what is with that Random Box?!”
[H-homeowner...!]
The spirits displayed their grievances to the fullest with their own expressions.
“Homeowner! Things have been good between us, have they not?”
“I told you I would give you fifty billion won!”
[I-I will do my best...!]
Hm.
I had obtained something good.
And as though they had been waiting for us, five goblins appeared before us.
“Grrrrrr...”
“Kikiki.”
“Kehhek!”
The goblins, each holding a weapon, charged at us fiercely.
“Go.”
When I snapped my fingers, the ghosts rushed out as though they had been waiting.
“How dare you block our homeowner’s path!”
“How dare lowly creatures like you! Just die!”
[I can never forgive you!]
SLASH-SLASH-SLASH—!
BANG!
BOOM!
A speed faster than ever before.
<Your level has increased.>
<Rocky Mountains Tower’s 1st floor has been cleared.>
<Shortest time updated. Rank will be raised.>
<You have succeeded in the first S-Rank clear of Rocky Mountains Tower.>
Basic Rewards: 100 F-Rank Magic Stones, 10-slot Inventory Expansion Ticket, 3 Essences of Earth.
First S-Rank Clear Rewards: 1 Time Delay Ticket, 1 Skill Selection Ticket Fragment, 1 Maple Syrup.>
Attack Power +5%, Defense +5%>
<Would you like to add Rocky Mountains Tower to Favorites?>
Favorites?
Was there such a function?
It seemed to be a guide that appeared when one visited a Tower in another country.
I had heard that once one went to a Tower, it was registered in the System. Was this what that meant?
There was no harm in adding it in advance.
In any case, I planned to clear an American Tower at least once as well.
Even if I ended up coming here again later, Canada was close, so I could save on plane ticket costs.
In truth, this was the very reason we had deliberately set the negotiation site in America this time.
‘Originally, I had planned to apply the buff to Washington Tower today.’
That is, if America had not kicked away the negotiations with its own feet.
“Add.”
<Rocky Mountains Tower has been added to the Favorites list.>
<Would you like to exit Rocky Mountains Tower’s 1st floor?>
I pondered briefly.
If I exited here, where would I emerge?
If it was not a road but somewhere deep in the mountains, that would be quite troublesome.
But today, I had to leave as it was.
The Commissioner had given instructions.
Before that, however, I should do everything I needed to do.
“Absorption.”
1. Goblin
‧
‧
‧
6. Goblin>
“Number 1.”
<Absorbing Goblin Number 1.>
SHAAAK—!
Up to 30% of the target’s stats can be absorbed.
Vitality: 25
Strength: 25
Agility: 15
Intelligence: 3
Attack Power: 7
Defense: 6>
“Strength.”
<Stat absorption has been completed.>
This time, 7 Strength was added.
Next.
“Soul Collector.”
<Collecting souls in the S-Rank Soul Collector.>
<Souls have been discovered.>
<Cha Jun-hyeok>
<Chae Seon-hwa>
<Lee Se-a>
<5 Goblins>
<Please select the souls to collect.>
“Select, 5 Goblins.”
<5 Goblin souls have been collected. 5/200>
And not long after we left the Tower, Canadian SNS began to be plastered with the name Jack Rich.