Chapter 86 - Chapter 86

Chapter 86

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Translated by Jinmu

Read more at hivetoons.org

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France was turned upside down.

To think that the 66th floor, which they thought would be blocked for a long time, was cleared in a single day.

It wasn't even a full day.

Just 30 minutes!

An S++ rank.

A perfect record without a single mistake.

If they were to convert the points, it would be close to an S+++.

Because he hadn't received a single hit from the monsters.

The French media immediately released breaking news.

Reactions poured in from citizens not just in France, but worldwide.

Because anyone could see this phenomenon as close to a miracle.

In contrast, Japan felt utterly miserable.

Even the 58th floor was blocked for them, yet a neighboring country's player went to another country and casually cleared the 66th floor.

Of course, the comparison was a bit embarrassing, but how could they not feel pathetic?

The clear time limit countdown of the Curse of the Average was tightening around Japan's neck.

10 hours.

Only 10 hours remained.

Prime Minister Kawaguchi closed his eyes tightly.

It was over.

No temporary naturalization requests were accepted.

Even those who initially hesitated due to the exorbitant money eventually turned their backs when considering relations with the U.S. and Korea.

The diplomatic pressure from the U.S., who wanted Japan to bow to Korea, had a massive impact.

"Damn it... This is all because of Korea."

It was a twisted resentment.

Even if they had apologized to Korea, it didn't guarantee the 58th floor would be cleared.

Even if relations improved and the U.S. sent support, would it have been clearable in just one day?

However, they needed an outlet for their anger now.

A target to blame all this despair on.

They needed a scapegoat.

"Start the preparation for the tower's collapse."

A heavy sigh leaked from the Prime Minister's mouth.

In 10 hours, Japan's Black Tower would collapse.

Located in downtown Tokyo, the collapse of the Black Tower meant an unprecedented disaster for the capital Tokyo.

A massive monster wave would pour out.

Although the Self-Defense Forces were fully prepared and the area near the tower had been thoroughly evacuated...

Did a collapsing tower ever end simply?

A larger disaster could follow.

***

Meanwhile, in France.

Joo-hyuk was enjoying a leisurely morning on the second day of his temporary naturalization.

He had coffee and croissants, a traditional French breakfast, through room service.

"Ah, the butter flavor is amazing."

"Hoeee!"

"Do you want one, too, Rajix?"

"Hoeee! Bread, bread."

He fed a croissant to his summoned entity Rajix.

Joo-hyuk didn't care at all about the chaos erupting outside.

He only planned to execute the schedule he had originally drawn up in his mind.

A leisurely 15 days entirely for himself.

He only needed to spend 30 minutes inside the tower.

And for the rest, 23 hours and 30 minutes, he would enjoy a vacation in Paris as a tourist.

There was no one to interfere with him.

The French government was already walking on eggshells around Player Bong Joo-hyuk, afraid of offending him.

"Excuse me, Player Bong."

A French official cautiously approached him.

"Yes?"

"Uh, well, the President would like to invite you for dinner if you have time..."

"Ah, dinner? I am planning to eat snails for dinner today."

Snail dish, escargot.

It was famous in France.

"If it is escargot you want, we have a top-tier chef at the Élysée Palace..."

"It's fine. Experiencing a local restaurant is more fun. You know, sitting in an outdoor cafe along the Champs-Élysées."

He neatly declined.

Inviting him for dinner meant they wanted to talk about full naturalization.

There was no reason to listen to that boring talk.

"Ah... Yes, I understand."

The official backed off with a dejected expression.

He probably got chewed out by his superiors.

"Then I will go up to the 67th floor now."

Swoosh.

Joo-hyuk stepped out.

As he moved toward the French Black Tower, citizens surrounded him on all sides.

Cheers and shouts.

"Viva La France! Viva Bong!"

"A real hero!"

"Bong, marry my daughter!"

They were reacting as if a football star had appeared.

Joo-hyuk chuckled and waved his hand.

"Haha, they are so passionate."

It was not a bad feeling to be welcomed.

He arrived at the Black Tower.

Today, he would pass the 67th floor.

Swoosh!

As Joo-hyuk entered, the French officials waiting outside nervously swallowed their saliva.

How long would it take today?

"Surely it will take longer than yesterday... Yesterday must have been a fluke."

"Right. The 67th floor is where the Phantom Reaper appears. A terrifying ranged monster."

"Even Saudi Arabia's Nasser failed there. Let's wait quietly."

However, their expectations were spectacularly broken.

Just 25 minutes later.

Flash!

Joo-hyuk appeared from the Black Tower entry point before they even knew it.

"?!"

The officials rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

25 minutes?

It was even faster than yesterday.

Was that possible?

They hurriedly checked the system board.

[Announcement: You have achieved an S++ rank clear for the 67th floor of the Black Tower (France).]

[S++ Clear Reward: A Platinum Badge is awarded.]

S++ again!

Crazy, absolutely crazy.

It was shocking enough to literally make their jaws hit the floor.

"Is the Black Tower broken?"

"For him, the 60s seem like a walk in the park."

How could he catch the Phantom Reaper in just 25 minutes?

Did he get a high-level light attribute item?

Or perhaps an overwhelming light attribute skill?

No, Joo-hyuk actually didn't need any of that.

He had the Holy Knight Lucius Bardin.

His new S++ rank summoned entity.

Inside the 67th floor, as soon as the Phantom Reapers appeared, Joo-hyuk immediately shouted,

"Mr. Bardin!"

"Yes, My Lord!"

"Please sweep them away."

"I accept your absolute command. With the Holy Light!"

Whoosh!

Bardin raised his shield and blindly rushed forward.

The Phantom Reapers fired dark aura clumps toward him, but the strong Holy Light emanating from the shield blocked everything.

Sizzle!

Every time the black clump hit the shield, a purifying sound echoed.

And then, a swing of the Holy Sword.

Crack! Boom!

A single hit cleanly vaporized consecutive Phantom Reapers.

It was practically a massacre.

Even Rajix diligently picked up the items dropped by the Phantom Reapers.

The team's harmony was perfect.

That was why it ended inside 25 minutes.

"Phew, it was even easier today."

Joo-hyuk stretched and walked past the officials without a second glance.

"Ah! Is it over for today?"

"Yes, I'm clocking out. Time to eat escargot."

"...Ah."

They couldn't stop him.

A player who cleared one floor of the upper 60s every day.

There was no such hero in the world.

And a hero of this caliber must be firmly secured.

However, the hero didn't care about their situation or anything.

He just lived as a tourist.

France's situation became quite absurd.

The citizens cheered that he was a hero saving the country, but the government was on edge because they might lose him to Korea again.

***

Then.

A huge event finally occurred that shook the whole world.

[World Announcement: The clear time limit for the Black Tower of Japan has expired.]

[World Announcement: The Black Tower of Japan will begin its collapse.]

Japan's Black Tower time limit had ended.

Because no player from Japan could clear the 58th floor until the very end.

Thud! Rumble!

A tremendous roar enveloped the heart of Tokyo.

The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.

The 58th floor Black Tower, towering in the center of Tokyo, began to crack.

Cracks aggressively shot from the top down.

Kugugugugu!

With the roar, the tower's outer wall shattered.

Chunks of the massive tower crashed down.

Dust clouds covered the sky, and Tokyo fell into darkness.

"Aaah!"

"Run!"

The citizens' screams didn't stop.

But the real terror wasn't the falling debris.

Flash! Flash!

From the shattered tower, monsters began to pour out.

Orcs, Trolls, Ogres, Minotaurs...

Mid-to-high level monsters that had lived inside the tower poured out onto the streets of Tokyo.

"Fire!"

"M-monster wave!"

The Self-Defense Forces, already on alert, immediately opened fire.

Tanks fired their main guns, and attack helicopters launched missiles.

Boom! Kwabang!

The downtown area of Tokyo turned into a battlefield.

However, the monster wave from the 58th floor Black Tower was not something conventional military power could easily suppress.

An Ogre crushed a tank with a single swing of its club.

A Minotaur rampaged, destroying buildings.

A hellscape unfolded.

Countless casualties occurred, and Tokyo faced a crisis of annihilation.

However, the collapse of the Black Tower didn't end with just a monster wave.

The most terrifying aspect of a tower collapse was the secondary effect.

[World Announcement: Due to the collapse of the Black Tower of Japan, a penalty is imposed.]

[World Announcement: A new Black Tower is generated in Tokyo, Japan.]

[World Announcement: The starting level of the new tower is significantly higher than the average.]

"Wh-what..."

Prime Minister Kawaguchi, watching the situation via drone footage in an underground bunker, slumped to the ground.

A new tower being generated.

The collapsed tower didn't disappear; it created a new, more powerful tower to take its place.

And the starting level of that new tower?

It meant it wouldn't start from the 1st floor.

It might start climbing from the 40th or 50th floor right away.

In a situation where they couldn't even clear the 58th floor, a new, more difficult tower?

It was practically an execution sentence for Japan.

For humanity, it was a terrifying warning.

This is what happens when you fail to clear.

The Curse of the Average.

The demonic being Duke Kavalan's curse was clearly proving its terrifying results.

At this news, the remaining 8 countries among the 10 selected ones fell into a panic.

Mexico, South Africa, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Great Britain, and the Philippines.

They went mad with desperation to reach the average.

They had to borrow players, offer money, offer items, do whatever they could.

Because they saw the hellish state of Tokyo before their very eyes.

***

However, entirely disconnected from this tragedy.

Joo-hyuk was thoroughly enjoying Paris.

He had escargot, drank wine, and took photos in front of the Eiffel Tower.

He even bought luxury bags at a department store.

Since they were meant as gifts for his mother, he bought heavily.

"Hmm, 15 days is too short to enjoy all of Paris. Let me just grab one or two Platinum Badges a day comfortably."

He fully established a tourist mindset.

For him, clearing the French tower was like visiting a tourist attraction.

It wasn't that difficult, and the rewards were big.

"Ah! I need to use the Trait Enhancement Rune on someone else, too."

He had brought the Rune of Trait Enhancement he received from Saudi Arabia.

Who should he use it on?

Normally, giving it to the strongest, Gwangma, would be the orthodox approach for maximum efficiency.

But giving the rune to a max-level entity didn't feel like drawing out its inherent potential.

What about Veronica? Or Gobang? Or Gyeon Dal-rae?

While looking at his summoned entities.

His gaze stopped on one entity.

The entity that blocked all the Phantom Reapers' dark aura yesterday and fought diligently in the vanguard.

Holy Knight Lucius Bardin.

His combat performance was good, but he felt a bit lacking compared to the others.

Since he was a summoned entity holding the LSSR (Legend Special Super Rare) (Legend Special Super Rare) rank Holy Sword he possessed, maybe he should push him a little higher?

"Alright. Mr. Bardin. Step forward for a moment."

"Yes, My Lord! Did you call this humble servant?"

Joo-hyuk held out the Rune of Trait Enhancement.

"This is a gift. Swallow it."

Bardin, receiving the rune, slightly opened his eyes wide as if touched.

"I-is this really for me...!"

"Yes. Work harder from now on."

"I offer this life to my Lord!"

He swallowed the rune in one gulp without a moment's hesitation.

Flash!

A brilliant pillar of light enveloped Bardin.

The trait enhancement meant the summoned entity's fundamental power and combat style could evolve.

When the light faded,

Bardin's appearance hadn't changed much, possessing the same firm armor and solemn demeanor.

However,

[The summoned entity Lucius Bardin's trait has been enhanced.]

[Special Trait: 'Immortal Faith' has been activated.]

[From now on, Lucius Bardin gains resistance against all dark attribute attacks below his level, and his base stats massively increase by 50% when combating demons or the undead.]

"Oh!"

It was an incredible enhancement.

Total immunity to dark attacks.

When facing the undead, his combat power increased by half.

Since the upper 60s floors of the Black Tower were entirely composed of undead monsters, this basically gave him wings.

"Thank you, My Lord! My blade will now be sharper against the enemies of the light!"

"Good, good. Then let's comfortably push through the 68th floor today."

The 3rd day of his temporary naturalization.

Joo-hyuk entered the Black Tower with his enhanced summoned entity.

The 68th floor.

A terrifying terrain filled with powerful undead.

But with Bardin taking the lead, it was a literal breeze.

Every time Bardin swung the Holy Sword, the undead were purified without even leaving bones.

Another S++ rank clear.

And another Platinum Badge.

Joo-hyuk smoothly progressed through the French Black Tower, enjoying a life so peaceful it felt disconnected from the world's desperate struggles.