Take it for free?
Or draw a clear line by paying a fair price?
Every choice comes with an opportunity cost.
That's something you learn in middle school social studies.
If the opportunity cost outweighs the benefit of the choice, it isn't the right decision.
The problem is that calculating this opportunity cost isn't easy.
Let's say you take it for free.
Then what if, later on, the Awakening Management Agency earnestly asks you for something?
It might be hard to refuse.
Because you've already received something.
On the other hand, what if you pay the full price and settle things cleanly?
You'd be spending money you didn't really need to spend.
With the money to buy a penthouse, you could buy land near Gyeonggi Province, invest in stocks—there are so many ways to use it. Thinking about hard cash leaving your account feels like such a waste.
At this rate, I'll spend the whole day just worrying.
Let's move in the direction that gives peace of mind.
Juhyeok slammed his fist on the table and said,
"I've decided. I won't take it for free."
"Then?"
"Let's buy it. If you take things for free, you'll get an upset stomach. It's just an apartment—just buy it. Paid with my own money! Huh? That way my mind will be at ease too."
Clap, clap, clap.
Kosak applauded, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"Truly sharp and decisive. First time I've ever seen someone with this much resolve."
Gyeondallae nodded.
"A wise decision indeed. Drawing clear boundaries between parties will also be helpful for the future."
The two of them backed Juhyeok's big-hearted decision.
Alright! Let's check the price now.
Well, he had 3 billion won in his account—or rather, another 1 billion would soon come in, making it 4 billion—so an apartment like this should be nothing.
He typed a search term into a real estate site and clicked the mouse.
"Huh?"
Did I read the numbers wrong?
He leaned closer and looked more carefully.
One zero, two, three, four…
"Hm."
"What's wrong? Your complexion doesn't look good," Kosak asked.
"Oh, no, it's nothing."
Nothing, my ass.
The price per 3.3 square meters—one pyeong—was…
"…200 million?"
The apartment was 100 pyeong.
Which meant the current market price was 20 billion won.
The hand gripping the mouse began to tremble.
"A-are you kidding me?!"
This can't be wrong, can it?
No matter how much of a Han River–view apartment it is…
But it was certain.
If anything, it was cheap.
Below, a news article said that a top-tier online lecture instructor had recently bought a similar place for 23 billion won.
So 4 billion won wouldn't even come close?
Apartment prices really do vary wildly.
As Juhyeok fell silent in thought, Kosak tilted his head and asked,
"How much is it? Could you get it for around 2 billion?"
"Mr. Kosak, do you really not understand how the world works? Two billion won is an enormous sum that office workers in this country couldn't save even if they worked for a hundred years straight. And you think a single house would cost only two billion?"
"I-is that so? Th-then… one billion?"
"Still expensive, but for a house like this, that would be about right."
Juhyeok said nothing.
He simply closed the laptop.
"Now that I think about it, do I really need such a big apartment?"
"What? Just a moment ago you were saying the officetel was too small and that you wanted to move into a bigger place…"
Gyeondallae and Kosak looked completely confused by Juhyeok's sudden 180-degree change.
"Whew, that place is way too big. How many rooms does it have? Think of all the dust in a house that size. Just wiping the living room would take half a day. And there's the heating and cooling costs too."
Quick on the uptake, Kosak immediately agreed.
"Oh! This foolish me didn't even think of that. Of course. Who's going to clean a house that big?"
"And didn't they say it even has a garden? If there's grass, bugs will gather, get inside the house, and it's bad for sanitation."
"Yikes! Now that you say it, buying it would've been a disaster. Your foresight is truly astonishing. This Kosak can only admire you again and again. Hehehe."
"Hahaha, foresight, my foot."
Gyeondallae chimed in as well.
"To maintain the temperature of such a house, ordinary heating and cooling wouldn't suffice. The electricity bill would also be nothing to scoff at, and if one truly cares about the environment, one should not live in a large house."
"Exactly. When it comes to the environment, that's me, Bong Juhyeok."
"Climbing the Tower and caring for the environment at the same time—this maiden can only worry about Young Master Bong's selfless dedication."
It felt satisfying.
As expected, these summoned companions really understood his heart.
Is that the only spacious house in the world?
Well, instead of a 20-billion-won place, he could just buy some other 4-billion-won apartment.
Once the 66th floor was cleared, he'd make the call.
To say he wouldn't take it for free.
Still, he couldn't help but keep thinking about that penthouse.
Wouldn't about 20 billion won just drop from the sky or something?
※ ※ ※
The next day.
Awakening Management Agency Training Room, Hannam-dong, Seoul.
After pumping her muscles with her pre-raid morning workout routine, Nam Gaeun sat on the floor, calmly meditating.
In her mind, she reviewed again and again the attack patterns and traits of the undead monster Specter on the 66th floor.
Even if the holy sword was an essential item that neutralized the undead's dark aura, she couldn't rely on it alone.
How to create a one-on-one situation.
Which skill to use, and in what circumstances.
If it comes out like this, respond like that; if it comes out like that, respond like this.
At last, Nam Gaeun opened her eyes.
She stood up and left the training room.
When she entered the room prepared specifically for Tower entry, Director Park Gyeongsu and Team Leader Jeon Gwang-il were waiting for her.
"Player Nam Gaeun. Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Then we wish you the best of luck."
Entry to the 66th floor.
The desperate battle with the undead monster Specter began.
And ten hours later.
The Republic of Korea Tower Progress Status Window changed to this:
[Location]: Black Tower, Gangwon Province, Republic of Korea
[Cleared]: Floor 66
[In Progress]: Floor 67
[Time Limit]: 179 days 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds
It was a great achievement accomplished by Player Nam Gaeun and the holy sword.
※ ※ ※
It was a festival.
Player Nam Gaeun and the holy sword had done it.
The media and broadcasters poured out special reports.
From the top ten spots in "Most Viewed News," it was all the same kind of story.
Edited footage of the 66th-floor clear played on TV all day long.
The public's response was ecstatic.
When Yoo Cheol-min defected, it felt like everything was over—but to turn things around so dramatically.
Korean companies, as if they'd been waiting for this, all rushed to produce advertisements.
They must have prepared them in advance—judging by how they all came out simultaneously the moment the success was announced.
To commemorate the clearing of the 66th floor, up to 66% off on select items.
June 6 birthday? An extra 6.6% discount.
At 6:06 p.m., online shopping malls ran one-minute buy-one-get-one-free deals on select items.
Major corporations worked only in the morning and sent all employees home in the afternoon.
As a result, bars and restaurants were packed with people.
That night, there wasn't a single room left at any motel.
Completely full.
No, the 66th floor was cleared—so why are there no motel rooms?
Won't it be hard to get OB-GYN reservations in a month or two?
Sure, clearing an uncleared upper floor of the Tower is an incredible achievement, but this kind of nationwide frenzy feels excessive.
So why?
The reason lay with the neighboring country.
They were the ones who turned Tower climbing into a Korea–Japan showdown first.
Of course, not a single line about Korea's successful clearing of the Black Tower's 66th floor appeared in Japanese media.
Juhyeok, too, enjoyed the situation with a much lighter heart.
The burden on his mind had eased.
Honestly, doesn't he live on this land too?
If the Tower is at risk of collapse, shouldn't he do something?
Still, they'd bought six months of time.
Even taking it slow, they should be able to reach the early 60s by then.
That said, watching TV like this is making him restless.
Have I rested too much?
It'd be fine to enter the 35th floor soon, but—
The problem is Go Bang.
There's no tank for the party—how are we supposed to enter?
By the way, is Mr. Go Bang still far off?
Nothing went wrong, did it?
I should check the status window.
Then—
"Oh!"
The words Summon Unavailable next to the catalog entry Barbarian Meat Shield were gone.
That means I can summon him?
Perfect.
I should try it right now.
I'll call Go Bang first. The others can wait.
"Designated summon: Barbarian Meat Shield."
[Barbarian Meat Shield has been designated and summoned.]
My heart pounds.
Did the blessing enhancement succeed?
Fwoosh!
Spot!
Go Bang revealed himself.
"Welcome back. Go Bang—huh?!"
Go Bang—
No, wait.
"W-who are you?"
"I am Go Bang, the meat shield who pledges loyalty to Summoner Bong."
"..."
Juhyeok could only gape, his mouth hanging open.
This is ridiculous!
How is this guy Go Bang?
He was a clean-cut young man.
Sure, his upper body was bare.
But his height, build, head size—everything was completely different.
'The face is… hmm, maybe a little similar?'
Something felt bugged.
"I thought I'd never be able to return. I'm always grateful that you called me again."
This situation was beyond absurd.
※ ※ ※
For a while, Juhyeok stood there speechless, staring at the man who claimed to be Go Bang.
The face once buried under a thick beard was now smooth and clean, making it hard to be certain—but if you looked closely, he did seem like Go Bang.
'At least his eyes are definitely Go Bang.'
Juhyeok sidled up next to him and gauged his height.
About 190 centimeters. His bulk had shrunk considerably.
Still, the most reliable way to confirm it was the catalog information.
Nothing was more definitive than that.
Name: Unknown
Rank: SSR (Special Super Rare)
Type: Barbarian Warrior (Human)
Manifestation Time: 7 hours
Satisfaction Rating: None
Resummon Cooldown: 3 hours (applies after dismissal)
"..."
It was him.
This was definitely Go Bang.
His rank was even SSR—the blessing enhancement had succeeded.
In exchange, the descriptor "dim-witted" was gone, replaced with "ordinary."
"So… you really are Go Bang, right?"
"No matter what anyone says, I am Go Bang."
His vocabulary felt broader somehow.
His tone hadn't changed much, though.
"Um, could you recite the Three Principles of the Summoned?"
"I can. Principle One: A summoned being must prioritize the summoner's life above all else. Principle Two: A summoned being must, um, the summoner's… uh, the summoner's…"
"That's enough."
He still couldn't fully memorize them—but it was much better than before.
'So he traded bulk for intelligence.'
That must be it.
'But isn't that kind of a loss?'
His intelligence barely improved, but his physique shrank drastically.
And this is the result of a second-stage rank increase?
Is a tiny boost to intelligence supposed to make up for that?
That's a bit disappointing.
It definitely felt unfamiliar.
Still, since he's basically a new person now, introductions were in order.
Call Gyeondallae. Call Kosak too.
Fwoooosh! Spot! Spot!
"Thank you for summoning me—huh?"
"Salute! SSR Kosak reporting—gah?!"
Seeing a stranger standing in the room, the two froze in shock.
Kosak, flustered, hurried over to Juhyeok.
"Su–Summoner Bong, have you decided to reveal our existence to outsiders?"
"No."
"T-then who is that man?! He watched us being summoned!"
"That's Go Bang."
"…Pardon?"
"This gentleman right here is Go Bang."
Silence fell.
Gyeondallae, Kosak, Juhyeok—even Go Bang himself—said nothing.
Then—
"Come on, that's a good joke. How is that—"
"It's true. Go Bang has been promoted to SSR."
"…Whaaa—"
They still didn't look convinced.
Fair enough.
He felt the same way.
"R-really Go Bang?"
"That's right. Assassin."
"Who killed you when you died?"
"An overclass demon beast, a Hydra."
"And the most recent monster you killed?"
"A Stage-4 Minotaur."
He answers smoothly, without hesitation.
Juhyeok glanced at Go Bang and asked,
"Uh… Go Bang?"
"A warrior always listens to and trusts the summoner's words."
"You know why your name is Go Bang, right?"
"I do."
"Should we change your name while we're at it? I was worried the name 'Go Bang' might feel uncomfortable."
"Go Bang is the name the summoner gave me. I like it."
"I can give you a new one."
"It's fine. I am Go Bang. I am the meat shield who stands like an iron wall before Summoner Bong."
"..."
His vocabulary has definitely expanded a lot.
Another silence.
This won't do.
To break the awkward mood, let's climb the Tower.
"Let's climb the Tower again. It's been a while."
"Th-that sounds good."
"…This maiden thinks so as well."
But looking at Go Bang's current condition, it's hard to feel reassured.
Will we never see his former overwhelming power again?
The plan was to challenge the 35th floor once Go Bang returned as SSR, but—
Right now, that feels like too much.
An S++-rank clear, that is.
So instead, they opted for safety and ran repeat missions on the 34th floor.
[Entering Republic of Korea Black Tower, Floor 34.]
"Shall we go?"
Go Bang stepped forward with a swoosh.
"I'll take the lead. The rest of you stay with Summoner Bong."
Why is he acting like that? It's unsettling.
With such a smaller body.
Only 190 centimeters tall.
"…It might be better if Mr. Kosak goes first. Go Bang, you should take the rear."
"Summoner, do not worry. Trust SSR Go Bang."
"Hmm."
Alright, let's trust him this once.
He's that confident—he must have something up his sleeve.
As soon as the mission began, a Stage-4 Minotaur appeared.
Compared to Go Bang, it was nearly three times larger.
'That Minotaur could probably grab Go Bang with one hand and slam him.'
Worry piled on worry.
Juhyeok whispered instructions to Kosak.
'If anything happens, intervene immediately.'
'Understood.'
In that instant—
"Kuuoooooooh!"
The small Go Bang roared.
That startled me.
Even if his body is smaller, that booming voice is the same as ever.
Then it happened.
At the same time, Go Bang's body began to change.
Crk—crrkkk!
With grotesque sounds, bulging muscles swelled across his body.
Crack! Crunch!
His frame grew larger.
Like the old Go Bang.
"Whoa!"
"Wow!"
"Oh my?"
He kept growing.
Four meters? Five?
Almost rivaling the Minotaur itself.
With every step, he grew larger—
Outward, and upward.
Grow, Go Bang, go bang.
Paint him green and he'd be exactly that.
Only now did it truly feel right—
"That's Go Bang."
"Go Bang indeed."
"It is Go Bang."