usatvline Chapter 273 CHAPTER 272
Chapter 273 CHAPTER 272
From the 66th floor to the 70th floor.
The raid that began at 5 a.m. Korean time was finished before 6 a.m.
It was ultrafast.
The 69th floor seemed to take a bit longer, but the 70th floor was lightning-fast—the quickest of all.
A Kabalon raid that would be remembered for history.
And thus, the Curse of the Average disappeared.
The distance between humanity and annihilation grew just a little farther.
But there was no time to fully savor the joy.
The sinkhole wave still remained.
Daejeon Joint Chiefs Headquarters briefing room.
The moment the 70th-floor clear was completed, a national address by Martial Law Commander Jeon Seong-il was announced.
7 a.m.
Despite the early hour, reporters gathered in droves, and foreign correspondents were all present without exception.
Naturally, the entire world was watching.
What would be announced today?
At the time of the first press conference, the world had scoffed.
Korea's declaration that it would clear the original Kabalon.
What? Does that even make sense?
Had Martial Law Commander Jeon Seong-il gone insane?
But the results were astonishing.
The moment the address was announced, the tower was cleared up to the 65th floor.
And the next day?
Along with world announcements, five more floors were climbed, culminating in the long-awaited original Kabalon clear.
No bluffing. No lies.
Everything happened exactly as stated.
That was why the entire world was hanging on Jeon Seong-il's every word.
After a brief greeting, he opened his mouth.
"Soon, a new beginning for Black Tower raids—Season Two—will open."
Season Two?
"You'll learn this through world announcements, but starting from the 71st floor, raid time limits will stack."
What did that mean?
"If you reach the 71st floor and successfully clear it, six months are added to the collapse deadline."
The reporters looked confused.
Stack?
"Yes, stack. Six months per floor. On the 72nd floor, that becomes twelve months. If you clear up to the 80th floor, that's a total of sixty months. Correct—five years. Five years without worrying about collapse."
A shocking announcement.
"However, greed is forbidden. Do not force yourselves to climb the tower solely to stack collapse deadlines. At present, only one person in Korea—the top player—can climb above the 71st floor."
That was true.
Even the United States' Lumitri had already fallen.
"This method of climbing cannot be imitated, and must not be imitated. Please continue your raids as you always have."
It was a rather bruising statement of pride.
Korean players can do it; you can't.
That was essentially what he was saying.
A foreign reporter shot up a hand.
"Wouldn't other players also be capable? We heard the world announcement. It said the undead sections were weakened after the original Kabalon was defeated. In that case, other players should be more than able to—"
Jeon Seong-il shook his head as he replied.
"Although weakened, dark aura is still an extremely difficult element to overcome."
"Ah…"
He wasn't wrong.
Unless the dark aura had vanished completely.
"Nevertheless, do not be discouraged. We have found an answer."
"Yes?"
An answer?
"You will see that answer today, during the Chuncheon wave defense."
Confidence filled Jeon Seong-il's expression.
A solution to undead raids?
Hands shot up everywhere as flashes went off, but Jeon Seong-il didn't elaborate.
"Watch Chuncheon. Then you'll understand."
Just what was it?
"We will not stop. We will seal sinkholes, end the waves, and climb the Black Tower to the 100th floor—toward total conquest."
Certainty rang in Jeon Seong-il's voice.
"Of course, it won't be easy. The Black Tower will throw every obstacle it can at us. Numerous unexpected situations may arise."
A reporter tilted their head and raised a hand again.
"You say the Black Tower interferes—does that mean it has intent? Wasn't it just a natural disaster?"
"No. It is not a natural disaster. The Black Tower intentionally invaded Earth."
A murmur spread.
The briefing room grew noisy.
"If I explain in detail, this will take too long. We'll distribute a press release with the full explanation."
And finally—
"I have no doubt."
Jeon Seong-il's eyes flashed.
"A new era will open. A world where we no longer worry about Black Tower collapse. An era of the Fifth Industrial Revolution, built on high-grade magic stones. Together with Korea's top player, we will create it."
No reporter raised a hand anymore.
"Lastly, please be sure to watch the Chuncheon sinkhole wave defense shortly. We plan to broadcast it live via satellite. You may look forward to it."
Honestly, three days ago, everyone would have laughed.
The Republic of Korea, barely struggling to clear the 61st floor?
But now things were different.
They had proven it with their own hands.
And so, Jeon Seong-il's press conference shook the world once again.
At that time, Juhyeok met Jeon Seong-il—who had just finished the press conference—at a corner of the Joint Chiefs Headquarters.
The summoned beings were with him.
"Wow! That was amazing. The charisma was insane."
"A soldier really is a soldier."
"Former chief and former general—guess they really do share the same soul."
"Brigadier General Be, take notes. That's the dignity of a four-star general."
Jeon Seong-il couldn't hide his smile.
How hard had it been until now?
Korea had nearly been destroyed by the Dark Wave.
If Juhyeok hadn't arrived at that moment, it would've been untouchable.
But the situation had reversed.
A Korea that once scrambled just to survive was now leading global tower climbing and wave defense.
"Thank you so much."
"Oh come on! It's nothing."
You can relax now.
From here on, you can sleep with your legs stretched out.
Still, something seemed to weigh on his mind.
Jeon Seong-il hesitated, glancing at Juhyeok.
"Um… on the other hand, I feel a bit apologetic."
"Yes?"
"It feels like I'm flaunting authority by standing behind Summoner Bong."
In that instant—
"Gal!!!"
Kosak exploded.
"What's wrong with flaunting authority?"
"Uh, well…"
"It's authority permitted by the tiger. The fox should gratefully accept it and flaunt it even harder."
"I-is that so?"
"Look at me. Am I not a model case of flaunting authority? A steward often wields more power than the landowner. So be shameless and flaunt away."
Juhyeok nodded.
To operate comfortably on Earth No. 843, it was better to put a powerful authority figure out front.
In rank and character alike, Martial Law Commander Jeon Seong-il was perfect.
In any case, wave defense time was approaching.
"Commander, let's head to Chuncheon immediately."
"Ah! Yes, yes. The helicopter is standing by. Please board."
A helicopter?
Hmm, that'll be slow.
Should I just ride the green flying Crackerus?
No.
If people saw a dragon, they'd probably faint.
"Alright, let's move now."
Tatatatatata.
A helicopter heading toward Chuncheon.
I really wish I had two bodies.
Like the Great Sage Equal to Heaven—pluck a hair and make another Bong Juhyeok.
One to clear the tower, one to defend waves.
Are sinkholes only in Korea?
Even now, wave defenses must be happening somewhere else in the world.
Normal waves could be handled well enough, but if a Dark Wave broke out, there was no solution except nukes.
Other nations' waves had to be considered too.
That was why the Chuncheon sinkhole wave defense was so important.
So what about this Chuncheon wave?
Would another Dark Wave occur?
Juhyeok was sure it would.
There was no evidence.
His scalp just tingled.
And one more thing.
If clearing the 90th floor would end waves altogether, why go this far now?
This premonition was bad too.
The Black Tower administrators of Earth No. 843 knew it as well.
That if the 90th floor was cleared, they were finished.
They wouldn't stay still.
They would definitely scheme—anything to prevent the 90th floor from being cleared.
It was something he had experienced many times while clearing Black Towers in two parallel worlds.
Causality, scale trading, even outright blocking missions.
Still, there was nothing to worry about.
Interference?
Let them try.
There was the reliable God-Backer backing them up.
From Daejeon to Chuncheon by military helicopter took about an hour.
Thus, Juhyeok and the summoned beings arrived at the Chuncheon Sinkhole Defense Headquarters a little after 9 a.m.
Arriving a bit late didn't matter.
At the early stage of a sinkhole wave, very weak monsters like goblins or frog monsters appeared.
Personal firearms were more than enough for those.
They weren't threatening at all.
After about two hours, orcs would begin appearing.
That was when awakened player soldiers became necessary.
The awakened troops had been waiting.
Before assigning them to positions, Gyeon Dallae stepped forward and conducted interviews.
"What's your trait?"
An awakened soldier answered.
"I use a spear. My skills are spear-related."
Then—
"Dimensional farmhand."
"Huh?"
"Holy Spear. Please take out one Holy Spear."
Swish!
A sturdy long spear with excellent balance.
"T-this is?"
"A gift bestowed upon the awakened forces by the top player."
"Ah…"
"Use it always with gratitude."
"Y-yes. Th-thank you."
Holy-attribute weapons made during an all-night shift yesterday.
Armor would be distributed later.
Weapons first.
Their exact performance wouldn't be visible through item information.
Only standard tower-reward stats would appear.
Because magic enchantment, holy-water coating, and installing the radiance battery were follow-up processes.
They were mass-produced items, but their performance was anything but ordinary.
The options were comparable to the old holy swords that had once been leased out as a business on our Earth.
Not only was their raw power impressive, their durability was solid, and their radiance was brilliantly intense.
Radiance didn't manifest from the start.
Since it was a charge-based device, if it started emitting light right away, it would be completely drained before any undead even appeared.
When undead show up?
It automatically reacts to the dark aura and activates radiance.
That's when the weapon's true performance emerges.
The revolution of wave defense was about to begin.
With satellite TV live broadcasts, the advertising effect was something to look forward to as well.
...
On Earth No. 1,001, they squeezed every drop out of weight-loss bracelets.
Here, let's squeeze value out of holy-type weapons instead.
Next player.
"You two are ranged? What are your trait weapons?"
"Bow."
"Crossbow."
Holy Bow and Holy Crossbow issued.
"Next."
"I use a sword—"
"What size? A greatsword?"
"No, one-handed."
A one-handed Holy Sword issued.
"I use an axe."
"I use a hammer."
Holy Axe and Holy Hammer.
"I'm magic-type, so—"
"No worries. We have staves too."
Just hand over a Holy Staff.
When casting spells, the energy of radiance would mix into the skills as well.
In this way, holy-attribute weapons crafted by the White Tower were distributed to nearly all awakened military players.
But they weren't handed out carelessly.
Each weapon was given a serial number, the recipient's name was recorded, and a tracking enchantment was engraved.
Because there was always the risk of illegal export to other countries.
You couldn't just steal them for free.
If they were to be taken, it would be expensive—proper compensation only.
The sinkhole wave began.
Time passed quickly.
By now, orcs should be appearing.
Juhyeok prepared as well.
He entered a quiet barracks.
First, all summoned beings were dismissed.
Next?
He summoned the ones who hadn't yet been called.
"Group 14, designated summon!"
Spapapapat!
"Summoner, we pledge our loyalty!"
"Finally…"
"We will live up to your expectations."
Their excitement was palpable.
"Take it slow."
"Yes!!!"
"Focus more on protecting the soldiers than killing monsters."
"We'll remember that!!!"
Their eyes were intense.
How badly they must have wanted to fight.
"Then disperse. The defensive line is long, so spread out as much as possible."
Papapapapat!
The summoned beings vanished.
A wave lasts about 24 hours.
So they'd need to rotate groups three or four more times in between.
'Gotta give everyone a fair chance.'
Can't have anyone feeling left out just because they weren't called.
Captain Nam Garam of the Awakened Forces was a player with promising talent.
Called the "next Lee Min-seon," he was extremely popular in Korea—idol-level—thanks to his handsome looks and tall stature.
In fact, he was close enough with Lee Min-seon to be like siblings, calling each other brother and sister.
After commissioning as a first lieutenant, it took Nam Garam less than a year to be promoted to captain.
Promotions came fast during wartime.
There were countless chances to earn merit.
He stood out especially in sinkhole wave defenses.
His trait was swordsman.
So Nam Garam also received a one-handed sword as a gift.
How did it feel holding it?
A surge of confidence welled up inside him—but…
'But the item info…'
Nothing special.
Just an ordinary tower reward item.
It was definitely a good weapon.
Nice visuals, well-balanced, plenty of options.
But this was supposedly an undead-specialized weapon—how exactly?
'There's no anti-undead option.'
Was it just a placebo effect?
That seemed most likely.
'There's no such thing as an undead-specialized weapon in the world.'
If there were, Korea wouldn't have sinkholes in the first place.
Either way, the sinkhole wave defense proceeded smoothly.
Orcs appeared, followed by trolls, ogres, minotaurs—large humanoid monsters.
They weren't easy foes, inside or outside the tower.
But Nam Garam dispatched them without difficulty.
Level 51.
Fully focused, Nam Garam fought through the sinkhole wave.
A 24-hour marathon battle.
When exhausted, he pulled back briefly to rest.
Night combat began.
The battlefield was brightly lit by searchlights and unmanned drones stationed everywhere.
Before long, dawn came again.
There had been no problems so far.
Even aerial monsters had appeared.
'…Easy.'
Wyverns and griffins dropped in droves without resistance.
Why was it easier?
Morale of the awakened forces was higher?
The gifted weapons were better than expected?
Or had many skilled players joined in?
'Well, probably one of those three.'
It was nearing the end.
In about two more hours, the wave would be over.
And then—
Black, formless energy poured out of the hole.
"Undead! Undead!!!"
Nam Garam tensed up.
Damn it!
It came again.
A Dark Wave.
Two times in a row.
The chilling dark aura.
Honestly, if not for that, undead would be manageable.
Even the weakest mummy became terrifying because of the dark aura.
If you assumed it wasn't there?
They were weaker than trolls or ogres—total trash mobs.
'…Let's do this.'
A weapon gifted by Korea's top player, whose name and face he didn't even know.
'And it's being broadcast worldwide via satellite—if I look weak, that'd be embarrassing…'
But then—
Swoooong!
The one-handed sword vibrated.
"Huh?"
And then—
Fwaaah!
The moment he faced the undead, dazzling light burst from the blade.
"…Gasp!"
Th-this light?
It was warm.
A powerful will surged like a spring.
The light didn't stop at the weapon.
It flowed from the blade through his hand and into his body.
It felt like his entire body had become a massive light source.
The undead were retreating.
They were afraid of the light.
Nam Garam swung the sword instinctively.
Tshp!
Slash!
A zombie's head was cleanly severed.
'Th-this is insane!'
What the hell just happened?
Are these really undead?
They're weaker than orcs!
Only then did Nam Garam realize it.
It really was undead-specialized.
Holy Sword.
There was no room for doubt.
'Thank you. I won't forget this kindness.'
After offering silent gratitude to the one who had given him the gift,
Nam Garam—the radiant swordsman—charged fully into battle.
Slash, shrrrk!
Undead were annihilated in an instant.
And it wasn't just Nam Garam.
Swoong, swoong, swoong!
Fwaah, fwaaah, fwaaaah!
Brilliant light erupted everywhere.
It looked like lightsabers.
People around the world, watching the Chuncheon wave battle via satellite, were stunned speechless.
What in the world were those weapons?
Weapons of light were driving back the undead.
It was overwhelming.
So incredible it defied description.
Are those for sale?
If they are, I'll buy them no matter the cost.
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