novelGlobal Chapter 277 CHAPTER 276
Chapter 277 CHAPTER 276
The badge was pinned to his chest.
Gulp.
Jeon Seong-il swallowed the rune.
At that instant—
Sssrrk.
The badge melted away and disappeared.
Ding!
[Jeon Seong-il has awakened.]
Awakening successful.
So what trait did he get?
No—more importantly.
Upon awakening, there was something else he could check besides the Player Status Window.
"The Republic of Korea Black Tower Conquest Progress Window."
Ding!
[Location]: Republic of Korea Daejeon Black Tower
[Completed]: Floor 71
[In Progress]: Floor 72
[Time Remaining]: 358 days 12 hours 14 minutes 18 seconds
"Hahahaha!"
Six months added for clearing Floor 71—
a total of 358 days until collapse.
Reassuring.
He felt full even without eating.
Black Tower Control Room, Earth No. 843.
The current administrators were in a state of panic.
The Curse of Kabalon's Average had been lifted.
For the time being, any effort to accelerate tower collapse was off the table.
And yet, that damned summoner from Earth No. 1,001 didn't seem tired at all.
Five times a day—
and at an insane speed—
he was climbing the tower like a madman.
The floors in the 70s were degraded versions of the giant monsters from the 80s.
Even so, they were absolutely no joke for ordinary players.
They were far more difficult than the undead sections,
because of their overwhelming size.
But that summoner was the same player who had cleared the giant-monster zone above Floor 81 with the highest possible rank.
Just large beasts?
They wouldn't even qualify as snacks.
They knew it too.
What he had done on Earth No. 675 and Earth No. 1,001.
His goal was clearly Floor 90.
To fill in the sinkholes and make the monsters disappear.
They had to stop him.
This wasn't about harvesting dimensional energy anymore.
Their lives were on the line.
[Has there been any word from headquarters yet?]
[Ah, not yet. It seems they're still deliberating on their end.]
[Fuck! What is there to deliberate about?]
Completely blocking entry was impossible.
One way or another, they had to let him enter.
Back when Floors 91 and above were terminals connected to other worlds, they could forbid dimensional transfer after entry.
But after the Black Tower renewal, the system had changed to direct entry with direct mission assignment.
That option was gone.
There was only one method left.
Let him enter the tower—
but don't assign him a mission.
That would end it.
They just needed approval from headquarters.
Once approved, they could act immediately.
[You don't think headquarters is planning to give up again, do you?]
[No. There's no way. If this place is lost too, there will be zero dimensional energy supply points left.]
Exactly.
Headquarters wouldn't give up.
They must be formulating countermeasures right now.
[What about deploying a Great Archangel…?]
[Hah! You all know it wouldn't work, even if one came.]
[What if three Great Archangels came at once?]
[Three, thirty—it doesn't matter. There's no time. We absolutely must stop the Floor 90 conquest.]
They understood why headquarters was hesitating.
The backlash that would result from forcibly blocking legitimate tower progression—kicking away the ladder, so to speak.
And if they did that and still failed to stop the summoner, the influence of the White Tower would spread like a virus, becoming impossible to ignore.
But was this really the time to worry about backlash?
They were about to die.
Juhyeok was at the Comprehensive Workshop Center on the 6th floor of the White Tower.
It had been an unexpected windfall.
Bringing back the Mechanic Goliath Combat Golems from Floor 75.
These could be put to use.
Right now there were only three, but with repeated clears, the number would grow.
"They'd be useful if deployed for sinkhole wave defense."
Their size was just right.
They'd be more agile than Gigant too.
Of course, Floor 90 would be cleared in just a few days anyway.
One could argue there was no need for this.
But—
"No. It's better to prepare to an excessive degree."
You never knew how things would turn out.
Would the administrators just sit still?
They'd do anything to interfere with the Floor 90 conquest.
Complacency was absolutely forbidden.
He had experience fully clearing Floor 100.
On the other hand, they had experience being cleared.
"Just as I know the Black Tower, they know me."
He had to assume that anything could happen.
"By the way, what exactly has El been researching with the Great Archangel remains?"
El showed Juhyeok the results of her research.
A metal cube roughly one meter in height, width, and depth.
Its surface was engraved with circuits, unknown formulas, and patterns.
They were mana circuits, apparently.
The volume was enormous.
"This side is a holy power storage circuit. Bardin helped with that.
This side stores demonic energy—Diamat assisted there.
Inside, it's filled with the highest-grade magic stones.
And here…"
El pointed to a section where a deep slot had been carved, large enough to insert something.
"It's empty?"
"Yes, but something will go there. The most critical component."
The core, huh.
"This."
"Oh!"
El produced a cylindrical metal rod.
"This was taken from the dimensional energy storage."
"That's right."
A cylindrical rod about one meter long.
Clearly a battery—
filled with dimensional energy.
They had tried hard to figure out how to use it, but failed.
Dimensional energy wasn't a conventional form of energy.
It was likely related to the authority of creation.
"This cubic unit is as close a replica of a Great Archangel's heart—its engine core—as possible.
The reason it's so large is to accommodate the dimensional energy rod."
She then began explaining the device in detail.
"I see…"
He nodded along, even though he didn't fully understand.
"This was originally meant to be installed in Gigant—a Great Archangel heart engine core device.
But Gigant was simply too massive. The output was insufficient."
Ah!
"I was planning to build a smaller golem when—"
"The Mechanic Goliath Combat Golems showed up?"
"Yes. Exactly."
A combat golem standing ten meters tall.
The perfect size to install the Great Archangel mana core device.
"Then let's install it."
They moved to an open area.
El removed the existing engine core from the golem's chest and installed the newly created Great Archangel engine core.
She connected the circuits, checked for errors, and finished welding the chest armor shut.
Now—
Would it move?
"Is this manual?"
"It's a hybrid—manual and automatic. It can be controlled remotely, and once combat begins, the active combat ego system can be activated."
"So it can move on its own even if you're not here, Dr. El?"
"That's correct. We transplanted the Magnus Gigant ego function, optimized for tower monster combat."
El pressed a button on the remote.
Clank! Whirr! Clank! Whirr!
The Mechanic Goliath Combat Golem began to activate.
"Oooooh!"
It moved.
The motion was incredibly smooth.
He wanted to see it fight.
"Well then—"
"Gobang, sorry about this—"
"Understood. The warrior will test it."
El adjusted the golem's mana circuits.
"I've set Gobang as the enemy."
Click!
Active combat ego system activated.
Swoosh!
The golem's head turned toward the enlarged Gobang.
"Come!"
Instantly—
Tzzip!
A destruction beam fired.
Gobang blocked the beam with his palm.
Spot!
The golem charged straight at him.
Whoooosh!
Crash!
A full-body tackle from the heavy golem.
Gobang didn't even budge.
"Weak."
Of course it was.
"How about a Death Knight? Could it step on one?"
"It would be sufficient for practice. Even if five or six attacked at once, the warrior would prevail."
Good.
The engine core contained holy power as well.
But El still had more to show.
Holding the remote, the magitech engineer spoke.
"Now I'll activate the core function."
"Huh?"
Core function?
Wasn't moving and fighting enough?
"There's a split option."
"… What?"
Did he hear that right?
Split?
Click!
El pressed the red button on the remote.
That was when—
Whoosh!
Tzchchchchch!
The Mechanic Goliath Combat Golem began to split.
"C-crazy!"
So that was it.
The core function.
A replicated Great Archangel heart engine core powered by dimensional energy.
The power of creation itself.
Like copy and paste—
golems being produced one after another.
This wasn't an illusion or hologram.
Each had a physical body and power comparable to the original.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Eventually, the splitting stopped.
… Wow.
"How many?"
"About fifty. I'm disappointed—I expected more."
So installing a replicated Great Archangel engine core into an ordinary golem turned it into a splitting golem?
"This feels like overkill."
"Don't worry. It's not."
Why?
"If it were overkill, we'd have to question the Great Archangel first. Same with the Monkey King's hairs. Besides, it's only fifty splits."
True enough.
Dimensional energy itself was the authority of creation.
Divine power.
Deus ex machina.
The White Tower and the influence of God White were, at their core, also tied to dimensional energy.
The White Tower itself was a space of creation.
A foundational environment where copy and paste were possible.
Splitting into fifty golems was practically modest.
"How many dimensional energy fuel rods do we have?"
"Excluding those sent out for research, 127."
That meant if they secured 127 Mechanic Goliath Combat Golems,
they could field a massive army of 6,350 units.
"Can the split be reset?"
"If you press the red button again, they disappear."
Good.
If these were deployed around sinkholes—
"They'd function as an automated defense system."
Fifty level-75 Mechanic Goliath Combat Golems.
What kind of firepower would that be?
He was curious.
They'd have to run a trial first.
Martial Law Commander Jeon Seong-il arrived at the logistics warehouse with Colonel Lee Min-seon after receiving Juhyeok's call.
The warehouse had a logistics warp gate connected to the White Tower.
It hadn't received or sent a single item yet.
"… So items come out from here?"
"Yeah. That's what he said."
"Hah… honestly, I still feel like I'm dreaming. Nothing about this feels real."
"You think I'm any different? Just accept it."
Colonel Lee Min-seon shrugged his shoulders.
Then, glancing sideways at Commander Jeon Seong-il's face—
"Commander!"
"What is it?"
"You look very healthy these days."
"Oh, I know."
"I'm curious about the secret. Are you taking something special…?"
Jeon Seong-il replied casually, as if tossing out the words.
"It's because I awakened. I'm level 2 now."
"Ah! You awakened. That's why you look so healthy—uh."
Wait.
Something about that sounded strange.
Awakened?
Surely not—
Lee Min-seon's eyes widened, and he asked again.
"C-Colonel Lee Min-seon! I—I must have misheard."
"I said I awakened. Summoner Bong Juhyeok advised me to do it."
"… Th-that person advised you, and you actually awakened? How?"
How else?
He swallowed a rune.
But setting that aside—
"I can tell I'm healthier, but what do you think? Do I look younger?"
Lee Min-seon examined Jeon Seong-il's face carefully.
"I'm sorry, but your age looks about the same…"
"That's because the trait is [Strange and Supernatural Strength]…"
Just then—
Wooooong!
The logistics warp gate began to vibrate violently.
"… And the trait? Was it a good one?"
"It's coming. Get ready."
What kind of item was it?
Soon,
something began to emerge.
Ssssss—
A massive object that looked like a lump of metal.
Then—
suddenly, the metal mass began to grow.
Clank, clack, whirr! Clank!
"Gasp!"
It wasn't growing.
It was unfolding.
"M-my god!"
"… Unbelievable."
It was a robot.
It had come through the gate in a crouched position and was now straightening its body.
Jeon Seong-il and Lee Min-seon instinctively stepped back.
A robot?
Why was that coming out?
At that moment—
"This is a golem I brought from the tower."
"Oh my! You startled me."
"S-Summoner Bong!"
Juhyeok and El had appeared without anyone noticing.
"… A golem? Like a summoned creature?"
"Not a summoned creature. Originally, it was a Floor 75 monster—
a Mechanic Goliath Combat Golem. I brought it back and modified it."
This was insane.
That was even possible?
"It can be controlled too. With this remote."
"Ah…"
"Anyone want to try?"
Control it?
Without even thinking, both men raised their hands.
"Me! I'll do it!"
"Colonel Lee, you step back."
"Sir, with all due respect, how could a general be the one to control a golem? I'll do it."
"It's fine."
"No, sir. I—"
"That's an order."
Rank decided it.
Jeon Seong-il took the remote.
Following El's instructions, he pressed the buttons.
Whirr, clack, clank, clack!
Walking, sitting, lying down, running—
nearly every movement was perfectly implemented.
"Can it be deployed in combat?"
"Of course. That's why I brought it."
Then—
"In combat situations, press this blue button. The active combat ego system will activate and it will fight autonomously."
"Ah!"
"The enemy target is all tower monsters. It won't attack allies."
Jeon Seong-il's eyes trembled slightly.
A robot—
and at least ten meters tall.
What kind of reaction would people have if they saw this?
"We're planning to unveil it during the Daegu sinkhole wave defense. Will that be okay?"
"I-it shouldn't be a problem, but…"
"The only issue is transportation. It can't exactly walk there."
They could put it into Rajiks's subspace backpack and deliver it,
but this golem was meant to be handed over to the Awakened Forces.
Transportation and deployment would be handled by the military.
"Don't worry. We transport tanks, after all."
Transportation was solved.
"Normally, how many defense units do the Awakened Forces have?"
"One division is deployed, divided into eight sectors."
"Then assign one sector to this thing."
"… Pardon?"
One golem defending a sector meant for a division?
Was that even possible?
"Don't worry. You can pull the players out. I guarantee airtight defense."
"… Understood. I'll reorganize the unit."
By noon tomorrow, they'd see what this thing was truly capable of.
Before that, he needed to clear up to Floor 80 and head to Daegu.
No—maybe he should just go straight to Daegu and enter the Black Tower from there.
"Oh! This red button here."
"Yes, sir."
"Press this when the battle really starts."
"… What happens?"
"You'll know when the time comes. Just don't press it beforehand."
"Yes! Understood."
It'd give them quite a shock.
And late that night, a military trailer left Daejeon and headed for Daegu.
The next day.
Daegu Sinkhole Wave Defense Headquarters.
Korea's sinkhole wave defenses had long since become a focal point of global attention.
The shining new weapon first revealed in Chuncheon—
everyone had seen it clearly.
Undead being effortlessly cut down.
Its identity: holy-attribute weapons.
In other words, Holy Weapons.
Who could resist that?
"Oh my, we need to buy that."
Even a few would do.
Was it only for sinkhole waves?
What about tower conquest?
You had to break through undead sections.
You had to stack collapse deadlines.
So people flooded into Korea.
To witness the performance of Holy Weapons firsthand—
and, if possible, buy them and take them home.
Normally, sinkholes during wave outbreaks were extremely dangerous zones and strictly controlled.
But the Korean Martial Law Command allowed civilian access.
Thus, observers gathered to watch the defense.
Domestic and foreign reporters.
High-ranking officials from various countries.
Ambassadors, diplomats, players, and military generals.
All to see Holy Weapons with their own eyes.
From early morning, observers waited in designated areas, chatting as they awaited the wave.
"I never imagined they'd reach Floor 75."
"They say he'll climb from Floor 80 before the wave even starts today."
"That speed is insane. Floor 90 is right in front of us. Everything might really end."
"Then there'd be no need to buy weapons."
"No. Unexpected situations could still happen."
"Exactly. And just being effective against undead gives them value. Undead sections must be cleared. That's how you stack collapse deadlines."
Monitors were set up in front of the special observation seats.
The defensive units preparing for battle were visible.
But—
"Huh? That sector seems severely undermanned compared to the others."
"You're right. I don't see any player units there."
"Are they short on troops?"
"That can't be right. Didn't Chuncheon succeed without casualties?"
Then, a large trailer arrived.
Was it carrying troops?
Or weapons?
The tarp covering the trailer bed was pulled away.
Something was revealed.
A massive, elongated metallic structure—
like a statue erected in a plaza.
Then—
Creeeak!
The statue began to rise.
Only then did its true form become clear.
"Huh?"
"Gasp!"
"Th-that is—?"
"What on earth—?"
"My goodness!"
It was a massive statue—no, a robot—with
ROKA, Republic of Korea Army engraved on its torso.
A robot?
A model?
No.
Creeeak, thud! Clank, thud!
The robot stood up from the trailer.
It began walking.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
And with remarkable stability.
The observers stared, eyes following the robot in a daze.
What was that?
Why was a robot coming out there?
Thus, the first Mechanic Goliath Combat Golem,
equipped with a replicated Great Archangel engine core—
finally revealed itself
on the battlefield of the Daegu Sinkhole Wave Defense.
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