They shared the same goal.
And their respective territories didn’t overlap.
So what reason was there not to work together?
The second TF team was formed just like that.
His TC exchange rate went up by another 1%.
And he gained a dedicated megaphone.
A few days after using Oh Won-taek as an anonymous amplifier——
Darkness.
Damp, humid air pressing against his skin.
A thick, musty smell hit his nose followed by something worse.
“Oh, god.”
Floor 30. Den of the Tenacious Cockroach.
He squeezed both eyes shut and gave up on clearing his own floor for the day.
Cockroaches the size of tigers. Swarming. Glistening.
Looking at them was beyond what he could physically bring himself to do.
“How am I supposed to clear Floor 30.”
Back home, he stared blankly at the ceiling.
He’d been so rattled by something disgusting that he was completely drained.
The reason his own Tower climbing had been slowing lately:
More floors were appearing with giant insects.
Regular-sized bugs were fine. He’d once been compared to a one-man pest control service.
But insects scaled up to human size or larger — there was nothing to be done.
Overwhelming revulsion the moment he laid eyes on them.
Legs that refused to move.
He needed Floor 30 cleared before he could advance to Floor 31.
The level was there, the damage was there — he was objectively capable of clearing it.
But lacking the nerve to move forward — genuinely frustrating.
He was gulping water in frustration when the doorbell rang.
“Who is it?”
He craned his neck toward the intercom screen.
A familiar face — but he couldn’t open the door without hesitation.
Seo I-an and Hong Je-hun. Together.
That combination made no sense.
A disguise?
He kept his guard up and picked up the intercom.
“Who’s there?”
[Benefactor. You can’t recognize my face? That hurts.]
[Master-nim. It’s Hong Je-hun.]
Seemed like the real people.
For reference — at the dinner a few days ago, they’d failed to unify what to call him.
Everyone attached personal meaning to their chosen title and in the end had pressured him into making a choice.
Whatever he picked, one person would be satisfied and the rest would be unhappy.
He cleanly abandoned making a choice.
That had been his mistake for bringing it up, so he’d added: just use whatever’s comfortable.
Even so——
Just to be safe, he asked one more time.
“……But why are you two here together?”
[I don’t want to be here with him either, dammit!]
Seo I-an’s voice went sharp.
[I’ll be honest, I don’t particularly feel like it either.]
Hong Je-hun parried calmly.
That was Seo I-an and Hong Je-hun alright.
“……Come in.”
He opened the door.
“Can I get you anything?”
“Would I ever put our benefactor out? Obviously I brought something!”
Seo I-an grinned and held up a coffee carrier and a bag of snacks.
“Great. Have a seat.”
A couple of days ago, he’d received two calls.
One from Seo I-an. One from Hong Je-hun.
Both were requests to help with Floor 49.
Result: both successfully cleared Floor 49 on the same day.
For the ranking, Hong Je-hun had taken the first-place record.
Good elemental compatibility, the 1% intelligence stat gain from the Special Floor reward, and the month-long 5% cooldown reduction had created enormous synergy for Hong Je-hun.
Obviously that was a prime moment for the jealousy-prone Seo I-an to be making jabs at Hong Je-hun.
But here they were, showing up together.
Not a small thing.
“So. What couldn’t be said over the phone that you had to come all the way here?”
“Benefactor. Floor 50 can’t be cleared alone.”
He blinked at Seo I-an’s flat certainty.
Why was she so sure?
“Why can’t it be cleared alone?”
As if they’d coordinated, Seo I-an and Hong Je-hun laid it out together.
“Because of these damned platforms.”
“Multiple platforms appear that have to all be stepped on before the door to the boss opens.”
“So we want you to come with us.”
“Agreed.”
“Hold on. Then you two could clear it together — why do you specifically need me?”
Both shook their heads simultaneously, and then spoke simultaneously.
“Can’t do it without you.”
“Impossible without you, Master-nim.”
……Okay, the synchronized timing was genuinely suspicious. Had they rehearsed?
And not just the timing — different phrasing, identical content.
“Then why not bring Lim Hyeon-jin-nim? She’s a buffer.”
The two of them handle damage, Lim Hyeon-jin provides buffs safely from the back.
Wasn’t that ideal?
The two exchanged a glance.
Seo I-an stepped forward first.
“The thing is — the notification that appears right when you enter Floor 50 says party members can only be formed with people who are eligible for Floor 50 and above.”
“Having you come up quickly seemed faster than finding another person who qualifies,” Hong Je-hun added right after.
Perfectly timed, as always when it mattered.
“But then you two could run it. Why are you trying to drag me specifically?”
“Because of the platforms, I said.”
“There are three platforms…… every single one has to have a person standing on it for the next sequence to unlock.”
Oh.
He’d braced for something like I refuse to run with that person — but the answer was surprisingly practical.
“Fine. Then in exchange — tomorrow, someone help me with Floor 30.”
His Floor 30 ranking?
He could give up one floor’s record to move on.
If he advanced one floor per day from now it would take 21 days — he didn’t want to make them wait that long.
“I’ll help!”
“Let’s go in together.”
Almost simultaneous again.
“Only one person needs to come. You’d be burning a Tower entry.”
He could enter Towers multiple times a day through intrusion.
But others couldn’t.
He’d casually asked them to help with Floor 30, but underneath that was: sacrifice one day’s Tower entry to help me. One person was already something to feel bad about. Two?
He had a conscience.
“One day off is fine to have!”
“If there’s a chance to be of help to Master-nim, giving up a single day of climbing is nothing.”
“Still — just one person……. I don’t want my guild members losing out on EXP.”
“So I’ll——”
“So I’ll——”
What was happening today?
Why were these two so perfectly in sync?
And more to the point — what was so interesting to them about his Floor 30?
He glanced at the two of them.
Neither looked like they were going to back down.
Seo I-an had no concept of conceding ground when Hong Je-hun was involved.
And Hong Je-hun, once he’d dug his heels in, was immovable.
What to do……
Pointing to exactly one of them? Whatever excuse he gave, the other would clearly feel slighted.
“……Both of you, then. Please.”
If neither was going to move, he’d be the one to yield.
One rest day was one rest day.
Just like he’d squeezed his eyes shut and bolted from Floor 30 today.
Finally the two of them changed the subject.
“By the way — so the developed-country Awakened nations knew parties were mandatory from Floor 50 and just kept their mouths shut the whole time?”
“They’d have needed time to bring their average Awakened above Floor 50. They probably wanted other countries to take just as long. They wouldn’t want the gap closing quickly.”
“Right. And unless it’s the Special Floor, there’s no bodycam footage to leak. As long as the people involved stayed quiet, nobody would have known. And yet they started making guilds.”
He caught what felt like a flaw in that reasoning.
“But both of you were in your 40s floorwise and already talking about building guilds, weren’t you?”
Both turned to look at him.
“Well — things the advanced nations do together tend to have a reason behind them.”
“High-floor climbers are inevitably forced to pursue extreme efficiency in climbing. Naturally, if they’re all doing something in unison, there’s a reason behind it even without it being spelled out.”
“Makes sense.”
“But — benefactor. Floor 30. Is it a bit hard to do alone?”
Seo I-an leaned forward with bright, curious eyes.
Hong Je-hun also turned to look at him.
“Oh, that? You’ll see when you get there.”
If he mentioned cockroaches they might change their minds, so he kept the details to himself.
After seeing them out.
He was tidying up when he found a phone that wasn’t his.
“Left it for charging again?”
Caseless — the latest model.
Seo I-an’s.
He set it aside for safekeeping.
He’d just started tidying again when the doorbell rang a second time.
“She noticed quickly.”
Seo I-an must have realized and come back for the phone.
But the face on the intercom was not what he’d expected.
“Who are you……?”
An unfamiliar face. Someone he’d never seen before.
A while back, Seo I-an had mentioned not being able to forget her student council president and vice president because they were attractive.
He understood now.
The man at the door had striking blond hair and features so sharp they’d be impossible to forget once seen.
[It’s Lian Carter!]
Lian Carter.
A name he’d heard before.
America’s second-ranked Awakened.
Known as America’s younger son.
For reference: the older son was Hudson.
Either way — his face wasn’t widely published, so impersonation couldn’t be ruled out.
“Why would someone like that come to me? And Lian Carter is American — why is your Korean this good?”
He kept the suspicion in his voice.
The man at the door smiled pleasantly.
[Korean was my second language! Oh — do you think I’m an impostor? I can show you ID if that helps.]
He said it with easy amusement and raised his hand.
An American Awakened Association card in his palm.
But what occupied Woo-joo’s attention more was a different question.
Whose Korean did he learn?
The vocabulary and grammar seemed fine — but the speech register had been learned very wrong, very thoroughly.
Someone who should know that just adding a -yo at the end of sentences was enough for polite speech. Tsk.
[So — do you believe me now?]
Sure, but still no.
He blinked.
Eagle Eye, go.
……Why is this real?
Briefly caught off guard. Then, as the reality sank in, his heart started beating slightly faster.
A world-ranked Awakened — why, specifically him?
And how had he gotten his home address?
“……What are you here for? Recruitment?”
He kept the conversation going while picking up his phone.
In a situation like this, the Association was the right call.
The Association was the most effective protection for Awakened outside Towers.
[Hm? Recruitment? That’s a scout’s job.]
“Then why?”
[Just thought we could grab a drink and chat. Drinks would be even better.]
He smiled pleasantly.
“But why?“
[This.]
Lian said it cheerfully, voice rising at the end, and pulled out his phone.
He tapped at it briefly, then held the screen toward the intercom camera.
A Korean news portal main page article was displayed.
[Korean guild ‘Outlaw’ achieves first-ever Special Floor clear!]
[Kim Woo-joo — the enigmatic core damage dealer?]
And in the article — a photo taken mid-combat, showing the back of his figure.
[That’s you, Kim Woo-joo.]
How he’d identified that was what Woo-joo couldn’t get his head around.
He stood frozen for a moment, unable to confirm or deny.
And then a text message arrived.
Oh Won-taek.
Contents: Security personnel dispatched — arriving shortly.
With backup on the way, the anxiety dissolved.
[Ha — don’t worry. I’m not here to cause trouble. Do I look that uncivilized?]
Lian waved his hand and continued in the same unbothered tone.
[I just…… wanted to meet you in person. Especially——]
His eyes brightened.
And for a moment, sharp pressure flickered behind them.
[Someone who melts a Special Floor boss without using a single special skill — wouldn’t that naturally make anyone curious?]
Fair enough.
He’d probably be curious too if he were watching.
But——
“The thing is, I’m not curious about you.”
[Hm?]
“Hudson, maybe. But not you.”
— Click.
He set the intercom down without hesitation.
The man could stand at the door all day — it didn’t matter anymore.
The security personnel would handle it when they arrived.
He waited for a bit.
Ding dong. Ding dong.
The doorbell started going off again, impatient and rapid.
“You’re still there?! Where are the security people?!”
Brief alarm, quickly managed.
He raised his voice toward the intercom, with just a little edge in it.
“Keep this up and I’m calling the police!”
A sharper, more agitated voice shot back through the intercom.
[Benefactor! My PHONE! Give it BACK!! And let go of me right now!! He’s not weird, he’s my friend, DAMN IT!!]
Seo I-an?!
He called Oh Won-taek and asked them to release Seo I-an immediately.
But she hadn’t come alone.
Hong Je-hun was there behind her.
He asked for him to be released too.
“Benefactor! Who are those guys in black outside?”
“My security personnel. But Hong Je-hun-nim — why are you here?”
The phone had only been left behind by I-an.
“I was worried something might happen to I-an-nim…… and I couldn’t pretend not to notice.”
Hong Je-hun’s gaze was on Seo I-an.
“What are you looking at?”
She caught the look, shot back coldly, then turned to him.
“But suddenly — security? Did you get a threatening letter?”
Seo I-an asked, phone retrieved and now in hand.
Both of them were looking at him.
“Not that. Someone followed me home.”
“Oh — the good-looking foreigner out front?”
“That’s right.”
“Who is it?”
“Says he’s Lian Carter. America’s younger son.”
“Ah~. The American younger son?”
He nodded.
“Was it recruitment?”
“You’re not thinking of emigrating and leaving me behind?”
“Why would I emigrate? You wouldn’t be there. Hong Je-hun-ssi wouldn’t be there.”
“Either way! If you’re ever home alone and someone knocks — just pretend you’re not there. Got it?”
She issued the warning, and:
“I think that’s the wiser approach as well.”
Hong Je-hun added.
“Scouts start by approaching like gentlemen — and if they don’t get what they want, they turn into something entirely different. With the information now publicly known that Master-nim has the wandering merchant rabbit — being a little more careful about your own safety would be wise.”
“Right! Benefactor — in this world, the only ones you can trust are us. You know that, don’t you?”
……These two.
What was today?
They bickered constantly every other day — but today they’d been perfectly in sync since they arrived.
“I know, I know.”
“If you keep resisting, I’ll knock you out and drag you back.”
In the underground parking garage of Woo-joo’s building, inside a heavily tinted van.
Dylan — the face defined by the scar — looked down at Lian Carter and said it.
“Can’t we do just one more day? Let me see his face in person. Just once. We barely exchanged a few words.”
Lian smiled his easy smile. But it was not a line that worked on his handler.
“I don’t particularly enjoy repeating myself.”
Dylan’s cold, sharp gaze cut toward him.
Lian’s gleaming blue eyes and Dylan’s ice-cold green ones locked onto each other without flinching.
“Then — exactly twelve hours. Twelve hours more. And after that, I’ll do exactly what you say without a word of complaint.”
Instead of an answer — a slight crease appeared between Dylan’s brows.
Lian turned his head to avoid the piercing look and——
“Oh?”
Through the window, a familiar silhouette.
“Dylan! Aren’t those China’s people?”
“You can see them yourself. Yes. And don’t try to change the subject like that.”
“Looks like they’re going to put their hands on something of mine.”
Lian wasn’t changing the subject. He was just not listening.
Then — click.
The sound of the car’s lock disengaging, followed immediately by the door swinging open.
“Back in a second!”
Dylan didn’t reach out to stop him.
Instead he stepped out and followed behind.
Lian Carter not listening and doing as he pleased was aggravating.
But someone he believed might be the key to clearing the Special Floor — falling into another country’s hands.
That was something he found even less acceptable.