Even though I had relied on a previously obtained accessory— the one that grants invincibility once upon death.
The brush with death that had come right up to my throat still sent chills down my spine.
Still, rather than just spouting empty words about risking my life for the sake of the heroes, I could proudly give myself a perfect score for having shown true courage like a real man.
Of course, it was a bit disappointing that the firepower of my Navy Vice Admiral- class Galaxy- Impact- Pistol had been reset back to zero.
I’ll definitely be billing Her Highness for this later— with interest.
Honestly, trying to bribe Cheok Jungyeong with something of equal value?
Impossible.
Even if his dodging of my bullets looked pathetic, he’s still the Greatest Sword of the Hwan Kingdom.
Even if I offered up my entire fortune, it probably wouldn’t even get his attention.
Anyway.
“…I will refrain from getting involved. To be frank, His Majesty has lost his original resolve. The spirit we once shared when we rode across Manjusuram and slaughtered the barbarians together—where has it gone?”
Successfully eliminated Cheok Jungyeong from the equation.
For at least the next three times.
As the boss of Zone 10 on the 24th floor, and as the mid-boss of the 25th floor— stopping his appearance was a bargain compared to what it could’ve cost.
Originally, clearing Zone 10 of the 24th floor required two full parties at the highest current rank, max level, and fully enhanced equipment.
Not to mention you had to pray to the RNG gods so that the semi- one- shot skills he randomly uses wouldn’t target the healer.
Even the tank could get torn to shreds if hit by three critical hits in a row.
In a mobile game with no retry restrictions, you could just keep yelling at your phone while hoping for that perfect run where your crits land and the enemy’s don’t, and where you don’t get unlucky with broken patterns.
But this isn’t some soft-click mobile game.
“Thank you for your kindness.”
I bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle, then watched as Cheok Jungyeong casually strolled back into the heart of the State Tribunal.
Next up—
“Are you finally back to your senses?”
It was time to teach those lizardmen a lesson.
“Grgh…!” “Such overwhelming power…!”
Fortunately, it seemed they had all witnessed the raw firepower of my revolver firsthand, and just by pointing the barrel at them, their will to fight vanished and they surrendered on the spot.
I tied up the surrendered lizardmen tightly and tossed them into the interrogation room.
Then—
“Ark──!” “Are you alright, my lord!” “Ark-nim!!!”
“Eh?”
My second party, who were supposed to be back at the Eastern Palace, suddenly barged into the tribunal with a huge fuss.
Even Her Highness the Princess had come.
Their eyes shifted from me to the crater-like hole in the ground that looked as though a meteor had struck.
“Where is General Cheok…?”
Her Highness, who rarely ever showed emotion, surprisingly spoke with visible shock in her eyes.
I gave a sly grin and said—
“We reached a peaceful compromise. He declared neutrality.”
And that was the simple truth.
* * *
Originally, the plan was to subdue the Office of Inspector-General with just one party, but things turned out to be much easier than expected.
Taking control of the Inspector-General’s office was a piece of cake.
We sent in the nine warriors as-is and crushed the small pockets of resistance.
Cough, cough, kuhuk…
“The weight of the crown. You must endure it.”
Following Ryua, even Her Highness the Princess was granted a joyous level-up session.
This is absolutely not a way to get rid of our surplus of ultra-low-grade Elixirs of Experience.
Let’s just say it’s a necessary rite of passage for anyone who wants to work with me, the Chosen One.
Besides, just a while ago— Right as we entered Sector 2, Her Highness, who had been floating majestically in midair, suffered the tragic misfortune of plummeting to the ground and rolling several times.
“…It’s painful, but I definitely feel stronger than before. I don’t know how or why, but the engine’s output has increased.”
Now that’s truly astonishing.
How does a person’s level-up enhance the output of a machine?
It was a cho-mysterious phenomenon that modern science couldn’t explain.
Anyway.
“Touched… our dear Surveillance Pod No. 38… Ugh, that just rolls off the tongue too easily…”
We were also able to reunite with our reliable undercover informant: Surveillance Pod No. 38.
I expected a cold-hearted, sharp-looking woman in glasses with no blood or tears— but in reality, she was basically your typical, ultra-social college student.
There were also some unexpected reunions—
“Ah! You’re the muscle-brained woman who wrecked my pod!”
“……”
“Ahem. Hem.”
“We’re very sorry…”
“Thanks to you, my already meager salary got cut even more! If it weren’t for the Princess, I wouldn’t have let this slide!”
We promised generous compensation to an unfortunate victim of our early adventurers’ chaotic antics.
Of course, to be paid out of the heroes’ allowance.
Because everyone must take responsibility for their own mistakes.
Although we were still in a situation where the enemy far outnumbered us if we extended all the way to the capital…
“Just being confined in that tiny space until now was hardship enough. As I’ve said countless times at cabinet meetings, this is clearly a human rights violation.”
Her Highness gathered the surveillance girls, mostly in their early twenties, and began a speech.
Truly emperor-material— understanding the importance of public opinion and surveillance networks.
“But… I can’t overcome this injustice with my power alone. If you could help me just a little more, I will do everything I can to create a country without mandatory service, or at least a freer one.”
She even added a perfect emotional touch—one well-timed tear for dramatic effect.
“Your Highness!”
“We support youuu!”
“Milky-white Princess Dan Minha! We love you!”
“Protect Her Highness!”
The effect was tremendous!
The surveillance girls pledged their loyalty!
I mean, think about it.
If, while I was doing my military service (or about to), a politician suddenly appeared out of nowhere and promised to replace conscription with a volunteer system and improve soldiers’ conditions?
That person would instantly become my president for life.
Counter Arguments only accepted from veterans.
Afterward, we established a temporary command post within the Inspector- General’s office and began discussing future plans.
The core leadership consisted of three people:
First, Dan Minha— still teetering somewhere between being a traitor and a revolutionary, remaining in a state of quantum ambiguity.
Second, Ryua— the head of a megacorp aiming to back the treason both financially and physically to assert massive influence over the nation.
And third, the genius tactician who descended like a dancer from the shadows.
The gambler who never bets without certainty.
That is—me.
As I began to unfold my miraculous strategies, Ryua and Dan Minha nodded along like hypnotized lucky cats.
…Though to be fair, calling them miraculous strategies might be a stretch—it’s more accurate to say I simply used my future-sight to simulate the battles.
“You really do seem like someone who had this whole rebellion planned out ahead of time.”
“Surely you didn’t orchestrate all of this, right?”
“……”
Although I was treated as the ultimate mastermind behind this situation by Her Highness and the boss…
They didn’t deny that my predictions and plans were the most reasonable and likely to succeed.
“Then, let’s begin the operation.”
[You have entered the 24th Floor of the Tower of Wishes – Royal Palace, Sector 5.]
[★☆☆: Defeat all elite troops of the Capital Defense Command.]
[★★☆: Complete the mission without any casualties.]
[★★★: Uncover the mastermind controlling the elite troops.]
I was dragged into Sector 1 against my will, and had to fight continuously up to Sector 4.
But for Sector 5, I entered of my own accord.
The mission was as I had predicted.
《Comm. Rear Unit 77 has observed a large number of elite troops at the south gate. Rear Unit 38 recommends we prepare accordingly.》
I couldn’t figure out exactly where they would start from, but thanks to the observations from the rear units, we could estimate a preemptive strike.
“For now, only Party 1 will move. Separate from eliminating the elite troops, there might be a surprise attack on the Inspector General’s Office, so Party 2, conserve your strength as much as possible and maintain strict perimeter security. Renatel, if a new objective appears, prioritize that. I’ll keep in contact via rear unit.”
“Yes, Ark-nim.”
The final order was given.
We probably won’t see Party 2 again until the 24th Floor boss battle.
I don’t know how the boss fight will change now that we’ve convinced Grandpa Cheok to stay neutral, but it should be a lot easier than the original scenario.
I relished the cold touch of the EMP bomb in my hand.
A short while later…
Cradled in Rumi’s arms, we leapt from rooftop to rooftop, heading toward the south gate.
As always, the physical prowess of the heroes is impressive.
As always, Rumi’s chest is… soft…!
“Ark-nim? Um, I see enemies ahead.”
Elis, who was scouting slightly ahead, confirmed the enemy’s coordinates.
“Tina, ready?”
Tina, loaded with real bombs instead of EMPs, puffed out her chest confidently and shouted.
“Of course. Let’s enjoy some guilt-free pleasure, shall we?”
“Yeah!”
Even at a glance, the robot soldiers were swarming in like a pack of wild dogs, visible from our vantage point.
“Fire in the hole!”
The EMP bomb I threw drew a smooth arc before landing right in the middle of the elite troop formation.
Then—
Bzzzzztttt —!
A powerful magnetic field radiated from the blast center.
《A-a-a-alert──》
《Error occurred──》
Clank. Thud. Crash!
The advancing elite robot soldiers froze in place.
I threw another bomb with a spin.
Then gave Tina a signal.
Upon catching my cue—
“You scrubs! Justice Shall Rain From The Sky!!”
With a backflip, Tina hurled her bombs rapidly—far faster than I ever could.
Then—
Boom Boom Boom ────!!!
A grand fireworks display erupted.
Of course, that wasn’t enough to wipe them all out in one go.
But we had one more trump card.
“Rumi, go!”
“Meow!”
The undisputed beast king soared into the sky, heralding the end of the robot era.
Ahhh.
Now this is gaming.