“Why do I like you? Simply because you’re you. Is there really any other reason besides that?”

Lea’s face flushed faintly as she immersed herself in the male lead’s dialogue coming from the small smartphone screen.

She had both knees wrapped tightly in her arms, with only her face peeking out slightly.

Looking at her like that, she was nothing more than a typical teenage girl.

He wondered if he should buy a large TV for Lea’s sake once he had some money to spare.

Still, seeing her enjoy something like this was actually a relief for Shin Jungho.

If a young girl had only enjoyed slaughtering monsters, it would have been quite uncomfortable to keep watching.

If she were simply a character in a game, he could have dismissed it as such.

But Lea was alive, a being with her own will.

He had heard that other superhumans also engaged in various activities with their Summons to build rapport.

Shin Jungho couldn’t afford to do that much given his circumstances, but he decided to be satisfied with the fact that he had found at least one thing she enjoyed.

“Ah!”

When a kiss scene appeared in the drama, Lea startled and covered her face with both hands.

Naturally, with her fingers spread apart, her eyes still glued to the screen.

Then, becoming aware of Shin Jungho’s gaze, she hastily apologized.

“Ah, s-sorry.”

“It’s fine. Don’t mind me and keep watching. There’s only about ten minutes left.”

“Ah, y-yes.”

Lea immersed herself in the drama once more.

In truth, she hadn’t started out watching dramas.

Perhaps because she was a summoned being, Lea was able to access the Tower Community Forum.

At first, it was the forum’s posts.

Then, she rapidly absorbed all tower-related information through the internet.

Perhaps because she was an upper-level Sword Expert, she scrolled through pages almost as if taking photographs.

When he checked, thinking she was just skimming, she remembered the content with perfect accuracy.

…Even her memory was monstrous?

After she had thus surveyed all the information she needed.

When she said there was nothing left to look up, he suggested she watch dramas when bored and played one for her.

That marked the beginning of her binge-watching.

Since her summoning duration was still short, they were somehow managing with free streaming.

He figured he’d have to pay for streaming subscriptions before long.

Wondering if she might enjoy other things, he showed her an American drama.

“…S-sorry! I dozed off for a moment!”

She nodded off even during a shocking scene where a terrifying serial killer committed gruesome crimes.

Well.

When she herself slaughtered monsters mercilessly, would such an ordinary (?) scene even register?

“Lea, I think we should head out now.”

“Yes, Lord!”

Lea paused the drama and immediately straightened her posture.

No matter how deeply absorbed in the drama she was.

Even when Shin Jungho spoke in a voice as quiet as a mosquito’s.

She responded without a moment’s hesitation, so Shin Jungho did his best to be considerate of Lea in return.

The current time was 11:50 PM.

A perfect moment to tackle the 2nd floor.

[You have entered the 2nd floor of Tower 25.]

= Objective: Eliminate 40 Sturdy Zombies.

= Time Limit: 1:00:00

Zombies bearing the modifier “Sturdy,” unlike ordinary zombies.

The fastest clear bonus wouldn’t appear until the 20th floor, so naturally there was nothing special displayed.

“Meteor Summoning.”

Shin Jungho used the skill immediately without the slightest hesitation.

The endless universe unfolding in his mind.

He selected a suitable meteor from within and summoned it.

Over a total of 14 skill tests.

The smallest was the size of a single-family home.

The largest was the size of a small island.

Those had been summoned on the second and first attempts, respectively.

After that, all 12 attempts produced meteors roughly the size of five to ten apartment buildings combined.

When he chose the one with the faintest light, a meteor the size of 20 apartment buildings combined fell.

When he chose the one with the brightest light, a meteor the size of 5 apartment buildings combined fell.

In short, the first and second meteor summons had also been a matter of luck—there was no way to distinguish by the intensity of light.

Still, whether five buildings or ten.

It was more than enough to obliterate 40 zombies gathered in one place.

The black sky split open as a massive meteor plummeted down.

Eight buildings?

Nine buildings?

Having seen it over ten times, he could roughly estimate by eye.

“It looks to be about 8.5 apartment buildings!”

Lea’s eye was so keen she could gauge meteor sizes down to 0.1 apartment building units.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

The meteor exploded against the ground, generating violent shockwaves in all directions.

Lea, just as she had done every time before.

Stomped the ground with a powerful Kkwang!

With her shield thrust forward.

Moving so fast she left afterimages.

She created a massive fan-shaped barrier large enough to shield Shin Jungho completely.

…All while unleashing an incessant battle cry.

“Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat…!”

The name of this technique.

Hat-Hat Defense!

When she first demonstrated this defensive technique.

It was… something.

No, it was very… something.

But since dignity wasn’t what saved lives, he tested it right away.

The result?

First, whether it was a fan or a hair dryer.

No matter how high the setting, it couldn’t extinguish a candle directly behind Lea.

When he actually stood behind her himself, not a single breeze reached him.

Next was the real test.

Since he had a Return Ticket anyway, he summoned the largest-looking meteor he could find, prepared to use the ticket if things went south.

A meteor much smaller than an island—barely the size of five apartment buildings combined—fell, but its size still generated a fairly violent shockwave.

Lea deployed Hat-Hat Defense to block the front.

Contrary to his concerns, she took no impact at all.

Having already gone through 12 rounds of testing.

There was no worry this time either.

Hwaaaaaaah!

The shockwaves could be seen dispersing left, right, and upward from the fan-shaped defensive technique Lea had deployed.

Shin Jungho simply waited for the aftermath to subside with a calm demeanor.

The meteor impact also triggered a violent earthquake.

Strangely, perhaps because Lea was stomping her feet to cancel out the force, no vibration was felt at all.

Truly incredible… upper-level Sword Expert.

Then what could the realm of Swordmaster accomplish?

Curiosity suddenly washed over him.

But that wasn’t what mattered right now.

[You have cleared the 2nd floor of Tower 25.]

[2 Magic Stones have been awarded.]

[You will automatically return in 10 seconds.]

“Return.”

There was no need to wait the full 10 seconds.

It might have been different if there were something to farm nearby.

He hadn’t moved from the starting point, and 10 seconds would pass before he could even reach where the meteor had fallen.

Upon returning from the tower, a message immediately appeared.

[Notice: Mirinae has cleared the 2nd floor of Tower 25 in the fastest time.]

[Amazing Achievement accomplished!]

[As a reward for the Amazing Achievement, 1 Random Box has been provided.]

A Random Box…?

A gift box wrapped prettily with a red ribbon appeared in midair.

It floated in the air without falling, as if insisting it be unwrapped immediately.

“Lea, have you ever heard of a Random Box?”

“I apologize, Lord. Unfortunately, I have not come across any related information in everything I’ve reviewed thus far. Shall I look into it now?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Shin Jungho thought for a moment, then suggested to Lea.

“Hmm… would you like to open it, Lea?”

“Me…? You mean me?”

“Yes, just in case it might be a trap.”

Caution above all else was the right approach in all matters.

“Ah, so that was your reasoning. Understood, Lord.”

Lea approached the Random Box floating in the air and grasped the ribbon bundle.

Hwup!

Then, after taking a deep breath, she untied the knot.

Ppong!

The lid of the Random Box opened and its contents burst out.

[You have obtained 5 Magic Stones.]

Hmm…

That’s 5 million won…

Nothing as impressive as he had hoped.

Besides, even if Magic Stones came out, he couldn’t sell them right now anyway.

“I apologize, Lord. I drew an item that falls short of your expectations.”

Lea bowed at a 90-degree angle and apologized.

“I told you not to do that. And with a Random Box, it’s all luck anyway. We should be glad it wasn’t a trap.”

“It feels presumptuous to say so, but since it was a reward from an Amazing Achievement… I believe it would not have been a trap.”

Shin Jungho’s thoughts were the same.

But there was always the one-in-a-million chance.

Even a 0.000012% probability existed.

And it was precisely through such odds that someone would win the lottery.

“My thoughts are similar, but since nothing has been confirmed about what ‘random’ in Random Box actually contains…”

It was a reward no one had ever obtained before.

Without any sample data, it was always right to assume the worst.

“This humble servant spoke out of turn. I sincerely apologize for failing to grasp your heaven-like wisdom, Lord.”

Seeing Lea bow deeply in apology, Shin Jungho’s expression briefly soured.

“I told you not to do that. Please act like a Korean, Lea. It’s much easier for me mentally that way.”

“How could this humble servant dare to…”

“I’m asking… would that be so hard?”

Lea was at a loss for words.

A request from her Lord carried less force than a command, but her desire to obey swelled many times greater.

“I’ll… try my best.”

Shin Jungho asked with a light smile.

“Then what should you call me?”

“L-Lord…”

“In Korea, what would a young student like you call a man around my age? You’ve seen it plenty in dramas. Call me whatever feels comfortable for you.”

Shin Jungho had expected something along the lines of ‘ajusshi.’

He couldn’t know Lea’s exact age, but she seemed to be at least six years younger than him.

Above all, given the difference between a student and a working adult, that level of address seemed appropriate.

Lea’s face began to grow increasingly red.

Wondering if he had asked for something too unreasonable, he was about to postpone it for later.

When Lea’s cherry-like lips parted and a trembling voice spilled out.

“O… Oppa…?”

Ppyong.

At midnight, the summon was released.

Shin Jungho needed a moment to gather his thoughts and recover from the shock.

Hmm…

The influence of Korean dramas…

Wasn’t bad at all?

Sure, whether ‘ajusshi’ or ‘Oppa.’

The fact that Lea was showing behavior appropriate for her age was a welcome sight.

Shin Jungho summoned Lea again.

“Have you been well, Lord?”

“The title went back to normal?”

“…I-I apologize, Lord.”

Seeing Lea’s face turn bright red, Shin Jungho smiled lightly.

“I won’t force you. You don’t need to push yourself either. Your comfort comes first, Lea.”

“…Thank you, Lord.”

Shin Jungho decided to take things slowly on this front and returned to the main topic.

“I have something to check, so just rest for a bit.”

“Yes, Lord.”

And he entered the Tower 25 Community Forum.

└ WTF! 2nd floor clear in 5 seconds? 5 SECONDSSS?!

└ Wasn’t Mirinae supposed to be captured somewhere?

└ He was still on the 1st floor? What? Why? For what reason?

└ Could it be a skill penalty? Like a skill you can only use once every two weeks?

└ Oh, that makes sense. If it’s a once-every-two-weeks skill, it’d have to be powerful. …Even so, taking out 40 Sturdy Zombies—not even regular zombies—in 5 seconds is just broken, isn’t it? lolololol

└ Seriously, I’m so damn curious what skill that is!

As expected, the anonymous chat room was in an uproar once again.

A skill you use once every two weeks, huh.

If he had plenty of time, this strategy wouldn’t have been bad.

But the time given to him was 30 days at most.

A week if he was unlucky.

Or it could happen as soon as tomorrow.

Having grasped the general situation, Shin Jungho whispered to Lea.

“We’re heading to the 3rd floor.”

“Yes, Lord.”

Lea also answered, keeping her voice as low as possible.

At midnight, when most people were asleep.

A girl’s voice in a single man’s apartment required extra caution.

[You have entered the 3rd floor of Tower 25.]

= Objective: Eliminate 30 Hard Zombies.

= Time Limit: 1:00:00

This was the section where superhumans first struggled.

Hard Zombies, which had far greater defense than Sturdy Zombies.

The zombie count had also dropped from 40 to 30, a reduction of another 10.

Yet the difficulty had risen, which meant that dealing with each and every Hard Zombie was extremely challenging.

Regular Zombies that could be dispatched in a single blow with moderate force.

Sturdy Zombies that could generally be taken down in one hit with full force.

But Hard Zombies required multiple powerful strikes to the head before it might crack, and even when attempting to slash the neck with a sword, if the force or angle was off, the blade would get caught in the neck muscles instead.

Fortunately, their movements were still slow, so there was no real danger of death as long as one stayed alert.

However, quite a few superhumans had underestimated them, gotten their weapons snatched away, and spent the entire hour fleeing before failing.

It was a floor where many superhumans struggled.

But that didn’t apply to Shin Jungho.

“Meteor Summoning.”

Kwaaaaaaaang!

“Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat! Hat…!”

Hwaaaaaaah!

[You have cleared the 3rd floor of Tower 25.]

[3 Magic Stones have been awarded.]

[You will automatically return in 10 seconds.]

Because before Meteor Summoning, everything was equal—one blow was all it took.