“Your caramel macchiato is ready.”

This time, rather than an elaborate 3D design, it was an ordinary(?) 2D latte art.

But the floral pattern drawn within it was so intricate it resembled a fine art piece, like staring at a mandala.

“…Whoa, this is art, real art! Honestly, shouldn’t something like this cost not a million won, but a hundred million per cup?”

So basically…

Could you please just shut your mouth.

Can’t you just drink this and hurry back?

Jungho prayed and prayed that he would never have to use the Free Summon Ticket tucked in his pocket.

“Mr. Jungho.”

When Soyul turned her gaze toward him with those indifferent eyes, Jungho fought the urge to swallow dryly.

“Yes?”

Soyul pointed at Changdae and asked.

“Why is he acting like this?”

Thankfully, she hadn’t yet connected the dots between himself and Changdae.

With a measure of mental relief, Jungho responded as he usually did.

“Wouldn’t you know more about that than I would, boss?”

“…Right? I suppose so? But I honestly can’t fathom what’s going on here, so what am I supposed to do?”

Hururuk-

Hururuk-

The very man who had thrown their hearts into turmoil took a cheerful sip of his coffee, as though nothing had happened at all.

“Ahh! This is truly the pinnacle of art, I tell you! Seeing something like this, Lord Mirinae’s tower clear records must be a work of art too! Don’t you think?”

Ugh! Enough!

No matter how he looked at it, this was clearly an elaborate scheme layered with psychological warfare.

Soyul let out a deep sigh and asked.

“So… what exactly are you here to say?”

Changdae flashed a grin, revealing his pristine white teeth.

“You should stop messing around and give up on finding Mirinae. He’s going to be the future of Korea.”

Soyul’s eyes shifted subtly.

“Did you… meet him? Mirinae.”

Jungho’s heart dropped.

But contrary to his worries, Changdae’s response was remarkably nonchalant.

“Don’t jump to conclusions and look at the facts. This, this—you’ve still got a long way to go before enlightenment comes, huh?”

Soyul studied Changdae’s slick grin, trying hard to read his intentions.

So did he see him or not?

He was an utterly unreadable man.

“…Whatever. I’m going to keep looking on my own.”

“Did you not hear me?”

Soyul scoffed and replied.

“I’m going to seduce him. Mirinae. Myself.”

As Changdae watched Soyul’s expression grow more alluring with each word she uttered, he immediately grasped her hidden intent.

Hah… So she was going to screw over Kim Taemin like that?

It was a decision truly befitting her brazen nature.

Normally, he would have just laughed it off and told her to give it her best.

But he couldn’t simply ignore the predicament this would put Jungho in.

“Kahaha, you think Lord Mirinae would even glance at a woman like you?”

“Yeah, as long as there aren’t lunatics like you around, I’ll be fine.”

“Kkeukeuk, a silkworm dreaming of becoming a butterfly, I see.”

“…Did you seriously eat something wrong today?”

Listening to the exchange between the two…

He just wanted to be alone.

* * *

Thankfully, he managed to dispatch Changdae before anything major happened.

He had slipped away to the restroom briefly and sent a text.

[Please leave.]

When he returned, the hulking mass of a man had vanished without a trace.

He must have received some message that startled him into fleeing in a hurry?

Later, after Soyul had also left, while he was in the middle of working, a lengthy reply arrived.

[I apologize. I was only trying to be of help to you, sir, and did my best to persuade Park Soyul. In truth, I should not have spoken to you so casually, but if I had suddenly switched to formal speech, Soyul might have grown suspicious…]

The message was so long he had to tap “View All” to read the entire thing.

If he counted the characters, it had to be well over two thousand.

The sincerity dripping from the apology made Jungho once again question Changdae’s true motives.

This kind of person… didn’t seem like who he thought he was?

In any case, he decided to wrap up the matter with a warning not to visit again.

Perhaps because his spirit had been so thoroughly drained at the cafe that morning.

After work, he took some time to rest and recover his mental fortitude.

Before he knew it, it was 11 PM, nearing midnight.

“My Lord, how did things turn out with the matter Slave No. 1 visited about this morning?”

Lea asked with barely concealed excitement the moment she was summoned.

Jungho felt he had finally found the thread connecting how things had unfolded.

“Was this something you asked him to do, Lea?”

“Indeed, my Lord.”

So that was it…

“What business would I have entrusting anything to Slave No. 1? I simply issued a command with his life as collateral.”

…Oh, um.

With his life on the line, even he would have no choice but to go all out.

Seeing Jungho’s expression sour, Lea immediately apologized.

“I apologize, my Lord! This humble servant has disturbed your peace of mind! I shall execute Slave No. 1 at once and offer my own head as well!”

Now it had become a matter of two people’s lives instead of one.

Honestly, when Changdae had been praising Mirinae so baselessly, Jungho had wondered if this was really okay.

But even after Changdae left, Soyul had only looked dumbfounded, treating his praise of Mirinae as a minor incident.

With her hostility toward Changdae significantly lowered.

…Was it really an elaborate scheme?

Besides, this was the first mission Lea had requested and taken on herself. If he wanted to avoid the awkwardness of before, supporting her here was the right thing to do.

The deed was already done, and there was no taking it back.

“No, it’s not that. I was just surprised because I didn’t know it would be… that effective.”

Lea carefully raised her head and asked.

“Is this humble servant… carrying out the important mission you entrusted well?”

Jungho suppressed the urge to squeeze his eyes shut and forced the gentlest smile he could manage.

“Yes, you’ve been a great help. …Thank you.”

Lea’s face immediately lit up.

“Thank you, my Lord! No, this is something I should have done all along! Please continue to trust me and assign me tasks in the future!”

Right…

What more was there to say?

So he would wrap up this matter here.

Now it was time to get back to climbing the Tower.

“I’m going to start the 16th floor.”

“Understood! Once again, I shall stake my life to protect you from the shockwave, my Lord!”

Lea seemed to know now, too.

Who our true opponent was.

…Is this right?

[You have entered the 16th floor of the Tower 25.]

= Objective: Defeat 20 Tri-horn Minotaurs.

= Time Limit: 2:00:00

# Remaining Monsters: Tri-horn Minotaur (20)

# First Clear Reward: 16 Magic Stones

# Amazing Achievement Condition: First attempt, clear within 10 minutes

# Amazing Achievement Reward: 1 Random Box

Thanks to the Quest Insight skill, new information had been added to the existing data.

He could now check the remaining monster count in real time, and the conditions for the Amazing Achievement were clearly displayed.

First attempt, clear within 10 minutes.

Last time, he had been on edge when he barely cleared within 5 minutes, but it turned out he had twice that amount of time to spare.

Oh, but that was 5 minutes back then, so maybe not every floor has the same 10-minute limit?

In any case.

Being told 10 minutes made the condition seem far more generous.

But that didn’t apply to other superhumans.

How dire must things have been if not a single superhuman had ever achieved an Amazing Achievement?

Slaying 20 Tri-horn Minotaurs, each with three horns on their heads.

In the 20th-floor range, this was the new hurdle.

It was dangerous, yes, but the bigger problem was that the clear time was woefully insufficient.

Tri-horn Minotaurs, considered the elite soldiers among regular minotaurs, had such tiresome toughness that each one required at least 10 minutes of combat to bring down.

So to slay 20 of them, you needed at least 120 minutes.

But the time limit was exactly 120 minutes.

In the end, most climbers failed with two or three monsters remaining.

Fight safely, and you run out of time.

Race against the clock, and you put your body at risk.

In a way, it felt like the Tower’s way of demanding bolder gambles.

Well… it was still irrelevant when faced with the great equalizer that was meteors.

That aside, this Quest Insight skill.

Was far more amazing than expected.

“Can you see it too, Lea?”

“What do you mean?”

She couldn’t see it, apparently.

This amazing thing!

It wasn’t just seeing the remaining monster count and Amazing Achievement conditions that had him so thrilled.

What Jungho was looking at right now…

Was essentially a map hack.

“Lea, there’s a monster that way. Could you go take it out and come back? Oh, and don’t use Sword Aura.”

“…Can you actually see where the monsters are?”

The corners of Jungho’s mouth curved into a smile.

“Yes. Not just the monsters, but your position and mine as well.”

“…Ooh! You have acquired a truly remarkable skill, my Lord! With this, the remnants that survived your fearsome skill can be easily mopped up!”

“Yes, exactly.”

Even if monsters survived, he could simply guide Lea to the nearest ones in order, and the cleanup would be done in no time.

“If my Lord commands it, I shall slaughter not one but all twenty!”

“I want to check the timing first. Please don’t push yourself too hard.”

“…Understood, my Lord! Then I shall carry out my mission with everything I have and return!”

Lea bounded out like she had wings.

It was like a lion with wings chasing down its prey.

…I said don’t push yourself.

Jungho closed his eyes and examined the 2D map.

It would have been even better if he could perceive the elevation of the battlefield.

If enhancement became possible later, should he try enhancing the Quest Insight skill?

Lea’s white dot was gradually approaching the red dot where the monster was.

It was a bit disappointing that he couldn’t watch the battle unfold directly like clairvoyance.

…Haha.

They say people desire what they don’t have more than what they do—this was exactly that.

Jungho expressed gratitude for even having this ability and watched the flow of battle.

The Tri-horn Minotaur proved to be a fairly challenging opponent, and the battle lasted longer than expected.

…Oh, the red dot finally disappeared?

The returning white dot moved at the same speed as before, suggesting Lea hadn’t been injured.

Calculating the pure combat time, it took about 30 seconds.

That meant 20 monsters would take a total of 600 seconds, or about 10 minutes of pure combat time.

But that was assuming back-to-back combat. Including travel time to find them, he could estimate about 20 minutes.

So… was the meteor the only answer after all?

Even 20 minutes would certainly be an amazing clear time.

Tadadadat!

Lea sprinted back in a single breath and snapped a salute, fist to chest.

“The mission you bestowed upon me, Huu! I have completed it with ease and returned! Huu!”

As expected, Lea had finished the battle without any significant injuries.

“Contrary to your report, you seem quite out of breath.”

Lea’s already flushed face turned even redder.

“I, I apologize! Heup! I shall try to hold my breath somehow!”

How could someone be so consistent?

Jungho chuckled and waved her off.

“I was joking. Anyway, it’s time to summon a meteor.”

One minute had already passed.

He still had 9 minutes to spare, but there was one more thing he wanted to verify, so he planned to finish the clear quickly.

At the mention of summoning a meteor, Lea’s expression immediately darkened.

“If I use Sword Aura, I can finish them much faster!”

“You said you can’t maintain Sword Aura for long, though.”

She had told him that only a true Swordmaster could wield Sword Aura freely.

For now, she could only approximate it in small doses.

That was why using Sword Aura required intense concentration and mana.

“I will grit my teeth and endure until every last minotaur is slain!”

“I just don’t want you to push yourself like that. Or do you not find my skill reliable?”

“N, no, my Lord! Your skill that shakes the heavens and earth is a far greater power than this humble servant possesses!”

Jungho chuckled and chose a galaxy.

“I’ll go with Megastrum again this time.”

“Ah…!”

A complex mix of emotions could be read in Lea’s eyes.

With Alpha Core, at least she could mop up any surviving remnants.

But with Megastrum, once it dropped, it was over.

“I’m counting on you, Lea.”

“…I shall protect you with my life!”

Still, Lea was always quick to comply whenever he asked.

“Meteor Summoning.”

Now…

Which one should he pick this time to minimize the burden on Lea…!

He selected meteors with equally faint glows, but their sizes varied wildly—some 99 tons, others 191 tons.

Wait, then how massive was the one with the most intense glow?

…He wasn’t curious in the slightest.

And he would absolutely never pick it.

Jungho carefully selected the one with the faintest glow.

One benefit of having the map hack…

Was being able to instantly identify where the center of the monster group was.

Thanks to Lea taking out one Tri-horn Minotaur just now, he could shift the meteor summoning location much further back.

At this distance… even a 200-ton one should be more manageable than last time, right?

A black hole opened in the sky, and a massive meteor revealed itself.

“11! 25! 37! 65! 88 tons!”

Feeling like she’d become some kind of meteor combat power meter, Jungho felt a pang of guilt looking at Lea.

She was trying to contribute in her own way, so he couldn’t exactly stop her.

The massive meteor collided with the ground.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

The moment the meteor fell, Jungho quickly ducked behind the massive head of his staff and checked the quest.

# Remaining Monsters: Tri-horn Minotaur (0)

Remaining monsters: 0.

It had been a constant mystery until now.

When Lea dispatched monsters with her sword, the clear message appeared immediately.

But when the Meteor Summoning skill wiped them all out, the clear message was delayed.

Just then, a system message appeared.

It wasn’t the usual blue window but a red one.

[Warning! An abnormal impact has been detected in the Tower!]

And then the shockwave from the meteor impact erupted.

Lea raised her shield and deployed her defensive technique.

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

[Initiating emergency restoration!]

This time it was the wooden debris sent flying by the shockwave.

Lea swiftly swung her sword, slicing the debris into pieces.

“Hap! Hap! Hap! Hap! Hap! Hap! Hap! Hap! Hap! Hap! Hap! Hap! Hap! Hap! Hap…!”

[Tower restoration complete! Initiating clear check.]

[All monsters have been eliminated. Proceeding to clear completion process.]

The red message window disappeared, and the familiar blue window returned.

[You have cleared the 16th floor of the Tower 25.]

[16 Magic Stones will be awarded.]

[You will automatically return in 10 seconds.]

Jungho stared up blankly at the massive chunks of wood raining down like missiles and said.

“Return.”

…The truth.

Was truly cruel.