[Amazing Achievement Unlocked!]

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

Shin Jungho opened the Random Box immediately.

Was it because he hadn’t set his expectations too high?

[You have acquired 8 Magic Stones.]

Magic Stones popping out didn’t particularly disappoint him.

“I’ll take care of gathering the Magic Stones!”

As if it had already become a habit, Lea immediately picked up the Magic Stones scattered on the floor and placed them in the box.

He couldn’t just leave them lying around on the ground, so he had purchased a Spatial Box for storage, but it seemed he’d need to buy a few more boxes soon.

Just how much would that amount to if converted to cash…?

Jungho stopped his wandering thoughts and reviewed the Meteor Summoning skill again.

They said a meteor with a diameter of just 100 meters would yield the destructive power of 50 megatons of TNT.

Little Boy, the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, was 15 kilotons of TNT—meaning it would be over three thousand times more powerful.

Yet despite the truly enormous size of the meteor that fell within the Tower, its destructive force was, in a way, remarkably minimal(?).

He had simply assumed it was due to the Tower’s unusual environment, but…!

Had the Tower been absorbing the damage through its own internal restoration efforts…?

If so, it could have at least eliminated the threat entirely!

Of course, he couldn’t completely rule out the Tower’s environmental factors, but for the first time, he felt as though a small piece of the mystery was being unraveled.

Perhaps that was why.

Truthfully, if the floor clear success message had appeared the moment the monsters were wiped out beneath the meteor, he could have simply returned immediately—shockwaves or no shockwaves.

But strangely enough, whether it was 50 monsters or just 1.

Whenever he finished things off with Meteor Summoning, the floor clear success message appeared late.

…No.

Actually, the larger the meteor, the later it seemed to appear…

He didn’t particularly want to put it this way, but the phrase “reaping what you sow” fit rather convincingly.

Were he and Lea.

Going to have to fight for their lives against meteors rather than monsters from now on?

When he shared this realization with Lea.

“As expected, you are my Lord! You possess the omnipotent power to destroy even the Tower itself!”

She showed an unwavering delight with an innocent, radiant smile.

“Hmm… I’m sorry it’s because of me.”

Strictly speaking, if he didn’t insist on using Meteor Summoning, if he didn’t chase after Amazing Achievements, Lea would have no reason to overexert herself at all.

“Not at all, my Lord! I am the sword my Lord wields and the shield that protects him. Please, continue to wield me according to your will!”

“So you’re saying it’s fine to keep facing meteors instead of monsters from now on?”

Perhaps because that was the one thing she disliked, Lea cautiously offered her opinion.

“…O-occasionally, clearing floors again like you did on the 1st floor would be sufficient!”

Jungho let out a light laugh at Lea’s reaction.

“It’s definitely better now that you’re being honest with me. But even though the immediate threat is gone, we’re not fully prepared yet, so bear with me just a little longer.”

“I shall always follow my Lord’s will.”

He had complaints about many things.

Having to summon Lea in the dead of night like this.

Which meant he couldn’t take her out anywhere with him.

For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was keeping her confined.

Moreover, he had also thought that if Lea went outside and explored Seoul, her fiercely loyal knight-like demeanor might naturally change.

Well then, he should make good use of the remaining time to push through more upper floors, shouldn’t he?

[You have cleared the 17th floor of Tower 25.]

[You have cleared the 18th floor of Tower 25.]

[You have cleared the 19th floor of Tower 25.]

He cleared three floors in succession.

Originally, he only had 2 Tower Entry Tickets remaining, so he had planned to clear just one additional floor.

The remaining ticket was meant to be kept in reserve for emergency escape.

However, thanks to 2 Tower Entry Tickets dropping back-to-back from the Random Boxes, he was able to clear 2 more floors and still have 2 tickets left over.

And from the final Random Box.

[You have acquired 1 Source Stone.]

An entirely unexpected item had appeared.

Source Stone.

A stone that, like Magic Stones, contained the power of mana—but at an incomprehensibly vast scale.

It was said to hold at least ten thousand times more power than an ordinary Magic Stone.

By simple calculation, since one Magic Stone was worth 1 million won, a single Source Stone would be valued at 10 billion won.

However, the technology to fully extract that power was still lacking, so it remained used only for research purposes rather than in practical applications.

Above all, it could only be obtained rarely from the 60th floor and above, making it an item so scarce that you could search the entire world and still find only a handful.

Hmm…

Could he even sell this?

Korea hadn’t even had a single report of a Source Stone appearing yet.

So if he wanted to sell it, he’d have to look overseas…

For now, he’d leave it at that.

Once Mirinae’s position rose to a uniquely dominant level like the Swordmaster’s, he’d be able to do whatever he wanted.

He finished all his floor clears neatly ten minutes before midnight, and now free time had arrived.

Lea watched her drama while maintaining a state of vigilance.

Jungho, as usual, skimmed through the posts in the Community Forum before entering the Chat Room.

└ Mirinae is completely unstoppable now, huh? Two in a row in one day? Four top floors in an hour?

└ Just looking at how he burns through those precious Tower Entry Tickets, he’s definitely a chaebol.

└ Then he won’t have any regrets even if America calls, right?

└ If you have money, Korea is paradise lol. Even America, when you go there, the wealth gap is so extreme it doesn’t seem like a place where people can live lol

└ But doesn’t this mean Soma is totally screwed? He’ll never get Kkamangi back now lmaooo

└ Yeah, can’t touch him, and he won’t even go to America lol

At some point, people had started speculating that Mirinae was a chaebol.

His strategy of clearing as many top floors as possible to open Random Boxes seemed to have been misunderstood in a strange way.

Well, most people were lucky to get even one or two Tower Entry Tickets by the time they reached the 20th floor, and he had already burned through four of them—which alone would amount to billions of won.

Thinking about it that way, it did feel like he was spending money like water…?

└ But he’s about to hit the 20th floor soon—he’ll clear that in record time too, right?

└ The 20th floor special reward belongs to Iron Heart, doesn’t it?

└ Aha, the special reward is about to be handed over lol

└ Lord Mirinae is more than worthy of it.

Jungho nearly spat out his drink when he saw the last comment.

Uh…

No way, right?

└ Lord Mirinae lmaooo Are you Mirinae himself by any chance?

└ No way it’s actually him lol He’s just joking around lol

└ Everyone, you too shall soon realize the greatness of Lord Mirinae!

└ lmaooooo This persona is insane

└ Well, Mirinae being amazing is undeniable lol But isn’t this a bit much even for a fan? Did you receive something from Mirinae or what?

└ Lord Mirinae’s benevolence is vaster than the heavens and deeper than the sea! Ah! May the day come swiftly when you too receive Lord Mirinae’s grace!

└ Grace lmaoooooo

└ Seriously, who awakens these trash-tier bastards? Have they even killed a single zombie on the 1st floor?

└ Is Mirinae some kind of god? Then how about giving me a skill to clear the 33rd floor in 5 seconds? Then maybe I’ll believe you lol

└ Me too, me too! lol

└ Do not dare insult the great Lord Mirinae. Especially you, 33rd floor guy. You’d better watch your back at night.

└ lmaooooooooooo Do you even know who I am?

└ Heating Cat

└ …Huh? Who are you? Do I know you?

└ Watch your back at night.

└ What’s going on right now? Is this for real?

└ Seriously giving me goosebumps though?

└ Is there a skill that can identify anonymous users or something?

└ Wouldn’t that be a cheat? But the Tower itself is sci-fi anyway, so I can’t really say anything;;; Just look at Mirinae himself, damn

└ Everyone, you shall soon witness the historic moment when Lord Mirinae clears the 20th floor in record time! May glory come to our Seoul Tower!

└ …This is starting to get a little scary.

└ Total fanatic damn

└ lol why are you scared lol

└ His commitment to the bit is seriously top-tier lol

Jungho left the Chat Room feeling dizzy.

This person…

Was really going all in…!

But as they say, praise can make even a whale dance.

The feeling wasn’t entirely… bad.

No, there was something oddly fluffy about it that he didn’t entirely mind.

Besides, there had to be some calculated strategy behind caricaturing the attention directed at Mirinae in this way. There was definitely a plan.

Right…?

He suddenly wondered what Lea was doing and turned his gaze to find the corners of her lips subtly lifted upward.

When he naturally glanced at the smartphone she was holding, he saw a woman weeping bitterly on the screen.

…What?

Just then, Lea noticed Jungho’s gaze and paused the drama.

“Have you finished gathering information, my Lord?”

“Ah, yes… That drama seems interesting, I take it?”

“Yes, my Lord. The scene just now showed the female protagonist watching as her biological mother was struck by a dump truck and rushed to the intensive care unit. Would you like to watch it together?”

…That was absolutely not a moment to be smiling about?

Was she thinking about something else entirely?

Jungho set aside his questions and brought up a suggestion he had been considering for a while.

“Lea, there’s something I’d like to propose.”

“Whatever it is, simply give the command.”

“I’d like for our relationship to become a bit more intimate. Do you agree with that?”

“My body and soul already belong to my Lord.”

…That was a dangerous thing to say.

“So I was thinking that for us to grow closer, we should probably change how we address each other.”

Lea’s eyes trembled visibly.

“You mean… I cannot… call you Lord…?”

No…

Honestly, we never even swore a knight’s oath to each other.

“I want to take you outside this studio apartment someday. But as you’ve seen from the dramas, no one in Korea uses the title ‘Lord.'”

“I am… aware of that.”

“Yes, so let’s both think of terms that would allow us to be more intimate than we are now. That’s not an unreasonable request, is it?”

“N-no. I… believe my thinking has been too narrow until now. Then I shall also consider an appropriate title that my Lord would find acceptable.”

“Thank you for understanding my intentions.”

“My Lord’s will is my will.”

He wanted to fix her speech patterns right then and there, but…

Forcing too many changes at once might backfire.

Start with the titles, and then slowly, gradually.

That was how they’d make the changes.

* * *

After Jungho fell asleep.

Lea gazed upon his noble form with eyes filled with reverence.

Could there exist another wise ruler anywhere in this world to rival Lord Shin Jungho?

Lea could stake her life on declaring with absolute certainty that there could not.

He always asked for her opinion with genuine respect, despite being someone who had no choice but to follow any command he gave.

He forgave the assassin who had targeted her Lord with a magnanimity as vast as the sea.

And he intended to personally lead her outside, even though she would be content living in this small room for the rest of her life!

If.

If she were to go outside.

Which sacred site should she visit first…?

Ah, no.

She was her Lord’s sword and shield.

Wherever she went must be wherever her Lord wished to go.

…Still.

Just in case.

Researching sacred sites in advance might not be a bad idea…

* * *

The Superhuman Management Agency, under the US Department of Defense.

Bureau Director Christopher Brown and Deputy Director Zara Kimberly discussed Mirinae of Korea.

“Zara, do you think Mirinae will come to the New York Tower?”

“He still seems to be playing it safe. As far as I know, neither our side nor the Korean Superhuman Management Agency has been contacted.”

“What a cautious fellow! Korea would find it so much easier if they managed their superhumans transparently like America does!”

The United States fundamentally operated on a superhuman registration system.

Since superhumans weren’t competing against each other anyway, working together to systematically clear the Tower was the rational choice.

The special rewards from the 1st, 20th, 40th, and 60th floors?

Wasn’t it only natural that the most capable would claim them?

Rather than trying to steal them back, they should be celebrating the birth of a new hero. Eliminating the seed of a hero who had just been born?

It was a mindset he simply could not comprehend.

That was why, when a Summoning Stone transfer occurred in America, they would actually arrange a meeting between the previous and current owners, pairing them as mentor and mentee.

The regret of losing a Summoning Stone?

The government would simply step in and provide a suitable replacement, and that would be the end of it.

Even when pooling their strength for the nation’s welfare wasn’t enough, seeing superhumans from the same affiliation fighting and scheming against one another…

Of course, he understood Korea’s current situation.

Since a superhuman could move in and out of the Tower secretly on their own, it was difficult to identify who the awakened ones were in the early stages.

Magic Stones could be smuggled overseas, and items could be traded privately through the Tower Community Forum.

Furthermore, the Korean government had experienced its third presidential impeachment right before the Seoul Tower was formed, plunging the nation into a period of extreme political turmoil.

Additionally, North Korea had launched aggressive provocations aimed at the Seoul Tower.

Covert operations by neighboring countries seeking to destabilize the rival Seoul Tower had also taken place.

In truth, America had expected the Seoul Tower to rampage and collapse at the time.

But Korea, which had achieved the Miracle of the Han River, had pulled off yet another miracle, barely managing to create a stable situation.

As a result, a single superhuman had gained excessive power—but it was still a better outcome than the collapse of Seoul.

That was precisely why Mirinae’s existence was such a pity.

According to their findings, the skill Joseph Clark, the 1st-ranked superhuman of the New York Tower, had obtained upon clearing the 70th floor was highly likely to be Armageddon.

A newly awakened superhuman obtaining a skill from the 70th floor!

It was nothing short of a godsend for the nation involved.

However, watching how things were unfolding, they realized that if they left him alone, not only would a Tower affiliation change be out of the question—his very life would hang by a thread.

So they had checked his 11th floor clear time and immediately set things in motion.

America wants you.

And America will watch your back.

Fortunately, the attempt seemed to have worked, as the signs of anyone trying to eliminate Mirinae appeared to have vanished.

“From one corner, there’s been a suggestion that Mirinae might be one of Korea’s chaebols.”

“And the likelihood?”

“Based on our investigation, the probability doesn’t seem very high. Most importantly, there’s no trace of Tower Entry Tickets being traded in bulk.”

“Hmm… Then that means Mirinae used the Tower Entry Tickets he obtained as rewards?”

“Probabilistically, that’s the more credible explanation. Given that he already set an absurd first-clear record of 5 seconds, we can’t rule out the possibility that he received additional special rewards.”

“Indeed. Any other notable findings?”

“Ah, it’s a minor detail, but someone who appears to be an acquaintance of Mirinae has shown up in the Seoul Tower Chat Room.”

The Seoul Tower Community Forum was, naturally, accessible only to superhumans affiliated with the Seoul Tower.

But there were plenty of ways to check the posts appearing in other towers’ chat rooms in real time.

“Oh? Can you identify who this person is?”

Zara furrowed her brow slightly as she answered.

“Well… aside from the fact that they’re someone who praises Mirinae endlessly without rhyme or reason, there’s nothing yet to pinpoint their identity. However, according to our psycholinguists’ analysis, it’s highly likely that this is someone who actually knows Mirinae rather than simply engaging in solitary delusion.”

A Mirinae worshipper.

That was the moment his existence was brought to the attention of the leadership at the US Superhuman Management Agency.