The 21st floor re-clear went incredibly smoothly.

Facing a rare opportunity to stretch her limbs, Lea moved joyfully through the common slimes like a baleen whale frolicking among a swarm of shrimp.

Watching the cow heads fly about *ddaenggeong-ddaenggeong*, then seeing the green water bombs detonate one after another…

It gave me a profound sense of emotional stability.

Whenever Lea wanted to stretch her legs, should I bring her to the slime floor from time to time?

After a frenzied rampage slaughtering slimes, it was time to drop the meteorite.

The meteorite summoned from Megastrum was a 58-dong one.

Naturally, the shockwave wasn’t as large as the first time.

Even so, Lea single-handedly blocked that fearsome wave of attacks with ease.

Though the size was smaller, I had dropped it from a closer distance for verification purposes, so I figured Lea alone could probably handle even one exceeding 100 dong.

And so, that day’s clear came to a close.

Once again, the time of a cafe part-timer returned.

“My Lord! Surely there is no longer any need for you to work a part-time cafe job?”

Starting from 8:00 AM, Lea took over Maya’s baton.

Then at 4:00 PM, I would summon both simultaneously and have them stand guard until midnight—and that would be it.

Now that I could summon Maya in addition to Lea, I could subdue anyone who came at me—whether the Electromagnetic Empress or the Sword Master.

Furthermore, with the Protection of Evasion eliminating any worry of tower collapse for a hundred days, there was no need for all three rankers.

Lea wanted to cleanly execute them one by one to eliminate any future troubles, but Shin Jungho’s thinking differed.

“I’d like to continue enjoying an ordinary life for now.”

If I cut off my economic activity right here, I would have to rely primarily on selling tower rewards for income.

To do that, I would have to reveal that I was a superhuman—through stealth or whatever means—and crossing that threshold would be tantamount to crossing a river of no return.

Becoming a superhuman would undoubtedly grant access to every conceivable luxury and privilege.

A luxurious private residence with a bathroom in every room.

A luxury sports car whose exhaust note alone would make your chest swell wide open.

Flying in the premium VVIP class reserved exclusively for superhumans, savoring the culinary delights of countless five-star hotels to my heart’s content.

Clearing the 21st floor yielded 21 Magic Stones.

In monetary terms alone, that was 21 million won.

If this was what the 20th floor yielded, what would happen if I climbed to the 63rd floor, the current highest floor of Seoul Tower?

Even at minimum, tens of billions of won would pour in every month.

But in the process, my identity would inevitably be revealed.

And as a result, I would be subjected to the world’s unwanted scrutiny.

Admiring celebrities and famous figures had been a passing phase.

Even the Electromagnetic Empress Park Soyul couldn’t have looked more magnificent when I first saw her.

But hearing snippets of her fierce, harrowing life now and then, I couldn’t help but think that fame wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

Besides, the point at which a superhuman could operate openly without burden was typically around the 40th floor.

By then, I’d be loaded with a variety of skills, so having my identity exposed wouldn’t be a major concern.

So this was a matter I could afford to think about once I reached the 40th floor.

“Understood. Then I pray for your safe return.”

Am I heading off to war or something?

“Yes, Lea, you rest too.”

* * *

Shin Jungho arrived at the Jeonjeon Cafe and began preparing for business.

A gentle drizzle had been falling since morning, so he added some calming songs to the playlist.

Between inventory checks, equipment inspections, cleaning, and so forth, opening time crept up before he knew it.

*Ttirang—*

Park Soyul arrived as the first customer of the day, combining it with her usual inspection rounds.

“Jungho! Have you seen Mirinae by any chance?”

She blurted out the question out of nowhere.

“Why are you suddenly asking me about Mirinae?”

Park Soyul flashed an enigmatic smile and asked.

“My, our Jungho. You even know about tower matters now?”

“…You mention it all the time, ma’am. As your employee, it’s only natural I’d remember.”

Park Soyul’s expression softened and she gave a light laugh.

“So, have you seen Mirinae?”

“Nobody even knows who Mirinae is yet, do they?”

Park Soyul extended her index finger and declared with certainty.

“My intuition tells me so! Mirinae has visited this cafe!”

“Why would they?”

“To keep tabs on the rank 2 of Seoul Tower, of course!”

Hmm…

That was the right answer, so I had nothing to say.

Working under a woman with instincts this sharp could actually be quite dangerous.

If anyone were to discover my identity later on, I had a feeling that person would be Park Soyul.

The Electromagnetic Empress Park Soyul.

Rank 2 of Seoul Tower.

A woman who managed numerous retail businesses including the Jeonjeon Cafe in a sprawling empire—like a conglomerate heiress, yet not quite one, but definitely giving off conglomerate vibes.

Shin Jungho had sought out her Jeonjeon Cafe precisely because of that reputation.

Working under Park Soyul, he figured he could learn a great deal of secret information related to the tower.

Naturally, revealing such intentions openly would be problematic, so he acted as though he had no interest in the tower whatsoever.

How that… ended up winning Park Soyul’s favor, he still wasn’t sure.

From the very start of his employment, she had been quite accommodating.

She had always laughed off his numerous mistakes without making a fuss, and through her generous support that spared no expense on ingredients, he was able to become the barista expert he was today.

Though it was a part-time job, it was virtually a responsibility-free position, and the pay had risen from small-business level to major-corporation standards.

Recently, she had even shortened the afternoon shift, making his off-time 3:00 PM.

With the salary remaining unchanged.

So abandoning such an excellent part-time position would seem extremely peculiar by any conventional standard.

Moreover.

There was also the saying: keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

Whether Park Soyul was an enemy or not was beside the point.

She shared tower information known only to a select few whenever she had the chance, which was tremendously helpful.

Especially recently.

She was the first to inform him that the Sword Master Kim Taemin was targeting him.

When Ironheart Yoon Changdae came after him, she even came to his neighborhood to block him.

And after the Protection of Evasion, she was the primary architect behind the sniper attack that sent Kim Taemin down the path of ruin.

So in the final analysis, from the perspective of the superhuman Mirinae, she was someone who had provided a great deal of assistance.

Though the giver herself was completely unaware of that fact.

“I’m telling you, Mirinae definitely came! Jungho, did you see anyone who looked like Mirinae?”

Probably someone who looks like me?

“I couldn’t say, but there have been more unfamiliar customers lately…”

*Ttirang—*

Two unfamiliar men entered the cafe.

“So this is the cafe the Electromagnetic Empress Park Soyul runs… oh? Park Soyul’s actually here?”

“Where, where? Wow, she really is!”

The moment they spotted Park Soyul, their faces lit up and they rushed over.

“Ms. Park Soyul! I’m a huge fan! I saw your recent interview and thought you were an absolute goddess!”

“Me too, me too! To meet Ms. Park Soyul in person here is an honor for my entire family!”

Park Soyul looked at the two with disdain, let out a soft scoff, and snapped at them.

“I’m busy discussing business right now, so would you mind stepping aside?”

So we were discussing business, were we?

“Ah, y-yes, sorry!”

“Ahaha, i-it was an honor to meet you!”

“Hey, hey, let’s just order some coffee.”

“Y-yeah, sure…”

As the two headed toward the counter, Park Soyul spoke again in a flat, emotionless voice.

“I believe I said I was busy with business matters?”

“Excuse me?”

“What…?”

Park Soyul turned her head and gestured toward the door. Catching her meaning, the two men shriveled up on the spot and slunk out of the cafe.

As they left, they whispered to each other.

“Wow… as expected of Park Soyul. Her presence is no joke.”

“Right? I wonder what it feels like to work part-time under Park Soyul?”

“Obviously… it’s an industry reward! Getting to see Park Soyul’s fierce side every day!”

“Hehehe, when she glared at me, my heart felt like it was freezing solid! Totally sexy!”

This was what made Park Soyul remarkable.

She treated every other man like a feisty cat with its claws out, yet by and large, they all took it positively.

Her words might be harsh, but as long as she held the line, she never did anything to trample on someone’s self-esteem.

And because of that refreshingly straightforward personality, Park Soyul had quite a following of devotees.

“Haa… Jungho, have there been a lot of people like that coming in lately?”

“They’re not ‘people,’ they’re our valued customers.”

“Oh please, our Jungho still has a long way to go! Customers are ultimately just people. Business only needs to be provided to those who appreciate its value, you know?”

Is she seriously talking about business?

“So have those kinds of people increased?”

“Yes, somewhat.”

The menu prices had risen to levels that would make a five-star hotel cafeteria look like instant coffee, yet the number of customers only continued to grow.

…Is the world going mad?

“This won’t do. I need to switch to a membership system before the waters get muddied.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Yeah, yeah. I always thought it was a waste feeding Jungho’s coffee to other people anyway. Might as well make it a prestige cafe while I’m at it.”

I said they’re customers, not ‘people.’

What exactly was Park Soyul’s standard for a customer, anyway?

“Jungho, I’ll give you a week—no, two weeks off. Get some good rest.”

…Suddenly?

“During that time, I’ll tear out the cafe interior and redo it completely, start recruiting members—actually, should I take my time with the membership? Maybe I’ll just register myself and operate it for about six months first?”

What kind of cafe is that, ma’am?

Park Soyul, striking while the iron was hot, sent Shin Jungho home right then and there.

And just like that.

A mandatory two-week vacation materialized.

Paid.

Complete with a bonus.

* * *

Hmm…

Having a lot of free time was nice.

A part-timer getting a two-week paid vacation.

Where else in the world could you find a workplace like this?

But a problem arose.

I now had to spend 24 hours a day with at least two, and up to three adults bustling about in this stifling studio apartment!

Could Park Soyul have been aiming for this all along?

Mirinae stepping out to resolve cramped living conditions, only to have his tail caught by sheer coincidence?

It was just a joking thought, of course.

But knowing Park Soyul’s intuition, she might have acted unconsciously without even realizing it.

…Anyway!

Even if I was now stuck at home all day, nothing had fundamentally changed.

I’d start clearing in the evening as usual, and until then, I planned to catch up on some neglected hobbies while carefully reviewing my future plans.

And for gathering information and killing time, nothing beat the Tower Lounge!

└ Can someone please speculate what Mirinae’s skill is? I have absolutely no clue lol

└ Could the summon be a dragon? Wyverns appeared too, so there’s no rule saying dragons can’t, right?

└ Right. And with the bonus experience, it wouldn’t start as a hatchling but as a full-grown adult

└ lol Then wouldn’t it be a straight shot to the 100th floor? That’d literally be a top-tier monster lol

└ The 22nd floor has flame slimes, so we’ll get our answer this time. Armageddon was said to be fire-attribute, so if it’s another 10-minute clear, everyone’s been barking up the wrong tree lol

└ Whatever skill or summon Mirinae has, it doesn’t matter anymore. We just want Mirinae to keep achieving astonishing feats!

└ Yeah, if you want even a few crumbs, this is the way

└ Why is it so hard to get tower entry tickets these days? I wish I could go in two, three times a day T_T

└ fr. Before, you had to steel yourself to challenge the top floor, but now people are frustrated they can’t get in fast enough haha. Ah, I need to clear the 40th floor soon too!

The 22nd floor featured monsters called flame slimes, possessing the fire attribute.

Their bodies blazed fiercely, so the creatures themselves were essentially flying fireballs, and since they were already engulfed in flames, fire magic had no effect on them either.

It was also the section where fire mages who overwhelmed enemies with sheer firepower faced their greatest crisis.

But fire magic wasn’t the *only* thing he had.

A massive meteorite falling with searing heat—that technically counted as fire magic too, didn’t it?

.

.

.

Time passed.

8:00 PM.

“Lea, Maya, let’s head out!”

“Yes, my Lord!”

“As you command.”

Alright, the rapid ascent begins today!