Multi-dimensional Training Ground.

To put it nicely, it was an opportunity to re-attempt the Tower.

But there were no rewards, and since it was as real as the Tower itself, injuries left their marks.

In other words, death was permanent.

Still, since escape was possible at any time, there was no real danger of death as long as one kept their wits about them.

Moreover, it was a facility that Lea and Maya could use directly, making it highly practical.

Our Lea.

Or should I go back to calling her Ms. Lea now?

…Anyway.

It was the facility Lea needed most right now.

If I’d known this would happen, I should have upgraded it sooner.

Lea and Maya entered intensive training mode.

“I offer my infinite gratitude for your boundless support, my Lord. I shall devote myself entirely to relentless training in the Multi-dimensional Training Ground until I reach the rank of Swordmaster.”

“I, too, shall assist Sir Lea and present His Highness with a sword worthy of his service.”

The two offered their greetings and promptly vanished into the Multi-dimensional Training Ground.

Now they were nowhere to be seen—not in the studio apartment, nor even in the Dimensional Room.

“…”

A sudden silence descended.

The studio apartment…

Was it always this spacious?

He suddenly found himself missing the days when the three of them would bustle about together.

If the Multi-dimensional Training Ground were a virtual world, he could test his skills to his heart’s content.

Unfortunately, skill usage counts were deducted the same as in reality, so there was no reason to test Meteor Summoning inside.

With no rewards to speak of, there was no point wasting precious meteorites, was there?

Shin Jungho, once again left to his own devices,

decided to spend his free time gathering information, as he always did.

└ I heard two Chinese superhumans changed their affiliation to our Tower this time. Why didn’t they negotiate with the US instead?

└ Apparently Zhou Jianguo offered 150 billion won lol How could the Superhuman Management Agency, which is drowning in budget problems, refuse that lmao

└ With that kind of money, couldn’t they buy at least 500 Return Tickets?

└ Can’t buy them because there’s no supply lol

└ They’ve got 13 people on the top floor, so why come to Seoul instead of climbing their own Tower?

└ I heard that might be a scam lol When they cleared the 67th floor this time, only Wang Wei showed up and that was it lmao

└ Isn’t it just for secrecy?

└ Do you know China that little? lmao When they have something to brag about, they strut around flaunting it like they did at the 65th floor, and when they decide it’s not worth showing, they bury it in a flash lmaooo

└ fr, the fact that they reveal less and less as the floors go up definitely suggests something’s going on

The Chat Room was dominated by discussions about the two Shanghai superhumans who had recently transferred their affiliation to the Seoul Tower.

Originally, Tower affiliation changes were pursued with the intent of coming to help defend the Tower in question.

But since the Seoul Tower was merely a temporary stop to exploit the Grace of Evasion, it was hard to look kindly upon the two Shanghai superhumans.

Still, Tower climbing was ultimately a solo endeavor.

They were people he’d never likely meet anyway, so there was no need to pay them any mind.

After browsing the Tower Community Forum for about thirty minutes, Lea and Maya emerged from their 31st floor clear.

“It took 33 minutes and 27 seconds.”

“Let’s try to shave off some more time.”

Didn’t they say bonds are forged through fighting together?

For some reason, the two seemed to have grown noticeably closer.

…And by the same token, he felt somewhat left out.

“My Lord, may we go in once more?”

“I, too, make the same request.”

Jungho thought for a moment before answering.

“I’ll join you this time.”

Lea and Maya immediately agreed.

“If you command the battlefield, my Lord, we shall surely reduce the time significantly.”

“With Your Highness’s tactical prowess, we could certainly break the 20-minute barrier without summoning a single meteor.”

As expected.

When his summoned beings needed him this much, a true summoner should honor their wishes!

“Lea, are you sure you don’t need to heal your wounds?”

While nothing major, minor wounds were visible across her body.

“These barely qualify as wounds. I still have two more opportunities remaining, so please save your strength until then, my Lord.”

She was fully fired up.

Right, everyone was brimming with determination to train, so he should join in!

* * *

[Xiao Mantou has changed affiliation to the Tower 25.]

[Lightning Five Whips has changed affiliation to the Tower 25.]

It was Lee Seoah who had invited the two Shanghai superhumans, Liu Xiaolong and Jin Taiyang.

“Congratulations! Please give it your all at the Seoul Tower from now on, both of you!”

After hearing the interpreter’s words, the two shared their impressions.

“Thank you. It’s temporary, but I look forward to working with you for the time being.”

Liu Xiaolong, a man in his late thirties with a dignified bearing, offered a polite bow.

“Hmph, is Korea this small a country? They pocketed 150 billion won and can’t even put together a proper welcome ceremony. How broke must they be? Tsk.”

Jin Taiyang, a man in his late twenties with a weasel-like face, casually spat out words that the interpreter could barely bring himself to translate.

But words could be understood through expressions, tone, and body language even without knowing the exact meaning.

Jung Woojin, Han Donggeon, and Lee Seoah, who had come to receive the two Shanghai superhumans, offered bitter smiles that betrayed their discomfort.

Liu Xiaolong then chided Jin Taiyang.

“We are invited guests, after all. Conduct yourself befitting the dignity of a great nation.”

“Haha, how am I supposed to play the guest when there’s nothing to show for it? If this is the best hospitality they can muster, there’s not much to look forward to. I suppose that’s why they only have three superhumans in the 60th floor range?”

Liu Xiaolong shook his head and apologized to the Korean side.

“He’s young and a bit rough with his words. Please accept my apologies on his behalf.”

Commissioner Jung Woojin, who was fluent in Chinese, responded immediately.

“It’s quite all right. You must be tired from your journey, so please return to your prepared quarters and rest.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Once the two Chinese superhumans disappeared, the three exchanged words behind their backs.

“They begged to come here, and now that we’ve accepted them, their attitude does a complete 180. Not a good feeling.”

Han Donggeon’s complaint drew a wry chuckle from Jung Woojin.

“This is nothing. When I visited China for the Asian Tower Summit, they invited me to a banquet but not a single person bothered to greet me. Even the Southeast Asian delegations—Vietnam, Thailand, and the like—avoided me like the plague, all under China’s influence.”

Lee Seoah tried to comfort Jung Woojin for his troubles.

“That must have been so hard for you, Commissioner! But at least now we can speak loudly against a China like that, right? Besides, 150 billion won is an enormous sum!”

“Haha, that’s true. And isn’t this all thanks to the superhuman named Mirinae? Honestly, these days I’m tempted to convert to the Church of Mirinae myself.”

“Right, right! Mirinae will probably start operating officially once they climb to the higher floors, won’t they?”

Han Donggeon chimed in.

“I believe so. Operating solo has its limits, so I’d expect them to reveal their identity once they reach the 40th or 50th floor.”

Beyond the 40th floor, one would have enough power to defend oneself in the real world, and formal registration would be advantageous for trading various items that couldn’t be obtained alone.

“By the way, that superhuman Shin Jungho doesn’t seem to have any intention of dropping his stealth status, does he?”

At Jung Woojin’s question, Donggeon nodded.

“He operated as a stealth superhuman all the way up to the 60th floor range. He did reveal his identity to give superhuman Lee Seoah a valuable weapon, but judging by his personality and demeanor, he doesn’t seem inclined to register officially yet.”

“Right, Mirinae is one thing, but he’s a benefactor in his own right. If not for him, we would have been stuck footing the bill alone for borrowing weapons from Russia.”

Seoah agreed vehemently.

“Exactly! Can you imagine how nerve-wracking it would have been to fight with such flimsy weapons? We shouldn’t hold back on supporting Shin Jungho even if he continues operating in stealth.”

Jung Woojin flashed a sly grin at Seoah’s enthusiasm.

“Looks like our superhuman Lee Seoah has fallen hard for superhuman Shin Jungho? You never talked about other men before.”

“Oh, stop teasing me! He’s simply that important of a superhuman!”

She had a point.

Having reached the 60th floor range and even possessing Source Stones—which weren’t available in Korea—his prowess must be extraordinary.

And he achieved all this while operating as a stealth superhuman without any assistance from the Superhuman Management Agency. He might even surpass the late Swordmaster Kim Taemin.

Yet such a superhuman chose to operate in the shadows, declining all the spotlight that should have been his.

If he had set his mind to it, he could have cleared not just the 63rd floor, but the 64th and 65th as well.

Yet he chose to remain anonymous, steadfastly holding his ground at the top of the Seoul Tower. His character was truly exceptional.

“By the way, did you deliver the Monster Lure Scroll properly?”

“Yes, I handed it over during our last contact.”

“But doesn’t that only work on monsters below the 40th floor? Why would a 60th-floor superhuman need an item like that?”

“He said he wanted to test a newly acquired skill’s capabilities. The Monster Lure Scroll is helpful for superhumans in the 20th floor range, but on the 30th floor, the Griffins draw aggro so aggressively that it’s not particularly necessary.”

“I see. Come to think of it, Mirinae broke through the 31st floor a week ago, right? The gap between attempts is a bit longer than usual this time.”

“Griffins are the first flying monsters they’d encounter, so they probably have a lot to consider.”

“Right, whatever the case, I hope Mirinae climbs up to the top floor soon. If they become a ranker and register officially, I’d want to plant a kiss on their face!”

Donggeon and Seoah’s expressions soured simultaneously.

“Commissioner, that’s sexual harassment.”

“They’d probably refuse to register because of you, Commissioner.”

Woojin offered a feeble defense.

“Hey, my lips aren’t cheap, you know!”

Their responses were merciless.

“I wish I could unhear that.”

“Commissioner… that… seriously… really, no…?”

* * *

On the car ride back to their quarters, Jin Taiyang brought up what had happened at the Superhuman Management Agency.

“It doesn’t look as easy as we thought, does it?”

In contrast to his flippant behavior at the Superhuman Management Agency, Jin Taiyang now wore a remarkably serious expression.

This was, in fact, a carefully calculated strategy.

Jin Taiyang would absorb all the criticism with his thuggish behavior, while the level-headed Liu Xiaolong would reap the reflected benefit of greater goodwill.

Furthermore, if Jin Taiyang stirred up friction by poking around here and there, that alone would help create openings.

“We still have plenty of time, so let’s proceed calmly.”

“…Yes, let’s.”

Liu Xiaolong cut the conversation short, as if he had much to ponder.

But even Jin Taiyang didn’t know.

What thoughts were truly in the heart of Liu Xiaolong as he gazed out the window at the bustling streets of Seoul.

Finally…

He had finally changed his affiliation to the Seoul Tower!

In truth, Liu Xiaolong harbored deep skepticism toward Shanghai’s—and China’s—populist policies.

They claimed to serve all citizens and the people, but in reality, it was a nation where one’s entire life was determined by which Party member’s tail you wagged under the Communist Party’s one-party dictatorship.

That was why he outwardly projected absolute loyalty to the nation.

But inwardly, he had always yearned to emigrate to another country when the time was right.

But escaping the Party’s thorough oversight was no easy feat for a superhuman.

Especially when one had family.

Liu Xiaolong had indeed transferred his affiliation to the Seoul Tower.

But his sole remaining family—his younger sister—was being held hostage by the Communist Party.

They claimed that superhumans’ families were rigorously protected.

Every Shanghai superhuman knew the truth.

They were hostages, not protected family.

So this was not yet a complete escape.

Not until he could bring his sister from Shanghai to Seoul!

He could never let anyone discover his true intentions.

He was currently being watched by handlers disguised as assistants.

Still, he believed that if he continued operating as a superhuman in Seoul, an opportunity would eventually present itself.

If only until then.

He could only hope that his sister would remain safe and unharmed.

Watching Seoul’s superhumans, whose individual freedom was virtually guaranteed, he couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of envy.

How wonderful it would be if China and Shanghai would set their superhumans free like this!

China had already experienced the nightmare of Beijing—why were they repeating the same mistakes in Shanghai?!

Liu Xiaolong watched the glittering forest of Seoul’s skyscrapers.

And prayed with all his heart that the day would come when he could walk these streets freely with his sister.

He wished and wished, deep within his heart.