Liu Xiaolong asked Jin Taiyang.

“I hear several Seoul superhumans have gone missing lately. Is that your mission by any chance?”

Taiyang shrugged and replied.

“Well, I’m under surveillance myself. Could I really pull something like that without anyone noticing?”

“One of the recently disappeared superhumans apparently had a run-in with you, I’m told.”

“Ugh, so that’s why people have been giving me dirty looks. I suppose small nations come with small minds?”

When Xiaolong fell silent, seemingly trying to read his counterpart’s intentions, Taiyang suddenly brightened and turned the question around.

“I actually thought it was your doing, Mr. Xiaolong. You’ve been striding through the streets of Seoul quite a lot lately, haven’t you?”

“Merely gathering intelligence.”

“Is that so? For just gathering intelligence, you certainly seemed like you were searching for something…”

Xiaolong and Taiyang.

Though they had been secretly raised together at the Shanghai Tower, they were effectively rivals.

The moment someone surged ahead—like Wang Wei, who now occupied the top floor—those left behind would be cut off from support and simply weeded out.

Furthermore, China had ensured neither could disclose the missions assigned to the other, deliberately stoking their competition.

So while each knew the other had a specific mission, neither knew what that mission entailed.

Their personal time outside of training and tower climbing was when they carried out their missions.

Xiaolong’s objective was to locate the Summoning Stone.

Taiyang had been tasked with drawing public attention to himself, diverting scrutiny away from the kidnapping team.

By that logic, he had no direct connection to the Seoul superhuman kidnappings.

Since arriving at the Seoul Tower, the two had made considerable progress over the course of more than a month.

Both Xiaolong and Taiyang had climbed to the 61st floor.

The Grace of Evasion certainly accelerated their climbing speed, allowing them to freely employ a variety of tactics.

Though they hadn’t obtained the 60th-floor privilege, it would have to be returned upon going back to the Shanghai Tower anyway, so they didn’t place much significance on it.

New monsters appeared on the 60th floor and above, so they planned to focus on adapting during the initial stages.

Even so, with roughly fifty days remaining, reaching the 63rd floor would be no difficult feat.

Their surface-level goal of reaching the 63rd floor was thus assured.

The problem lay in the secret missions they had additionally been assigned.

Xiaolong, whose ultimate goal was to escape China, was determined to uncover Taiyang’s secret mission no matter what, in order to negotiate with Korea’s Superhuman Management Agency.

To rescue his younger sister.

Or.

He also considered uncovering Mirinae’s identity and using that to secure cooperation.

While his skill was admittedly quite unusual, there was no guarantee he alone possessed it.

So if he could find the Summoning Stone, someone else could eventually do the same.

Xiaolong, wearing an expression that gazed into the distance, answered Taiyang’s question about what he was searching for.

“I simply want to tell my sister about Seoul. She’s quite fond of Korean culture.”

“Ah, you had a sister, didn’t you? Keuk, families can’t even go overseas together. Truly… isn’t it frustrating?”

“We’ve received that much support from the nation. It wouldn’t do for us of all people to harbor such thoughts.”

Taiyang offered a peculiar smile and agreed.

“Keuheu, that’s true enough. Then let’s both work hard today.”

“Indeed. You as well.”

The two exchanged light words of encouragement.

Each harboring entirely different schemes in their hearts.

* * *

└ It’s been over a month already. Did Mirinae really not clear the 40th floor?

There was no particular reason for taking the climb through the 30th floor at a leisurely pace.

First, both Lea and Maya had entered training mode.

Maya, who had obtained the Ring of Arcana, said that—similar to Lea—she felt it was hers, but no specific memories came to mind.

Though she couldn’t recall anything, she certainly looked happy…

In any case.

The Ring of Arcana could store three spells of the 6th circle or below.

Which meant.

If she stored three spells and cast one herself, she could unleash a total of four spells simultaneously.

What did that mean in practice?

It meant she could combine up to four Torrential Whirlwinds—6th-circle wind magic—at once.

The sheer magnificence when four massive whirlwinds swirled together and finally merged into one…

…was truly impossible to describe with words alone. You had to see it in person.

Even from a considerable distance, the raging whirlwind seemed to physically pull you in.

Of course, with Lea and Maya standing at the forefront, such a thing would never happen.

When you obtain a new legendary item(?), isn’t it human nature to want to try it out immediately?

So he gave Maya ample time to study the Ring of Arcana.

Lea, for her part, threw herself into training to dispatch the increasingly powerful griffins even faster.

Her current abilities were more than sufficient to handle the enhanced griffins.

But what they were aiming for was nothing less than Amazing Achievements.

That was why they climbed slowly, floor by floor, adapting to new monsters while simultaneously honing their proficiency.

And so they reached the 40th floor.

In truth, they had already prepared several plans for tackling the 40th floor.

If they simply set their minds to it, they could break through immediately.

But there was one thing holding them back.

└ If you receive a new blessing, doesn’t the existing one disappear?

That was exactly his concern.

Mirinae’s standing had already skyrocketed thanks to the Grace of Evasion.

But what if the Grace of Evasion disappeared because of a new blessing?

That would make things rather awkward.

Many people would certainly welcome the new blessing.

But there would also be those who preferred the existing Grace of Evasion.

Of course, strictly speaking, that wasn’t his concern.

It was an event run by the Tower, not by him.

And even with the shortened duration, he had still benefited.

Still, there was no reason to rush, so he was biding his time.

Until the Grace of Evasion reached exactly its halfway point.

When fifty days remained!

At that point, he figured he’d have done right by everyone, no matter what happened.

But who could have known?

That a superhuman kidnapping incident would occur in Seoul!

And having heard the full details right from the source, he couldn’t simply pretend he knew nothing.

So he explained the entire situation to Lea and Maya.

When he expressed his desire to resolve the matter, both women rolled up their sleeves with one heart and one mind.

“If it is your Lordship’s wish, I shall immediately hunt down and execute those who dare displease you.”

“Your Highness, please do not worry. If Dame Lea and I take the field, we shall thoroughly investigate not only the masterminds of this affair but also those pulling the strings behind them.”

At Lea and Maya’s imposing demeanor.

Jungho felt a flicker of sympathy for the kidnappers he had never even met.

Hmm…

Still, if they did wrong, they deserved to be punished.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Lee Seoah, Park Soyul, and Yoon Changdae.

The three rankers had offered to investigate separately.

But their search capabilities were no match for Lea and Maya’s.

If the kidnappers were still active.

He was confident they would be caught within two to three days at most.

After finishing her preparations, Lea spoke with a grave expression.

“My Lord, there is something I wish to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

“I earnestly request that when neither of us can be by your side, you remain in the Dimensional Room.”

…Isn’t she worrying a bit too much?

He was just a cafe part-timer.

His cramped studio apartment did have some expensive… well, a few things.

But it wasn’t like thieves would pry his TV off the wall or call a crane truck to haul away his full-grain leather sofa.

“I have the Ring of Protection, and if necessary, I can unsummon you both and call you back immediately.”

At that, Maya added with a gentle smile.

“Your Highness, nothing in this world is absolutely safe. An assassin like the one from before could target your life at any moment, a terrorist organization could bomb the building you reside in, and the possibility of an airplane making an emergency landing and crashing into it cannot be entirely dismissed either.”

The odds of winning the lottery jackpot twice seemed higher than any of the examples she listed.

“If not, then at least allow one of us—either Maya or myself—to remain by your side. Otherwise, I fear our concern for your safety will prevent us from carrying out our mission properly.”

“My sentiments align with Dame Lea’s as well. I beseech you to grant us this request.”

Before Lea’s transformation, he had felt like the guardian of the two.

Now it felt like they were the ones anxious about not being able to protect him.

“…Alright, I will.”

Well, he could just move the sofa, TV, and bed all into the Dimensional Room.

“Thank you so much for accepting my unreasonable request! My heart is deeply moved by Your Highness’s overflowing consideration!”

“Your Highness’s decisive wisdom shines brighter than ever. I shall ride upon your valor and devote myself fully to the mission you have bestowed upon us.”

…Was entering the Dimensional Room really such a grand gesture?

Still, he didn’t mind the two’s courteous attempts to soothe his feelings.

After Jungho slipped into the Dimensional Room along with his furniture.

The faces of the two women, who had been smiling brightly in front of Jungho, instantly transformed into those of fiends.

“The people of the world our Lord resides in are so busy tearing each other apart.”

Lea’s voice was utterly chilling.

It carried the conviction that she would cut down—single-handedly—anyone who stood in Jungho’s way, regardless of their numbers.

“I believe this incident has taught you as well. …That simply waiting for His Highness’s commands is not always the answer.”

The two women, who could browse the Tower Love Room, could hardly have been unaware of the superhuman kidnapping rumors.

Lea had paid it no mind, thinking that since Jungho didn’t seem particularly concerned, she only needed to protect her Lord.

Maya, on the other hand, believed in identifying and resolving potential problems before they escalated.

But now that Jungho had learned of the incident, he wanted it resolved cleanly.

And that was only natural.

How could he live in peace when such ominous movements were detected in the city he called home—and would soon rule, according to Maya?

Lea, too, resolved to take a more proactive approach to guarding her Lord going forward, in line with Maya’s suggestion.

“Shall we go, then?”

“Let’s. Whoever caused our Lord such distress… I shall make them regret it even in death.”

“Well said.”

Two demons.

…No—two retainers who served their master with utmost devotion.

slipped into the night streets of Seoul to resolve the superhuman kidnapping incident.

* * *

“Was this target a 40th-floor superhuman?”

“Yeah, he’s the physical type, so we need to overwhelm him with a sudden ambush.”

“Phew, once we bag this one, we can finally head back home.”

“The Korean Superhuman Management Agency responded faster than expected. A response quite characteristic of that quick-quick nation.”

Those who specialized in kidnapping Seoul’s stealth superhumans.

Were none other than ethnic Korean-Chinese superhumans.

Not ones who had changed their nationality to Korean, however.

They had awakened in Shanghai, China, and were recruited as secret agents after operating there.

Their Korean-like appearance and fluent Korean allowed them to easily blend into everyday life in Seoul.

They surveilled each target for extended periods before kidnapping them one by one at the optimal moment.

They still needed three or four more to reach their target number, but headquarters judged that pushing further risked leaving a trail, so they planned to leave Korea after this final target.

One man checked his phone and the corners of his mouth turned up.

“Taiyang says he’s about to start.”

“Yeah? Then let’s get started too.”

When Taiyang picked a fight with some superhuman to draw public attention, they would carry out their operation in the gap left by the loosened surveillance net.

Luring a superhuman was simpler than expected.

First, they waited until the target reached a suitable location.

Peok!

A solid shoulder check was half the battle won.

“Hey, what’s your problem?”

When the target scowled and turned his gaze.

All they had to do was pull out one item.

Their own wallet.

“I’ll put this to good use.”

Hudadak!

“Hey, you son of a bitch thief! Stop right there!”

On a deserted night street, there was no one around to help.

Besides, the one playing the thief was a superhuman with nimble footwork.

Leading the target—seemingly caught yet always just out of reach—into a dead-end alley.

“Hah! Hah! You’re gonna die, you son of a… huh?”

Only then did the target realize.

That he wasn’t a cat chasing a mouse, but a dog trapped in a cage.

No matter how physically capable a superhuman he was, there was no way he could withstand four superhumans attacking simultaneously.

Peok! Peok!

Pubuk!

“Keugh! You… cowardly… bastards…!”

As the final target collapsed, the kidnappers exchanged grim smiles and prepared to leave.

“So it was you lot after all.”

Had a woman’s voice not suddenly cut in.

“Who’s there!”

“The Superhuman Management Agency?”

“Huh? Wait, she’s a foreigner?”

As the kidnappers recoiled at the blonde woman who had appeared like a ghost.

Hwiiing!

A fierce wind swept through, and another woman—no, a purple-haired girl—arrived riding a wooden staff.

“Sound barrier is in place. Let’s begin.”

“Let’s.”

And so, upon the four-man kidnapping team.

Not one but two lords of hell—beings more terrifying than death’s own reapers—descended.