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The Spring of Life was built on the second floor of the Dimensional Room.

Since Clara would be the one using it, placing it on the third floor might have been more convenient.

“A precious facility like the Spring of Life belongs in the Lord’s estate.”

“The Spring of Life holds the power to soothe body and soul. Naturally, there is no place for it other than Your Highness’s chambers.”

“Huh? I mean, it would be nice to have it nearby… Oh, no, actually the Boss’s second floor room would be perfect! We only need to draw from it once anyway! Yeah, yeah!”

He couldn’t bring himself to refuse the three’s enthusiastic insistence.

And so the Spring of Life came to be.

From the trumpet blown by an adorable cherub with chibi proportions…

Clear blue water, transparent as a glacier, spouted forth in a gentle stream.

It was a small well, about two meters in diameter.

The remarkable thing was that the water never overflowed, no matter how continuously it flowed.

Out of curiosity, he placed the Summoning Stone inside, yet the water still didn’t spill outward.

Once the Summoning Stone was positioned within, it actually had a certain charm to it, so he simply left it fused with the Spring of Life.

“The Lord’s artistic sensibility grows more refined by the day!”

Had he ever… demonstrated any artistic endeavors?

“From the way you designed the Dimensional Room to how you’ve decorated the Spring of Life—I daresay it may well be the architectural masterpiece of the century.”

Hmm…

Was he about to discover a talent he hadn’t even realized he possessed?

“…I-I’ll pass!”

Clara, too, was gradually learning how to navigate these situations.

– Spring of Life: Produces 10L of Water of Life daily. The Water of Life is pure water infused with life force, demonstrating remarkable effects in eliminating bodily waste, calming the mind and body, and restoring vitality. Sleeping soundly within a 10-meter radius of the Spring of Life triggers similar effects.

Judging by the description, placing it on the second floor had indeed been the right call.

Since the Spring of Life couldn’t be taken outside, from now on he’d be sleeping here, of course—and he figured he’d have to use Water of Life for cooking rice and boiling ramen as well.

“Clara, how much Water of Life do you need for your work?”

“Not that much! It’s just that drawing magic circuits through magic stones takes a long time.”

“Then could you make elixirs with the runes we’ve collected so far?”

“You got it, Boss! With top-grade materials and a top-grade environment, I’ll create the finest elixirs!”

The time required to convert a single rune into an elixir was roughly three to four days.

Perhaps because they weren’t ordinary potions, they demanded a considerable amount of time.

The number of magic stones typically used in crafting a standard potion was around ten.

Depending on the type, some required fewer, others more.

Rune elixirs, on the other hand, required as many magic stones as the process demanded—you simply had to attempt the crafting to find out.

He had drawn 500 magic stones from the Random Box on the 41st floor, bringing his total stockpile to nearly a thousand, so he wasn’t short yet.

But if he was to produce both potions and elixirs at the Arcane Forge, he would soon need to purchase magic stones rather than sell them to the Superhuman Management Agency.

What kind of elixir would emerge—that was a pleasure to save for later.

Now then, shall we resume climbing?

That day, Shin Jungho cleared two more floors, and from the Random Box, he won a Skill Enhancement Ticket and a staggering 999 magic stones.

Lea and Maya cheered with the enthusiasm of a festival in full swing.

Clara offered an awkward congratulation before quietly retreating to her workshop in the Dimensional Room.

To escape the current situation of being under disapproving stares…

She felt she had no choice but to produce a truly game-changing elixir.

* * *

– Good evening, citizens. We have an important announcement regarding national security.

– The government convened an emergency cabinet meeting today and passed the following resolutions.

– First, effective from midnight today, the prohibition on superhumans clearing the 63rd floor is hereby fully lifted.

– Second, accordingly, superhuman activity on the 63rd floor will return to normal, and associated penal provisions are hereby abolished.

– This decision reflects changes in the national security landscape and our gratitude for the cooperation of our superhumans. We extend our deepest appreciation to all superhumans and citizens for their understanding and cooperation thus far…

Jung Woojin watched the government announcement on TV with a satisfied smile.

“This administration certainly responds quickly in matters like these.”

Han Donggeon, watching the same broadcast, offered a wry smile.

“Truth be told, Superhuman Shin Jungho’s arguments were remarkably sharp.”

“From what I heard, indeed they were! If he weren’t a superhuman, I’d want to groom him as a diplomat.”

“That aside, the government may have approved it, but whether the public will understand remains to be seen.”

What Han Donggeon feared was a repeat of the incident with Kim Taemin’s rampage.

If Mirinae—true to Shin Jungho’s words—charged through to the 70th floor alone like a runaway colt, what then?

Granted, someone of his power could certainly do so.

But from the perspective of Seoul’s citizens, who now knew the full story of Kim Taemin’s actions, such a scenario wouldn’t necessarily be received positively.

Jung Woojin, having anticipated this very concern, immediately proposed a solution.

“That’s precisely why I’m thinking of hosting a banquet for Seoul’s superhumans, with rankers at the center.”

“A banquet? Out of nowhere?”

“In other countries—particularly the United States—they host such gatherings fairly often to foster camaraderie among superhumans and motivate them to climb. It’s not a familiar culture here in Korea, but it would paint quite a favorable picture for the public and the media.”

Until now, everyone had operated in stealth, and the few rankers had only been seen clashing with one another.

But that was the past!

If they could now show superhumans from the same Seoul Tower smiling together and encouraging one another…

The public’s perception would shift dramatically.

This wasn’t about competing to reach the upper floors as before.

It was merely a planned process for everyone’s benefit!

Planting that nuance was crucial.

Moreover.

If they could display such a sight to Mirinae as well…

There was a hidden intent—that perhaps Mirinae, too, might show willingness to cooperate with Seoul’s rankers rather than trying to handle everything alone.

Han Donggeon realized once again that no one matched Jung Woojin when it came to devising such strategies.

It seemed like a promising event for strengthening bonds among Seoul’s superhumans and motivating them to tackle the upper floors.

In particular, with various prizes lined up—Tower Entry Tickets, equipment rental discounts, and more—attendance would be reasonably assured.

“Then when shall we schedule the event?”

“No need to drag this out. Find an available venue for this coming weekend and book it immediately.”

“Understood.”

And so the first banquet featuring all three of Seoul’s representative rankers—

The Banquet of Stars—was set in motion.

* * *

As news of the Banquet of Stars spread through the media…

No one received more calls than Shin Jungho.

– Jungho! There’s going to be a banquet for superhumans soon. Are you planning to attend?

To Lee Seoah’s excited voice, Shin Jungho responded with his usual calm.

“I’m sorry, I have other commitments that day.”

– Oh… is that so? Is it something that can’t be rescheduled?

“Yes, it’s important business.”

– Aww, that’s a shame. Can’t be helped, I suppose. Then I’ll see you at the cafe later!

After getting past Lee Seoah, the next call came from Vice Commissioner Han Donggeon.

– Superhuman Shin Jungho, would you perhaps consider attending the Banquet of Stars? If you’re concerned about your stealth status, I can arrange an additional barista position for you. Naturally, you wouldn’t need to work—simply hold your seat until the event begins!

Why were these people so desperate to invite him?

After dispatching Han Donggeon, the next was Cha Hyunsung.

– Jungho, brother! I hear the Banquet of Stars is happening? A fine event like this demands the presence of a true man’s man like yourself, don’t you think? You’re free this weekend, right? When should I come pick you up?

…After dealing with the trio from the Superhuman Management Agency, it was Yoon Changdae’s turn.

– Old man, perhaps… Ah, there are no women around you right now? *Ahem*, Jungho, I hear the Banquet of Stars is coming up. Why don’t you drop by? Besides the three of us, quite a few superhumans in the 50-floor range will be attending, so it’d be good to know them for networking. No, no, it’s not that I want to be with you or anything. No, no, I mean, I do like you, of course, but no, no, that’s not what I mean…!

After handling Yoon Changdae, the final call was, predictably, from Park Soyul.

– Jungho, how about a business trip gig?

“Overtime and extended shifts are both declined.”

– Wow, that’s too much! I cut the working hours in half compared to before, you know?

“Thank you.”

– …You really won’t do it, even for my sake?

“No, I won’t.”

– Ha, ha, ha. I don’t know why you’re being so infuriating this time.

“I apologize.”

– …*Sigh*, if I keep talking, I’ll just end up being the villain here!

Why on earth was everyone so desperate to invite him?

Of course, with Seoul’s superhumans—especially the newly rising stars—making an appearance, it could be a great opportunity to build valuable connections, as Yoon Changdae had said.

But this was a gathering where no less than Lee Seoah, Park Soyul, and Yoon Changdae would all be present.

Even a single word from any of them directed at him would instantly draw all eyes, and he wasn’t confident he could handle that kind of attention yet.

Even with a barista cover, having his identity exposed would bring him nothing good.

He’d just keep climbing as usual and work the Arcane Forge.

Ah, but the timing was actually quite good.

He was about to break the 60th floor, which might trigger another blessing—and if such an announcement coincided with an event like this, wouldn’t that make for a rather spectacular presentation?

It would be even better if they could watch the superhumans in real time.

But he could always watch the live broadcast on TV.

Now only the 59th and 60th floors remained.

Clearing these two would essentially place him among the rankers.

Ranker Mirinae.

Somehow, that had a nice ring to it.

* * *

There were those who rejoiced more than anyone at the news of the Banquet of Stars for Seoul’s superhumans.

They were Russia, which had lost both the assassin they’d secretly cultivated in Seoul and a national treasure-grade weapon.

And China, which had similarly seen their superhuman abduction plan completely fall apart, while losing both superhumans who had transferred their affiliation to the Seoul Tower.

Of course, Liu Xiaolong wasn’t dead yet, but considering that his younger sister Liu Huiying had vanished from Heaven, his next move was obvious without even looking.

Especially now that he had reportedly slipped completely free from his handlers’ control, using his sister’s situation as leverage, and no one knew where he went during his personal time.

So the only hope they had painstakingly cultivated had been effectively killed and snatched away by Korea.

Chinese Chairman Zhou Jianguo opened a secret communication line with Russian President Igor Novanov.

“We will take full responsibility for this operation. In return, I expect Russia to provide something commensurate.”

“…Would ten superhumans in the 30-floor range suffice?”

He was referring to superhumans for human experimentation.

“I also need some in the 40-floor range.”

“…I’ll add two.”

“Three.”

A brief silence passed before the answer came.

“…Very well. But this operation must be executed without a single mistake.”

“You needn’t worry about that. By whatever means necessary… I will bring down the Seoul Tower.”

“…Heh, I look forward to it.”

The reason Zhou Jianguo was so confident in his Seoul terror plan.

It was because of a single item.

An unusual item Wang Wei had obtained while clearing the 67th floor.

If they used it at the Banquet of Stars in Seoul…

It would bring nothing short of a catastrophe upon Seoul’s superhumans.

“Hehehe… Mirinae…!”

Zhou Jianguo…

Believed that Mirinae would be among the attendees at the Banquet of Stars.

And if Mirinae vanished from that place…

His agonizing nightly routine—trembling in fear as he went to bed—would finally come to an end.

Despite mobilizing every superhuman, researcher, and investigator at their disposal, they hadn’t found a single clue to Liu Huiying’s disappearance.

If they had found even the slightest trace, he might have felt somewhat reassured. But this was an unfathomable mystery, like a ghost—beyond all understanding—and with each passing day, his fear only grew.

So this was his chance.

The Seoul Tower.

The last possibility to eliminate Mirinae!

And to achieve that…

Zhou Jianguo was prepared to give up anything and everything—save his own life.

Whether it was his people.

Whether it was superhumans.

Anything at all!