Zach disappears from the eighth floor; his feed cuts out and others fear he strayed into the most dangerous zone, arguing he never should have been tied to national fate. Meanwhile, Alex kills the Divine Weapon Guardian and claims an SS-tier Asura Inferno Spear, earning praise as a Stone prodigy with emperor potential. The Ghost Tower submits, Dragonia clears the Ghost Tower Realm, and national resource rewards are granted. The episode closes with Zach’s fate unresolved just as Alex’s sudden rise and the new national rewards reshape immediate stakes.