Nathan followed Livia’s steps across the ice, his breath still forming thin clouds in the cold air. He’d noticed for a while now that her gaze was never truly empty—like her mind was quietly weaving something together.
Suddenly, Livia glanced to the side. "I have a good idea."
Nathan raised a brow. "What idea?"
"Your skill... it’s Optimal Devouring, right?" Her voice was flat, but her eyes narrowed slightly.
Nathan stopped in his tracks. "How do you know about that?"
Livia didn’t answer right away. She stepped two paces closer, the faint haze of her aura curling around Nathan like mist. "The Savior told me."
Nathan let out a slow breath, his lips curling into a crooked smirk. "...Sure she did."
Livia crossed her arms—an unconscious movement that pushed up and emphasized the caramel-colored curves beneath the thin fabric. She stood casually, but her gaze stayed locked on Nathan. "In that case..." she said softly, "how about you eat the monster’s core?"
Nathan stared at her for a long moment, trying to figure out if this was just provocation or a serious suggestion. But Livia didn’t blink—she just stood there, waiting for his answer.
Nathan swallowed hard, his eyes flicking toward the nearest Frostfang corpse. Ugh... what would that even feel like? he thought. Sure, it’s for getting stronger... but still. The hesitation sat heavy in his throat, leaving a strange taste.
Ruby’s cheerful, innocent voice echoed in his head.
He let out a long breath. Somehow—through the most absurd chain of events—he’d become a "father." Yet that child actually breathed, spoke, and had a mind of her own.
His gaze returned to Livia. She was still standing there, arms crossed, her sharp eyes unwavering yet full of certainty.
Finally, Nathan gave a slow nod. "Alright... let’s try it your way."
A faint smile touched Livia’s lips, like she’d known his answer from the very beginning.
Lowering her arms, she turned on her heel. "Come on. Let’s find somewhere safe to do it."
Without waiting for a reply, she took off—her body springing lightly over chunks of ice, landing and leaping again like a silent-moving ninja.
Nathan sighed, then followed. Livia’s steps barely made a sound in the snow, but her speed and agility forced him to pick up the pace if he wanted to keep up.
While running, his mind drifted... Somehow, seeing Livia move that fast reminded him of the early days—when she was still... well, honestly, kind of an idiot. Unfocused, impulsive, and often giving a little too much attention to his dick.
Up ahead, Livia kept leaping without looking back, but her mind had also wandered to the past. She remembered one moment—a race to the waterfall with Nathan.
Back then, the man had been completely naked, and... yeah, his "intimate sausage" was swinging freely under the warm sunlight.
Her cheeks tinged slightly red. Not out of embarrassment, but from realizing how fun that moment had been. At that time, she hadn’t yet possessed full awareness—still bound by blurry instincts and incomplete memories.
Ah, damn... why am I remembering this bullshit, Livia muttered to herself, biting her lip.
And yet... strangely, that was the memory that felt the freest.
Nathan leapt onto the next chunk of ice, the distance between them now only a few meters. "By the way... why didn’t I just eat the Frostfang Wolf’s core back there?"
Livia landed lightly on a block of ice and glanced back. "That monster was still too weak."
Nathan swallowed hard. Weak? He’d just fought tooth and nail against five creatures that could freeze the air with their breath, and this woman was calling them weak?
"Wait," Nathan quickened his pace. "You said ’a safe place’ earlier... safe for what, exactly?"
Livia stopped at the edge of a small ice cliff, turning with a thin smile that, for some reason, felt more like a threat. "Of course, safe for making you stronger... not for resting."
A chill crept up Nathan’s neck, and somehow, the thought that Livia’s definition of ’safe’ probably involved something dangerous began to sink into his head.
The wind howled through the frozen cliffside, carrying with it the sound of Livia’s steps fading into the white expanse—until the ice, the sky, and even her silhouette seemed to blur and when the blur cleared, it was the soft cream walls of an apartment.
Over the past few days, David and Fiona had grown noticeably closer. Today, he was even helping her sort through new stock for the LadyFio Shop. Boxes of merchandise were stacked in the corner, while the soft scent of perfume filled the air.
They were in Fiona’s apartment—a place that felt almost too quiet for two people this busy.
David crouched down to arrange the shelves, but every time Fiona passed behind him, the shadow of her firm, full chest coming dangerously close to his back sent his thoughts spinning. Then, when he stood up and Fiona leaned over the table to open a box, his gaze accidentally dropped... and oh no.
He swallowed hard, trying to focus on the pile of stock. Stay calm... think of something else...
But the thing down below wasn’t cooperating. Standing firm. Unshaken. Growing hotter each time Fiona moved near him.
Fiona, busy checking the box’s contents, had no idea David was fighting a losing battle in his own head.
After half an hour of unpacking, Fiona let out a long breath. "Alright... sit down. Your legs must be sore."
David only nodded, joining her on the floor, leaning against the wall not far from her. Fiona sat cross-legged beside him, close enough that their shoulders almost touched.
Boxes of stock lay open around them, with a few neatly folded new clothes in the middle. Fiona grabbed a bottle of water, took a sip, then passed it to David without hesitation. "Drink."
He accepted it, trying to focus on the cold taste of the water... and not on the fact that Fiona was right beside him, wearing a loose T-shirt with a neckline that dipped just enough to offer a distracting view—making his chest, and something lower, feel heavier.
He kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, but the warm, fragrant scent of Fiona’s skin kept teasing his senses. His heartbeat was getting louder, and he knew that if either of them moved even slightly, their knees would touch.
Fiona stared forward with a faint smile, as if completely unaware of how nervous David was beside her.
But Fiona was also having trouble focusing on the pile of clothes in front of her. Her eyes would occasionally flick toward David, secretly wondering... Is he tempted?
Her heart was beating a little faster than usual. Every time David moved or took a deep breath, a strange pull stirred in her chest. And then, it hit her—she’d been sitting in a way that made her cleavage pretty visible this whole time.
God... why am I ? she yelled inwardly. Why am I practically showing off this lump of fat to him? Like... some cheap tease!
Outwardly, her face stayed calm, but inside, she was waging a war with herself. One part wanted to remain professional, but another... was curious how David would react if she teased him just a little.
She bit her lower lip lightly, pretending to adjust the folded clothes while keeping her seat close. Meanwhile, David was trying his hardest not to look directly at her—even though Fiona was doing her best to catch his attention.
David finally broke the silence. "So... how do you even manage a shop ? Seems like such a hassle, especially if there’s a lot of stock."
Fiona gave a small smile, then started explaining the LadyFio Shop system—how she organized the catalog, listed items, and dealt with customers who could be a pain sometimes. From there, the conversation just flowed.
"Oh, right," David suddenly slipped in, "I’ve been curious about this one store—WhiteNull Shop. It’s almost never active, but when it does open, the stuff they sell is... insane. Top quality, ridiculously cheap. Doesn’t even make sense. I’ve tried finding out who owns it, but nothing."
Fiona frowned slightly, her eyes narrowing. "WhiteNull Shop...? Oh, that weird store that sold that Metallumcum Potion, right?" She paused to think for a moment, then leaned back against the wall. "I once had a strange buyer in my shop. Username... ExtraKetchup."
David’s interest piqued. "And?"
"Strangely... the floor location data on them was glitched. Like... the system couldn’t tell which floor they were on. Normally, the system always gives details on the buyer’s floor."
David stared at her for a moment. "A glitch, huh... hmmm..."
Fiona only nodded, but there was the same spark of curiosity in her eyes.
The room fell silent for a moment after they exchanged that look about ExtraKetchup. Suddenly, a notification popped up in the corner of David’s vision.
[Message from: Ulrich]
He didn’t even open it yet, and the irritation was already rising. For some reason, every time that name appeared, his chest burned. And to think... he used to respect Ulrich. A mentor—someone he once saw as a role model, even a father figure.
David let out a quiet snort and tapped to read the message.
[Ulrich: Meeting. Now.]
No small talk, no explanation. Just a short call that sounded more like an order than an invitation.
David closed the notification with a flick, almost harsh. "Damn it... we were just getting into a good conversation," he muttered.
Fiona glanced at him. "What’s up?"
"Meeting call," David replied flatly, his tone making it obvious he wasn’t the least bit interested.
David let out a heavy sigh, then stood to grab his jacket. The movement, without him realizing, made the fabric of his pants tighten... and Fiona, still sitting on the floor, instantly froze.
Her gaze was pulled downward—only for a split second, but enough to make her heart pound hard. The bulge of his hard rock cock was plain to see through the fabric. Her eyes widened on reflex before she quickly looked away.
David caught the change in her expression and frowned. "What? Why do you look surprised?"
He studied her... then realized her eyes had flicked downward just moments ago. Instinctively, David glanced down himself... and the moment he understood what she had seen, his throat went dry. Oh, shit.
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, as if trying to hide it, one hand casually tugging the hem of his jacket lower—though the heat in his ears and the slight tension in his jaw made it clear he was anything but calm.