David cleared his throat softly, then reached for his jacket with a slightly awkward motion. "I... I’ll get going," he said briefly, his voice sounding a little heavier than usual. Without waiting for a reply, he strode quickly toward the door.
Fiona remained seated, her eyes following David’s back until the door clicked shut. Silence filled the room, broken only by the faint hum of the fridge in the corner.
At first, she just stared blankly, her mind empty. But somehow, the corners of her lips slowly lifted into a faint smile—a smile she didn’t even realize she was making.
When she finally noticed, Fiona quickly shook her head and patted her cheeks lightly. "Oh my God... why am I happy about this?" she murmured under her breath.
Usually, whenever a man—whether intentionally or not—glanced at her chest, she would feel uncomfortable. Angry. Wanting to push them away. But... if it was David?
Fiona lowered her gaze, looking at her hands resting on her lap. There was a strange sensation in her chest—a mix of a quickened heartbeat and a warmth that scrambled her thoughts.
"...If it’s David, it’s fine," she whispered, as if trying to convince herself.
But the moment those words left her mouth, her face heated up. She covered her mouth with her hand, yet that small, stubborn smile returned.
David hurried down the apartment stairs, barely glancing around. The cold night air hit him the moment he stepped into the parking lot, but it wasn’t enough to cool the heat still burning in his face.
Damn it... why did she have to notice? he thought as he unlocked his car.
His hand trembled slightly as it gripped the door handle. Sliding into the driver’s seat, he immediately started the engine. The rumble of the car’s motor did little to drown out the rapid thump of his heartbeat—a rhythm that refused to settle no matter how hard he tried to steady his breathing.
David tightened his grip on the steering wheel, forcing himself to push away the image of Fiona that kept flashing in his mind. "Focus, David... focus," he muttered.
He shifted gears, pressed the accelerator, and pulled out of the lot without another thought. The quiet, empty streets of the night made the perfect backdrop for escaping the embarrassment clinging to the back of his neck.
As he merged onto the main road, his thoughts shifted to his next destination—the Blue Fang guild office.
No room for distractions—once there, he had to be ready to face Ulrich and whoever else might be waiting.
David parked his car in front of the Blue Fang Guild building—a tall glass-covered structure gleaming under the night lights. The moment he stepped inside, the scent of coffee mixed with the faint aroma of leather from the lobby chairs greeted him. The receptionist gave him only a brief nod, clearly already informed that he had been called in directly.
The meeting room door stood open.
A large oval table dominated the space, with six people seated around it—Ulrich at the head, and five other S-Rank Hunters spread along both sides. Their presence carried a natural pressure, the kind that came from battle-hardened frontline fighters.
David walked in casually, taking an empty seat without a word. Even though every person here was a living monster in the real world, he didn’t feel intimidated. When it came to one-on-one combat, he believed he could hold his own against any of them.
Ulrich glanced at him briefly. "Finally, you’re here."
The flat tone carried a hint of sarcasm, but David only responded with a small nod.
The short-haired female Hunter on the right spoke first. "We’ll continue the expedition to the 50th floor. Target: the core zone."
A broad-shouldered man with a scar across his cheek added, "Supplies must be sufficient. That floor is notorious—elite monsters, deadly traps, and constant stamina drain. We’ll prepare enough logistics for at least two weeks."
Another Hunter chimed in, "Don’t forget anti-freeze gear. There’s a sector where the temperature drops below minus thirty."
Their voices carried a sharp edge, as if the 50th floor was a place straight out of hell. Every detail of the plan was discussed—exploration routes, role assignments, evacuation paths.
David listened in silence. In his mind, the expedition was indeed dangerous, just as they believed. Not once did he suspect that all of this was part of a much bigger design.
Only one person knew the truth—Nathan. That the Tower, with all its monsters, was nothing more than a purpose-built training ground... not an endless war as everyone here assumed.
But for David, the 50th floor was still a life-or-death trial, and he was ready to face it.
Ulrich tapped the table, his voice firm. "You depart in two days. Be ready. One mistake, and you’re all corpses."
David simply nodded, unaware that out there, someone already saw that the Tower of Genesis not as a battlefield... but as a massive-scale classroom.
The meeting carried on, the map of the 50th floor spread out across the table. Voices traded back and forth as the Hunters discussed routes, supplies, and team formations.
David leaned back in his chair, eyes on the map... but his mind had wandered far. Fiona kept slipping into his thoughts—her smile, the way she looked at him, even the faint trace of her scent still lingering in his senses.
Ulrich’s voice snapped him out of it.
David looked up. "Hm?"
"What are you thinking about? You’ve been zoning out," Ulrich asked, his gaze sharp and probing.
"Nothing," David replied briefly. "I heard everything."
Ulrich gave a slight nod, then swept his eyes over the room. "Alright. One more thing before we end this meeting."
The room fell silent.
"We have an additional mission. If, during the expedition, you find a boy named Nathan—bring him back. Alive."
The five other S-Ranks exchanged confused glances.
Ulrich went on, "He didn’t disappear inside the Tower, but outside. Right in front of the main gate. A black vortex appeared out of nowhere, pulled him in, and it was all caught on CCTV."
"Outside the Tower?" one of them repeated, disbelief in his tone.
Ulrich simply nodded. "You don’t need the full details right now. What matters is, the kid might know something—because he’s trapped inside and still alive. If you get the chance, secure him."
David sat still, his gaze fixed on Ulrich. But in his head, Fiona’s image was still front and center—not some boy he’d never even met.
Chunks of ice stretched out like scattered islands across a frozen sea, and Nathan was still hopping from one foothold to the next, trailing behind Livia, who moved as if her feet had never once slipped in her entire life.
"Are we there yet?" Nathan shouted between breaths, his voice edged with fatigue.
"Yep," Livia answered curtly without looking back, her steps still quick and light.
Nathan huffed. "If the monster’s too strong, what’s the point? I won’t even be able to fight it!"
Livia finally glanced over her shoulder, the corner of her lips curling faintly. "Boy, just watch and keep quiet. I’ll take care of the monster—you just need to eat its core."
Nathan blinked, half confused, half annoyed. "Oh, so I’m just the designated eater now?"
"If it makes you stronger, why not?" Livia replied casually before darting ahead again.
Nathan could only sigh, but deep down, he couldn’t help wondering... what kind of monster could make Livia speak with that kind of serious tone?
Nathan leapt after Livia, but his focus was starting to slip.
From behind, her movements were far too distracting to ignore—the primitive-style cloth she wore only covered the front, leaving her back and that caramel-toned backside... almost completely exposed.
With every jump Livia made, those curves moved up and down, swaying lightly as if daring him to look. The snow clinging to her skin only made that warm caramel glow stand out more against the endless white of the frozen landscape.
Nathan tried to avert his gaze, but failed. Damn it... this... it’s like it’s begging to be licked... he thought, instantly feeling his blood rush hotter.
His heart pounded faster—not from chasing her across the slick terrain, but from the constant temptation her every movement carved into his mind.
He even missed a step once, nearly slipping before hastily regaining his balance. But his thoughts were already in shambles. God... if this keeps up, the monster we’re looking for might not be half as dangerous as this view.
Livia landed on a slightly wider chunk of ice, then suddenly came to a stop. The abrupt movement made the thin cloth at her waist flutter in the wind—and from Nathan’s angle... he caught a glimpse of far more than he was supposed to see.
Startled, Nathan’s footing slipped. His boot skidded off the icy edge, sending his body lurching forward. Luckily, he managed to slam his axe into the slick surface just in time to stop himself from falling.
His breathing came fast, his face burning—not from the cold, but from the fleeting image now lodged in his head, refusing to leave.
Livia turned to look at him casually, as if unaware—or simply unconcerned—about what he had just seen. The corner of her lips curled faintly.