[14th Everdusk 2103] — Lucas's Apartment, Dyna Crest Country
The intruder crept silently through the dim apartment, halting in front of the bathroom. He pressed himself against the wall, cloaked in shadows, waiting.
A moment later, the bathroom door opened with a soft creak. Lucas stepped out, steam trailing behind him, a towel loosely wrapped around his waist. He looked relaxed… unaware of the danger just meters away.
A loud scream echoed through the apartment.
Lucas was sprawled across the floor, clutching his back, a blazing red handprint etched on his skin.
"What the hell?!" he yelped, flinching as the figure emerged from the shadows.
Her eyes were puffy, rimmed with red—from tears or fury, or both. Her breathing was uneven, and her clenched fists trembled with rage.
“Wait, you know me, right? And you know I don’t act unless I’m confident,” Lucas said, raising his hands defensively as he scooted backward on the floor. “So why are you so angry right now?”
“I do know that. But still—being this reckless is too much, Lucas!” she snapped, stepping forward, towering over him. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?!”
“I’m fine though, aren’t I? Stronger than before too—ahh!” he said, only to be cut off mid-sentence as another punch landed on his shoulder.
Tess was furious. She had explicitly warned him not to raid the dungeon alone. He’d ignored her and done it anyway—while still being an E-rank Battlemage. For most people, that would’ve been a death sentence.
But instead, he’d not only cleared it… he'd ranked first in the test. And defeated Lyre Dawnfield, an S-rank class holder.
“After all the years we’ve lived together, you still don’t trust me?” Lucas asked, gently catching her wrists mid-swing.
“I do trust you…” she muttered. “But even if Faye believes in you blindly, I—I’m still your te—teache—”
She choked on the word, cheeks turning bright crimson.
Lucas grinned. “Oh? So you're saying my wife doesn’t believe in me, but her friend does? That’s troubling. Guess I’ll have to take responsibility and fix that misunderstanding.”
“Wh-What are you doing—?! Lucas, stop!” Tess shrieked as he scooped her into a bridal carry.
“I’m not your wife!” she shouted, squirming as he carried her into his room.
But no one came to her rescue.
As the door closed behind them, her muffled protests could still be heard.
“L-Lucas! At least let me cook first! We haven’t even had lunch yet! Let’s continue tonight, okay? Pleaaaseee~~”
Lucas didn’t listen. His desire had reached its limit.
“Tess, you know how I am. Once I start something… I won’t stop until I’ve finished it,” he said, lips brushing hers.
“W-Wait, I’m literally say—mmph!”
She didn’t get to finish. His kiss silenced her, and thus, the battle between Lucas and Tess began.
A tug-of-war of dominance, shifting back and forth. Sometimes Tess took control, but other times Lucas was the one on top. Neither side truly won, yet neither truly lost.
This time, however, things were different.
Lucas was no longer the underdog.
Tess had always been ahead—stronger, more experienced. A -rank class holder, a Gale Whisperer with deadly wind-imbued archery and agile close combat skills.
But now Lucas had awakened too, and though only Level 15, his class had begun to show its overwhelming potential. The playing field was changing.
And for the first time, Tess could feel it.
Evening fell. Moonlight trickled through the curtains, and the two lay tangled in bed, their bodies wrapped in a thin sheet.
“Hah… You’re the worst,” Tess whispered, resting her head on his chest, tracing circles on his skin. “Dragging a poor, hopeless girl like me into this… every day.”
“Oh? A hopeless girl, you say?” Lucas chuckled, kissing her forehead. “A Level 58 awakened woman who just crushed me a few hours ago… definitely not hopeless.”
“You were the one doing the crushing, idiot.”
“And you were screaming loud enough to break the barrier.” he grinned.
She glared at him weakly before sighing. “I’m hungry. And now my legs are sore. You really don’t know how to hold back, do you?”
Lucas laughed. “Let’s just order in. Today’s a day worth celebrating, don’t you think?”
Tess nodded after a moment. “Okay, fine. But let me rest until the food gets here…”
She curled into him, drifting off to sleep.
Lucas remained wide awake, almost brimming with energy. His stamina hadn’t taken a hit—another effect of the dragon bloodline, no doubt.
“Guess I’ll take a shower before the food arrives,” he said, grabbing his phone and placing the order.
Elsewhere — Evan’s Apartment
I woke up groggily, rubbing my eyes as my stomach growled.
“It’s evening already?” I muttered. “Damn, I must’ve been more tired than I thought.”
Still half-asleep, I dragged myself to the bathroom, splashed some cold water on my face, then stumbled toward the kitchen. I opened the fridge with the enthusiasm of a zombie… only to find it disappointingly empty.
“Alright, no takeout today,” I sighed, thinking back to Aunt Rossy’s cooking.
Those days were gone. I had to rely on myself now.
“Fine. I’ll just cook. But first, ingredients.”
I opened my ancient phone, browsed an online store, and ordered some eggs, veggies, sauces, and spices. I already had some noodles, but I needed the most important thing—monster meat.
It helped awaken class holders recover mana and boosted their physical condition, even for regular people.
I scrolled through the meat section, wincing at the prices.
“Tens of thousands of points for a single portion?!” I groaned.
Then I found it—Ragged Ember Bear meat, discounted to 560 points for 200g. The meat was older, close to expiring, but still edible. And with thirty-two left, it was selling fast.
“Perfect,” I said, quickly placing my order.
Altogether, I spent nearly a thousand points—a tenth of my savings.
But compared to buying a full dish from a stall (which would cost triple that), it was a good deal. Even if the meat was second-rate, it was mine.
An hour later, the ingredients arrived.
I cooked the meal slowly, carefully, and when I finally took that first bite—
“Not bad… I could get used to this.”
My heart warmed despite the emptiness of the room. This was mine. My life, my struggle, and my food.
And starting tomorrow…
I’m going to make enough money to never worry about bills again. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝓷𝓮𝓽
That’ll be my motto for every hunt.