The TV was still blaring with the sound of goblin screams when Ren suddenly reached into his hoodie pocket.

Luxy, mid-swig of her beer, raised an eyebrow. "What's that? More money?"

Ren pulled out a letter. Not just any letter—it was folded neatly in a crimson cover, decorated with a golden dragon etched along the edges. Even in Luxy's dim, beer-scented apartment, the envelope shimmered faintly, as if it didn't belong in this trash heap of empty cans and chip bags.

Ren held it up between two fingers, smirking. "Guess where this is from?"

Luxy squinted at it, then shrugged. "How should I know? I don't understand half of how the mortal world works. For all I know, that could be anything."

Ren chuckled. "This is from the Lan family."

Luxy blinked. "…Lan? As in—"

"Yep." Ren slid a finger under the seal and opened it carefully. "They're inviting me to join the Guild Sirius. Apparently, they think I've got potential."

Luxy tilted her head back and laughed. "Well, isn't that perfect? You get to hang out with that Meiling girl all day. With your so-called charm stat, you could probably seduce her in less than a week."

Ren gave her a dry look. "Do you want me to get stabbed in my sleep? That's basically a death sentence."

"Pfft." Luxy waved him off, drinking again. "Come on, you're always whining about not having enough allies. What's the harm?"

Ren leaned back against the couch, shaking his head. "The harm is, if I accept, I'm bound to just one guild. That means I can't approach other powerful ladies. No meetings, no recruiting, no… let's say 'networking.'"

Luxy snorted. "Networking, huh? That's what you're calling it now."

Ignoring her jab, Ren continued, "Kyouka's been bugging me about joining Valkyrie Fang too. But same problem. If I sign myself over to them, it'll be like being locked in a gilded cage."

Luxy let out a long whistle. "So basically… every offer sucks. Which means…"

Ren nodded, his tone more serious now. "Exactly. The only real option is forming my own squad. Acting as a solo hunter for now, until I can build a team."

Luxy raised her brows. "Oh, sure. Totally possible… for someone who isn't weaker than a kitten. You're level one, Ren. Level one. A mountain gnome with a stick could take you out."

Ren winced, clutching his chest like she'd stabbed him. "Well you're right about that."

"Truth hurts," Luxy said smugly, crossing her legs on the couch.

But Ren's smirk didn't fade. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "…Which is why I'll need people I can trust. People who can cover for my weaknesses while I grow stronger. Someone that won't fall in love with me and try to kill me."

Luxy tilted her head suspiciously. "And do you already have someone in mind?"

Ren fell silent.

He didn't speak. Didn't move. Just… looked at her.

Luxy blinked. "…Why are you staring at me like that?"

Ren's gaze didn't waver.

"…Wait." Luxy's eyes widened slightly. "No. No, no, no. Don't tell me you're—"

She jabbed a finger at him. "You're not thinking of me, are you?"

Ren smiled innocently.

Luxy's jaw dropped. "…You absolute maniac. I can't! I won't! Look at me! I'm not a fighter! I don't want to go outside."

"You're an half—"

"Shut up!" She covered her ears dramatically. "Nope! Not listening! La la la la la!"

Ren chuckled, leaning back. "Denial suits you, Luxy. But I can't ignore the truth."

Luxy groaned, dragging her hands down her face. "I don't wanna! I just want to sit here, drink my beer, and beat dungeon bosses from the safety of my couch. Is that so wrong?"

Ren's tone shifted, his smile fading. "...Luxy, I gave you enough money to last a few days, and it's already been a week. I'm a student—I can't keep feeding you."

Her eyes snapped to him. "…What?"

"The savings Misa gave me? Gone soon. Between rent, food, and… well, certain expenses—" he glanced pointedly at the pile of empty cans around her, "—You can't keep this lifestyle up without money. And if Misa finds out I wasted her hard-earned money, I'm dead meat."

Luxy gritted her teeth, looking away. "…Damn it."

"Exactly." Ren crossed his arms. "So unless you want both of us starving, you'll have to help me."

Luxy slammed her beer can down so hard foam spilled out. "You're seriously the worst! What am I even supposed to tell people? 'Hi, I'm Luxy, mysterious washed-up woman who looks like she crawled out of nowhere'?"

Ren chuckled softly. "That's why I'm giving you time. A whole month. Register as an individual hunter. Build a name for yourself. Once you're established, no one will question it when you team up with me."

Luxy blinked at him, dumbfounded. "…A month?"

"Mm." Ren nodded. "That should be plenty. For someone like you, it'll be easy."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "…Why do you sound so confident?"

Ren smirked. "Because you're not just some mortal. You're half—"

"Don't say it." Luxy jabbed the air with her finger.

"…Angel." He finished with a grin.

Luxy groaned so loudly the neighbors probably heard. She buried her face into a couch pillow. "Ughhh, I hate you so much right now."

Ren leaned back, satisfied. "You'll thank me later."

"I won't."

"You will."

"Nope."

"Yes."

Luxy peeked at him from the pillow, cheeks slightly red from more than just alcohol. "…You're impossible. Why did I have to get entangled in all of this?"

Ren chuckled, stretching out comfortably. "And you're my only option. Face it, Luxy. You're coming with me."

Luxy let out another long groan, rolling onto her back dramatically. "Fine! But only because I want to keep eating lot of fast food and drink beer."

Ren grinned. "I'll take it."

***

Kaito had one leg in a cast, while Greg had bandages wrapped around his arm and forehead. They looked more like casualties from a street fight than survivors of a monster attack.

"I came as soon as I heard about the incident. I knew you two would be involved," Ren said flatly.

"Well you know us, can't miss any concert," Greg groaned, shifting uncomfortably in his bed. "You have no idea how sudden it was. We were just watching the concert—next thing we know, monsters came crashing into the open area."

"Yeah," Kaito added, grimacing. "One second I'm holding my phone, the next I'm holding a chair trying to bash a dog's head in."

Ren frowned, his brows furrowing. "That's what bothers me. How is it even possible for dungeon monsters to be that far away from the dungeon itself? It doesn't add up."

Both of them shook their heads.

"We don't know, man," Greg admitted. "We just reacted."

Kaito gave a tired grin, though his eyes carried pride. "But hey, don't worry. We're safe. We're strong, just like you. We learned from the best, after all."

Ren smirked faintly, though he didn't say anything. These idiots…

Before the mood could settle, a loud commotion echoed from outside the ward. The muffled sound of fans screaming, the clicking of cameras, and the shrill excitement of nurses filled the hallway.

Ren turned toward the door. "What now?"

Moments later, the door slammed open and Hiyori, who accompanied Ren burst in, slightly out of breath.

"Ren!" she gasped. "Those singers—those idols—they're here to visit the patients!"

Ren blinked. "Singers?"

"Yeah! You know, the famous group everyone's obsessed with? They're here! It's their concert that people got attacked after all."

Ren's expression remained unimpressed. "Not interested."

Hiyori stomped her foot. "Ren! Don't be like that! They're huge! Besides, people said they fought those monsters at the concert and saved their fans. Doesn't that interest you at all?"

Ren tilted his head slightly. "…Now that does sound interesting."

So, while still standing at Kaito and Greg's room, Ren turned toward the door and peeked as the noise outside reached its peak.

And then—

The four of them walked in.

The first was a tall woman with striking silver hair, her posture elegant, her gaze calm. She radiated an aura like a goddess on stage.

Next was a sharp-looking brunette with a guitar case strapped to her back. She had an aura of cool confidence, the kind of girl who would fight anyone who looked at her wrong.

The third was a short-haired blonde with a cocky grin, walking like she owned the place.

And finally—

Ren's eyes stopped.

The fourth one was different. Pink hair, soft curls framing her face. She looked like she was the least prominent member of the group, her gaze darting nervously around the room. Her figure was slim and fit and just like the other three which was considered the peak body shape for females.

Ren blinked. Wait a second…

For a brief moment, he could have sworn she looked directly at him.

Her eyes widened, her lips parted slightly—then she immediately shifted, hiding behind her group members like a startled rabbit.

Ren raised an eyebrow. "…"

Why did she look at me like that?

And then—

[Affection Tracker Updated!]

Annaliese Morgenstern (Anna) – 10% (??? — Some kind of connection?)

Ren's mind froze. "…What the hell?"

He quickly opened the interface in his head. Until now, the tracker had only shown names he interacted with regularly. For a new one to suddenly appear—

And the name. Annaliese Morgenstern.

Ren muttered under his breath. "Isn't that…Anna?"

His mind went back months.

Back to the library.

A girl who had lost her purse. Ren had picked it up, handed it back to her, and thought he'd never see her again. She had looked completely different back then—normal hair, plain outfit, a little clumsy.

And now?

This woman with pink hair, in shape, hiding behind her fellow idols like a frightened kitten—this was the same person?

"…Interesting," Ren whispered to himself.

Hiyori who was standing beside Ren raised a brow. "What's interesting?"

"Nothing. Do you know that pink-haired singer's name?" Ren shook his head quickly and asked a question of Hiyori.

Hiyori was fast to answer. "Ohhh~ she is Aria, she is crazy with bass,"

Ren nodded his head but his thoughts were racing.

So the tracker only adds people who are actively in my life in a certain time frame. That means if someone disappears, they don't show up again until we reconnect. Which means…

His expression darkened slightly. Which means ??? is even scarier than I thought. Because she's not on here, but she definitely sees me every single day.