It was the end of the week, and Verso had officially settled into his new grueling daily routine.
His life had beco a strict cycle of violence where he would go to sleep and spending his System Realm ti brutally farming Lost Sirens for Elite synthesis fillers, and then spend his real life evenings with Moon, walking through the putrid mud of the Whispering Swamp as the pair hunted for hours.
Although the physical toll of this routine was exhausting, the financial turn around was also completely undeniable.
As Verso walked into the pristine lobby of the Star Complex to wait for Moon, he pulled out his phone and tapped open his banking app.
[Balance: 753,000 Credits]
"Hmm... hunting for crystals actually makes incredibly good money." He muttered with a small satisfied smile appearing on his lips.
He was nearly back to his pre shopping disaster net worth.
Even though neither he nor Moon had managed to pull a Beast Soul drop from the swamp yet, the sheer volu of mutant centipedes they slaughtered ensured a steady stream of attribute crystals. The rchant in the lobby had beco Verso’s favorite person as he would turn his daily loot into liquid cash within the hour.
’Should I just hunt for the Poison Dagger in the System Realm tonight and give it to Moon?’ Verso pondered, leaning against a marble pillar.
It wouldn’t be difficult. With the Whispering Swamp downloaded into his system, he could clear out a few clearings in his System Realm at night, and with the increased drop rates of Mutant souls he should be able to secure the Mutant Willowing Brown Centipede without any trouble.
He could easily hand it over to Moon and be done with the stinking bugs forever.
But there was a catch for this.
’If I just give him the dagger, he will completely lose his incentive to hunt Mutants.’ Verso realized, shaking his head.
Knowing the arrogant noble, the second Moon secured his backup weapon, he would start bypassing the centipede clearings entirely and drag Verso straight to the Elite Pythons. That would severely decrease Verso’s daily crystal inco and exponentially increase his risk of getting eaten which was not a good trade off.
"Tch... but I really do want to visit the other dungeons..." He mumbled, staring at his shoes.
’This city is built on top of the best hunting grounds in the country, and I have spent my entire first week fighting oversized insects and snakes in a fucking swamp.’
Just as Verso let out a deep sigh of frustration a sound entered his ears.
"Yes, Lady Ragnar, you absolutely don’t have to worry about clan politics here. All of us want to ensure a completely neutral ground."
The sound of that smooth, familiar voice cut through the quiet hum of the lobby like a poisoned dart.
Verso instantly recognized the voice and snapped his head toward the entrance.
Walking through the glass doors was a boy with striking green hair and a warm, perfectly practiced smile. It was Han — the sa Han who had coldly tried to end his life during the academy exams.
But it was not exactly Han that made Verso’s blood run cold.
’No... no, no, no! DON’T TALK TO HER! NO HAN!’ Verso’s internal monologue spiraled into pure panic.
Walking right next to the green haired noble, radiating an aura of elegance in a simple white sundress, was Alice Ragnar.
The National Rank 1. The monster who had slaughtered half her exam venue. The sa girl that he had walked in on while she was trying out underwear.
Verso stood completely frozen in place, his heart hamring against his ribs like a trapped bird. He tried to shrink back behind the pillar, to blend into the shadows but it was all too late.
As the pair walked deeper into the lobby, Han’s sharp eyes flicked over and locked directly onto Verso standing by the pillar.
For a split second, Han also froze as his smile disappeared. Even though socializing was second nature to him, Verso had a very peculiar effect on his ability. After a mont of consideration, a big smile reappeared on Han’s face.
"Brother Verso!" Han called out, his voice echoing loudly across the marble walls.
"When did you move into the complex? It has been far too long since we last t!"
Han closed the distance rapidly, throwing his arms wide open for a grand, brotherly hug. Verso was too paralyzed by fear to move. He just stood there, rigid as a board, letting the green haired heir slap him enthusiastically on the back.
’He just said my na... He just said my na in front of her.’ Verso realized, a cold sweat breaking out on his neck.
For the past week, Verso had taken solace in the fact that Alice only knew his face, not his identity. Now, thanks to Han’s over pleasantries, his cover was blown.
"Verso, huh? That’s a pretty na."
The voice was soft, feminine, and utterly lethal.
Verso slowly, agonizingly peeked over Han’s shoulder. Alice had stopped a few feet away. She was looking directly at him, her pale blue eyes dancing with a mix of dark amusent and interest.
She wore a massive, striking smile that made her look breathtakingly beautiful. But to Verso, it was the smile of a predator that had just cornered its prey.
"Oh, you guys haven’t t, let introduce you-" Han started, pulling back slightly from the hug and gesturing between the two of them with his usual diplomatic behavior.
But before Han could finish his formal introduction, Alice took a step forward, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.
"Oh, don’t worry about introductions, Han," Alice said, her voice dripping with sweet, venomous irony. Her eyes never left Verso’s pale face.
"Verso and I are already very close. Isn’t that right, Verso?"
Verso felt his stomach drop to the floor. The simple, peaceful life he had envisioned was officially over.
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