There’s a saying that humans are creatures of adaptation.
Perhaps that’s why. The closet, which initially made me restless and uneasy, started feeling oddly familiar and comforting after about three days.
In fact, given my small frame, the closet’s size felt almost perfectly snug. It gave me an inexplicable sense of security.
I think I finally understood why cats go crazy for boxes.
And in these three days, I did manage to achieve something. Huh? Are you asking if it was about the Tesseract?
No, unfortunately, the Tesseract was still sleeping soundly, stubbornly silent as ever.
Even after all my efforts, it remained unyielding. Truly, it was a stubborn artifact.
What I gained was something entirely different.
It was none other than a significant improvement in my telekinetic output!
As much as I didn’t want to admit it, my powers seemed to have some sort of connection to the Invaders.
There’s no other explanation for why my telekinesis would grow stronger just by being linked to this tiny crack.
Looking back, the sudden boost in my telekinetic powers before was likely due to the energy being absorbed from the fragment into the Tesseract, with some of it transferring to me in the process.
At this pace, by the time Greg returns... my output will likely be 1.5 times stronger than it was before I started working here.
Thinking about how much I struggled against Drakel due to my lack of power back then...
This was an incredibly rare leveling-up opportunity, a fortuitous chance gifted by luck itself.
“Well... even so, I still won’t be able to stand tall in front of Lexi or Raven. But maybe I’ll be on par with Alice or David?”
In terms of the power balance in this world, the dragon mayor, who wields unmatched strength and authority, is roughly at the level of a single-digit-ranked Fixer.
Raven ranks among the upper-tier double-digit Fixers, while Lexi and Greg are in the lower tier of the same category.
Of course, Raven isn’t officially ranked yet due to a lack of achievements, and Greg and the dragon mayor aren’t even Fixers, so their actual rankings aren’t official.
But roughly speaking, they’re among the top 100 strongest in the world.
Using that Fixer ranking as a reference, Alice is roughly at the lower tier of the triple-digit Fixers right now.
Huh? You think triple-digit Fixers sound weak?
Oh, you couldn’t be more mistaken.
This world is filled with powerful creatures from all kinds of races, not to mention monstrous beings.
Being a triple-digit Fixer means you’re among the top thousand strongest individuals globally.
Now imagine a rookie who hasn’t even tapped into their full potential already ranking among the triple digits.
It’s actually an incredible feat. Alice is even considered one of the standout super rookies in the narrative.
And looking at it objectively, I’m probably hovering around the same level, in the lower tier of the triple-digit Fixers.
Drakel, who maintained his youth through the Tesseract, was roughly in the lower tier of the double-digit Fixers.
The fact that I wasn’t completely overwhelmed and managed to hold my own against him proves I’m not as weak as I thought.
The real problem is that there are too many ridiculously strong people around me.
Regardless, this opportunity was like rain during a drought for me—something I couldn’t afford to miss.
After all, in this perilous world where only I can truly protect myself, gaining strength was far more valuable than earning money or building connections.
“Though it’s a bit embarrassing... Raven’s gaze lately feels piercing whenever he looks at me in this closet.”
Hugging a pillow to my chest, I rolled around the narrow closet before sliding the door slightly open.
Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.
Through the small gap, I caught a glimpse of Raven.
He was sprawled on the bed, reading a comic book.
In this futuristic city, a paper comic book seemed almost anachronistic, something only enthusiasts would cherish. I couldn’t help but chuckle quietly.
But did he notice me sneaking a glance at him?
Without even turning his head, he casually flipped a page and spoke.
“Why? Got something you need?”
“...”
No, not really.
I was just bored, lying here doing nothing, and thought I’d watch him for a bit.
As if he could read my thoughts, Raven sat up and waved the comic book in his hand.
“Bored sitting in there doing nothing? Want me to give you a comic to read?”
“...!”
Seriously, this guy is terrifying. Does he actually have mind-reading powers?
Feeling like he’d hit the nail on the head, I slid the closet door open and nodded.
He chuckled as if he’d expected that and got up.
Raven pulled out a clean stack of comic magazines from somewhere and placed them in front of the closet.
Hmm... so these weren’t standalone volumes but magazines with different comics in each issue.
Sitting at the edge of the closet, I swung my legs out and began reading alongside Raven, who had already returned to his bed.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Under the slowly descending moonlight of a late night, I quietly savored the rare tranquility.
The time left at the office: two weeks.
Before I knew it, half the time had already passed.
*
A girl with dark green hair braided neatly into a single plait.
She always wore a dry, expressionless look and preferred boyish clothes like shorts and T-shirts.
Because of that, she was often mistaken for a handsome boy with long hair. Her name was Sabrina.
Of course, part of it was because she was still young and hadn’t fully gone through puberty.
But her casual personality, choosing to spend time training with her martial arts instructor rather than caring about her appearance, also contributed to this impression.
“Hmm... this doesn’t really suit me, does it...”
But now, Sabrina was doing something utterly surprising.
She was standing in front of a mirror, holding a flowy dress up to her body.
To the Sabrina who once confidently declared that dresses made for girls didn’t suit her, this sight would have been unthinkable.
Yet, here she was, more serious than anyone else in the world.
Because tomorrow, she had a date planned with Yuria.
Wanting to show a better version of oneself to someone you wanted to be closer to...
That was a completely natural desire, regardless of gender or age.
“Oh my, Sabrina. Isn’t that one of my old dresses?”
“Eek! R-Re-Reine?! Since when have you been here...?”
“I just got here... but you must’ve been so focused you didn’t even hear me open the door.”
Jump!
Sabrina leapt into the air at the unexpected voice behind her.
Her face turned bright red as she stared at Reine in shock.
To think she’d be caught red-handed examining one of Reine’s childhood dresses by Reine herself!
Faced with an unbearable reality, Sabrina could only open and close her mouth silently like a fish.
But to Reine, Sabrina’s reaction was nothing short of adorable.
Her little sister-like Sabrina having a crush? There couldn’t be a more delightful topic.
“So, who’s the prince that’s stolen our Sabrina’s heart? Do I know him?”
“Well... you might. It’s Yuria, the one who helped you escape last time...”
“Ah... Yuria?”
Reine’s lips curled into a smile, but her thoughts ran deep.
Yuria again? Just who is that girl?
‘She said we know each other, right? I didn’t sense any bad intentions, so I played along, but... I’ll need to meet her properly and find out what’s going on.’
After the Nemesis incident had ended, Reine had been taken aback when Sabrina told her the details.
A person she had never seen in her life claiming to know her?
Even when they met face-to-face, Reine was certain they were strangers.
Of course, the situation hadn’t allowed her to press further, so she let it slide at the time.
But she definitely needed to figure out the truth.
“Alright, Sabrina. I’ll help you showcase all your charm so you can capture Yuria’s heart. I know your strengths better than anyone!”
“Uh, wait, capture her heart? But we’re both girls...”
“Oh, come on. Gender doesn’t matter these days. If you like each other, that’s all that matters. And besides, even between friends, leaving a strong impression is important, isn’t it?”
“I’ll make sure you’re the cutest girl in the world tomorrow!”
Reine placed her hands on Sabrina’s shoulders, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Whether it worked out or not, she figured either outcome wouldn’t be bad.
Behind her beautiful smile, Reine kept her own secret plan hidden.
*
Late at night, on a bench in a quiet park.
The silence wasn’t just tranquil—it was chilling, as if the park itself held its breath.
Sitting there was a woman with a forlorn expression.
“Failed again... This makes 21 rejections in a row. I’m so hungry...”
She was what people called a demon, or Demon.
With blue skin and inverted-colored eyes, Demons were considered one of the most dangerous non-human species, alongside vampires.
The reason was simple. Just as vampires sustained their power through blood, Demons carried with them the alien force of dark contracts.
A single contract with a person could easily lead to the destruction of their life, and through it, the Demon would grow stronger.
In a way, they were even more dangerous than vampires.
As a result, Demons were treated as societal outcasts in this world.
Unlike vampires, whose appearance could blend in, Demons had an unmistakably distinct look.
Landing a decent job was out of the question, and even finding part-time work was nearly impossible.
Most Demons, facing such treatment, chose to embrace their true nature and succumb to the darkness.
If society treated them like monsters, they figured, then there was no harm in acting the part.
"Let the world that rejects me burn," was their typical stance.
But, as with any group, there were exceptions.
There was one timid Demon who simply couldn’t let go of the allure of society.
Binding souls through contracts to steal their strength?
Who cared about that when you couldn’t even buy a hamburger at a fast-food joint without being chased by the police?
This timid Demon couldn’t decide between her nature and her desire for acceptance.
She could only sit there, drowning in her own gloom.
“Would you like to change your appearance?”
“Ah! M-M-Mother of... Who are you?!”
And then, someone appeared before her.
A dark hand, capable of easily leading others to ruin.