Eric watched Calvin claw at the ground as he tried to push himself up, a groan tearing from his throat, his body trembling from the impact, yet Eric’s expression did not change at all.‘So David’s light magic isn’t just for illumination,’ he thought calmly. ‘It’s offensive magic too.’What interested him more was the reason behind it. ‘Are they planning to cut us out and take the money for themselves, or is there something else at play?’Oracle’s voice echoed in his mind, followed by translucent text.〈That scenario holds a 90 percent probability.〉Eric shifted his gaze to Landon, his eye sharpening slightly. ‘Then that remaining ten percent must be something even more interesting.’Across the room, Landon was staring at him now, eyes narrowed, lips curling in faint disbelief‘He’s not… freaking out?’“You,” he said slowly. “you do not look surprised at all.”Eric didn’t bother denying it.“You’ve known something was off this whole time, haven’t you?”Eric lifted an eyebrow and let ou

Eric lowered his sword just as Landon hurried toward him, panic clear on his face.“Stop,” Landon said quickly. “Stop for a second.”Eric lifted his eye, irritation flashing. “Stop?” he snapped. “Why the hell would I stop? That thing is the dungeon’s core monster. Isn’t killing it the whole point?”Landon swallowed hard.He stared at Eric as if he were seeing him for the first time. His gaze flicked left and right, thoughts racing.Then he looked at the struggling centipede.It was massive, terrifying by any standard, yet now it lay there helpless, writhing weakly like a creature that had been declawed. Rendered powerless, useless, like a domesticated beast.“Wh-what did you do?” Landon asked, his voice unsteady. “You did something to it, didn’t you? Aren’t you E-rank? How could you do something like this if you’re just an E-rank?”Eric frowned. “Why does that sound like you’re accusing me of something?”David gritted his teeth and walked forward. Behind Landon, he muttered something

“What?” Regan asked sharply, staring at his father. “A marriage alliance with the Patels?”His father sat behind a wide desk in an office lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, the city skyline stretching out behind him. Regan’s expression made it clear he hated the idea.Joseph Vale leaned back against the edge of the desk, his arms folded. “This is about building strength, Regan. Our family isn’t strong enough anymore. Vale Enterprises has been declining since Arnold’s death, and you know that. We’ve fallen behind.”Regan clenched his jaw but said nothing.“A solid alliance with the Patels will stabilize us,” Joseph continued. “Once we regain our footing, we can finally move toward forming ties with the Noir Group.”Regan scoffed. “Noir Group?” He shook his head. “Come on, Dad. That’s a fantasy. Even I know that’s impossible. An alliance with the Patels won’t get us anywhere near them.”Joseph met his gaze without flinching. “Every step matters, son. Every move we make brings us clos

Two years ago, Oscar Kenton could still clearly remember his final meeting with his good friend, Arnold Vale, and the strange promise he had asked him to keep.Arnold had spoken calmly, almost gently.“Life is fleeting,” he said. “No one truly knows how it begins or how it ends. I need you to do something important for me, Oscar, as a friend.”Oscar had frowned then, uneasy.“If one day my son, Eric, ever comes to you, reject whatever he comes for. Do not listen to his reasons. Just give him this.”Oscar glanced down at the octagonal box resting in his hand as he descended the stairs.Eric turned his good eye toward Oscar, his posture straightening at once, his expression settling into something calm and respectful.Oscar stopped short.The last time he had seen Eric, the boy had barely reached his shoulder. Now he stood tall, broad shouldered, his presence composed in a way that did not belong to someone his age.And his eye.Oscar’s gaze lingered there for a fraction too long. Som

Eric pushed himself up from the sofa, blinking once before fixing Kim with a gaze as cold as winter steel.She stumbled back instinctively, putting space between them, her hands raised slightly.“Take deep breaths, Eric,” she said cautiously. “Before you do something you’ll regret.”Anger flared like fire through Eric, his disbelief boiling over. “Do you know what you just did, Kim? Do you have the slightest clue what bomb you just dropped on my life?!”Kim looked up at him, her chest heaving uneasily. Then she scoffed. “What I did, I did for our family!”Eric let out a sharp, humorless laugh, shaking his head. “Kim, this isn't a joke. This is foolish! You had no fucking right to sign me into marriage! No right!”“Don’t be selfish, Eric!” Kim shot back, her own anger flaring. “Didn’t you hear what I just said? This is our chance! Marrying into the Patels is the only ladder we’ve got to actually improve our lives. All you’ve ever done is struggle, struggle, and get nowhere! This is it.