The moment I smelled the aroma of the beef ribs, an animalistic hunger seized my consciousness. The ribs, coated thickly with glistening sauce, sizzled on the hot iron plate. The mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus were generously coated in butter, displaying the most mouth-watering sheen imaginable.

  "It's too hot, slow down—it's all yours," Rafe said, startled by the sight of me stuffing mashed potatoes into my mouth. He quickly cut the beef into smaller pieces for me. "Hunters consume massive amounts of energy when entering Nowhere and using their Skills. That's why restaurants serving hunters always provide high-calorie meals. Eating a lot is perfectly normal."

  I couldn't even manage a "thank you" and just mechanically stuffed my mouth, chewing and swallowing, my hands, mouth, tongue, and throat seemingly controlled by some instinctual force.

  After devouring nearly two kilograms of beef ribs, the uncontrollable hunger gradually settled into a tolerable pang. I sincerely apologized and thanked Rafe, then placed half of the second meal's beef and sides onto the plate now containing only a long bone. Using a sharp steak knife to cut the meat, I finally regained some semblance of civilized dining.

  "It's really delicious. Want to try?" I cut a small piece of marbled meat and offered it to Tuesday. "It's the best meat I've ever tasted—I really hope it's just beef."

  Rafe paused briefly as he opened a bottle of water, his right cheek twitching slightly, evidently struggling to suppress a more intense reaction.

  Tuesday gently pushed the fork back toward me: "No, I can't eat such pure vegetarian food."

  My mind raced, utterly failing to grasp Tuesday's statement.

  "That's a Resident saying," Rafe explained slowly, chewing his beef with visible difficulty, clearly suppressing a gag reflex. "Human life is considered meat; non-human death or foods unrelated to death are considered vegetarian. Adding a bit of blood would make it better."

  Great idea. I peeled off the medical tape, squeezing some blood from my wound onto the meat. "Now is it edible?"

  Rafe grabbed the bloodied meat swiftly with a napkin, wrapped it in several layers of paper, stuffed it into a plastic bag, ignored the trash can under the table, threw it directly into a fireplace embedded in the wall, and pressed a button.

  "Isn't that a bit dramatic?" I stared at the roaring flames, suddenly feeling as if I'd committed a serious mistake. "Sorry?"

  "No... it's my fault for not teaching you," Rafe smiled at me with forced ease. "Don't ever let a Resident obtain anything from you, especially parts from your body, alright?"

  I nodded, giving Tuesday an apologetic smile, deciding not to further upset Rafe. Quietly and swiftly, I finished the rest of the food on my plate.

  "I thought you needed my help, but it looks like you're managing well. I've made some new friends and joined the Artist's Association. If you need anything, I can help you more than anyone else," Tuesday said, holding my hand, flashing a smile as radiant as sunrise. "You can open my Path in front of any mirror. See you soon."

  "Wait." I strained with all my strength, barely turning my head to dodge Tuesday's kiss, yet the kiss still landed softly on my cheek. "You mentioned artists, right?"

  Tuesday nodded, amber eyes reflecting my drunken face.

  "Then you need this more than I do."

  I pressed my fingers against the red mark on my left palm, feeling something hard—a magical experience. Pinching two fingers like tweezers, I pulled out a pen from the mark and placed it into Tuesday's hand.

  "Residents don't seem friendly. You need this more. If I need your help, I can call on you anytime, but I can't come to your aid." Mustering courage, I firmly pressed my lips against Tuesday's rose-petal-like lips.

  Tuesday vanished from my sight—my Path did not open, further confirming her non-human status. Rafe clearly thought the same, visibly stunned.

  "Who exactly is she to you...? I mean, how did she return to Nowhere?"

  I didn't like Rafe's tone, but couldn't answer him. "I don't know. I kissed her to open her Path: I felt her Path, confirming she has one. But her Path opening didn't trigger mine, meaning she's not human... Does that make sense?"

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  The logic wasn't particularly solid, yet Rafe surprisingly nodded in acceptance.

  He accepted that "Tuesday is something between a Resident and a hunter," an explanation no less absurd than the urn? Perhaps Rafe had endured too much shock and lost his usual judgment.

  "There are too many inexplicable things about you," Rafe said, clearly worried. "Rather than these vague mysteries, do you actually know what you're doing?"

  As I locked eyes with Rafe, it occurred to me that he didn't fully believe me; he just wanted to quickly address more pressing matters.

  He meant the issue concerning the Ainsworth clade—the part I was proudest of.

  "Before boarding the plane, they offered me a check for thirty million Australian dollars. Just this alone proves they're a stupid, evil, and poor organization, doomed to fail eventually." The thought still disgusted me. "They assumed I was dumb enough to lack social sense, and you evil enough to leave me utterly destitute, clearly showing the person behind this decision is both stupid and wicked."

  Rafe reluctantly nodded after a moment. "Even if Ainsworth messed up managing hunters, it doesn't mean you'll safely leave after causing them severe losses. Not all hunters are idiots."

  "True, but too many things about me defy logic. Tuesday, Hoffman, the thing in the urn, even Ms. Jin and Uncle Lu—any of these would occupy the best hunters for ages. Plus, I have two sets of Skills and Paths, capable of forging another hunter identity if needed," I said, marveling at the recent string of miracles. "From your experience, how long would it take them to find out?"

  "Fuck, don't say that—are you trying to get yourself killed?" Rafe rubbed his temples. "Never underestimate a hunter's ability to uncover the truth. Someone like Ms. Jin from Blue Vulture could peel you apart layer by layer, knowing you better than you know yourself."

  "Would a hunter that skilled work for a clade that breaks promises, cheats newcomers, and uses dirty money?" I recalled that shining figure, feeling inexplicably trusting. "If such a hunter investigated my anomalies thoroughly... everything has risks, right?"

  “You’re asking for death,” Rafe said bluntly. “You have no idea how cruel hunters can be.”

  “Oh, you think I don’t know cruelty?” I smiled slightly. “I thought you knew better than anyone how cruel I can be.”

  “Besides, this could be your opportunity. Rising amidst chaos is far easier than during peaceful times,” I continued, gripping Rafe’s hand and sketching a bright future. “You could play the hero who saves the world—even stop me, send the Residents back to Nowhere, resolve the crisis. Doesn’t that sound more promising than being some HR person?”

  Seeing Rafe's silence, inspiration struck me like lightning.

  “Money was never your real goal, right? Right! What exactly are you trying to get from the Ainsworth clade? Why did you want the Eternal in the first place? For this chance, you'd be willing to—willing to—”

  I jumped up from my chair, digging through my bag with my backside raised, and with almost trembling hands, pulled out the emerald ring from the hidden compartment in my wallet, handing it to Rafe.

  “What role has Ainsworth played in your past? You can say anything you want, just something—anything—and this is yours.”

  Rafe’s face again took on that indescribable expression as he stared into my eyes, gradually transforming my excitement into anxiety and embarrassment. I'd been far too impulsive, acting and speaking without reason.

  “All right, if you really care,” he finally said.

  Honestly, I didn't particularly care about anyone’s tragic past, but I hoped to seize this opportunity to uncover at least part of the mystery surrounding Rafe to reduce potential dangers around me.

  Wait…if this person is Rafe, perhaps I do care a bit. After all, he's Otto’s owner, and I want my beloved dog to have a stable and happy caretaker.