Chapter Twenty Five
"You lost."
Ren pulled his hand back from Alex's buttcheek before she broke it in two. "You will fulfill your end of the deal now, right?"
[Special Mission has been completed. The rewards have been transferred to Host's inbox. Please claim them within the next four weeks.]
'Just in time.' Ren watched the blue screen flicker to life before Alex's answer as he sighed. "You can't back out now."
"Who says I'm backing out." Alex rolled her eyes as her shoulders slouched before continuing. "But, you have to keep your end of the bargain as well."
"Of course. I'll sign the deal after the Crystal Test." Ren leaned against the mirrored wall, crossing his arms. "Now for my victory reward. First of all, who is Elena Lavel, and why were you so respectful towards her when we almost ran her over?"
Alex's expression flickered with genuine surprise. "Shouldn't you already know the answer to that question? You were so fearless while talking to her."
"Answer the question, Alex. It's me who won not you."
"Rude." Alex massaged her stinging posterior with a wince. "Elena Lavel is the daughter of Rounah Lavel, Director of the Elexian Tower. She also works undercover for the Hunter Safety Association as a researcher. Offending her means offending two of the most powerful organizations in Seniah Continent. Satisfied?"
Ren filed the information away in his brain. 'A useful connection indeed. Not too sloppy, system.'
"Alright. Second question, who tried to kill us in the black sedan? You must have already investigated since Monica was involved."
Alex's jaw tightened. "I don't know yet. I ran the plate you memorized. It came back stolen three days ago from a used car lot two cities over. Professional job, but sloppy execution. As far as my guess goes, it must be a C or B Rank Hunter that took up an assassination job from the dark web."
"How do we deal with them if your guess is right?" Ren sighed as he rubbed his forehead in frustration.
Alex grinned at Ren's question as she rested her tired body on Ren's, before looking up at him. "That's three questions."
"Don't answer then. I'll deal with it later." Ren gently brushed Alex's hair, looking into her scheming yet innocent eyes as he let his intrusive thoughts win. "For my first wish, I want a blowjob."
"Really?" Alex licked her lips as her fingers, immediately found Ren's belt. However, before she could open it up, Ren placed his hands over hers, stopping her.
"Kidding. There are more important things, right now. For my first wish, investigate Donovan Marsh and the DM Mall. You must have sensed something too. There is something wrong. He was too eager to sell, and they conveniently disappeared without a word after the deal. Something stinks. Find out what."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "You don't even have the power to deal with it. What will you do even if you find out what's wrong?"
"That's where my real first wish plays out." Ren met her emerald eyes. "Use Elena Lavel to deal with this situation."
"Fine. Consider it done." Alex nodded slowly. "And your second wish?"
Ren's expression softened almost imperceptibly. "Train Monica. Prepare her for the Hunter's Crystal Test. She chose this path, and I won't let her walk it unprepared. Make her strong enough to survive."
Alex studied him for a long moment, her teasing demeanor nowhere to be found. "You actually care about my best friend a lot huh, Mr Esper."
"She's my girlfriend."
"No." Alex shook her head. "I've seen rich men with girlfriends. They buy them things, show them off, discard them when bored. You're different and… interesting."
Ren said nothing.
"Fine." Alex extended her hand. "I'll train Ica. But fair warning, I won't go easy on her just because she's my friend. She wants to be a Hunter? She'll have to work for it."
"That's all I ask. Anyway, I won't ask you to do it for free since three weeks is a long time." Ren smiled, pulling Alex back on her feet and straightening up himself.
"What do you mean?" Alex stared at him confused.
"I'll pay you five million with a thousand percent tip after I come out of seclusion for all the work."
Alex blinked at Ren's words, her mouth opening and closing before she let out an exasperated laugh. "You're going to pay me fifty-five million dollars to train your girlfriend for three weeks?"
"Yes." Ren nodded. "I don't believe in learning without giving something to the teacher. So I'll pay on Monica's behalf."
Alex stared at him like he'd just offered to buy the moon. "You're insane."
"Probably." Ren shrugged. "But you'll still take the money."
"Damn right I will." She grabbed his collar and pulled him down until their foreheads touched. "You're either the most generous idiot I've ever met, or you're playing a game I can't see yet."
"Can't it be both?"
"Whatever. I'm heading out." Alex released his collar, smoothing the wrinkles she'd created with practiced ease. "Your trainer will leave food outside your door every day. Try not to die of boredom in here."
Alex paused at the doorway, hand on the frame, looking back over her shoulder with that familiar mischievous glint. "And Ren? Next time you ask for a blowjob, I won't let you take it back."
Before Ren could respond, the door clicked shut behind her, leaving him alone in the training room's mirrored expanse.He exhaled slowly, rolling the tension from his shoulders. 'Three weeks is all I have. I can't waste anymore time.'
Ren settled cross-legged on the padded floor, closing his eyes. "System, withdraw the rewards of the special mission."
[Entering SSS Weapon Lucky Draw…]
[Spinning! Spinning! Spinning!]
[Ding!]
[Weapon Drawn: SSS Rank Corrupted Worldchanger]
[Weapon Description - Locked (Unlocks After Tutorial Mission)]
[Assigning A Random Passive Skill in … 3 …2 …1 …0]
[Passive Skill Assigned: Nocturne's Blessing (Lvl. 1)]
[Passive Skill Description - Locked (Unlocks After Tutorial Mission)]
[The passive skill and weapon can only be successfully equipped after finishing the tutorial mission. The weapon and skill card have been stored in the host's inventory. Proceed with the tutorial mission host.]
'Body discrimination, huh. Guess it's time to grind, now.'