The woman's sharp green eyes flickered with curiosity as she studied me. A faint, knowing smile played at the edges of her lips before she finally spoke.
"So, tell me," she said, her voice smooth as silk. "What can I do for you?"
I remained silent for a moment before setting the bag down on the inspection table with a dull thud.
"I need these appraised," I stated.
With an elegant motion, she reached for the bag, untying the strap and pulling it open. As she examined the contents, her delicate fingers brushed over the aged hilts of four antique daggers, a pistol's ammunition box, and two sapphires—each roughly the size of a human eye, their deep blue glimmering under the dim lights of the ship's interior.
She drew one of the daggers from its sheath, running her fingers along the rusted, brittle edge. A sigh of disappointment escaped her lips.
"These daggers are weak, frail," she remarked, tilting the blade against the light. "They might hold some value for collectors or sentimental fools, but in an apocalypse like this, they're useless in battle. I can offer 500 coins for each."
Setting the dagger aside, she picked up the sapphires, her emerald gaze darkening with intrigue.
"These, however…" She held them up, rolling them between her fingers, watching the way the dim light reflected in their polished depths. "Sapphires of this size and purity are rare, even before everything changed. I'll offer 15,000 coins for both."
Her gaze then drifted to the pistol bullets. "And the bullets—1,000 coins."
She closed the bag, straightened, and met my gaze with calm authority.
"That brings us to a total of 18,000 coins. Take it or leave it."
I considered her offer. These weren't things I had painstakingly earned—they were merely spoils from scavenging and looting. Accepting the deal was an easy decision.
"Fine," I said, nodding.
She signaled to an assistant nearby. The attendant stepped forward, carrying a small, white spherical device about ten centimeters in radius.
"Please place your hand on it," the attendant instructed.
I hesitated briefly but complied, pressing my palm against the cool surface. I had noticed another person doing the same thing before leaving earlier, so I refrained from asking why.
The woman with green eyes also placed her hand on the other side of the sphere. A second later, a notification appeared before me.
[18,000 coins transferred to your balance from Calista Veylen.]
I checked my system balance and raised an eyebrow.
An equipment purely for coin transactions? Interesting.
As the transaction concluded, my gaze wandered—unintentionally. My eyes traced the elegant curves of the woman in front of me, marveling at the way her emerald dress clung to her hourglass figure. The soft glow of the room only accentuated her features, making her beauty all the more striking.
A second later, I felt her sharp gaze land on me.
Shit.
Quickly, I looked away, clearing my throat in an attempt to push past the awkwardness. Desperate for a subject change, I asked the first thing that came to mind.
"When will the man… what was his name? Ah, right. 'Invisible Monster Hunter.' When will he be here?"
Calista Veylen chuckled softly, her melodic laugh sending an unexpected jolt through me. A playful smile graced her lips as she tapped her finger lightly against the table.
"His name is Kent," she said, amusement still in her voice. "He'll be back in about a week."
I frowned. "Why so long?"
The playful glint in her eyes faded as her expression turned serious. She leaned slightly against the table, exhaling softly.
"There have been abnormalities in the surrounding regions of Metro City," she explained. "Despite the system map marking this as a 'safe' zone, monster attacks have been increasing at an alarming rate. The balance has been… disrupted."
She paused for a moment, then added, "And someone claimed to have seen a dragon flying near the edge of Metro City."
My eyes narrowed. A dragon?
A dragon, hundreds of meters long, with a massive body and immeasurable strength—a king among monsters. I had read about such creatures in novels but had never seen one in reality, as they had gone extinct centuries ago.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine one would appear. But with the apocalypse upon us, the system awakening, and monsters roaming freely, anything was possible.
Calista traced the table's surface absentmindedly as she continued, "Because of this, Kent has been personally handling the situation. He won't return until the matter is under control."
I processed her words carefully. If so-called "safe" zones weren't actually safe anymore, then something was seriously wrong.
Even on my way here, I had encountered more monsters than I should have, despite following the system's marked safe routes.
A shift in the system's logic? An unseen force at play? Whatever it was, it had started in this region. And unfortunately for me, I had just arrived.
All I wanted was a temporary shelter to live peacefully in this apocalyptic world. But that dream was becoming more impossible by the second.
As I turned to leave, Calista's voice stopped me.
"Wait, Zane."
I glanced back just as she disappeared through a door connected to the room. A minute later, she returned, carrying a small bag, which she placed on the table.
"This is on the house. Since it's your first time here."
I raised an eyebrow. "Do all first-timers get this kind of hospitality?"
I opened the bag and found a bottle of whiskey, three apples, and a packet of chips.
"Not all of them," Calista replied with a playful smirk. "Only those I consider valuable."
She pushed the bag toward me. As I reached for it, our fingers brushed—just for a moment. But in that moment, something small and thin slipped into my palm.
I didn't react. My expression remained neutral as I took the bag and turned to leave.
"Goodbye. Hope to see you again," I said over my shoulder.
Once I was in the corridor, away from prying eyes, I glanced down at what had been secretly passed to me—a folded piece of paper.
Unfolding it, I found a key and a message inside.
Stay here for the night. The room on the fifth floor, #20, is empty. You can use it.
My expression darkened. Suspicion crept in.
A trap?
Just as I was about to crumple the paper and toss it away, something on the back caught my attention.
I know you have a skill that puts people to sleep.
My breath hitched. My grip tightened around the note as my heartbeat pounded loudly in my ears.
"How?"
A cold chill ran down my spine. No one should know about that ability.
No one.
Calm down. Stay calm.
Forcing myself to take a deep breath, I exhaled slowly.
Whatever this was—it just changed everything.
I held the key that had been hidden inside the folded paper.
I had never used my skill in front of her—not even once since arriving here. The only explanation was that it had something to do with her ability.
My thoughts drifted back to when I first felt her gaze. It had been piercing, as if she had seen right through me, peeling away every layer of secrecy I had built around myself.
I exhaled again, slower this time.
"I guess we'll see what she wants," I muttered under my breath.
Standing on the fourth floor of the ship, I found myself near one of the gaping holes in the structure.
The massive breach was about two meters wide, offering a clear view of the outside world.
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting the sky in hues of deep orange and violet. As the light faded, the ship's artificial illumination flickered to life, bright beams flashing across the makeshift camp below.
Survivors emerged from their tents and shelters, gripping their weapons—swords, axes, spears. Some carried firearms, while others wielded more primitive tools like massive hammers and saws.
These people, hardened by the apocalypse, moved with purpose as they took their positions along the ship's perimeter, ready to guard against whatever lurked in the darkness.
As night descended, I made my way to room #20 on the fifth floor. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the key and inserted it into the lock. With a soft click, the door swung open.
Inside, the room was simple but comfortable. A modest bed stood against one wall, its sheets looking far cleaner than I had expected.
A wooden bookshelf, half-filled with old tomes and a few scattered trinkets, rested beside a small desk and chair. A single window allowed a sliver of moonlight to seep in, casting faint silver streaks across the floor.
I set my bag down on the table and pulled out one of the apples from the gift Calista had given me. Taking a bite, I relished the crisp texture and sweet juice. Compared to the stale bread and raw eggs I had been surviving on, this tasted like heaven.
As I chewed, my thoughts circled back to the note.
"Why did she ask me to stay here tonight?"
It was vague, cryptic even. If she truly intended to set me up, she could have done so far more discreetly. But instead, she left me a message hinting at my ability—something she should have had no way of knowing.
'Could be a honey trap?"
I leaned back on the bed, closing my eyes for a moment. The image of Calista Veylen surfaced in my mind. Her striking emerald eyes, the smooth confidence in her voice, the way her dress had hugged her form as she stood across the inspection table…
A heat stirred in my lower abdomen.
Damn it.
Knock, knock.