Rosaline remained silent, yet she didn't stop Adrian. Part of it was a lingering curiosity, just as he had suggested… but another part of her was deeply unsettled. What exactly was the artifact inside that safe? What rank was it? She couldn't gauge its power without a direct analysis.
'Even if this place violates a dozen labor laws, they wouldn't be crazy enough to keep a dangerous artifact in a common safe… The Hunter Association would tear them apart,' Rosaline thought, deciding to pull back. Her voice turned firm, though not aggressive. "Mr. Well, let's not. Flora already said it's a company secret."
Adrian's smile remained fixed, his gaze steady and intentionally provoking. His eyes narrowed slightly, giving Rosaline the chilling sensation of being stared down by a predator.
"Regulation 33: General employees are strictly forbidden from accessing company secrets. Violation is grounds for immediate termination," Rosaline stated. Despite how much this company sucked, she needed this job until she cleared her probation. She couldn't afford the risk.
'If anyone sees him cracking that safe, we'll both be fired. It'll be even harder for me to find a decent, normal job next time,' she calculated. 'I only have a middle school education, after all.'
Even in a world locked in a perpetual war against the De-von, education remained the engine of society. Basic schooling and university degrees were still essential requirements—the very path her younger brother, Leslie, was currently following.
As for Hunters, the Association acted as a guardian and mentor for those whose "Skills" awakened naturally. However, they also recruited and trained ordinary people regardless of their background or education. By consuming crystals dropped from monsters or gems from dungeons, even those without innate skills could become Hunters.
"Is that so? What a pity… I thought you were the type who lived a bit more dangerously," the young man said slowly, his intense gaze finally softening.
Rosaline offered no reply. She turned to leave, only to run straight into the Boss.
"Adrian, Rosaline, once you're done counting, get back to work," the Boss said, beckoning them out.
The stifling tension dissipated in an instant. Rosaline seized the opportunity to escape the risk and hurried out. But before the door slid shut, she caught a glimpse of Adrian casting one last, lingering look at the massive safe.
During lunch, Rosaline turned on the news while eating, her daily routine. The weather report warned of a sudden thunderstorm forming near the city where she worked—a freak weather event that triggered an immediate public safety alert.
Rosaline stopped eating and gazed out the window. For now, the sky was still bright and clear. She rose from her desk, walked to the balcony, and looked down at the bustling streets below, where people and cars moved in a rhythmic flow.
Rosaline closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and expanded her 'Hunter's Sense'. She felt the air… the atmospheric waves were fluctuating in a way that wasn't natural. It wasn't the chaotic shift of nature.
'This isn't a normal thunderstorm. It's a precursor to a Dungeon Break,' she realized. 'First, I need to call Leslie.'
She grabbed her phone and dialed her brother immediately. It took nearly half a minute before he picked up.
["P'Ros, what's up? I'm in the middle of a lecture,"] Leslie whispered, the muffled voice of a professor droning in the background.
"If you can't make it home in time, stay at the university. Don't leave," Rosaline commanded.
["...Is something wrong?"] Leslie's whisper grew sharp. He could hear the cold gravity in his sister's voice.
"Just a precaution. I have a feeling a new Dungeon is forming near me," Rosaline explained. "There's nothing yet, but if things get bad, an evacuation order will follow."
Leslie's university was in the city just south of where Rosaline worked. She wasn't sure how long or how violent this storm would be, but as an older sister, she couldn't help but worry, despite the modern safety measures.
["Got it, Rose,"] Leslie replied.
"Keep your phone fully charged," Rosaline insisted. "And don't use the internet or your phone once the storm hits."
["I will... see you later."] Leslie said, his voice tightening with a new level of stress before he hung up.
Barely an hour later, thick clouds began to cluster over a single point in the city. The blare of evacuation sirens echoed from the signal towers. The citizens moved with practiced efficiency, following the disaster protocols they had been taught since childhood. According to the news on her phone, there was almost no chaos.
"I'll be right back, heading to the restroom," Rosaline said to her colleagues as she stood up. She didn't go to the bathroom. Instead, she slipped through the balcony door. The wind was howling now, whipping her black hair around her face. Her glasses acted as a shield against the gale, allowing her to look directly up at the sky.
Five kilometers away, sea-blue clouds were spiraling in a gargantuan vortex, accompanied by low rumbles and flashes of brilliant white light. It looked like the atmosphere was preparing for the end of the world. The sunlight was swallowed by the gloom, replaced by a fine mist of rain carried by the wind.
'Should I prepare myself?' Rosaline wondered. On the surface, she was a picture of calm, but inside, her pulse was racing. Despite her dreams of retirement, the curiosity and excitement buried deep within her twenty years of Hunter instincts were beginning to stir.
"What are you doing out in the rain? Get back inside! The Boss is closing the steel shutters. Hurry!" a senior colleague called out, her face etched with worry. "If you need to make a call, do it inside! It's dangerous out there!"
"Sorry," Rosaline said, stepping back into the office. The heavy steel plates began to slide down, sealing the doors and windows.
Since the De-von first appeared, humanity had evolved, gaining skills and strength. But what no one expected was that the 'Earth' itself would be affected by the De-von's power, evolving in its own right.
This was proven by a high-ranking Hunter, one of the 'Golden Seats' of the Association. Seeking to prove his absolute strength, he challenged a natural disaster. It was common knowledge that a Hunter's body was many times stronger than a normal human's—some were practically comic-book superheroes.
That 'superhero' stood defiantly atop a skyscraper on a stormy day just like this one. The moment the lightning struck him, his seat in the council remained vacant for nearly a year.
Rosaline looked at her phone and decided to turn it off. She had to fight the urge to call her brother. In this era, the moment a signal was sent or the internet was accessed, lightning would strike that exact location. Even if the company had safety measures, she couldn't take that chance.
"Worried about your boyfriend?" Adrian joked, noticing her staring at the phone.
"No. My brother," Rosaline replied tonelessly.
"Huh. I didn't even know you had a brother. You usually don't talk about yourself," Adrian remarked.
"Aren't you worried about your family?" she asked back, not really expecting an answer.
"Hmm... not really. They can handle themselves," Adrian said with a yawn. "They're probably sipping wine or playing cards right now."
Adrian had worked here for nearly two years, as far as Rosaline could remember. While others quit after a few months, he chose to stay in a place like this. From her observations, it wasn't just about the money.
'Is it because of what's in the safe? Is he a mole for the Association? Or a government investigator? Am I overthinking this?' After circling the thoughts for a while, she simply said, "A party during a thunderstorm. Sounds nice."
Adrian chuckled softly at her response. Around them, the other employees sat in grim silence at their desks, too consumed by worry for their families to work.
"You're a strange one," Adrian said, his face uncharacteristically devoid of a smile. "Anyone else would be more suspicious by now."
Rosaline blinked, let out a sigh, and ducked under her desk. She opened a drawer and pulled out a hidden can of soda.
"At a time like this, I need this," Rosaline whispered, taking a long sip. "The only thing that clears my head."
Adrian froze for a moment before letting out a low laugh. This company strictly forbade sugary drinks because they were hard to clean and attracted pests. Yet, she had pulled it out of a filing drawer with total nonchalance.
"You know... in a few days, the company is issuing a new rule banning snacks in the sales area," Adrian said with an amused glint in his eyes.
"Wait, what? I thought they only banned meals," Rosaline said, her eyes widening.
"Who knows? Maybe they caught someone eating in here?" Adrian hinted.
"Hah? Why? I made sure to dodge the cameras every time I ate my chips, and I always cleaned up. Damn it... how am I supposed to heal my soul during work now?" Rosaline hissed, frustrated.
She had used her Hunter Sense to distort the camera's feed whenever she snacked. Had she slipped up? Or was it another employee?
"I'll check the CCTV footage for you," Adrian offered, seeing her genuine distress over the ban. Rosaline stared at him, suspicious, while he merely cocked an eyebrow.
"Are we actually this close, Adrian?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with wariness.
"Not really," Adrian smiled again. "But... it's good to do a few good deeds. It makes life happier."
Rosaline eyed him distrustfully, but she didn't press him. She didn't want to get close to a man who thought about cracking company safes. "Never mind. But thanks, Adrian."
…
…
Five hours later, the storm finally broke.
And with the silence came the news: a new Dungeon had been born. Suddenly, Rosaline's phone vibrated. The caller ID was 'Unknown'.
Rosaline hesitated before answering. She pressed the phone to her ear but said nothing. She waited until the caller spoke first.
["It's been a long time... I thought the Hunter's spirit had finally died within you... Hermit."]
The voice of an old man crackled through the line. It was a voice she knew all too well.
["I have a job for you."]