They say humans are creatures of adaptation.

    Maybe that’s why, after about three days, the once-claustrophobic closet had started to feel familiar — even comfortable.

    In fact, it was just the right size for my smaller-than-average frame, giving me a unique sense of security.

    So this is why cats are obsessed with boxes, huh.

    During these three days, I’d made some decent progress.

    Oh, you’re wondering if I’m talking about the Tesseract?

    Unfortunately, no. The Tesseract remained stubbornly silent, sleeping away as if it hadn’t a care in the world.

    I had tried everything to wake it, but it wouldn’t budge. Talk about being obstinate.

    No, my true gain during this time was something else entirely.

    My telekinesis had grown noticeably stronger.

    I didn’t really want to admit it, but it seemed like my powers were somehow connected to the Invaders.

    I mean, how else could I explain how my telekinesis had grown just from being linked to this tiny rift?

    Thinking back, the last time my powers surged was also during the process of the fragment’s energy being absorbed into the Tesseract.

    It wasn’t too far-fetched to believe that a bit of that power had bled into me.

    At this rate, by the time Greg returned, I figured my output would be about 1.5 times stronger than it had been before I started this part-time job.

    Considering how much I struggled with output issues when I fought Drakel, this was nothing short of a rare level-up opportunity.

    It was a stroke of luck that couldn’t be overlooked.

    ‘Not that I’ll be able to stand tall in front of Lexi or Raven just yet... but maybe I’ll be on par with Alice or David?’

    If I had to rank the power balance of this world, the Dragon Mayor would be on par with a Single Number Fixer, the pinnacle of strength.

    Raven would rank among the higher-tier Double Number Fixers. Lexi and Greg would be in the lower-tier Double Number Fixers.@@@@

    Of course, Raven wasn’t officially ranked as a Fixer since he didn’t have any official track record, and Greg and the Dragon Mayor weren’t actually Fixers at all.

    But if you thought of it as a global top-100 strongest ranking, that’s the general sense of where they’d be.

    On that same scale, Alice was at the lower end of a Triple Number Fixer.

    What? You think Triple Number Fixers are weak?

    Ha! That just shows you don’t know how this world works.

    This is a world full of powerful monsters and beings from all sorts of races and dimensions.

    Being a Triple Number Fixer means you’re one of the top 1,000 strongest people in the world.

    And Alice, despite being a newbie who hasn’t fully unlocked her potential, was already in that category.

    That was no small feat — she was even recognized as one of the story’s super rookies.

    If I were to objectively evaluate my own strength, I’d probably fall somewhere around the lower ranks of the Triple Numbers as well.

    Drakel, who maintained his youth with the Tesseract, would be in the lower-tier of the Double Numbers.

    If I had been instantly defeated by him, I’d have to admit I was weak.

    But since I managed to hold my own for a bit, it was clear I wasn’t entirely helpless.

    My problem is that I’m just surrounded by way too many strong people.

    All in all, this chance to grow stronger was like a lifesaving rain after a long drought.

    In this dangerous world where the only one you can rely on is yourself, growing stronger was far more valuable than making money or building connections. Ra?NO?BΕS??

    ‘The only problem is that it’s... kinda embarrassing.’

    Raven’s gaze was killing me.

    His eyes always seemed to say, “Look at this little weirdo playing in the closet.”

    Hugging my pillow tightly, I rolled around inside the cramped space. Then, feeling a sudden impulse, I slid the closet door open just a bit.

    Through the crack, I could see Raven lying on his bed, flipping through a manga magazine.

    In this high-tech future city, he’s reading a paper magazine?

    I let out a quiet snort. It was such a niche, analog hobby that I couldn’t help but find it amusing.

    But it seemed Raven noticed me watching.

    Without turning his head, he spoke calmly as he flipped to the next page.

    “What? You need something?”

    “....”

    No, not really...

    I wasn’t here for any particular reason. I was just bored from lying around doing nothing, so I figured I’d watch him.

    As if he’d read my mind, Raven sat up and shook the manga magazine in his hand.

    Even after they met in person, Yuria didn’t spark any memories. No matter how hard she thought about it, she was sure it was their first meeting.

    At the time, the atmosphere didn’t feel right for her to question it, so she let it slide... but it still bothered her.

    “I should have a proper conversation with that girl later.”

    “Well, since it’s come to this, I’ll help you bring out your full charm so you can capture Yuria’s heart!”

    “Wh-What?! C-Capture her heart?! But we’re both girls....”

    “Oh, come on. These days, who cares about gender? If you like someone, that’s all that matters. Besides, capturing someone’s heart isn’t just about romance. It’s important for friendship, too!”

    Reine grabbed Sabrina’s shoulders, her eyes shining with mischievous excitement.

    “Tomorrow, I’ll make you the most adorable girl in the world!”

    Whether it worked out or not didn’t matter.

    For Reine, it was a win-win.

    With a beautiful smile, she hid her secret agenda behind her playful words.

    ***

    Late at night, in a quiet park.

    Silence blanketed the area so heavily that it went beyond “peaceful” and felt downright chilling.

    On a lone park bench sat a woman, her figure slouched in dejection.

    “Another rejection... That makes 21 failed job applications in a row. I’m so hungry...”

    She was a member of a species known as Demons.

    Her distinct features — blue skin and reversed pupils — made it immediately clear to anyone what she was.

    Along with vampires, demons were one of the most feared and ostracized races in society.

    The reason was simple.

    Just as vampires relied on blood to sustain their powers, demons carried with them the concept of “dark contracts.”

    Through a simple contract, they could bind a person’s soul and ruin their entire life. By feeding on the resulting chaos, they could grow stronger.

    Some would argue that, in a way, demons were even more dangerous than vampires.

    That’s why, in this world, demons were treated as bottom-of-the-barrel outcasts.

    Unlike vampires, whose appearance was often indistinguishable from that of humans, demons had physical traits that made them instantly recognizable.

    No one would hire a demon.

    Not for a stable job.

    Not even for part-time work.

    Most demons responded to this discrimination by giving in to their “demonic nature” and fully embracing villainy.

    After all, if society was going to treat them like monsters, they might as well be monsters.

    But among them, there were always exceptions.

    There were always outliers.

    This demon was one of them.

    A timid demon, unwilling to give up on society’s small comforts.

    The notion of binding a person’s soul through a contract to steal their power?

    “What’s the point of that? If the cops chase me, I won’t even be able to buy a burger.”

    Stuck in indecision, she was trapped in a spiral of doubt and misery.

    All she could do was slump on the bench, haunted by a world that didn’t want her.

    “Would you like to change your appearance?”

    “AHH! Wh-Who are you?!”

    A sudden voice echoed from behind her.

    Her body stiffened, and she twisted around, eyes wide with fear.

    There, in the suffocating darkness, stood a figure cloaked in shadow.

    Their voice was calm, unnervingly so.

    Their words, however, were like poisoned honey.

    “Would you like to change your appearance?”

    A dangerous offer had been made.

    One that could ruin her life.

    Or... perhaps, save it.