Dimensional Overseer: I Can Manipulate DNA!

"What did you think of that guy, Elizabeth?" Zane asked as he turned away from the crowd and walked with his friend.

"Umm? What do I think of him?" she echoed, a bit unsure.

"I meant—were you able to take a glimpse of his mind?" he clarified. His curiosity had been nagging at him ever since the encounter. Elizabeth's ability could often pick up on subtle things that even the most perceptive eyes might miss.

"No… He was too far away," she answered quietly. But then her brows furrowed, and she looked slightly disturbed. "However… I don't know why, but I felt really uneasy when he was nearby. He gave me this… cold feeling. All over my body."

"A cold feeling?" Zane repeated.

"Mm. Like… like a knife was being held to my throat. It was scary."

Zane squinted slightly at her, analyzing both her words and the genuine fear in her tone. 'She described it too well… He didn't release any major pressure, but the aura he exuded was deliberate. Subtle enough to pass under the radar, but precise enough to threaten those who could feel it. He wanted us to notice.'

It was completely different from Lune. Her presence was commanding—dominant—but never hostile. You could feel her strength, but she didn't project it with the intent to intimidate. Zephir, on the other hand, had that quiet, creeping pressure that crawled up your spine and whispered threats just beneath the surface.

Even his smile—it wasn't comforting. It felt hollow. Masked.

'Something's off about that guy…' Zane frowned, already certain of one thing: 'Avoid him like the plague. I don't want to get caught in whatever he's planning. And the way he approached Lune… he's interested in her, for sure. That's going to be a problem.'

From the look on Lune's face earlier, she didn't trust him either. But if Zephir kept pushing, they might clash—and if that happened, it would spiral into something chaotic far too fast for Zane's liking.

'It's been barely a day and the facility already feels like a pressure cooker. One wrong move and this whole place might blow.'

He clenched his fists slightly at the thought. Fiora's words echoed in his mind—how despite sharing the same goal of fighting monsters and saving lives, every single candidate had a personal motive. Power. Glory. Wealth. Influence.

They were all walking into the same war, but for entirely different reasons. And when those reasons clashed, things were bound to turn ugly.

'The next few days will be entertaining to watch…' he thought, smirking faintly.

"Z-Zane?" Elizabeth looked up at him. "Entertaining?"

"You might get to see something fun soon," he replied cryptically. "Let's go."

"...Okay." She blinked, confused but obedient, and followed him.

The cafeteria was a building of its own, a massive open space buzzing with energy. Dozens upon dozens of tables stretched across the room, surrounded by the chatter and movement of hundreds of candidates from all over the city.

The air was thick with the aroma of freshly cooked meals—grilled meat, spices, and baked goods all blending into a delicious haze that instantly reminded Zane of how empty his stomach was.

After placing their orders, the two of them found a relatively quiet table and sat across from each other.

"This place is so big…" Elizabeth murmured, her voice barely audible above the noise. "I don't like crowds…"

"They made it this way to accommodate everyone in the city. Not surprising it's huge," Zane replied, his eyes drifting around the bustling cafeteria.

"There are more cities like this one?" she asked, astonished. "It's… overwhelming."

"Overwhelming indeed," Zane echoed.

They began eating in silence. The food was surprisingly good—fresh, well-seasoned, and warm. Definitely an upgrade from the simple breakfast they'd been given earlier.

'Now that I think about it, the place we were assigned to live… it's significantly worse than this part of the city. It can't be a coincidence, can it?' Zane tapped his spoon against his bowl. 'We were probably given that old building because we're from Lower Earth. They probably didn't expect much from us.'

Not that he cared. His standards had been low for a long time. A warm bed and a functioning roof already placed this life above the one he had known for years.

Still, the bias was clear.

Just then, a loud voice echoed across the cafeteria, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"OH! IT'S YOU!!!"

Zane looked up, instantly regretting it.

A boy was rushing toward him at full speed, grinning like a lunatic, his arms wide like he was approaching a long-lost brother. His voice, obnoxious and loud, cut through the noise and made a few heads turn.

Zane instantly recognized that stupidly cheerful face.

'What the hell…' His eye twitched.

"I didn't think I'd find you this fast, friend! What a pleasant surprise!" the boy beamed.

"..."

"D-Do you know this person?" Elizabeth asked nervously.

"I wish I didn't," he muttered. "What do you want?"

"I told you! Let's be friends! Come on, you know you want to," the boy—Ivan—replied, throwing himself into the seat beside Zane.

"Leave me alone," Zane said, his tone turning ice-cold.

"So cruel…" Ivan sighed dramatically, then patted the seat. "Well, too bad. There aren't any other empty spots, so I guess I'm sitting here!"

'I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him.' Zane repeated the mantra in his head like a sacred prayer, fingers tightening around his spoon.

"And who might you be?" Ivan asked, turning to Elizabeth with an infuriating grin. "Are you his friend?"

"Mmm… F-Friend?" Elizabeth's cheeks reddened. "F-Friends… I-I don't know…" She looked at Zane, eyes wide, silently asking permission.

Zane blinked, caught completely off guard. 'Is she asking if she can call me her friend? What even is a friend?'

His mind instantly went into a spiral. 'Is walking together, talking over food, and helping each other qualify as friendship? I don't know. I don't hate her in particular but… Is that friendship?'

He froze. The part of him that disliked people immediately rejected the idea. But another part—one that had started to thaw—was simply… curious.

Before he could sort through the mess in his head, Ivan interrupted.

"Hmm, seems like you are friends!" he declared triumphantly. "What's your name, Miss?"

"E-Elizabeth!" she stammered.

"Elizabeth? That's a pretty name!" Ivan replied before turning back to Zane. "And what about you? You still haven't told me yours."

"..." Zane remained stone-faced.

"You're such a tough nut to crack. What is his name, Elizabeth?"

"...Z-Zane."

"NO! Don't tell him!" Zane snapped too late, facepalming as the word left her lips.

"Zane, huh? That's unique! I like it!" Ivan grinned. "Nice to meet you, Zane!"

SLAM!

Zane's hand hit the table hard, rattling the plates and drawing a few startled glances from nearby students. He glared at Ivan with eyes sharp enough to cut steel.

"Stop annoying me," he growled. "I don't want anything to do with you."

His voice was low but laced with fury. The smile plastered on Ivan's face only made it worse. He didn't flinch. He didn't retreat.

He just smiled.

'What the hell is wrong with him?' Zane thought, gripping his spoon like a weapon. 'Why does he keep smiling like that…?'