Dungeon Recruit SSS class

Eleonora strode confidently through the city streets, her gaze taking in the towering buildings around her like colossal structures of concrete and glass. 

Around her, civilians continued moving toward designated shelters, following the authorities' orders to keep the situation under control after the incident with the lizards. 

Some passersby cast odd glances at Eleonora's behavior, but they went on their way, assuming she was just another eccentric. 

'This city is certainly... interesting,' Eleonora mused as her eyes scanned the holographic screens lighting up the buildings around her. 

A small doubt was forming in her mind. 

Should she return control of the body to Leonar? 

After all, he hadn't specified how long she should maintain it or exactly when she should relinquish it. His instructions had been... vague at best. 

"Be careful with the hunters and civilians." 

But that ambiguity led her to a clear conclusion. 

'Better make the most of this opportunity to strengthen my user's body,' she thought. 

Just then, a massive holographic screen caught her attention. On it, a muscular man with a wide smile and an exaggeratedly enthusiastic expression addressed the camera while performing feats of strength. 

He lifted weights effortlessly, showing off muscles that flexed under his tight-fitting shirt. 

"Come train with us! Strengthen your body, push your limits, and become the best version of yourself! It doesn't matter if you're a hunter, civilian, or awakened—everyone is welcome at Power Core Gym, the best place to unlock your potential!" 

Eleonora stopped walking and narrowed her eyes, analyzing the screen. The man's enthusiasm stood in stark contrast to her own cold demeanor, but something about his words intrigued her. 

"Strengthen the body…" the phrase repeated in her mind. She was certainly interested in that. 

A civilian rushed past her, nearly bumping into her shoulder. With a swift, direct motion, Eleonora stopped him in his tracks, blocking his path. 

"Stop," she said curtly, her piercing gaze locking onto the man, who startled at her sudden command. 

"W-What? What's going on?" the civilian stammered, clearly nervous and uncomfortable under her scrutiny. 

"Where is that place?" she asked, pointing to the screen still playing the gym's advertisement. 

The man blinked, confused by both her question and her abrupt behavior. 

"Are you kidding me? Can't you see we're in the middle of an emergency? The city's being evacuated!" 

"That's irrelevant," Eleonora replied firmly. "The situation is under control. Ignore that voice in your head telling you otherwise and answer my question." 

Her authoritative tone made the man take a step back, hesitating. He glanced around, as if looking for support or an excuse to escape the conversation, but he eventually relented. 

"That gym... it's pretty popular. It's on the main avenue, two blocks south. But I doubt it's open with all this chaos." 

"That doesn't concern me," Eleonora said, turning to leave immediately. However, before doing so, she added in a drier tone, "You may carry on with your business." 

The man stared at her in disbelief, unsure how to react to such an unusual response. Ultimately, he chose to ignore her and hurried toward the shelter. 

Eleonora didn't take long to reach the location the man had described. As expected, the gym was closed. The metal doors were sealed, and the interior lights were off except for a few emergency lights. 

Without hesitation, Eleonora approached the entrance. Placing a hand on the door, she applied slight pressure. 

The door didn't budge. 

"Ridiculous," she muttered. 

With a bit more force, she broke the lock. The door creaked open, but as soon as she stepped inside, a deafening alarm blared, filling the gym with a shrill noise. 

"What kind of obnoxious devices do humans use?" she growled, covering her ear. 

Unperturbed, she continued exploring. 

The weights, the machines, the training ropes—everything caught her interest. 

Eleonora moved through the equipment like a queen surveying her domain. Finally, her attention settled on a dumbbell resting on a bench. 

'Let's see how useful this is,' she thought, picking it up with one hand. 

To her surprise, while the weight was considerable, it wasn't particularly challenging for her to lift. 

As she inspected the equipment, a noise from outside caught her attention. Quick footsteps echoed from the entrance. Eleonora turned her head just in time to see several figures rushing through the broken door. 

"Stop right there!" a male voice shouted, firm and commanding. 

Eleonora lifted her gaze to see three police officers aiming firearms at her. Their flashlights illuminated her face, highlighting her calm, almost indifferent expression. 

"Identify yourself immediately," one officer demanded without lowering his weapon. 

Eleonora set the dumbbell back on the bench deliberately, her cold eyes locking onto the officer who had spoken. 

"I'm not obliged to answer you," she said icily, though without overt hostility. 

The officer clenched his jaw and stepped forward. 

"This is your final warning! Identify yourself, or we'll take action!" 

Eleonora tilted her head slightly, as if weighing her response. 

Finally, she let out a quiet sigh, clearly annoyed by the interruption. 

"I'm Leonar Hart… I'm here to improve this body. Don't interfere." 

The officers exchanged puzzled looks, clearly baffled by both her words and her demeanor. 

"Improve the body? What are you talking about?" another officer asked, his voice tinged with suspicion and confusion. 

"That's none of your concern," Eleonora replied dismissively, her eyes gleaming with an intensity that made the officer instinctively take a step back.