Omniscient Necromancer POV

Since I didn't believe a single word that came out of that man's mouth, I slowly raised my head so he could see my eyes, steady and unafraid.

That was my silent response, showing that I wasn't going to accept such a ridiculous order.

His expression darkened, and I saw him subtly move the fingers of his right hand. He was ready to draw his sword to intimidate me.

If that was the case, my hand was already poised to push the chair back and start the fight.

It was at that moment that I felt a gentle pressure on my wrist.

Rosella had reached across the table and was holding me, squeezing lightly.

When I looked at her, I saw a plea in her eyes. She shook her head, asking me not to do it.

I took a deep breath. Even if I managed to break a few of those men's bones, what would happen to Rosella if something got out of my control? Secrecy was indeed the best option.

So, against my will, I forced a short, dry smile and stood up.

"All right. If this table is yours, we'll find another one."

Rosella also stood up, relieved, but the moment she started to turn to follow me, one of the other men stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

He had a repulsive smile on his face, his teeth yellowed from drinking.

"Hey, lady, you still haven't apologized for sitting at the wrong table." His voice dripped with venom. "How about staying here with us and sorting this out properly?"

The entire room reacted at that moment. Some chuckled quietly, others raised their eyebrows, waiting for the show.

I closed my eyes and ran my hand over my face, tired. I knew something like this would happen. No matter how hard I tried to avoid trouble, these kinds of situations seemed inevitable.

When I opened my eyes again, I looked directly at the man blocking Rosella and said,

"I wouldn't provoke her if I were you."

The guy laughed at my threat, leaning forward as if he had heard the best joke of the night. His sour breath mixed with the smell of alcohol almost made me take a step back, but I kept my composure.

"Are you afraid we'll take better care of your girlfriend than you do?" he sneered, reaching out toward Rosella's wrist.

He misunderstood me. At that moment, it wasn't me who was the threat to him, but Rosella.

The instant his fingers almost touched her skin, Rosella's hands moved quickly and she instantly grabbed his arm.

Before the man could react, she pulled his arm and used his own strength against him, sending him flying over the table we were sitting at and crashing into the window next to us with a bang.

The glass shattered into thousands of pieces, and the man was thrown out of the Climbers' Association.

For a moment, silence reigned inside the building. Everyone was in disbelief. I didn't even have to move my eyes to see open mouths and wide eyes.

The only one who didn't seem surprised was me.

I crossed my arms, shook my head, and said to Rosella,

"Hypocrite."

Rosella looked at me, still breathing heavily, and a mischievous smile appeared on her lips.

"Sorry! I just couldn't help myself!" She put her hands together as if to pray and bowed her head.

That brought a half-smile to my face, but there was no time to dwell on it.

The friends of the man thrown out of the window immediately gritted their teeth after the shock wore off.

The first one, the same who had tried to intimidate me from the beginning, began to stomp furiously as he walked toward me.

"You'll pay for this!" he shouted, raising his guard with clenched fists.

The distance between us was short, so the punch came fast, but I was already expecting it. I leaned to the side, feeling the wind from the blow pass me by, and counterattacked with a clean movement.

My fist rose in a short, accurate arc, striking his chin from below.

The hollow sound of his jaw clashing against his teeth echoed through the chamber.

His body staggered backward, his eyes rolling for a moment before he collapsed to the floor, stunned.

The other two, who until then had been confident, lost their courage at once. One of them immediately retreated, stumbling over his own legs until he crashed into another table.

The other tried to maintain his composure, but as soon as I took a step toward him, the façade crumbled. They looked at each other, hesitated for just a second, and then decided the fight wasn't worth the risk. The only thing they did before walking out the door was hoist up the man I had knocked out.

Thus, the tension in the hall dissolved into a mixture of awkward silence and excited whispers.

"They made short work of Droverson's gang."

"Finally, someone taught those idiots a lesson."

"Droverson is a Rank-C, isn't he? That means..."

"Really? They look too young to me."

All eyes were on Rosella and me. Some showed respect, others fear.

Rosella adjusted her sleeve as if nothing had happened, while I simply pulled out my chair and sat down again.

"Now what?" she asked, with that same mischievous smile.

I ran my hand over my face, tired, but couldn't help chuckling softly.

"Now? Now we need to have lunch."

While we were eating, I thought about the man I had punched. Droverson wasn't a name I recognized, but the whispers told me he was a Rank-C. Even so, he hadn't seemed that strong to me. That meant I had officially reached Rank-B level.

"It happened faster than I expected," I thought, almost smiling with happiness.

A few minutes later, the same waitress who had served Rosella and me at the entrance brought us two bowls of meat stew. I could see diced pieces of meat along with chunks of carrots and potatoes floating gently on the surface.

The aroma was wonderful for a meal that cost me a mere three bronze coins.

I picked up the wooden spoon and dipped it into the soup, scooping up a piece of meat. Unfortunately, the spoon never made it to my mouth.

Before I could taste even a drop of the stew, I heard heavy footsteps. The wooden floor seemed to vibrate with each step.

The hubbub of conversation, clinking glasses, and clattering plates quickly began to fade.

I had my back to the entrance, so the first thing I did after taking my eyes off the spoon was to look at Rosella. Her eyes were wide, but there was no fear there. None. What I found instead was a gleam of respect and admiration.

Then I turned my head and saw Halmax walking toward my table.

Halmax was the current Master of the Lovikalen Climbers' Association — the man the whole world knew by the title of Dragon Slayer Paladin, for what he had done on the Fourth Floor many years ago.

He had none of the fantastical qualities that sometimes circulated among newcomers: there was no shining armor, no sparkling blue eyes, nor a charismatic smile.

What I saw was a tall, absurdly strong man with arms that looked like tree trunks. His skull was smooth, completely hairless, and a huge scar cut across his face in three irregular lines, like deep scratch marks. Where his left eye should have been, there was only a stone eye. His skin was dark, marked by the sun, blood, and time.

The entire hall was silent for the first time, and each step he took was like a hammer driving the weight of the situation deeper into the air.

He stopped next to my table, looking at me and Rosella with his chin slightly raised.

"I heard about what you did inside my hall."

There was no anger in those words, but there was no sympathy either. It was just a simple, straightforward statement. And for some reason, that seemed worse to me than any threat.

"Then you already know that it wasn't me who started the fight." I replied directly and blew on the soup in my spoon to cool it down.

Halmax looked up and stared at the broken window.

"A Rank-C was thrown out the window. Another was knocked out with a single blow." His voice was deep and serious. "That's no small thing... Who are you?"

I took a deep breath, set the spoon back into the bowl, and reached into the inside pocket of my coat before placing my badge on the table.

The lithium material was easily recognizable, especially to such an experienced Climber, so I didn't need to point out the obvious.

"If that was their level, they shouldn't be holding the title of Rank-C."

For a moment, I thought I saw the corner of his mouth curve, almost imperceptibly.

Halmax ran one of his huge hands across the table and picked up the badge.

"Food later. You're coming with me now."

The spoon in front of me was still untouched and the stew looked delicious, but even I wasn't ignorant enough to defy an order from Halmax.