Mary swiped her finger across her phone’s screen as news kept popping up one after the other.

[Unidentified Hunter emerges from the portal]

[A hunter capable of flying on a cloud?]

[Neither the association nor the government is saying anything about the portal hunter!]

[Some guilds are demanding to know the identity of the unknown hunter!]

Mary’s lips parted ever so slightly in surprise. She knew exactly who this hunter was that everyone was talking about, yet she still struggled to process it.

Leonar… he had taken off on a cloud, as if he were a character from a fairy tale—making the news sound like it was ripped straight from a fantasy series.

'So he must have extra powers…' Mary thought, gently biting her lower lip.

Mary swiped through her phone until she found an official government statement.

[The government has begun establishing safe zones following the appearances of monsters outside the portals]

Because of what had happened with the last two portals, the government decided to create safe zones where both hunters and the released ones stayed alert to minimize damage. Still, this measure gave Mary a bad feeling—even though the post ended by saying it was their responsibility to maintain balance and everyone’s safety.

Next, Mary noticed a featured news item at the bottom:

[The economy is shaky: companies are pushing for workers to return to their jobs]

It had only been two days since work had been disrupted by these sudden attacks, yet companies were already complaining about their mounting losses. And, as expected, the public’s reactions flooded the comments:

[How do they expect us to get back to work when monsters are now coming out of the portals?]

[I hope they’re doing something to protect us—otherwise, I’d rather be locked up forever]

[Companies only care about money. What if another portal opens tomorrow right in the middle of the city? Can they even guarantee our safety?]

Mary sighed and set the phone on her lap. The dark circles under her eyes betrayed her exhaustion, but she stayed rooted in the chair beside the bed.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Leonar was still asleep; his chest rose and fell with difficulty, and his face was slick with sweat.

'Could he be sick…?' Mary wondered, lowering her gaze.

Even though she longed to stay by his side, she knew that right now he would only be a burden.

Mary glanced over at the nightstand. There was a notebook there, and her mind swirled with thoughts.

If there was anything, even the slightest thing she could do… it was…

…

Hours later, Leonar slowly opened his eyes.

The hotel ceiling spun in circles above him, and his body felt as heavy as if he had just carried a mountain.

He blinked several times, his throat parched as he tried to move.

"Mary…" Leonar murmured, still catching the faint floral scent lingering in the sheets.

He waited for a reply, but all he could hear was the hum of the air conditioner.

"That human left a while ago," Eleonora’s voice echoed in his mind—calm yet distant.

Frowning, Leonar rubbed his face with his hand.

"And why didn’t you wake me up?"

"You were sleeping deeply. Besides, considering your current condition…"

"You could have tried..." Leonar clicked his tongue as he attempted to rise.

Barely had he set one foot on the ground when his legs gave out and his body nearly collapsed.

"What the hell...?" Leonar muttered, clutching the nightstand and struggling to breathe.

"Oh… that," Eleonora said, her tone tinged with surprise. "I forgot I was supposed to be absorbing the pain again…"

Gradually, the fatigue began to lift, yet Leonar still felt weak.

"You could have warned me..." he grumbled, trying once more to stand.

It was then that he noticed a folded piece of paper resting on the nightstand with a golden card lying on top.

Had Mary left that there?

With trembling hands, Leonar picked it up and began to read:

[Leonar, I know things are getting really complicated… I don’t want to be a hindrance to you right now. You’re a hunter, and you’ll probably have to deal with the portals, the government, or maybe even your guild…]

'Is this a farewell letter?' Leonar thought, surprised, as he continued reading.

[I’m leaving you this card loaded with $124,357. Use what you need for your gear or whatever is necessary to survive, but please don’t blow it all at once. I’ll also use a bit of that money to survive, but you can take $100,000 without any problem]

Leonar clenched his jaw.

Without a doubt, it was a decent sum, but what worried him most was that this money…

Without a doubt, it was the money Mary had been saving all these years to buy her new house.

Had she really given him access to all that so… easily?

Why?

[I don’t mind exchanging messages from time to time. Here’s my number, in case you lose the card or have any trouble using my account. Take care]

Leonar set the letter back on the nightstand and let out a long sigh. He stole a glance at the golden card, feeling a lump form in his throat.

The truth was, he’d somehow assumed that once he got up he’d convince her to lend him about $5,000—or, at most, $10,000.

He never imagined she would hand over all that money!

Leonar smiled bitterly as he sat on the bed.

"I'm such an idiot…"

"Huh? Why are you insulting yourself?" Celestia suddenly asked, her tone confused.

Leonar clicked his tongue upon hearing her.

"No, it wasn’t for any particular reason. I just know that I have to get stronger."

"Oh, that’s the spirit of a hero. Now we just need to start with a daily prayer to boost your HF, but more importantly, you should begin to…"

And as Celestia continued mumbling excitedly about what Leonar should do next, he kept stealing glances at the golden card.