Gotoh’s brows furrowed slightly in discomfort before he exhaled and rubbed his eyes, removing his glasses in the process.

When he opened them again, his irises had turned a striking shade of gold, while his pupils became as dark as the abyss.

He tilted his head slightly, his newfound vision flooding his mind with an overwhelming amount of information. The sheer extent of it stunned him, causing him to stagger back a few steps.

"What is happening—"

Gotoh mumbled in confusion, but Cade cut him off before he could finish.

"Take a deep breath and try to relax. Close your eyes for a moment. You've just acquired a falcon's extraordinary vision, so give yourself time to adjust."

Recognizing the truth of Cade's words, Gotoh inhaled deeply, taking slow, measured breaths. With each passing second, his initial disorientation began to fade. When he finally opened his eyes again, it felt as if he were seeing the world for the very first time.

Everything was breathtakingly clear.

A squirrel perched on a tree hundreds of meters away, every strand of fur visible. Cracks in the earth revealed microscopic earthworms crawling in strange, intricate patterns. Even the wings of a bird soaring high in the sky—each individual feather distinct. It was electrifying.

Cade, observing him with an amused smile, finally spoke.

"So, Mr. Gotoh, how does it feel? Notice anything different?"

Cade knew exactly what it was like to experience the Vision Bioserum for the first time. The sheer magic of it never failed to leave an impression.

Sure enough, Gotoh’s response did not disappoint.

"I feel like... like I’ve been reborn," he murmured in awe. "Everything feels new, as if I’ve never truly seen before."

His voice held a trace of hope as he hesitantly asked, "Mr. Cade, is this enhancement permanent?"

Cade, however, crushed that hope with a casual shrug.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Gotoh, but your enhanced vision will only last for about six hours. So enjoy it while it lasts—you’re lucky."

Now that Cade had provided a thorough demonstration, it was up to the others to determine whether he was trustworthy.

Zeno Zoldyck, who had been standing quietly nearby, remained as unreadable as ever. His expression was akin to a monolith, betraying nothing of the thoughts running through his mind.

Milluki, on the other hand, was practically buzzing with excitement. Keeping a fair distance from Gotoh, he suddenly shouted, "Well? Do you really have a better vision now? Let’s put it to the test!"

Pulling out his phone, he grinned. "Here, I’ll type something. Let’s see if you can read it."

Milluki dashed roughly two hundred meters away—well, as much as his pudgy frame would allow—then held up his phone screen for Gotoh to see.

Once he was satisfied that Gotoh had gotten a good look, he came huffing and puffing back, his belly wobbling comically with each step.

"So? What did I write?" he asked between heavy breaths.

Gotoh sighed at Milluki’s antics but answered nonetheless.

"I want my bloody wings. That is what you wrote, Master Milluki."

Milluki's gaze immediately snapped toward his grandfather, his eyes filled with anticipation. He knew that only Zeno’s approval stood between him and the wish of wings he had been dreaming of.

At this moment, he no longer cared about the potential discomfort of such a transplant. After witnessing firsthand what the freelancer’s ability was capable of, all of his doubts vanished.

Zeno let out a quiet sigh before finally speaking.

"Very well, Milluki. There is no point in denying you your reward any longer."

Then, his piercing gaze shifted toward Cade.

"You. Young man. Come with me to the top of the hill. The rest of you stay here."

Without another word, Zeno turned and began his ascent up the hill, motioning for Cade to follow.

The two walked in silence for a while until Zeno finally broke it, asking Cade about his background and the nature of his ability.

Cade’s responses were brief, never offering more than a few words. When the conversation veered too close to sensitive details, he skillfully deflected the questions.

He never once revealed anything crucial—neither the name of his ability, nor the fact that his "little buddy" could communicate with him telepathically, nor even the secret that it could store multiple genetic samples.

These were all secrets Cade intended to keep, at least for now.

Engaging in small talk, they made their way up the hill. When they finally arrived at the summit, Cade found himself face-to-face with the massive creature he had glimpsed from below. Now, standing mere feet away, he still couldn’t see its head or tail, only a stretch of shimmering emerald scales. The metallic sheen caught the light in an almost hypnotic manner, adding to the creature’s surreal beauty.

Zeno spoke with a rare note of pride in his voice.

"This is my most prized possession, young man. A Western dragon named Ra."

His gaze remained fixed ahead as he continued, his tone carrying a clear warning.

"I don't even allow my family’s butlers near him, let alone freelancers like you. So you’d best not try anything foolish—hurt him, and you will suffer my wrath."

Cade immediately responded. "You don’t have to worry, sir."

Zeno gave a small nod of approval before taking a deep breath. Then, with a voice like thunder, he bellowed a single command:

"Ra!"

At the sound of his name, the enormous creature stirred. Like a serpent, it uncoiled, its colossal form shifting as its massive head lifted into view. The dragon's scales rippled like liquid metal, gleaming as it moved.

Cade’s breath hitched as the dragon reoriented itself, its car-sized head now looming directly in front of him.

He broke into a cold sweat when the beast leaned in closer—too close for comfort.

The dragon sniffed him once, then again, its hot breath washing over Cade. Then, with a short snort, it lost interest and shifted its attention toward Zeno.

Cade exhaled in relief.

Zeno reached out and patted the dragon’s snout with an air of familiarity—like one would a pet. And, in a way, that wasn’t entirely inaccurate.

"Ra, listen to me carefully," Zeno instructed. "This young man is going to take a sample of your blood. I need you to remain calm. Understood?"

The dragon’s enormous eyes blinked once in response.

Cade took this as an acknowledgment.

Zeno turned his gaze toward him, offering a small nod.

Guess that means I’m good to go.

Taking a steadying breath, Cade approached cautiously. The last thing he wanted was to be perceived as a threat.

Sensing his movement, the dragon suddenly lifted one of its talons, its curved claws gleaming dangerously in the light.

Cade’s heart slammed against his ribs. For a split second, panic flickered through him— did it have a grudge against him already?

The beast simply placed its talon closer to him, watching.

Cade shot it a glare as if to say, Was that really necessary? But after that brief moment of tension, the rest of the process proceeded without a hitch.

His small companion slithered forward and sank its fangs into the soft tissue near the dragon’s claw, extracting the necessary genetic material.

The reaction?

None.

To a beast of this scale, the snake’s bite must have felt like nothing more than an ant crawling over human skin. The dragon didn’t so much as flinch

------

At the Foot of the Hill

An unusual scene unfolded.

Swoosh—CRASH!

A rapidly spinning object tore through the soft flesh of a squirrel, obliterating a large portion of its stomach on impact.

“YEAH!! GREAT SHOT, GOTOH!”

More than seventy meters away from the lifeless creature stood Gotoh and Milluki.

Gotoh, assuming a cowboy-style shooting stance, held a stack of coins in his hands instead of a revolver. Behind him, Milluki peered through a pair of binoculars, his plump fingers gripping the lenses tightly.

“You think you can go further than this, Gotoh?” Milluki asked excitedly, still buzzing from the successful shot.

Gotoh shook his head, his tone professional. “I apologize, but any farther than this, and the projectiles start to lose momentum. I believe this is the limit for now.”

Milluki mumbled in disappointment. “That’s a pity...”

A voice called out from the hillside.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Mr. Gotoh, what was your previous record?” Cade’s voice rang clear as he and Zeno Zoldyck approached, catching their attention.

Gotoh turned, his demeanor noticeably shifting. “I believe it was around thirty meters. Beyond that, I couldn’t guarantee accuracy.”

Cade wasn’t surprised to see Gotoh’s warmer attitude. Given that Cade had temporarily enhanced his abilities, it made sense that the butler now regarded him with the same respect a patient has for a skilled physician.

Zeno, however, was focused on another matter.

“Milluki, come,” the old assassin called to his grandson. “It’s your turn now. And don’t worry—I’ve judged this young man’s ability to be trustworthy.”

Milluki’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as he jogged toward them. He rolled up his sleeve and extended his arm toward Cade with a warning.

“Here, be quick with it. And it better not hurt too much.”

Cade stroked his chin, considering the mutation he was about to introduce.

This was an entirely new modification, and he needed to be cautious. After a few moments of contemplation—and some impatient stares from Milluki—he gave a silent telepathic command to his snake.

Alright, little buddy, listen up.

This mutation is going to hurt at least ten times more than the Vision Bio-serum. When you inject him with the Flight Bio-serum, also administer the vial of opioids I gave you earlier—just the right amount to counter the pain. Otherwise, I have a feeling this guy might pass out from agony, and his dragon-owning grandpa won’t be happy with us.

Understood.

Without hesitation, the snake struck, sinking its sharp fangs into Milluki’s arm.

“Ouch—hmmph...!”

Milluki yelped but quickly stifled his reaction under the weight of his grandfather’s gaze. A Zoldyck showing weakness? Unacceptable.

Gritting his teeth, he bore the pain, though his face twisted in discomfort.

After the injection was complete, Cade stepped back to stand beside Gotoh and Zeno. Milluki’s expression of pain gradually eased, replaced by a strange sense of bliss.

A minute passed. Nothing happened.

Milluki glanced around with an impatient look on his face as if asking, Where the hell are my wings?!

Cade simply shrugged. “Don’t ask me. It’s my first time installing this trait too. I can only guarantee success, not instant results.”

Just then, Milluki felt an odd sensation in his back. He quickly peeled off his shirt before it could be torn apart. A strange protrusion had formed along his spine, its shape unmistakably that of wings. The skin hardened, taking on the structure of bone.

As he ran his hands along his back, he could feel something shifting beneath his fingers.

Then, like a supernatural phenomenon, the transformation unfolded.

Feathers began to sprout, one by one, layering over the framework of bone and muscle. Rows upon rows emerged, forming fully developed wings before the group’s astonished eyes.

Milluki, unable to fully turn his head to see the spectacle, instinctively rolled his shoulders.

FWOOOSH!

His wings expanded—majestic, angelic... well if angels were a little overfed.