Chapter 32: To the Midnight Prowlers.

Adam’s POV

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*Hours before watching Dix’s footage*

Oh God…

I can’t believe this is happening.

…

I’m completely lost.

I walked through the bustling streets, weaving my way through crowds of people going about their day. Cars rushed by on the road beside me, birds chirped overhead, and the city hummed with life. It wasn’t that I hadn’t been paying attention when Nove was guiding me earlier—I had. As a trained assassin, backtracking was second nature. I knew the route back to the Midnight Prowlers.

But there was a problem.

Guards were stationed everywhere. Even worse, I had to avoid any suspicious-looking hooligans in case they were part of Hector’s gang. The result? I’d been forced to take so many detours that I had no idea where I was anymore.

Nove would be offline for a while since she was evolving, and I had no clue when she’d wake up. That realization hit me harder than I expected. She had been handling more things for me than I’d ever acknowledged.

At first, I thought Nove was just a decent Nexus Core, not particularly special. In fact, I was relieved to have another core to rely on instead. But I had completely underestimated her.

Take inventory management, for example. It seemed simple—just pull things in and out as needed, right? Wrong. It actually required a ridiculous amount of focus. You had to visualize exactly what you were retrieving, remember where you stored it in your inventory, and then decide where to materialize it. A single lapse in concentration meant nothing happened at all.

No wonder most people I’d seen kept their weapons on their hips instead of in their inventories. The only exceptions I’d noticed were the Leader and Dona from the nomad clan.

Bottom line: Until Nove woke up, I was on my own.

But that wasn’t even the worst part.

My damn clan.

As I continued walking, I spotted more and more soldiers wearing the distinct armor of Erza’s forces. My pulse quickened. This wasn’t just some passing patrol—there were too many of them. They were searching for something. Or worse… someone.

And I had a pretty damn good idea who.

Anyhow, One thing I noticed as I kept moving—every soldier I passed had a distinct look. Silvery metal armor with golden linings, paired with a red accessory—a cape, scarf, or some kind of cloth draped over their hips, back, or neck.

I had to admit, their armor was impressive. But mine? Sleeker.

It was strange how similar my Vengeful Valkyrie frame looked compared to theirs. While theirs had polished golden linings, mine was covered in intricate runes, and my visor was a one-way see-through design that added a futuristic edge.

I pressed forward, weaving through the streets, dodging guards and keeping my head down. My only strategy at this point was blind luck—hoping I’d somehow stumble upon the entrance to the Midnight Prowlers hideout.

…In hindsight, luck hadn’t exactly been on my side lately.

As I scanned my surroundings, trying to find anything familiar, my eyes locked onto someone I did recognize.

A beret perched on his head. A cat tail swaying lazily behind him. His sharp golden eyes flickered in my direction before he quickly turned away, slipping into an alleyway as if he hadn’t just seen me.

Could be a safety precaution.

I casually leaned against the nearest wall, waited for the coast to clear so one assumes that we both know each other, before I followed him inside.

The alleyway was narrow and led straight to a dead end.

I sighed.

Great.

“Alright, you slippery little cat, where are you?” I muttered.

“Up here!”

I immediately looked up and, sure enough, there he was.

“Dix!” I practically shouted, relieved to finally see someone familiar who wasn’t trying to kill me.

I really needed to ask him how he always managed to be on top of buildings every time we met—

Oh. Right. He has wings.

Using the buildings as a foothold, Dix leapt down with the effortless grace of a cat.

“Nya, Adam. You’re one tough customer to find,” he said, smirking as he extended his hand for a handshake.

“Dix!” I exhaled, shaking my head. “Can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually glad to see you.”

I reached out and clasped his hand, expecting a normal handshake—only for him to tighten his grip, holding on longer than necessary.

He leaned in slightly, his usually playful demeanor replaced by something… colder. A faintly hostile aura radiated off of him.

“While I was glad to see you safe…” His golden eyes narrowed. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you put me and Dara through?”

“…I, uh… I’m sorry?”

Just like that, any relief I had from seeing someone not trying to kill me immediately shattered.

Dix still didn’t let go.

“And, normally, I’d let this slide, but…” His voice lowered as he studied my face. “I’ve never seen my sister worry this much about someone before.”

He squeezed my hand just a little tighter. Not enough to hurt—just enough to make a point.

“…You sure you don’t have anything going on with my sister?”

His pupils thinned slightly, and for the first time, I could feel the killing intent behind his words. Last time, Dara had been there to stop him. This time, it was just us.

This flipping sis-con…

I sighed. “Listen, man, I know you’ve heard the rumors, but I already explained this before—it was a misunderstanding. There’s nothing going on between me and your sister, I promise.”

His grip tightened a fraction, but it didn’t affect me.

I raised an eyebrow. “And weren’t you also worried about me the same way?”

The moment the words left my mouth, his fingers slackened, and the tension between us evaporated.

“Nyahaha! Yea, that’s right!” He grinned, finally clapping me on the shoulder, his hostility gone as quickly as it had appeared. “Maybe I’m just overthinking it, nya.”

Then, just as fast, his expression darkened again.

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“But mark my words, Adam.” His tail flicked behind him as he leaned in once more. “If you ever hurt my sister… you will die a horrible death.”

I groaned. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. You love your sister to an unhealthy degree—message received.”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I sighed. “Now can we please just go back? I’m exhausted. I haven’t eaten or drunk anything besides potions, and I’ve been fighting who knows what all night.”

Dix blinked, tilting his head. “Nya? What do you mean by that?”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing. Just… take me home. I’m tired.”

I swear I drank so many potions, it felt like downing five 5-Hour Energy drinks—24 hours of pure energy, plus one extra hour of forbidden power.

…Wait. If there's a 25th hour, would that make it the forbidden hour?

“Nya, what do you mean by guiding you back, nya?” Dix asked, raising an eyebrow. “Did you forget where the base is?”

“…Something like that.”

With that settled, Dix led the way. As we walked, I gave him a vague rundown of where I’d been and what I’d been doing—nothing too specific. I couldn’t tell him everything, not with my armor, and especially not with his occupation. Dix was an information dealer first and foremost. Even if I considered him a friend, giving him too much intel was a terrible idea.

Still, there was some good news.

Dix had actually found out who was behind the mess with Hector’s gang—the ones who tried to take me out while I was just trying to make some money. He had all the evidence recorded back at the base. Meanwhile, anything related to Hector himself had been left with Dara, so I’d have to talk to her for the full picture.

But right now? None of that mattered.

Right now, I just wanted a bed.

“Well, nya. We’re here,” Dix said as he lifted the trap door, leading us inside.

The moment we stepped into the underground hallway, the exhaustion slammed into me.

I’d been up all night. Not only fighting but running, dodging, and outmaneuvering my pursuers. But the second my body recognized that I was finally in a safe place?

Everything hit me at once.

My legs buckled.

I collapsed onto my knees.

“Nya! Adam!” Dix spun around, his ears perking up. “You okay!?”

I leaned heavily against the wall, every muscle in my body aching, my limbs feeling like they were made of lead.

“Didn’t I tell you?” I exhaled, shutting my eyes for just a moment. “I’m tired.”

The only reason I even made it this far was because of my intense physical and mental training back home. Mentally, I could keep pushing myself. But physically?

I kept forgetting that I had the body of a child.

I couldn’t keep up.

That was probably why, the second I let my guard down, my body reminded me of its limits.

“Ugh… Dix… just put me on a… be—”

Before I could even finish my sentence, my vision blurred. My balance failed. And then—

Thud.

I hit the floor face-first.

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Where am I?

Everything around me was black—a vast, endless void, dotted with twinkling stars, stretching into infinity.

Okay… so either I’m dead again, or this is my Core Nexus area.

I was laying down on my back, I tried to sit up—only to realize something was weighing me down.

I glanced down at my chest.

A kid?

At least, that’s what she looked like. Small, curled up on top of me, her entire body glowing with a soft golden light.

Her hair was the most prominent feature—silky, long, and flowing far beyond the length of her tiny frame. It spread out across me like a blanket, covering my torso.

Around her, small glowing orbs floated aimlessly, bumping against the ground, against my body—weightless, like tiny planets drifting in orbit.

My breath caught.

No way.

There’s no way…

“…Nove?”

Hearing her name, she slowly opened her eyes.

Her lashes were long, delicate, and… golden. Even her irises shimmered with that same warm glow.

For a second, I just stared. Now that I could see some of her facial features, I wanted to say she was cute—but the fact that she was entirely made of golden light made that observation feel somehow absurd.

She blinked at me a few times. Then, without warning, she closed her eyes again and plopped her head right back onto my chest.

“…Five more minutes.”

“Oi—”

I wanted to protest. I really did.

I’ve seen my fair share of horrors. I’ve killed people. I’ve tortured people to get what I needed.

But for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything to this kid as she nuzzled into me—her tiny form curling up against my chest like I was some kind of oversized body pillow.

“You’re… a nice… body pillow…”

…SO, SHE WAS USING ME AS A BODY PILLOW.

I opened my mouth to complain, again, but then I heard it—

A tiny, soft snore.

…Like a kitten.

My hand moved on its own.

Before I even realized it, my fingers were gently patting her head.

Wut.

WAIT. NO. I’M NOT A LOLICON. WHY THE HELL DID MY HAND DO THAT ON ITS OWN!?

AND WHY IS SHE SO CUTE FOR SOMETHING MADE ENTIRELY OF GOLDEN LIGHT!?

As I battled this internal war against myself, Nove suddenly opened her eyes again.

She smiled.

"Hello, Adam," she said, resting her chin on my chest.

"Uh… Hi?"

The more I looked at her, the more she reminded me of that white kitten I used to have.

And—as if she could read my thoughts—she suddenly started purring.

Her face looked so content that, without even thinking, I continued running my fingers through her silky hair.

...

"Adam..."

After a few minutes of silence, she finally spoke again.

"Is it normal that I don’t want to move after waking up? That I just want to sleep more?"

I blinked. What kind of question is that?

"I, uh… don’t think so?"

She suddenly pouted before burying her face into my chest again.

"Then I don’t feel like waking up. I wanna sleep forever."

Oi.

No matter how much I wanted to keep my cool, a spoiled child clearly needed some spanking—

Wait No. I wasn’t about to spank her— I was just— UGH.

I gritted my teeth and reached through the cascade of silky hair to find where her actual body was. The second I did, I grabbed her by the armpits and lifted her up.

She dangled in the air like a cat, arms flailing slightly in protest, but she was so ridiculously soft and light that I momentarily forgot what I was doing.

Her body had the same golden glow as before, but now that I was holding her up, I realized—

She’s squishy.

Like, pillowy, soft squishy.

…Thank God she’s made of some kind of golden energy material because otherwise, I’d be worried the Loli Police were coming for me.

She finally realized she had been lifted up and started flailing harder, but I easily overpowered her, setting her firmly on the ground so I could get up myself.

"Ugh. Finally," I muttered, dusting myself off before getting a proper look at her.

Alper’s body was already small, but she was half my height—basically the size of a five-year-old kid.

"I’m not five. I’m fourteen. The same as Alper."

…Huh?

I stiffened. Did she… just read my thoughts?

She suddenly smiled, twirling around playfully as if showing off her form.

Her glowing, golden body wasn’t wearing anything, but since she literally radiated light, there wasn’t anything… questionable about it. Her long hair was so absurdly long that it formed a circle around her bare feet, giving her an almost ethereal look.

"Adam," she finally said, stopping to meet my gaze. "I’ve evolved into Sentient Core 3. I have now fully awakened my sentience."

Then, with an innocent yet mischievous smile, she added—

"And one of my new features is that I can now read your thoughts and help you at an even faster rate."

Wait… she can actually read my thoughts now…?

"That’s right," Nove said casually. "Sadly, I can’t read your memories, but as long as you think about something, I can hear it loud and clear."

CATS!!!

THINK ABOUT ADORABLE CATS RUNNING IN THE WILD!!! DO NOT THINK ABOUT YOUR HORRIBLE AND DARK PAST!!!

…

OH GOD, I’M THINKING ABOUT MY HORRIBLE, DARK PAST.

"It’s fine, Adam."

Nove’s sudden reassurance made me pause.

Her voice was softer now, almost… sad.

"I realized a long time ago that I lost Alper."

She cupped her hands together, a familiar golden core node orbited into her palms and rested.

I recognized it immediately—the Caelum Lapis node. The one I hadn’t removed yet because, frankly, it was the only four-star tier thing I had.

She looked down at it with a bittersweet expression.

“Alper would’ve helped you regardless,” she murmured. “So it is my duty, as his Core Nexus, to become yours.”

Then, she smiled, releasing the core node, letting it float beside her, softly revolving around her golden form.

I eyed her skeptically.

“So… you’re saying you don’t have a grudge against me?”

She nodded.

“Alper entrusted his body to you. And thus, I shall honor his request. Whether you are Alper or Adam… you are my host. You are my master.”

Oh God no. Do NOT call me that.

I’ve seen way too many anime. If you keep saying that—especially while wearing a maid outfit—I might actually lose my mind.

“Oh?” She said, a grin forming on her face, “Like this?”

I froze.

Before my very eyes, Nove’s glowing golden form suddenly shifted—and a classic black-and-white maid uniform materialized over her body.

Oh no.

The secret clothes I stol- I mean borrowed from the Midnight Prowlers.

"Oh yes~"

She curtsied, tilting her head slightly with a mischievous smile.

"Please take care of me from now on, goshujin-sama~"

"AUGH!"

I clutched my chest as if physically struck by the sheer force of her cuteness. My legs buckled, and I collapsed to the floor as if I had been smited by the gods themselves.

Nove was…

Too terrifying.

"Hehe~ I’m glad you like me too, goshujin-sama~"

GAAH!

The sheer power of her moe actually knocked me back into consciousness.

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I jolted awake.

Sweating.

Heart pounding.

I looked around frantically, still half-expecting Nove in a maid outfit to be looming over me.

…But I was in my bunk bed.

Alone.

Thank God.

I took a deep breath.

Nove… might be the most terrifying entity I’ve ever encountered.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead, taking a deep breath.

“…Good thing I’m not a lolicon.”

…

I knew I wanted her to be more casual.

I asked for it.

I was actually worried when she stopped making comments and went quiet.

BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

A soft chuckle echoed in my mind.

"I’m glad you’re enjoying the new me," Nove teased. "Oh, and here—these are all the upgrades I got after evolving. I’m looking forward to staying with you, my dear master~"

Before I could even begin to react, a stats window materialized in front of me.