“Hey Lucy, I've got someone I want you to meet,” Lucas said, a faint trace of bewilderment lingering on his face from the earlier encounter with the mysterious stranger.

Lucy arched an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “Someone, huh? Already made a new friend in the span of two hours? You, Lucas? You're not exactly known for your social skills.”

Lucas chuckled, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Well, they seem like good folks. Besides, they're all Tier 1 humans, living far from our turf. No harm can come to us in this Level 0 dungeon, remember? Violence is off the table.”

“Alright, lead the way, social butterfly,” Lucy quipped. “I was in the middle of a shower when some weird force dragged me into this dungeon, and now you're here making pals.”

Shaking his head, Lucas guided Lucy toward his table. The hall was vast, with each of the four tables accommodating nearly 250 people, totaling around 1,000 individuals. Considering the recent mutations in the world, with zombies, mutated beasts, and even strange occurrences like fish near Lucas's house changing, only a thousand had managed to reach Tier 1. They were the elite.

Upon reaching his destination, Lucas introduced Lucy to Christopher and Jessica, who were engrossed in their conversation.

“Lucas, welcome back! We were just about to sign up ourselves. Join us,” Christopher greeted with a warm smile.

Jessica, her curiosity piqued, turned her gaze to Lucy. “And who's this young lady?”

Lucas performed the introductions, gesturing toward his new acquaintances. “Lucy, meet Christopher,” he nodded in the direction of the blonde man, “and this is Jessica,” he indicated the woman with striking green eyes.

Jessica was genuinely impressed. “Your friend, huh? Lucas, you two must be formidable to reach Tier 1 together. Where I come from, I'm the lone Tier 1, and the highest level after me is just 16.”

Christopher chimed in, a hint of melancholy in his voice. “Friend? Well, where I'm from, I'm the last one standing; everyone else is gone.”

Jessica playfully swatted his shoulder. “Don't be such a downer, Christopher. I'm sure there are others in hiding.”

Lucy stood among them, taking in the lively conversation. She felt like a bit of an outsider, but seeing Lucas, who was typically reserved, and engaging so effortlessly with others, brought a smile to her face.

Jessica then shifted her attention to Christopher, continuing their chat. “By the way, the hero looks like he's from the Bald Eagle Country too. Christopher, which state are you from in the Bald Eagle Country?”

Christopher let out a sigh before reluctantly responding, “I guess it won't hurt to tell you. Each state is pretty large, after all. I'm from the first states. You might not be familiar with it, but it was the first state to ratify the Constitution and become official.”

Jessica nodded, taking in the details. “Ah, that sounds quite complex. And Lucy, how long have you known Lucas?”

Lucy shrugged; her tone was casual. “I've been with Lucas since the start of the apocalypse. But I didn't know him before all this.”

Jessica thought for a moment. “I see. Well, let's go sign up and join the Hero Society.”

However, Lucas suddenly interjected, a note of uncertainty in his voice. “Actually... I think I need some more time to consider it. I'll join later; right now, it feels a bit untrustworthy.”

Jessica acknowledged his hesitation with a nod. “Alright, that's perfectly fine, then. Christopher, let's go. Lucy, what's your decision?”

Lucy replied firmly, “I'll follow Lucas's lead. If we decide to join, we'll do it together.”

Christopher chuckled good-naturedly as he gently pulled Jessica away. “You've got quite the loyal friend, Lucas.”

Lucas observed them, noting the rapid camaraderie they had formed. They must be exceptionally strong to have survived this long and still maintain their friendly disposition. Everyone else Lucas had encountered had fallen short of his standards.

“Lucas, are your trust issues acting up again?” Lucy inquired. “I listened to the hero's speech, and it was rather compelling. The prospect of being part of a secret society of heroes is something most would desire.”

Lucas shook his head, seeking to clarify. “It's not exactly about trust. My title keeps detecting the hero's skills activating. Maybe it's just the hero's charisma, but I'd rather trust my instincts.”

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Lucy took a moment to think about it. “I understand. As a Rank 8 class, the saintess can glimpse the future, so the hero likely has the ability to sway others with words. I did feel a slight influence on myself, though it wasn't very strong.”

“That's because our class is 'God of Fire and Heat' and 'Goddess of Snow and Ice.' A hero chosen by destiny and a saintess chosen by the gods is no higher than us. There are likely others who've noticed it too; the hero's abilities can't easily sway them.”

“Why didn't you mention that to Jessica and Christopher, then? They were friendly to us,” Lucy inquired.

Lucas shook his head once more. “It's up to them. If I were to say anything, it would only lead to more questions, especially since I hold the title of 'Dawn Kingdom King' as 'The First King.'”

“True, especially given that it's only been a month since all of this started,” she replied.

Finally, Lucas guided Lucy to take a seat in Jessica's empty chair and offered her a chicken leg. “Here, enjoy this chicken leg; it's delicious.”

Lucy raised an eyebrow. “You already had some?”

Lucas nodded. “Yes, just take it.”

Lucy sighed and removed her evening glove from her right hand, placing it on her thigh. “I've been looking all over for you, and you're here eating.”

Taking it from him, she took a bite, and Lucas asked with enthusiasm, “It's good, right?”

She nodded in agreement. “Mmm, it's delicious.”

With a satisfied smile, Lucas began to pat himself down, searching for something. Lucy, curious, asked, “Are you full, Lucas?”

Lucas replied, “Yes,” and nodded slowly. Meanwhile, Lucy continued to chew on the drumstick. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lucas pulling out a pouch.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “No way, Lucas?” She exclaimed quietly, a touch of embarrassment in her voice. She paused and looked at him. “Are you trying to take all of this?” she asked in a hushed tone, shocked by his actions.

Lucas simply nodded; his smile was quiet as his hand skillfully tucked away each tasty bite under the table in a hidden storage space. This enchanted pocket dimension worked like an endless refrigerator, leaving no mess behind and keeping the meat perfectly fresh. No need to be concerned about indulgence; it had been a while since they had enjoyed the luxury of real, savory meat.

“Meri and Cale will love this,” Lucas remarked, thinking of their friends who weren't Tier 1 like them.

Lucy nodded and continued indulging herself with the succulent meats, each bite accompanied by the sweetness of honey dip. The flavors danced on her tongue; a rare treat compared to the canned goods they had become accustomed to.

As she savored the feast before her, Lucy's gaze inadvertently wandered to the hero seated beside the saintess. Jessica and Christopher were in line to register.

“He is so handsome,” she muttered to herself, unable to take her eyes off him, even while enjoying her meal.

Lucas's voice interrupted her reverie. “Lucy, help me when you're finished.”

Lucy's ears perked up, and she replied, “Wait, let me finish this drumstick first.” She bit into another piece, savoring its exquisite flavor. ‘My god, it's so good,’ she thought to herself as she relished each delicious bite.

Suddenly, Lucy felt a hand on her left shoulder. Thinking it was Lucas, she looked at his seat, only to notice he was still busy stuffing his pouch.

Turning her head to her left, her mouth still full of chicken meat, she was met with a man with black hair and black eyes, his face showing features of East Asian descent, which she, a woman from a Southeast Asian family, couldn't help but notice. The man put his index finger in front of his lip, gesturing for her to be silent, while his left hand remained on her shoulder.

Though somewhat weirded out, Lucy remembered that violence was prohibited in the dungeon. She stayed silent as the man signaled for her to follow him. Not wanting Lucas to handle everything, she quietly followed the stranger as he led her outside the hall.

There, the man firmly grasped her hand, his gaze filled with sympathy. “Why are you with the Winter King? Get away from him; he is not to be trusted. He is very dangerous,” he said, his voice laced with hatred. His expression contorted in dismay, and his face displayed sympathy towards her, but when he mentioned the “Winter King,” Lucy could sense disgust in his look.

“The Winter King? Look, I think you've got the wrong person. I don't know anyone by that name. Please release my hand,” Lucy said, looking at the man with a hint of disbelief. She followed him, thinking he might have some questions to ask, or that he was just shy, not expecting the handsome man in front of her to be a lunatic.

The man gazed back at her, his eyes once again carrying sympathy. “The man you were with, he will become the Winter King, one of the Seven Evils.”

Lucy stared at the man as if he were insane and aggressively shook his hand off her. “Let me go. If you're talking about Lucas, stop it. I don't know what hatred you harbor, but the Lucas I know is definitely not evil. Besides, you're not a saint with the ability to peer into the future like the saintess. Who are you to accuse my friend of that?”

The man appeared confused, but still wanted to explain. He voiced his concerns again. “Look, I don't know who you are, but that man is definitely the Winter King. He will turn a fourth of the earth into an eternal ice age with freezing blizzards and dying crops. He will kill anyone he meets and hinder the restoration of the world.”

Lucy, by now, regarded the man with a skeptical expression. “Look, uncle, you may be handsome and all, but you're clearly out of your mind.”

With that, Lucy glanced at him in disgust as she walked back inside the hall, muttering, “Blizzard? Ice? He's definitely crazy. Lucas's class is the God of Fire and Heat, for heaven's sake. There's no possible future where Lucas can turn a fourth of the world into an eternal ice age.”

“Yeah, he is definitely crazy,” Lucy affirmed to herself as she returned to her seat.