Firmament descended onto the rooftop of a nearby building and pulled back his hood.
"It was only a Category 1 monster… I got far too serious for no reason."
Then he remembered what he had been doing before rushing out.
"…My dinner!"
Allen vaulted down the stairwell as fast as he could and reached his apartment, turning off the stove and pulling the pot of soup off the heat with a relieved sigh.
After serving the soup and setting it on the table, his eyes drifted toward the wooden staff on display—a simple rod with a hollow pommel and four stones resting beside it. It sat inside a glass case mounted on the wall. Allen smiled faintly as he looked at it.
"Maybe someday… but not yet."
He changed out of the white robe and into his pajamas, switched on the TV, and ate his dinner in peace.
---
The man in the yellow military uniform stood before an enormous iron door and knocked before bowing.
"I request an audience to report to the upper ranks."
The door creaked as its mechanisms began to shift, opening inch by inch. Even then, General Titan remained bowed, eyes fixed on the floor.
"The monster in City F—designated Lupus Mega—was killed by a man in a white cloak. I add that its combat capability was confirmed as Category 1, and the cleanup team has secured as many resources from the corpse as possible."
"You will be penalized with a drop in ranking, General Titan. Return to City F and await further orders."
As the iron door slowly shut again, Titan remained bent forward, drenched in sweat, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
Only when it fully sealed did he dare straighten himself and walk down the corridor, his forehead still glistening. Whoever stood behind that door were monsters among monsters. The gap between an A-Rank hero like Titan and an S-Rank—or worse—was abyssal. He had genuinely believed he might die the moment he confessed his failure to capture the monster. But the upper ranks had barely acknowledged the incident. A Category 1 monster held no value to them beyond serving as an experiment.
---
The next morning, Allen awoke and began his usual routine. He dressed in blue slacks and a white shirt before heading into the city.
Half an hour later, he reached a café near the university. The bell above the door chimed softly as he stepped inside and took a seat at the counter.
"Good morning, boss."
Allen smiled, nodding as he picked up the newspaper.
"Good morning, Alex. How's the morning going?"
The woman returned his smile, placing a saucer before him along with a spoon and two packets of sugar.
"Quiet. Since that monster appeared last night, the anatomy class was canceled. Only about half the usual crowd showed up."
Alex had warm brown skin and black hair tied in a high bun. She wore a black server's uniform with a matching apron.
"Don't worry. We've had worse days. Just remember what happened a month ago when that firebird showed up… That thing was tough, even for a Category 4. It was nearly a Category 5."
Alex groaned with a laugh as she set a cup under the coffee machine.
"Please don't remind me… We had to close for a week because of the chaos you caused across the city."
"It was the only way. And in my defense, you already know my 'abilities' are… unusual."
Alex shook her head with a resigned smile before setting the fresh cup of coffee in front of him.
"You could've used that staff of yours. When are you going to fight seriously? With your strength you should at least be A-Rank by now. Do you know the fame and money you'd earn? Not to mention political power."
"Life is not built on fame, power, or wealth. When we die, none of that follows us into whatever comes next."
Alex huffed and fixed him with an annoyed stare.
"It may not be what life is built on, but it is necessary."
Allen ignored the jab with a smile, stirring sugar into his coffee before taking a sip and returning to the newspaper.
"I hate when you start ignoring everything around you."
"I'm not ignoring you. I'm simply choosing not to respond."
Alex scowled and mimed choking the air in front of him before turning to clean the coffee machine.
"The S-Rank heroes and above still refuse to show up."
"I know. Earlier, that guy in the yellow uniform said anyone above A-Rank won't intervene unless a Category 5 appears."
Allen drank another sip before adding:
"Seems General Titan appears in the media more than the Federation president himself."
"Right, that was his name. And now that I think about it, he said something about the heroes above A-Rank. According to him, there are roughly a hundred S-Rank heroes in the world, but the numbers drop sharply as you climb. He said it's better they avoid fighting unless absolutely necessary."
Allen sighed and shook his head.
"That's ridiculous. Some monsters are incredibly dangerous. When Gigax Leo appeared, the S-Ranks didn't even show up—and that was a real threat."
Alex shot him a serious look.
"Don't joke… You're the one who killed it with a meteorite that nearly wiped out half the city."
"And that is precisely why I don't use the staff."
Alex didn't understand at first—until something clicked, widening her eyes.
"You still can't control it properly, can you?"
"Only halfway. I can control four of the five powers. The topaz defies me… I can't command the earth element the way I'd like."
Alex opened her mouth to respond, but three groups of five students entered the café at once. Allen took a quiet breath and returned to his newspaper.
"Tend to the customers first."
"Yeah, yeah…"
---
After several hectic minutes, Alex leaned against the counter, watching Allen read without lifting his eyes.
"When is Rose supposed to arrive from City A?"
"The day after tomorrow, if all goes well. She told me yesterday there was a delay in grading, so I'm not entirely sure."
"Sometimes I hate working for you, you know that?"
Allen smiled, rolling up the newspaper.
"It's certainly not because of how I treat you two. Besides—"
He paused. Something felt wrong.
He grabbed a cup and filled it with water, placing it on the counter. A faint ripple spread across the surface.
"Go to the shelter."
Alex nodded immediately, seeing the seriousness in his expression.
Moments later, the city-wide alarm blared.
A new monster had appeared.