Even with my heightened senses, I couldn't see through it.

Alfonso bowed deeply. "Mr. Mercer. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

I didn't answer right away. My attention stayed on her.

Whatever she was wearing didn't just block vision—it rejected my senses completely. My sight slid off her like water off glass.

Interesting.

"Leave us," she spoke.

Her voice was calm, almost soothing—but Alfonso stiffened instantly.

Gone was his usual confidence. In its place was a faithful, almost obedient posture that reminded me… of a dog.

From his expression, I could tell he was on edge, barely daring to breathed too hard.

"Yes, my lady." He bowed again, then withdrew without a word, sliding the wall size door shut.

Silence followed.

We studied each other for a good one minute.

I couldn't help but notice her figure—curves hidden beneath her clothing hinted at a beauty far beyond the average.

Or at least, that's what I hoped—because I would be pissed if it wasn't.

"You know, most people don't hide their faces unless they're afraid of being recognized."

"Most people," she replied, "don't survive long enough to need precautions like this."

Fair point.

I smiled faintly. "You must really value your privacy."

"I value maintaining control while staying low. Completely different from you, Mr. Mercer, who makes headlines wherever you go."

"Oh." I tapped my chin, pretending to be amused. "Did I turn you off by being too much of a public figure?"

Her response came without filter.

"Publicity is noise. Noise invites troubles. Troubles invite loss of control."

I let out a fake laughed. "Funny. I always thought visibility was control. People see what I want them to see."

"Until they see something you didn't intend," she shot back.

That hit closer to home than I wanted.

What a feisty girl. Her voice was young, but I could tell she carried herself with pride.

"So let me guess. You don't like my methods—but you still need my results."

"Precisely." she didn't even try to sugar coat it.

I leaned closer, resting my elbows on the table.

"Seeing as you're not even pretending to be polite. I'm guessing you're did not have a good impression of me."

"And what kind of partnership would make me useful?" I asked. "If it's about money, you don't seem to lack one. And my guild? You contacted me before it even existed. So that's not it either."

My gaze settled on her veil again. "Which means there's something else you're not saying. I would really love to hear your reasons."

"Hear?" she repeated. "You've said so much already, I was beginning to think my role was simply to listen."

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

…Wow.

Why did it suddenly feel like she didn't just dislike me—but actively regretted sitting at the same table?

Am I that talkative?

Very well. No more Mr. Nice Guy.

I closed my eyes.

The 'General Sun Wang' card activated.

When I opened my eyes again, they were no longer the eye of an easy go luck billionaire.

They were the eyes of someone who had slaughtered tens of thousands with his bare hands—and remembered every face.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding here." My voice turned colder.

Killing intent poured out of me, heavy and suffocating, pressing against the walls like an invisible tide. The space between us felt smaller, tighter.

She flinched—just enough to reveal her fear.

"I was being courteous because you're a woman," I continued. "But if you don't want that courtesy, then so be it."

The pressure grew heavier, and her hands started to shake.

"My lady—" Alfonso opened the door, uneasiness creeping into his voice as he sensed the pressure in the room.

She raised her right hand. "Don't interfere. Leave us. I can handle this."

He hesitated. His eyes flicked toward me, then back to her.

"Leave us. Don't make me repeat myself." The trembling in her hand didn't stop—but her voice did not waver.

Alfonso was hesitating.

"Go!" she shouted.

He bowed deeply, backed away, and slid the door shut without another word.

"Good choice. If he did interfere, I would be force to kill him."

It wasn't a threat. I was simply stating facts.

"I don't doubt your words, Mr. Mercer. And thank you for showing me this. Now I'm certain you're the right person."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow and reduced the pressure, allowing her to breathe normally again.

"Mr. Mercer… do you believe in fate?"

I let out a short chuckle.

"No. Fate is a story people tell themselves when they don't want to take responsibility. Something to blame when things go wrong. Something to praise when things go right."

She didn't interrupt me.

Thirty seconds passed. Thirty seconds of nothing but the awkward silence.

"Interesting," she began, her voice carrying neither judgment nor agreement. "So, you truly believe no path is set… that everything is forged by will alone?"

"Exactly. Rules don't make destiny. Decisions do."

Slowly, she reached for her veil and lifted it up.

I flinched out of instinct.

In front of me was a woman with hair split cleanly between black and white, the contrast so sharp it looked unnatural.

Her beauty was inhuman—not because it was flawless, but because it felt designed, as if reality itself had overcorrected.

Then I saw her forehead.

A third eye stared back at me.

Its pupil was pitch-black, deeper than shadow, like a hole punched straight into the void. There was no reflection in it. No light. Just endless depth.

Just looking at that eye made my skin prickle, as if it were watching more than my body.

It was watching my very existence.

"Are you going to attack me?" I asked, staying alert.

Powers that targeted the mind were never a good thing.

"Don't worry, Mr. Mercer. I have no intention of fighting you. Nor do I harbor the illusion that I could win against the future ruler of this world."

"Future ruler?" I repeated.

She nodded.

"It may sound unbelievable, but I have no doubt—you will become the strongest, most powerful and influential person on this planet."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you expect me to buy all that? Just because you have a third eye?"

My comment about her middle eye seemed to irritate her, yet she quickly regained her composure and drew in a steady breath before speaking again.

"My ability is precognition—but I don't control when it activates."

Her third eye blinked—and it was genuinely unsettling, like it had a mind of its own.

"I had a vision last year. There was this young man… sick, paralyzed, completely broken. At the very bottom of his life."

I frowned. "And you're telling me you saw me?"

"I didn't see any face," she admitted. "No name. No features."

"But the trajectory matched. The timing matched. And when I finally met you…"

Her gaze lingered.

"You fit the bill. And my third eye reacted when I took away my veil. That's why I'm certain—you're the man from that vision."

For a moment, I didn't even know what to say.

World conquest had never crossed my mind. I'd just been following the system—taking what it gave, surviving, getting stronger.

That was it.

At most, I wanted the strongest guild. To stand at the top as the strongest person. Nothing more.

Uniting the world… under one banner?

Yeah. That's way over the line—even for me.

"Fine, let's assume I believe you. Are you here to work for me, then?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm looking for a partnership. In return, I'll give you anything you want."

"A partnership, huh." I raised an eyebrow, testing her resolve.

"Yes, Mr. Mercer. You have your agenda, I have mine. Rest assured, they don't conflict."

I leaned back, letting her words settle.

"Doesn't conflict…" I echoed, letting my doubt hang in the air. "Funny. Most people who claim that usually end up dragging me into their mess anyway."

She tilted her head slightly, completely unbothered. "I'm not most people. And I wouldn't have shown you my real face if I weren't serious."

She made a good point.

Unfortunately, just giving in to what she wanted would diminish my value—and my guild's.

In addition, I wasn't sold on the whole "world domination" idea.

But if I could use it to increase my leverage… well, I would be happy to play the role.

"Let's say I agree to your terms. What exactly do you provide? What's in it for me specifically."

She paused for a few seconds, choosing her words with care—making sure they would entice me.

"Information on Darkness—who they are, where they operate, and so on."

My eyebrow twitched. I been considering how to get this information—and here she was, offering it.

It was unnervingly convenient that she knew what I needed.

"Is your power really just precognition?" I asked, meeting her third eye. "Because it feels like you're reading my mind."

"Precognition is just one facet," she admitted "The other… lets me calculate the path with the highest chance of success. Every decision, every variable—I can see which move will give me the advantage."

"I evaluated multiple offers before speaking. Information regarding the Darkness offered the highest probability of success in getting your attention."

She paused, letting the words hang in the air.

"Aren't you trusting me a little too much, telling me all this?"

Her smile curled up faintly. "I'm being honest… because lying to you now would only put me in danger down the line."

What a terrifying power. Her ability wasn't meant for combat, yet in the right hands, it could steer anyone to victory.

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