The quick cup of coffee and snack Adam had planned to have before heading to his suite to freshen up gradually turned into something more.

The reason for this was the old man, who seemed to be able to tell Adam about feelings, love, and relationships much more than Adam would be able to understand in the next few decades.

"You know, Adam, I also had a beloved woman once." The old man said, slowly making another cup of coffee, only this one was for him.

"Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow. "Were you married?"

The old man nodded deeply.

"Yes, those were the best decades of my life, but sooner or later everything comes to an end."

There was no sadness or sorrow in his voice, but Adam understood everything from his gaze.

"I see... What did she die of?"

The old man chuckled. "Fortunately, nothing terrible happened. She lived a long life and passed away in her sleep. She managed to avoid illness or a fate much worse."

"Hmm, but it seems that some people have lived much longer, haven't they?"

The old man shrugged.

"I am grateful for what I have. I have lived long enough to understand that compared to monsters, the lifespan of a normal human is very short. Hah, the best we can hope for is 80, 90, maybe 100 years? For some creatures, that's like a few days off."

He was right, as anyone who was aware of how long powerful monsters could live knew. Although even the weakest monsters could live quite a long time, it all depended on their kind.

"Agh, I understand. In fact, sometimes I worry that I don't spend enough time with her."

The old man took a sip of his coffee and nodded deeply.

"That's normal. You're a Phantom, so while you're on missions in the Dead Lands, you're not only fighting monsters, but helping every resident of the Citadel. She's your Operator, so I'm sure she understands that as well."

Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

Adam scratched the back of his head with an awkward look.

"Yeah, that's true, but this time I was gone for several months."

The old man was caught off guard.

"Oh, that's really long. I don't know what kind of mission took so long, but you should never make your woman wait that long!"

Adam leaned on his hand. "Yeah... I know. I'm even a little nervous before our meeting. Maybe the old bartender has some advice?"

"Hey, I'm not that old!" The old man joked.

"Hah, do you see the color of your hair? Because I don't see anything but gray!"

The old man waved his hand. "I don't remember how many years it's been since my hair turned gray. It doesn't matter. But, regarding your request, I think I have one piece of advice — give her a gift."

"Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow. "A gift? Do you mean a bracelet, a necklace, or a purse?"

Strangely enough, the old man shook his head, smiling.

"Is that all your imagination could come up with? No, you're not trying to make up for your lack of attention with an expensive gift. Only bankers or financiers whose family life has long been destroyed do that, but neither they nor their wives want to believe it."

Adam froze for a moment. He understood that the old man was right, especially in his situation. He could buy Silvana the most luxurious purse, necklace, or even a car. But... did it matter? What value did such gifts have if, in his situation, it was as easy as buying a bag of chips at the store?

"Then what should I do? In fact, I hadn't even thought about it until now, but..." Adam rubbed his chin. "I think it's a good idea to give her something. I'm sure she'll be happy, but I need something suitable."

The old man nodded, seeing that Adam's intentions were pure.

"I'm glad to hear that. Unfortunately, I don't have anything suitable here, but I think I know how to help you."

"Really?"

"Of course, just give me a moment."

The old man took out a simple sheet of paper, a pen, and wrote down an address and his signature.

"Here, go to this place after you rest. It's a small bakery that makes desserts to order. I won't hide it, it's expensive, very expensive, hahaha, but what else would you expect from a place owned by my friend? She makes excellent desserts and the taste... it's superb."

Adam took the sheet of paper in his hands and nodded deeply. He didn't know the First Ring very well, or any other part of the Citadel for that matter, but when he was driving to this hotel, he saw on the map that they were passing near this area.

"Got it. Thank you."

Sip.

Adam took the last sip of coffee and placed the cup on the saucer.

"In that case, see you next time!"

The old man nodded.

"Sure, I'll be glad to see you here again. I hope you enjoy everything."

Adam left as the old man smiled bitterly.

'Adam Vinter, huh? He's just like she said. He only recently learned about Hybrids, and yet he returned to the Citadel, defeating several of them and obtaining the Dark Heart?'

Without rushing, he picked up the dirty cup and headed for the sink, turning on the tap.

'Well, let's see what he can actually achieve. I heard that Damien had hopes that he could reach the K4-Level before the next World Wipe, but look at him... it took him only a year and a half, not half a century, to do it. Now, Damien's plans must have changed, right?'

Adam didn't notice this. He was too involved in his conversation with the old man, but the woman and the man sitting in the hall glanced at him from time to time.

Like the old man, they knew exactly who he was, but they didn't interfere in the conversation. There was no need.

Perhaps they would meet again in a few years, or perhaps it would happen in 255 years. Who knows how fate will turn out?

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