Sip.

Adam took a sip of coffee while standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the very center of the First Ring. High above their skyscraper was Queen Elisa's island, Heaven Island, but it was carefully hidden from the eyes of those who were not supposed to know about its existence.

Silvana appeared behind him, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and running the other over his chest. Her eyes hadn't shone so brightly in months, and besides their long-awaited meeting, last night had a significant influence on that.

"You know, I never thought about it, but being a Phantom gives you impressive stamina. That's definitely an advantage."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah? That doesn't mean you have to lie there like a starfish!"

Tuck!

She nudged him in the side with her elbow with a sly smile.

"Come on, I was just enjoying the process. Besides, it would be unfair of you to say I didn't try!" Silvana licked her lips.

Adam rolled his eyes.

Even when they met after several months of separation, she tried to maintain her usual formal appearance and attitude.

But... If she was in the mood, her vulgarity was unstoppable.

Adam wasn't complaining, but right now he just wanted to enjoy the sunrise through the window of their luxury hotel suite, which cost several thousand credits for one night. He was a calm stream, while Silvana was an active flame that seemed impossible to stop.

Tap.

Silvana fell onto the bed as she picked up her tablet. It was connected to the system of their hotel, or rather, the skyscraper.

"You know, we can order something for breakfast. Coffee and a chocolate bar are fine, but how about blueberry pancakes?"

Adam glanced at her.

"They have breakfast on demand here? Hah, I mean, it makes sense, but... I'm even surprised at how convenient it is. You don't even have to go anywhere."

Sure, Adam had stayed in hotels many times after returning from the Dead Lands. Even this particularly long case was no exception, just that now he wasn't alone.

But usually he would fall onto the bed, sleep, drink a couple of cans of soda from the mini-bar, and go to the dining room or restaurant where he would eat half the menu.

He never fully utilized all the amenities of hotels, especially ones as expensive as this one.

What about the time before he became a Phantom?

Well, back then, hotels weren't something he or his family thought about. Their goal was to somehow get out of the slums and move to the Third Ring.

The several thousand credits they spent on one night in this suite were equal to several months' rent for a simple house on the outskirts of the Third Ring.

After all, the Citadel did not have infinite resources, and it was a capitalist system that forced people and businesses to compete with each other.

It was the best way to get the rapidly growing population after the World Wipe to rebuild the Citadel in the shortest possible time.

Sure, for many, it didn't make the situation any better, but from what Adam had learned, with each World Wipe, the Gamma Division was doing its job better and better. Once upon a time, the slums were much larger, and the other rings were not as rich and developed.

'Hmm... Yeah, the situation is definitely getting better, but as bad as it sounds, what's the point?' Adam thought before taking a sip of coffee.

'I mean, it's good that the standard of living is improving, many people are born and die without even knowing about the World Wipe because it happens once every 250 years, ordinary people don't live that long. But... That doesn't affect how many Phantoms appear, right?'

Adam realized that from time to time, the data could vary, in some World Wipes, there could be more Phantoms, and in other periods, there could be fewer, but if these Phantoms never reached the top of the K3-Level, they simply disappeared. At best, at the Zero Day Vault, there was a record of them in some database on a dust-covered disk.

"So, do you have any preferences, or should I order a mountain of pancakes?" Silvana decided to ask again. She was puzzled as to why Adam was so pensive, but decided not to bother him, at least for now.

Strangely enough, Adam nodded.

"How about fried eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit? Do they have anything like that?"

Silvana waved her hand. "Of course. Almost any meat, vegetable, fruit, fish, or berry of your choice! If they have it on the menu, they'll make it for you. Well, even if they don't have a certain dish on the menu, I think you can contact them and work something out."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Silvana patted the edge of the bed.

"Come on! Come here and tell me what you want, I'm already hungry!"

Adam took a sip of coffee and towered over her.

"Do you know you're acting like a child? Where is the strict, office lady who made me tremble when we first met?"

"Hmm?" Silvana smirked. "Are you saying I scared you back then? You do realize it was your decision, right? I saw what options Douglas offered you. You have a thing for strict women! Hahaha!"

Adam shook his head as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I just knew I needed someone who could quickly immerse me in the world of the Phantoms. Well, in any case, it was the right decision, perhaps the best I've ever made."

He didn't pay attention to it, but as soon as his words were spoken, Silvana's face froze, and her cheeks turned red.

"Thanks..." She muttered, shyly turning away.

"Hmm? What does that mean?"

Silvana glanced at him before staring at the pillow again.

"Well, when you're a novice Operator, the best you can hope for is to be chosen by a Phantom with whom you'll go a long way. You know, I was much luckier than the others."

Adam took another sip of coffee as he realized he should have just ordered breakfast from the start.

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