Hours passed and then suddenly Mike who was almost dozing off, felt his body light again.

Mike stirred suddenly, blinking as awareness rushed back to him. The quiet weight on his chest was gone.

He sat up, rubbing his face, his mind still foggy from the strange half-dream, half-reality haze he'd slipped into. The room was calm—too calm. Moon light filtered softly through the window.

Melina was standing infront of him.

She looked… composed again. Perfectly upright. Calm. Almost regal. As if nothing awkward had happened at all.

"Well," he thought awkwardly, that was… uncomfortable.

She cleared her throat, her gaze deliberately fixed somewhere just above his shoulder. "I… I had an urgent matter to attend to," she said a little too quickly. "An emergency."

"Oh. Right," Mike replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. Sure."

There was an unmistakable stiffness in the air between them—thick, awkward, and fragile.

She turned away, taking a few steps toward the door before pausing. For just a moment, her shoulders tensed, as if she wanted to say something more. Then she straightened, composed once again.

"I'll see you later. Take this with you—this way I can track you. You can leave it behind if you don't want me in your life," she said, her voice steady but quieter than before, as she placed an insignia-like badge on the table.

Before he could respond, she turned and left.

The door closed softly behind her.

Mike exhaled slowly, staring at the empty space she had left behind.

"Well… that was awkward," he muttered.

He lay back, staring at the ceiling, his heart still beating a little too fast.

I have no idea what just happened, he thought. But somehow… I don't think either of us is going to forget it anytime soon.

After a moment, he picked up the badge and examined it. Then he placed it into his inventory—before pausing.

Wait… if she can't track it, does that still work inside my inventory? he wondered. Everyone here has an inventory, so it should be made to work when even placed in inventory, right?

A faint glow appeared as information surfaced in his mind as he used appraisal on it.

[Supreme Insignia of the Devone Empire]

Description:

A sacred insignia granted only to the closest members of the Saintess's circle—most often her family or future spouse.

Effect:

• Can be tracked by the Saintess at all times, even when stored inside an inventory.

• Grants Absolute Protection — once per day, completely negates any attack up to Rank 10 for one hour.

Mike stared at the description in silence.

"…She really didn't hold back," he muttered.

Mike placed the insignia into his inventory, the faint shimmer fading as it vanished from his hand.

Far away, within the quiet halls of her residence in Lima City, the Saintess felt the connection settle.

She exhaled softly.

"So… he accepted it," she murmured.

A small, satisfied smile curved her lips as she closed her fingers into a fist. "Good."

Her expression shifted—not playful, not flustered, but quietly determined.

"Next time," she said under her breath, "I won't lose my composure so easily."

She turned on her heel and began walking down the polished corridor of her mansion, her steps quick and purposeful. The air shimmered faintly as she activated a short-range teleportation circle, reappearing moments later in her private chambers.

Inside, the room was warm and softly lit. She exhaled and pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her heartbeat slowly return to normal.

"I need to understand this properly," she muttered. "I can't afford to lose control again."

Her gaze shifted toward the adjoining chamber.

"I should speak to my mother," she said decisively. "She has… experience with these matters."

With that, the Saintess straightened her posture, composure returning like a mantle, even as her thoughts lingered on the boy who had unknowingly left her more shaken than any battle ever had.

Mike checked the time and sighed."It's already this late… the auction house should still be open."

Logging out of the system, he opened his eyes in the real world. After a quick change, he headed out and rode his hover bike toward the Glorious Merchant Auction House.

Fortunately, it was still open when he arrived.

"Welcome, sir. How may I help you?" the receptionist asked politely, though there was a trace of fatigue in her voice—it was close to closing time.

"I'd like to submit some items for the annual auction," Mike replied.

She nodded. "Very well. Please proceed to the appraisal room. If your items meet the criteria, they'll be listed in the annual auction. Otherwise, they'll be placed in the monthly auction."

Mike gave a small nod and headed inside.

Inside the appraisal room, he found a familiar face.

"Jordan," Mike said.

Jordan looked up—and froze.

Golden light flooded the room, so intense that for a moment he had to shield his eyes.

"Y-you again?" Jordan muttered, stunned.

His merchant appraisal skill flared to life on instinct, reacting violently to the overwhelming aura pouring off Mike.

This… this is insane, Jordan thought, his heart pounding. He's shining even brighter than before. At least ten times stronger than last time…

According to his skill, the brighter the golden aura, the higher the destiny and value of the individual. And right now, Mike's presence was almost blinding.

Jordan forced himself to maintain a professional smile, though his hands trembled slightly as he reached out to shake Mike's.

"So…" he said carefully, still half in disbelief, "what treasures have you brought for appraisal this time?"

"Are you alright?" Mike asked, noticing Jordan's trembling hands.

"I–I was watching… Porn," Jordan blurted out, not knowing what to say.

Mike stared at him. "…"

I need to wash my hands, Mike thought desperately.

"That's not what I meant," Jordan said a moment later, flustered.

Mike had already taken a step back, distancing himself and already taking out a Rank 1 Holy water.

"No! I… I'm sorry! I wasn't doing anything suspicious. I—I just said it while chatting with my girl. I thought you caught me, so I blurted it out!" Jordan admitted, hugging Mike's legs despite seeing the disgust on Mike's face.

"I believe you," Mike said, washing his hands quickly.

"You… you don't believe me at all!!!" Jordan cried, voice cracking, crying without tears.

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