Helen stood outside his door with a carefree smile on her face, looking far too relaxed for someone visiting a man’s room this late. Her eyes moved over him once before returning to his face, and the smile on her lips grew slightly, making Zich realize he was still bare-chested.

"What are you doing here?" Zich blurted out before he could stop himself.

Helen blinked once, but instead of looking offended, she looked amused. Zich noticed his own tone immediately, and although he did not care much for social niceties, he still corrected himself because unnecessary hostility could create unnecessary trouble.

"I mean," he said while holding the door half open and standing in a way that blocked most of the room from view, "is there something you need?" 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Helen tilted her head slightly, and her eyes briefly moved to the bruises across his torso before she looked back up. She had come here under the excuse of checking on him after the dungeon incident, but in truth, she simply wanted to see him again.

"I was wondering if you minded grabbing coffee later," she said while placing one hand behind her back. "You disappeared quickly after the dragon fight, and I thought you might need something normal after everything that happened."

Zich looked at her quietly for a moment.

There was no clear hostility in her voice, and her expression did not carry greed like the failures he had encountered.

"I appreciate the offer," Zich replied while keeping his voice polite, "but I will have to decline. I need to rest, and I still have things to handle."

Helen’s smile faltered slightly. Her lips pushed forward into a small pout, and for a brief second she looked like she wanted to argue. However, she seemed to understand that pushing too hard would only make him retreat further, so she sighed and lifted both hands in surrender.

"Fine, I will not force you," she said while stepping back. "But you cannot avoid me forever, you know."

"That sounds like something a person should avoid," Zich replied before thinking too deeply.

Helen’s gaze softened slightly, but she did not continue pressing him. Instead, she gave him one last look, waved her hand, and began walking away through the corridor with slower steps than someone who had been properly rejected should have.

Zich watched until she turned the corner.

Only after she disappeared did he close the door.

For several seconds, he remained near the entrance without moving, his fingers resting against the handle while his thoughts worked through the short conversation. Helen did not feel like a direct enemy, and so far, she had returned his soul shards, shown concern after the dragon fight.

However, monsters were not the only things people needed to fear in the Ascension Mountain.

Players were worse in some ways, because monsters followed hunger, territory, or instinct, while players could smile, lie, wait, and choose the most profitable moment to attack. Zich did not know Helen’s true goal, and that was enough reason for him to remain cold even if she appeared kind.

He walked back toward the bed and sat down on the edge, glancing at the backpack filled with loot before his gaze drifted back toward the door. His cold attitude had kept distance between them, but distance also limited information, and he could not deny that Helen had enough influence and strength to be useful if handled properly.

The thought annoyed him more than it should have.

If he became less cold, would she reveal more? Would she become an ally, a shield, a source of information, or simply a distraction that needed more time than she was worth? There were many possibilities, and since he had no clear answer yet, he filed the matter away instead of making a careless decision.

While he was thinking about all that, he remembered something more important and looked toward the door again with a frown on his face.

"How did she find my room?"

He had not told Helen where he stayed, and although the shelter was organized enough that someone with connections could probably find information, the ease of it still bothered him. The rooms were reinforced and protected by shelter rules, so he was not overly worried about someone breaking in, but rules had never stopped desperate people for long.

"Maybe I should move to the privileged area when I make more money. I heard it’s much safer compared to here," he muttered while standing again.

His eyes moved across the room slowly.

The door was the main issue, but the window also needed attention, and although the space was small, even a simple alarm using items would be better than trusting the shelter completely. He did not have proper traps yet, which was irritating, but maybe basic noisemakers could serve until he found better tools.

After checking the lock twice and moving a small metal cup near the door where any movement would knock it over, he felt slightly less annoyed.

Zich straightened the backpack on the bed, adjusted the angle of his sword so the handle faced him directly, and prepared to enter the graveyard. He still needed to inspect the new materials, and see what kind of summon he would make next.

Before he could close his eyes, another knock came from the door.

Knock. Knock.

Zich’s expression twisted. For a long second, he simply stared at the door, not knowing whether to laugh or curse. One visitor was already annoying, but two in such a short time suggested that his room had somehow become a public office.

Knock. Knock.

With a frown, he picked up his sword and walked to the door.

He did not open it immediately. Instead, he moved the small metal cup aside with his foot, kept the sword behind the door frame, and only then pulled the door open enough to see who was standing outside.

Right there, standing with his arms behind his back, was a familiar face.

Jayden.