Before entering the café, I glanced over at Viora one last time. A dark scarf was wrapped around her head and neck, concealing most of her purple hair while the fabric carefully covered the base of her horns.

Combined with the darkness of the night, it was difficult to notice anything unusual about her unless someone looked closely.

At least she had enough common sense to hide her horns before leaving the villa.

Ding.

The bell above the door rang the moment we entered, and the scent of coffee reached my nose. Meanwhile, soft music was being played in the background.

Several customers occupied different tables. Some were studying while some were chatting. At first glance, it looked completely normal, which somehow made it even more suspicious.

My eyes quickly began scanning the room.

Near the counter sat an elderly man reading a newspaper, a couple was drinking coffee sitting close to the window, while three university students occupied a corner table.

Nothing was unusual. However, when my gaze shifted toward the rear of the café, I noticed them. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Three men were sitting in the shadows, where the light of the bulbs couldn’t reach properly. All of them were dressed differently and all of them were sitting differently.

Yet none of them were drinking or even using their phones. And every few minutes their eyes subtly moved toward the door at the end of the building.

’There. That had to be it. The hidden meeting location.’

My heart sped up, but I kept it cool and guided Viora toward an empty table nearby. Once seated, I ordered two hot chocolates.

Because if I gave Viora coffee at this hour, she would probably stay awake until sunrise asking me random questions.

The drinks arrived several minutes later. Then the waiting began.

And honestly, waiting was boring. Especially when you have to act normal while sitting near the guys you are supposed to eavesdrop on.

Soon ten minutes passed, but nothing happened. I was beginning to wonder if I had remembered the wrong café.

Just when I thought I would get nothing tonight, Viora suddenly grabbed my hand, and immediately my attention shifted toward her.

"What is it?" I whispered, leaning in toward her, and her voice also remained equally quiet.

"There are six."

I blinked because I couldn’t really understand her.

"Six what?"

"People."

I frowned and slowly glanced around the café again. "There are more than six people here."

"No." Viora shook her head. "Six people who are hunters. I can feel their mana all around us."

My eyes immediately drifted back toward the three men I had noticed earlier. They were only three. Yet Viora was saying there were six.

I lowered my cup and casually stretched as if I was tired. Using the movement as an excuse, I scanned the room more carefully.

The elderly man reading the newspaper and the couple near the window were the only ones that came under my suspicion, since the students had already left.

Also, for the first time, I noticed something strange. The old man hadn’t turned a single page in over fifteen minutes and the couple barely spoke.

"..."

There were three obvious guards and three hidden ones. Or maybe none of them were hidden. Maybe there were three parties on the other side of the door.

And they were those three parties’ companions or bodyguards.

’Now it is getting more troublesome. I didn’t expect that there would be three parties having a meeting. They usually have meetings with only one party.’

I thought, and I opened my mouth again as I asked Viora something important.

"Anything else?" I whispered.

Viora remained silent for several seconds, then her grip on my hand tightened.

"Woo Jin. The thing I told you about."

Saying that, Viora raised her head. Not toward the hallway or the guards. She was looking toward the door where the meeting might be taking place.

"It is getting closer."

CLACK.

The moment those words left her mouth, the door opened and every guard in the café immediately looked toward it.

The old man folded his newspaper and the couple stood up alongside the three guys.

The atmosphere of the entire café changed instantly.

’What are they doing? Is it not a secret meeting anymore?’

I thought as my gaze drifted toward the people coming out of the room which just opened.

Three figures emerged from it.

The first was a young woman with long hair that reached her waist. She wore a dark coat and carried herself with the confidence of someone accustomed to giving orders.

And by the looks of it, she must be the Black Faction Guild’s Executive: Neha.

’Okay, I am at the right place. Alright.’

I thought and looked at the second person. That was when my breath hitched.

It was Black. There was no mistaking it. The gravity user who had fought alongside me. The same person who was supposed to be nothing more than a mysterious mercenary.

Yet here he was, inside a secret Black Faction meeting place.

And walking beside him...

Wait!

Bane?!

The name surfaced from my memories immediately. Like Black, Bane had appeared several times throughout the novel. After all, he was the brother of one of the main antagonists called Jane.

A monster capable of wiping out entire squads of Hunters by himself.

The fact that he was here was bad. And the fact that Black was walking beside him was much worse.

’What the hell is going on...?’

My grip tightened around the cup. Meanwhile, Viora’s fingers wrapped around my wrist.

"That is it. That thing."

My eyes immediately shifted toward Black. She must mean him. Even the system had warned me about him a few times.

The three of them stopped near the exit and immediately every hunter in the café except for the old man lowered their heads slightly.

Not out of fear, but respect. Respect for only one person, and that person was the black-haired woman.

"The assassin."

The words instantly made my blood run cold, and my heartbeat nearly stopped.

’The assassin...? So it really was them.’

"He failed." After she said that, a brief silence followed, and then Black spoke up.

"Don’t worry." The corner of his lips curled upward slightly. "I’ll personally take care of it."

The moment those words left his mouth, every muscle in my body tensed. For a second, it felt as if his gaze was sweeping across the café.

Without hesitation, I lowered my head and slightly turned my face away while moving my hand in front of it.

The last thing I needed was for Black to recognize me here and right now.

Hearing that answer, Neha walked out of the café and when she did, everyone followed her out, including the bodyguards, couple, and the old man.

"Woo Jin, the ’something’ is gone."

"Yeah, I know."

As soon as I said that, a new notification appeared before my eyes.

Ding!

[Quest Updated.]

[You have located the Black Faction’s secret meeting point.]

[Objective Updated.]

[Discover who and what Black is.]

[Time Limit: 10 Days.]

[Reward: ???]

[Penalty: Get 10× intelligence since you are so stupid if you fail.]

I looked at the screen and then at the exit.

"System." I spoke up. "Can I respectfully decline?"