“Heh, I understand. Miss Vivian, please don’t worry—I have no intention of blaming you.” Viret spoke gently, noticing Vivian’s subtle unease.

“Asking you to gather over a hundred thousand gold coins in just a few days was already unreasonable. But after that incident left many of my subordinates injured… I struggled to control my emotions. That’s why I made such a harsh demand.”

Vivian was deeply moved. “Mr. Viret, your anger was completely justified. That day was my fault—I acted too impulsively and caused unnecessary losses.”

*Why is it so easy to admit mistakes in front of others?* she wondered. *If only Li Wei had ever spoken to me like this… would I have driven him away back then?*

Viret continued calmly: “Upon reflection, it was unfair of me, as your senior, to place all the blame on you. It was your first expedition—I should’ve anticipated complications.”

Vivian’s heart tightened. *Why can others understand me… but not Li Wei?*

“Still,” Viret added, “we can’t ignore this entirely. I owe it to my team, and you need to treat it as a lesson.”

“Of course, Mr. Viret. I will compensate—just give me a little more time…” Vivian said earnestly. She never intended to take advantage.

“I feel your sincerity,” Viret said. “But instead of money… I’d prefer we settle this another way.”

Vivian blinked. “Another way?”

“I’d like you to join a special expedition.”

“A special expedition?”

“Yes,” Viret replied slowly. “One targeting a demon cadre.”

Vivian froze. Her breath hitched.

*What a turnaround!*

*When luck hits rock bottom… it rebounds.* The long-awaited chance to hunt a cadre had just fallen into her lap!

“Are you serious, Mr. Viret?” she asked, voice trembling with disbelief. “After everything I did wrong…”

She’d assumed he’d cut ties with her after the last mission.

Viret’s tone softened: “You made a rookie mistake. But I saw the strength and grit you showed trying to fix it—that proves your potential. Everyone errs. Even Li Wei. Dismissing you over one slip would insult my own judgment.”

“The mistake isn’t what matters. It’s whether you learn from it… and turn it into fuel for growth.”

He spoke like a wise elder offering quiet guidance.

“I understand,” Vivian said, fists clenched with resolve. “Thank you for your trust. This time, I’ll follow your lead perfectly. I won’t disappoint you.”

“I’ll be watching,” Viret smiled.

“Wait—one question,” Vivian asked curiously. “In Gedivia, a route to a cadre-level demon must’ve cost immense resources to secure. It’s top-secret within the Legion… Why choose me?”

She knew the Legion could handle cadre hunts. Demon cadres varied in threat; only those near the Great Holy City posed true danger. In remote zones like this, a cadre’s power rarely overwhelmed a same-level Chosen Hero.

“Heh… the adult world is messy,” Viret chuckled. “Not every hunt stays focused on the mission. Office politics and scheming drag progress down—it’s exhausting. Compared to that pointless infighting? I’d rather fight beside a young, earnest Chosen Hero like you.”

“I see,” Vivian murmured. She wasn’t slow—she grasped it instantly. Her respect for him deepened.

After the Great Dark Age, humanity’s assault on the six remaining Demon King Citadels surged forward. The Chosen Hero title—once born of sacrifice to save mankind—had quietly become a trophy. The sacred mission to conquer citadels had turned into a stage for glory-chasing. True hunters like Mr. Viret were vanishing.

“Naturally,” Viret added, “the route is classified. I trust you’ll keep this confidential.”

Vivian nodded firmly—then blinked in surprise as he placed a gold coin card in her palm.

“Mr. Viret…?”

“Operational funds.”

“But… I still owe you money,” she stammered.

“A successful hunt covers it,” he said lightly. “This isn’t charity. Your gear was damaged. Without repairs, you can’t fight at full strength—and that *would* trouble me.”

Vivian took a slow breath. “Thank you, Mr. Viret.”

Dawn’s finances were dire. She couldn’t refuse.

*Sincerity for sincerity.* She vowed to give everything in the coming hunt.

*Even if I’ll never surpass Li Wei… at least I’ll move one step closer to the Demon Lord.*

And where there’s one chance, more would follow. This was her catalyst.

After finalizing details, Vivian left—barely containing her excitement.

At the study door, she glanced back. A strange chill prickled her spine. *Like a giant maw hiding inside… ready to devour everything.*

*Is this the pressure of a veteran Chosen Hero?* She dismissed it—likely just Viret’s overwhelming presence. His level surpassed hers; he might even be touching the nascent form of a Domain. Reaching Lv.70 hinged on that.

Viret watched from the window as Vivian hurried away below, expression unreadable.

*Thought it’d take effort to draw her in… but that botched test expedition handed me the leverage. Convenient.*

“Time’s running out,” he murmured. Exposure of the demonization experiments… these investigations… once the Legion pushes hard, answers will surface.

*Before that happens, I must give the world an explanation first.*

“The demon-material trade buys time. Enough for… *it* to mature.”

His gaze flickered at a name.

*Li Wei.*

For years, an unscalable mountain looming over all.

Even stripped of his status panel, his Miracle, exiled from Dawn—his shadow still loomed.

*Did the unknown demon infiltration stem from my schemes? If so… today’s events, that fool’s disappearance… all make sense. Truly unrelated to Li Wei?*

*Without panel, Miracle, or Dawn… please don’t become my obstacle.*

*Or… even if you were once the strongest—*

“Heh.”

...

The joyful surprise didn’t last.

By the next morning, grim news arrived.

In the Holy Hammer Workshop, Vivian stared at Master Karan in disbelief.

A Lv.8 Smithing master—the finest outside the Holy City—and he declared her submitted armor irreparable.

“Master Karan… why can’t it be fixed *again*?”

Karan sighed. “Miss Vivian, when did I ever promise I could?”

“But last time you said 70,000 gold would solve it!”

He stroked his beard awkwardly. “I only glanced then. Star Iron Ore—a self-repairing material. I thought catalytic shaping energy would accelerate healing. But after a full inspection… no. It won’t work.”

“Why not, though?” Tiffany chirped, raising a hand. “Fake materials? Swapped components?”

Karan: “???”

Vivian facepalmed. “Master, ignore her. She’s not the sharpest tool.”

Tiffany: “?”

*How dare brain-not-good Vivian call ME brain-not-good?!*

To preserve her harmless image, Tiffany stayed silent.

*Fine. Think I’m slow.*

*...I’m not actually stupid!*