Unable to repay my student loans, I had no choice but to work part-time as a demon hunter.

Vera lay on her back, her chest rising and falling with her breath, her cheeks flushed.

Her hand covered Gordon's body with a firm grip, protecting what was most important to her.

Gordon also covered his face with his hands.

Both of them knew that if they went for another round, Vera would have her "last reserves," while Gordon would only have his "last words."

"You are mine, everywhere is mine, here, here, and here..." Gordon murmured with his eyes closed, his hands still wandering.

"Yes, it's yours." Vera let him be, "My life, my destiny, and..."

She paused, and for the first time tried to say something romantic.

"And... everything of mine." Vera closed her eyes and hugged Gordon.

Gordon felt incredibly satisfied, and he hugged her tightly, inhaling the familiar warmth of her scent.

pat...

Rain started falling outside the window without warning.

Within seconds, the heavy rain soaked the entire Knightsway.

Gordon struggled to get out from under Vera's arm, put on his shirt, and walked to the window. His back was covered with scratches from Vera, one after another.

He looked up at the dark sky.

The rain poured down from the sky, growing larger in seconds as if to engulf the entire world, creating a rapid, pounding sound all around.

The window, which previously withstood indoor vibrations, is now withstanding outdoor vibrations.

It's raining heavily.

Due to the influence of the tide of fate, he actually has a certain affinity for flowing water.

He quietly checked the window to make sure no water was leaking in.

"Come back." Vera looked at him from the shadows and reached out her hand.

"Let's rest." Gordon turned around and snuggled back into Vera's arms. "We'll have many more nights like this."

"Mmm." Vera lowered her head and kissed Gordon's forehead.

Outside, a torrential downpour threatened to wash Rundnium back to the swamp era. Inside, there were scars, embraces, and a sense of home.

……

The following day, July 16th, there were 36 days left until the Wild Hunt's feast.

The heavy rain outside continued unabated.

Gordon was filled with all sorts of thoughts. As he went down the stairs, he glanced at the sky, which was unusually overcast.

The streets outside were flooded and deserted, with only milkmen struggling to trek through the rain.

They sat around the counter on the first floor having breakfast, with black coffee, fried eggs, and toast in front of them.

In such humid weather, eating something hot will make you feel better.

Eve brought her own cutlery.

Her coffee cup was made of white porcelain with fine gold lines engraved on the rim, and a silver spoon was placed on it.

Eve raised her eyes, her gaze shifting back and forth between Gordon and Vera.

Vera was wearing a clean white shirt and a dark red vest, her hair was messy, and her face was redder than yesterday. She bent down and broke open a loaf of bread.

Gordon's hair was also messy, and there was a tired shadow under his eyes.

Eve wanted to comment on last night's events, but felt it was better to say nothing. Anyway, she already knew that Vera was happy and Gordon was capable.

Good morning, you two.

She wanted to know how Gordon and Vera got to where they are today.

From her perspective, what kind of combination is this: the holder of the "beast" nature and the holder of the "weaving" nature? Who took the initiative first? Did the beast crawl into the net, or did the net catch the monster?

Good morning. You look very energetic today, senior.

"I can't compare to you guys." Eve curled the corners of her lips into a smile.

Gordon quickly took a bite of bread and picked up the wet newspaper.

Emergency Rescue: Seven Missing Citizens Escape from Danger, Demonic Threat Contained in Time

A blurry sketch is drawn below the title.

In the painting, Gordon stands on the deck of a gunboat, holding a Blackthorn cane, like a naval officer. The artist clearly had never seen him in person, as he painted his chin wider than his forehead.

The report details the major raid by the Department of Exotic Affairs, which seized a cold water warehouse suspected of smuggling, arrested several cultists, and killed a large adult Exotic.

The last paragraph reads:

"Without a doubt, this operation owes its success to the brilliant command of Gordon Vick. Readers should recall that he is the recently much-discussed young scholar of the Winslow School—a Crimson Alchemist. Some scholars believe that his research may fundamentally change the way humanity views Source Matter..."

Good guy.

When Gao registered last time he fought the Dragon Lizard Demon, the newspapers only mentioned him briefly, saying that he provided "key support" in that rural operation, which was a dispensable role.

Now the media is openly attributing all the credit to Gordon, while the efforts of others are ignored.

The newspapers needed a hero, and Gordon just happened to be the most famous one that day.

"The newspapers are exaggerating," Gordon said, putting the newspaper back. "I just want to keep a low profile and don't want to erase everyone's hard work."

"The night before last you casually killed a large demon, and before that you concocted the Crimson Elixir and crowned Miss Monford. People like you can't stay low-key; the whole city will be concerned about whether you succeed or fail next time." Eve curled the corners of her lips.

"From now on, I will turn over a new leaf and will no longer participate in any public actions," Gordon announced.

"I know how that feels. I also had my moments of early fame, though of course, I was nowhere near as famous as you, junior."

"Senior, you're too modest."

"You are the creator of the Crimson, Gordon. The three who openly did this before have become the first director of the Royal Alchemy Bureau, the chief of the Hermes School, and a reclusive demigod, respectively. Their futures are limitless."

Representatives of national authority, the pinnacle of academia, ascensionists. Now the fourth is Gordon, and everyone feels that he is embarking on his missionary path.

"Did they each create a true red?"

"That's all I know since the Noon War. But they are more illustrious; they deal with super-large source matter and mythical source matter, all of which they accomplished within Logris, and the results served the Emperor's plans."

Extra-large source material, mythical source material! The difficulty of processing it is obviously more than a hundred times greater than that of intermediate source material.

If what Eve said is true, those exceptionally talented individuals were actually able to refine that level of Origin Essence to True Red!

It's hard to imagine how incredibly skilled they are. Gordon also wanted to witness a large-scale source material firsthand, to see if he could replicate it then.

also……

Cecilia, the duke's daughter, knew that there had been four instances of Crimson in history. The Gentleman of the House probably knew much more. Ordinary people and ordinary alchemists only knew that Crimson was a legend.

It is clear that everyone only knows part of the truth.

"Why emphasize the post-war period?" Gordon asked again.

"History before that is secret history. The Noon War marked the beginning of the Third Era. The history of the two previous eras is extremely vague and is 'not counted.' The Seven Ministers will edit and dispose of information that is not suitable for public access."

"And what does 'reclusive demigod' refer to?"

"I believe that by collecting the correct amount and sufficient quantity of Source Essence and performing different ascension rituals, life forms will ultimately undergo a qualitative change, becoming a group of... true extraordinary beings, temporarily referred to as demigods. After the Noon War, the Emperor, as the victor of the great war, signed the Treaty of Lumin with them, allowing them to voluntarily retire from the world. Subsequent ascendants must also be listed among them to maintain peace under Logris's rule."

After Eve finished speaking, Gordon understood.

Other highly skilled individuals are also secretly creating Crimson Soul; they may still be alive, but no longer appear. Many others possess this ability, but have never left a public record.

As the next person to enter, Gordon was certainly being observed in secret.

Therefore, we need to be more cautious in our actions going forward.

"Understood." Gordon took a deep breath.

"Don't worry, junior," Eve said softly. "Let me accompany you on this long road to power. If you have any plans in the future, just let me know. With me by your side, you will walk faster and more steadily."

"?" Vera leaned forward slightly, staring at Eve.

She'd had enough of the stories about demigods and secret histories; the vocabulary was too vast. She just wanted something simple and easy to understand.

"I'm still figuring out how to get through the Wild Hunt's feast," Gordon explained.

"You have two paths before you. One is the conventional path: join their game and fight each other under their rules. Or... build up your strength and trump cards, contact the most powerful person you can find who is most likely to help you, and break the rules of the Wild Hunt."

"By violating the rules of the Wild Hunt..."

"Once the Wild Hunt decides what to do, the Shoemaker will tell you the location and the rules of the competition—it's like after-sales service. This is your first time participating in a game purely for the extraordinary; you choose the method yourself," Eve said softly.

Transgressing the rules of the Wild Hunt.

This requires Gordon to gather all the cards in his hand, from national power to private connections, and then play them all at once 36 days later.

The most powerful person, the one most likely to help him...

For some reason, a plump, smiling figure kept lingering in Gordon's mind.

The king of student loans in Lundnim.

At that moment, a series of orderly commands came from outside, along with the splashing sound of boots wading through water.

A group of people are gathering across the street.

"I'll go take a look." Gordon went out.

"It's raining heavily outside."

"I'm not afraid. I'm the king of water play."

After Gordon left, Eve and Vera exchanged a glance.

"Tell me about how you first met Mr. Vic," Eve said, quite pleased.

"I won't tell you." Vera looked at her warily.

"Do you usually communicate with people like this?"

"I only like talking to Gordon."

"You should try communicating more, Miss Cartrett. I'm sure Gordon would appreciate a smooth tongue, and I promise I'll be a patient listener," Eve said playfully.

Vera observed Eve carefully.

This seems to be a completely new feeling.

They don't have to become friends immediately; they just start with topics they can talk about.

She can exchange wonderful things with another woman; they can talk about food, the weather, and listen to Eve describe that complex, secret world.

There were some things she did want to say, to tell another person, to see how others would view and evaluate it.

Tell me about the little things Gordon did before he became a Crimson Alchemist, all those cautious little things. Like how he slapped a gold pound on her head to wake her up.

"How about it? Language is also a weapon. You're already good at using a sword, why not learn another one?" Eve asked again.

"...So, back in March of this year, at the Montfort ancestral home..." Vera said slowly.