It wasn’t as though Lev hadn’t expected humans to know of him. One of their kind had once stumbled into his dungeon, after all. What he hadn’t expected, however, was to see himself paraded on a giant screen, labeled as the world’s greatest threat.

The thought almost made him laugh. So the humans already trembled at the mere shadow of his name. Was that bad? Hardly. If anything, it was amusing.

Lev raised a hand to cover his face, concealing the smirk tugging at his lips. How entertaining, that this fragile world had formally acknowledged his greatness. Alas!

The shame of it was how convinced they were that they could defeat him. As if their fragile weapons and noisy bravado amounted to anything.

How tragically, hilariously arrogant.

And the funniest part? Not one of them realized that the so-called abomination they feared was sitting just a few chairs away, politely listening to their lecture.

Humans… sometimes sharp, but most of the time? Stupid. Painfully, gloriously stupid.

The day before the first phase of the Hunter Examination, Lev finally began to feel the weight of his role as vice-captain.

“Can you go to the warehouse and ask the staff about what I requested? They’ll know,” Matthew asked, casual as ever.

Lev raised a brow but gave a short nod. “Okay.”

The warehouse stood adjacent to the office and the living quarters, a square block of concrete and steel. As they approached, Matthew handed him a tablet. Lev frowned at what was displayed. It’s the details of tomorrow’s first examination.

“What are you showing me this for?” Lev asked flatly.

Matthew folded his arms behind his head, whistling. “Because I want you to pass,” he winked.

Lev felt vaguely offended. Did this human really think he would fail? This so-called exam was nothing more than human booby traps dressed up as ‘challenges’.

“It’s not like I’m giving you a cheat sheet,” Matthew added, reading the look on Lev’s face. “I’m just letting you know in advance.”

He tapped Lev’s shoulder a few times, too many times, before strolling ahead. “G’luck tomorrow,” he called over his shoulder, waving lazily.

Lev’s eye twitched. That man was getting far too comfortable touching him.

At the warehouse counter, a woman in a plain black shirt with a cartoon logo looked up from her notes.

“Here for Matthew’s request?” she asked.

Lev gave a curt nod.

“Cool. It’s ready. You’ll find it next to the wide blue storage cabinets marked with Matthew’s name.”

Lev considered just leaving it at that. But curiosity tugged at him like an itch he couldn’t ignore. He entered the warehouse, where the sharp metallic tang of steel and the faint musk of oil clung to the air. Rows of towering storage cabinets stretched out, their labels gleaming under dim lights.

He strolled further in, curiosity guiding him until he reached a door marked ‘Staff Only’. Nearby sat a large trunk bearing Matthew’s name. That had to be it.

“What are you doing here?”

The man’s voice carried irritation like a blade’s edge. Lev turned slowly, meeting the narrowed eyes of the last person he wanted to see.

Uno.

“I was asked to come here,” Lev replied dismissively, not even bothering with more explanation.

Uno scoffed. He pressed his tongue against his cheek, then stepped forward, closing the distance until Lev’s back was almost against the cabinet.

Leaning slightly down, Uno’s words came out low and sharp. “Stop wasting your time. You won’t pass the first phase. Withdraw your application now while you still can.”

Lev almost laughed in his face. The audacity. This man still hadn’t let go of the phone incident. That was his grudge? If anything, Lev should be furious at him for stepping foot into his lair.

He stifled a chuckle but failed, a muffled laugh escaping. “Pfft. You’re so pathetic.”

The previously ingenuous expression on his face shifted abruptly, transforming into something shrewd and mocking. A sly, sneering smile curved his lips, like a blade being drawn from its sheath. 

Uno froze, then furrowed.

“…What did you just say?”

Lev tilted his head. “I don’t know why you’re so fixated on me. We only just met.”

Something in Uno cracked. He didn’t even understand why this boy got under his skin.  Maybe it was because he looked like the city mayor. The mayor was infuriating enough and his daughter was even worse. But with Lev, it was more than resemblance. Something else rubbed him raw, something he couldn’t name.

Uno’s jaw tightened. “You–”

“Uno! I’ve been looking all over for you.”

The sharp tension broke like glass. Both turned as McIntosh, the head of the Hunter Association, strolled in.

“Oh, fancy seeing you here, Mr. Lev,” the middle-aged man greeted with a genial smile.

Lev slipped seamlessly back into his façade, bowing his head with a gentle smile. “Hello.”

McIntosh’s eyes flicked between the two, suspicion glinting. “You’re not bullying Mr. Lev, are you?”

Lev’s tone turned smooth, innocent, almost angelic. “I… I was just returning his cellphone. I guess he’s still upset that I took so long to return it.” He handed the phone to Uno with a nonchalance that felt almost theatrical.

Uno nearly choked. The change was so swift, like flipping a switch. One moment, a taunting devil, and the next, a harmless lamb. But he couldn’t help but almost laugh at the sheer audacity of it all. The whiplash was almost dizzying. It was hard to believe that the same person could flip demeanors so effortlessly.

McIntosh sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Uno, he’s five years your junior. Spare the kid. It’s just a phone.”

Lev excused himself with a polite bow and walked out. As soon as he was out of sight, his mask cracked, and a smug grin spread across his face.

Uno, left fuming, let out a sharp sigh before finally turning back to McIntosh. “What do you want?”

McIntosh handed him a tablet. “It’s about Project 307.”

Uno swiped the screen and his eyes widened.

“The president finally approved it.”