The knock on the door cut through the stillness of the room like a sharp blade. Derek's eyes snapped open. His pulse was still too fast, the remnants of his dream clinging to him like a second skin.

He blinked, unsure if he was still tangled in that half-waking state, but his mind quickly cleared. He pushed himself off the cot, the heaviness in his limbs betraying just how long he'd been running on adrenaline. Each step he took echoed the weight he was still carrying.

When he opened the door, his eyes instinctively scanned the hallway. It took a moment for his brain to process what he was seeing. A soldier stood there, looking uncomfortable, but trying to keep his posture in check.

"Uh, sir," the soldier began, glancing past him into the room, "You've got company."

Derek froze. Sir?

For a split second, he looked over his shoulder as if to confirm that the soldier was addressing him. But there was no one else. No one was more qualified to be "sir" in this sorry excuse for a room.

He didn't respond right away. The soldier shifted uncomfortably, clearly unsure if he should repeat himself.

Derek slowly pushed the door open further, his gaze still locked on the soldier. His pulse was a little too fast, and he was still on edge from the dream—the weight of it hanging in the corners of his mind.

"Who's here?" he asked, his voice hoarse from the remnants of sleep and the surreal feeling that came from the dream's aftermath.

The soldier didn't move, but glanced over his shoulder toward the hallway. "Uhmm...., sir."

Seeing the soldier hesitate, Derek pushed the door open, he saw the taut shoulders of a familiar man standing behind the young soldier.

Derek blinked. The words barely registered. He was still processing that he'd just been called "sir" by someone who probably didn't even know his real name, and here was the Genesis Squad, standing at his doorstep.

He exhaled sharply, pushing the disorientation aside. "Right. Let them in."

The soldier hesitated for a moment before stepping aside. As he did, Derek's gaze flicked to the trio standing just outside. Andrew, Evelyn, and Felix. Their expressions were all mixed—surprised, cautious, calculating.

He already knew why they were here. They would naturally be curious about how a student became a certified monster hunter in less than two weeks—well, a month if you add the time he was on the Netherworld's first floor. He contemplated this issue and realised the way to push the situation in his favour and even solve the system's missions.

" I better get an Oscar for this performance " His aura suddenly turned aloof and icy.

He didn't wait for pleasantries.

Before any of them could speak, Derek turned his back on the door and walked a few steps into the room, just far enough to make it clear they had to follow him inside if they wanted to talk.

They did.

The trio stepped into the room without a word, the door clicking shut behind them. Derek didn't bother facing them.

A small diamond shaped stone appeared in his hand.

"I'll be blunt," he said, tone flat, deliberately distant. "I have a way to make you stronger. All of you."

No theatrics. No context. Just the offer.

"There are only two conditions," he continued, voice steady, "is that you follow my lead from now on."

His words weren't a request. They were a mission directive.

The Genesis Squad didn't respond immediately. Derek could feel the quiet tension behind him, the way they stood still, exchanging looks, wondering if this was some kind of joke, test, or trap.

Felix was the first to break. "Wait—what even is that?"

"Does it matter?" Derek shot back, finally turning to face them. His expression was unreadable, all the warmth of a frozen tundra. "You're not strong enough for what's coming. But I can fix that."

Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "And you expect us to just take orders from someone we don't know?"

"No," Derek said. "I expect you to ask your higher-ups. That's what good soldiers do, right?"

Andrew's jaw flexed. His eyes lingered on the chip. "You're serious."

"I'm a lot of things," Derek replied, his face unreadable. "But I don't joke about survival."

Silence stretched between them like a drawn wire—taut, humming with unspoken questions. The air in the room was still, but heavy, thick with the scent of sterilised metal and worn-out fabric. Dust motes floated lazily in the sunlight slicing through the narrow window, drifting across the floor like ghosts.

Andrew's jaw clenched once before he lifted a gloved hand to the side of his helmet. A soft click sounded as he activated the comms embedded in his gear. He turned slightly away, his voice dropping into a low murmur, the words fast and clipped—military code, relayed with practised urgency.

Behind him, Evelyn shifted her weight ever so slightly, the leather of her boots creaking against the tile. Her sharp green eyes never left Derek, narrowing as if trying to pierce the layers of his stoic facade. Felix crossed his arms slowly, not out of defiance, but instinct—a fighter sizing up another. His gaze swept from the chip in Derek's hand to the unreadable calm on his face.

Derek didn't move. He didn't need to.

He let the silence expand, like smoke filling a room. His posture was loose but unshakable, the kind of stillness that wasn't born of peace, but readiness. He stood like a man who had already survived more than he should have, and expected the world to keep taking swings. He wasn't trying to charm them. He wasn't trying to impress. He simply was—a presence, undeniable.

He watched them the way a hunter watches the forest after a shot—waiting to see what moves.

He already knew what the outcome was going to be; under the lure of power, even giving out the Genesis squad permanently was a small price. He was not bothered by sharing the secrets of mana stones, they would have discovered it sooner or later. It was a win-win for him.

Finally, Andrew lowered his hand. His expression was tight.

"We've been instructed to obey your directives… for now."

Derek gave a single, short nod. "Good."

He turned away again, letting the finality hang in the air like smoke from a gunshot.

"You don't need to trust me," he added. "Just try not to fall behind."

" What is the second...? " Evelyn began.

"Don't ask too many questions, that is the second condition " Then, without waiting for a response, he continued.

"Now, if you three are accepting these terms on behalf of your unit," Derek said, his tone as flat as polished steel, "then I've got one question."

He paused, eyes flicking from Andrew to Evelyn to Felix.

"Which one of your higher-ups thought it was a good idea to saddle me with that cringeworthy code name— ' Shadowstrike?'

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