…What? A Grade 1 Magical Beast?

Startled by the term “magical beast,” Evelyn looked around. However, no matter how much she scanned her surroundings, all she could see were people waiting for the secret auction to begin. Just as Evelyn was about to check the quest details again, suddenly, all the lights illuminating the interior of the building dimmed, and light poured onto the stage at the center of the auction house.

“I sincerely welcome everyone who has joined our 15th secret auction! Today’s highlight, the essence of the Grade 1 magical beast Siren that lives in the sea, is scheduled to appear at the very end, so please look forward to it. Now, shall we get straight to the main event?”

The man who seemed to be the host of this auction was met with cheers so loud they could hurt one’s ears. However, Evelyn couldn’t focus on the auction at all. Unless the system had suddenly malfunctioned, this place would soon be transformed into a maze by a Grade 1 magical beast.

‘I naturally thought it would be a quest related to the Tower Master.’

She never imagined it would be a quest related to Hezel, the third male protagonist of “Evelyn’s Manor” and the so-called King of the Underground Economy. Originally, Hezel and Evelyn’s meeting takes place not at such a secretive auction house but at the National Foundation Festival. So, she naturally thought it would be a main quest related to the Tower Master route, which she had never experienced before.

If it had been a quest to escape this place with Hezel, the difficulty might have been much lower. But the system was clearly demanding ‘Heal Hezel.’ This meant that even if she managed to escape with Hezel, she wouldn’t be able to clear the quest.

‘What if I find Hezel before the Grade 1 magical beast attack begins?’

Couldn’t she heal him right away and escape the maze faster than anyone else? Fortunately, she had a mini-map that the development team had given as a gift for early players. A mini-map that showed the positions of male protagonists within a 100m radius. Never had she been more grateful for the existence of this mini-map than today.

Evelyn immediately opened the mini-map, her eyes moving busily. Then she spotted a red light blinking in an isolated space that seemed to be on the third floor.

‘Found him!’

Her joy was short-lived. Soon, her heart grew anxious as crowds of people rushed in, leaving no space to step.

“Excuse me. Just let me through please.”

“Ah. Stop pushing.”

“I didn’t push you.”

After escaping the first floor, which was nothing short of a flood of people, Evelyn quickly made her way to the second floor and headed toward the stairs connected to the third floor. However, she hadn’t gone far when she was blocked by men wearing masks with large horns like bulls.

“Only VVIP guests are allowed beyond this point. Would you show us your mark?”

Damn it. So freaking strict. Inwardly grumbling, Evelyn racked her brain while anxiously glancing at the stage where the auction was taking place.

“Please tell Hezel that I’ve returned from his errand.”

“Are you from the casino, by any chance?”

True to his setting as the King of the Underground Economy, Hezel seemed to have his hands in all sorts of illegal activities. Evelyn nodded vaguely and added that it was urgent, so please call him as quickly as possible.

Just before the auction started, Hezel had said that if someone came from the casino, they should report to him without asking questions. This was because the imperial family’s recent movements to crack down on the underground economy were concerning.

After exchanging glances, one of the men disappeared to the third floor. Soon, the sound of shoe heels striking the floor could be heard intermittently, and then a voice full of intrigue stirred Evelyn’s ears.

“You say you’re from the casino.”

“……”

“But it seems like we’re meeting for the first time.”

The man leaning casually against the railing of the iron staircase connected to the third floor looked down at the tense Evelyn. A man wearing a half-mask decorated with magnificent crow feathers. Hezel, who boasted the highest level of eccentricity in “Evelyn’s Manor” and controlled the underground economy.

The only male protagonist not born with magical powers, he instead possessed wealth surpassing the Emperor’s at an age not yet thirty. His jet-black suit, fitting tightly to his body, revealed Hezel’s slim frame made up of lean muscles without an ounce of excess fat.

Approaching with the scent of strong cologne, Hezel looked down at her like an arrogant crow.

“What business do you have, coming all the way here without fear and casually throwing around my name?”

“The Tears of the Magical Beast that you’re looking for. I know where you can get it.”

Although the flow of events differed slightly from the original work, Hezel’s basic character setting and his goals in the game wouldn’t have changed. There was a time when she had played all weekend, determined to follow the ‘Hezel Route,’ which was relatively easier to establish a relationship with among the male protagonists with their insane difficulty levels.

At that time, Evelyn didn’t know that Hezel was looking for a rare gem called ‘The Tears of the Magical Beast.’ Only after being thoroughly used by him and reaching the tool ending where the tears were extracted did she realize.

This guy in front of her might be physically manageable, but among the male protagonists, he was the most thorough and chillingly calculated in all his actions.

At Evelyn’s casual mention of the Tears of the Magical Beast, Hezel’s lips, which had been looking down at her like an amusing toy, turned downward. Tap, tap. Striking the railing in an irregular rhythm, Hezel jumped over it and approached Evelyn.

“You seem to have researched me quite thoroughly. Who sent you? Brizen? Or Codel?”

“Both wrong. If you want to know the exact location, stay right by my side from now and don’t move—”

…She was about to tell him not to move, but suddenly the entire building began to shake as if an earthquake had struck, and a blood-red fog burst from the center of the stage, enveloping everything around. At the same time, Hezel’s figure began to fade away in the fog.