Chapter 33: Behind the Bathroom Door

Taking one of the tables, the three of them sat down and began eating ravenously, hunger having thoroughly worn them down.

Stuffing his mouth with skewers of meat, Ethan ate quickly.

’It’s a little lacking in seasoning… but it’s good enough that I could eat this every day.’

He had come with low expectations, yet the quality of the food genuinely surprised him.

Their living conditions were not bad at all.

On the contrary—they were good.

After their initial frenzy of eating, the three gradually slowed.

Then Raiden spoke once he had swallowed everything in his mouth.

“So… Maria’s Reckoning, huh.”

Ethan nodded.

“Yes. That’s where things ended up.”

“To be honest with you, your situation’s bad, Ethan.” Raiden gestured with one of his ribs.

“Your opponent will be at the Advanced Rank, and you’re still Level One. You’ll have to level up nonstop starting tomorrow.”

Thinking it through, Raiden’s expression darkened further.

“This isn’t good. Unless you defeat powerful monsters, there’s no way you’ll reach Advanced Rank in just one month.”

He emphasized Advanced Rank for one reason—the Aura Armor.

“If you can’t use Aura Armor, it’ll be almost impossible to match your opponent or even land a hit. It’s a real problem.”

Chai nodded in agreement, sharing Raiden’s concern.

“Even if you try to use your wits like you did against the Ember Hunter… it won’t work alone.”

Even the Executioner’s sword Ethan had obtained would be useless unless he reached the required level to wield it properly.

Both Raiden and Chai tried to think of ways to help him survive his predicament.

Meanwhile, Ethan leaned back on one arm, gazing off into the distance, perfectly calm.

“No need to worry, guys,” he said with a confident smile. “I already have my own plans. Winning isn’t impossible.”

At those words, the two stared at him, puzzled by his confidence.

“I don’t know where that confidence comes from,” Raiden admitted, “but I trust you won’t fall easily. If there’s anything I can do to help, tell me immediately.”

“I’m with you too, big brother,” Chai added.

Seeing their willingness, Ethan nodded with genuine appreciation.

“I’m grateful for your help—but let’s leave that until after tomorrow. I have a meeting with the witch in the morning… and with the Uncrowned Emperor at night.”

He was already busy. He needed to suppress his curse .. and somehow convince Asterion to teach him swordsmanship.

“Until then, just spend your time as you usually do.”

“If that’s what you want… then fine,” Raiden replied reluctantly. There wasn’t much he could do anyway.

Especially since the opponent remained unknown.

Soon, the three set the matter aside and continued talking—about food, about trivialities, about anything that wasn’t impending with Ethan situation .

Before long, night fell.

Chai bid them farewell and returned home… to his mother.

And just like that, only Ethan and Raiden remained.

The two wandered a while longer before Raiden finally led him toward his room, exhaustion having caught up with them both.

Climbing the stairs to their residential wing, they stopped before a particular door.

A thick wooden door.

A small plaque hung upon it, bearing its owner’s name.

Ethan Heart.

“This is your room. It might feel unfamiliar when you step inside… but you’ve spent most of your life here.”

Ethan nodded.

“All I want… is to go in and sleep as soon as possible.”

“I feel the same,” Raiden said. “I’d stay longer, but I’ve hit my limit too.

I’ll leave you to get some rest.”

He gestured down the corridor.

“If you need anything, my room’s the last one on the left.”

Ethan smiled and nodded again before finally speaking.

“I appreciate everything you’re doing for me, Raiden. I may not have my memories… but I’m truly glad you’re the ones in my hunting squad.”

Raiden’s smile widened. He closed his eyes and turned his back to Ethan.

“Just don’t die my friend. Not before me at least.”

Raiden left, finally leaving Ethan alone.

The latter watched the tall young man’s retreating back for a moment before opening the door to his room and stepping inside.

The moment the door creaked open, Ethan’s gaze swept across the space, inspecting it carefully.

It was a spacious room—furnished with a large bed and a simple wardrobe.

A single window overlooked the outside. A modest kitchenette stood near the entrance, and a side door likely led to the bathroom.

Two chairs. A plain desk with several books resting upon it .. books the previous owner of this body had been reading.

It wasn’t luxurious.

Nor was it shabby.

It was… ordinary.

Everything was normal—except for one thing.

With a faint frown, Ethan approached the door that led to the bathing area.

He was wondering about the sound he had heard the moment he entered .. and was still hearing now.

“Did the previous owner of this body leave the water running before he left?”

The thought came to him as he clearly heard the sound of water—like someone showering inside.

At first, he dismissed it as nothing unusual.

But then Ethan’s brows furrowed, his expression turning serious as he sensed something else.

Someone was moving in there.

With every passing second, his suspicion deepened.

“Who’s there?”

Cautiously, he reached for the doorknob ..

But the person on the other side opened it first.

Before Ethan’s stunned eyes, a familiar short, fiery-red head of hair appeared.

Then, slowly, his gaze drifted downward in disbelief.

What shocked him first was that the person inside was a girl—not a man.

What shocked him even more… was recognizing her.

The short red hair. The sharp, cold features.

Except now she wore nothing but a short white towel .. one that revealed far more of her chest and legs than it concealed.

She, of course, saw Ethan as well .. and stepped forward.

With every step she took, he retreated the same distance ..

Until his back hit the wall, and there was nowhere left to escape.

“M-M-M-M-Moon?!”

Ethan felt as though he were hallucinating.

There was no mistaking her.

This was Moon Heart .. the very same Moon who had slapped him hard just hours ago.

His mind froze completely.

For a split second, instinct took over.

“I’m sorry! Wrong room!”

He nearly bolted for the door, convinced he had walked into some kind of trap.

But he froze when a crucial realization struck him.

This was the men’s residence.

There was no doubt about that.

And this was his room ..his name was clearly written on the door.

Which meant…

He wasn’t the intruder.

She was.

Swallowing hard, he slowly turned back around.

His eyes met Moon’s once more.

She was smiling at him.

A gentle, sweet smile .. one he had never seen her give anyone before.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her tone softer than usual. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Ethan replied without thinking, still unable to process what was happening.

“I wish it were a ghost.”

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