When the two people in the office heard the familiar voice, the room fell silent.
Both John and Mrs. Rose turned toward the entrance—and froze.
Standing in the doorway, smiling warmly, was Osa.
But he looked... different.
Mrs. Rose shot to her feet immediately, rushing over to inspect him for injuries. Her hands fluttered over his arms, his shoulders, his face—checking for wounds, bruises, anything.
John, however, remained seated, staring.
What the hell happened to him?
Osa had always been a decent-looking kid, but now? He was almost unnervingly handsome. His features seemed sharper, more refined. His skin had a faint healthy glow. Even his posture seemed different—more confident, more... alive.
John's mind raced. Did he use all his savings for plastic surgery? No, that's impossible. He doesn't have that kind of money.
But something had definitely changed. Something fundamental.
Could it be...?
John's excitement spiked. Did he awaken?
"What happened? Where were you all this time?!" Mrs. Rose's voice trembled as she hugged Osa tightly. "I was worried sick about you! I thought that mysterious hybrid had killed you too!"
"Mrs. Rose, I'm perfectly fine," Osa said gently, patting her back. Then he frowned. "Wait—what do you mean, 'mysterious hybrid'? Is there a hybrid running rampant in the city?"
John cleared his throat. "Osa, we need to talk."
He leaned forward, his expression turning serious.
"Along with your disappearance, three corpses were found in the middle-eastern section of the Merchant Guild estate. All three bodies were completely shriveled—no blood left in them. It looked like whoever killed them only wanted their blood."
John paused, studying Osa's reaction carefully.
"Because of how they died, we suspect a hybrid was involved. You were there that day, right? You screamed for help. So tell me—what did you see?"
Osa resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course John would interrogate me the second I walk through the door. That's just his personality.
"I'm not entirely sure," Osa said slowly, mixing truth with carefully crafted lies. "But here's what happened: I was walking home when I saw two men trying to force themselves on a woman. I decided to help. I ran over and pushed one of the men off her, then tried to pull the other one away. That's when I got hit with a bottle."
"And where did you go after that?" John pressed.
"I'm not sure what happened to me," Osa lied smoothly. "When I woke up, I found myself at the abandoned Cerpen's Theme Park in the southern section of the South District."
John's eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you come home earlier?"
John the detective, you're so damn annoying, Osa thought silently.
"There are two reasons," Osa explained, keeping his voice calm. "First, I wanted to try my luck and see if I could find a better job in that area. Second, I was afraid I might have offended someone important in the city. That's why I waited a bit longer before coming back."
Osa was privately amazed at how smoothly the lies came out.
"Thank God you're okay, Osa," Mrs. Rose said firmly, cutting off John before he could ask another question. "Those men deserved what they got for trying to hurt that poor girl. Stop worrying yourself over it."
"Thank you for believing in me, Mrs. Rose," Osa said sincerely. "I really didn't have anything to do with their deaths."
"I know, darling," Mrs. Rose said gently, squeezing his hand.
Osa glanced around the room. "Where's Peter?"
Mrs. Rose's expression softened with sadness. "Peter's not here. He left about two weeks ago."
"Left?!" Osa exclaimed. "Where did he go?"
"To look for you, of course."
Osa's chest tightened with guilt. "Then I need you to send him a message—let him know I'm back."
"Of course," Mrs. Rose said warmly. "I'll do that later."
She gently guided Osa toward the stairs, escorting him up to the second floor.
Meanwhile—Blue Fur Organization Headquarters
Secret Chamber, far from the orphanage.
The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by flickering torches flying like drones across the room.
At the center sat a massive chair carved entirely from lion bones. The armrests were sculpted into the snarling heads of lions, their hollow eye sockets seeming to glare at anyone who dared approach.
Seated in the chair was a middle-aged man—broad-shouldered, powerfully built, with muscles that strained against his blue martial vest. The vest, emblematic of the Blue Fur Organization, was made from high-quality materials, but even it seemed to struggle to contain his sheer bulk. A blue rope was tied around his waist, marking his rank.
This was Benjamin, the elder brother of blue Fur, the chief of the Organization.
Around him stood twelve figures—men and women, all well-known within the organization. Leaders. Enforcers. Elders.
Benjamin's deep voice rumbled through the chamber. "Where is Blue Fur?"
A pause.
Then the Seventh Leader—a man in his forties with a calm, measured demeanor—spoke up.
"At this moment, Sir Blue Fur is not on this continent."
Benjamin's eyes narrowed. "Where did he go?"
The Second Supreme Elder, a woman with sharp features and an air of authority, answered this time.
"He went to the Celestial Academy."
The Seventh Leader shot the Second Supreme Elder a grateful look for taking the pressure off him.
Benjamin frowned. "Again? Is this about that exploration?"
"Indeed," the Second Supreme Elder replied. "It appears the Celestial Academy places high priority on the exploration."
Benjamin's confusion deepened. "So why did our leader go there? I thought everything was already settled."
The First Supreme Elder—an older man with graying hair and a weathered face—sighed.
"The Celestial Academy is attempting to expedite the process. Instead of the original twenty-year timeline that was agreed upon, they've shortened it to one year from now."
"Hmph."
Benjamin's expression darkened.
"Those arrogant bastards," he growled. "Just because they're one of the most powerful academies, they think they can control us however they like. Pointless."
"Benjamin, calm down," the First Supreme Elder said gently. "If you interpret it that way, it implies we're ungrateful. The fact that they invited our organization means they've acknowledged our strength."
"Acknowledged my ass," Benjamin shot back, his voice rising with fury. "You're too embarrassed to say the truth. They want us to send our disciples so they can use them as bait—as cannon fodder. And the worst part? We don't have a choice."
His anger radiated outward like a physical force. The weaker elders trembled. Furniture rattled. The torches flickered violently.
The two Supreme Elders exchanged glances, unable to hide their surprise—and joy.
"Benjamin," the First Supreme Elder asked carefully, "did you have a breakthrough?"
Benjamin's fury subsided slightly. He nodded. "Yes. I recently broke through."
The room erupted in quiet celebration.
"With you reaching the next stage," one of the elders said excitedly, "the Blue Fur Organization now has five Mortal Realm hybrids!"
The atmosphere shifted—pride replacing tension.
Then the Third Elder spoke up, her tone more serious.
"Little Seventh," she said, addressing the Seventh Leader, "how is your investigation regarding the rampant hybrid case in Blue Fur City going?"
All eyes turned to the Seventh Leader.