WHEN Jullian and Mikhail returned home, he made Mikhail sit on his knees on the bed while Jullian settled into a lotus position across from him, arms crossed over his chest. The tiny prince looked like a child expecting a scolding from his father.
"First, I want you to tell me about these Forgotten Disciples and why they turn into monsters," Jullian said in a stern voice.
Mikhail squirmed before answering in a quiet tone. "The Forgotten Disciples are believers of Kael, the God of Tricksters, who was banished by Gaea from Earth. They believe Kael can grant them any wish," the tiny prince explained. "As for why they turn into monsters... I don't have that information, or more like, I don't remember. All I know is they're a cult that drinks fox blood."
Jullian considered this and asked, "Is drinking blood what makes them monsters?"
The tiny prince shook his head. "I don't think so. Animals don't have mana, much less enough to turn a human into a monster."
Jullian fell silent as he tried to unravel the mystery. He'd heard of cults praying to self-proclaimed gods in his past, but never anything about the Forgotten Disciples. He posed another question:
"Then how do you recognize them?"
Mikhail's face instantly darkened. "Because the person who cursed me to be this small had the same tattoo as the old man earlier. I still remember him chanting, 'Glory to the Trickster God, Glory to his magnificent power,' before he trapped me inside the white lotus for years."
Jullian had more questions, but seeing Mikhail's gloomy expression, he knew not to push him.
Silence fell between them --Jullian lost in thought, Mikhail lost in dark memories. Jullian found himself weighing whether to enter a rift. If he did, his quiet life would return to the chaos of being an Esper. But if he didn't, the Forgotten Disciples might still disrupt the peace anyway. And if he went...
"Ugh! Fuck it! Let's just go!" Jullian suddenly exclaimed as his conflicting thoughts finally pushed him over the edge, making Mikhail flinch.
"W-what? Where are we going?" Mikhail asked, still shocked.
"Let's enter a rift and find our answers."
Mikhail's eyes lit up, and he floated excitedly in the air. "Really? Yes! Let's go! Let's go!"
"Not so fast--I don't think there are any rifts open right now," Jullian said, still second-guessing his decision.
Mikhail stopped spinning and cracked a sinister smile. "Don't worry, I've got it covered," he said, flying in front of Jullian. "But first, we need to check your system."
Jullian furrowed his brows in confusion. What system? They should be figuring out where to find a rift, not checking something he didn't even know existed.
"What system?" he asked.
Mikhail gave him a look that clearly said Are you serious? "You don't know what a system is?"
"I don't even know what it looks like," Jullian admitted.
Mikhail stared at him, still stunned that someone could be unaware of such a fundamental tool for Espers. But it made sense--Jullian had been trapped in the Black Rift for 500 years, and systems had been introduced only after it vanished.
Mikhail sighed. "First, say the word 'system'. It should appear before your eyes."
Jullian was confused but complied.
"System."
A blue light suddenly appeared in front of him. He'd expected something grand, like the systems in anime that Jeffrey forced him to watch, but all he saw was a long rectangle with a pixel-style interface and the word "UPDATE" in blocky, retro capital letters at the top.
"What the hell is this? All I see is a rectangle and 'update'."
"Well, you've never opened your system before. The update will take time."
"The hell," Jullian cursed.
Just then, his phone beeped. He opened the message to find a group message from his leader:
["To all looters,
Please report to headquarters tomorrow at 1:00 AM for an important announcement.
All looters must attend. Those who fail to do so will face salary deductions.
Note: Please wear your proper looter uniform."]
Jullian tossed his phone onto the bed before confirming his attendance. Glancing at the wall clock, he saw it was already 9:53 AM.
"Better grab breakfast while we wait for this thing to update," Jullian said as he jumped out of bed.
The tiny prince followed closely behind. "Ooh~ I want ramyeon and strawberry milk!"
...
Five minutes before 1:00 AM, Jullian arrived at headquarters. He saw other looters huddled in groups, speculating about the announcement and complaining that their day off had been ruined.
Clyde spotted Jullian and waved him over. Jeffrey stood beside him, looking serious as he watched something on Holland's phone.
Curious, Jullian asked, "What are they watching that has Jeffrey so focused?"
Clyde shrugged. "They're looking at a video of the red rift at Aqua Beach. Rumor says it only has A-rank monsters."
"Really? If that's true, the mana consistency must be incredibly strong," Jullian said, worry creeping into his voice. "The people in the South must be terrified."
"Yeah, and word is the Thrive Guild will lead the expedition on Monday."
The mention of Thrive Guild made Jullian think of the blonde man from the park the day before--how calmly he'd killed the monster, as if it were just another task. The smoke from his cigar had framed his sharp red eyes perfectly, and Jullian felt a sudden wave of curiosity. He remembered a timid boy from 500 years ago in his memories, but this man was nothing like that - he was mysterious and powerful.
Jullian was lost in thought when he heard Mikhail giggling like a villain plotting something evil. Thanks to his curse, no one else could see or hear the tiny prince--even when he laughed like a madman, as he was doing now.
Their supervisor arrived shortly after, with Leader Hugo at his side. Jullian ignored Mikhail and moved into formation to greet them.
Mr. Winterbell stepped forward, hands behind his back, and scanned the group. Leader Hugo stood silently behind him, eyes forward.
"I know you've all seen the footage of the red rift at Aqua Beach," Mr. Winterbell began, pacing in front of them before stopping in the center. "I can confirm the video is authentic, and the Thrive Guild is already preparing for their expedition on Monday."
Jullian heard a co-worker beside him gulp and shift nervously. It was clear his colleagues were scared. Even if they wouldn't enter the rift until it was cleared, risks like Rift Break still loomed large, especially since the red rift at Aqua Beach has strong mana consistency and could expire at any minute.
"Now for the important announcement Leader Hugo mentioned," Mr. Winterbell continued. "Expedition 1's equipment carrier suddenly fell ill, and all other carriers are already deployed with other Thrive teams."
Every large guild with significant Esper members is divided into teams of five to seven, grouped by rank, level, or rift color--these are called "Expeditions." This practice prevents overcrowding in rifts and minimizes casualties.
"I'm offering double pay plus a one week paid vacation to anyone who volunteers to be the equipment carrier for Expedition one. Who wants to step forward?"
Silence fell. No one raised their hand, all trying to avoid Mr. Winterbell's gaze for fear of being chosen--all except Jullian, who was growing increasingly annoyed by Mikhail screaming in his ear.
He was this close to wrapping tape around the tiny nuisance's mouth.
"Jullian! Volunteer! It's the perfect excuse to get into the rift!"
Jullian ignored him and waited to see if anyone else would step up. He'd planned to tag along if someone volunteered, but judging by his colleagues' terrified faces, no one would--not even for the money.
"Jullian! This is your chance. GO!"
Jullian's eyebrow twitched in frustration, but finally let out a defeated sigh and raised his hand. Since he'd already decided to enter a rift for answers, he might as well do it now before he changed his mind.
"I'll do it," Jullian said, making his colleagues stare at him in horror. Even Leader Hugo looked flabbergasted.
"I know I'm the one making the offer, but are you certain?" Mr. Winterbell asked as he approached. "You'll be entering a red rift as an equipment carrier. May I ask why you're volunteering?"
Jullian met his supervisor's eyes calmly and said with confidence, "... I want money, sir."
Mr. Winterbell blinked a few times, clearly surprised by the simple answer, then burst out laughing and patted Jullian on the shoulder.
"Then meet me in my office to sign the waiver and documents. I'll be waiting."
As their supervisor and leader left, Jullian was yanked by his arm and immediately swarmed by his colleagues, who bombarded him with questions, concerns, and praise.
"Jullian, are you really that desperate for cash? Are you okay? Just say the word, and I'll lend you everything I have," Jeffrey said, pulling out his wallet.
"You're a legend, man! Volunteering just for money--you're my hero from now on," Holland added, slinging an arm around Jullian's shoulder.
Meanwhile, Mikhail was celebrating on his own, tossing confetti that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"Aye, aye, I know I'm brave but please give me some space," Jullian said as he wriggled free. "And don't worry, once I get my bonus, victual-I mean food and drinks are on me!"
His co-workers cheered at the promise, and Jullian watched them with a fond smile. He'd only been working with them a short time, but they'd already become good friends. They'd welcomed him warmly, and working as a looter had helped him forget his painful past - he was genuinely grateful to have met them.
Later that night, Jullian stood in the middle of his apartment with Mikhail perched on his shoulder, waiting for the number "99" to tick up to one hundred.
After a few minutes, the update finally completed, and text appeared on the system:
["Praise to the son blessed by Gaea and the flame that guides the Valerius Empire--Crown Prince Jullian Konstantinos Hildebrand.
Do you want to open your system?"]