...
As soon as he returned to the dormitory, Theo went straight to the bathroom...
After a quick shower, he dressed as casually as possible, in a simple T-shirt, light sweatpants, and slippers.
Then he headed to the kitchen.
With his hair still a little messy and the room silent around him, he began to prepare some sandwiches with marinated ham and roast beef.
The aroma soon spread, filling the air with an irresistible scent.
"I wonder how she's feeling right now... Especially after finding out that I was able to outsmart Jain's Gift, something that, until then, only one person had managed to do. Thanks, Droon, you're a very capable child..."
It may not seem like it, but that was the main reason Theo had undone Jain's disguise in that way.
After all, he knew that as soon as Boss found out about it from that boy she thought was completely hidden from Theo's senses, she would certainly compare him to the former owner of the black seat...
The one called Bell, the traitor.
Someone responsible for "killing" the former leader of the Chameleon Troupe and also the closest thing to a father to Boss.
Boss harbored such a deep hatred for Bell that it seemed to corrode her very soul. She would do anything to see him dead, even placing her hopes in cadets she wasn't even sure could fulfill her wish.
Cadets whose talent and potential had not yet matured...
'Uh... For now, let's leave things as they are.'
After thinking for a while, Theo decided to leave the matter of Boss for later. He would have plenty of time to deal with her later, and even if he didn't, Boss herself would surely come to talk to him.
'Now it's time to focus on the problems that will begin next week.'
At this stage of the story, important events were about to take place, events that had direct connections to Yeonha and Nayun.
'The series of disappearances at Cube... The Dungeon Test on Wednesday next week... And at the end of it all, there's Sven's transformation into a Djinn...'
All of these events were almost like death flags for his girlfriends.
"Cappie is already dealing with Yoo Hyeon..."
Theo took a sandwich and ate it, enjoying the taste very much.
"Now the Artificial Dungeon and Sven... Unfortunately, I can only find out with time."
The Dungeon was something with clear involvement from the Co-author, so Theo couldn't say if everything would be the same as what he had read.
Sven was an unknown quantity; the event of him attacking Nayun after she rejected him might not even happen, since she, unlike in the original, was no longer in the Hunting Club.
Of course, Sven could still turn into a Djinn, but that could be at a totally different time than Theo knew.
"Let's take this to them..."
Realizing he was done, Theo picked up a tray of sandwiches and a jug of juice and went out into the hallway.
After walking down the brightly lit hallway, he came to a door with "Gamer Room" written on it in small letters.
He pushed the door open with his shoulder and went inside.
The Gamer Room was one of the extra rooms Theo had created when Yoo Yeonha said she would live with him.
The room was a large space, lined with soundproof barriers, dark-colored walls, and several LED strips that slowly changed color, creating an almost futuristic atmosphere.
There, Nayun and Cappie were lying in comfortable armchairs, each wearing a VR helmet that covered almost their entire face.
Through the floating screens above their heads, Theo saw images:
Images of the two of them fighting what appeared to be a dragon.
Nayun moved quickly, holding a huge sword in both hands.
Cappie, on the other hand, was further away from her, muttering something, clearly preparing to cast a spell.
Theo watched them for a few seconds, shaking his head, somewhat amused.
"You two..."
He muttered, laughing.
"If I let you, you'd stay there until tomorrow."
Knowing that it would be useless to try to talk to them at that moment, Theo walked over to a side table and placed the tray on it.
Then he raised his right hand and recited a simple spell. It was magic for thermal conservation, which would keep the sandwiches warm and the juice cold.
"There. When they come back, at least they won't starve to death."
The interior of the room was quite different from the Gamer Room. The walls were white, with gray and navy blue accents.
Several holographic screens floated in the air, displaying maps, graphs, reports, and images of monsters.
Yoo Yeonha sat at a long table, leaning over the holographic keyboard.
She was taking quick notes on a digital tablet while watching a video on one of the screens.
It was a recording of a battle inside a dungeon: members of the Essence of the Strait Guild fighting a huge creature covered in green scales.
She didn't even notice Theo entering.
Theo approached silently and placed the tray on a sideboard.
Only then did he clear his throat slightly.
"Ahem!"
Yeonha blinked, as if awakening from a trance.
"Theo. You're back..."
Yeonha stopped what she was doing and kissed him on the lips.
"Yes. I arrived a little while ago. Are you going to tell me you missed me?"
Yeonha raised an eyebrow, with that mixture of defiance and sweetness that only she could pull off.
"Hmph... Don't exaggerate. I just..."
She looked away, but ended up letting out a short giggle.
"Maybe a little."
Theo smiled, wrapping one arm around her waist, pulling her gently closer, while his other hand stroked her head from behind.
"...How were classes today?"
Yeonha sighed, letting herself be enveloped by his embrace, while she felt Theo's hand slowly caressing the back of her head.
"It was... fine."
She replied, her voice muffled against his chest.
She looked up, her brown eyes shining under the blue light of the holographic screens.
"Oh! I thought you were going to say it was boring and you couldn't wait to get home."
...