Dimensional Overseer: I Can Manipulate DNA!

Chapter 31 - 31 – Warning

Chapter 31 – Warning

"Black coffee, two sugar cubes, please," Fiora said, her voice calm and clear, a faint smile playing on her lips.

The young waitress nodded clumsily, eyes wide, visibly flustered under the pressure of Fiora's presence. She nearly fumbled her pen as she scribbled down the order, then turned to the boy sitting across from her.

"W-What... ehem... what can I get you, sir?" she asked, trying and failing to mask her nerves behind a veil of professionalism.

Zane looked up, completely unfazed by her stammering.

"Just a cup of water," he said flatly.

The waitress blinked, unsure if she'd heard him right. "Are you sure? I-It's on the house," she offered, glancing nervously at Fiora as if silently asking whether she should insist.

"Yeah," Zane replied without missing a beat. "Not in the mood for anything else."

Fiora raised an eyebrow. "...If you say so." She turned back to the waitress. "That'll be all."

"Y-Yes, right away!" the girl chirped before practically sprinting away, cheeks burning red.

Zane watched her retreat with a silent sigh, his eyes scanning the rest of the café. The reaction they'd gotten walking in was impossible to ignore—every pair of eyes had snapped toward Fiora, drawn to her like moths to a flame. Men and women alike whispered behind their cups, unable to look away from the beauty that so effortlessly outshone everything around her.

'They aren't even trying to be subtle anymore,' Zane thought. It was strange seeing this kind of attention, even if it wasn't directed at him. He'd grown used to a different kind of gaze—judgmental, hostile, dismissive.

"This world has nice weather," Fiora said suddenly, her gaze drifting toward the window. Sunlight spilled across the table, casting soft shadows on the wood. "It's been a long time since I visited a world where it wasn't too cold or too hot."

Zane raised a brow. "Not too cold? The weather's been all over the place the past few years. I wouldn't call this pleasant."

"When you've traveled the worlds I've seen," Fiora replied with a faint smirk, "you start to miss even a sky like this."

Zane leaned back in his chair. "Thanks for the warning," he said dryly. "But I doubt I'll ever miss this place."

"Oh?" Fiora tilted her head, curious. "And why is that?"

"This world..." Zane muttered, his voice quieter now, "...it's too ugly for my taste."

For a moment, Fiora said nothing. Then, she laughed—genuinely amused.

"Haha, what is that? I expected some kind of profound reason."

Zane didn't laugh. His expression remained unreadable. "Don't most people seek beauty above all else?"

"True," Fiora nodded, still smiling, "but you didn't seem like most people."

"Well, now you know," Zane said with a shrug. "I'm counting the days until I can leave this place. I can't stand it anymore."

His words didn't carry anger—they were cold and matter-of-fact, like someone recalling a list of injuries they had long since stopped feeling. Fiora's smile slowly faded as she studied him in silence. There was a shadow behind his words, behind his stoic face.

"You should be careful what you wish for," she finally said, her voice lower. "An ugly but peaceful world is better than a beautiful one that's trying to kill you."

"I'll still choose the second," Zane replied immediately.

Even if Fiora's logic was sound, it simply didn't apply to him. This world was a cage of pain—his mother's death, years of bullying, isolation, and fear had stained every corner of it. Even if death waited on the other side, at least it would be unfamiliar. At least it wouldn't wear the same face as his suffering.

Fiora seemed to sense that weight in his eyes, and for the first time in their conversation, she didn't respond with a clever remark.

"So," Zane said, breaking the silence, "why did you invite me for coffee? It's not just to talk about the weather, is it?"

"Hm?" Fiora blinked, pulled from her thoughts. "Oh. No, of course not." She shook her head lightly. "Honestly, I just wanted to talk about something important."

Zane leaned forward slightly. "Important?"

"Yes. Have you seen the news lately?" Fiora asked, though the answer was obvious. "Your world has produced something... rare. Beyond rare."

"You mean the S-Rank girl," Zane replied.

"Exactly. When I first heard, I almost didn't believe it. A miracle like that, in a place like this?" She looked around, gesturing subtly at the world outside the café's window. "No offense, but the higher realms are... unsettled."

"I figured it was rare."

"It is. Not just rare, unheard of. The higher realms are scrambling—trying to figure out how something like this happened. That girl's going to have a long and painful road ahead of her."

She paused, then narrowed her gaze slightly.

"But that's not why I'm worried. I'm worried about you, Zane."

Zane looked surprised. "Me?"

Fiora leaned in slightly. "What happened yesterday... Your powers, your injection, your very existence—it's all abnormal. Not just impressive. Abnormal. Even more than that girl. And if anyone above catches wind of you... Let's just say, things could get ugly. Fast."

Zane frowned. "You're saying I'm a bigger problem than an S-Rank?"

"Not a problem," Fiora corrected. "A mystery. A potential threat. A target. I could see many aspects of you, and none of them seem like something those bastards would leave be. An S-Rank talent, as rare as they are, is still something that they knew about. On the other hand..." She looked at Zane.

"You're too shrouded in mystery for them to leave you alone. You're like a rare gem buried in the mud, just waiting to be pulled out and examined. But gems don't get admiration—they get sold, studied, and sometimes... destroyed."

The seriousness in her tone wasn't lost on him. Even Zane, who rarely panicked, felt a chill crawl down his spine.

"That's why I gave you that offer," Fiora continued. "It's risky, yes, but it's a way to hide you—at least until you're strong enough to survive being known. If you're discovered now... your life's over before it ever begins."

Zane didn't say anything. The weight of her words settled heavily in his chest. Seeing Fiora—someone who radiated strength—look so genuinely concerned made the danger feel far more real.

"During the upcoming trip... the test afterward," Fiora added, "Don't draw attention. Not yet. Hide that potential of yours, at least until you can fight back when they come knocking."

"I already planned to," Zane replied simply.

"Good." Fiora tapped the table with her finger. "Remember, even the walls have ears—and once you leave this world, that saying becomes very literal."

Zane looked down at the glass of water in front of him, the condensation dripping slowly down its side.

"Can I ask you something?" he said suddenly.

Fiora raised a brow. "Ask away. If I like the question, I might even answer."

"What's the real reason you helped me?" he asked, his tone sharper now. "I don't believe you did it out of kindness. You took a risk. A big one. Why?"

For a second, Fiora's smile faltered. She stared at him, surprised, and then slowly chuckled.

"Did anyone ever tell you you're too smart for your age, kid?"

"No," Zane answered flatly.

She sighed, rubbing her temple. "You're a headache."

Then her eyes met his again—no lies in them this time.

"You're right. I didn't help you just because I'm nice. You could say I was... scouting."

"Scouting?"

"Yes. I've met more powerful people than I can count. And yet, none of them come close to the potential I see in you, Zane." She leaned in, her voice a whisper now. "I can't even see a limit to you. So... one day, when the time comes—"

She smiled again, but this one was different. There was something weighty behind it.

"—you're going to help me with a problem of mine."