As Nicole watched the group from the Sons of Calydon approach Sam Li, she thought for a moment and finally remembered how they knew him.
A while back, when Sam had gone to the Outer Ring alone, he'd picked up a few of their members along the way and even saved a young girl named Piper.
She paused, then her heart skipped a beat.
Oh no… not again.
Could they be here to poach him?
It was happening too often lately. The Public Security Bureau, the Defense Army, the Hollows Investigation Association, and the Special Operations Department for the Hollows—every single one had tried to lure Sam away, even sending him piles of commendations.
After everything, Nicole had grown extremely wary. She now couldn't help but suspect that Piper, Caesar, and the others had come for the same reason.
As they walked toward Sam, Nicole quickly followed.
...
Piper led Lucy and Caesar to Sam. First, they noticed the elegant tea set on the table and the rustic birdcage etched with golden patterns.
Then their eyes landed on Sam himself.
He was strikingly handsome, with a quiet, weathered grace—his expression carrying a faint trace of melancholy.
Just as Piper had described.
As they approached, Sam gave a faint smile. "Please, have a seat."
He had already poured three cups of tea.
Once they sat down, he passed a cup to each of them.
His politeness caught Piper and Lucy off guard. They quickly straightened up, shedding their usual casualness to sit more properly.
Caesar, of course, didn't bother with any of that. She just grinned and said, "You must be Sam Li. I'm Caesar, leader of the Sons of Calydon. Thanks for saving Piper last time."
Sam, calm as ever, replied, "It was nothing. Don't worry about it."
...
Nicole, now realizing why Caesar was here, raised a brow.
Why hadn't she heard about any of this?
Just as she was sipping her tea, still mulling over Sam's many secrets...
Caesar suddenly declared, "I, Caesar, as the leader of the Sons of Calydon, officially invite you to join our gang."
Nicole choked mid-sip and sprayed her tea. "Pfft—what did you just say?!"
Sam hadn't even had the chance to reply.
Nicole was the first to lose her composure.
Just as she feared—they were here to poach him.
And compared to the others, Caesar didn't even bother being subtle.
They hadn't even exchanged pleasantries and she was already pulling out the big guns. Nicole barely had time to react.
She was clearly here to stir things up.
Caesar repeated, "I said—I'm Caesar, leader of the Sons of Calydon, and I'm officially inviting Sam Li to join our gang."
Nicole was furious. "Hey, hey, hey—this is Hare's House. I'm the boss here. You seriously think it's okay to do this in front of me?"
Poaching talent right under her nose.
The last time someone tried that openly was Soldier 11, and Nicole still hadn't forgiven her for it.
Now here came Caesar, and Nicole didn't like her one bit.
Seeing how intense things were getting, Piper quickly tried to defuse the situation. "Big Sis Caesar… now's really not the time for that…"
Lucy sighed. "I knew this would happen..."
The tension thickened in the room.
Sam took a deep breath and said, "I appreciate the offer, Miss Caesar, but I have no intention of breaking my contract with Hare's House."
Caesar didn't look disappointed at all. In fact, she smiled. "Respecting a contract—I admire that. Not like that chatty robot who ditched us without a word. Been two years and not even a message."
Billy covered his face. "..."
He looked like he wanted to say something, then thought better of it and just stayed quiet.
No excuse.
No defense.
Let time speak for itself.
...
Caesar moved on to a different topic—Piper's gear. When she mentioned the golden stone axe, her excitement returned.
"Mr. Sam, could you forge a shield and sword for me? My current set is too light. Feels like I'm swinging around toys—I can't bring out my full strength. But if I had a heavier set, no gang would dare to mess with me…"
She looked at Sam with hope.
Born with brute strength, Caesar found normal weapons too flimsy. Even high-grade metal couldn't keep up with her raw power.
Earlier, she'd tried Piper's stone axe. The weight was perfect—but it was still just an axe.
What she needed was a proper shield and sword.
Nearby, Nicole, Anby, and Nekomata turned to Sam, surprised to learn he could forge weapons.
Billy leaned over and whispered, "Sam, do me a favor—make her a set. Call it a debt I owe you. I'll treat you to the arcade next time."
From Billy's tone, it was clear he still cared deeply for the Sons of Calydon. He hadn't let go of his past.
And since Billy was asking, Sam wouldn't say no.
Not because of the arcade invite—because Billy was a trusted friend.
Sam thought for a moment, then turned to Caesar. "A shield and sword—do you have a design I can use?"
Caesar lit up and quickly pulled out a folded blueprint she'd been carrying. She slapped it down in front of him, beaming.
"Make it just like this—same as my old set. It's the official gear of the Calydon boss!"
As Sam took the sketch, Caesar added proudly, "I drew it myself. Not bad, huh?"
Sam glanced at the blueprint—and fell silent.
This… was supposed to be a shield and sword?
The lines were crooked and wobbly. If Caesar hadn't said anything, Sam would've thought it was some kid's abstract art.
Still, seeing her brimming with confidence, he took a deep breath.
"Leave it to me."
For someone like Sam, forging a Geo weapon set wasn't difficult.
He simply needed to command the element and shape it into the desired form. It didn't even take much energy.
Before anyone could react, Sam had already materialized a stone shield and sword using the Geo element.
Seconds later, he brought them out from behind him.
Everyone froze.
Though clearly made of stone, the pieces had the sheen of jade—smooth and flawless.
Like Piper's axe, the set was covered in golden markings, identical to those on Sam's birdcage. They radiated an ancient, timeless elegance.
Billy stared, dumbfounded. "Huh? Sam, where'd that come from?"
Piper was just as shocked. "When did you even make those?"
Caesar grabbed the golden-marked sword eagerly and gave it a test swing.
It cut through the air with a sharp, clean whoosh.
On the side, Nicole reached toward the stone shield on the table—only to freeze as soon as she lifted it.
So heavy.
She couldn't lift it with one hand.
...