"Young Miss," the man said the moment Lisa stepped out into the hallway, his posture straight enough to be mistaken for a statue. "I am at your service."
Lisa nodded as calmly as she could, even though her mind was busy spinning in circles.
So this was what it meant to be the Heiress to the Underworld.
Not just money, not just status, but people who followed you around like shadows, anticipating your needs before you even realized you had them. The man in front of her didn't look like a typical butler, nor did he carry the warm politeness of a servant.
His movements were clean and restrained, like someone trained to kill quietly and apologize never.
A personal secretary, or perhaps more accurately, a personal guard disguised as a secretary.
His eyes scanned the hallway as we walked, not in a paranoid way, but in the calm manner of a man who had already memorized every possible threat and simply checked whether reality matched his expectations.
Even his footsteps were disciplined.
If Celeste truly grew up with this man at his side, then she must have lived in a world where danger wasn't just a possibility.
It would be a daily schedule.
"Is there anything you require?" he asked again, voice steady.
"Nothing," Lisa replied.
Lisa kept her tone short, not because she wanted to appear cold, but because she didn't trust herself to speak too much. The more words she used, the higher the chance she would slip and expose herself as an impostor inside this body.
We reached the entrance of the mansion-like building, and the moment the doors opened, a black sedan was already waiting like it had been summoned.
The secretary stepped forward, opened the back door, and bowed slightly.
"At your service."
Lisa slid inside, pretending she had done this a thousand times.
The door shut with a heavy click that sounded less like a car door and more like a coffin being sealed.
The car began moving immediately, smooth as oil.
Lisa exhaled silently, then instinctively reached for her phone.
The moment her thumb touched the screen, a translucent interface appeared over it, so natural that for a second Lisa forgot how impossible this situation was.
[City of Sin]
Several windows floated beneath the main screen, each one labeled like a game menu.
One of them immediately caught her attention.
[Personnel Directory (N)]
A red notification marker.
Lisa tapped it.
The list was laughably short.
Only two names existed.
[Don Mikhael Bet Noah]
[Celeste Bet Noah]
Every other slot was hidden behind question marks, as if the system itself refused to show her more.
[??] [??] [??]…
Lisa frowned.
So this was the so-called "special interface benefit" mentioned in the notepad.
The design was intuitive, like the usual game UI, but the implications were terrifying because this wasn't supposed to exist in real life.
Then her phone vibrated.
Zzzzing.
The red notification disappeared, and the list expanded.
New names filled the blank spaces like ink spilling into water.
[Don Mikhael Bet Noah] [Celeste Bet Noah] [William Smith] [??] [??]…
A new entry had been added.
Lisa tapped it.
A photo appeared.
A clean-faced man, sharp eyes, formal attire, expression so neutral it felt like a mask carved from stone.
And under it:
[Name: William Smith]
[Affiliation: House Noah, Hatzel Syndicate, National Intelligence Service]
[Description: A member of the Hatzel Syndicate and an agent of the National Intelligence Service. Currently serves as executive assistant to Celeste Bet Noah.]
Her heart sank so hard it felt like it hit the floor of the car.
National Intelligence Service?
The CIA equivalent in this world.
So the man driving her wasn't simply her assistant.
He was her surveillance.
A government leash tied around Celeste's neck.
Her fingers tightened around the phone, and a headache stabbed behind her temples as pieces started falling into place.
Of course.
It made perfect sense.
If the House Noah family was powerful enough to shape the underworld, the government would never leave their successor alone.
They would infiltrate her personal space.
Monitor her.
Keep her close.
And if needed…
Dispose of her.
"Is something wrong, Ma'am?" William Smith asked from the driver's seat, eyes still focused on the road.
Lisa forced herself to relax.
"No," She said lightly. "Just thinking."
Lisa pressed the highlighted term on the interface.
[National Intelligence Service]
A description window opened.
[An intelligence agency operated by the government. Handles villain investigations and national security operations.]
Her expression didn't change, but inside, her mind was already moving.
This was information no normal person was supposed to know.
This meant the interface wasn't just decoration.
It was a weapon.
A cheat.
A tool that could reveal hidden settings, hidden roles, and hidden dangers.
And the best part?
Only Lisa knew this secret right now.
William's real identity wasn't something Celeste had known, because if she had known, the game would have already shown it in earlier routes.
So the directory wasn't reflecting Celeste's memories.
It was reflecting the truth.
Lisa glanced at the man through the rearview mirror.
His face remained calm, almost respectful, but now Lisa could see the faint tension behind his posture, the kind of readiness that came from training.
He wasn't her servant.
He was her handler.
And that meant Lisa had something priceless sitting right in front of her.
A connection to the government.
A spy in her own faction.
A knife Lisa could choose to use.
For now, it's better that only she know.
Because in a city like this, information wasn't power.
Information was survival.
The car slowed.
"We have arrived, Young Miss."
Lisa looked out the window.
A sea of people.
Massive gates towering over them.
And beyond those gates, buildings that looked less like a school and more like a fortress.
The Averton Hero Academy.
The place that produced the best heroes on the continent.
The place where the future of the city was molded… and where countless monsters disguised as students sharpened their claws.
William stepped out quickly and opened her door.
"I will accompany you."
That was a problem.
If Lisa walked in with a personal assistant, people would stare. Worse, the academy would take note. In this world, attention was a curse.
So Lisa straightened her posture and spoke with the arrogance Celeste was known for.
"Not yet. I have something I want you to do first. Enter later."
William blinked, surprised. "A separate task?"
His voice didn't change, but his eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was measuring whether Lisa had suddenly become smarter overnight.
Lisa leaned closer and explained quietly, giving him a detailed set of instructions.
Not because she trusted him.
Because she wanted to test him.
She wanted to see if he would obey like a loyal assistant… or hesitate like an agent.
When Lisa finished, he hesitated for a fraction of a second.
Then he bowed.
"Understood. Please be careful, Young Miss."
Lisa waved him off and walked toward the academy gates.
The crowd was suffocating.
Examinees and parents filled the entrance road like a festival, except the air wasn't cheerful.
It was tense.
This wasn't an exam people took casually.
This was a lottery for destiny.
"Please present your exam ticket."
A man with a badge labeled Leader stopped her at the entrance.
Lisa handed him the ticket.
He checked it quickly and stepped aside.
Inside, the academy grounds felt surreal.
Lisa had seen this place countless times in-game, but seeing it with real eyes was different. The scale was overwhelming, the air sharper, and the pressure in the atmosphere almost physical.
She followed the flow of examinees until the gymnasium came into view.
It was enormous, like a stadium meant for battles rather than sports.
Inside, the space was divided into groups.
A voice echoed through the speakers.
"From now on, we will begin the entrance exam for the Averton Hero Academy! Examinees, move to your designated areas according to your exam number!"
Lisa checked her ticket.
Group B.
Ten people per group.
Twenty-one groups total.
The instructors stood at the front like judges at an execution.
The instructor assigned to Group B was a woman sitting lazily in her chair, sunglasses covering her eyes, her posture relaxed enough to feel insulting.
But her aura didn't match her laziness.
It felt sharp.
Dangerous.
Like a blade resting on a table.
"Group B," she said, voice casual. "Let's begin."
She smirked.
"Show her what you can do."
One student stepped forward, and flames burst from his hands, wrapping around his arms like living snakes.
Gasps rose from the group.
"Okay," the instructor said, unimpressed. "Next."
The second student was a boy with aquamarine hair and a sword at his waist.
The moment he stepped forward, the instructor's lips curled upward.
"You've got a strange hair color," she murmured.
Lisa recognized him instantly.
Arceus Raven.
The Grandson of Sword Saint Alexander Raven.
A future monster.
The instructor barely finished opening her mouth before Arceus Raven moved.
His sword flashed.
Sparks erupted.
In an instant, he had crossed the distance and clashed blades with the instructor's dagger.
The entire group froze.
The instructor blocked it with one hand, as if she had been expecting it.
"What's the meaning of this?" the instructor asked, sounding amused rather than angry.
Arceus calmly sheathed his sword and said, "Didn't you ask me to show you my ability?"
Then he returned to his spot as if nothing had happened.
The instructor laughed softly and wrote something down.
"Okay. Next."
So it was that kind of exam.
A test where attacking the examiner could earn points.
Lisa swallowed.
Only one instructor in the academy route acted like this.
Seraphina.
The demon instructor NPC, who believed heroes should use anything to win.
Not morality.
Not honor.
Victory.
A loud crash came from another group as someone began exchanging punches with an instructor.
The gymnasium was becoming chaos, but it was controlled chaos, the kind the academy encouraged.
Then Seraphina turned her sunglasses toward her.
Her smile widened.
"Well," she said, voice dripping with interest. "What can you show me?"
Her palms were damp.
Celeste had no special ability.
No talent.
No awakened power.
In a normal situation, Lisa would fail.
But Lisa wasn't here to show strength.
She was here to show something more terrifying.
She stepped forward slowly, ignoring the stares of the other examinees.
Then she pulled her hand from her pocket and shaped her fingers like a gun, pointing it directly at her.
The instructor's smile faded slightly.
"What is this?"
Lisa kept her expression relaxed and spoke softly.
"HaMishpacha ovedet bishvil haMishpacha."
For a second, Seraphina stiffened.
Her head tilted slightly, as if she had heard a name she didn't want to remember.
Then…
TAANG!
A gunshot cracked through the gymnasium.
The sound was so sharp the entire building seemed to flinch.
Time slowed.
She saw the ripple of shock spread across the examinees' faces.
She saw the smoke.
She saw the bullet cutting through the air toward Seraphina's head.
And then, inches from her temple, the bullet stopped.
Suspended.
Frozen.
Held by an invisible force.
The gymnasium fell into dead silence.
Everyone stared.
Everyone froze.
Only Lisa kept walking.
Her footsteps echoed across the floor as she approached Seraphina and stood directly in front of her.
Then Lisa spoke calmly.
"My ability is Mishpacha."
Seraphina's mouth parted slightly.
"What…? Your ability is family?"
Lisa smiled faintly.
"What can I do? It's the House Noah motto. You know it too, don't you, Instructor?"
Only one family in this world used that phrase.
Only one family could turn a hero academy exam into a sniper demonstration.
Lisa leaned closer, lowering her voice so only she could hear.
"Celeste Bet Noah."
Lisa bowed politely. "The power I brought today isn't mine. It's my family's."
For a moment, Seraphina didn't speak.
Her sunglasses hid her eyes, but Lisa could feel her gaze trembling behind them.
Then she lowered her head.
A chuckle escaped her.
Then another.
And suddenly, she burst into laughter like she had heard the funniest joke in her life.
"Hahaha…!" she gasped, clutching her stomach. "You… you insane bitch!"
She wiped tears from the corners of her eyes.
"You realize," she said, voice sharp again, "if I hadn't stopped it, that bullet would have shattered my skull?"
Lisa shrugged lightly. "If it killed you, I'd be disappointed. You're supposed to be stronger than that."
Seraphina's laughter returned, louder than before.
"Hahahaha! You're crazy!"
She stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder like they were old friends.
"Okay," she said. "Go back. Results will be mailed in three days."
Then she leaned in slightly and whispered, almost affectionately.
"I'll see you at the academy, Young Miss of Noah."
Lisa nodded once, turned around, and walked out.
The moment she stepped outside the gymnasium, William was already waiting near the entrance.
His face was expressionless, but his eyes were slightly sharper than before.
"As I said," Lisa murmured, "nothing happened."
William nodded.
"Yes. The security guards didn't even react."
"Because it's the academy exam," Lisa replied.
"Excuse me?"
"The academy allows everything," Lisa said casually. "Weapons included."
William didn't respond, but Lisa could see confusion behind his calm mask, as if he had just witnessed a reality that didn't match his expectations.
They got into the car.
Lisa leaned back into the seat and let out a quiet breath.
"Let's go. I'm tired."
"Yes, Young Miss."
The sedan began moving.
Then William spoke again, carefully. "Before returning home, there is a place we must stop by."
Lisa frowned. "A separate stop?"
William hesitated.
Then he delivered the words that instantly crushed whatever relief Lisa had.
"Yes."
"Lord Noah is waiting for you."
Her spine went cold.
Her father?
Here?
At the academy?
"Where is he?" Lisa asked, forcing her voice to stay steady.
"He is waiting in the underground parking lot of a shopping mall outside the academy."
"Okay."
William's hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
"I will take you there."
Minutes later, the car rolled into a dim underground parking lot.
The air smelled of concrete and exhaust.
A black sedan sat alone, parked like a predator waiting in the dark.
And in front of it stood a man, solitary, cigar in his mouth, fedora shadowing his face.
No guards.
No entourage.
As if the world itself was too afraid to approach him.
Don Mikhael Bet Noah, the Lord of House Noah, and the leader of Hatzel Syndicate.
Her father.
The final boss of her new life.
He turned his head slightly, and even from a distance, the pressure in his gaze felt like a hand closing around her throat.
And Lisa realized something immediately.
The academy exam wasn't the real test.
This was.