Aster, as if by magic, could see the woman's entire face in just a single instant. Her long, silver hair flowed like a waterfall. The two wings beside her head flapped lightly, adding a slight breeze to give more dynamics to her face.
Sharp chin, high nose bridge, and lush pink lips. Adding to that, her alluring pale blue eyes. Without a doubt, she was a beauty who would make eleven out of ten men turn their heads once she passed by.
"Hey there." She greeted him casually, as if they were long-time acquaintances. "You're looking at information about monsters? I can help you if you want, you know?"
'Is she perhaps an assistant for this floor?' Aster quickly assumed.
After all, other than that, he couldn't think of any reason a beauty like her would strike up a conversation with him!
"Ah, it's fine. I already found what I was looking for." He answered after a short delay.
"Really? I'm sure you can use my help somewhere, right?" But the woman didn't give up just yet, asking persistently. "I'll make sure you're satisfied, whatever you want."
Her hand moved over her heart as if to show her sincerity. However, it instead emphasized her assets, which were visibly soft and supple, even over her clothes.
"..."
Aster suddenly couldn't help but stare straight into her eyes. Something within her gaze was making him feel a little weird. His mind slowly became muddled as his lips parted.
"Then... I..."
*Fwoooo~!*
"Hiik...!"
Just as he was about to respond, someone else blew warm air straight into his ears, disrupting his sentence. Aster quickly held a hand over his left ear, kicking back his chair loudly as he turned to the other side.
She turned to Aster, gently caressing his hand as she stood up. "I'm Lorelai, by the way. If you ever come across me later, please don't hesitate to give me a call."
Without waiting for his reply, the woman, Lorelai, turned around and walked toward the elevator. Aster stared at her fading figure, still confused as to what she wanted to do.
As she disappeared into the elevator, Vanessa leaned forward, almost crushing Aster underneath her chest while warning him. "That was close. You almost got caught in some weird skill."
"... What?" He asked while trying to push Vanessa away.
However, the disparity between their stats was too great, so his struggle was futile. Since he couldn't fight against it, he simply decided to enjoy what he could in the situation.
"I'm not sure myself, as I only saw that last moment. But that girl seemed to have used some sort of ability on you." Vanessa explained. "She seemed to have given up as soon as I appeared, though, so that means I saved you. I won't mind you thanking me."
"Is that so?" Aster took a deep breath. "Then, thank you. If you ever need something from me, then just ask, and I'll do what I can."
Vanessa finally let go of him, walking in front of him and holding Aster down by his shoulders. "That's great~! I just got permission from the government yesterday. They said that as long as you're willing, they will allow me to study your disease~!"
Hearing that, Aster recalled their talk at the hospital and frowned.
Having a backup plan was indeed good. After all, now that he could estimate how long it would take to reach the 1,000th floor, they had a higher chance of failing to reach it within five years than succeeding. If Vanessa studied his disease, there's a fair chance that she could find a cure or something else that could help his case.
"... Alright." Aster nodded after thinking deeply about it. "What do I need to do?"
Vanessa stared at him, her red eyes glowing scarily. "There's no need to be stiff! I just want your blood sample and to see your disease in action. How about tonight? Are you free~?"
"..."
For some reason, seeing Vanessa lick her lips after she asked sent chills crawling down his back.