They walked toward the Market.
But it wasn't a market.
No stalls. No merchants.
Just a massive hub of gear from fallen warriors.
Shiron stopped.
"For now... you will use these."
"But later... they will be worthless."
Raeno frowned.
"Worthless?"
"This is for beginners," Shiron said.
"As you evolve, you will become the weapon itself."
Shiron gestured toward the wall.
"Go. Choose."
They moved inside.
The merchant looked at Shiron.
"Are you sure? They're barely fifteen. Just kids."
Shiron's gaze didn't waver.
"Age is irrelevant."
"The only thing that matters... is the result."
Yuro entered the sections.
He paused, thinking.
"I need something for striking."
"Close combat... that's my style."
He moved deeper.
The rows of gear became a maze.
He was lost.
Then—
He saw her.
Lauren was there.
She was picking up gloves.
Healer's gloves.
Yuro stopped, confused.
"Are those for her... or someone else?"
He watched her for a moment.
"She's the Master's daughter."
"I expected high destructive power... not healing."
It was strange.
Unexpected.
Yuro didn't linger on the thought.
He walked up to her.
"Where is the combat gear section?"
Lauren looked at him, waiting.
Yuro hesitated.
He didn't know the names of the categories.
The place was too vast.
He thought for a moment.
Searching for the right words.
"I want to go to the... the..."
He stopped, frustrated.
"Look, from the end—"
"The steel gear section."
"The kind you put on your fists."
Lauren laughed softly.
"You're not in a rush. You've only been in this world for two days."
"It's impossible to understand everything that easily."
She gestured for him to follow.
"Come. I'll guide you."
They walked.
They reached the section Yuro wanted.
The Melee Gear section.
Gloves. Threads. Wires.
Yuro scanned the rows.
"I'll use only one thing. The gloves."
Lauren tilted her head.
"What type?"
Yuro blinked. "Type?"
"I mean the strength of the gloves," she clarified.
"I don't understand."
Lauren sighed.
"The strength means its special skill. The ability it provides."
She pointed to a pair on the rack.
"For example, those black gloves there."
"They protect your hand. Instead of your fist shattering during a massive strike, they absorb the shock."
Then, she pointed to a red pair.
"And those... they are made of 'Ozbikure' element."
Yuro frowned. "Element... what?"
"Ozbikure," she repeated.
"You wouldn't know it. It has properties we won't discuss now. Stop asking so many questions."
She looked back at the gear.
"Generally, these gloves increase your striking speed and power."
"But remember... at advanced stages, tools mean nothing."
She turned to him.
"So. What will you choose?"
Yuro looked at the options.
"In my last two fights, I needed speed and more damage."
"I'll take the red ones."
He picked them up.
He put them on.
Then—they vanished.
Yuro blinked, staring at his bare hands.
"What? Where did they go?"
"I can't feel them."
He threw a punch into the air.
The air hissed.
His speed had increased—not by much, but it was noticeable.
---
Meanwhile, Raeno was searching.
"I don't need a sword. I can already create one."
He wandered through the aisles.
He reached a section that caught his eye.
Weapons he had never seen before.
Small, pitch-black spheres.
He didn't know what they were, but they drew him in.
Then—he saw the ropes.
They were different.
They had joints, like a spine.
It allowed the rope to extend across great distances.
It moved according to his vision.
Following exactly what he wanted.
Raeno didn't choose the rope.
Instead, he picked up a sphere.
The small, black object sat heavy in his palm.
He didn't know its purpose.
He didn't know its power.
But curiosity drove him.
He took it with him.
He would find out what it could do... later.
Raeno searched.
Then, he saw it.
A small cannon, designed to fit over a single finger.
It was strange. Unique.
He picked it up, reading the description beside it.
"Long-range strikes."
"Beams."
Raeno felt the weight of it.
He could create swords for close combat.
But he lacked a way to strike from a distance.
This was the missing piece.
With this finger-cannon, he could fire beams of energy.
He could suppress his enemies before they even got close.
He slipped it onto his finger.
It felt right.
Raeno wanted to test it.
But he stopped.
"Not here," he thought.
This wasn't the place to fire beams of energy.
---
Meanwhile, Rin sat in silence.
He spent time reflecting.
He analyzed his current skills.
"Right now... I only have beams and energy orbs."
"Nothing else."
He frowned, looking at the rows of gear.
"I rely on long-range combat."
"But what if I'm forced into a melee?"
The thought troubled him.
If an enemy closed the gap, he would be defenseless.
"I need something for close encounters."
"A sword... a shield... something."
He stood up and began to scan the sections.
He wasn't looking for more power.
He was looking for a way to survive.
Rin went to the sword section.
He looked at the blades.
He tried to lift one, but his expression soured.
Too heavy.
"I can't even use these," he muttered.
He turned to leave, and on his way, he ran into Raeno.
"Did you find what you wanted?" Rin asked.
Raeno nodded. "Yeah. What about you?"
"Nothing yet," Rin sighed.
"I need something for close combat. Just in case."
"But I only know how to fight from a distance."
Raeno looked at him for a moment.
A small smirk formed on his face.
"I have exactly what you need."
"Follow me."
Raeno led him back to the section where he found the cannon.
He reached out and grabbed the jointed rope.
"What do you think of this?" Raeno asked, handing it over.
Rin took the rope and tested it.
His eyes widened.
"It's perfect."
It moved with fluid grace.
"It's smooth," Rin muttered. "I can coat this in energy."
He felt the flow of power.
The coating felt natural.
"I don't even have to hold it firmly... I can guide it with my mind."
But then, he felt the drain.
A slight frown crossed his face.
"It will consume a lot of energy for now," Rin admitted.
"But... I'll take it."
Rin and Raeno returned to Shiron.
They found Yuro there.
He was punching the air, focused.
"What did you get?" they asked.
"We don't see you using anything."
Yuro stopped and looked at them.
"These... they're invisible gloves."
He deactivated them, and the gear shimmered into view.
"They increase my speed and power," Yuro explained.
"The description says they boost my strike force to 1.3 times my original strength."
He looked at his friends.
"What about you two?"
Shiron didn't wait for them to start.
He cut them off, his voice sharp.
"We don't have time for this."
He gestured toward another area.
"You need to take your clothes now. It won't take long."
He looked at the racks.
"There are no special categories for clothing here."
"Everything is designed for one purpose: body fluidity."
He continued.
"They won't hinder your movements."
"They will only ensure you move without resistance."
They descended to the lower level.
Yuro's eyes scanned the rows until he found it.
He chose a pair of loose, off-white trousers—wide enough to allow for his explosive footwork.
For his upper body, he picked a fitted, short-sleeved black combat shirt.
It was simple. Functional.
The dark fabric clung to his frame, designed to absorb sweat and resist tearing during intense movement.
He looked like a warrior who prioritized agility over flashiness.
The contrast between the faded white and the deep black gave him a sharp, disciplined silhouette.
Rin spoke, his mind already made up.
"I prefer the attire of mages."
He searched through the robes until he found it.
A mage's cloak, slightly rigid in its weave.
It was open at the front, falling in a sharp, conical taper.
The color was a deep, charcoal gray.
It looked dignified yet practical.
The fabric didn't just hang—it held its shape, giving him the silhouette of a focused sorcerer.
It was the perfect outfit to match his calculated, long-range combat style.
Raeno made his choice.
He picked a pair of black trousers, mid-fit—not too loose, yet wide enough for freedom of movement.
For his top, he chose a stark white, short-sleeved combat shirt.
But it wasn't plain.
The fabric was marked with bold, crimson streaks.
A single, solid red line started from his right shoulder, slicing diagonally across his chest to the lower left.
Another sharp line traced along his collar, framing his neck.
The design was aggressive and precise.
It mirrored his style—sharp, calculated, and lethal.
Shiron spoke, "Now, we are ready. We are heading to the Green Lands."
He placed his hand on Yuro's head.
"Yuro, grab hold of Rin and Raeno."
In an instant—the world shifted.
The five of them materialized in a strange, vibrant place.
A massive rock sat in the center.
Shiron and Lauren took their seats upon it, looking down at the others.
The three stood on the ground.
It was a lush expanse, thick with grass and surrounded by ancient, towering trees.
Shiron reached out.
He handed each of them a small, black iron sphere.
"Swallow this," he commanded.
Raeno stared at the object in his palm.
A wave of disappointment washed over him.
It was the exact same sphere he had taken from the section earlier.
Raeno looked up at Shiron.
"You only need to give out two," he said, holding up the sphere he had taken from the shop.
"I took this one earlier... I wanted to see what it could do."
After the three of them swallowed the cold, metallic spheres, Shiron's gaze sharpened.
He sat firmly on the massive rock, looking down at them with authority.
"I will assign a beast for each of you to defeat today," Shiron declared.
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"But first, I must brief you on the Beast Categories. Now is the most appropriate time for you to understand what you are truly up against."
Shiron looked at them, his voice echoing through the Green Lands.
"Listen carefully. Beasts are divided into six main categories, and within each category, there are three levels of challenge."
He began to break them down:
1. Category (S): Easy.
2. Category (M): Medium.
3. Category (D): Difficult.
4. Category (VD): Very Difficult.
5. Category (I): Impossible.
6. Category (U): Ultimate.
"Each category is split into three tiers: Lesser, Intermediate, and Great," Shiron explained.
"The Stone Statue you faced at the beginning? That was a Lesser (S) beast. The Scorpion Eagle, however, was a Great (S) beast—but in its weakest possible form. It had literally just entered that tier moments before you fought it; it wasn't at its full peak."
He stood up, his presence looming over them.
"Your goal for today is simple. Each of you will face an Intermediate (S) beast. I will select the target for each of you... and you will hunt it alone."
Silence fell after Shiron's explanation.
The three of them stood there, the cold iron spheres now settled deep within them.
There was no sudden surge of power. No physical transformation.
Just a silent, heavy weight in their core—the true purpose of which remained a mystery.
But Shiron's gaze allowed for no questions.
He pointed a hand toward the vast, emerald expanse of the forest and spoke with chilling authority.
"You have swallowed them. Now, there is no turning back."
He continued coldly, "I will now assign each of you your target. Remember, today's hunt is a solo path. Those who fail have only themselves to blame."
Raeno gripped the hilt of his sword, while Rin and Yuro braced themselves.
The first true test was about to begin.