Inventory?
Soren raised his brow in confusion.
’What does that—’
Before he could finish the thought, another flux of information flooded his mind.
Soren gripped the counter, taking deep breaths to stabilize himself.
After a few seconds, the information settled.
His expression shifted in a myriad of emotions.
’The Investnt Authority has... more functions?’
It seems like he still had more to discover about this mysterious ability of his.
Soren glanced around the kitchen cautiously, making sure he was alone.
Then he closed his eyes and thought clearly:
’Status, open.’
Imdiately, a translucent window materialized in his vision.
════════════════
[PERSONAL INFORMATION]
Na: Soren Valre
Age: 22
Circle Rank: First Circle (Early Stage)
Hunter Rank: F
[CORE STATUS]
Mana Capacity: 3,124 / 10,000
Core Stability: Excellent
Pathway Integrity: Excellent
Affinity: Ice (Grade 7 - S Rank) | Wind (Grade 5 - B Rank)
[INNATE ABILITIES]
• Accelerated Regeneration (C-Rank)
• Fortified Body Constitution (D-Rank)
[TECHNIQUES & SKILLS]
• Glacial Emperor Scripture (Foundation Stage)
- First Star: Frost Palm Strike (0% Mastery)
• Heaven-Treading Flash (Stage 0 - Theory Only)
- Quick Step (0% Mastery)
• Cooking Mastery (Interdiate Lv. 5 (53% Mastery))
[EQUIPNT]
• Tether Bond (Bound to: Ethea Valre)
• Hunter’s License (Standard - Grade F)
[INVENTORY]
• Moonlight Tree Leaves (50g)
• Frost Whisper Petals (30g)
• Starlight Ginseng Root (20g)
[CREDITS]
Personal Account: 34,147
[INVESTNT AUTHORITY - PRIMARY TARGET]
Target: Ethea Valre (Wife)
Bond Status: Marriage Contract
Investnt History:
- First Investnt: SUPRE
- Second Investnt: LOW-MODERATE
- Third Investnt: LOW-MODERATE
Total Investnts: 3
Total Returns Received: 10
════════════
Soren stared at the display, his heart pounding.
’This is... amazing!’
All the necessary info was displayed in an organized and detailed manner.
He could easily track his personal progress and his investnts.
And it seems like Ethea had already been recognized as the primary target for his investnt. Was it because he had yet to invest in others? Or was there really a special connection between his awakening and his wife?
Soren wasn’t sure, but he was happy to have this advantage either way.
He dismissed the status screen and turned back to the stove, humming a light tune as he finished cooking.
The eggs ca out perfectly this ti. He plated them along with so bread and vegetables, then carried everything upstairs.
_____ ____ _
Ethea was awake, staring at the ceiling.
Soren helped her sit up slightly and began feeding her breakfast.
She ate in silence, as usual.
After finishing feeding her, he headed back to the kitchen.
Ding!
The familiar sound echoed.
[Investnt detected.]
[...]
[Returns granted: Recipe Collection - Five Dessert Recipes]
[...]
Soren smiled faintly as the knowledge settled into his mind. He has gotten used to it by now.
After breakfast, he helped Ethea back into the wheelchair and brought her downstairs to the living room.
He checked the ti.
7:42 AM.
Clara would arrive at 8 AM.
Soren sat down and ntally planned the day.
’Training session at the dojo this morning. I booked it yesterday for 8.30 AM. After that, I need to buy a proper weapon.’
’I should also sell one of the herbs. The Starlight Ginseng Root, maybe. That’ll give funds to buy the spear and still have money left over. It’s not included in the recipes anyway.’
’Then this afternoon, I’ll practice at ho.’
’Evening session at the dojo again.’
At exactly 8 AM, the doorbell rang.
Soren opened the door. Clara stood there with her warm smile.
"Good morning, Mr. Valre."
"Good morning, Lady Clara. She’s in the living room."
Clara nodded and stepped inside.
Soren grabbed his jacket. "I’ll be out for a few hours. Don’t hesitate to call if anything happens."
"Take your ti. She’ll be fine." Soren glanced at Ethea one more ti, then left.
The day went as planned.
After the morning training session, he went to the market to sell the ginseng. It was sold for 2.800 Credits, making him quiet satisfied.
Then, he bought an F rank Steel Spear for 2.000 Credits and basic Hunter Clothes for another thousand.
After lunch, he practiced the first move of the Heaven-Treading Flash and trained his spearmanship.
In the evening, he went to dojo for another session and ended the day with a 6 hour cultivation session.
_____ __ _
The next day followed the sa pattern.
Morning session. Afternoon practice. Evening session.
Two more investnts in Ethea. Two more returns.
By the third morning, Soren stood in front of the mirror, spear in hand.
Marcus had said he was already ready after three sessions. But he still went for another two sessions, successfully learning a basic spear technique.
Soren checked the Hunter Network app.
[FIRST CIRCLE GATE - AZURE SLI FOREST]
[Status: OPEN (Solo permitted)]
He stared at the listing and tapped "Reserve."
[Reservation confird. Entry ti: 9:00 AM today.]
Soren set the phone down.
’Finally!’
Today, he would challenge his first-ever Gate!
Although it was one of the weakest and easiest, he wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest.
In fact, he researched about slis and that gate for almost 30 minutes yesterday.
He received strange stares from Ethea but chose to ignore it.
Well, how could he not research?
Sure, slis were weak. Sure, everyone said they were beginner-friendly.
But Soren wasn’t everyone!
He was a guy who’d awakened at twenty-two after being a dud his whole life. A guy who’d nearly died fighting one assassin. A guy who’d only started holding a spear three days ago.
So yes, he researched slis.
Their movent patterns. Their weak points. Their attack thods. How they reproduced. What they ate. Whether they had intelligence.
He’d even watched tutorial videos on the Hunter Network.
"Top 5 Mistakes Beginners Make in Sli Gates!"
"How to Clear Azure Sli Forest Solo - Complete Guide!"
"Sli Core Harvesting Tips - Maximize Your Profit!"
Ethea had watched him scribbling notes with an expression that clearly said, ’Is this man serious?’
Yes. Yes, he was.
Because embarrassnt was temporary while death was permanent.
When Clara arrived, Soren was already dressed in his new Hunter clothes. His steel spear rested against the wall by the door.
"You’re going to a Gate today?" Clara asked, noticing the gear.
"Yes."
Clara smiled warmly. "Then good luck, Mr. Valre. I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully."
"Thank you."
Soren then turned to Ethea, who sat in her wheelchair nearby.
She was staring at him.
Then, just as he was about to leave, she gave a faint nod, as if expressing her own encouragent.
Soren’s chest tightened slightly.
He nodded back. "I’ll be back soon. Stay safe."
Then he grabbed his spear and left.
_____ ____ __
The taxi ride took exactly twenty minutes.
Soren watched the city pass by through the window, his grip tightening on the spear resting across his lap.
’Don’t overthink it. You’ve trained. You’ve prepared. You can do this.’
The taxi pulled up to a cordoned-off area in the Industrial District.
Soren paid the driver and stepped out.
The area was quiet. A simple checkpoint barrier marked the periter. A single Bureau official sat at a folding table, looking bored.
Beyond the barrier, the Gate stood alone.
A vertical tear in reality, about two ters tall and maybe a ter wide, its edges shimring like heat distortion, rippling constantly. Pale gray energy swirled at the rim, casting faint light across the cracked pavent.
Soren went to the checkpoint and confird his reservation.
Then he made his way toward the Gate.
The closer he got, the stronger the pressure beca. It pushed against his skin like invisible hands trying to hold him back.
The hum grew louder. His ears popped.
He stopped directly in front of it.
Up close, the Gate was srizing and terrifying. The pale gray energy swirled hypnotically. Beyond the rippling surface, he could see vague shapes and shifting colors, but nothing distinct.
Just the promise of another world.
Soren took a deep breath.
’Alright, here we go.’
He tightened his grip on the spear and stepped forward.
The mont he touched the surface, reality twisted.
The world lurched.
His vision blurred.
And then...
He was inside.
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