The iron gate slid shut behind Rey with a dull clang.
Only then did he let out the breath he had been holding since the street corner.
'What a day…'
The scene from minutes ago replayed in his mind whether he wanted it to or not.
Two people.
A smiling couple.
Friendly. Warm. Too warm.
They had intercepted him just before he entered the house, positioning themselves perfectly beside him as if it were natural.
Neighbours, they claid. Living two houses away. Excited to finally et him.
If Rey hadn't already been warned—
He might have believed them.
But Aiden's voice echoed coldly in his head.
'They're watchers. Not locals. Not harmless.'
Mid-rank Apprentice Artists.
Both of them.
Their laughter had been rehearsed. Their concern is asured. Even their eye movents were wrong, always drifting back to him.
They clung to him shalessly, spinning excuses, asking questions, pretending familiarity that didn't exist.
It took effort to shake them off.
More effort than he liked.
'Am I not even allowed to breathe freely now?' Rey thought as he entered the house.
'Hopefully, this madness ends once I'm at the University.'
The door closed.
Silence settled.
Rey walked into the drawing room and dropped onto the sofa, shoulders sinking.
"Hoh… look at this confidence," Victor's voice suddenly rang out. "You're already assuming you'll enter the University with competition like this?"
Rey paused, then smirked faintly.
"Oh. I forgot you were even here," he said lazily. "And yes. If I can't enter with all three of your abilities stacked on , plus everything I've trained so far—"
He turned his head slightly.
"—then my training, and yours, is worthless."
Victor snorted.
"Heh. If you had even fifty percent of my training absorbed by now, you'd be hovering around Lv.60 or Lv.70," Victor shot back. "Not crawling at this pitiful level."
Rey's eye twitched.
He opened his mouth—
"Sir."
The door to the room opened softly.
The caretaker maid entered, holding a glass of water on a tray with both hands.
Her posture was perfect. Too perfect.
Rey accepted the glass and drained it in seconds. "Thanks."
She turned imdiately. "I will bring another."
"No, that's fi—"
She had already left.
Rey stared at the doorway for a mont, then sighed.
'This house is….'
He didn't suspect the item they brought, as his abilities were more than enough to save him if things went wrong.
With nothing better to do, he stood up and laid his things out on the table.
Eight books.
A bow.
A dagger.
A bundle of arrows.
His katana.
And finally—
His badge.
Rey picked it up, stared at it for a second, then quietly put it away.
His fingers wrapped around the katana instead.
'Let's see what Rastin really did.'
───◈◈◈───
Silent Fang
TIER: 0 | RANK: Peak Stage 1
TYPE: Katana (Double-Handed)
───◈ Item Description ◈───
A refined katana forged from the densest bones and fangs of Duskscale that reached Low Stage 2. The blade is lightweight yet reinforced, granting cutting power that begins to touch the threshold of Stage 2 weapons. Designed for speed and control, it excels in precise, fluid combat.
───◈ Item Effects ◈───
➤ Slightly reduces the sound produced when the blade cuts through air or flesh.
➤ Low stamina consumption during repeated strikes.
───◈◈◈───
Rey nodded slowly.
The blade itself t expectations.
The effects… were modest.
But he wasn't disappointed.
'As long as it grows with .'
He set the katana aside and pulled out his old equipnt.
A worn sword.
A spear with chipped edges.
Several damaged daggers.
A broken shield that had long outlived its usefulness.
He hadn't thrown them away for a reason.
Placing them together, Rey closed his eyes.
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