Chapter 49: Best Investment Is In Oneself
"I’ll take it." Soren didn’t hesitate. The potential for high-grade rewards and the chance to test his limits against stronger enemies was exactly what he needed.
"Good. I like the fire," Zoe noted, standing up from the sofa.
"How much time do I have?" Soren followed suit.
His mind was already calculating the logistics of the license upgrade and the upcoming raids. He needed to move fast if he wanted to meet those requirements without burning out.
Zoe didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she slowly raised a single finger as they walked together.
Soren’s brow furrowed. "One week?"
"The exam itself starts a week from today," Zoe corrected, her expression turning sharp. "However, you only have five days until the mission application closes. The Bureau needs time to finalize the roster before sending it over to the Academy for vetting."
’...Five days, huh.’
In that window, he had to navigate the Bureau’s bureaucracy for a rank-up test and clear three separate Second Circle gates. It was a schedule that would break most hunters, but Soren only felt a cold, focused adrenaline beginning to stir in his chest.
"Five days," Soren repeated. "Then I should hurry up."
"You should take the test today," Zoe suggested, nodding toward the hall. "It’s still early. If you register now, you can probably get it over with before the day ends."
"I will. And thank you for everything today, Sister Zoe," Soren said, offering a sincere nod.
"Don’t mention it. Just make sure you don’t fail that test, or I’ll have to beat you twice as hard next time," she replied with a small, challenging smirk before turning to head back toward the inner facilities.
After bidding her farewell, Soren made his way to the registration desk.
The process was straightforward, and he secured a slot for 2:00 PM.
Since there were still a few hours left, he decided to stay within the Bureau to make preparations and gear up at the internal shop.
He found a quiet spot and pulled out his phone to call Miss Clara.
"Hello, Miss Clara?" Soren said once she picked up. "I’m calling to let you know that I won’t be able to return anytime soon. Could you stay with Ethea for the afternoon as well?"
"Oh? Is everything okay, Soren?" Clara asked, her voice laced with a bit of concern.
"Don’t worry, it’s just some hunter things I need to take care of," he reassured her. "Please tell Ethea I’ll be back later so she doesn’t worry either."
Clara agreed, telling him to stay safe.
After hanging up, Soren sat down on a nearby bench and opened his account. He needed to check his balance and see what kind of upgrades he could afford for the challenges ahead.
’Let’s see...’
’Oh. Not bad.’
His eyes lit up as the numbers appeared on the screen. Between his successful solo runs and the recent party payouts, his balance had climbed to roughly 80,000 credits. It was a significant sum for a newbie First Circle hunter like himself, but for what he was planning, it would disappear in a heartbeat.
’Hmm...’ He quickly ran the math in his head. ’1200... 1000 for that...’
Gritting his teeth, he decided to set aside enough for a week’s worth of living expenses for himself and Ethea, along with Lady Clara’s payment. The rest? He would spend every single credit on himself.
It was a gamble, but the best investment was always in oneself. If he successfully transitioned to raiding Second Circle gates, he could earn this amount back twice as fast. To stay stagnant was to die slowly in this world.
Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he stood up and headed toward the Bureau’s Logistics and Equipment Center. It wasn’t a commercial shop per se, but rather a specialized department where hunters could exchange credits for vetted gear, techniques, supplies, and so on.
He headed for the armory section first.
Because the cheap leather armor he usually bought was barely holding together, it would be torn to shreds after a single Second Circle raid. Three raids at most if he was ultra careful.
Besides, the monsters there were at least twice as strong as those in the First Circle, possessing higher mana density, strength, and much sharper instincts.
That’s why he needed something reliable and durable that could actually deflect a blow from a Second Circle monster.
He began scanning the racks of the C-rank section, where the high-quality gear was kept. These pieces were often made from the hides of Third Circle monsters and higher, or reinforced with rare alloys. His fingers brushed against a set of Midnight Scale Mail that felt light as silk but as hard as stone.
’Price... 145,000 credits.’
Soren moved his hand away as if the armor had burned him.
’Gulp...’
Even the "budget" options in this tier started at six figures. It was a sobering reminder of the wealth gap between mid-tier hunters and someone like him.
’C-rank is out of the question for now,’ he thought, moving toward the D-rank displays. ’I need the best of the lower tier, something that punches above its weight.’
He spent nearly thirty minutes sifting through reinforced vests, metal-plated greaves, and composite jackets. Most of them were too bulky, designed for tanks who didn’t mind being slow, or too flimsy for someone who intended to fight on the front lines.
Then, his eyes caught a dark, matte-grey set tucked toward the back of a display.
It was a suit of Obsidian-Threaded Leather Armor.
Unlike his current gear, which was just treated hide, this set was woven with threads of mana-conductive minerals. It looked sleek, providing protection to the vital organs and joints while leaving enough flexibility for the agile movements.
He checked the price tag and felt his pulse quicken.
’20,000 credits.’
It was exactly a quarter of his budget, but as he ran his hand over the material, he could feel the difference. The leather was dense, almost metallic to the touch, and it carried a faint, rhythmic hum that suggested it could withstand the crushing force of a Second Circle beast.
’This is it.’
He took the set off the rack, already feeling the weight of the investment.
It was expensive, but at a Second Circle gate, the difference between a 2,000-credit vest and a 20,000-credit one was between a broken rib and a minor bruise.
With his defense sorted, he turned his attention to the real problem: his weapon.
If he was going to clear three gates in five days, he couldn’t just rely on defense. He needed to be able to end fights faster.
He bypassed the common steel section and headed straight for the polearms. His current iron-tipped spear was already notched from sparring with Zoe; against a Second Circle beast’s hide, it would likely snap on the first thrust.
He needed a shaft that could handle the vibration of his mana and a tip that wouldn’t dull after one kill.
His eyes roamed past the 100,000-credit C-rank weapons, spears with glowing runes and vibrating blades, until he found a section of "D-Rank" equipment.
He searched for a few minutes before his eyes landed on a weapon tucked away in the corner of a reinforced rack.
’There it is...’