In front of them, neatly displayed, was the full set of equipment they had requested: a longsword, a short sword, a greatsword, a pair of gauntlets, a shield, a custom-forged scythe, and matching arm and leg guards. All bronze-grade, all reinforced with pristine aether, all crafted by Kei’s hands.
And that was the problem.
As they moved to take their new gear, Kei stopped them cold.
“You think that was the deal?” he asked, his voice soft — too soft.
Before either could answer, a blur of motion cut through the air.
THANG. THANG. THANG.
A heavy blow slammed into both their skulls. Kaito and Draggbane collapsed to their knees, reeling from the force, eyes wide in disbelief.
“YOU THINK YOUR ORES COUNT AS FULL PAYMENT?” Kei shouted, each word accompanied by another impact. “DO I LOOK LIKE SOME DAMN VOLUNTEER WORKSHOP TO YOU?!”
They couldn’t even raise their voices to explain. It wasn’t just the pain — it was the weight behind each strike, not just in force, but in meaning. Kei wasn’t angry over the materials. He was furious over the assumption.
“You see all this?” he growled, gesturing to the gear laid out before them. “Every piece took planning, testing, trial and error. It’s craft, not charity. Do you have any idea how many times I had to correct alloy ratios? How much aether it cost me? How many burns I got from working around the clock?”
His weapon — whatever it was — remained hidden beneath the edge of his sleeve. Neither Kaito nor Draggbane saw it clearly, only felt it when it struck. It wasn't heavy, but it landed like it carried justice itself.
“You don’t offer materials and call it even. That’s commissioning. You pay a proper craftsman what he’s worth.”
He let the last strike ring out, then lowered his hand.
The two sat there, holding their heads, not daring to speak.
Behind him, the rest of the camp observed from afar, frozen in place.
“Payment,” Kei said, voice now calm. “Get it right. Or next time I’ll add interest.”
No one asked what the weapon was. No one dared.
In an odd, cruel display of twisted generosity, Kei channeled healing force aether between each strike—restoring just enough to keep them conscious. Each blow was followed by a brief pulse of healing, just enough to repair the damage before another strike landed, as if the suffering was meant to be endured in full.
“We’re s-sowrry…” they mumbled, their swollen lips distorting every word. Their faces were unrecognizable—eyes puffed shut, tear ducts so swollen they couldn’t even cry.
Owen and the others watched the scene unfold with pure horror. Not wasting a second, they scrambled to empty their inventories—piling every bronze coin, scrap, trinket, and item they had onto the ground in offering. The panic was so bad, the guys even started fumbling with their waistbands, ready to throw in their underwear if it might add a sliver of value.
Kei finally turned to them, blinking as if caught off guard.
“Oh no, you guys are fine,” he said sweetly, his voice light and casual. “You’re my precious test subjects. Don’t worry.”
His eyes gleamed with a wicked light that sent shivers through every spine in the vicinity. Talia took one look at that expression—and dropped unconscious on the spot.
Healing them just enough to remove the bruises, swelling, and any visible injuries, Kei made sure Kaito and Draggbane were presentable to the public. Once their faces no longer resembled swollen vegetables, both men bowed repeatedly, thanking him more times than necessary. They finally offered proper payment for their crafted equipment—even pledging their aid to Kei should he ever call for it.
Without delay, they rushed back to their lodgings, eager to familiarize themselves with the new gear and hand over the pieces they had requested for others.
Kaito lingered for a moment, glancing at Kei from the corner of his eye. Frost… fire… healing… He gave up trying to understand the boy and simply accepted it with a shake of his head.
Satisfied, Kei dusted off his hands.
“Wow, you’re mean,” came a soft voice—clear and playful, carried directly into his ear despite no one being near him.
His eyes widened slightly. Aether sound transmission?
“Look what I learned to do~” the voice said sweetly, followed by a giggle, “I figured out how to send my voice through the wind with aether.”
Kei couldn’t help but smile, recognizing the voice of his lovely Mrs. (still self-declared, pending legal status). Without hesitation, he sprinted through the settlement toward her workshop.
In his hands, he carried the armor and the special weapon-carving tool he had made for her.
Lisa’s new gear was a striking blend of function and beauty—flowing, pale-pink and white garments that resembled a soft, modernized robe with hints of athletic wear. Despite the elegance, it allowed for full freedom of movement, hugging her frame comfortably with insulated protection.
She slipped into the outfit with a soft whistle. “If you keep spoiling me like this, I might never be able to repay you,” she teased with a wink.
Kei grinned. “I accept payment in kisses.”
Lisa tilted her head. “Denied.”
“Damn. Worth a shot.”
After his allotted “nuisance allowance” expired, Lisa updated him on the progress with his weapon schematics. Kei left her workshop quite satisfied with the results, a rare grin tugging at his lips. During their conversation, Lisa had casually asked whether he planned to join the Apex Boss raid. Kei simply replied that he’d had his fill of Apex encounters—that this was a chance for others to display their growth and rise through adversity.
But when she revealed she’d be participating as well, something shifted.
Kei didn’t argue. He just said he’d be there—unseen, hidden in the wind—ready to step in if things went wrong.
Later that evening, while wandering through the inner edges of the settlement with Phantom Breeze active, Kei walked along rooftops and narrow alleys, content to remain unnoticed as he fine-tuned the movement of his cloak and how it flowed with the wind. His steps were light, his presence a near ghost, and his thoughts wandered lazily over forge plans and experimental designs.
Then it hit him.
A sensation slammed into his core like a hook wrenched from beneath his ribs.
Every inch of his body locked up.
What the hell is this...?
The wind in the settlement shifted—wrong. Twisted. Unnatural. It wasn’t loud or violent—it was subtle, as if a new pressure had pressed into reality itself. But his instincts screamed louder than ever before.
The fine-tuned edges of Phantom Breeze began to flicker.
Kei’s knees bent instinctively, his hand reaching toward a throwing needle—but his senses… failed him.
He could feel something near him.
Someone.
But not a single detection worked.
Then—he heard it.
A playful snicker.
“Cute.”
That word alone sent a shiver down his spine.
Kei spun around sharply—only to see a figure already walking away. A tall, lean silhouette dressed plainly, hands in his coat pockets. His features unreadable, but the second their eyes met—
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Everything dropped.
Kei’s concealment flickered and broke. Phantom Breeze collapsed completely.
People nearby blinked in surprise, now suddenly aware of his presence as if he had just appeared from thin air.
The mysterious figure gave a slow, knowing glance back at Kei, then smiled—,with the confidence of someone who saw through everything.
And then he kept walking.
Kei didn’t chase. He didn’t move.
He couldn’t.
“…what the hell…” he whispered again, a cold sweat drenching the inside of his ninja cloth.
For the first time in ages, he had no idea what—or who—he just encountered.
But they saw him.
They saw through him.
Walking back toward the others, Kei’s steps were unsteady—each one leaving a damp print as sweat poured from his body, soaking into the earth beneath him. His breathing was shallow, his face pale, and his usually sharp eyes were glazed and distant. His vision flickered, his surroundings warping and twisting as if the world itself had lost focus.
Reese noticed him first.
“Kei?” he called out, concerned.
But there was no response.
To them, Kei looked like a man who had stared into something beyond comprehension—something far worse than death.
“Kei!” Reese called again, picking up his pace, with Talia, Kai and Owen following close behind.
He didn’t react. His gaze remained unfocused, distant. His hands hung loosely at his sides, and his steps were slow, unsteady—dragging forward like the weight of the world had latched onto him.
They trailed him quietly, exchanging glances as he led them his clearing. The air there felt heavier somehow—charged with something they couldn’t name.
Then, without warning—
BLARRRGGHHHH.
A guttural retch tore from Kei’s throat as he doubled over, vomiting violently onto the ground. His entire body shook, shivers wracking him like he’d just been dropped in the middle of a frozen tundra. Cold air clung to his skin despite the warmth of the Expanse.
He clutched his sides, trembling, trying to calm his erratic breathing.
“W-What the hell… was that?” he muttered.
His voice was quiet. Broken. Fragile.
He stared at the ground, wide-eyed, sweat still dripping off his chin.
“Who was he…?”
As if fate hadn’t already shaken him enough, another wave of dread surged through Kei—this time not external, but internal. A sick, festering sensation writhed in his core like acid bubbling beneath his skin. His breath hitched.
“I’m… poisoned?” he gasped, voice hoarse with disbelief.
Immediately, his instincts turned inward. He focused sharply on every sensation in his body, scrutinizing the pain, the sluggishness, the heat building beneath his skin. He knew his body—every cell, every twitch, every rhythm. Something foreign was moving inside him. Something toxic.
Without delay, Kei summoned his Healing Force Aether, forcing it into maximum output. It surged through his veins like a tidal wave of light, flushing every inch of his being. Pain screamed through him as the force clashed with the invasive presence, burning it away cell by cell.
Sensing his desperation, the surrounding aether responded.
It crashed into him from all sides, raw and wild, pulled uncontrollably by instinct. It didn’t just follow his command—it mirrored it, mimicking the properties of his Healing Force. Together, the flood of energy amplified his purge, replicating his aether’s regenerative function, flushing out the toxins, repairing what had been damaged.
The others watched helplessly as panic twisted across Kei’s face. His skin pale, his limbs shaking violently. Hachi barked wildly, eyes wide in terror, pressing against Zeph’s side. Wooloo pawed at the ground anxiously, while Zeph stood rigid—tense, alert, helpless.
Hachi’s howls grew frantic, threatening to throw himself into a frenzy to save his master.
Then—everything stopped.
Kei’s body exhaled all at once.
The aether stilled. The unnatural color faded from his skin. His breath began to steady. His trembling eased. The sheen of sweat evaporated slowly as life returned to his eyes.
Kei dropped to one knee, hand pressed against the dirt as he caught his breath.
That near-death fear lingered behind his eyes. Whatever had just tried to take him out—it hadn’t been normal.
And someone had done it silently.
Lodged in her own quiet corner of the settlement, far from Kei’s clearing, Silvie felt the frantic surge of aether pulse through the air. Her brows furrowed slightly, but she didn’t move from the comfort of her bed.
“That’s weird... wonder what’s going on,” she murmured, more curious than concerned.
But even that oddity couldn’t distract her from the weight of her recent failure. In her hand, she toyed with the worldstone fragment—the key reward for the Exalted Dungeon she'd fought so hard to participate in.
“An Exalted Dungeon… and I can't even earn the highest-tier reward,” she muttered. “I can still claim the leftover rewards, but the main prize… someone else won the chance for it. I just hope they understand the opportunity they’re holding. That thing might be the key to Earth’s survival.”
She exhaled sharply, frustration lining every word. A gentle pulse of green flickered around her fingers as she tested her newly acquired Nature-aligned force—an addition to her already powerful Vine Force. She’d chosen it to round out her capabilities, aiming to cover more ground for what was to come.
“If I just had better equipment back when I fought that Flood Hare Apex Boss… just a few seconds faster and I would’ve met the qualification threshold,” she muttered bitterly. “I didn’t even expect someone out there would already be at 50% force progression before reaching the first cultivation realm. That’s insane.”
Her mind turned to Ren Sui, her contact on Earth.
“Always rambling on about Fate Force and how the First Expanse would hold Earth’s salvation during the Multiversal Integration. He’s probably right—but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna let him off easy for not giving me more to work with.”
She rose, her decision already made.
“I’ll join that Apex Boss raid tomorrow. Even if it’s just loot drops, I’ll take anything that can give me a leg up for the Second Expanse. But when I get back to Earth…”
She cracked her knuckles.
“Ren Sui better be ready for a lecture.” she said, staring at a set of equipment that she obtained from the Flood Hare Apex Boss:
[Item Name]: Verdant Pulse Circlet
Type: Headgear
Grade: Mythic
Description: A crown-like circlet grown from the Flood Hare's own regenerative core. Pulses with vibrant life energy and enhances the user’s connection to all things plant-based.
Effects:
- Floral Resonance: Increases effectiveness of Nature-aligned and Vine-based techniques by 25%.
- Rejuvenating Bloom: Slowly restores HP and MP over time while in natural environments.
- Pulse of Life: Upon reaching critical health, instantly blooms a protective vine barrier that absorbs up to 40% of incoming damage for 5 seconds (10-minute cooldown).
[Item Name]: Bloomstrider Treads
Type: Footwear
Grade: Mythic
Description: Boots woven from water-infused plant fiber hardened under lunar tides. They grant exceptional speed and silent steps when moving through vegetation.
Effects:
- Whisperstep: Movement generates no sound on natural terrain.
- Vine Leap: Gain a triple jump if there is vegetation nearby to spring off.
- Flood Hare Agility: Increases Agility by 20% and movement speed by 15%.
[Item Name]: Wildsap Coil
Type: Weapon – Flexible Whip-Vine
Grade: Mythic
Description: A sentient vine whip infused with liquid aether from the Flood Hare. It reacts to intent, adjusting length and stiffness as needed.
Effects:
- Adaptive Lash: Extends, coils, or hardens on command, functioning as both whip and blade.
- Binding Pulse: Once per minute, can send a pulse that causes nearby vines to lash out and bind enemies.
- Flourish of Thorns: Each strike inflicts poison that scales with the user’s Will stat.
A new day dawned, one destined to be carved into the memory of all who stood ready at the heart of the settlement.
A small army had assembled—equipment polished to perfection, minds sharpened by anticipation, and spirits steeled for the greatest endeavor they had yet faced. After a final round of tactical discussion and a speech meant to ignite their resolve, the expedition force set out.
Among them marched Owen, Kai, Reese, and Talia—each flanked by members of their respective guilds, eyes focused ahead. Leading the vanguard was Jin Saito, the new arm and leg guards Kei had crafted fitted seamlessly into his movements. Every time his eyes caught the engraved description, a small smile formed on his lips. That quiet sense of assurance coursed through him like a second heartbeat.
Just behind him walked Lisa and Jenny, both fully equipped and prepared. Jenny’s lips curved into a similar smile as she glanced at her gear, the same engraved description seemingly offering her silent encouragement. Lisa, noticing but not understanding the reason for Jenny’s sudden grin, looked forward, curious—but said nothing. Her thoughts were elsewhere.
Lisa’s steps had rhythm. She was training as they marched—refining her Sound Force in silence, tuning into every subtle frequency: each footstep, every heartbeat, the ambient vibrations in the air. She didn’t speak, didn’t need to. Her progress pulsed beneath the surface, invisible to everyone else—but not to one person.
Above them, hidden among the trees, Kei moved like a shadow on the wind. Phantom Breeze cloaked his presence from all but a chosen few. Only Lisa could truly sense him—she could feel the slight shift in pressure and sound, an intentional tell he left behind so she’d know he was near. He did the same for Kai and the others—a quiet signal, subtle yet comforting.
Their march continued until finally, they stopped.
In the distance, it emerged.
A beast carved from the bones of the earth itself, its body etched with jagged veins of stone and iron. Its tusks glowed faintly with dormant energy, and the ground beneath it seemed to pulse with latent might.
[Apex Boss – Ironsworn Ravager]
[Species: Titanfang Boar]
[Force Alignment: Earthen Might]
[Level: 11]
The raid party stared up at the beast—massive, brutal, unmoving as a mountain.
The battle for survival had begun.
Jin stood at the vanguard—unyielding and resolute—his gaze locked onto the colossal boar ahead. With the new gear strapped to his arms and legs, he felt more than prepared.
Today, he would prove his worth. Today, he would accomplish the task laid upon him without hesitation.
[Name]: Jin Saito
[Title]: Title Hunter
[Class]: ??? (Ancient)
[Force Alignment]: Clairvoyance
[Level]: 10
[HP]: 110/110
[Aether]: 60/60
Strength: 24
Dexterity: 32
Agility: 35
Constitution: 20
Intelligence: 14
Will: 13
Charisma: 12
[Force Progression]: 5%
Jin stared down at the boar, eyes narrowing slightly as the faint glimmer of system text hovered in his vision. Without hesitation, he equipped a second title: [Martial Artist]. The moment it locked into place beside [Title Hunter], something shifted. His stance refined, balance sharper, movements quieter—as if the very act of equipping it reminded his body of every technique etched into muscle memory.
No words were spoken. No dramatic flourish.
Just a quiet readiness.
The others stood nearby, weapons drawn and stances tight. The Ironsworn Ravager let out a thunderous roar, its voice a deep, belting bellow that reverberated through the battlefield. The shockwave rippled outward in a violent ring, threatening to knock everyone off their feet. Stones cracked, dust kicked up in thick plumes, and the earth itself shifted—heaving and twisting in reaction to the Apex Beast’s presence.
From a distance, high within the branches of a weathered tree, Kei watched in silence. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp—tracking every movement, every exchange. He hadn’t come to interfere. Not yet.
This was their trial.
He was here to see how far they’d come—and just how much progress they’d made.