I felt Misha tense up in my arms for a moment, and for a split second, I worried I might’ve completely misread the situation. But then, slowly, she began to relax, leaning back into me with a kind of hesitant weight, like she wasn’t entirely sure if this was real.

  “Friends…” Misha muttered, so softly I barely caught it. Despite the whisper, the word carried a heavy emotional weight that hit me square in the chest.

  Then, I felt her start to shiver.

  A deep, resonant trill—almost like a cooing noise—escaped her as she leaned harder into my embrace, covering her face with her seven-digited hands. Even without [Cultural Savant], it was painfully clear what was happening. Misha was crying.

  What I did need [Cultural Savant] for, however, was the helpful and very on-topic information that Gryplik tears were highly acidic—enough to eat through flesh like hydrofluoric acid.

  That particular tidbit snapped me back into practicality real fast.

  Shifting my arms slightly, I adjusted my hold to make sure I stayed well out of the splash zone of any potential tears. With the Rest Function currently on hold until I finished the quick-hack for the Operator meeting, the last thing I needed was to deal with semi-permanent acid scars.

  Instead, I let the arm nearest her face drop to her back, gently stroking the surprisingly thick, rope-like strands of her hair in slow, soothing motions.

  She continued to tremble, her cooing sounds growing softer as I held her.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Jade’s expression, and it nearly sent me into a fit of laughter. Her face was a perfect blend of confusion, exasperation, and mild horror. Her posture and face practically screamed “What in the actual fuck is happening here?!”

  ‘Oh shit,’ I thought, barely suppressing a chuckle. ‘I completely forgot Jade was still here for a moment there.’

  From her perspective, this whole situation must’ve been utterly absurd. I’d dragged her into the shop of an eccentric, alien-like store owner, left her to deal with Misha’s antics, and then swooped in out of nowhere to hug said “alien” while babbling about “friends.” And to top it all off, I somehow managed to make the already bizarre Gryplik break down in tears.

  Yeah, her confusion was understandable. Thoroughly deserved, even, to be entirely honest.

  Our eyes met, and Jade’s expression screamed for an explanation—”What the actual fuck just happened?”

  Without missing a beat, I opened a message to send her directly.

  Her eyes flickered blue as she read the message, her brows furrowing slightly in response. Moments later, a reply popped up.

  I had to fight hard—very hard—not to burst out laughing at the way Jade worded her response. My Ego came through for me yet again, keeping my face neutral so I wouldn’t disturb Misha’s moment with poorly timed laughter.

  Instead, I focused on gently stroking Misha’s thick, rope-like hair, occasionally kneading the base of her scalp as her soft, resonant trilling continued. The vibrations felt almost rhythmic, like a heartbeat made audible.

  After a few minutes, the trembling in her frame began to subside, and the cooing faded into silence.

  I knew that this had to have been an intensely vulnerable moment for Misha.

  Showing open emotion like that in front of what amounted to a random customer in Jade couldn’t have been easy. But I hadn’t exactly been flush with options.

  The luxury of time to provide her with the privacy she deserved was something I didn’t have, not with the way my life had been pulling me in a dozen different directions lately, each one as demanding and “urgent” as the next.

  Honestly, a part of me was hoping that the Operator meeting would just come and go so I could finally focus on at least some of the things piling up on my plate.

  As much as I hated it, I’d fallen into a pattern of triaging every problem, figuring out what I could handle immediately and what had to wait.

  But Misha? I couldn’t just put her “on the list.”

  She didn’t deserve to be another line item in the endless backlog threatening to pull me apart at the seams. Not when I already knew what was wrong and had a way to help.

  This way, at least, I’d done something for her. I’d made sure she wasn’t going to quietly suffer in the background while I tried to claw my way through the chaos of figuring out this new life.

  It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t ideal, but it was the best I could do right now.

  And for now, I hoped that it would be enough.

  “Ela can unhand Misha now…” I heard Misha whisper up toward me, her voice soft and hesitant. By this point, she’d fully leaned into the hug, her head practically pressing against my chest.

  Carefully, I loosened my hold, making sure to keep a steady hand on her arm as she straightened herself.

  Once upright, Misha began wiping away the remnants of her ruby-red tears—viscous and sparkling like some kind of molten gemstone paired with blood—using the sleeve of her clothes.

  Much to my surprise, the fabric didn’t dissolve or react in any way.

  Misha cleared her throat a couple of times, the sound more akin to a bird attempting to gargle gravel than anything human.

  Then, with a long, fluid motion, she stretched to her full, towering height of over two meters.

  For a moment, she looked down at Jade with an expression that carried an odd mix of embarrassment and determination.

  “Misha apologises for this display,” she said, addressing Jade directly. “It is most unfortunate that Jade had to witness this. Misha will make sure to provide the best service available in all of Neo Avalis to compensate for this unsightly moment.”

  Before either of us could respond, Misha executed a perfect ninety-degree bow, her movements sharp and precise. Then, just as abruptly, she darted away, vanishing behind a mountain of merchandise with the kind of speed that always caught me off guard.

  Jade didn’t even have a chance to get a word out before Misha disappeared.

  Left standing there, she slowly turned to me, her face a mixture of confusion, disbelief, and just a touch of exasperation—the look she was starting to wear more and more around me.

  I met her gaze and shrugged, struggling to keep a straight face.

  ‘Classic Misha.’

  The next half hour played out much like the first—only this time, Misha was even more eager and determined to find the absolute perfect items for Jade.

  She zipped from pile to pile, pulling gear with an almost manic energy, each new piece tossed at Jade with a flourish and a sales pitch consisting of detailed information on each item.

  At some point, I started feeling bad for Jade.

  The poor girl barely had time to catch her breath or consider her options before Misha was thrusting yet another jacket, vest, or gadget into her hands.

  Misha was laser-focused on making up for what she’d called her earlier “shame,” and her relentless enthusiasm didn’t leave much room for deliberation.

  ‘I always get choice paralysis in situations like this…’ I thought, idly watching the two of them as I wandered over to one of the less chaotic corners of the shop. ‘I wonder if Jade’s dealing with that right now…?’

  To keep myself occupied—and to give Jade a little breathing room—I had started browsing through some of Misha’s scattered merchandise.

  After all, I wasn’t just here for Jade; I had a few things I wanted to pick up as well.

  That said, I didn’t feel like interrupting the whirlwind of activity between Misha and Jade just to ask for some mundane items. The only thing I’d really need Misha’s uncanny talent for finding the perfect gear was a reliable backpack.

  Old Sera had owned some very basic ones—cheap, functional, and fine for casual use—but I couldn’t trust those to hold up in the kind of work I was getting into. The last thing I needed was a strap snapping or a seam giving out at the worst possible moment.

  I needed something sturdier, something as durable—if not more so—than my actual clothes.

  My current outfit, of course, had plenty of pockets—perfect to my requested specifications when I’d requested something like this from Misha, of course—but pockets only ever went so far.

  There were just some things that weren’t practical to carry directly on your person every single time, but were still too valuable in the rare circumstances that they were needed to leave behind entirely.

  And then there were the larger items—things that wouldn’t fit in even the deepest pockets.

  One of those, for example, was something I’d been wanting for a while: A Drone.

  Drones were just about everywhere in Neo Avalis—way more ubiquitous than they’d ever been in my previous life. They were used for just about everything: Transporting goods, surveillance, security, and even straight-up combat, in rare scenarios.

  For me, I was eyeing a basic surveillance drone—something to give me an extra set of eyes I could toss around a corner or send scouting ahead without risking my own face.

  Simple, effective, and invaluable for the kind of work I was aiming to do.

  But picking one up and actually deploying it wasn’t as straightforward as it sounded.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  There were a lot of issues I still needed to solve, the biggest of which was the DIS: the Drone Identification Signature.

  Since drones were so common in the Megacity, they’d naturally become a prime target for all kinds of criminal activity—smashing them, stealing them, or even reprogramming them entirely to serve local gangs or shady corporations.

  Then there were the “homemade” drones, cobbled together to blend in with legitimate units while doing dirty work like smuggling Glitter or delivering other illicit goods.

  That’s where the DIS came in.

  The system had been specifically designed to combat exactly this kind of misuse, and it was not something to take lightly.

  In Neon Dragons, it had been a consistent thorn in the side of the player character throughout the entire main story, and I could already tell it was going to be a headache for me now.

  Here’s how it worked, as far as I understood it from my wiki-dives: Every single drone in Neo Avalis came equipped with a unique signature—a DIS—that was virtually impossible to spoof or replicate. The system’s source code was locked down tight, protected by algorithms and encryption routines designed by none other than one of Kill Joy’s star pupils.

  So unless Kill Joy himself or somebody equivalent to him decided to take a crack at it, it was unlikely to budge any time soon.

  And this signature wasn’t just a random, boring-old identification number, either.

  It was constantly monitored and cross-checked against citywide databases through Neo Avalis’s expansive Cyberspace network. And because every single drone served as both an eye and an ear for the DIS system, there were effectively tens, maybe even hundreds of millions of “watchdogs” roaming the city at any given moment.

  If a drone didn’t have a valid DIS, it was like flying a giant neon “WANTED” sign over your head—and it didn’t stop there.

  The system wouldn’t just flag the drone either; it would actively work to zero in on the operator, too, leveraging the vast network of eyes and ears from every drone in the area.

  While the system wouldn’t hijack drones outright or redirect them from their assigned tasks, it didn’t need to. With access to millions upon millions of mobile cameras and microphones, it could build a profile of the rogue operator in record time regardless.

  That alone was enough to land someone in a world of trouble.

  And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, the DIS system had another card to play.

  It wasn’t just a static set of protocols—it was constantly evolving.

  While not technically classified as an AI due to the VeilGuard’s strict anti-AI regulations, the system skirted that line so closely it might as well have been alive.

  The algorithms were adaptive, analyzing and learning from every attempt to bypass the system. Any exploit or workaround that worked once would be rendered useless almost immediately.

  Long-term solutions simply didn’t exist in a system that was always a step ahead.

  The bottom line? There were ways to get around the DIS, but they all came with a big caveat: It would only work for a short time.

  Still, even with the limitations, a drone would be a game-changer for my Operator work. A few minutes of use here and there could mean the difference between success and failure—or even life and death.

  And considering that it was specifically about my life and death; that was very much worth it in my eyes.

  While browsing Misha’s wares, I made sure to spam my [Appraisal] Ability on just about everything I could get my hands on. I hadn’t had many chances to level up [Appraise] so far, and Misha’s Emporium felt like a goldmine for experience grinding.

  Nearly every item here gave me a solid experience drop with a single use of [Appraisal]—that is, when the Ability actually worked.

  As it turned out, [Appraisal] wasn’t nearly as omniscient as I’d initially hoped.

  More often than not, I was greeted by the dull, irritating error tone in my mind, signaling that the Ability had no idea what it was looking at.

  ‘Must be Knowledge-related,’ I thought, filing that away for later. ‘Higher Levels in [Appraise] should unlock more, higher-Tier items...’

  I put down a sleek, high-tech case I’d been examining—a container holding a gun of unknown design that [Appraisal] flat-out refused to recognize.

  It was a bit disappointing, but I pressed on.

  Thankfully, it didn’t take long for the System Notification I’d been waiting for to finally pop up:

  Leaning against a nearby mountain of plush-looking clothes, I glanced over to make sure Misha and Jade were still preoccupied with their ongoing whirlwind of chaotic shopping. Once I was sure they weren’t paying me any attention, I activated the download.

  As always, my mind was immediately flooded with information. My vision blurred, my thoughts spiraled, and my brain scrambled to process the torrent of data crashing into it.

  But surprisingly, the Level 2 download wasn’t what I’d expected.

  There were no fancy techniques or new skills to try out. Instead, it was almost entirely raw knowledge: Information about item categories, pricing, and how to differentiate between genuine and fake versions of gear.

  That was pretty much it.

  Muscle Memory? Practically non-existent this time around.

  [Appraise] seemed less like a hands-on Skill and more like one of those Wiki-Skills that dumped knowledge into your brain instead of teaching actionable techniques.

  The good news? The download ended quicker than most, and for once, there wasn’t much residual vertigo—a welcome break from the usual head-spinning chaos I’d grown used to.

  The bad news? The knowledge didn’t feel like something I could actively recall whatsoever.

  It was more like a silent addition to my brain’s database, tucked away for [Appraisal] to draw on when needed, rather than something I could consciously access.

  Not flashy, but functional.

  And honestly? Right now, I was more than happy with functional.

  After all the flashy Skill downloads I’d gotten recently—each one more overwhelming than the last—it was a nice change of pace to have something straightforward. No dramatic new techniques to figure out, no sudden revelations to integrate into my routine. Just pure, simple utility.

  With a bit of renewed enthusiasm, I went back to [Appraising] random items while waiting for Jade or Misha to call me over and let me know they were done. Another half-hour later, I finally got the message I’d been expecting.

  I sent back a quick reply that I was on my way and began weaving my way through the labyrinth of merchandise, muscling past mountains of gear and oddities. Misha’s Emporium truly was a marvel—a treasure trove stocked with more items than I could begin to count.

  ‘Where does Misha even get all this stuff?’ I wondered as I navigated the chaos. ‘There’s no way Misha actually makes all of this, right…?’

  When I finally spotted Jade and Misha, I stopped a few meters short, giving Jade a once-over.

  She was now decked out in an outfit that bore a striking resemblance to my own Operator gear, complete with the same sleek, practical design—and myriads of pockets.

  Misha’s handiwork was obvious in the quality.

  The material looked durable yet flexible, and the seams were practically invisible.

  I couldn’t help but want to use [Appraisal] on it, just to see how it stacked up to my own.

  But before I could indulge the thought, I turned to Misha, shifting my focus to the next items on my mental checklist.

  “Ela requires a backpack,” I began. “A sturdy one, capable of surviving rough use and holding delicate items while keeping them relatively safe. Ela also requires a drone—preferably a close-range surveillance type with a DIS spoofer, maybe good for… three minutes or so? Does Misha have any of those available?”

  Misha tilted her head slightly, her crystal-like eyes glinting with a mix of excitement and what could only be described as mischief.

  “Ela truly underestimates Misha, huh…?” Misha muttered, shaking her head as though disappointed in me. Then, with a dramatic flourish, she added, “Misha will show Ela the best options available in all of Neo Avalis! Ela just watch!”

  And with that, she was off, darting toward the far end of the store with the kind of speed and precision that only Misha could manage, leaving me and Jade standing there like a pair of abandoned tourists.

  Jade glanced at me, raising an eyebrow as if to say, “Here we go again.”

  I just shrugged, a small grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. ‘Classic Misha.’

  With Misha darting off, I took the chance to get a closer look at Jade and her new gear. As I inspected her outfit, I asked absentmindedly, “You already pay for it? Hope it didn’t drain the bank.”

  Jade’s grin was self-satisfied as she replied, “Uh-huh. Surprisingly cheap, considering the quality. Pseudo-Tier 1 isn’t exactly easy to get for someone like me…”

  She hesitated, her expression flickering with uncertainty, like she was debating whether to add something.

  Finally, she continued, “And, uh… thanks. For bringing me here. Misha’s… amazing. Odd, sure, but her equipment? Unbelievable. And the prices? Downright insane for how good it all is.”

  She trailed off again, her body language shifting, shoulders stiffening slightly as if she were holding something back. Whatever it was, she seemed conflicted about saying it aloud.

  I wasn’t entirely sure what was bothering her, but I had a hunch.

  “It’s fine to tell Vega and your sisters about her, just so you know,” I said, keeping my tone as casual and offhanded as I could manage. While I spoke, I let my hands trail down the seams of her outfit, using [Appraisal] to inspect the quality.

  The moment my fingers brushed the fabric, Jade froze, her body going rigid like I’d pressed a panic button.

  “Ah—sorry!” I said quickly, pulling my hands back and mentally kicking myself for the slip-up. Whoops. Definitely a little too eager there…

  “I… thank you. I will consider it,” Jade replied, her tone surprisingly diplomatic.

  It caught me a bit off guard—hadn’t she come here hoping to scope out a potential business opportunity for the Clawed Beasts?

  Before I could say anything, she shifted the conversation, seemingly trying to fill the awkward silence that had followed it.

  “You got any specific plans for that drone, then?” she asked, her tone casual but curious.

  Her question gave me a moment to glance at the [Appraisal] screen I’d pulled up on her outfit.

  It confirmed what I’d already suspected: Her gear was slightly less advanced than mine—not that I was quietly gloating about it or anything; definitely not.

  Functionally, though, it offered a similar level of protection and coverage.

  The biggest differences were in the details. My outfit had a multi-purpose scarf that doubled as a hood, while hers skipped that in favor of a simpler design. My bomber jacket was thicker and had a bit of a bigger profile, while hers leaned more into the aesthetic of a classic jean jacket—though both stuck to the same dark gray, green, and black color palette that I had originally chosen for my own.

  Material-wise, they were identical, meaning her upper-body equipment was also classified as Pseudo-Tier 1.

  It was solid gear, no doubt, and a downright incomprehensible upgrade for her.

  She had gone from being basically one stab away from death, to being able to take an absolute beating—as long as the attacks didn’t manage to sneak past her jacket, that was.

  Still, I couldn’t help but think about my own upgrades.

  My pants were still stuck at Tier 0, and while it annoyed me to no end, I couldn’t justify prioritizing them right now. A reliable backpack and a drone were higher on the list, especially given the nature of my upcoming jobs.

  Both the Operator business and Mr. Stirling’s final requests were bound to take me to places that I had no familiarity with, whatsoever. And information was key, so the drone simply had to take priority here.

  Plus, there were still a handful of more mundane items I wanted to pick up before leaving the floor: a high-power flashlight, rope, duct tape, and a few other essentials. While I had a decent chunk of Credits to my name right now, I knew the drone would likely take a big bite out of that stash—even with Misha’s ridiculously good pricing.

  “Got a few ideas,” I finally answered Jade, offering a small grin. “Mainly for recon—having a second set of eyes I can send ahead, especially in tight spaces, would make things a lot safer. And honestly, anything that keeps me out of direct fire is worth its weight in Creds.”

  Jade nodded after a moment, her curiosity seemingly satisfied for now.

  Just in time, Misha came barreling around the corner of a nearby counter at breakneck speed. She stopped mere centimeters away from me, her towering frame somehow balancing a ridiculous number of backpacks strapped across her body.

  “Misha has returned triumphantly!” she declared with a toothy, smug grin, her crystal-like eyes sparkling as though she’d just conquered some grand challenge. Without hesitation, she unstrapped one of the backpacks and hoisted it into my arms.

  “Ela should try this one!” she said, gesturing dramatically to the bag now in my hands. “It is not as lightweight as some other options, but it has extra reinforced layers on the exterior. That makes it more resistant to abrasions and damage. Misha assures Ela that it is made from the same fabric as Jade and Ela’s outfits, so it can even withstand small-caliber gunfire and knives!”

  I turned the bag over in my hands, inspecting the material.

  Sure enough, it had the same sleek, slightly textured feel as my Operator gear, and I could immediately tell it was built to take a beating. Misha’s enthusiasm for her wares was as infectious as ever, and I found myself already nodding along.

  Of course, this was just the first of many options, judging by the mountain of other bags still strapped to her.

  It was going to be a long pitch…

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