…Alex’s PoV…

“So, did she mention anything about me?” I ask Cynthia, who shakes her head and sighs.

“To be honest we barely even talk anymore, she was always a bit reserved but now she’s completely closed off. I think she’s a bit more affected by the club disbanding -”

I raise my hand to interrupt her, “Don’t let her fool you. She’s not human, and we shouldn’t fall into her traps. You know what’s at stake, right?”

Cynthia nods and focuses back on her phone. Her attitude changed a lot in the last few days, and it’s all thanks to me. It all began when we met in the park…

“S-So… What do you want to tell me?” she says while her cheeks turn crimson. Her gaze keeps alternating between me and the ground. The small woman becomes even redder each time she looks at me.

Why is she acting like this? Did I do something wrong? Heh, it doesn’t matter anyway. I’m sure that she’ll pardon whatever I did once I explain the situation to her.

“There’s something I need to tell you, it’s something that’s very important… But first you’ll have to be honest with me. Do you trust me?”

She tilts her head to the side for a second before nodding furiously, “O-Of course!”

“I’m glad to hear that! You know, I always appreciated how you were always there for me…”

Cynthia makes the brightest smile I have ever seen and gets closer to me.

“So that’s why I-”

But something I could’ve never expected interrupts me mid-sentence… Cynthia just kissed me!

W-What?!

I have no words and just stare at her when our lips part.

She giggles and smiles, but her expression darkens when she notices my complete surprise. “T-That’s why you called me, right? Don’t tell me that-”

W-What?! So, she thought I called her because… That’s a huge misunderstanding!

I’m about to explain the situation to her but stop at the last second. Her liking me isn’t something I could have predicted!

But that certainly explains why she was always so eager to follow me around. Snippets of our conversations flash in my mind, and I finally realize how dense I’ve been.

How could I have been so blind?

The idea of someone having any romantic interest in me is something that’s completely foreign to me, so it’s going to take a while to adjust to my new reality. But I think I did a good job when I learned about the Fishmen and the lizard people, so how hard could this be?

And I can’t possibly reject Cynthia since she’s the only person I can trust, and I need her help. It feels a bit manipulative, but the Fishmen’s secrets are too important. And who knows, maybe feelings will develop as time goes on.

I take a deep breath. Cynthia looks at me with wide eyes and hugs me when I lean forward to kiss her.

After that, it was easy to convince her to follow me into the storage closet. She was a bit apprehensive at first, but her attitude changed when I showed her the keyhole and explained the story to her. Now, she keeps track of Sarah’s whereabouts and helps me with my research. So far, we’ve made good progress, even if we have to sift through a lot of misinformation.

Of course, we pretty much have to play it by ear, since we don’t know much about the Fishmen, but I like to think that we’re doing a pretty good job.

“Do you have any news about that guy who wants to meet you?” Cynthia asks while hugging me from behind.

“Yeah, we’re going to meet tonight. I hope his information is worth my time…”

She frowns, “You know, I don’t think you should be going. Don’t you think it’s suspicious that a random person you’ve never met before happens to have crucial information as soon as we look into it? And he wants to meet you alone in a bad part of town…”

I pat her head, “You’re right, but he could give us more clues. I’m not one to trust some random guy from an old forum, but… This person already gave me some free information, ‘as a show of good faith’ he said in his message. And it’s pretty convincing.”

Cynthia sighs, “Yeah, I know. But still-”

I lean forward and grab a taser from my bedside table, “Don’t worry about me, I’m prepared.”

Her hug tightens, “Promise me you’re going to come back.”

“Don’t worry about it…” I look around my apartment. The place is a lot tidier and cleaner now that Cynthia and I are together. I’ve never been one for cleaning, but even I know that I couldn’t let it stay that messy since she spends so much time at my place…

“Don’t worry; I’m going to be fine. And what’s the worst that could happen anyway?”

…John’s PoV…

“So, what do you think?” the bearded Goblin asks while showing me the new set of armor I ordered a week ago.

The armor displayed on a mannequin in front of me is a mix of a dark brass-like metal and some sort of grey steel. A single glance is enough to understand how sturdy it is despite its lack of bulk. The head of the mannequin is covered by a full helm made of riveted brass plates; the only openings in the mask are two slits for the eyes. The eyes of the wearer are protected by a sort of opaque yellow glass.

The form-fitting main body of the armor is made with the grey metal, and the areas covering the vitals are reinforced by riveted brass plates. The limbs are also protected in the same manner, although the left forearm is devoid of any armor because of the Shield Glove.

“So, what are you waiting for? Go and try it out!” the shopkeeper takes me out of my daze. I approach the set of armor, but I can’t figure out how to put it on.

Krognar laughs when I voice my concern and he approaches the armor before pulling a small remote out of his pocket. The armor rumbles as soon as he presses one of the buttons on the remote, and my jaw drops when the armor slowly retracts on itself until it turns into a slim metal shirt.

“I think you can figure it out from here.” The Goblin says. I nod and remove the armor from the mannequin, it’s surprisingly light. I then remove my jacket along with my holsters and put on the armor, I can barely feel it and it doesn’t hinder my movements at all.

“So, what am I supposed to do now?” I ask the Goblin.

The shopkeeper presses another button on the remote and the shirt vibrates for a split second, “I just attuned it to you, so just visualize how it looked like earlier.”

I do as he says, and the shirt rumbles again. I can feel the cold metal covering every inch of my body until I’m fully encased into the suit of armor. The first thing I notice is the small dots at the corner of my vision: There’s a large blue one in the middle of a circle, and there’s a small red one just in front of the blue dot.

I also feel a nice cool breeze all over my body, and the air no longer carries the odor of metal and oil that permeates Krognar’s shop.

“Now kid, this masterpiece has a lot of features, so listen well. First of all, let’s get the basics out of the way: This armor is self-cleaning and self-repairing. Now, I think you noticed the red and blue dots at the bottom left corner of your vision. This wasn’t something I originally planned to add, but I still had leftover materials so… It’s a lifeforce detector. It’s not the best one on the market, but it should be enough to scan an area around you that’s about twelve yards. Of course, that’s only if there’s no barrier or anything else that might impede the scan. The helmet also grants you night vision, and it should provide protection against most sonic and blinding attacks.”

I nod and move around, I can’t help but marvel at the craftsmanship that went into the armor. It’s so well-made that I can’t feel even a slight resistance as I move my limbs and my armored hands, it’s like I’m not wearing anything at all!

The shopkeeper continues his explanation, “Now check the area near your thighs.” I do as he asks and the plates on my thighs open, revealing two hidden compartments.

“Those compartments are for those weird devices you strap to your chest. You’ll notice similar compartments for your metal boxes if you check around your sides.” My hands hover over my sides, the plates move and reveals hidden storage space for my magazines.

“Is there anything else?” I ask while moving my items from my chest rig to the armor. I can’t help but marvel at the way my guns are slightly pushed upward when the compartment opens, or how many magazines I can fit into the armor.

This armor is so well-made, it’s incredible… I don’t regret spending so much now.

He hands me the remote and point at a spot on my armor, “This little device can control your armor at a distance, so I’d recommend keeping it safe.” I nod and shove the small remote into a dedicated slot hidden in the metal belt around my hips.

“The armor also has state of the art environmental protection: You can swim in molten magma or wander through the most frozen and desolate wasteland I can think of for hours on end. There’s also a pressure compensator in there, so you can walk at the bottom of oceans without being crushed. And last but not least, the armor’s respiratory system. You probably didn’t notice, but the armor is completely sealed, and there’s a closed loop breathing system in there. So, you should be able to ignore most of the different atmospheres of other planets.”

I nod and tap the armor, “And what about its defensive capabilities? I never saw this material before.”

Krognar grins, “I’d be surprised if you did since it’s a special alloy I developed. It’s not as strong as a top-tier shield but it’ll protect you against basic attacks.”

“All right, then what about the backpack we agreed on?”

Krognar points at the intricate belt on my armor, “You see the small hooks on your belt? There are for the containers I prepared.”

I raise an eyebrow, “Containers?”

The shopkeeper nods, “Yeah, making a large backpack with all the enchantments required to safely transport hazardous material was more resource intensive than I thought. So, I opted for smaller containers instead.” he points at a table with five large brass cylinders on top.

“As you can see, the containers are perfectly sealed,” he turns the top part of the cylinder, which has a large handle, and a hiss followed by a small cloud of white smoke comes out of the container.

“It’s going to be tight, but you should have just enough space to bring back what I need.”

I hope so because I don't want to spend a lot of time running around while carrying materials that require so much containment to be safely transported…

I equip the containers, the two in the front are at a slight angle to not impede my movement and the three others are in the back. Each container makes an audible clicking noise when the hooks lock them in place.

“Now kid, I think you’re ready to go.” Krognar pats me in the back and smiles before shooing me out of his shop.

He kicks me out without a word of encouragement… No, getting angry at his lack of manners won’t amount to anything. Now, let’s get this over with.

I teleport directly into the Scanner room and drop my now useless chest rig on the ground. I then focus on the screen of the large machine that has been running for the entire week still display the same text since yesterday: One result found.

Well, I guess I should’ve expected something like that since those materials are extremely rare.

I check my equipment one last time and fill my magazine stores to the brim since I still have some space left. I then shut off the Scanner after entering the coordinates displayed on the screen into my Portal Gun. The Scanner only shows a wide zone and not specific points, so I’ll have to run around for a bit, but it shouldn’t be too bad.

I hope this world isn’t going to be too hostile!

A blue portal appears on the wall as soon as I press the trigger. I take a deep breath and step through it.

…??? PoV…

“It’s getting closer!” I jump to the side, just in time to avoid the sharp claw aimed at my head. The creature screeches and circles around me while eyeing my blood-covered sword.

“Come on Hisako, you can do it! I just need a few seconds!” Riko, my rabbit-eared companion, shouts before resuming the activation sequence of her Formation.

I tighten my grip on my sword and flinch when I suddenly regain my sense of touch in my other arm. The limb became numb because of a powerful strike that I parried with my shield.

It better be worth it, or we’re not going to last too long against this fucking abomination! Why is a Weavaan even here, this close to the Clan?!

I eye my adversary while we circle around each other: The Weavaans are nightmarish creatures, and this scar-covered specimen is even more terrifying than his peers.

Its main body, a two feet sphere covered in black fur is where it hides its lipless mouth. This mouth is filled with razor-sharp teeth that can strip the flesh off anyone in a second, and the incredible power of his jaw means it's impossible to escape its grasp.

The creature rumbles and lowers its four, spider-like legs and jumps before I can even react. I’m about to roll to the side, but I realize in horror that doing so would expose the defenseless Riko to the creature.

I click my tongue and pull out a small silver coin with a purple gem embedded in its center before crushing it between my fingers.

The Elder is going to yell at me for wasting an Artifact like that, but it’s the only way to protect Riko!

A transparent aura appears between the Weavaan and me, the unaware creature yelps when it crashes into the barrier. The sudden apparition of the barrier dazes the monster, so I’m not letting this opportunity go!

I lunge towards the Weavaan and stab it with all my strength. My sword barely pierces its thick skin, but it’s still enough to draw blood. The monster, that’s sporting a new bleeding gash on its underbelly, reels back and slams the ground with the large bird-like talons at the end of its lanky legs.

My short tail puffs up and a shiver coursed through my spine. I know this feeling and I can only mean one thing. Riko is activating her Formation!

A bolt of purple lightning enters the creature’s open maw and paralyzes it for a second. Black smoke erupts from its eyes and a scent of burned flesh invades my nostrils just as the Weavaan’s lifeless corpse falls to the side.

I poke the monster with my blade a few times before driving my four-edged sword into the roof of its mouth to pierce its brain.

You can never be too sure that a Weavaan is dead.

“H-Hisako, did I do it? Is the monster dead?” a timid high-pitched voice asks.

I turn around and spot the figure of Riko, a five-foot rabbit girl with medium length white hair and long droopy ears that are the same shade. I can see tears forming at the corner of her large red eyes, so I wave my hand in the air to reassure her.

She lights up when she spots me and run towards me. Her equipment, two large Formation parchments strapped to her side, two bags of spare Power Stones and the long and delicate Attuning Wand make her appear bigger than she really is.

Formations masters are really something else… Who could ever suspect that such a frail girl is able to kill an adult Weavaan in one attack?

“Hisako!” she tears up and hugs me as tight as she can.

I push her away, “Can we avoid hugs for now?”

Her eyes wander over the bleeding wounds on various parts of my body and she nods her head before she let go of me.

“We better get you back to the village, or else we might-”

My panda ears on top of my head twitch, and my body reacts before my mind can process the situation. I tackle Riko, sending us barreling down a steep hill just before a black mass lands on our previous position.

“W-What was that for?!” Riko asks after spitting out a mouthful of dirt. I don’t answer her, and she soon understands why.

A group of five angry Weavaans is staring at us.

Fuck, the scent of their dead comrade probably attracted them!

I unsheathe my sword and glare at the creatures. The situation is more than unusual since Weavaans are solitary creatures, and they never go near our Clan’s land. But I can’t waste time on wondering about the reason why the Weavaans are here, what matters is how I can get Riko back to our village in one piece.

“Get down! And don’t do anything unless I tell you to!” I whisper to the terrified rabbit-eared girl, who nods and does her best to hide under the nearby foliage.

My attention quickly goes back to the five abominations. The hill is very steep, so they still have to be careful in their descent, even with their long and dexterous limbs. That means I have precious seconds to formulate a plan.

Riko’s safety is the top priority, so I can’t have her fight. Even if she has a rare talent with Formations, she’s still a novice. So, there’s no way she’ll be able to take out five Weavaans in such a short period of time.

And it’s not like she has the resources… She only has one set of Power Stones left for the lightning Formation, and the other set is useless since it can only fuel a Formation made for igniting a campfire.

To make matters worse, I don’t have any Artifacts left. I curse our Clan’s dire financial situation before taking a stance. I raise my medium-sized round iron shield in front of me and point my sword forward.

I approach the creatures, which are now at the bottom of the hill, and try to stop my knees from trembling.

The Weavaans growl and lean forward, it’s a clear indication that they are about to leap towards their prey. I plant my feet into the ground and grit my teeth to maintain my wavering resolve.

Who am I kidding? A single Aspirant like me can’t hold a candle to a single Weavaan, let alone five-

A drastic change of atmosphere interrupts my dark thoughts and it looks like it also affects the Weavaans since they stop their advance. My spine suddenly tingles, and the air feels heavier, I glance towards Riko but she’s terrified and doesn’t move an inch.

What could cause this feeling? It’s similar to when someone uses a Formation, yet it’s different…

The tingle in my spine suddenly gets even stronger, and I take a step back without realizing it. The Weavaans, which are eyeing me with suspicion, lower their bodies and growl.

What was that? I never-

A painful jolt of electricity coursed through my bones just as the feeling began to fade. I grunt while the Weavaans are whimpering on the ground.

Are…Are the Weavaans afraid?!

I can’t believe my eyes. The fearsome predators are trembling on the ground!

But my stupor doesn’t end here; a large blue circle made of pure energy appears between the creatures and me!

W-What is this?! Is this some kind of divine retribution?!

My heart skips a beat when an armored figure steps through the floating circle.