The area was already devoid of people, so the only indication that I’m in the Twilight World is the floating window at the corner of my vision. I crack my neck as I approach the entrance to the large shop. Standing here with a wrench feels wrong. Like I’m about to get caught by security cameras.

I can’t help but chuckle. There’s no one else on the entire planet. Does the Twilight World emulate the entire universe or only Earth? There’s still the Moon in the sky, and I can spot the faint glow of stars. Maybe it’s all an illusion? I shrug, it's not the moment for pondering on questions I can’t answer.

Instead, I swing as hard as I can. The wrench wrecks the large glass panel, causing an alarm to blare as the glass shatters on the concrete. “Oh no, I’ve been caught.” I grin as I keep smashing the glass. The edges of the glass shards are sharp, and I could cut myself. So I keep swinging to enlarge the opening until I can go through it before entering the shop.

The shop is dark, but I find a light switch thanks to the light on my phone. The sudden change in lighting hurts my eyes for a moment, but it doesn’t take long before I get used to the artificial glow of the LEDs embedded in the ceiling.

“It’s been a while since I have entered a gun shop,” I mumble to myself. My father taught me how to shoot, but I stopped practicing after going to college. Guns are a fun but expensive hobby that a broke student like myself could seldom afford. Now, it is different! As much as I want to grab everything, I have to be pragmatic. The creatures I am going to fight can range from a shitty Goblin to a mighty Dragon, so I need something that packs a punch. But I also need to be mobile, so I won’t take a bulky hunting rifle chambered for an insane caliber.

“What should I choose?” I examine the rows of firearms. “I need something semi-automatic at the very least, so bolt action rifles are out of the picture. I also need a big bullet that goes fast.” I can’t take any chances. A dragon will not give a shit if I shoot it with a .22 Long Rifle. Hell, the projectile would bounce off its scales!

In all honesty, I doubt I will fight a dragon. But you can never be too prepared for these things. What should I pick? A Short Barreled Rifle would be lighter, but it lacks the punch of a regular rifle. Not to mention that the short barrel could affect accuracy. It matters since I do not plan to rush headfirst into my enemies. I also need a weapon that isn’t too heavy to lug around and has decent ammo capacity. Something catches my eyes, a prominent display containing a bulkier than usual black pistol.

I would have dismissed such a weapon in a normal situation. A pistol caliber should be too weak for my requirements, but— But this one is special. And also very expensive. I remember seeing the reviews of this gun on the Internet. It might be an ideal addition to my arsenal! The weapon is a PSD made by FK BRNO. It can fire 10mm rounds, but what interests me is the other cartridge the firearm can use, 7.5FK. That caliber can achieve rifle-like velocities and create tremendous exit wounds. It’s lightweight for what it can do, and nothing can beat a price tag of zero dollars!

I head to the equipment aisle and grab myself a big military-style backpack before going back to the pistol area. There, I snag as many boxes of 7.5FK as I can. This ammo is usually expensive and somewhat hard to find, but the Twilight World makes this a non-issue. Then, I hop over the counter and get what I am looking for, a couple of boxes of PSD pistols. I grab one and open the rest to retrieve the magazines before shoving everything into my backpack. I also get my hands on a compatible holster that was nearby.

The pistol is great, but I still feel like it’s not enough. I need something more powerful, something like — yes, this will do! Another display catches my eyes, and the weapon it showcases is perfect! It is a Desert Tech MDRX, a next-generation bullpup rifle. The bullpup designs mean that the magazine and the action are at the back of the gun. It allows for the advantages of having a long barrel while still retaining a small form factor. The gun's caliber is .308 Winchester, which packs a punch! I hop over the counter again, hoping that they have one in stock. As luck would have it, they do!

I tear open a cardboard box to reveal the tan-colored rifle, a beautiful piece of equipment. I can’t help but giggle as I look at it, feeling like a kid at Christmas. But I still have a lot of work left! I stop laughing like an idiot and snag as many magazines as I can while emptying the stocks of ammunition. At this point, my backpack has become very heavy, and I’m just getting started. I let out a sigh as I parse the available optics for the rifle. I end up settling for a Holosun red dot sight. Mounting the scope is easy and only takes a few minutes. I also snag a sling for the rifle to make it easier to carry in the field.

I wipe off the sweat on my forehead. I have weapons! Now I need protection and a way to carry everything. I head back to the equipment aisle and grab camo clothing made for outdoor use. I can’t help but grimace at the outrageous price tags of some of the items. I did not pay for it, yet I still feel robbed! I grumble as I shove a pair of protective gloves into a pouch of my new backpack.

Nevertheless, I choose a very nice plate carrier that I immediately put on. I then grab magazine pouches and set them up in a way that’s easy for me to reach. Finally, I settle for a good pair of boots. Even my feet need protection, especially since the Test might happen in a place with weird terrain.

Putting all this on takes precious minutes, but I still have some left before the countdown reaches zero. I put on a military-style helmet, once again gawking at the insane price tag. Who the hell buys this? I shake my head before going to the medical supply area. It’s a small cardboard display with a couple of first aid kits and other necessities, so I take one of each. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared, even if I doubt the effectiveness of disinfectant against the fiery breath of a dragon. I hurry behind the counter for the last time to get a couple of ceramic ballistic plates.

These might come in handy if I end up fighting Goblins. I catch a reflection of my new outfit in a nearby mirror. I look like I’m ready for war! In a sense, I kind of am.

***Countdown: 00:06:07***

“Oh shit!” I shout. I don’t want to reappear in the middle of the actual gun shop, or I’m going to end up in a lot of trouble! I run towards the exit when I notice something interesting. A pair of brand new next-generation night vision goggles are on display behind a heavy glass pane.

I grit my teeth as my ‘Seeing-A-Treasure-And-Not-Walking-Away’ disease flares up. I rummage through my backpack. It's about to burst at the seams as I load a bullet into my rifle before pulling the trigger. The bullet destroys the lock, just in time for me to grab the goggles. I run towards my car as fast as possible and exit the Twilight World. If I wasted two more minutes then I would have gone back to reality.

However, my problems don’t end here. Seeing someone dressed in military attire in the middle of a dark parking lot is going to attract a lot of unwanted attention. I shove everything into the trunk of my car and drive off, leaving a crime scene that never existed.

Well, at least it never happened on this plane of existence. The trip back to my apartment is uneventful, but I still check if there’s anyone else on the parking lot before hauling all my gear back to my home. Now it's time for the fun task of putting the bullets into the magazines and organizing my equipment.

A ray of light takes me out of my sleep. It looks like I fell asleep in the middle of my organizing. I take a glimpse at my handiwork. At least, I loaded all the magazines. I’m not looking forward to ever doing that again, so I put away some already prepared mags. I will use the Twilight World later to dupe them!

There isn’t a lot left to do, so I yawn as I get up from my chair. My back is sore, and my throat is dry. I approach my coffee machine and slams my hand on the ‘ON’ button. The device rumbles to life as it fills up my cup, which I down in an instant. The sudden intake of caffeine helps me open my eyes a little bit more, but that’s not enough.

Four cups of coffee later, and I’m ready to start my day, despite being somewhat jittery. I sit down and organize the first aid supplies along with spare magazines and ammo. I hope I won’t need them, but this Test Of Might might be even harder than I anticipated. Sadly, the night vision goggles will have to stay here because they don’t have any batteries. I should have known that it wouldn’t include batteries!

I can’t stop shivering as I organize everything. Is it because I’m scared?

Probably. I could die in there, even with the help of the Twilight World. I stare at my ceiling. Is it the right choice? Do I want to become part of the world of the Awakened? As much as I want to upgrade the Twilight World, I—

I take a deep breath to calm my erratic heartbeat. Knots are already forming in my stomach as I stare at the rifle leaning against my couch. Is this a death trap? Am I overestimating my abilities? If I’m honest with myself, I’m already way out of my depths here. A world where magic is commonplace. A world where interdimensional travel is a Monday commute. It’s way too much to handle for someone like me.

Still, last night’s battle lit a fire inside me.

Yeah, right. I snort at my pathetic attempts at self-delusion. Who am I kidding? The only reason I’m even considering passing that Test Of Might is because of the Twilight Points. I would not want to have anything to do with Johnathan’s insane family or Awakened people if not for those mysterious Points.

‘Seeing-A-Treasure-And-Not-Walking-Away’ disease is how I rationalize my immense greed. There’s no doubt about that. Hell, the first thing I thought about when I first got the Twilight World is how to exploit my powers to make myself rich. I have no noble goals, no clear motivation for passing this Test aside from an obvious one. In all honesty, I could not give less of a shit about the Lockheart or their potentially despicable acts.

All I want is more Twilight Points. All I want is to push my power to its limit, to see how ridiculous it can get. I stare at my open palms in silence. Was I always like this? Or did the Twilight World change me?

I sigh. Does it matter if my power is affecting my way of thinking? I’m stuck with it, and it has given me immense benefits. It even saved my life! I would be a fool to squander this opportunity for an illusion of danger. That’s right, an illusion of danger! Who cares about mystical creatures when I can erase myself from existence in the blink of an eye? Come on, Lockheart family! Your shit-tier Test Of Might can’t hold a candle to the Twilight World!

A chuckle comes out of my mouth. Now that’s effective self-delusion! A wry smile appears on my face as I put on all my equipment. It takes a few minutes before I do one last check on my mirror. Is this enough? I click my tongue, it will have to be enough. Let’s hope I can even damage the creatures that I’m going to face or else I’m going to be laughed at.

But there’s a little problem. I can’t exactly go down the elevator in full military garb, especially when carrying a loaded rifle. I’m going to have the police called on me if a nosy neighbor spots me. I let out a sigh as the world turns dark.

***Welcome, Heir of the Twilight World.***

***Countdown: 00:59:59***

When did I begin to associate the darkness with peacefulness? Is it because of the Twilight World, or was I always like this? I can’t help but replay my childhood memories as I wait for the elevator. Now that I think about it, I was never afraid of the dark, never afraid of the monsters that could lurk within. Instead, I was always relaxed and felt at home.

Is that why the Twilight World chose me? Because I was an odd child? I shake my head as I exit the apartment complex, there’s no way that that’s the reason. I’m overthinking things.