Henry slipped out of his room, closing the door behind him with barely a whisper. The hallway was dimly lit, the crystalline walls glowing faintly with that ethereal blue light that seemed to permeate every corner of the mansion.
He paused, listening for signs of life. But there was only silence.
"Good," he exhaled. "Everyone's asleep."
[I still think this is a terrible idea] Miley's voice echoed in his mind.
"I understand," Henry whispered, moving carefully down the hall. "But I'm doing it anyway."
He navigated the mansion using the predecessor's memories… a strange, disorienting experience. It was like following a map drawn by someone else, but the routes felt familiar in a way that made his skin crawl:
Left at the statue. Down the spiral staircase. Through the gallery. Past the conservatory. He was going from one point to the next.
The mansion was massive, almost labyrinthine. But Henry moved with purpose, his footsteps silent against the polished marble floors.
Then, as he rounded a corner near the main staircase…
"Master Henry?"
Henry froze, his eyes widening.
A woman stood a few feet away, dressed in a crisp maid uniform. She looked to be in her thirties, with dark hair tied back in a neat bun. Her eyes furrowed in surprise. After all, Henry was not supposed to know his way around the mansion, let alone have a destination.
"Fuck!" His mind raced. "Okay, you got this. Just play it cool. Act natural."
The woman stepped forward. "Are you…"
"I couldn't sleep," Henry cut in, forcing a sheepish smile. "So I thought I'd explore the house a bit. Get reacquainted, you know?"
The maid's expression softened, though suspicion still lingered in her gaze. "At this hour? Master Henry, you should be resting. Especially after everything you've been through."
"I know, I know," Henry said quickly. "But lying in bed just made me more restless. Figured a walk might help."
The maid studied him for a long moment, clearly debating whether to press further. Then she sighed. "Very well. But please be careful. The mansion can be disorienting at night, especially if you don't remember the layout."
"I'll be fine," Henry assured her. "Thanks for the concern, though."
The maid nodded, still looking uncertain, but she stepped aside. "Goodnight, Master Henry."
"Goodnight," Henry replied with an innocent smile. He waited until she disappeared around the corner before exhaling in relief.
[That was close] Miley said.
"Too close," Henry muttered. "Let's move."
He quickened his pace, descending another flight of stairs into the lower levels of the mansion. The air grew colder here, the walls transitioning from ornate ice crystal to reinforced metal panels.
Finally, he reached a dead-end hallway.
At the far end was a seamless wall… no door, no visible entrance. Just smooth, polished steel.
But Henry knew better.
He approached the wall and placed his hand flat against a specific panel. The surface was cool beneath his palm.
Then, in his mind, he recalled the access code.
7-4-2-9.
He pressed the numbers in sequence on the invisible keypad, each touch producing a soft beep.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then…
HISSS.
The wall split down the middle, the two halves sliding apart to reveal a steep staircase descending into darkness.
Henry grinned. "Jackpot."
[You actually knew the code] Miley sounded impressed.
"Perks of stealing someone's memories," Henry said, stepping through the entrance. He needn't lie to Miley about his true identity. She had been in his mind and already practically knew everything about him; His old life. How he reincarnated. Everything.
The moment Henry crossed the threshold, lights flickered on automatically… cold, white LEDs illuminating the staircase. The walls here were pure steel, reinforced and industrial. This wasn't part of the mansion's aesthetic design. This was a vault.
Henry descended carefully, his footsteps echoing in the narrow space.
At the bottom, he found another door… this one far more imposing. Thick, reinforced, with a biometric scanner embedded in the center.
Henry pressed his palm against the scanner. And almost instantly, the computer chimed:
BEEP.
[Access Granted: Welcome, Master Henry]
The door rumbled, then slid open with a heavy mechanical groan.
As Henry stepped inside, his breath caught. "Holy shit," he breathed.
The armory was vast… a sprawling underground chamber easily the size of a small warehouse. The ceiling stretched high above, lined with industrial lighting that bathed the space in harsh white light.
And everywhere he looked, there were weapons.
Rows upon rows of display racks lined the walls, each one holding an array of deadly instruments. Swords, spears, axes, daggers, bows, and even firearms… though these looked far more advanced than anything from Henry's previous world. Sleek, futuristic, humming faintly with contained energy.
In the center of the room stood glass cases containing full sets of armor—each one meticulously organized by rank. F-rank gear on the left, gradually increasing in quality as you moved right, culminating in a single display at the far end that held what could only be S-rank equipment.
The armor gleamed under the lights, some sets forged from beast scales, others from crystalline materials that shimmered with an inner glow.
And beneath each display case were labels:
[F-Rank: Ironhide Wolf Set]
[E-Rank: Ember Serpent Set]
[D-Rank: Stormclaw Bear Set]
Henry turned slowly, taking it all in. "This is insane."
[Your mother doesn't do things by halves] Miley remarked. [This collection is worth billions]
"Yeah, no kidding." Henry walked forward, his eyes drawn to a particular sword mounted on the wall… a sleek, black blade with a faint red glow along its edge.
[That's a C-rank weapon] Miley informed him. [Forged from the fang of a Crimson Wyvern. It's enchanted with fire damage and has a durability rating far beyond normal steel]
Henry reached out, his fingers hovering just above the hilt. "Can I use it?"
[Technically, yes. But I wouldn't recommend it. C-rank weapons are designed for experienced fighters with high Mastery stats. In your hands, it would be unwieldy and inefficient. You'd be better off with something simpler]
Henry sighed, pulling his hand back. "Right. Baby steps."
He moved through the armory, examining different weapons. Each one seemed more impressive than the last. But Miley's warnings echoed in his mind.
[Remember not to take anything too high-rank. You can't use it yet. And your mum will definitely notice if something valuable goes missing]
"Alright," Henry said finally. "So what do I actually take?"
[Ideally? Nothing] Miley said bluntly. [You don't have the skills to use these weapons effectively. Without proper training, you're more likely to hurt yourself than your enemies]
Henry sighed. "So, I just came here for nothing."
[Not necessarily. You could purchase a weapon skill from the Shop first, then return and select an appropriate weapon] Miley suggested.
Henry pulled up the system interface, navigating to the Shop tab.
< Shop >
Skills:
- Sword Mastery (Basic): 100 SP
- Spear Mastery (Basic): 100 SP
- Dagger Mastery (Basic): 80 SP
- Bow Mastery (Basic): 90 SP
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic): 70 SP
Henry stared at the prices, then checked his Shop Points.
[SP: 0]
He deflated. "I'm broke."
[Correct] Miley said. [You need to complete quests and hunt beasts to earn Shop Points]
Henry scoffed. "But I need a weapon to hunt beasts."
[And you need a weapon skill to use a weapon at all] Miley pointed out.
"But I need Shop Points to buy a weapon skill." Henry sighed, already seeing the implication.
[Exactly] Miley added.
Henry groaned. "This is a catch-22."
[Welcome to the harsh reality of progression systems] Miley said dryly. [You can't skip steps. You need to earn your strength]
Henry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. So what do I do?"
[Complete your daily quest tomorrow. Start earning EXP and SP. Once you have enough points, purchase a weapon skill. Then return here and select an appropriate weapon]
"That's going to take forever," Henry complained.
[It'll take a few weeks at most] Miley stated. [Just have patience]
Henry smiled wryly. "Patience isn't exactly my strong suit," he murmured. Then he turned, scanning the room again. His gaze landed on the armor displays.
"Wait. What about an armor?" he asked. "I can use it without having any skills, right?"
[Indeed. Armor simply provides stat bonuses. Even basic F-rank armor would significantly increase your Durability and Defense]
Henry approached one of the displays… a lightweight set designed for mobility. The chest piece was sleek, the materials flexible but reinforced. It was recommended for speedsters.
Henry moved closer and checked its info.
[Swiftclaw Panther Set {E-Rank)
*Stat Boost: Agility +15, Defense +10, Movement Speed +5%]