Deicya kept walking.
His hand brushed against his coat pocket, finding the cold metal of a small, circular device. He pressed the button on the back.
Click.
A blue holographic window flickered to life in the air, projecting a clean, compartmentalized grid.
[Inventory Storage] Capacity: 06 / 20
A compact spatial tool. Hard-capped at twenty items. More than enough for a traveler moving light.
With a mental nudge, his fingers reached into the ambient blue light and pulled out a fresh, vacuum-packed ready-to-eat burger. The hologram winked out of existence. He stared down at the item in his hands, a rare, genuine spark of amazement flickering in his eyes.
A burger… Deicya thought, a faint chuckle slipping past his lips. Who would have thought items and spatial storage like this existed now? Just a tiny pinch of crystal dust, and I can carry a week's supply of ready-to-eat burgers, canned meats, and safe rations without a single ounce of physical weight.
He slid the burger back into the grid alongside his other provisions—several heavy cans of preserved meat and nutrient-dense rations meant to sustain him for seven full days outside the safe zones.
As his boots met the pavement once more, his thoughts drifted back to the armory and the heavy hit to his resources.
The memory surfaced unbidden.
Inside the dim, cluttered back corner of the shop, the storekeeper—a broad-shouldered man with a grease-stained mustache—had dropped a heavy length of dark fabric onto the wooden counter with a dull thud.
"This cloak's the real deal," the man had rasped, running a rough hand over the material. "Can block almost any energy-type attack from D-rank down to F-rank mutated beasts."
Deicya's eyes had narrowed. A single word catching his attention.
"Almost?"
The shopkeeper grunted, tapping the price tag with a finger. "Hey, for what it does, it's a steal. Don't expect it to deflect a direct C-Rank core blast, but for general field survival? Absolute gold."
Deicya remembered staring at the final total.
Nearly half of the pure crystal dust Vendetta had handed him had vanished in a single transaction.
The memory shifted forward.
To the garments resting beneath the obsidian cloak. They weren't ordinary threads. The material was densely interwoven with microscopic crystal reinforcement strands, engineered specifically to absorb sudden kinetic shock and dampen heavy physical impacts.
Even the sturdy boots laced tight around his feet shared the same high-grade properties. Built to withstand jagged terrain, intense friction, and the relentless wear-and-tear of the wilderness.
Deicya reviewed every piece of gear step by step as he walked.
Nothing was wasted. Every item served a calculated purpose.
His core was fully stabilized. His Dreadnauth Vision could now comfortably map B-Rank signatures. His body was armored in elite field gear, and his inventory was fully stocked with a week's worth of food.
The last trace of hesitation evaporated from his chest.
As Deicya continued his march down the broad avenue, a strange vehicle drifted into his view near the edge of the highway.
It was roughly the size of a standard car, but it hovered silently half a meter above the pavement. Beneath its sleek frame, a glowing blue engine humming with raw Crystal Essence pulsed steadily, acting as a repulsive thruster that kept the vehicle suspended in mid-air. It hovered quietly by the corner, idling as if waiting for a customer or commuter.
Deicya paused, a quiet flash of amazement crossing his dark eyes.
A floating transport… The level of technological integration here in Davao was staggering. It felt as though society had leaped straight into a Type-1 civilization. Yet, the stark contrast of his past life still lingered heavy in the back of his mind—the grinding poverty, the neglected ruins of Luzon, and the systemic inequality that left his homeland starving while other regions thrived. He already understood how the global disparity had happened, but the deeper question remained: Why had Davao managed to advance this far, shielded and prosperous, while the rest of the country bled?
It was a mystery he would need to unravel eventually. But for now, priorities came first. He needed to get outside the city walls, hunt mutated beasts, and test his growing limits.
Spotted by the vehicle's sensors, Deicya raised a hand and called out.
"Hey, over here!"
The floating car pivoted smoothly, gliding across the air toward him with zero friction before coming to a gentle halt right beside the curb. The side panel slid open with a soft hiss.
A driver peered out from the front seat, offering a friendly, professional smile. "Hello! Would you like to take a ride?"
Deicya stepped closer. "Yes."
"Where do you want to go?" the driver asked politely.
"Somewhere near a mutated beast zone," Deicya answered straight to the point. "Do you know any places around here?"
The driver's eyes widened slightly before he let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "Absolutely. However, I can't take you into that area—I'd rather not throw my life away. But if you want, I can drop you off right at the outer perimeter of Davao. Once you cross the border lines, that's where the contaminated, beast-infested zones begin."
Deicya nodded, his tone even and polite. "Oh… Okay, that works. Thank you."
"Alright!" The driver grinned, tapping a control panel on the dashboard. "Hop in. Let's head for the outer gates of Davao."
The floating car glided forward with absolute, frictionless stability. There was no recoil, no vibration—just a steady acceleration that left ordinary automobiles in the dust.
Deicya watched the scenery blur past the window, a quiet trace of amazement in his eyes. Turning his gaze to the front, he decided to clear a lingering doubt from his mind.
"I have a question," Deicya asked evenly. "What rank of beasts are usually out there beyond Davao's perimeter?"
The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror, looking puzzled. "Thought you'd been there before. Weren't you planning to hunt out there?"
"That's true," Deicya replied, keeping his tone calm. "However, it's my first time traveling here in Davao, so I'm not entirely familiar with the layout."
The driver blinked, visibly taken aback by the young man's honest and polite demeanor. A warm grin spread across his face, easing the tension.
"Ah, I see! Well, don't worry too much," the driver said, his voice lightening up. "There are a few C-ranks scattered around the outer edges, but the majority of what you'll find out there ranges from D-rank all the way down to F-rank."
While the driver spoke, Deicya subtly activated his Dreadnauth Vision. A faint, translucent overlay filtered through his eyes.
[Target Analysis] Name: Civilian / Scout Driver Rank: E-Rank
An E-Rank scout… Deicya noted internally. No wonder the driver was so firm about not crossing the perimeter. For someone of that rank, stepping outside was a death sentence.
"Besides," the driver continued, gesturing toward the horizon as he kept his hands on the console, "we've got the wall. Davao isn't just protected by standard concrete—there's a reinforced energy shield blanketing the entire city, keeping the mutated beasts from infiltrating the streets. Because of that, people here barely live in fear. Any beast that slips past is handled in months, not days."
The driver chuckled, a nostalgic look entering his eyes. "Say, did you see that blue streak of light shooting across the sky earlier? That was our hero, Vendetta. Aside from being drop-dead gorgeous, she's an absolute monster in terms of strength!"
Deicya gave a quiet nod of agreement.
In his mind, the sharp, striking image of Vendetta flashed back—the cold precision in her eyes, and the terrifying, effortless power she had displayed four kilometers away.
Shifting the conversation back to their immediate goal, Deicya asked, "So, exactly where are we heading?"
"Right to the western border of Davao," the driver answered promptly. "Near the foothills of Mount Apo."
A few minutes later, the landscape ahead began to shift.
Through the transparent canopy of the floating car, Deicya caught sight of a massive barrier cutting across the horizon, framed against the towering silhouette of a high-rise mountain in the background.
"We're about to arrive," the driver announced, tapping a decelerator.
Deicya stared out the window, a genuine spark of surprise crossing his face.
The wall was colossal. Standing a staggering eighty feet high, it stretched endlessly from one end of the horizon to the other, completely sealing Davao City off from the wild.
Moments later, the vehicle slowed to a smooth halt near a massive steel checkpoint gate.
Deicya turned to the driver, reaching into his pocket. "How much do I owe you?"
"That'll be half a pouch of crystal dust," the driver replied politely.
Deicya pulled out the small pouch, measured out the payment, and handed it over with a polite nod.
As the driver accepted the crystal dust, his expression turned slightly serious. He reached into his dashboard, pulled out a small cylinder, and handed it across the seat.
"Here. Take this—it's a signal flare," the driver said, offering a parting warning. "Just in case things get too heavy out there and you need backup. Stay safe, kid."
Deicya stood frozen for a brief second, genuinely surprised by the driver's unexpected show of concern. A subtle warmth touched his chest. He accepted the small red cylinder, slipping it carefully into his pocket.
"Thank you," Deicya said, his voice carrying a rare sincerity.
With a polite nod, he stepped out of the floating car. The vehicle hummed softly as it pulled away, leaving him standing near the base of the massive outer wall. Deicya turned his gaze upward, scanning the colossal structure and the heavy steel checkpoint gate ahead.
Stationed at the entrance were four guards. Deicya narrowed his eyes, quietly activating his Dreadnauth Vision.
A series of translucent system tags flickered into view over their heads.
[Target Analysis] Class: C-Rank Vessel Hunters Composition: 1 Fighter, 2 Rangers, 1 Mage.
The mage held a heavy staff topped with a glowing purple crystal, its shaft etched with pulsating blue lines of refined Crystal Essence. Even standing still, their condensed auras radiated a heavy, disciplined pressure.
Deicya adjusted his obsidian cloak and began walking toward the gate.
A few meters away, a small group of adventurers was preparing to exit. Deicya watched closely as they approached a sleek panel mounted beside the checkpoint. Without breaking stride, each hunter pressed their bare palm against the device's surface.
What was that? Deicya wondered, his steps slowing.
Before he could ponder it further, his attention was caught by a small figure resting against a nearby concrete barrier.
It was a young boy, standing roughly four feet tall, but carrying an aura of hardened, unrefined toughness. He was casually flossing his teeth with a dry stalk of wheat grain. Beneath a rough, ill-fitting set of leather armor, massive iron gauntlets covered his forearms—comically large for someone of his stature.
Deicya's eyes flickered. A silent prompt crossed his vision.
[Target Analysis] Name: Unknown Minor Rank: D-Rank Brawler
A D-Rank… and he's just a kid? Stepping closer, Deicya kept his posture neutral and spoke with a polite, even tone. "Hello. May I ask you something?"
The boy snapped his head up, his gaze instantly locking onto Deicya with a look of open disgust. "What?"
Unfazed by the hostility, Deicya pressed on. "Did you see what those Vessel Hunters touched right before walking through the gate?"
The boy narrowed his eyes, chewing on the wheat grain. "Yeah? So?"
Deicya offered a calm, small smile. "What is it?"
"Tch. It's just a waiver confirmation device," the boy muttered, crossing his arms. "You put your hand on it to sign away your rights. Basically tells Davao City that if you go out there and die because nobody helped you, the government won't give a damn or shed a single tear."
The boy tilted his head, sizing Deicya up with sharp, calculating eyes. "You tryna go outside?"
"Yes," Deicya answered honestly. "I have to."
A strange glint appeared in the boy's eyes. He uncrossed his arms and stepped forward, offering a deal. "Look, I can show you the ropes and guide you out there. A few grains of crystal dust should cover my fee."
Deicya blinked, genuinely surprised. "Really?"
"Yeah. Let's go," the boy grunted, turning on his heel.
A wave of relief washed over Deicya. Having a local guide who knew the layout would save him a massive amount of guesswork on his first hunt.
Still, old habits died hard. A brief flash of hesitation tightened Deicya's chest, but trusting his own growing strength—and the system monitoring the boy's D-rank aura—he reached into his pouch and handed over the requested payment.
As Deicya looked away to check his gear, a sharp, cunning grin stretched across the boy's face—entirely hidden from Deicya's view.
They walked together toward the main gate.
Right in front of them, a towering B-Rank Vessel Hunter strode forward, slamming his palm against the waiver device. The moment his skin made contact, a burst of spatial light enveloped him, and he instantly teleported past the steel barrier, appearing on the other side of the gate in the wild.
Deicya watched the B-Rank hunter vanish in a flash of spatial light. Then, it was his turn.
Stepping up to the sleek metallic column, he raised his hand. Before touching the surface, a brief thought crossed his mind—a mental preparation so he wouldn't be caught completely off guard by whatever mechanism sent him across the barrier.
He pressed his palm against the waiver device.
Flash.
A brilliant white light enveloped him. The heavy steel gate dissolved from his view, and the next second, the humid, thick air of the untamed wilderness hit his skin. He stood on the other side of the massive wall.
A few yards away, the D-rank brawler boy stood leaning against a tree, waving mockingly and flashing a triumphant, teasing grin. He had tricked an out-of-towner and pocketed crystal dust for doing absolutely nothing.
Deicya stood in silence for a moment, a dry, humorless smirk touching his lips.
Even in an era ruled by monsters and mutants… people still find ways to scam you out of your trust. Deicya thought, shaking his head. What a nice welcome.
He didn't bother getting angry. It was a cheap lesson, paid for in a few grains of dust. Turning his gaze toward the dense, looming shadow of the Mount Apo foothills, Deicya prepared to take his first step into the forest.
Thump.
A sudden, heavy thud echoed right behind him, followed by a startled yelp.
Deicya spun around.
Sprawled face-first onto the dirt just a few feet away was the D-rank brawler boy, tumbling clumsily out of a second burst of spatial light.
Across the threshold, standing at the gate on the safe side of the barrier, one of the C-rank guards lowered his leg with a smug expression. The guard had caught the kid red-handed mid-scam, dragged him to the waiver terminal while the boy thrashed and resisted, and forced his palm onto the device—punishing the little con artist by dumping him straight into the dangerous wilderness.
Before the boy could even pick himself up from the dirt, a heavy, iron-toed boot had caught him square in the rear end, courtesy of the guard's parting kick through the closing spatial rift.
"Consider that a tax for scamming travelers in my sector, brat!" the guard's voice boomed from the other side before the gate sealed shut.
Deicya looked down at the dirt.
Sprawled face-first onto the ground was the D-rank brawler kid who had just tricked him moments ago. In one hand, the boy was still tightly clutching the crystal dust payment he had swindled out of Deicya.
Deicya lowered his gaze, his expression dropping into a mask of absolute, cold seriousness. He fixed a deep, piercing stare straight at the boy—an intimidating, deadpan look born from surviving the harshness of the void.
As the kid slowly glanced up and met Deicya's eyes, the color instantly drained from his face. A look of sheer, unadulterated terror swept over the trickster's features.
Scrambling backward, the boy frantically began patting and slapping the dust off his pants while darting nervous glances back at the colossal, eighty-foot gate looming behind them.
"H—Hi, it's me again, hehe…" the boy squeaked, forcing out an awkward, pathetic laugh.
Deicya didn't say a word. He simply turned around and started walking deeper into the overgrown foliage of the Mount Apo foothills.
Panic flashing in his eyes, the kid scrambled to his feet and hurried to catch up, trailing right behind Deicya's shoulder.
"This is your first time hunting out here, right?" the boy asked, trying to sound casual.
"Not really," Deicya replied flatly.
"Ah, okay. Look, I think I gotta show you around this place, man," the boy offered quickly.
"No. I can handle it myself."
Stumbling over a twisted root while trying to keep pace, the boy almost face-planted into the mud again. "Hey! You were so nice earlier! What happened to that?!"
"That was earlier," Deicya murmured coldly.
A fresh wave of dread washed over the kid's face. Desperate to prove his worth and avoid whatever punishment the older, intimidating stranger might dish out, the kid blurted out, "Wait! Look, I know where all the right spots are! I can lead you straight to the best hunting grounds for D-rank to F-rank beasts!"
Deicya stopped walking dead in his tracks.
Slowly, he turned his head and glanced sharply down at the boy.
"What's your name?" Deicya asked, his voice low and commanding.
The boy flinched, his shoulders hunching as he frowned. "M-My name's Blopp… How about you?"
Deicya stared at him for a quiet second before turning back toward the dense, shadowed tree line ahead.
"You can call me Dei."
Deicya's tone shifted, dropping the icy hostility as he looked down at the boy with a calm, measuring gaze.
"If you're going to lead me to the right places where the F-rank beasts are swarming, I swear nothing's going to happen to you," Deicya said, his eyes narrowing into a sharp, piercing stare. "But if you try to trick me again… I'll make sure you won't see the sunrise ever again, Blopp."
Blopp flinched, holding up his hands defensively. "Hey! Stop scaring me… that's so mean. Alright, alright! I'll take you to where the F-rank beasts swarm."
Damn, he's terrifying, Blopp thought, breaking out in a cold sweat as he swallowed hard. "I know the path toward that place. You can actually trust me this time!"
With a nervous gulp, Blopp changed direction, veering sharply toward the northwest section of the dense, shadowed forest.
As they pushed deeper into the dense, shadowed thickets of the northwest forest, Blopp's jaw ran non-stop, his whispers barely masking his eccentric nature. But the moment the atmosphere grew heavier, the young brawler finally cut himself short.
Blopp said, "We're here," quietly.
Deicya raised a closed fist, signaling a halt.
He stopped dead in his tracks.
Without a word, Deicya's dark eyes flared with a faint, crystalline luminescence as he activated his Dreadnauth Vision, scanning the perimeter to check for any hidden hostiles ahead.
After moving just a few more meters forward, a glowing blue system screen flickered to life in his line of sight, mapping out the immediate sector.
Target Analysis
Detected: 4 Rank: F-Rank (Mutated Razor Boars)
Four pulsing red indicator lights burned brightly on the interface, signaling the exact position of the targets.
A few moments later, Blopp darted ahead, pressing his back flat against a thick tree trunk and waving his hands frantically.
"Hssshhh! We're here, we're here! Be really careful, Dei," Blopp whispered urgently, his jolly demeanor instantly evaporating as he pinched his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "Ugh… god, the stench is brutal. Don't you smell that rotten iron and putrid meat? It's rank enough to turn your lungs inside out!"
Deicya didn't flinch.
His expression remained completely deadpan, utterly unaffected by the wave of foul, humid air rolling over them.
Blopp peeked one eye open, staring at Deicya in absolute disbelief.
He's not even blinking? Not a single twitch? Is this guy even human, or does he just lack a sense of smell?!
Remaining entirely motionless, Deicya blended seamlessly into the shadow of a massive, ancient tree trunk, his obsidian cloak absorbing the ambient light. Beside him, holding his breath and trying to mimic his composure, Blopp quickly copied his stance, pressing tightly against the bark.
Down in the muddy hollow just past the ravine, four massive shapes were tearing violently into a fresh kill.
They were hulking, thick-skinned mutated boars—easily twice the size of standard livestock—with matted grey hides and vicious, ivory fangs stained dripping wet with crimson. Their feral eyes burned an aggressive, unnatural red as they aggressively devoured the remains of a freshly slaughtered mountain wolf.
Deicya's dark eyes locked onto the beasts.
Blopp blinked, staring sideways at Deicya. The older boy was standing completely still, his dark eyes locked onto the pack with such intense, heavy focus it looked as though he was trying to murder the creatures with sheer glare alone.
Deicya's mind was calculating coldly. Four F-Rank Mutated Razor Boars swarming together. Logically, jumping into a tight pack was a fool's errand when their exact limits were still untested; the wisest move would be to pick them off one by one from the shadows.
However, plans rarely survive contact with idiots.
Before Deicya could move, Blopp cracked his knuckles, a reckless grin splitting his face. Running entirely on impulse, the D-Rank brawler pumped his massive iron-clad fists together. Sparks of crackling blue electricity surged across the metal surface, illuminating the dim underbrush.
With a wild shout, Blopp leaped forward and slammed his fists straight into the damp earth.
BOOM!
A violent shockwave of compressed kinetic energy and electricity ruptured the ground. The earth shuddered violently, throwing up a curtain of mud and jagged roots. The deafening blast caught the four razor boars completely off guard, breaking their formation and scattering them in opposite directions across the clearing.
Deicya's eyes widened slightly in genuine surprise. He scattered a swarming pack in a single move?
There was no time to hesitate. Seizing the opening, Deicya's figure blurred.
Whoosh!
Activating his dash, he vanished into a streak of motion, appearing directly above a disoriented boar that was struggling to haul its massive frame out of the mud. With a mental flick, his fingers materialized his combat dagger from his inventory just as gravity pulled him down.
Crater Impact!
Deicya slammed into the ground fist-first, his dagger driving straight downward like a falling meteor. The blade pierced deep into the skull of the struggling boar with a sickening crunch. A thick geyser of crimson blood and dark matter exploded across the clearing, splattering the underbrush.
The remaining three boars, recovering from the shockwave, shrieked in feral fury. Their crimson eyes locked onto Deicya, and with a thunderous roar, they charged forward as one, churning up the dirt with blinding speed and lowering their jagged, razor-sharp tusks.
Deicya didn't flinch. With effortless grace, a simple shift of his weight allowed the charging beasts to graze right past him, their momentum carrying them into empty air.
Meanwhile, off to the side, Blopp had intercepted one of the split boars. Grunting with strain, the small brawler grabbed the beast by its thick neck and hind leg. Activating his smashing skill, his muscles bulged beneath his leather armor. With a fierce heave, Blopp vaulted high into the air, carrying the thrashing monster with him before executing a brutal, downward-slamming descent.
CRASH!
The boar smashed spine-first into the rocky earth, creating a miniature crater. The impact shattered its frame entirely, leaving the massive beast sprawled out in the dirt, its body reduced to a twitching, broken mess.
A few yards away, Blopp wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and looked up just in time to watch Deicya handle the final two charging boars.
As the twin beasts lunged at him in tandem, Deicya vanished in a burst of speed, using a secondary dash to effortlessly slide between their blind spots. Before they could correct their momentum, he vaulted upward, leaping clean off the trunk of a towering pine tree.
Crater Impact!
He slammed down from above, cracking the earth beneath the second boar's feet. As the final, enraged beast whirled around to gore him, Deicya's hands became a blur of lethal precision.
Multi-Fatal!
A rapid succession of blinding, silver arcs ripped through the air. Strike after strike landed with concussive force across the boar's vital points, each hit sounding like cracking stone until the beast collapsed heavily onto its side, completely motionless.
From a distance, Blopp stood frozen, his jaw hanging slack as he stared at the carnage. Every calculated step, every fluid dodge, and the terrifying display of raw technique played out like a masterclass in survival.
He… he wiped them out without breaking a sweat
Deicya stood amidst the silent, smoking craters of the battlefield. With a sharp, practiced flick of his wrist, he swung his blood-drenched dagger, sending a fine spray of crimson droplets flying off the edge of the blade before it vanished back into his inventory grid.
He stared down at the motionless.
"So this is what an F-Rank beast amounts to…" Deicya muttered, a cold evaluation settling in his mind.
Without wasting a second, he focused his intent, activating his core system to harvest the remnants of the fallen creature.
A familiar blue luminescence flared deep within his dark eyes. A translucent system prompt materialized instantly in his field of vision:
[Absorption Available] Target: F-Rank Mutated Razor Boar Acquirable Skill: Charge (F-Rank)
Do you wish to absorb? [ Yes / No ]
Deicya stared intently at the floating blue interface, his gaze locked on the numerical counters updating across his core monitor.
His Crystal Essence points—which had previously rested at a meager 205/500 D-Rank—now flashed with a steady, stable glow at 375/500 D-Rank.
A single engagement with four F-Rank beasts had cleared nearly a hundred and seventy points in one clean sweep. The conversion efficiency of his core was operating precisely as calculated.
A sudden flashback flickered through Deicya's mind—the harrowing memory of his desperate battle against the mutated goat back in Luzon before he blacked out and woke up stranded in the hospital. Defeating that single terrifying creature had netted him a massive surge of 110 Crystal Essence points in one go.
By comparison, these F-Rank razor boars were minor fodder. Four boars killed, bringing his points up from 205 to 375. Doing the quick math in his head, each individual boar had rewarded him with exactly 20 Crystal Essence points.
F-Rank strays are barely scratching the surface, Deicya calculated quietly, realizing that low-tier farming would only take him so much further. To bridge the remaining gap to 500 and trigger his breakthrough, he needed higher-value targets—something closer to a D-Rank or C-Rank threat.
As he was about to continue looking for another beasts Deicya noticed Blopp lingering behind the carcasses of the fallen razor boars. The young brawler had pulled out a small, hexagonal device, holding it up to scan the dead beasts as a soft, amber light washed over the remains.
Deicya paused, turning back with a critical gaze.
"What are you doing?" Deicya asked evenly.
Blopp looked up, blinking innocently as he tapped the gadget. "I'm scanning it with this Crystal badge I have."
Deicya's eyes narrowed slightly. "What is that for?"
"For me to get paid for the beasts I defeated," Blopp answered, flashing a confident grin. "If I scan 'em, it logs proof that I actually did the work. In a few hours, the payout in crystal dust gets routed straight to my account or inventory. You can use it if you're a Vessel Hunter—they hand it to you the moment you officially register."
Deicya simply stared at him for a second before giving a flat, unbothered nod. "Ahh…"
Blopp froze, his jaw dropping as the reality of Deicya's reaction set in. He lowered the scanner, looking entirely bewildered.
"Wait, wait… are you for real?" Blopp stammered, staring at Deicya as if looking at a ghost.
Blopp's mouth was still half-open, his eyes darting from the dead razor boars back to Deicya's unbothered expression.
"So… you aren't a Vessel Hu—"
"Cut it out," Deicya interrupted flatly, his dark eyes sweeping across the quiet, shadowed treeline. "We need to move to the next spot. I think we need to target at least an E-Rank mutated beast."
As Deicya turned away to adjust his gear, Blopp continued talking in the background, his voice a rapid-fire murmur of anxiety as he frantically waved a hand in front of Deicya's face to check if the older boy had suddenly lost his mind or tuned him out completely.
Damn. So I won't get any payouts for defeating these monsters? Deicya thought, a faint scowl touching his lips. How inconvenient… I still need to formally register as a Vessel Hunter just to turn monster carcasses into actual income.
Sensing a break in the background noise, Deicya blinked and turned back. "What did you say?"
Blopp immediately dropped his shoulders, pulling a comically exaggerated sad face. "I see you weren't listening at all. I just said… I know a place where we can actually find an E-Rank mutated beast."
Pulling a small, square device from his belt, Blopp tapped the screen until a localized holographic map flickered to life. "Here, look. We are here right now. If we head a bit higher up—right along the rocky slopes on the side of the mountain—we'll hit a territory swarming with mountain hounds."
Deicya narrowed his eyes at the map. "Why do you look scared?"
Blopp flinched, clutching the scanner tight to his chest. "Yeah, of course I'm scared! Not necessarily because a single one of them is overwhelming, but because there are so many of them. The last time I wandered up there, I almost lost my skin!"
Income… Deicya's thoughts drifted back to his financial dilemma. Maybe this is the time I can figure out a way to get actual profit from these kills without waiting around for a registration card.
A calculating glint appeared in Deicya's dark eyes as he looked down at the nervous brawler.
"Blopp," Deicya began, his voice dropping into a serious, even tone. "When you get paid in crystal dust from scanning a beast, are you able to materialize and withdraw that physical crystal dust from your inventory?"
Blopp blinked, looking entirely thrown off by the sudden, unrelated question. "Y-Yes, of course I can. That's how everyone uses it. Why'd you ask?"
Without missing a beat, Deicya leaned in slightly, closing the distance between them.
"Scan all the beasts we defeat up there," Deicya proposed smoothly, his gaze locking onto the younger boy. "You handle the official registry scan, we harvest the profit, and we split it down the middle. Fifty-fifty. Do you agree?"