After making their way back to the bank, the two reviewed their earnings.
"It didn't get me that much money, though," Kenzo ventured, his voice low and laced with disappointment.
Ren chuckled. "That small amount? You think that's enough? Voltaic might be a high-density power source, but the refinement process is expensive. That'll just cover the cost of getting you geared up."
Ren led Kenzo to a nearby storefront and clapped a hand on the shoulder of a massive man. "Hey Darin, what's up?"
Darin, the blacksmith, looked up with a deep-seated frown. "Sword-breaker? Tell me you haven't destroyed one of my blades again, boy. You've only been here for three months!"
"No, no. It's not for me," Ren assured him, gesturing toward the teenager beside him. "It's for the boy genius over here. He brought an iron dagger into Level 2."
"Haha!" Laughter burst from the blacksmith, loud and raspy. He pounded the heavy metal counter. "Hear this, kid! I'll give you a dollar discount for your troubles! Hahaha! All right, I'll make your dagger. Just give me five minutes."
Darin returned a few minutes later, sliding a new, specialized weapon across the counter. The metal had a faint, pulsing glow that seemed to react to the ambient mana in the room. "Finished. Take care of her, and don't break my blade, boy."
His eyes darted suspiciously to Ren, who was whistling and looking innocently up at the cavern ceiling. Darin then turned his gaze back to Kenzo, his expression turning grave.
"And boy, you have to control your emotions with Kinetium. If you don't, you won't be able to manage the blade. Charge it with the right amount of mana, or you're going to melt the core or end up with a blade that's too heavy to swing."
Kenzo took the dagger. As his fingers brushed the hilt, the metal thrummed with a nervous energy, mirroring his own. Swallowing the last of his pride, he looked at Ren. "Train me to fight."
Ren paused. "Hold on. I can't do that. You have to find your own path through actual battles. But..." He grinned, his eyes sparking. "I'll spar with you. Take care now."
WAAAHHH!!
A shrill emergency siren sliced through the hub's constant clatter. Over the speakers, an amplified voice blared: "All available hunters, please report to Level 2 near the Level 3 entrance! Our runners are outnumbered! Please help!"
"Let us now weed out the weak from the strong, so we may feast like kings," a deep, raspy voice muttered. Hidden from view, the creature watched the panic unfold alongside its cohorts—the same mind that had organized the High Orc attack.
"Shit. Do we have to help?" Kenzo nervously gripped the hilt of his Kinetium dagger.
"We have to," Ren said calmly, already sprinting toward the Level 2 entrance. "That alarm wasn't for Goblins."
They burst into Level 2. It was silent—too silent. The usual rhythmic clink of mining pickaxes and the distant shrieks of skirmishes had vanished. The only light came from the shimmering Voltaic veins in the walls, casting long, dancing shadows.
"Kenzo, isn't it weird there aren't any monsters around?" Ren asked, his eyes narrowing. "Something cleared this level out. It seems organized."
ROOOAAR!!
The earth-shaking sound of a massive beast echoed through the tunnels.
"We're getting close," Ren confirmed grimly. They rounded a final bend and peered into a vast cavern. The Level 3 entrance was visible ahead, but the space between was utter pandemonium. A massive horde of monsters was pressing against a single figure.
The lone fighter moved like a tank, tearing down everything in his path. He was a young man with broad shoulders and a massive frame, clad in heavy, interlocking armor. He relied only on a shield and his powerful fists, fighting back the overwhelming forces with a fluid, deadly grace that defied his size.
"Damn, that's impressive," Ren said, a rare note of genuine respect in his voice. "Let's help him out."
Without waiting for a response, Ren darted forward in a flash of green mana. Kenzo followed immediately, summoning his first clone. These weren't regular Goblins; these were Cunning Goblins. They moved in staggered formations, using flanking maneuvers instead of mindlessly charging.
Ren sliced through them with surgical precision; like an owl, he moved without a sound, and like a fencer, he glided through his opponents. Kenzo moved with his clone as a solitary unit, every move coordinated. The clone would slide, knocking the Goblins off their feet, allowing Kenzo to promptly slice their throats.
Kenzo threw his dagger to his clone, which caught it mid-air and fell upon a cluster of enemies. But then, a sharp pain flared in Kenzo's back. A flanking Goblin had slipped past his guard, burying a makeshift spear into his shoulder.
The pain triggered an immediate reaction. Kenzo's mana surged with a spike of adrenaline and shame. A new clone emerged directly out of his body, throwing a punch that shattered the surprised Goblin's face. He grabbed the creature's discarded sword and ended it.
The clones fought off the remaining immediate threat while Kenzo slumped onto the cavern floor, winded. "Shit, shit, shit. I'm going to die to a Goblin," he muttered, facepalming in sheer embarrassment.
"Dude, get a grip! I'm a healer," Ren snapped, sprinting over, his sword dripping with dark blood. He knelt briefly, a pulse of green aura enveloping Kenzo, restoring his stamina and erasing the shock of the wound.
Ren didn't wait for a thank you. "You wanted me to teach you?" he demanded, already turning back toward the chaos. "First lesson: pay attention to your surroundings, dumbass!"
Ren plunged back into the horde. Kenzo scrambled to his feet, fueled by shame and a sudden surge of healing energy. "Alright... let's do this again!"
He ran toward his clones, his steps heavy with a lingering hint of doubt as he locked back into the rhythm of the battle, determined to prove he belonged in the vanguard.