The weapon hall buzzed with restless energy as students continued moving between the rows, testing, choosing, and arguing over their selections, while at one side of the hall Damon stood with Instructor Garrick in front of the cracked twin sabers, the faint glow of the display panel reflecting off their worn surfaces.
"Naah… just curious why there are such damaged weapons here," Damon said, his tone casual as his eyes lingered on the blades.
Garrick responded without interest, his voice carrying that same dry irritation.
"They were recovered from a high-level breach. We couldn't find anything else about them, so we placed them here."
Damon nodded slightly.
"I see…"
Garrick turned his head toward him then, his gaze sharp despite his otherwise indifferent demeanor.
"Have you found the weapon you are looking for?"
Damon met his eyes, his own narrowing slightly as a thought crossed his mind.
Why is this midlife-crisis man taking interest in me…
Outwardly, however, he remained calm.
"No," he said, "nothing here feels right."
Garrick held his gaze for a brief second longer, as if assessing something beneath the surface, and then, without another word, he turned and walked away, his disinterest returning just as abruptly as it had left.
Damon watched him go.
"…No instructor here is normal," he muttered under his breath.
He was just about to move on—
When a loud, heavily rolled voice cut through the air.
"Hey—!"
Damon turned toward the source, and in the next instant Khaira came charging toward him at full speed, her movement so abrupt that she came to a stop right in front of him with a sharp skid, the friction almost visible as faint smoke seemed to rise from beneath her feet, her wide grin stretched across her face while her horns burned brighter than before, her energy practically overflowing.
She raised her fists.
"Hahahahaha… ya haven't picked a weapon yet, right?" she said, her voice brimming with excitement, "heh! ya lost!"
Damon's lips twitched slightly.
Lost…? Was this some kind of contest?
Before he could even ask, Khaira thrust her fists forward, showing him what she had chosen—heavy brass knuckles fitted snugly over her hands, their design rugged and brutal, perfectly suited to her style.
"I always wanted claws, lookin' at those flashy catmen," she said proudly, flexing her fingers as the metal caught the light, "this is even better than that!"
Then, without warning, her attention snapped away as she spotted someone in the distance.
"Pick a weapon fast!" she added, almost as an afterthought, before shouting again, "Hey you! ya picked yer weapon? Come fight me… lemme try my knuckles on ya!"
And just like that—
She dashed off again with the same explosive speed, leaving behind nothing but the faint echo of her voice.
Damon remained where he stood, watching her retreating figure for a moment, his expression shifting into something faintly puzzled.
Wasn't she supposed to… not be talking to me?
By now, most of the students had already made their choices, the earlier exploration giving way to animated conversations as they gathered in small groups, discussing their weapons with visible excitement, testing grips, comparing designs, and imagining how they would perform in combat, while the hall slowly began to thin as decisions settled into certainty.
Damon, however, still stood without anything in his hands.
Unmoved.
Unimpressed.
As he remained there, Vaelith approached him, his steps measured and expression composed as he held up a sleek crossbow, presenting it without hesitation.
"This is what I picked," he said.
Damon looked at the weapon.
Then at Vaelith.
"…Okay?" he replied flatly.
Vaelith gave a small nod, as if that was all he needed, and turned away without another word, leaving Damon staring after him for a brief second.
…What was that?
Before he could process it further, Zarhka approached next, her posture more grounded as she held a long staff in her hand, its structure simple yet solid, clearly suited for both reach and control.
"Dis is what I picked," she said, her tone steady, "I felt more aligned with dis weapon."
Damon blinked once.
"…Hmm," he responded.
Zarhka nodded as if satisfied with that minimal acknowledgment and walked away as well, leaving Damon standing there in silence, his thoughts beginning to tilt in a different direction.
Am I their parent or something…
Around him, faint murmurs began to rise, not directed at him openly, but close enough to be heard.
"Just what is the atmosphere in that party…? They can't even choose their own weapons without his approval…"
"Well… what do you expect from Damon Valecrest…"
A vein twitched visibly on Damon's forehead, his jaw tightening slightly as he suppressed the irritation before it could surface.
…Annoying.
Damon spotted Eric lingering near the racks and walked straight toward him, only for Eric to immediately look away and start whistling awkwardly as if trying to disappear into the surroundings.
Which only made Damon's eyes narrow further as he stopped in front of him and asked, "Which weapon did you pick?"
Eric stiffened visibly before replying, "I-I didn't pick anything…" as Damon's gaze sharpened, his mind already concluding…
This bastard is definitely hiding something.
Before the situation could escalate further, Garrick's voice cut through the hall once again, carrying that same blunt impatience.
"I hope everyone has picked their weapons," he said, glancing around briefly, "and if not, take your time—but I want all of you equipped with something you can use by next week's combat lecture."
He paused for a fraction of a second before adding flatly, "Disperse."
That was all.
Students began leaving almost immediately, their conversations continuing as they exited, the hall gradually emptying as the session came to an end.
Damon remained where he was for a moment longer, his gaze drifting once across the rows of weapons before he exhaled quietly.
…Forget it.
I'll just pick something before next week.
***
The scene shifted away from the academy grounds to the bustling streets of the city surrounding Crownspire, where life moved in a different rhythm altogether, and inside one of the well-known cafés near the main avenue, the atmosphere was filled with overlapping conversations, the clinking of cups, and the steady hum of activity as students, merchants, and travelers occupied the space.
At one of the tables, slightly away from the busiest section, five figures sat together—three humans, one beastwoman, and one elf—their presence drawing occasional glances, though none lingered long enough to disrupt the moment.
Damon sat at the head of the table, his posture relaxed yet controlled as his gaze moved across his party members one by one before he spoke.
"I hope everyone has done their research."
All of them nodded.
Vaelith raised his hand slightly, his expression calm but questioning.
"Why are we meeting here?" he asked.
Damon answered without hesitation.
"It's important for team bonding."
Vaelith paused for a moment, then gave a small nod, seemingly accepting the explanation, while Damon's thoughts ran deeper than his words.
They will have to share their strengths and weaknesses… at least partially… and a change in environment helps people open up more than a rigid classroom ever will.
His gaze shifted toward Eric.
"Eric," he said, "tell me… what are the easiest Level 2 breaches you found?"
This sleazeball definitely would have founded the easiest ones…
Eric straightened immediately, a confident grin spreading across his face as he leaned forward slightly, clearly pleased to be asked first.
"Of course, boss! I've got the best ones," he said, his tone full of certainty, "so first—there's this breach called the 'Echoing Cavern.' It's mostly filled with low-tier sound-based creatures, nothing too dangerous, and the boss is basically a resonance mimic that copies your attacks but weaker, so if you keep your output controlled, it becomes super easy to beat."
He raised a finger as he continued.
"Second one is 'The Forgotten Trial Hall,' which is more like a puzzle-type breach, where you have to solve a sequence of rune-based questions to progress; no heavy combat involved, and even the final challenge is more about logic than strength, so as long as someone in the team has basic understanding, it's easy points."
Another finger.
"And third—'The Wandering Grove,' which is a mixed-type breach but super manageable, with weak plant-type creatures and a passive boss that only becomes aggressive if provoked, so you can actually clear it by carefully navigating and solving a small environmental puzzle instead of fighting directly."
He leaned back, clearly satisfied.
"Basically, all of these are low-risk, high-success breaches," he concluded.
The others nodded, acknowledging the practicality of his choices, and Damon gave a small approving nod.
"Good job."
His gaze shifted to Vaelith.
"Now Vaelith… what are some of the hardest ones?"
He would have definitely given most attention to finding the hardest ones….wanting to prove himself desperately…
Vaelith's posture straightened slightly, his expression sharpening as if he had been waiting for this moment, his voice calm but carrying a quiet intensity as he began.
"There is a breach called 'The Abyssal Descent,'" he said, "it is structured in multiple vertical layers, each one increasing in pressure and resonance suppression, making it difficult to maintain output, and the deeper you go, the more distorted your senses become, with the final boss being an entity that attacks through spatial displacement rather than direct combat."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Another is 'The Hall of False Kings,' which is a psychological and combat hybrid breach, where multiple illusionary bosses appear simultaneously, each mimicking different fighting styles, and the difficulty lies in identifying the real target while defending against the rest."
His tone remained steady.
"And the third—'Crimson Labyrinth,' which is a constantly shifting maze filled with high-aggression creatures, where paths change based on movement patterns, forcing the team to adapt continuously, and the boss itself hunts the participants rather than waiting at a fixed location."
A quiet silence followed.
The contrast between Eric's and Vaelith's choices was clear.
One focused on safety.
The other on challenge.
Damon leaned back slightly, his gaze thoughtful as he took it all in.
Damon leaned back slightly in his chair, his fingers resting lightly against the table as his thoughts aligned everything he had just heard, the contrast between Eric's selections and Vaelith's choices forming a clear spectrum in his mind.
Just as that pink fluffy explained… and what I read in the books…
His gaze drifted briefly over the table.
Breaches are not fixed in nature… they vary… from pure combat to intelligence-based challenges… to adaptability and psychological endurance…
A faint pause.
And even within the same level… the difficulty can fluctuate drastically depending on structure, conditions, and objectives…
He exhaled quietly.
…Useful.
Straightening slightly, he looked at all of them again, his expression calm but focused.
"Before we move on to discussing which breaches are most compatible with your resonance," he said, his tone measured, "let's first establish something more important…"
"Our strengths and weaknesses."
The words settled over the table, shifting the atmosphere just enough to draw a more serious focus from everyone present.
For a moment—No one spoke.
Then—
A hand slowly rose.
Damon's gaze followed it.
Mira.
She was looking down, her fingers fidgeting slightly as if even raising her hand had taken effort, her posture small compared to the others.
Damon watched her for a second before speaking.
"You want to start, Miss Mira?" he said, his tone carrying a quiet encouragement, "very well… please go ahead."
Mira's face flushed immediately, the attention settling heavily on her as she hesitated for a brief moment, her lips parting slightly as she tried to gather her words.
"I-I…" she began, her voice soft and uncertain.
"C-can we order some pastries?"