The moment the receptionist heard what he came for, her expression immediately changed.
Her eyes visibly brightened as she straightened slightly in her seat.
"Just a moment, sir," she said quickly while reaching for the communication device on her desk. "Someone will be with you shortly."
Kael simply nodded and waited.
He did not have to wait long.
Only a few moments later, the elevator doors at the far end of the hall slid open and a man dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit stepped out. His sharp gaze swept across the reception area before instantly locking onto Kael.
And for a brief second, Kael could have sworn the man’s eyes practically flashed with currency symbols.
His brows furrowed faintly.
He also did not miss the receptionist’s earlier reaction either. The woman had looked like she had just discovered a goose capable of laying golden eggs.
Kael was not stupid.
It did not take him long to piece things together.
’So the sales aren’t going well...’
At first, it confused him slightly. But only for a moment.
Then he quickly realized where his mistake came from.
His knowledge of the Spectre X Nano Bracelet came from his future memories.
In the future, the Spectre X series had become one of the most popular pieces of combat equipment among Hunters. Practically every high-ranking Hunter either owned one or wanted one.
But that popularity had not happened immediately.
The version currently being sold was still the first generation.
And according to what Kael remembered, the first generation had been considered a commercial failure for several years.
The biggest issue was the transformation system.
The first-generation model could only transform into one fixed armor form pre-programmed into the bracelet itself. That severely limited adaptability in actual combat situations.
Worse still, the price was absurdly high compared to conventional armor of the same rank.
To most Hunters, it simply looked like an overpriced suit of armor with extra risks attached to it.
Because unlike normal armor, the Spectre X system relied entirely on the bracelet unit itself. And in combat, the arms were naturally one of the most active parts of the body.
Meaning if the bracelet got damaged during battle, the entire armor system could fail instantly.
That single flaw alone made many Hunters unwilling to trust their lives to it.
It was only after the second-generation version released years later, fixing most of these problems, that the Spectre series truly exploded in popularity.
But Kael honestly did not care much about any of that.
The reason he wanted it was simple.
Convenience.
The ability to deploy armor instantly without needing to wear it beforehand was already valuable enough for him.
As for the flaws?
Those could be managed.
Money was also not an issue right now.
Compared to dying inside some insane Tower challenge because he tried to save credits, spending more for survival felt completely reasonable.
His thoughts ended there as the suited salesman finally arrived before him.
The man’s smile was bright and professional.
"Sir, are you the customer interested in the Spectre X Bracelet?"
Kael nodded once.
Immediately, the man’s smile somehow became even wider, his full white teeth practically shining under the lobby lights.
"Excellent choice, sir. The Spectre X is currently the pinnacle of adaptive personal protection technology. It utilizes advanced nanotechnology integrated directly with the Hunter’s neurological imprint upon activation."
The salesman spoke smoothly without missing a beat.
"Once bonded, the system responds directly to mental commands. The transition between dormant and active armor state takes approximately two seconds, allowing near-instantaneous deployment during combat situations."
He looked ready to continue the sales pitch further, but Kael interrupted before he could.
"How much for a Tier One bracelet?"
The salesman paused briefly, clearly surprised by how direct he was.
Still, his professional smile remained intact.
"Three million credits, sir. But I assure you, the quality absolutely justifies the pri—"
"That’s fine," Kael cut in calmly. "I’ll take one."
The salesman blinked.
For a second, he genuinely looked stunned.
Most customers spent hours debating before even considering a purchase like this.
Meanwhile, this young man had decided almost instantly.
Still, shock quickly transformed into delight.
"Excellent choice, sir," he said enthusiastically. "You definitely won’t regret it."
Kael nodded once before adding,
"Though I want a few modifications made first."
The salesman looked surprised again, but quickly recovered.
"Of course, sir. Please come with me."
He immediately led Kael toward the elevator.
After traveling several floors upward, they eventually arrived at a far more luxurious section of the building before entering a private customization room.
Kael calmly listed the modifications he wanted done to the armor system while the staff recorded everything carefully.
Once that was finished, he sat down to wait.
The modifications would take some time.
The room remained quiet for several minutes before Kael’s phone suddenly rang.
His brows furrowed slightly as he stared at his screen.
An unknown number.
Still, he accepted the call.
"Hello?"
A familiar female voice quickly came from the other side.
"Uh... hello. It’s Zoey. From the Hunter Exam."
Kael immediately remembered her.
"Oh. Hey."
There was a brief pause before he asked,
"How did you get my number?"
Zoey sounded slightly embarrassed afterward.
"Adam’s father helped us get it. He’s... kinda capable in that area."
"I see."
His tone remained neutral.
"Sorry," she added quickly. "I told Adam it was kinda weird too, but he insisted."
"It’s fine," Kael replied after a brief pause.
Then he got straight to the point.
"So why were you trying to contact me?"
"Right. About that..."
Zoey hesitated briefly before continuing.
"Adam and I wanted to ask if you’d be interested in teaming up for a Rift exploration before the Association’s one-week beginner permit expires."
She continued speaking quickly afterward.
"We’re planning a run in a couple of days, and since you cleared the exam on your first attempt, we figured you probably know what you’re doing."
A faint awkward laugh escaped her.
"And... you also seem like a decent person."
Kael remained silent for a moment.
Honestly, the proposal did not sound bad.
Both Zoey and Adam seemed reasonable enough, and they appeared fairly capable as well. Assuming they awakened decent classes with useful class perks, they would probably make reliable temporary teammates.
Besides, he had already planned to farm experience points inside a Rift soon anyway.
Originally, he intended to go solo.
But teaming up for the first few runs was not necessarily a bad idea either.
"Sure," he said finally. "Why not."
Zoey immediately sounded relieved.
"Great. Then how about two days from now? That should give everyone enough time to prepare properly."
"Works for me."
"Perfect. I’ll send you the location later."
"Alright."
The call ended shortly afterward.
Not long after that, the customization room door finally opened again.
The suited salesman returned while carrying a sleek black bracelet inside a protective case.
"This is your modified Spectre X, sir."
Kael immediately took it.
The bracelet itself looked surprisingly simple. Sleek black metal with faint silver lines running across its surface.
Without hesitation, he placed it around his wrist.
The moment it locked into place, Kael immediately felt something strange.
A faint neurological connection.
It was difficult to describe properly.
The bracelet did not exactly feel like an extension of his body, but it also no longer felt completely separate from him either.
He could vaguely sense its systems.
Its functions.
Its dormant state waiting for activation.
Without hesitation, Kael mentally issued the command.
The next moment, black liquid-like nanomaterial suddenly erupted from the bracelet and rapidly spread across his arm.
The speed was astonishing.
Within roughly two or less seconds, his entire body had become covered in sleek black armor.
Even his head was fully enclosed.
But surprisingly, his vision was not obstructed at all.
The instant the helmet sealed shut, the internal visual system activated automatically.
A holographic display appeared across his field of vision, clean and sharp without feeling intrusive. Environmental data, distance markers, and surrounding movement instantly became visible with incredible clarity.
Kael’s eyes widened slightly.
"...Damn."
The armor looked incredible.
But more importantly, it felt incredible.
Lightweight.
Flexible.
Comfortable.
And despite that, he could clearly feel how durable the material itself was.
Honestly, if not for the outrageous price and the flaws of the first-generation system, the Spectre X probably would have already become massively popular.
Still, that did not matter to Kael.
He deactivated the armor shortly afterward.
The black nanomaterial instantly retreated back into the bracelet until it once again looked completely ordinary.
Kael nodded in satisfaction before completing the payment.
The moment the transaction finished, however, he immediately felt the emptiness in his account again.
He sighed softly.
Still, the Tower Coins and the three Mythril Ores in his possession kept him from feeling truly poor.
Though figuring out how to safely convert those into actual money would probably become another headache entirely.
But that was a problem for another day.
After leaving the Spectre Guild building, Kael booked another transit ride and began heading home.
The trip back passed quietly.
Eventually, the vehicle stopped before his apartment building.
Kael stepped out before heading upstairs.
By the time he reached the apartment door, the sky outside had already begun darkening slightly. There were still a few hours left before nightfall, meaning Lyra had not returned yet.
After unlocking the door, Kael entered quietly before heading straight toward his room.
The moment his body touched the bed, exhaustion instantly crashed into him.
And almost immediately afterward, he fell asleep.
----
[A/N: Hey readers,
I know it’s been tough to keep up with my slow Chapter release rate, and that’s entirely on me. I promise I’m not doing it intentionally, I’ve had a lot on my plate lately, which has kept me from writing as much as I’d like.
I’ll do my best to start publishing more regularly, ideally daily. In the meantime, if you’re enjoying the story, please don’t forget to vote for the book. Your comments and reviews also mean a lot to me, so I’d love to hear your thoughts!]