032 YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS IN TROUBLE
Dan had barely opened his door when Zairgid burst inside, out of breath.
"Is this another attempt to drag
to Black Owl?" Dan muttered under his breath.
Zairgid leaned on the wall, panting hard. "It's your girlfriend—she's in trouble."
Dan blinked. "My girlfriend? Since when do I have one?"
"Eryn Veyran. She's lost in the space rift at lrose Mine," Zairgid said.
"lrose Mine…" Dan's eyes narrowed. "That's the Aur mine where I used to work. Why would there be a space rift there?"
"Don't you know?" Zairgid replied. "All Aur mines are extensions of space rifts. Our Aurs co from rocks expelled from them."
Dan froze.
He had spent years hauling rocks out of that mine and never once suspected a rift lurked beneath his feet. None of the miners had. Otherwise, none of them would dare to work there.
"So Aurs… grow from space rifts?" he asked.
"Forget the theory. Ask your teacher later. Eryn Veyran is missing now," Zairgid snapped.
"Why would she even go in there if it's so dangerous?"
"The rift's sealed off but not banned. Heroes are allowed inside to explore. Half our breakthroughs in research and developnt co from artifacts pulled from space rifts," Zairgid explained.
"But Eryn…" Dan's brow furrowed. "Why did she risk going into the space rift?"
Zairgid lowered his voice. "Because of her mother. She vanished inside the lrose Rift on an expedition so years ago. Eryn's been sneaking in several tis ever since, looking for her."
Dan exhaled slowly.
That explained the last ti he'd found Eryn unconscious and wounded in the mine. She'd just returned from the space rift.
He turned to Zairgid. "I understand her persistence. But what's that got to do with ?"
"Aren't you, her boyfriend?"
"No. Since when?"
"Then why does she always carry your miner's na tag with her?" Zairgid asked. "Solana told ."
"What?!" Dan's eyes widened. "That's got nothing to do with ."
"Anyway," Zairgid pressed on, "the school's launching an expedition into the rift—partly training, partly a search-and-rescue for Eryn. Will you join?"
"Nope. Too dangerous," Dan said flatly.
"It won't be," Zairgid insisted. "The risky stuff's handled by C-Rank Heroes. We'll stay in the safe zone."
Dan narrowed his eyes. "You're usually the last person to volunteer for work. What's this really about?"
Zairgid fiddled with his fingers. "Uh… because my father wants
to go. If we join a space rift exploration, I can get a Hero ID. He needs
to have an ID if he were to continue giving
allowances."
The city awards citizens with Hero IDs if they are of great service to the city. Joining an expedition into the space rift would constitute such rit.
Dan frowned.
In this world, a Hero ID ant everything—nobles and rich families spent fortunes to train their heirs just for the title.
"So, this isn't about Eryn at all," Dan said. "You're using her as an excuse to get
to the rift with you. What you really want is a free bodyguard."
"Well…" Zairgid grinned sheepishly. "I'd feel safer near you. Rank C and D Heroes aren't always there to protect us. If you can one smash K.O Lukas, I'll feel better if you are around."
"You're a confird coward," Dan muttered.
"So… are you coming or not?"
"No. I don't even have powerful equipnt."
"Equipnt? Leave that to . You can have anything you want if you join
in the rift," Zairgid promised.
-----
Zairgid led Dan to the Aukuoma Heroes' Auction Center, a sprawling comrcial complex that buzzed with activity. Inside, fortunes changed hands daily—from powerful ta equipnt and rare artifacts to rejuvenating youth elixirs. If money could buy it, it could be found here.
Dan's eyes caught the sign overhead- Aukuoma. "Wait… your father owns this Auction House?"
Zairgid grinned. "Yes, yes. Didn't I tell you? I can get you any equipnt here. I wasn't lying."
"No… you weren't," Dan admitted.
But another thought struck him. "Does this place also have a ta training center?"
"Of course. Why?"
"I need to learn a new skill—and upgrade my current ones to Rank F."
Initially, Dan wanted to visit Heroes Gym again but after what he saw in Dorin's secret room, he decided it was better to keep a distance from them.
Zairgid nearly choked. "You are Rank F?! Since when?"
"I just got promoted," Dan replied with a satisfied smile.
Zairgid wiped the corner of his mouth. "Well, I guess that explains it. How else could you have floored Lukas Veyran with a single strike?" He nodded, then gestured toward a side corridor. "The training center's open now. The auction starts later—we'll make it in ti."
"Perfect," Dan said, his grin widening.
----
Training a ta skill wasn't difficult—it was quick and efficient. The real challenge was choosing the right one. Dan could acquire as many skills as he wanted, but each required ti to master, and ti was always limited.
"What should I go for?" Dan muttered.
Zairgid leaned against the wall. "Depends on what you're aiming for. But don't get greedy. Implant too many ta chips and so skills won't even manifest."
"You're just being stingy," Dan shot back.
"No, I'm being honest," Zairgid said firmly.
"I want a skill that lets
disappear—not just visually, but one that hides my energy and even my breath. Does sothing like that exist?"
Zairgid smirked. "You ca to the right place. Try Camouflage. I use it myself."
Dan raised an eyebrow. "A coward like you? Let
guess—your other skills are just body armor, shields and more shields?"
Unfazed, Zairgid grinned. "Exactly. The best defensive set money can be bought in lrose City."
Dan chuckled. "Fine. I'll train Camouflage."
The process was straightforward.
Before long, Dan had implanted the Camouflage ta chip and gained the skill at Rank F. It would take practice before he could use it effectively, but the foundation was there.
At the sa ti, he brought his existing skills—Summon Shield, Flash Dash, and Electrocution—up to Rank F, aligning them with his new status.
By the ti the upgrades were done, the day was nearly gone. Fortunately, the auction was scheduled for the evening.
Borrowing a sleek suit from Zairgid, Dan followed him into the grand auction hall, ready for whatever ca next.
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