"That dagger's cursed. Anyone who wields it ends up as… neither man nor woman,"
the old shopkeeper whispered into Jin's ear, his breath reeking of stale tobacco and secrets.
'So… a gentle-bending curse,' Jin mused inwardly, expression unreadable.
Unbothered by the old man's lewd insinuation, Jin silently assessed the weapon's worth.
Giving up on his male gender was not a problem to Jin. It could be done in return for something valuable. Especially in his situation.
Beside, Jin always found the concept of gender pointless. Of course, except for the time of reproduction.
Reproduction was the absolute law of all lifeforms, after all. It was a natural instinct. A necessity for the survival of the human species in this shitty world.
Except for that, he found gender useless. What does it do except determine whose seed goes and who accepts? A tool to retain one's bloodline from extinction.
If that was the only thing this male gender could provide him, then giving it up was not a problem.
And beside, it might be better for him not to pass his cursed bloodline. His worthless, pathetic, shitty bloodline.
He didn't need to know an angel to feel his hatred toward the bastard. His thoughts alone ragged him beyond control.
Then again, he didn't know how to be angry, so he remained silent.
Then again, he had long forgotten how to be angry. So he stayed silent.
The old man peered at him again, a crooked grin creeping across his wrinkled face.
"Oh-ho? What's wrong, boy? Changed your mind?" he chuckled.
"No," Jin replied flatly. "Is it enchanted?"
"Yeah, it's got a bit o' that, sure. But…"
"But what?"
The shopkeeper leaned in once more—his third time now—and whispered, slower this time, his voice lowering to a gravelly murmur.
"This blade… it only kills them." His emphasis on them was deliberate, almost spiteful.
Jin paused, deciphering the strange cadence of the man's speech.
'A minor enchantment, then. Not worth the cost.'
He said nothing further and turned to leave.
"Oi! I got more! How 'bout that love potion you seemed interested in?" the shopkeeper called after him, desperation bleeding through his voice.
Jin ignored him and calmly strode toward the tea stall where Mr. Nell had gone.
'He might have something more useful for me.'
So far, everything about the man suggested he was more than he let on. Jin's instincts practically screamed it.
As he neared the tea stall, he suddenly collided with something. Or rather, someone collided with him. Jin didn't so much as flinch, but the other party fell backward with a soft thud.
He looked down slowly, his crimson eyes narrowing.
It was a girl.
Or rather, a young woman—soft, cotton-candy pink hair cascading over her shoulders, framing her porcelain skin. She wore sleek women's pants and a black top under a reddish-pink coat. A scarf covered her neck—reminding him of Luke. But that was where the similarity ended. Unlike Luke, she lacked any hint of grace or poise.
She sat on the ground, rubbing her bruised rear in silence, her expression tight with pain.
Eventually, her eyes fluttered open, revealing irises like gleaming crystals.
'If Voice were here, he'd be thanking the gods already,' Jin thought dryly.
The girl stared up at him with a flicker of fear before rising to her feet and bowing in silent apology.
"It's fine," Jin said curtly.
No reply.
"I said—it's fine," he repeated, louder this time.
Still, she remained mute.
He turned to leave, but a delicate hand caught his wrist. She bowed again—once, twice—then let out an awkward stammer.
"Aa… aahh…"
Jin's eyes narrowed slightly as realization dawned.
"You can't hear… or speak, can you?"
Jin raised his free hand and gave a calm gesture of reassurance.
Then without another word, he walked away.
***
Soon, he arrived at the tea stall where Mr. Nell was waiting.
The small stall was shrouded in a thick haze of smoke, as a group of men exhaled clouds of tobacco in unison.
Despite being a public space, smoking was still allowed. The law permitted it almost everywhere—even on trains—except in schools and children's playgrounds.
Amid the swirling mist, Mr. Nell sat calmly, a porcelain teacup in one hand, his hat resting lazily on the table. He took a sip, then glanced at Jin with a knowing expression—as if he had expected him to come all along. A faint smile curled on his lips.
As Jin approached, Mr. Nell handed him a small device—an eye piece—without a single word from Jin.
"I forgot to give you this," he said casually.
"What is it?" Jin asked.
"An enchanted item," Mr. Nell explained, his voice low. "It holds an enchantment similar to the skill Appraisal."
Without question, Jin accepted the item and slipped it into the pocket of his outer coat, then turned and walked away.
He had initially planned to question Mr. Nell about those idiots—but that no longer seemed necessary. With this artifact in hand, it was finally time to make proper use of his visit.
His uneventful journey resumed, until he eventually discovered something worthwhile.
He picked up twelve throwing knives—called kunai—each priced at two rals. They were cheaper than most weapons used by Awakened, primarily because they lacked enchantments, which, ironically, was exactly what Jin needed for his plans. Their cost came from the durable materials used—able to withstand multiple blasts without breaking. Finding them had been easy, thanks to the immensely useful enchanted item.
Of course, they were ranked at the lowest level—Grade 1—according to the standardized ranking system set by ORDER, which every seller and buyer of mystical items was required to follow.
The rest of his rals and two ruls were spent on basic gear—boots, gloves, and a set of light armor, all crafted for Awakened combatants. Like the knives, these were low-grade items, though the armor was of slightly higher quality—still barely above the baseline.
Finally, Jin entered the last shop for his final purchase.
Activating the eye piece's enchantment, Jin methodically examined each item on display. He found a few intriguing Grade 1 items, but lost interest upon seeing the price tags—each exceeding two hundred rals.
It wasn't that he lacked the funds—they simply weren't worth their asking price. Even with financial knowledge limited to just three books, Jin could still tell a scam when he saw one.
Then he stopped, eyes fixed on a majestic katana displayed in a glass case.
The blade rested like a sleeping beast, sheathed in a lacquered black scabbard etched with cryptic runes that shimmered faintly under the shop's dim lighting. Its hilt was wrapped in deep red cord, worn yet dignified, and capped with a silver pommel shaped like a serpent devouring its own tail—a symbol of eternity and madness.
A strange mist coiled inside the glass, as though the weapon exhaled a breath of its own, and the air around it felt subtly warped, pressing in and pulling back like a heartbeat.
A plaque beneath it bore no name—only a warning etched in ancient tongue, half-erased with time. The katana did not just look deadly; it felt alive, pulsing faintly with a presence that whispered promises of power... and the price that came with it.
'Interesting… another cursed blade. It carries a curse that twists the wielder's mind, driving them into madness… a killer's madness. I'd love to get my hands on it—but I'd need someone to help nullify the curse. The problem is… the price.'
He sighed, glancing at the tag: 15 ruls.
'Never mind.'
After scouring the entire shop, he finally settled on a simple, dark-gray robe with a hood—moderate resistance to physical and slashing damage, nothing more.
Once again, he didn't bother negotiating. He purchased it for half a ruls and made his way toward the entrance, where Luke and Jay were already waiting with Mr. Nell.
Apparently, Mr. Nell had helped them with their shopping. He had even managed to haggle the prices down to sixty percent of the original tags.
"Oh, it's nothing," Mr. Nell chuckled. "The market's full of scammers. With a bit of bargaining skill, anyone can knock down the price."
Jay showed off his purchases—he had chosen a pure white robe with a hood, inscribed with some magical enhancements. The robe cost six ruls—expensive, but a higher-grade item.
He had also bought a small staff, topped with a glowing blue spirit stone, which had drained the rest of his money.
Luke, on the other hand, had opted to save his funds. He said he planned to buy something else later. Besides, he already had the necessary equipment.
Leaving the market behind, the group boarded the carriage. Mr. Nell rolled up his coat sleeves and loosened his shirt, flashing them a friendly smile.
"Looks like you're all geared up for your training services," he said.
"Training services?" Jin repeated calmly.
"Training services!?" Jay echoed—his voice laced with surprise.
Mr. Nell blinked. "What? I didn't tell you?"
"Ah… no," Jay replied, still wide-eyed.
"Oh, must've slipped my mind. So… you kids haven't been affiliated with the National Awakened Academy, right?"
"Yes," Jin responded.
"Well, here's the deal," Mr. Nell continued. "The ORDER mandates that unaffiliated Awakened participate in the Awakened Patrol for a month—to gain experience."
"What's the Awakened Patrol?" Jin asked.
"It's like the supernatural version of the police. They handle all the bizarre stuff that regular law enforcement can't."
"Oh… and when do we start?"
"In a week."