Everyone's eyes were glued to the two items that appeared in Quinn's hands out of thin air.
A grin spread across his face.
"So… this is called the Devilfly Scimitar."
He lifted the curved blade slightly, letting the light catch along its edge.
"It came from one of the beasts I killed. Don't ask me how," he added casually. "It's just… something I can do."
Michael opened his mouth, clearly ready to bombard him with questions, but Quinn interrupted him midway,
"And no, it's not some ability I stole." shutting him up instantly.
"This Devilfly Scimitar is a one-handed sword," Quinn continued.
"Aside from the boost in agility and raw power it provides, it comes with a unique skill."
He paused briefly, as if reading from an invisible script.
It's called "Swarm Resonance.
Each successful strike stacks Resonance. After several hits, the blade releases a slicing shockwave—a thin, crescent-shaped pressure of air that travels forward, cutting through anything in its path."
As Quinn spoke, it felt less like explanation and more like recitation. Only he knew the truth—his eyes were skimming lines of text on his system screen, unseen by everyone else.
He turned and walked toward Erin.
"I'm giving this to you," Quinn said, extending the scimitar. "I know this might not be exactly what you wanted… but it's the best I can provide right now. It's an advanced-tier weapon."
Erin stared at the blade for a moment, as if frozen.
Then she snapped out of it and took the sword into her hands.
Quinn stepped back, giving her space.
She tested the weapon with a few swings, clean, precise movements, before finally stopping. She didn't say a word, but anyone paying close attention would have noticed it.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
Quinn turned back to the group and raised the second weapon.
"Alright," he said. "Now, moving on to this one."
He revealed the pair of blades fully.
"Devilfly Dual Blades."
They were shorter than daggers, yet longer than knives—sleek and compact.
Each blade curved inward like a talon, sharp.
"These are the Devilfly Dual Blades," Quinn said.
"They come with two skills."
He lifted one blade slightly, as if testing its balance.
"First skill: Mirage.
When drawn, the blades leave afterimages—brief, ghostlike trails hanging in the air. It makes tracking your movements much harder."
Quinn's gaze sharpened as he continued.
"Second skill: Aerial Pursuit.
Every dodge, dash, or sudden change in direction briefly enhances attack speed and damage."
He paused, then added, more seriously,
"The effect stacks. Your agility keeps increasing with each successive movement… but the moment you lose your flow, it breaks."
Quinn turned the blades, the edges catching the light.
"There's more. Strikes aimed at limbs or wings drastically reduce enemy mobility by injecting a neurotoxin."
He glanced at Vorden.
"This part is an active skill. You'll have to activate it before each attack."
Quinn extended the dual blades toward him.
"Vorden, I'm giving these to you. You wanted something like dual daggers, didn't you?"
Vorden took the weapons eagerly, eyes lighting up as he tested their weight.
"Well," he said with a grin, "I don't usually rely much on weapons… but these?"
He gave the blades a light spin in his hands.
"They'll be fun to play with."
The small thing Quinn had done—handing out those weapons—had quietly lifted the group's morale.
Even a slight boost was meaningful in their situation.
Now, everyone was eager for Quinn to go on missions again.
The following day, Quinn didn't go alone. He brought Vorden and Erin with him.
The decision wasn't impulsive—it was influenced by the system's voice of reason.
"Quinn, it would be wise to take them with you now.
This way, they will learn to fight. No one grows stronger by sitting idle.
When a real threat arrives, that is when true battle instinct develops."
Quinn had to agree. The system had a point.
So the next morning, Quinn, Erin, and Vorden headed out together.
Meanwhile, Ray and Michael took turns training with the mech, while Sarah and Amy focused on physical conditioning, eventually beginning to duel each other regularly.
Out in the field, Vorden managed to copy from Quinn three interesting abilities:
Fire, Lightning and Earth.
And these were the earths greatest abilities.
Although Vorden could only use one copied ability at a time, Rayten could use two, and Sil—if absolutely necessary—could use those three.
Erin was performing well with the Devilfly Scimitar. Her movements were sharper, faster, her swordplay refined by years of experience. She adapted the swordplay to complement her style perfectly, giving her strikes a unique rhythm.
Quinn naturally took on the role of defender. With his healing ability and wide arsenal of powers, he anchored the group during combat.
As the days passed, the routine continued.
Beasts were hunted. Crystals were exchanged. Weapons were acquired and distributed.
Eventually, Sarah and Amy began hunting together as well.
Weeks went by.
The team prepared relentlessly—until finally, the time came to leave the safety of the dome and venture beyond it, setting their sights on escaping the planet altogether.
During this period, Quinn maintained regular contact with Logan. Logan continued sending updates to their watches, adding new features and reducing communication delays.
****
At the Military Academy, students returned from their one-week hunting expedition on the green portal planet Caladi.
The hunt went smoothly.
Layla and Fex frequently met during this time, fighting together and often visited Logan. Knowing the situation involving Quinn, Erin, and Vorden, Logan had updated Layla's and Fex's watches as well, allowing them to contact the group if necessary.
Layla and Fex have grown closer now, since they had been assigned to the same portal team, they spent most of their time together. With no one else willing to talk to Fex, Layla had taken the initiative.
As for Peter, things had worsened.
With Quinn and Vorden gone, he became an easy target. Despite Layla's attempts to help, Peter grew increasingly isolated. His level never increased.
Classes soon resumed after their eventual return.
Layla and Fex continued sitting together. But after few days, Layla asked him to follow her to the library.
Once inside, she activated the orb—one that silenced their voices and prevented anyone outside from hearing their conversation.
Layla's cheeks flushed. She hesitated, unsure how to begin.
Fex, meanwhile, wondered if something else was wrong.
Then, suddenly, Layla blurted out—
"You're different, Fex. From day one. From the moment you volunteered to work with us during the arrival of the TrueDream."
She took a breath and continued.
"You're pale. Extremely attractive. And I've seen you—taking people away in the dark, when no one's watching."
Her voice trembled.
"Then you drink their blood."
Fex's eyes widened.
Fear crept into him instantly.
He was just about to activate his influence ability when Layla deliberately closed her eyes.
"Please… don't wipe my memories," she said urgently.
Then, without hesitation—
"I want you to turn me into a vampire."