Asher told himself he was not going to the core market.
He was simply… taking the scenic route to work.
A route that coincidentally passed a place that sold portable upgrades to human capability.
That was normal. That was fine.
That was—
A small, translucent prompt blinked at the edge of his vision.
[Notice]
Core market proximity: Confirmed.
Asher sighed. "You're like a navigation app that only suggests terrible decisions."
No response.
Which meant it disagreed silently, like usual.
He kept walking anyway.
The street grew busier as he neared downtown. More uniforms. More reinforced boots. More people with the posture of someone who had been hit by a monster and decided that was an acceptable hobby.
Someone ahead of him muttered, barely audible over traffic.
"…Status screen open."
Asher slowed half a step.
No glowing display appeared. No projected interface he could see.
Just the guy glancing at empty air, nodding to himself, then continuing on like nothing was strange about it.
Asher frowned.
Right.
Private.
Status screens weren't public. You couldn't see anyone else's unless they chose to show it.
He wasn't special for having a status screen.
He was special because his didn't stay quiet.
Asher pulled his hoodie higher and tried to look like a guy with a job and a healthy relationship with sleep.
It did not work.
By the time he reached the market, it was impossible to miss.
A converted warehouse with bold letters painted above the entrance:
CORE EXCHANGE — VERIFIED PRODUCTS ONLY
Beneath it, in smaller text:
ALL SALES FINAL. NO FIGHTS INSIDE.
Asher checked the time.
Barely a window.
He stepped inside.
The smell hit first—metal, disinfectant, and something faintly scorched.
The security came next.
Not bored guards. Real ones. Reinforced gear. Relaxed stances. Eyes that tracked movement without looking obvious.
This wasn't a shop.
This was infrastructure.
Rows of stalls filled the warehouse, separated by painted lanes. Semi-transparent projection panels hovered above some vendors, displaying prices and ratings in clean, bright text.
F Strength Core — 3,000 credits
E Defense Core — 12,000 credits
D Agility Core — Inquiry Only
Asher swallowed. "Okay. So Angelic Coins are… not a thing here."
A small, private message appeared.
[Clarification]
Angelic Coins are not recognized by public financial systems.
"So I'm rich in imaginary money."
[Clarification]
You are solvent in private systems.
"That's not comforting."
The message vanished.
Asher drifted deeper into the market, listening.
"If you're broke, technique beats stacking every time."
"A D-rank skill will ruin you if your recovery's trash."
"Strength's useless if your durability can't support it."
Everyone here seemed to know exactly where they stood.
Ranks. Stats. Skill tiers.
Asher didn't.
He stopped walking.
Frowned.
Then glanced instinctively toward the corner of his vision.
Nothing.
"…Why can't I see my stats?" he asked quietly.
A pause.
Then—
[Response]
Stat display was unnecessary prior to exposure to public progression systems.
Asher blinked. "So now it is?"
[Clarification]
Context has changed.
The pressure behind his eyes shifted—not painful, just deliberate.
[System Update – Interface Expansion]
Public metric alignment enabled.
Asher stiffened. "…You could do that the whole time?"
No response.
Then the screen appeared.
[Status – Asher Black]
Rank: F
Class: None
Core: Heaven's Heart (Anomalous)
Strength: (B)
Determines raw physical force output.
Defense: (B)
Structural resistance to damage.
Stamina: (B+)
Determines energy reserves and sustained exertion capacity.
Agility: (B+)
Determines movement speed, balance, and directional control.
Perception: (B)
Determines reaction awareness and threat detection.
Recovery: (B+)
Determines healing rate and injury stabilization.
Control: (B)
Determines efficiency of skill usage and energy regulation.
System Authority / Interface:
• Gods Vault (Unique Interface)
System Privilege / Access Right:
• Personal Dungeon Key
Initial Vault Grants:
• Endless Stamina - Restricted (Passive)
• Adaptive Combat Sense - Fragmented (Passive )
• Damage Conversion - Low Grade (Passive)
• Skill Assimilation - Registered (Passive)
Skills (Active):
• Burst Step - Minor (E)
• Kinetic Step (E)
Skills (Passive):
• Minor Claw Proficiency (E-)
• Pain Dampening - Minor (E-)
• Stonebreaker - Minor (E-)
• Reaction Buffer -Minor (E)
• Minor Reinforcement - Skeletal (E)
•Impact Redistribution - Passive/Reactive (E)
Asher stared at the list.
"…I'm still F," he said slowly.
A pause.
"But I survive like I'm not."
A new line appeared beneath the stat window.
[Notice]
Stat magnitude does not authorize rank advancement.
Control thresholds remain unmet.
Asher exhaled slowly.
"So I'm strong enough," he muttered.
"Just not cleared."
[Affirmation]
Growth trajectory confirmed.
He exhaled, tension easing just a little.
So that's how everyone else measured themselves.
Simple. Brutal. Public.
And his system had been keeping the numbers hidden—not to protect him, but because they hadn't mattered yet.
Asher looked back toward the stalls.
Toward the cores.
Toward the public path everyone else walked.
Then he turned away.
Not today.
He checked the time and headed for work.
Because knowing where you stood didn't mean you had to prove it immediately.
And because now, for the first time—
Asher understood exactly how far he still had to climb.