He looked down at the undersheath he wore. The material was light, form-fitting, and durable — like a reinforced compression shirt, but engineered far beyond civilian-grade gear.
He could feel the artificial muscle fibers woven into the fabric — they flexed subtly with his movement, enhancing circulation and accelerating recovery. Shallow wounds would seal faster, and internal trauma would be automatically braced.
More than just armor, it was smart-tech layered with organic intuition. Signature-doped with both his DNA and Uratsu signature, the suit allowed him to channel his augment and combat techniques without feedback stress or structural compromise.
Its adaptability came from its construction: unstable molecular matrices designed to shift and reconfigure based on the user. That meant even transformation-type augments wouldn't leave the wearer exposed — a critical design element, courtesy of the support department.
And then there was the modular aspect. External weapons could be mounted directly onto the undersheath, synced through neural ports or keyed command phrases — a seamless integration between flesh, fabric, and firepower.
He rotated his shoulder once, testing the feel. It responded like a second skin — responsive, intuitive. Battle-ready.
Nathaniel looked at the short swords with a flicker of hesitation — these weren't the kind of weapons he typically wielded. Fists had always been his language, his instinct. But these blades… they were crafted for a knight. A paladin.
Their dark grey finish shimmered under the locker's ambient lights, forged in a modern take on Damascus steel. A sleek white conduit ran from the base of each blade to the edge of the hilt, which was wrapped in dark grey grips. Embedded on both sides of the hilts were two rectangular crystals — inert, colorless.
He slipped off his gloves, letting his bare palms make contact. His skin responded immediately.
Tiny streams of Norvanite bled from his pores — not enough to drip, but enough to pulse softly against the crystal slots. The dormant cores ignited with a gentle cyan glow, resonating with his internal energy signature.
He exhaled slowly.
Fine… if not for himself, then for her.
He wouldn't disrespect Ginah's efforts by neglecting the weapons she prepared. Even if swords weren't his primary tool, he'd learn to master them.
His eyes glowed faintly white as the crystal cores responded in kind, their color shifting in sync with his resonance. A flicker of instinct brought up his interface — a black and white screen that quietly read:
Inventory.
Without needing to tap anything, the blades dissolved into white sparks and vanished. Space folded around them with a silent twist, storing the weapons away faster than conscious thought could catch up. Only the faintest shimmer of compressed energy lingered in the air.
Then, with a casual thought, one of the swords rematerialized in his hand — solid, sharp, familiar. With a second thought, it vanished again.
He didn't need to understand every function yet.
But he was learning.
He arrived at the procurement station, the sterile hum of machines underscoring the stillness of the room. Only two others were waiting: Isabelle, leaning against a railing with arms crossed, and Corinth, seated on a bench, rhythmically tapping his boot against the floor.
They both looked up as Nathaniel entered, noticeably surprised.
"You're early," Corinth muttered, tone neutral but with an edge of curiosity.
Isabelle raised an eyebrow, her lavender gaze scanning him briefly. "Didn't expect you to be on your feet already."
Before Nathaniel could respond, a staff bot rolled toward them, its movement smooth and deliberate. It carried a long, gilded black case with sleek edges, reinforced corners, and an unmistakable emblem engraved in silver: a lit Olympic torch encircling a knight's helmet — the symbol of the Illumine Guild.
Nathaniel paused, puzzled.
The bot stopped in front of him and extended the case. A small screen on the lid flashed, prompting his biometric signature. He pressed his thumb against the reader. It accepted immediately.
The case hissed as it unlocked, opening in two smooth halves.
Inside, a compact console lit up, and a recorded message began to play on a projected screen.
Arete Illumine appeared, seated at her grand ebony desk. The backdrop: a sweeping view of the city skyline behind a wall of glass, the sun casting long shadows over the towers. Standing just behind her was her husband , Sung, and Arete's long-time secretary, Marron — both silent, statuesque figures at her flanks.
Nathaniel narrowed his eyes slightly, watching in silence as the image stabilized and Arete began to speak.
"Nathaniel Alderman," she said, her tone strictly professional. "You are a ward of the guild following your recent extraction from the center of the Expansion Incident Biome. Investigation and research are still ongoing in the matter, and we trust that you've made a full recovery."
She leaned forward slightly, folding her hands on the desk in front of her.
"We would like to extend our thanks for whatever it is you did within that biome. Disarming those entities—whatever they were—prevented further escalation. You bought time, whether intentionally or not."
There was a pause—measured, deliberate—before she continued.
"We request that you visit the guild office in five weeks. At that time, we will brief you on our findings and determine the next steps."
A faint smile ghosted across her lips, calculated rather than warm.
"In the meantime, please enjoy the gift we've provided. We understand your augment is a kinetic accumulator—consider this a gesture of support. Use it wisely."
The projection faded, leaving a quiet hum in the air.
As the feed cut, the case unlocked with a soft hiss, its interior unfolding to reveal a pristine set of gear.
Inside lay a pair of gauntlets, rising to his mid-biceps, and a collection of additional armor plating designed to interface with the undersheath. All of it was composed of a high-grade dark grey metal with subtle white accents, sleek and efficient in design.
Nathaniel reached for the gauntlets first. The moment he slid them on, they shifted—contracting and locking seamlessly against his skin and the undersheath, forming a near-perfect seal. The plating followed next: segments for his traps, flanks, and spine, each piece designed for fast attachment. He secured them smoothly, the pieces clicking into place with a low magnetic snap.
The longer armor components slotted neatly within the lower legs of his slightly baggy, flexible combat trousers, integrating into the mobility channels of the undersheath without hindrance. Once the full set was donned, a faint electronic hum resonated across the surface. His Uratsu responded instinctively, flowing in a controlled trickle into the gear. A barely visible white glow passed over his eyes as his interface briefly flickered—registering the new equipment into his inventory.
He triggered his augment, Kinetic Muscle.
The gauntlets lit with a soft cyan hue, pulsing as the kinetic charge calibrated through the specialized channels built into the forearms. He opened and closed his fists slowly, testing the feedback. The reinforced structure adjusted in real time to his grip, movements smooth and responsive.
There was power in the craftsmanship. Controlled. Intentional.
And now, it was his.
"Illumine Series: Kinetic Accumulator Attack Gauntlets — Online.Current user: Nathaniel Alderman.ID code accepted," announced the internal system, its voice smooth and mechanical from the embedded speaker within the open case.
The gauntlets lit with a steady cyan glow, surging with energy as Nathaniel felt the subtle drain from his reserves—Uratsu being siphoned to fuel the gauntlet systems. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was noticeable. As the calibration finalized, he flexed his fingers again, feeling the density and weight shift slightly.
That's when he noticed it—two things, in particular.
First, there were hidden thruster ports concealed within the folds of the gauntlets, subtle enough to escape first glance but unmistakable now that he knew where to look. Built-in mobility assist. That alone gave him ideas.
Second, the twin short swords Ginah had gifted him—he realized now how closely they resembled the current weapon modules embedded in the gauntlet chassis. The aesthetic, the materials, even the size. They were compatible.
He could use them in tandem.
A smirk crept onto his face. The pieces were beginning to align—someone had thought ahead.
In the distance, he saw Isabelle and Corinth turning the corner, already making their way out of the gear hall. He waited just a moment longer before moving, placing the cases into his inventory in a blind spot of the locker room.
No need for questions right now.
With his new equipment synced and secured, Nathaniel turned and made his way up toward the designated meeting point.