The chilling truth of the impending invasion had galvanized the Dawn Breakers. Their resolve hardened, they knew they needed every advantage. The vast sum of money they'd earned from Death's Doorstep, while seemingly boundless, was now a critical resource for survival.
"Alright, team," Kenji announced the next morning, his voice firm. "We're going shopping. Grandmaster Hiroto has given us clearance to the Astral Armory."
The Astral Armory wasn't just a shop; it was a hidden Academy facility, a vast, shimmering space dedicated to the most potent spiritual gear. Its location was shrouded in secrecy, accessible only to high-ranking Awakened. The air inside hummed with latent spiritual energy, the scent of polished metal and aged leather filling the senses. Display cases shimmered with enchanted weapons and armor, each radiating an aura of power.
"Remember," Kenji instructed, "we're going for maximum capability. Assume we'll run into an S-rank, and gear up accordingly."
His team nodded, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. This wasn't about luxury; it was about survival.
The team spent hours in the Armory, carefully selecting equipment tailored to their unique fighting styles and capabilities. Each piece was enchanted, designed to boost their spiritual output and survivability.
* Akari (Spiritual Archer - High C-Rank, approaching B):
* Bow: Whisperwind recurve – A sleek, black bow crafted from ancient, hardened spiritual wood. It increased the velocity and piercing power of her spiritual arrows, making them almost impossible to deflect. Its unique ability, 'Phantom Draw,' allowed her to fire three spiritual arrows simultaneously with a single draw, each imbued with a minor tracking enchantment.
* Armor: Harbinger's Vestment – Light, flexible leather armor reinforced with woven spiritual fibers. It granted enhanced agility and a subtle dampening effect on incoming spiritual attacks.
* Renji (Close-Quarters Spiritual Combatant - High C-Rank, approaching B):
* Gauntlets: Terra Fist Gauntlets – Heavy, obsidian-colored gauntlets that covered his forearms and fists. They significantly amplified the raw destructive power of his spiritual constructs and punches. Their unique ability, 'Earth Shaker,' allowed him to channel a powerful concussive wave into the ground on impact, briefly stunning and disorienting multiple nearby enemies.
* Armor: Stone Guardian's Shell – A sturdy, layered chest plate and shoulder guards made from compressed spiritual ore. It provided exceptional physical and spiritual defense, allowing him to tank hits more effectively.
* Saki (Spiritual Support/Healer - C-Rank):
* Staff: Veridian Bloom Staff – A slender, glowing staff made of living spiritual wood. It greatly amplified his spiritual healing output and the strength of his defensive barriers. Its unique ability, 'Lifebloom Pulse,' allowed him to emit a short-range pulse that momentarily bolstered his teammates' spiritual defenses and accelerated minor healing.
* Accessory: Aegis Amulet – A small, intricate amulet that subtly enhanced his spiritual perception, allowing him to identify specific spiritual ailments or weaknesses in allies and enemies.
* Hiroki (Aggressive Close-Quarters - High C-Rank, approaching B):
* Dual Daggers: Shadowflame Twins – Two wickedly sharp daggers forged from dark spiritual steel. They glowed with a faint, crimson aura, enhancing his attack speed and dealing minor spiritual burn damage. Their unique ability, 'Rapid Ascent,' granted a temporary burst of extreme agility and attack speed after successfully chaining a three-hit combo.
* Armor: Stormcaller Bracers – Reinforced bracers that absorbed kinetic energy and could release it in short bursts, augmenting his physical strikes.
* Goro (Tactical Veteran - B-Rank):
* Armored Cloak: Whispering Shade Cloak – A dark, flowing cloak woven with spiritual threads that subtly distorted his spiritual signature, making him harder for enemies to detect. Its unique ability, 'Phantom Step,' allowed for a brief, localized spiritual distortion, granting him momentary invisibility and quiet movement for tactical repositioning.
* Utility Belt: Grimwatch Belt – A sturdy utility belt filled with various spiritual reagents, smoke bombs, and a small, foldable spiritual beacon for emergency extraction. It also featured a built-in spiritual scanner for analyzing dungeon environments.
As Kenji walked through a secluded section of the Armory, filled with ancient, dust-covered relics, a subtle thrum resonated in his spiritual core. He stopped before a display case unlike any other. It was made of thick, reinforced glass, completely sealed, radiating an ancient, undisturbed spiritual seal. Inside, resting on a velvet cushion, was a single, elegant blade.
It was a straight-bladed katana, its hilt wrapped in dark, aged leather, its guard simple but elegant. The blade itself shimmered with a faint, internal light, unlike any known metal. It didn't look overly flashy, yet it called to Kenji, a silent, powerful song in his soul, as if he had used to be its owner.
A nearby shopkeeper, a grizzled old man with an eye patch, hobbled over. "Ah, the 'Soul-Bound Relic.' Good choice, S-rank. It's been here for centuries. Price is 1 billion credits, or, if you can open the case." He chuckled, a dry, raspy sound. "No one's ever managed it. The seal is absolute. Even Number One himself couldn't crack it."
Kenji ignored the shopkeeper. He simply reached out, placing his palm flat against the thick glass of the display case. He focused his spiritual energy, not pushing, not forcing, but simply connecting. His Solar Flare Manifestation subtly activated, a faint crimson glow emanating from his hand.
With a soft click that echoed unnaturally loud in the quiet Armory, the ancient seal on the case broke. The thick glass door swung open, revealing the blade.
The shopkeeper's jaw dropped. His eye patch almost fell off. He was utterly stunned. "Impossible! It's sealed! It was unable to be opened by anyone!"
Kenji lifted the blade. It felt utterly natural in his hand, as if it had been waiting for him. The faint light within the blade brightened, and a whisper, clear as day, resonated in his mind: "Ataraxia."
"Its name is Ataraxia," Kenji said, a profound sense of connection filling him. "And it's not for sale. It belongs to me." The shopkeeper, still dumbfounded, could only nod mutely.
Back with his team, Kenji showed them Ataraxia. They gasped, sensing its ancient power. Then, they showed off their own new gear, admiring each other's enhanced capabilities.
"These gauntlets feel amazing!" Renji exclaimed, flexing his armored fists.
"My arrows are like lasers now!" Akari cheered, nocking an imaginary arrow.
Finally, Kenji pulled out a small, velvet pouch. "And for these," he said, producing a handful of glowing, multifaceted pills, "these are 'Essence Breakthrough Pills.' Very rare. They significantly aid in spiritual breakthroughs, helping to push an Awakened to the next rank." He held them out. "One for each of you."
Their eyes widened. These pills were almost legendary, incredibly expensive and hard to come by.
Later, as they reviewed their spending, the team looked at their central account balance.
[ACCOUNT BALANCE: $0]
A stunned silence filled the room, then Akari let out a laugh. "Zero! We're back to zero! I never thought we would be broke again!"
Renji chuckled, shaking his head. "We had 15 billion credits before coming here. Fifteen billion!"
Kenji grinned, Ataraxia resting in his lap, humming with contentment. He looked at his newly equipped team, their faces tired but alight with powerful new gear. "Don't worry about it," he said, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "After 100 B-ranked Dungeons, we will not even remember ever spending any money."
The Dawn Breakers were ready. Their mission began at dawn.