From the bakery, a young lady stepped out—no older than her late teens. Her beauty was striking, the kind that could silence a crowd. For a brief moment, every man in sight turned to look, even the guards assigned to protect her couldn't hide their stolen glances.
Kael, standing behind the wall of armored men, caught only fragments of the scene—the sway of her gown, the glint of jewelry, the faint fragrance carried by the winter air. When she entered her royal wagon, the guards followed, and the street slowly returned to its usual rhythm.
He had only seen her face for a heartbeat, yet it was enough to understand the kind of attention she drew. Still, Kael's expression didn't waver. To him, beauty was fleeting—nothing more than a fragile illusion. Maturity and strength were what truly endured.
Kael stepped into the bakery, bought some bread, and ate there, savoring a rare moment of calm. After a few minutes, he left and strolled through the middle district, glancing at shops that sold warm clothes.
His attention, however, was quickly captured by a merchant's stall, where a variety of goods were displayed. Kael approached, curiosity sparking.
"Is that hide?" he asked.
"Yes… it is, young boy," the merchant replied.
Kael's mind raced. Obtaining leather for the system would be difficult—where could he find deer or other animals within the walls? Yet here, it seemed so simple.
Outside the walls, creatures roamed freely, making animals easy prey. Bloodshed was common, and humans weren't the only source of sustenance; animals, too, were constantly at risk, serving as both food and raw materials for survival.
"What kind of hide is that?" Kael asked, genuinely curious.
"Cow's hide," the merchant replied matter-of-factly.
Kael paused for a moment, thinking of the two pieces of hide he might need. Will this be enough? he wondered. Still, he decided, better than nothing.
How much for the hide?" he asked calmly.
"One hide for one silver, and both hides for one silver and five copper coins," the merchant answered sharply.
Kael did the math in his head—one silver was worth ten copper coins, so buying both saved five copper coins. A small saving, but it felt like a deal.
"Okay, I'll take both," Kael said.
The merchant handed him a paper-wrapped bundle, the hides secured with a thin rope. Around them, the stall displayed a variety of trinkets—bells, books, and wooden kitchen utensils.
Merchants like this roamed the middle district, buying items cheaply and reselling them to customers, earning small profits on every transaction.
Keeping the hides in his shoulder bag, Kael wandered through the streets. Hours passed as the sun dipped toward the horizon. By evening, he had secured a set of warm clothes and a few fruits—bananas and apples. For dinner, he planned to eat at a small restaurant near his hotel.
The only concern left in his mind was the wood crisis. There were a few logs already stacked in the fireplace, but they wouldn't last long.
Once back in his room, Kael washed up, letting the day's fatigue fade away under the cold water. He then changed into his new clothes—a fur jacket for his upper body, warm trousers for his legs, and a thick blanket wrapped around him for extra warmth.
The prices of winter clothing had skyrocketed as the cold season approached, costing him a total of twenty silver coins. Painful, but necessary for survival.
He then took the hides from his shoulder bag and placed them beside him on the bed. Lying down, he opened the Echo System interface.
"Hmm… now how do I put it inside the system?" he murmured in his mind.
After a few minutes of searching, he figured it out. Tapping on the first slot, the screen zoomed slightly, enlarging the box. He then pushed the hides into the translucent space before him, both together weighing 312 grams.
The raw hide sank into the screen and was displayed in the first slot. Below it, a label appeared:
[ 312 grams ]
The second slot, however, required Echo Shards as fuel. A small meter appeared beneath it, indicating the quantity needed for processing.
For a trial, Kael decided to invest one shard out of the six he had. After confirming the amount, the refinement process began.
[System Note]: Once the refinement process starts, it cannot be undone.
Processing time varies depending on the quantity of raw resources.
For now, the system displayed a timer—20 minutes remaining.
Since the refinement process operated automatically,
Kael switched to the marketplace tab out of curiosity but found it completely empty. With a quiet sigh, he closed the system and leaned back on the bed.
After a short rest, he went outside to eat at the small restaurant beside his hotel. The meal was satisfying—beef and rice served with a side of salad—costing him six copper coins.
Once dinner was done, Kael returned to his room. The night had grown cold and foggy, the mist dimming the streetlights until everything looked hazy and distant.
*Huff… huff…*
His breath rose in misty clouds, curling in the cold air.
Only a few minutes remained before the refinement process would finish. The temperature continued to drop, and Kael pulled the warm blanket over half his body. As he waited, he took out the small pouch from his shoulder bag and began counting his remaining coins.
Three gold coins, twenty silver coins, and eight copper coins. All he had left—most of it earned in the boot camp sharpshooter competition. The reputation it brought gave small discounts in the middle district, but it wouldn't sustain a month in comfort.
Being a hunter was, after all, still a job. They were paid monthly for their service, but every expedition beyond the walls could easily become their last.
As he finished counting, the system's tone chimed softly.
[System Note]: Refined materials are automatically stored in inventory.
Kael opened his inventory and found the refined leather listed there. When he tapped on it, a small box appeared:
[ 190 grams ]
Refining raw hide removed its impurities, leaving behind only pure, workable leather. To craft what he needed, however, the requirement was 200 grams—just ten grams short.
The Purify System extracted only the best parts of the hide, removing all impurities to refine it into usable leather. The higher the quality of the material, the better the result.
Kael's jaw tightened when he saw the result—just 10 grams short of what he needed.
"Still better than nothing," he muttered under his breath.
A wave of drowsiness crept over him. He had to wake early tomorrow—attendance at the Hunter's Arena was mandatory by 6:30 a.m., as ordered.
The night air was bitterly cold, but the warmth of the burning wood in the fireplace and the thick blanket wrapped around him made the room bearable.
....
Morning came swiftly. At 5:59 a.m., Kael's eyes opened. After three months of boot camp, his body had grown used to rising before dawn.
Outside, the world was still cloaked in darkness, but the faint glow of fire lamps lining the streets made it just bright enough to walk.
Kael dressed in his warm clothes and headed toward the Hunter's Arena. Many hunters were already there, some stretching or sparring lightly despite the cold. Their bodies were large and battle-hardened, their resistance to the chill far greater than his.
Moments later, an officer arrived on an armored horse, accompanied by four other hunters. The rhythmic clatter of hooves echoed through the frosty air as the crowd turned their attention toward him.
Kael assumed it was just another routine training session—but he was wrong.
"Hunters!" the officer's voice boomed. "It's time to set foot outside!"
The air fell silent. This wasn't a drill—this was a mobilization. An army was being sent beyond the walls, to protect the miners from the deadly creatures that lurked in the wilderness. Kael felt a chill that had nothing to do with the morning cold.