Ethan left Nina's side and navigated his way up a dilapidated staircase in the abandoned factory. He ascended toward the first floor, which was on the brink of collapse. Cracks spiderwebbed across the walls, and sections of the wall had given way, their debris littering the ground below.
The space was cluttered with remnants of the factory's past—rusting machines and broken walls, all capable of causing serious injury to the unwary. Ethan carefully climbed over the machinery and debris, making his way through the hazardous area without harm.
Arriving at a secluded corner, he found himself face to face with a massive piece of machinery nestled against the wall. He descended from his precarious perch atop a nearby machine and approached it.
Grasping the machinery with both hands, he exerted his strength, lifting it slightly from the corner and pushing it aside.
The displaced machinery revealed a secreted hole in the wall that, in the factory's heyday, might have housed part of its inner workings. Now, it serves a different purpose. Hidden within this niche was a bag.
Ethan carefully extracted the bag and opened it to discover its contents: two daggers forged from high-grade metal and a leather battle suit. The quality of these items was beyond Ethan's financial reach, which made sense—they were not originally his.
In addition to his work as a porter, Ethan was a scavenger. On days without a porter work, he would venture outside the shelter, though always mindful not to stray too far for fear of demonic beasts. He aimed to uncover anything of value.
Such treasure hunts often proved fruitless, but fortune had smiled upon Ethan just a few days prior when he stumbled upon the corpse of a fallen hunter.
From the body, he retrieved a battle suit and a pair of daggers. Out of respect, Ethan buried the hunter, acknowledging that the gear would no longer be of use to its previous owner.
The previous owner of the body might have intended to sell this equipment for money or hunter's points, but now that Ethan inhabited this body, he had no plans to sell it. He would make use of the gear himself.
The daggers were incredibly sharp, capable of slicing through the thick skin of any corrupted-level beast. The leather battle suit, while seemingly ordinary, was anything but. Likely crafted from the skin of a demonic beast, it could absorb a significant amount of damage and protect its wearer. Its stretchy, snug fit meant it wouldn't hinder movement during combat—a vital feature for any warrior.
Quickly stripping off his clothes, Ethan donned the battle suit, feeling the material conform to his body. He secured a belt around his waist to hold the daggers, then pulled a pair of sturdy boots from the bag. He was confident that, with this footwear, even a careless step amidst the factory's ruins wouldn't result in injury.
Once Ethan had donned his new attire, there was a transformation in his appearance. The battle suit and daggers lent him the air of a hunter, a stark contrast to his previous guise.
With his preparation complete, he returned the bag to its hidden nook and moved the machinery back into place, concealing his cache once more. He then made his way down from the ruined floor, descended the stairs, and exited the factory.
Ethan made quick strides toward the Eastern gate. The proximity of the gate to the abandoned factory meant it was only a short walk away. In about five minutes, he reached his destination.
Around each entrance gate of the shelter stood one of the four hunters' guild buildings.
Ethan had placed an order with the guild the day before to secure some items that would assist him on his mission so he went in to retrieve it.
The Eastern gate saw less traffic than the others, largely because it led to the Crimson Desert, a place many hunters avoided. The desert was home to poisonous worm-type demonic beasts that lurked beneath the red sands. Adequate protection in the form of sturdy armor or a swift, armored vehicle was essential to traverse this dangerous terrain without falling prey to the worms' potent venom.
This, coupled with the absence of valuable prey in the desert—since even the demonic beasts feared the worms' toxins—meant that few hunters ventured through the Eastern gate.
Upon entering the sparsely populated Hunters Guild building, Ethan noticed that most of the individuals inside were staff members. The lower floor was an expansive room without partitions, featuring a large screen at its center. This screen displayed various items available to novice hunters and listed available missions.
But Ethan paid no attention to the screen; he had a specific purpose in mind. He approached the service counter, where a young woman in her early twenties, clad in the Hunters Guild uniform, greeted him with a practiced smile.
"How may I help you, sir?" she inquired, her cheerfulness apparent.
Ethan could recognize the signs of professional training in her demeanor and the way she spoke.
"I'm here to pick up an item I pre-ordered," he replied.
"May I have your order number, please?" she requested.
"It's XJ-789123," Ethan provided.
The staff member began to search through the system, her fingers dancing across the keyboard. After a brief moment, she located Ethan's order.
"Just one moment, sir, while I retrieve your items," she said with courteous efficiency.
"That's no problem at all," Ethan assured her.
She nodded and disappeared upstairs. A short while later, she reemerged carrying a bag. She placed it on the counter and produced a small device.
"Please scan your Hunter Verification Badge here to confirm your purchase," she directed.
"Certainly," Ethan replied, scanning his badge on the device. It emitted a beep and flashed green, indicating successful verification.
"Here you go, sir. Have a nice day," she said, handing over the bag.
"Thank you, you too," Ethan said, taking his purchase.
The efficiency of pre-ordering had paid off; Ethan's visit to the Hunters Guild building lasted no more than a few minutes. Without the forethought of pre-ordering, he would have spent considerably more time there. With his new gear in hand, Ethan was ready to tackle whatever his mission might bring.