Sneaking out

The old man disappeared into the side room attached to the martial arts hall. Until now, Ray had assumed it was a restroom due to the noxious odor that constantly wafted from beneath the door. It turned out to be a storage room instead. For ten minutes, Ray waited idly, listening to the occasional grunt, curse, and the unmistakable sound of something shattering—likely something of importance. Then, the old man burst through the door, holding up a pair of large gauntlets.

"Ah, here they are!"

The gauntlets were red, adorned with a turtle-like pattern. Their fingertips were pointed, black-tipped like small daggers.

"Finally, I knew I still had these lying around. You can borrow them for now. Heck, you can even keep them if you pay what they're worth," the old man said, handing them over.

Ray took the gauntlets, immediately feeling their weight. The design alone suggested they were beast crystal items—beast gear often retained characteristics of the creature it came from. Given their appearance, they likely originated from a turtle-like beast.

As Ray studied the gauntlets, the old man impatiently tapped his foot, excitement glinting in his eyes. "Well? Are you just going to stare at them, or are you going to put them on?"

Ray slipped the gauntlets on. They were slightly too large, but before he could adjust them, the material tightened around his forearms and fingers, shrinking to fit snugly. It was as if they had been custom-made for him.

It almost felt like magic the gauntlets were now very snug on his hands and he could move them through the air perfectly.

The old man grinned. "They look good on you, boy. Unfortunately, they're only intermediate-tier crystal items. If I let you borrow anything higher, it wouldn't be fair to the others."

Ray nodded. "Thank you. I promise to repay you for this in the future."

Although the old man mentioned fairness, Ray didn't see anything wrong with it. The tournament would feature participants from all walks of life. Nobles would receive expensive equipment from their families—was that considered unfair? Still, he understood the old man's caution. As an elder of the academy, he had to avoid favoritism.

Eager to test the gauntlets, Ray sparred with the old man for a while, gradually getting a feel for them. It was a shame he couldn't use his full strength—otherwise, they could have had a proper match.

The gauntlets enhanced Ray's strength to the level of his Ki-empowered hands. If he infused them with Ki, they would become even stronger. The sharp fingertips allowed them to function as claw-like weapons, while their durability meant they could double as both a shield and a striking tool.

The best part was that the gauntlets absorbed a portion of the energy from his attacks, allowing him to focus his Ki on other areas. Before, he had to choose between offense and defense—now, he could do both simultaneously.

Ray continued training with the gauntlets for the next hour, adjusting his fighting style to accommodate their weight and new capabilities. He tested different ways to enhance his strikes, seeing how they interacted with his Ki flow. The sharp fingertips proved especially useful for rapid, precise attacks, while the reinforced plating allowed him to block strikes with minimal effort.

All that was left was for Ray to save up enough money to get the blacksmith to craft a chest piece from the fanged boar crystal. Soon, he would have a proper set of armor.

After training ended, night fell over the academy. Ray climbed to his favorite spot—the roof. He wore his hooded cloak and tied the black sash around his neck. Tonight, he had a plan.

Tomorrow was the academy's designated rest day. Students had four days of training, one rest day, then a hunting expedition on Saturday, followed by another rest day. But Ray wasn't interested in resting—he wanted to test the full potential of the gauntlets and obtain more intermediate-tier crystals.

Weekend hunts were limited to basic-tier beasts, which were of little use to him now except for selling their crystal cores. He needed something more challenging. Something that would give him more power but what?

After absorbing the Minotaur's mana, Ray had ten points to allocate to his Ki. If he focused them on his shadow skills, he could expand his concealment abilities—allowing him to cover not only himself but another entity as well. Witnessing Noir's incredible speed had sparked an idea.

If he cloaked both himself and Noir in shadows, they could move through the city unnoticed. It was the perfect plan, as long as it worked.

Ray had tested his theory by walking through the city a few times, and no one had seemed to notice. The Black Sash Knights were rare—few knew how to detect their abilities, let alone counter them. He thought back to when he had first joined the Black Sash knights, there was partly disappointment but now he was quite thankful for everything that had happened.

Summoning Noir, the massive black-horned wolf materialized by his side. Ray mounted her and activated his shadow skill. Dark tendrils of energy curled around them, merging with the night until they blended seamlessly into the surroundings.

Noir bolted forward, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Within moments, they reached the city wall. Without hesitation, Noir launched herself over it, landing gracefully on the other side. The sheer drop did nothing to slow her.

Ray used his Dragon Eyes to scan the area behind them. His ability had grown significantly since his body evolved into that of a Dragon Knight, allowing him to see at even greater distances. As he observed the guards atop the wall, his suspicions were confirmed.

No one had noticed a thing. The knights had merely felt an odd gust of wind—nothing worth investigating.

The shadow skill wasn't flawless. It caused slight distortions in the surrounding area, which could be detected in broad daylight. But at night, combined with Noir's speed, they were practically invisible.

With the city behind them and the wilderness ahead, it was time to hunt.