Claiming a Bonus Reward

The sun was already high in the sky, and a gentle breeze swept across the open field, rustling the grass and carrying a few scattered leaves from the nearby forest.

In the middle of the grassy path leading to the nearest Hunter encampment, two figures lay side by side, deep in sleep.

They had mysteriously appeared just moments earlier, as if conjured from thin air, lying still and peaceful.

However, the calm didn't last long.

A minute later, both of them snapped their eyes open at the same time and jumped to their feet, scanning the area with alert, sharp eyes.

They searched for any sign of the Sun Knight or a potential threat, but their expressions shifted when they realized they were no longer inside the strange chamber. In fact, they had returned to the surface.

Relieved that there was no immediate danger, the duo let out a silent breath, exchanging a glance of understanding.

"Master, are you alright?" 2B asked, stepping toward him to check his condition. She remembered the harsh injuries he had sustained during their earlier fight.

2B carefully placed her left hand on his forehead, where the bleeding had been, but to her surprise, it was now completely clean.

"I'm fine. What about you? How's your arm?" Reisou asked, gently taking hold of the delicate hand resting against his face.

"I think it's healed. I can move it without any trouble now," she said, flexing her right arm as she tore through the improvised makeshift sling with ease.

Reisou felt a wave of relief wash over him. Not only had 2B arm fully healed, but the aches and exhaustion in his own body had also disappeared without a trace.

It was as if he had spent a whole month in deep, uninterrupted rest. His limbs were light, his mind clear, and his strength fully returned.

[Ding!]

[The Host has completed Bonus Objective - 2. Do you wish to claim the rewards now?]

A sudden system notification popped up before Reisou's eyes, interrupting his moment of contentment as he basked in the restored energy flowing through him.

The instant he finished reading the content, his eyes lit up with excitement, and he accepted the rewards without hesitation.

[Ding! Rewards for completing Objective - 2 claimed!]

[The Light+ element is now part of your constitution and will be fully integrated with the host in 24 hours (Based on system clock).]

[Congratulations! The item Weapon Stone has been added to your inventory.]

[Congratulations! You have received the weapon: Elven Bow (C-Grade) x1.]

Reisou grinned at the generous rewards he had received for completing just one bonus mission and quickly went to check their descriptions.

[Light+: The element of light, infused with double efficiency and reduced energy consumption. This power can only be wielded by a true warrior of sun.]

[Note: As long as the Host is exposed to natural sunlight, any light-based spell or technique will be enhanced, and under the midday sun, it will amplify any light-based power by up to ten times. Artificial sunlight has no effect.]

[Weapon Stone: A crimson, blood-stained stone harnessed from the souls of unknown beings, capable of awakening a weapon's true potential, increasing its grade and unlocking evolution features.]

[Note: Does not work on divine weapons such as True Excalibur, Blade of Olympus, Death Origin Scythe, and others.]

[Elven Bow (C-Grade): A lightweight, silver magical bow favored by the Elite Elven soldiers of Alfheim for its ease of use and combat efficiency, as well as its ability to be mass-produced.]

[Note: Does not require physical arrows and consumes two energy points per shot. Also grants +3 Agility and +4 Attack Speed when equipped as a primary weapon.]

Reisou found all three rewards undeniably useful, yet the newly acquired element left a subtle unease lingering in the back of his mind.

In this new world he now called home, every person was born with a single element, and that never changed.

Even those with immense Nano reserves, able to fully tap into their elemental power, were still bound to just one.

Across both the old and new generations of Hunters, there had never been a single recorded case of someone possessing two elements.

So, awakening a second element wasn't just rare—it was something most believed to be outright impossible.

If anyone discovered he wielded both Wind and Light elements, he'd either be hailed as a global phenomenon or end up locked away in a lab, dissected like some rare specimen.

Without the strength to protect himself, Reisou had no choice but to hide it for now.

He decided to train both elements within the Gates, pretending to be just a normal talented Hunter until he gained enough power to reveal his true potential.

Once he had gained enough strength, Reisou dreamed of a successful life as a renowned Hunter, living peacefully with 2B by his side.

Aside from his worries about concealing his new element, Reisou was also quite pleased with the Weapon Stone. 

According to its description, he could use it to upgrade the grade of his lance and unlock its evolution, saving him from the need to purchase a new weapon for a while.

He was fond of his lance's design and felt it wasn't a bad weapon. Perhaps, if it evolved, it could become even stronger.

"Well, I'll use the Weapon Stone later. For now, let me see that Elven Bow," Reisou muttered, retrieving the compact silver bow from his inventory.

The weapon was indeed very light and beautiful, its silver color blended with hints of black, giving it an elegant yet powerful appearance.

Although Reisou was a lancer with zero experience in archery, his system store offered cheap talents up to the intermediate level, making basic training completely skippable.

The only drawback was that advancing a talent beyond that point required either hard work or a system reward.

Still, it was enough.

Reisou wanted to pursue an archer class until he could afford long-range skills or techniques, which were surprisingly expensive in the system store.

'If only elemental techniques weren't so hard to get, I could use Wind Blades or Wind Blasts to make my battles easier,' he muttered inwardly, feeling frustrated by how monopolized the good spells were in this world.

His school wouldn't teach elemental techniques until the third year, and even then, it was likely to be basic stuff. The truly valuable ones were only accessible to those from wealthy families who could afford specialized training.

"Damn you bunch of greedy pigs!" Reisou complained, making 2B, standing by his side, tilt her head in confusion.

After venting some of his frustration, Reisou reopened his status screen and was surprised to see all his main stats fully restored.

Then, his gaze shifted to the six attribute points he had earned from defeating the Fallen King and reaching level 23, carefully considering how to allocate them.

When he reflected on the battle, he realized that his stamina and energy reserves still weren't enough to handle multiple abilities activated at the same time.

Even though the system currently allowed him to use up to five abilities simultaneously, he had only managed to keep three active, feeling a certain strain each time.

Additionally, two of his abilities were one-star, with Armament Haki being the only one at two stars.

To reduce the strain while using his powers, he allocated four points into Intelligence and the remaining two into Endurance.

With his Intelligence and Stamina attributes balanced, Reisou took a moment to glance at the mission menu, silently debating whether it was truly necessary to continue with the remaining objectives.

He glanced toward the dense forest, then back at 2B. She met his gaze and gave a slight nod, as if she could read exactly what he was thinking.

This gesture was exactly what Reisou needed.

It reassured him that he wasn't alone, and that he wasn't forcing her to follow his whims.

She was with him, willingly, and that gave Reisou the determination to move forward.

Since the near-death experience facing the Fallen King, a desire for strength and adrenaline had awakened within him.

As someone born in a common world, it was something he had never felt before. But now, in this new place where his past identity didn't matter, he wouldn't neglect his own desires.

Reisou and 2B walked side by side in a harmonious silence toward the forest, ready to face whatever dared to block their way.