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I sat on the couch, watching the news on TV. The soft glow of the screen was the only light in the room, flickering against the walls. It had been seven days since I came back to Earth.

And still—Silia was nowhere to be seen.

I tried to stay calm, but the worry inside me kept growing.

Seven days on Earth… meant seventy days in Xylor.

Seventy whole days. Where was she?

When I left Xylor, the date on Earth was January 17, 2018.

That meant I had spent 72 days in Xylor. Nearly two and a half months.

My mind was restless, but I forced myself to focus on the news.

A young male reporter, probably in his twenties, spoke in a serious tone:

"The situation with the red humanoid figures has improved significantly. The Eldoria Nation has joined forces with Lumina to combat these unknown entities."

Hearing that gave me a strange sense of relief. It had been more than six years since the apocalypse started. At least now, there was some progress.

Then—

The doorbell rang.

My heart skipped a beat.

I stood up quickly and walked to the door. When I opened it—

There she was.

Silia.

She stood before me, dressed in flowing white clothes as usual. But something was different.

Her eyes and hair glowed softly, shining like white fire.

She looked calm. Serene. Powerful.

And then, she smiled.

A weight I didn't realize I was carrying lifted from my chest.

She was here. She was safe.

I stepped aside. "Come inside."

She nodded and walked in, her presence making the air feel heavier—but not in a bad way. It was the kind of presence that made the world feel real.

She sat on the living room sofa, her posture relaxed. I sat opposite her.

For a moment, I just stared at her.

Then, I asked the question that had been eating me alive for days.

"What took you so long? It's been seven days on Earth. That's seventy on Xylor. I didn't think it would take this long…"

Silia looked at me, her golden eyes steady.

Then she simply said, "It wasn't my fault. I killed nearly one million demons."

I froze.

One million?

Did I hear that right?

My mouth felt dry. "Weren't there only a hundred?"

Silia tilted her head slightly, as if remembering something.

"Yeah," she said. "In the area we were in. But across the whole planet? There were nearly one million."

I just sat there. Speechless.

I had expected her to be strong. But this?

She wiped out every demon on an entire planet.

I swallowed, my mind racing.

Did I just make one more enemy?

A strange, uneasy feeling crept into my chest.

Silia had done something incredible

...

I needed to return to the Academy.

I had four months.

Four months to reach at least A-rank.

Originally, my goal was S-rank, but after observing the situation on Earth, I knew that was impossible for now.

I had to adjust my plan.

Even reaching A-rank would be a challenge.

But I had an idea—something that had been on my mind for a long time.

I turned to Silia.

"I need you to make five copies of the transparent silver stone I got during the tournament."

She nodded. "I already told you, I'll copy anything you need for the future."

She raised her hand.

A soft, golden glow shimmered around her fingers.

Then, suddenly—

Five identical transparent silver stones appeared in front of me, floating in the air.

I carefully packed them into my bag.

Then I turned to Silia. "I'll be back soon."

She gave me a small smile, and with that, I stepped outside.

The Journey to R20

The city had mostly returned to normal.

The red humanoid creatures had disappeared, and daily life was slowly restoring itself.

But some things were still affected—like the Academy, which remained closed.

I needed to sell the stones before returning to training.

I walked to the bus station, where a flying bus arrived in just five minutes.

On its side, in big red letters, was written:

[R15 TO R20]

That was my destination.

R20.

A place where weapons, skills, and rare items were bought and sold.

I stepped onto the bus.

It was a smooth, silent ride. In just ten minutes, the bus stopped.

I stepped off into a busy marketplace.

Shops lined the streets, filled with people moving from one store to another.

But I had only one destination in mind—

[Mite Tabs].

The most famous shop for buying and selling rare materials.

It was run by the EHA (Earth Hunter Association), so it was completely trustworthy.

I headed inside.

Inside Mite Tabs

The moment I stepped in, I was greeted by a beautiful receptionist.

She had sharp eyes and a professional aura.

She looked at me and asked, "How can I help you?"

"I want to sell something," I replied.

She stared at me for a few seconds, then nodded. "Head to that room."

She pointed towards a door on the right.

I walked towards it and knocked.

A deep, old voice responded—

"Come in."

I pushed the door open.

Inside, ten workers stood behind glass counters, talking to customers.

I approached one of the counters, where an elderly woman sat.

She had sharp eyes and an air of authority.

She looked up at me. "What are you here to sell?"

I opened my bag and pulled out one of the stones.

The moment I placed it on the counter—

She snatched it from my hands.

Her eyes widened, and her fingers trembled as she examined it.

Then, in an excited but serious voice, she asked:

"Where did you get this?"

Her voice was so loud that the entire room turned to look at us.

And then—

Everyone started shouting.

"Hey! What is that?!"

"Where did you find it?!"

"Is that even real?!"

I could hear dozens of voices rising in chaos.

I took a deep breath and answered in a calm but firm tone:

"I am a student from the Academy. We went into a dungeon and found these stones. How much can I get for it?"

Everyone fell silent.

All eyes were on me.

The old woman narrowed her eyes.

Then she asked, "What do you mean… 'these stones'? How many do you have?"

The Deal of a Lifetime

A few minutes later—

I checked my bank account on my device.

And on the screen, I saw—

[19.5 million UI].

My fingers tightened around my device.

My lips curled into a smile.

After the apocalypse, Earth's currency had changed into UI (Universal Income).

To put it into perspective—

10,000 UI was enough to buy a small car.

And now—

I had 19.5 million UI.

..Now, it was time to buy a skill book.

I opened the World Web Store on my device and navigated to the Skill Book Section.

Since I could only use B-ranked skills right now, I started looking through the options.

There were several interesting ones:

1. Stone Fist – A skill that hardens the user's fist like stone, increasing attack power and durability.

2. Mana Expansion – Increases the amount of mana a user can store, allowing for longer battles.

3. Transparent Cube – Creates an invisible cube that can trap enemies or act as a shield.

4. Fine Shield – A defensive skill that creates a protective barrier around the user.

I glanced at the prices—

Stone Fist – 20 million UI

Mana Expansion – 15 million UI

Transparent Cube – 10 million UI

Fine Shield – 9.7 million UI

I could afford most of them, but I needed to save money for other things.

So, I decided to check the C-ranked skills.

There, I found:

1. Mana Blocker – Creates a field that prevents mana-based attacks from passing through.

2. Opaque Spear – A spear made from hardened energy, useful for both offense and defense.

3. Neon's Shield – This one caught my attention.

Neon's Shield – A Unique Defense Skill

The description intrigued me.

Neon was a non-metallic element, so how could a shield be made from it?

I clicked on the skill to read more.

Neon's Shield was a non-solid shield that could adapt to the user's stance.

It wasn't just a simple barrier.

It could change shape depending on how the user moved, making it extremely versatile.

It also contained thorium, a rare energy source that enhanced its durability.

The Purchase

I liked the sound of it.

The price was 10.5 million UI—not cheap, but definitely worth it.

Without hesitation, I clicked 'Buy.'

A message appeared:

[Your order has been placed. Estimated delivery time: 3 days.]

I closed my device, feeling satisfied.

Now, all I had to do was wait.