Elara frowned as she casually rapped her knuckles against the dilapidated leather of Anthony’s chest armor.

“Before we start training, we need to do something about that equipment of yours.”

A look of uncertainty spread across the young man’s face as he looked down at the item covering his chest.

“But… this was my grandfather's armor!”

Elara rolled her eyes and beckoned for him to follow her, heading out of the blacksmith’s and toward the leatherworker’s shop across the road.

“Good, keep it as an heirloom. That thing saw the end of its usefulness many years ago.”

As Anthony followed Elara into the shop, the two were greeted by a hefty, middle-aged woman who barely spoke a word, but continued to stare rudely at Elara from the moment they stepped into the building.

To Elara’s credit, she didn’t let the woman's bad manners faze her. She walked toward the shopkeeper proudly as she gestured toward Anthony with one hand.

“Get my handsome friend here fitted with a full set of leather armor.”

Elara casually glanced around the shop as the old woman continued to stare at her with growing uncertainty.

“Is there a problem? What are you waiting for?”

The fat woman continued to stare for a few more seconds before shrugging her shoulders and shuffling over to Anthony with a measuring tape. She pulled on the young man's arms and kicked at his legs like he was a piece of furniture as she took her measurements. When she finished, she nodded her head approvingly and looked back at Elara.

“You’re in luck. I’ve got a set that will fit him, but I want to see the coin first.”

Elara reached one hand into the neck of her own leather armor, pulling out a heavy pouch from somewhere close to her chest. The sound of coins jingling together filled the shop as Elara shook the bag a few times for the rotund woman to hear. Meanwhile, Anthony tried not to stare at the lucky bag that had been riding along pressed against the bare skin inside Elara’s armor.

The woman running the shop became much more pleasant the moment she heard the jingle of coins. She swiftly made her way into the back of the shop, returning a few moments later with a stack of items in her arms.

Over the next few minutes, she displayed each piece for Anthony to see before showing him how to equip them properly. The set included a chest piece with a flap on the front that hung low enough to protect his groin area, tall shin guards that extended a few inches past his knees, to cover what the chest armor missed, and bracers for his arms.

After equipping all the pieces of the dark leather armor set, Anthony was beginning to look like a proper mercenary. Elara gave him a thumbs-up as she followed the storekeeper over to the counter to pay.

Anthony scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he watched Elara pay for him.

“Thank you, Elara. I have to admit, this gear is a great improvement over my grandfather's armor.”

Elara handed over the coins, casually accepting his thanks.

“Well, I have to keep my new subordinate alive, don’t I? Anyway, it’s a loan, not a gift, so no need to be too bashful about it.”

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Leaving the shopkeeper with a big smile on her face, Anthony and Elara headed up the mountain toward a nearby clearing at the edge of town to get away from the crowded streets and begin training. When they reached the lightly wooded area Elara stepped forward, turning to face Anthony as she began to speak.

“How familiar are you with the realm categories for body cultivators in this world?”

Anthony’s brows furrowed as he slowly shook his head.

“What do you mean, realm categories?”

Elara sighed, nodding knowingly.

“That’s what I thought. Listen up. There are five general levels of power, each divided into initial, mid-grade, and peak. The realms are as follows: Trainee, Conditioned, Refined, Mastered, and Heroic.”

She stepped forward, wrinkling her nose as she gestured toward Anthony’s skin.

“That nasty black stuff your skin ejected means you broke through to the initial Trainee realm. The fact that you did it during your first cultivation session after setting your foundation is quite impressive. That’s something only the most elite body cultivators are capable of. If you stick to your training and don’t get killed early, you’ll have a bright future ahead of you, Anthony.”

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he considered the information for a few moments before looking toward Elara with clear curiosity in his gaze.

“I see... What realm are you in, then?”

A proud grin spread across Elara’s black lips as she tilted her head, as if putting herself on display.

“I’m a magic user, so it’s a bit different. The realms are Awakened, Focused, Refined, Mastered, and Boundless. I just reached the initial Awakened realm, which made me eligible to lead a team of my own!”

Anthony narrowed his eyes, considering Elara’s words.

“So, we are both at the lowest stage. Does that mean we’re at a similar level of strength, then?”

Elara raised one eyebrow high as she heard Anthony’s question.

“Ha! As if. I’ve been training to become a mercenary my whole life—you just started today. Come on, I’ll show you. Get over here and try to hit me.”

Anthony stepped forward hesitantly as Elara urged him on impatiently.

“Quit stalling. Get over here and give me your best shot. That’s an order!”

Letting out a sigh of resignation, Anthony focused on his task, launching himself toward Elara. He clenched one hand into a fist and pulled his arm back for a heavy swing. As Anthony got within striking distance, Elara leaned back nimbly, letting his fist swing harmlessly over her.

Taking advantage of his momentum, Elara wrapped her arms around Anthony, shifted her weight to the side, and flipped him onto the ground. She landed on top of him forcefully, leaving him squinting from the speed and power with which his back hit the floor.

For a moment, she stayed on his chest, looking down at him with satisfaction. Even as pain shot through his body, Anthony couldn’t help but notice the soft leg pressing against the inside of his thigh.

Before Elara could get to her feet, the sound of footsteps slapping against the ground entered her enhanced hearing.

As the pain in Anthony’s body subsided, he looked up at her, only to see a distracted expression spreading across her face as she stared into the forest. Without looking at him, she spoke in a hushed tone.

“Someone’s coming toward us.”

Elara slowly rose to her feet just as the small frame of a human girl burst through the bushes. The girl’s flustered expression betrayed her panic as she struggled to fix her glasses, which the branches had knocked askew.

Anthony quickly stood and stepped toward her.

“Pom? What are you doing here?”

Pom’s tiny hands trembled as she heard Anthony’s voice, a look of fear breaking through the exhaustion on her face. She was clearly out of breath from running.

“A-Anthony! They’re behind me—we have to run!”

Before Anthony could ask any of the questions rushing to the forefront of his mind, the sound of a sharp whistle split the air. Elara immediately crouched to the ground, but Anthony stood frozen in confusion.

His eyes widened in horror as a spray of blood splattered across his face, causing him to shut his eyes instinctively. When he wiped the blood away, he saw Pom’s face had gone completely pale. She was reaching one hand up, gently touching the arrowhead that had pierced her neck. Bright red blood streamed down the front of her dress like a scarlet river.

“No!”

Anthony tried to reach out to her, but before he could, Elara yanked him to the ground. The next instant, another wave of arrows ripped through the clearing.

Pom trembled as a second arrow bit deeply into the flesh of her back, and three more arrows flew over the spot where Anthony had been standing moments earlier.