Akito sat on the couch and opened his system interface. A few swipes later, the [Guardians] tab appeared in front of him. He tapped the screen.
[Guardian #1]
Name: Arden
Level: 100 | Rank: C | Role: Fighter
Height: 194 cm | Weight: 76 kg | Age: Unknown
Skills: Fox's Cunning (Max) | Fang of Deceit (Lv.2) | Lapet's Impulse (Lv.1)
[Guardian #2]
Name: Targus
Level: 150 | Rank: B | Role: Tank
Height: 224 cm | Weight: 148 kg | Age: 1500+
Skills: Brunhilde's Shield (Lv.2) | Thunder Anchor (Lv.2) | Jotun's Blood (Lv.2)
[Guardian #3]
Name: Elian
Level: 150 | Rank: B | Role: Support
Height: 187 cm | Weight: 70 kg | Age: 5000+
Skills: Phantom Veil (Max) | Forest Crossbow (Lv.1)
"Okay…" Akito muttered, eyeing the chart. "Arden's clearly behind. We'll start with him. Then the rest. If everything goes smoothly, I might even unlock the fourth Guardian."
He stood and turned to Arden.
"Arden."
The fox-man looked up, alert.
"You're first."
Before Arden could say a word, they were already in a dense forest. Before them stood the massive Forest Guardian—an enormous bear. It growled, rising on its hind legs, then charged forward.
Akito reached for his sword—but Arden stepped in front of him.
"No, Akito," Arden said firmly. "This is my fight."
He activated [Lapet's Impulse], his body blurring into motion. In the blink of an eye, he appeared by the bear's head and delivered a powerful blow. The beast let out a deep grunt as it was knocked aside.
"I'm not who I used to be…" Arden thought, rushing forward.
A sharp whistle cut through the air as he pierced the beast's skull with a direct strike. The bear didn't even have time to realize it had lost. Its body collapsed heavily to the ground.
Arden stood, chest heaving. A faint, genuine smile appeared on his face.
Suddenly, system notifications appeared in front of Akito:
[Mana Level: Critical]
[Guardian Trial: Complete]
[Enemy Defeated: Forest Guardian (1/1)]
[Guardian Rank Up: C → B]
[Guardian Level Up: 100 → 150]
[Skills Enhanced]:
– Fang of Deceit (Lv.2 → Lv.3)
– Lapet's Impulse (Lv.1 → Lv.2)
[Player Level Up: 152 → 165]
[Reward: +5000 enni | Bonus Stat Points: +20 | Skill Enhanced: Eye of Truth (Lv.2 → Lv.3)]
"Nice," Akito smiled. He glanced at Arden and noticed a new [B] rank glowing above his head—displayed by the upgraded [Eye of Truth]. Not essential… but definitely useful.
"Arden, let's head back."
Arden nodded, and in the next instant, they were back in the apartment. But they were greeted by an annoying scene—Targus was finishing off the last bag of chips Akito had saved for the evening.
"How did you find those?!" Akito snapped.
"Jarl, I have an excellent nose for food!" Targus laughed.
Akito just sighed and flopped onto the couch—only to notice Elian at the table, hunched over a notebook, calculator, and some kind of Japanese textbook, calculating something with intense focus. The table was covered in papers, and one of them had a bold title:
"Iron Nomad — Base Contract (1 Year). Projected Income: ¥21,000,000"
"You… What are you doing?" Akito asked, baffled.
"Calculating income and potential expenses. Considering Targus's rising popularity and the average price for ad placement in Tokyo, we have a fairly stable financial forecast," Elian replied calmly, not looking up.
"Wait… You actually understand Japanese?"
"I'm not sure how, but yes. And by the way, Japanese math? Pure poetry."
"…What's wrong with you?"
Elian set his pen down and said seriously:
"From now on, I'll manage our entire budget. Money is also a form of responsibility."
Akito just blinked in disbelief. Apparently, his Guardian had fully embraced not just the role of support, but also… accountant.
Suddenly, Targus stood up, tossed the empty bag onto the couch, and stretched.
"My turn now!"
Seconds later, the whole team found themselves in a snowy region—but this time, no harsh storm, no guards. Just silence and untouched snowdrifts.
"I'll walk this time," Akito said. "Though Targus, you'd make one heck of a snowmobile."
They trudged forward. Soon, a familiar fortress came into view—exactly like before. But now, it was guarded by frozen silence.
"Looks like we just need to get clos—"
Akito didn't finish.
His enhanced vision caught sudden movement. He barely had time to summon his sword before an icy spear came flying toward him. He sliced it midair, but one of the blades nicked his face.
[-25 HP]
Lowering his sword, Akito narrowed his eyes.
From the shadowy fortress, a massive skeletal hand covered in shimmering frost began to emerge…
[Noxveil]
Hey there, reader!
If you've made it this far, thank you so much. I'm writing this story in Russian and translating it into English — so I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Even one small comment gives me huge motivation 💬💙
Let me know who your favorite character is so far!