Blade walked away from the arena, Reality Sync still tingling in his hands. The snow crunched beneath his boots as he activated the map again.
> "Notice: You cannot leave Frostvale until reaching Level 10."
He frowned. The red dot marking the next quest glowed faintly beyond the village, but the system had drawn a clear boundary. No wandering off yet.
Blade turned back toward the village. He wandered through Frostvale, scanning the small shops and weaponry stalls. Wooden racks displayed swords, daggers, and basic ranged weapons. Most items required Awakener Coins, the premium currency in Ascender Online.
> "Awakener Coins required to purchase item. Current balance: 0."
Blade smirked. Buying wasn't his style—he'd rather craft something himself. He walked past the stalls, making mental notes of weapon designs, balance, grips, and mechanisms. The villagers' NPCs chatted in the background, oblivious to his plans.
In a junk pile behind the village workshop, Blade's eyes caught scattered metal scraps, springs, and bits of wood. Reality Sync flared in his hands.
> "If I can craft clothes and armor, I can craft a weapon."
Hours passed. Sparks flew as he melded the scraps with his Reality Sync. He crafted a small, sleek pistol, the metal polished and engraved with runes that glimmered faintly in the cold light.
He named it Daylight.
> [Weapon Created: Daylight – Pistol]
[Special Effect: Reality Sync Ballistics – Bullets obey real-world physics, can channel fire constructs when unlocked.]
Blade smirked, spinning the pistol in his hand. Fire and Reality Sync together. One day, he'd combine them fully—but for now, it was perfect for testing.
> "Next step… grind XP and gather materials."
Blade moved through the outskirts of Frostvale, hunting frozen beasts and cutting trees for wood. Every scrap of ore, every hide, every magical crystal he gathered would serve two purposes: level up and sell for materials to craft better gear.
> [Inventory Update: Low-Grade Beast Leather x5, Frostwood x8, Scrap Metal x6]
Blade paused by a frozen river, pulling out Daylight and testing the trigger. The bullet hit a tree stump, leaving a scorch mark as it passed. Perfect.
> "Once I hit Level 10, I can leave the borders. By then, I'll have enough materials to craft a proper sword for close-range combat… and maybe upgrade Daylight while I'm at it."
Snow swirled around him as Blade grinned. Frostvale was small, but it was a perfect playground. XP to grind, materials to gather, gear to craft… and a fire-based Pyromancer with Reality Sync? He was already breaking the rules.
> "Level 10… I'll be unstoppable by the time I leave this village."
Blade tightened the strap of his black leather jacket, slung Daylight onto his side, and stepped forward into the snow. The grind had begun, and the world of Ascender Online was about to meet its first true rule-breaker.