A week in Hell passed in a strange way.
Without the rotation of a natural sun or the clear cycle of seasons, time in the First Circle was measured solely by the steam sirens echoing from the industrial sectors every twelve hours, announcing the shift change for mine and forge workers.
Seven days had passed since Diana and Rhea left the Abandoned Coal Mine.
Seven days of a brutal, calculated, extremely disciplined routine.
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Diana's life in the Dust District had changed drastically in one week.
The human girl who had arrived wearing a torn school uniform, scared and covered in dust, had given way to a hunter feared and respected in the sector's back streets.
Every day, the routine was rigorous:
- Morning: Practical combat training in the south sector's open practice arenas. Diana honed her coordination with Rhea while studying the small magic tome she had purchased on the Black Market.
- Afternoon: Quick bounty hunts and pest culling in the lower galleries for the local Mercenaries' Guild, amassing silver coins and consistent loot.
- Night: Financial audits, map study, supply management, and solid rest at The Abyss Anchorage inn.
The partnership between Diana and Rhea had transformed into a well-oiled machine.
Rhea was no longer the scared girl who cowered in dark corners. Though she still maintained a respectful, loyal posture before Diana, the hybrid girl had regained color in her skin, a healthy shine in her amber eyes, and confidence in her own movements. She was now a lethal scout whose 16 points of Agility allowed her to move like a silver shadow among targets.
And Diana… Diana had finally resolved her greatest frustration.
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Inn Room - End of the 7th Day
Diana stood in the center of the room, wearing her full light hunter armor set, adjusting her reinforced leather bracer.
She raised her open right hand.
With a calm whisper of concentration, 10 points of MP flowed through her energy channels. Particles of sparkling, bluish light began accumulating in the palm of her hand, condensing into the shape of a translucent, glowing arrow of pure arcane energy.
[SKILL LEARNED VIA MAGIC TOME]
- [Arcane Energy Arrow - Level 1]: Fires a long-distance magic projectile dealing damage based on Intelligence stat + Flat Damage (25 Arcane Damage). Range: 15 Meters. (Cost: 10 MP).
With a subtle flick of her wrist, Diana dismissed the magic, causing the energy arrow to evaporate into the air silently.
Acquiring that magic tome in the Underground Arena Black Market had been costly, but it was the turning point of her week. To read, comprehend, and master the spell in just four days, Diana had dumped her level-up points straight into her Intelligence stat, raising it from 8 to 10.
Now, she was no longer just a melee fighter. She had long-range attacks, magical retaliation capability, and a much larger MP pool.
—Look at the district's little witch…
The System's voice echoed in her head, the interface floating with ironic text.
—Learned a low-level spell and already thinks she's the supreme mage of Hell. I must admit your learning speed was decent for a human, but don't let it get to that giant head of yours.
"Shut up." Diana replied mentally, opening her reinforced leather pouch on the table. "I spent money and effort on this. The result is simply the logical consequence of my work."
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Rhea approached the table, placing onto the wood the bounty registration papers they had collected at the Mercenaries' Guild that afternoon.
"Diana." Rhea called, her voice clear and steady. "Here are the payment slips for the week's quests and the accounting of our expenses."
Diana picked up the ink quill and began conducting her rigorous weekly financial audit.
[FULL FINANCIAL AUDIT]
Previous Balance: 3 Silver and 95 Bronze (395 Bronze).
WEEKLY EXPENSES:
- Purchase of [Arcane Arrow Tome] on Black Market: -1 Silver and 50 Bronze (150 Bronze).
- Inn Stay Extension (7 Nights with Discount): -90 Bronze.
- Food and Hunting Supplies (Diana + Rhea - 7 Days): -35 Bronze.
TOTAL WEEKLY EXPENSES: 2 Silver and 75 Bronze (275 Bronze).
SUBTOTAL AFTER EXPENSES: 1 Silver and 20 Bronze (120 Bronze).
WEEKLY EARNINGS (Bounty Hunts + Amateur Arena Betting):
- Guild Quest Rewards (5 Hunts): +2 Silver and 80 Bronze.
- Tag-Team Victories in Amateur Arenas: +1 Silver and 50 Bronze.
TOTAL WEEKLY EARNINGS: 4 Silver and 30 Bronze (430 Bronze).
[NEW ABSOLUTE POCKET BALANCE: 5 SILVER COINS AND 50 BRONZE COINS (550 Bronze!)]
Five silver coins and fifty bronze.
Diana stared at the pile of gleaming coins arranged in tidy stacks on the table.
In seven days, even after paying for comfortable lodging, quality food, purchasing an expensive magic tome, and re-equipping Rhea, they had built up a net worth of over five hundred bronze coins.
The math was perfect. No errors. No waste.
"We are prosperous." Diana said, a satisfied smile creeping onto her lips.
"We worked hard." Rhea smiled back, her amber eyes shining with pride. "The Mercenaries' Guild already knows our name. They call us 'The Duo of Steel and Shadow'."
Diana opened her updated Status Panel to check the full evolution of the team at week's end:
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[OVERALL STATUS PANEL - DIANA]
Name: Diana
Level: 6 (200 / 2,500 EXP)
Class: None
Title: NONE
[BASE STATS (LEVEL 6)]
Strength: 11 (+1 from Level 6) -> 12
Agility: 11 (Unchanged)
Vitality: 9 (+1 from Level 6) -> 10
Intelligence: 8 (+2 Magic Study Points) -> 10
Luck: 2
HP: 100 / 100
MP: 50 / 50
[LEARNED SKILLS]
- [Basic Analysis Vision - Level 1]
- [Predatory Strike - Level 1]
- [Voracious Throw - Level 1]
- [Arcane Energy Arrow - Level 1]
[OVERALL STATUS PANEL - RHEA]
Name: Rhea
Level: 5 (150 / 1,500 EXP)
Class: None (Aptitude: Assassin)
Strength: 8 (+1 from Level 5) -> 9
Agility: 14 (+2 from Gear) (+1 from Level 5) -> 17
Vitality: 6 (+1 from Level 5) -> 7
Intelligence: 5 (+1 from Reading) -> 6
Luck: 1
HP: 70 / 70
MP: 30 / 30
[LEARNED SKILLS]
- [Shadow Step - Level 1]: Increases movement speed by 30% for 3 seconds upon exiting stealth mode. (Cost: 5 MP).
Strength 12 and Intelligence 10 for Diana. Agility 17 for Rhea.
The two of them were no longer weak, desperate rookies. They had built a solid, stable foundation, perfectly balanced between physical offense, extreme speed, and long-range magic support.
—Yeah… not bad for seven days of work.
The System commented, its tone losing its usual mockery and adopting a reluctant approval.
—You stabilized your income, bought magic, trained the wolf, and accumulated over five silver. But you know what the next problem is, don't you?
Diana leaned back in the chair, her eyes fixed on the floating window.
"The Level 6 Wall." Diana said coldly. "To rise to Level 7, I need 2,500 EXP. Hunting low-level mercenaries and doing simple collection quests won't cover our growth costs anymore."
"And what are we going to do, Diana?" Rhea asked, adjusting the daggers at her waist.
Diana picked up the special metal pass she had taken from Vex and set it on the table.
"Tomorrow we wrap up our adjustment period in the Dust District." Diana declared, her voice heavy with unshakeable authority and ambition. "We're going to the Central Sector's Official Arena. We are signing up for the Gladiators' Ascension Tournament."
Rhea's eyes widened slightly. "The Ascension Tournament…? But that tournament is where elite hunters fight to gain Level 1 Official Citizenship and access to the Second Circle of Hell!"
"Exactly." Diana smiled, a predatory, confident grin packed with insatiable greed. "This district has grown too small for us. It's time to get our citizenship and take everything the Second Circle has to offer."
With 5 Silver and 50 Bronze in her pocket, Level 6 reached, magic in her arsenal, and a deadly ally by her side, Diana was ready to step onto the official arena stage and claim her place among the strong of Hell.
Final Notes:
First time-skip done! A short one for now, but it's a start.
And Diana finally has a ranged attack, she really needed it, and Rhea is an absolute speed demon.
We've got some interesting stuff coming up in the next chapters, lol-