Dark snow drifted through the ruined battlefield.
Gunfire echoed endlessly across shattered buildings while distant explosions illuminated the night sky in orange flashes.
Ren ran through the frozen streets alongside several armed men wearing winter combat gear.
Russian voices shouted through radio communications.
Tracer rounds ripped through collapsed buildings overhead.
Then—
An explosion erupted nearby.
The shockwave threw Ren violently across broken concrete.
Pain spread through his body instantly.
"MOVE! MOVE!"
One of the mercenaries grabbed Ren by the shoulder while bullets tore through the street around them.
The battlefield descended into chaos.
Ren raised his rifle instinctively and returned fire toward enemy positions hidden behind destroyed vehicles.
Then another explosion shook the area.
One of his squadmates disappeared beneath fire and smoke.
Ren's breathing became heavier.
Faster.
And suddenly—
The scene changed.
Warm sunlight.
Green fields.
A small village in India.
Ren stood silently before the destroyed remains of a broken house buried beneath mud and debris after a natural disaster.
Rainwater dripped from shattered rooftops while exhausted rescue workers moved through the area nearby.
His mother sat quietly beside the ruins.
His younger sister cried silently beside her.
Medical bills.
Loans.
Debt.
Everything had collapsed overnight.
Then his father's weak voice echoed through his memory.
"The army salary won't be enough anymore."
That single sentence had changed everything.
Ren had left the Indian Army afterward.
Not because he wanted to.
But because survival demanded it.
More money.
More danger.
More war.
That path eventually led him toward a Russian mercenary company operating within the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
And that decision—
Eventually led him to death.
The battlefield returned again.
Missiles screamed through the sky.
His squad became surrounded from every direction.
Gunfire erupted endlessly.
Then white light swallowed everything.
Ren's eyes opened instantly.
His breathing remained calm despite the dream.
Years of military discipline had long since taught him how to suppress fear and panic.
The tavern room remained dark and quiet.
A faint orange glow from early sunrise slipped through the window curtains.
Ren slowly sat upright on the couch.
4:30 AM.
His body had already adjusted automatically.
Even after reincarnation, military habits remained deeply engraved into him.
Ren quietly stood before the window and closed his eyes.
Slow breathing.
Controlled posture.
Meditation.
A habit developed during war to maintain focus under extreme stress.
Several minutes passed peacefully.
Eventually, Ren opened his eyes again.
And immediately froze.
Lyra was sleeping peacefully on the bed.
Silver hair spread loosely across the pillow while soft morning light illuminated her face beautifully.
Her wolf ears twitched occasionally in her sleep.
And behind her—
A large fluffy silver tail rested against the blanket.
Ren stared silently for several seconds.
Then another thought entered his mind.
Soft.
Fluffy.
Curiosity won instantly.
Very carefully—
Ren approached the bed.
Slowly, he reached toward the tail.
The fur felt unbelievably soft.
Softer than anything he had touched before.
Without thinking much further, Ren lightly rubbed the fluffy tail against his face.
It felt warm.
Comforting.
Dangerously addictive.
Then suddenly—
GRAB.
Lyra's hand instantly caught his wrist.
Her crimson eyes opened sharply.
Silence filled the room.
Ren still held her tail against his face.
Lyra stared at him blankly for several seconds.
Then her ears turned bright red.
"You pervert!"
Ren immediately stepped backward.
"I can explain."
"You were rubbing my tail on your face!"
Ren looked genuinely serious.
"It was a scientific investigation."
Lyra threw a pillow directly at him.
"THAT MAKES IT WORSE!"
The pillow smacked directly into Ren's face.
For the first time since arriving in this world—
Laughter echoed inside the small tavern room.
An hour later, both of them finally left the tavern.
Lyra still looked embarrassed.
Her tail occasionally flicked aggressively behind her whenever she glanced toward Ren.
Meanwhile, Ren pretended nothing had happened.
The capital city slowly awakened as sunrise illuminated the streets.
Merchants opened market stalls while servants carried supplies toward noble districts.
The smell of grilled meat and fresh bread filled the morning air.
Eventually, Ren and Lyra stopped at a small street food stall.
Two wooden bowls containing soup, grilled meat, and rough bread were placed before them.
Ren took one bite.
Then stopped.
Lyra quietly tasted her meal too.
Several seconds passed.
Both looked at each other silently.
"This is terrible," Ren muttered.
Lyra nodded immediately.
"The Beast Nation military camps had better food."
That honestly impressed Ren slightly.
Even army food from Earth was usually terrible.
After forcing themselves to finish breakfast, the two continued walking through the market district.
Eventually, Ren stopped before a large weapon shop filled with magical equipment.
Swords.
Armor.
Magic crystals.
Enchanted staffs.
Wands.
Lyra blinked slightly.
"What are we doing here?"
Ren answered casually.
"You need a weapon."
Inside the store, an elderly shopkeeper greeted them immediately.
His eyes widened slightly after noticing Lyra's magical aura.
"A beastwoman mage...?"
The old shopkeeper stared at Lyra in disbelief.
"What a rare sight."
"Normally beastmen and beastwomen rely on physical enhancement rather than magic."
"There are very few mages within the Beast Nation armies."
His expression became even more shocked as he looked closer at Lyra.
"And a wolf beastwoman mage...?"
"I've never heard of such a thing before."
Wolf beastfolk were famous for their physical abilities, speed, instincts, and combat strength.
But magic affinity among them was nearly nonexistent.
A wolf beastwoman capable of using magic while still retaining powerful physical abilities was considered almost impossible.
A true anomaly.
One capable of both magical and physical combat.
Lyra quietly lowered her gaze while ignoring the attention completely.
Then Lyra quietly pointed toward a silver wand engraved with blue mana crystals.
"That one…"
Ren activated Appraisal instantly.
[Magic Conductor Wand]
Rank: High Grade
Attribute Compatibility: Wind / Lightning
Price: 13 Gold Coins
Ren stared at the price silently.
Expensive.
Very expensive.
Still—
He looked toward the shopkeeper.
"Ten gold."
The old man almost choked immediately.
"Impossible!"
"Twelve."
"Ten."
"Eleven and five silver."
Ren turned around casually.
"Let's go."
"WAIT!"
Several minutes later—
Ren finally purchased the wand for ten gold coins exactly after exhausting nearly all possible bargaining tactics against the stubborn shopkeeper.
The old man grumbled endlessly while wrapping the wand carefully in cloth.
"The younger generation has no respect for honest business anymore..."
Ren ignored him completely.
The moment Lyra held the wand—
A faint blue magical current flowed around her body.
Her crimson eyes widened slightly.
The wand matched her magic affinity perfectly.
Blue wind mana quietly gathered around the silver crystals embedded within the wand as though naturally responding to her presence.
Even the old shopkeeper looked speechless for several moments.
"A wolf beastwoman capable of controlling mana this smoothly..."
He shook his head slowly.
"Unbelievable."
After leaving the shop, Ren glanced toward Lyra quietly.
Then blue particles flickered briefly beside Ren's hand.
A military combat knife materialized instantly from his system storage.
The black blade reflected sunlight sharply.
Lyra blinked in surprise.
"This is...?"
"A backup weapon."
Ren handed it toward her casually.
"You can't rely entirely on magic."
Lyra carefully accepted the knife.
The moment she touched it, she immediately realized the weapon was abnormal.
Perfect balance.
Extremely sharp edge.
Lightweight yet durable.
Unlike ordinary daggers used in this world.
She looked toward Ren silently.
"You're giving this to me?"
Ren shrugged casually.
"You'll need something for close combat."
For several seconds, Lyra quietly stared at the combat knife in her hands.
Then a small smile appeared on her face once again.
"...Thank you."
And for some reason—
Ren suddenly felt that spending ten gold coins hurt far less now.
Afterward, they purchased:
dry meat
bread
water bottles
travel supplies
Enough for several days outside the capital.
While walking toward the Adventurer Guild, Lyra finally spoke again.
"You're planning to continue dungeon raids, right?"
Ren nodded.
"For now."
Lyra glanced toward the crowded capital streets around them.
"Then leaving the capital is the right decision."
Ren looked toward her curiously.
Lyra explained calmly.
"The capital city isn't suitable for adventurers."
"There are only two or three dungeons nearby."
"One became famous years ago, so now it barely drops valuable loot anymore."
She pointed toward the upper districts.
"This city mainly belongs to nobles, merchants, knights, and royal officials."
"Most powerful adventurers work near frontier territories instead."
Ren listened carefully.
That honestly made sense.
Capitals rarely existed near dangerous monster zones.
Too risky.
Lyra continued.
"Adventurers here are weaker compared to other regions."
"Most never leave safe territories."
Ren nodded slightly.
"Then we leave tomorrow morning."
Lyra looked slightly surprised by how quickly he decided.
But eventually—
She nodded too.
The two finally arrived before the massive stone building of the Adventurer Guild once again.
This time—
Not only for Ren.
But for Lyra as well.
And somewhere deep inside Ren's system—
A new notification quietly appeared.
[Party System Conditions Met]
[Feature Unlock Approaching]