*Pow*
The captain’s nose collapsed instantly as he flew backward several meters.
Two soldiers barely managed to catch him before he struck the ground.
The remaining guards drew their weapons hastily.
“Argh!” the captain groaned, fury eclipsing reason as he tried to issue an order.
Before they could advance, Zion reappeared in front of him.
This time, his kick landed squarely in the captain’s abdomen.
The impact was devastating.
The captain spat blood as his body crashed violently against the massive gate behind him.
The wooden structure splintered under the force, bursting inward with a thunderous sound.
Two nearby soldiers were knocked aside by the shockwave and left groaning.
The remaining three guards froze momentarily before scrambling to inform higher authorities.
Kiara stood still, heart pounding.
“So this is an Android’s strength,” she thought, excitement flickering beneath her controlled exterior.
On paper, Zion’s specifications had impressed her.
In reality, watching him dismantle a four-star rank guard so effortlessly was another experience entirely.
For a brief moment, doubt surfaced.
“Was that captain too weak?”
She dismissed the idea immediately.
This was the entrance to Silver Manor, the residence of House Silver’s head.
The guard captain could not be incompetent.
[Target: beginner stage of star-4 rank.]
The system provided clarification.
Kiara exhaled quietly.
“System,” she murmured internally, “since when can you inspect others?”
[Upgrade inspection skill to unlock advanced analysis.]
She clicked her tongue.
“Cheapskate system.”
Still, curiosity lingered.
“What is Zion’s full capability?”
[Zion is a battle-grade Android with absolute combat control.
Based on current parameters, his skill-based attacks can severely injure even a five-star fighter-path spirit warrior.]
Though displayed in simple text, the system’s tone almost felt prideful.
Kiara nodded inwardly.
Satisfied, she decided not to escalate matters further.
Turning to the two stunned soldiers supporting their unconscious captain, she spoke coldly.
“Inform Young Lord Silver that since his guards refused the delivery, his goods will have to be collected at Nexus.
I will not provide door delivery to House Silver any longer.”
Two reasons guided her decision.
First, she refused to tolerate humiliation for business convenience.
Second, she recognized the pride inherent in noble households.
If stronger guards arrived and suffered defeat, the cycle would continue upward until she inadvertently made an enemy of House Silver over trivial arrogance.
She could not afford that.
If someone came to her store to challenge her, she could allow Zion to spar with them and demonstrate restraint.
If humiliation became unavoidable, she would swallow it for now and repay it a thousandfold when she becomes stronger.
With that resolution, she returned to the carriage.
The horses soon departed Brighton District.
Unbeknownst to them, two figures concealed in nearby foliage observed everything.
One leaned toward the other.
“Timothy,” he whispered, “we should follow her.
Someone who causes such chaos over a small disagreement is not ordinary, even if dressed as a commoner.
And that silent warrior… I could not even see his movements.”
Timothy nodded slowly.
“You follow the carriage.
I will inform Lord Mist.”
They split silently.
*
Inside Silver Manor, fury erupted.
“What?” Ramses, leader of the manor’s security unit, slammed his palm onto a table upon hearing the report.
“Who dares damage our gate and injure my captain?”
The soldier recounted the incident in detail, describing Zion’s speed and the merchant’s cold demeanor.
Ramses crushed the glass in his hand without noticing the shards cutting into his skin.
“A mere woman shopkeeper of an unknown weapon store dares to…” he muttered darkly.
“If we allow this, the city will think House Silver can be bullied.”
He stood abruptly.
“Send scouts.
Locate this Nexus store immediately.”
His eyes burned with anger.
Pride had been struck.
And pride within noble houses rarely forgave lightly.
*
Meanwhile;
“Excuse me, where can I meet Mr.
Jordan?”
Kiara’s voice cut cleanly through the noise of hammering and wood scraping.
The stout man she addressed was currently barking instructions at two workers who were struggling to relocate a heavy cabinet across the workshop floor.
He turned, wiping sweat from his brow.
“Yes, that is me.”
His gaze instinctively traveled over Kiara and then Zion.
Though their clothes were linen and modest, their bearing suggested something beyond ordinary merchants.
He straightened unconsciously and softened his tone.
“What brings you here?”
“I am Kiara, owner of Nexus Weapon Store, formerly Rowan’s Weapon Store,” she replied evenly.
The moment the old name registered, Jordan’s expression shifted almost imperceptibly.
The former owner had not been known for financial stability.
Still, he maintained civility.
“What do you require?”
Kiara did not waste time.
“I need two hundred boxes sized 10x30x5 centimeters.
Another hundred at 30x30x30cm.
Fifty at 50x50x50 cm.
And twenty large crates measuring 100x100x50cm.
All must be superior in quality to what you previously supplied.”
She paused briefly before continuing.
“The lids must have dual layers.
The outermost layer will bear an engraved design I will provide.
No defects.
I expect precision.”
Jordan blinked.
Bulk orders were rare in this neighborhood.
“And when can you deliver?” she added.
“Calculate the total cost and minimum advance.”
He hurried toward a counter and pulled out an abacus.
His cashier was absent, and mechanical calculators were a luxury few could afford.
The beads clicked hesitantly under his thick fingers.
Kiara watched for five minutes before her patience thinned.
“Price per unit?” she asked directly.
He listed them, one after another.
She calculated mentally.
“Twenty-six gold coins and fifty-two silver coins in total,” she said calmly.
Jordan stared.
He resumed calculating anyway.
Another 15 minutes passed before he looked up, stunned.
“You are correct… My apologies for the delay.”
For a brief moment, irritation flared in Kiara’s chest.
Then she remembered this street’s reality.
Most businesses here struggled to earn two or three gold coins per week.
She waved dismissively.
“Deliver quickly.
There will be another bulk order within weeks.”
Relief flooded Jordan’s face.
“Thank you.
*
When Kiara returned to Nexus, two figures stood waiting outside.
Passersby had slowed, drawn by curiosity.
One man wore high-grade armor from head to toe, polished and imposing.
The other wore cotton clothes smeared with mud, a mask concealing his face.
Scars lined his hands.
Yet strangely, the armored warrior seemed wary of the masked one.
Zion stepped down behind Kiara.
The armored man’s eyes narrowed.
“They match the description.”
He raised his voice.
“Are you the owner of this store?”
Kiara nodded while walking toward the door.
“Wait.
I will open shortly.”
“So you are the one who injured my subordinate,” the man declared loudly.
“You need not open the store.
You are coming with me.”
Kiara stopped.
A frown creased her brow as she turned.
“You are from Silver Manor?”
“I am Ramses, security chief of House Silver,” he replied, voice thick with restrained fury.
“You damaged our gate and assaulted a captain at our entrance.
Do you think you can walk away?”
Ether surged from his body in visible waves, stirring dust from the ground and forcing bystanders to retreat.
The masked man stepped aside calmly, entirely unaffected.
Kiara’s heartbeat accelerated.
She had expected retaliation, but not this swiftly, nor this openly.
Zion moved in front of her without instruction.
Only then did she exhale slowly.
“System,” she whispered internally, “probability of Zion winning?”
[Upgrade system level to unlock combat assistance.]
Her jaw tightened.
“Useless.”
Then she remembered a loophole.
“I suppose Zion would be torn apart by this powerful spirit warrior,” she thought deliberately.
“What chance does this weak Android even have?”
Ding!
A holographic panel flashed before her.
[The Android is indestructible during the daytime as long as sunlight exists.
Recovery rate varies depending on time and injury severity.]
Kiara’s eyes flicked upward.
The sun hung nearly overhead.
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
“Zion,” she then commanded quietly, “Defense only.
No active combat skills.”
“Roger, Big Sister.”
Zion’s aquamarine eyes locked onto Ramses.
“Target scanned.
Activating Defense Mode.”
Kiara assumed Ramses was at least a five-star rank.
If Zion counterattacked and injured him severely, the situation would escalate beyond control.
Defense would suffice.
With the sun acting as regeneration support, Zion could endure.
Still, Kiara prepared mentally to summon the Battle Tank if necessary.
She stepped back, crossing her arms.
“Activate Luck Steal.”
[Target locked.
Target has five luck points.
Proceed?]
“Yes.”
[Choose an amount.]
“Two.”
Her copper ring began to glow faintly.
Ramses advanced, ether roaring around him.
And soon, an intense battle unfolded between Zion and Ramses.
One moved like a wall that had learned to breathe, perfectly blocking every punch, kick, and burst of ether without shifting more than half a step, while the other grew increasingly aggressive as the fight dragged on and his pride began to ache.
The surrounding shopkeepers hurriedly pulled down their shutters, though most of them left narrow gaps to watch through.
Some trembled at the thought of a fellow businessman offending House Silver, fearing collective punishment, while others secretly clenched their fists and rooted for Zion.
Even the poor carried pride in their bones, and years of swallowing humiliation at the hands of nobles had left behind a quiet hunger to see one of them stumble.
Kiara stood with her arms folded behind her back, watching in silence.
She was less concerned about the spectacle and more fascinated by Zion’s combat algorithms, noting how he redirected force with minimal collateral damage, how he absorbed momentum and returned it in precise angles that spared the surrounding buildings from destruction.
Beside her, the poorly dressed masked man observed with sharp, assessing eyes.
“I did not expect,” he murmured under his breath, “to see someone block ether-infused strikes from a five-star warrior with such composure.
He must be at least a six-star.
Yet why would such an expert remain in this backward district?”