"How difficult was this one to make?"


    Orion let out a weary sigh as he thought about his struggles. "Harder than I''d like to admit. Getting the pitch right so it won''t annoy humans was pure torture.


    I must''ve tested at least thirty versions, and each failure was another headache. But hey—worth it for you, I guess."


    Kyle patted Orion on the shoulder and said with a grin: "Your persistence pays off, my friend."


    Orion rolled his eyes and immediately pushed Kyle''s hand of his shoulder the moment he felt it, earning augh from Kyle.


    Next, Kyle picked up a sheet of thick, flexible paper covered in faint runes. As he unrolled it, he could see lines and markings beginning to emerge, mapping out the space around them.


    "This is… a Pathfinder''s Map?" Kyle asked, recognizing the clever rune work.


    "Yep," Orion replied, a gleam of pride in his eyes. "Every time you travel, it records your path. Showsndmarks, obstacles, anything notable. It''s a real-time map that fills itself out as you go, like you requested."


    Kyle nodded his head. He knew how much something like this would save him. Now he had seen it though, Kyle realized that he could have made it himself. He just needed some memory runes and a few other basic runes.


    Kyle rolled the map back up carefully, and picked up a small round stone etched with faint, intricate symbols next. "And this one?"


    "Ah, the Campfire Stone," Kyle eximed the moment he recognized it.


    Orion smiled when Kyle nailed the name before adjusting his sses to exin.


    "Yup. Pour a bit of mana into it, and it''ll generate enough warmth to start a small fire. Perfect for camping without drawing too much attention."


    Kyle carefully slipped the Campfire Stone into his bag and took a moment to survey the impressive collection of tools Orion had created for him.


    Each one was crafted with painstaking detail, and he could feel the weight of Orion''s dedication in every piece.


    "You really went above and beyond, Orion," Kyle said with sincerity, leaning his hands on the table. "This is incredible work. I''m satisfied with this."


    Orion adjusted his sses and waved his hand dismissively, but the faintest hint of a smile lingered on his lips.


    "Just another challenge, really. Nothing more," he replied with a casual tone that was unable to fully mask the satisfaction in his voice. "Besides, you provided the ideas. I merely brought them to life."


    Kyle smiled and clicked hism, transferring 10,000 credits to Orion.  Orion''s eyes widened the moment hism pinged with an alert of the credit transfer, but he quickly kept his cool almost immediately.


    "I decided to pay you upfront," Kyle exined after sensing the surprise in Orion''s face. "That''s two weeks payment, right?"


    "Yeah," Orion nodded, his mind was already racing on how to put good use to all of those credits, he couldn''t help but mutter, "Thank you."


    Kyleughed and ced his hand behind his head. "Thank you? It''s our deal, isn''t it? I merely yed you forter."


    "Yeah right," Orion calmly replied.


    Kyleughed for a while before asking, "When would you be heading to the Mission Hall, today?"


    "No, thank you," Orion shook his head in disagreement. "The Mission Hall''s adventures are better suited for those with a taste for, well, aimless thrill-seeking. I''d rather spend my time here, where I can engage in work that actually produces something useful."


    Kyle let out augh, shaking his head in admiration. "You''re something else, Orion. Most people are itching to get out there and experience the actual world firsthand."


    Orion raised an eyebrow at him, clearly unimpressed. "The ''actual world,'' you say? We''ve spent up to fifteen years in this world, Kyle. I''ve even visited the city several times with my father. I''m familiar enough with it."


    Kyle felt a brief moment of rm, realizing he''d slipped up by sounding a bit too much like the outsider he was.


    He forced a nervous chuckle before saying: "Well, I just meant, you know... to get out of the academy bubble and, uh, see some action firsthand. Sometimes books and theory don''t cover it all."


    He mentally cringed at his own attempt to backpedal, but managed to maintain a casual expression.


    Orion''s gaze lingered on him and sharp eyes narrowed slightly as if they were examining a puzzle.


    "Is that so?" he replied with a low and spective voice. The silence stretched just long enough to make Kyle uneasy before he finally decided to change the topic.


    "Anyway," Kyle said with a quick smile, grabbing his bag and making his way to the door, "I''ve still got a few things to grab before the mission. Thanks again, Orion. You''re a lifesaver."


    Orion nodded, watching him with that same unreadable expression. "Do try not to die out there, Kyle. I still need my credits from you." His voice was cool, almost dismissive, but there was a bit of genuine concern beneath the surface.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll be back to keep funding your''research'' projects. After all, someone''s got to keep you busy," Kyle replied with augh.


    Orion gave him a slow nod and a slight smirk yed on his lips. "See that you do. It''d be quite the waste of effort if my creations ended up destroyed on their maiden outing."


    Kyle nodded and left the room, shutting the door softly behind him. Once outside, he exhaled a long breath, feeling a slight tension ease.


    "That was close," he muttered to himself.


    Inside his head, Void''s voice echoed in his mind with a reprimanding tone. [I''d say more than close. That was downright reckless, Kyle. A few more slips like that, and someone''s going to catch on.]


    Kyle grimaced, feeling the rebuke from his pet dragon hit a little too close to home.


    "Yeah, yeah, I know," he whispered under his breath, as if Void were actually standing there to hear him. "Just got caught up in the moment."


    [A dangerous habit] Void replied sharply. [Remember that.]


    Kyle couldn''t help but grin at Void''s serious tone. He appreciated the dragon''s concern, even if Void''s sense of caution asionally shed with his own curiosity. Still, he resolved to be more careful moving forward.


    As he surveyed the academy grounds, his eyes drifted toward the cafeteria, and the words of Instructor Dan yed in his head.


    "Next stop. Food," Kyle murmured with a smirk, and he set off, feeling the satisfaction of anotherpleted step in his preparations.


    Kyle strode through the academy courtyard toward the cafeteria, a n already forming in his mind.


    He''d been preparing for his mission well enough, and he couldn''t forget to carry food with him.


    ''Thanks to my inventory, I''ll be able to store fresh foods,'' Kyle grinned as he entered the cafeteria.


    The cafeteria were used to seeing students order meals for the day, but his idea went well beyond a simple lunch or dinner.


    As he approached the counter, a female academy staff who stood beside it asked Kyle: "What can I get you today?"


    Kyle nced up at the menu, then calmly began listing his choices: many full meal sets, stacks of energy bars, several bottles of water, juice packs, and nearly every premium snack they had on offer. He could see her expression shift from cheerful to baffled as he continued.


    After he finally finished, she hesitated and her fingers hovered over the screen. "Are... You hosting a party with your yearmates?"


    Kyle shook his head with a small smile. "Nope, it''s all for me." He pulled out hism and watched her eyebrows shoot up as the total hit 5,000 credits.


    A hush settled in the room, as the kitchen staff and a few nearby students noticed the staggering number disyed on the register.


    Murmurs broke out among the onlookers, and the woman nced around, almost as if expecting Kyle to call this our to be a prank.


    "Are you absolutely sure about this?"


    Kyle nodded. "Absolutely. I''ll cover it all."


    After a moment''s pause, she shrugged and confirmed the order. As he waited, Kyle tapped his fingers on the counter, amused by the shock.


    The kitchen staff scrambled to prepare the food, and a parade of trays began piling up before him. When they had finally assembled thest snack box, the woman gave Kyle a hesitant smile, clearly unsure how he nned to transport it all.


    Kyle simply transferred the credits to the register and began stacking trays and bags into his arms. He might have looked like he was about to topple, but his bnce held as he adjusted his grip.


    With murmurs of disbelief following him, he made his way out of the cafeteria, the towering stack of food bnced in his hands.


    He chuckled under his breath as he found a secluded spot just beyond the main courtyard. Making sure no one was watching, Kyle ced everything down and activated his inventory, swiping item after item into the space with ease.


    In seconds, the stacks vanished, leaving him empty-handed except for hism. Even his bag disappeared into the inventory, where his books, snacks, and equipment were safe and easy to carry around.


    He pped his hands together, brushing off imaginary dust with a sense of satisfaction. No spoiled or cold meals this time; he had everything he needed, perfectly preserved.


    With his preparations nearlyplete, he set his sights on onest stop: the academy mall. Experience exclusive tales on м??


    There, he would pick up any final supplies he might need for his mission, indulging in onest round of strategic shopping before heading out. Smiling to himself, Kyle headed off, confident that he was almost as ready as he could be.