[Description: A vest forged from ore extracted from the core of an active volcano and fused with the remains of a powerful ghoul. It grants exceptional natural resistance against Absence up to a certain threshold while also providing heat resistance equal to ten percent of the human limit.]

[Possible Grade: B+]

[Description: A helmet carved from the shell of a living dragonkin before being reinforced with an additional protective layer. The helmet provides additional protection against blunt attacks aimed at the skull and a basic fire resistance...]

[Grade: A-]

[Description: A pair of boots that enhances the speed stats by five and erases the noise of footsteps to a certain degree. It also comes with a padded soul for long lasting comfort...]

[Grade: B-]

Kyle stood in the middle of the vault with his arms crossed, silently assessing every item around him.

Honestly speaking, he was disappointed.

When Tear mentioned bringing him to her secret vault, a place no outsider had ever entered, and described the artifacts within as priceless creations... he had expected something far greater.

But perhaps his standards had become warped.

After all, the gifts he usually received were things like Aquilla and the lantern.

Both were beyond S-grade.

And their utility...

They were on an entirely different level compared to what he was currently examining.

[Host, you must understand that these tools are still considered highly advanced within humanity’s current era. So please refrain from reacting negatively.]

Kyle smiled inwardly.

’Thanks for the warning.’

Not that he intended to insult her creations in the first place.

He could tell from the way Tear proudly revealed this place that these weapons and artifacts meant something deeply personal to her.

And besides, he had no right to criticize.

Not when he himself couldn’t forge anything remotely close to the level of the items displayed here.

So yes, he needed to keep his thoughts in check.

"What happened?" Tear suddenly asked, almost as though she had read his mind. "Not satisfied?" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Kyle shook his head before answering honestly.

"Actually..." Kyle rubbed the back of his neck slightly. "I’m looking for something that doesn’t restrict my movement. And honestly, I don’t want separate pieces of equipment protecting different parts of my body."

Tear hummed thoughtfully before saying,

"Then you’re the perfect candidate for that."

Kyle followed her line of sight and noticed a small metallic disk sealed within a separate glass case away from the others.

Unlike the rest, this one carried a caution sign.

"But Tear..." Kyle frowned slightly. "It literally says not to touch."

Tear calmly explained,

"Yes. That’s only because of a certain issue."

Stepping closer, she unlocked the case before carefully removing the glass panel.

Then she picked up the disk.

"This is Endless Well."

There was unmistakable pride in her voice.

"A tool I created alongside my former teacher."

She held the small object up between her fingers.

"It generates a full-body armor around the user. The suit resists heat, cold, impact, scratches, and the fabric itself remains comfortable regardless of the environment."

Amanda’s brows elevated slightly as Tear continued.

"It also possesses a camouflage effect, making the armor invisible to others."

Kyle’s interest was visibly rising now.

"And that’s not all," Tear added. "The armor can absorb elemental attacks to a certain extent and gradually adapt to them, increasing its resistance over time."

A faint smile appeared on her lips as she looked directly at him.

"So yes... I believe it suits you perfectly, Kyle."

Kyle frowned slightly.

"But why is it called Endless Well?"

Amanda shared the same concern, her gaze fixed cautiously on the strange device.

Tear responded with a faint smirk.

"Because it drains an absurd amount of Genesis from its user."

Her tone became more serious afterward.

"To the point that it nearly killed several previous test subjects."

Amanda’s expression instantly stiffened.

"But with you..." Tear continued while looking directly at Kyle, "I have a feeling this little thing would be more than happy to assist you."

She extended the gray disk toward him.

It was roughly the size of a saucer, with countless faint vertical lines carved inward across its surface.

Kyle silently stared at the device.

Then suddenly—

"No, wait!" Amanda hurriedly stepped forward. "That thing could be dangerou—Kyle!"

Before she could even finish her warning, Kyle grabbed the disk and slammed it directly against his chest.

Instantly, the metallic object expanded slightly.

Kyle suddenly felt something akin to countless tiny worms crawling beneath his skin across his chest.

Then warmth spread throughout his entire body.

At the moment, God’s Eye was still active, meaning Genesis continued flowing through him at full capacity.

And Endless Well immediately began absorbing it.

"Oh~"

Even Tear looked genuinely surprised.

A thin gray layer rapidly spread outward from Kyle’s chest, climbing across his neck before extending over his arms, torso, and legs.

The process happened unbelievably fast.

And throughout the entire transformation, Kyle didn’t even let out a single groan.

That alone confirmed one thing for Tear.

This tool had been waiting for someone like Kyle all along.

....

"I am sorry, okay? I just got a little excited back then and ended up trying it." Kyle apologized as they sat inside the car, returning to his house.

Amanda pouted, "Kyle...you underestimate how crazy that woman could be. What if she presented such high spec features to get you to test the tool which hadn’t been tested before."

Kyle grinned and held her hand from the side, "I didn’t worry about those things since I knew if things went bad, you would save me."

Amanda huffed. Never lacking words to pursue her. And the bad part, she always gets coaxed so easily as well.

Kyle looked down at the glass case which held his first gear. He hadn’t tested its potential but from what the God’s Eye told him, this might be the greatest thing he could have hoped for.

.....

Bzz

Ethan groaned in his sleep before slowly rising from the bed at the sound of his phone vibrating.

As a Nightwalker, ignoring a call in the middle of the night was never an option.

Especially now.

Not while Layena remained hospitalized.

An emergency could happen at any moment.

The moment he saw the call was from the Surveillance Department, the lingering traces of sleep vanished instantly.

Without wasting a second, he answered.

"Yes?"

[Ethan, we have an emergency in the Eastern District. You need to investigate the site personally. We’ve received four separate complaints within the last minute, yet the surveillance feeds aren’t showing any anomalous activity.]

Ethan frowned immediately.

"What about the Gen sensors?" The first sign of Knull resident’s appearance is the failure of Genesis sensors.

If there had been a rift appearance the sensors would have told the base and a team should have been deployed instantly. However,

[They’re behaving strangely, but none of them are damaged. This could still be a false alarm, but since you’re the closest operative available, we need you to check the situation.]

Ethan was already on the move before the call even ended.

"Understood."

....

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Please leave a review or a comment if you have been enjoying the story so far.