Leah stepped forward, her eyes hopeful. "Can you make bows with these materials?"

  The blacksmith stroked his beard. "Not bows themselves, but I can use the talons to make arrowheads—ones that'll punch through most hides. As for the bows… I'll have to see if I've got the right wood or materials."

  Victor tapped the workbench. "I'll need a shield and a sword—something durable."

  Emma hesitated before speaking. "If there's anything left… I need a bow too."

  Daniel grinned. "Don't forget my knives. Lots of them."

  The blacksmith's lips twitched as he held up a hand, silencing them. "I'll need to prioritize. There's enough here for two major items and maybe some smaller pieces. What's more important to you?"

  All eyes turned to Noah, who glanced at his teammates before shaking his head and answering. "Weapons first. A shield for Victor and a longsword for me. After that, we'll take whatever arrowheads or knives you can make with the leftovers."

  The blacksmith nodded. "Fair enough. Leave the materials with me, and I'll get started. Come back tomorrow. I'll have something ready by then."

  The group exchanged excited looks. They'd made it this far—now they just needed the tools to keep going.

  "Thank you," Noah said, his voice calm. "But what about the payment?"

  The blacksmith let out a hearty chuckle, crossing his arms as he looked the group over. "Looking at your tattered clothes and worn expressions, I'd wager you're some of the unlucky ones recently brought here by the Seraph."

  The group exchanged glances. Noah nodded his head with a bitter expression. "You could say that. We're still figuring things out."

  The blacksmith nodded knowingly. "Aye, I thought so. I've seen your type before—thrown into this hellish place with nothing but guts and luck to keep you alive. You're broke as hell, aren't you?"

  Victor gave a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head. "Can't argue with that."

  The blacksmith waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, I'm not about to bleed you dry. I won't ask for much from you right now—just a bit of help."

  Noah raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What kind of help?"

  The blacksmith leaned against the workbench, gesturing toward the forest in the distance, visible through the open forge entrance. "That forest you came from? It's crawling with beasts I need materials from. Thing is, I can't leave the forge unattended for too long. If you lot can bring me what I need, I'll consider it payment for the work."

  Leah crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "What kind of materials are we talking about?"

  The blacksmith grinned, his teeth gleaming in the forge's glow. "Simple stuff—at least compared to a Rockhide Bear. There's a pack of Razor Fangs deeper in the forest. Their claws and hides are excellent for reinforcing gear."

  "I also need some Luminal Mushrooms that grow near the river running in the forest. They're tricky to find but crucial for my forging process."

  Emma's brows furrowed. "Razor Fangs? I seem to have heard about them when I was in the infirmary. If I'm not wrong, they are known for their speed and sharp claws and are among the stronger E Rank Common Grade?"

  The blacksmith shrugged. "They're not the friendliest creatures, but they're not impossible to deal with—especially for a group that took down a Rockhide Bear. Besides, you'll be better equipped after this."

  Daniel leaned forward, his lips curling into a grin. "Let me get this straight: we bring you Razor Fang materials and these mushrooms, and you'll call it even?"

  The blacksmith nodded. "That's the deal. I'll forge your weapons and arrowheads first, and you'll owe me the rest once you're equipped."

  Victor crossed his arms, glancing at Noah. "What do you think, Noah?"

  Noah's gaze lingered on the blacksmith for a moment before he nodded. "It's fair. We need better gear if we're going to survive, and this gives us a chance to get the gear while repaying the favor."

  The blacksmith smirked. "Smart lad. You bring me what I need, and I'll make sure you walk out of here ready to face whatever this place throws at you."

  Noah extended his hand, and the blacksmith clasped it firmly, sealing the deal. "We'll head out tomorrow once we've rested and gotten our equipment."

  "Good," the blacksmith said, releasing his grip. "You'll find the Razor Fangs some distance away from the river in the forest. As for the Luminal Mushrooms, I already told you about them. Look for glowing spots beside rocks near the river."

  Leah sighed as they walked some distance away from the smithy, already thinking about the challenges ahead. "Great. Another trip into that damn forest."

  Noah gave her a small smile. "We'll manage. And if I'm correct, we all should awaken our classes on this trip."

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  Leah's eyebrows shot up, and she leaned forward, her curiosity evident. "Wait, what do you mean by 'we should awaken our classes'? How can you be so sure we can do it so fast?"

  Victor crossed his arms, his face filled with curiosity. "Yeah, Noah. How are you so sure about this?"

  Emma's voice was quieter but filled with cautious hope. "You really think we're close? How do you know?"

  Noah glanced at each of them, his lips twitching as he hadn't expected them to be so eager for a class. He slowly nodded his head. "Yes, you know how Darrick said we need to kill beasts before we can reach E Grade and awaken our classes?"

  The rest of the group nodded their heads.

  Noah crossed his arms, his gaze calm as he continued. "With the way Darrick mentioned that every beast we kill gives us Soul Energy, I figured we should be pretty close by now."

  Leah's eyes flashed with realization. "Ah, yes, how could I forget that, when our bodies have already been reinforced by it."

  Leah's words sparked a ripple of understanding among the group. Victor nodded slowly, his arms crossing over his chest. "I see, so that's how you figured out we are close. That explains a lot. After all the kills and even that Uncommon Grade Bear, we should indeed be closer."

  Emma hesitated before speaking, her voice soft. "What if we fail to awaken a class?"

  Noah smiled faintly, his voice soothing as he patted her head. "You don't need to worry about that. We get our classes based on our soul. It's impossible to be classless."

  'Of course, my unlucky or lucky ass is different,' he thought to himself in amusement.

  Daniel grinned, his usual cocky attitude shining through. "Good. I was getting bored with this mindless fighting. Using skills for killing will make it much easier and faster for us to make short work of those beasts."

  Leah's eyes narrowed slightly as she glanced at Noah. "If we're that close, then this next hunt is going to be even more dangerous, isn't it? The Razor Fangs might not be as tough as the Rockhide Bear, but they're faster and work in packs. This isn't just going to be a simple fight."

  Noah chuckled softly. "You're right. The Razor Fangs are not something we can handle right now. Especially when we have yet to awaken our classes."

  Emma tilted her head in confusion. "Then how are we supposed to increase our strength?"

  Noah shook his head. "Who said that we can only hunt Razor Fangs?"

  Daniel's eyes flashed. "Aha, sly bastard. Good, we will hunt other lone beasts to awaken first before heading to fight those beasts."

  Leah's expression softened with relief as she heard his words. "That makes more sense. If we take it one step at a time, we won't be throwing ourselves into a death trap."

  Victor nodded his head and said with a hint of approval in his voice. "Smart. No point in fighting something we're not ready for. We can work our way up to the Razor Fangs after we've strengthened ourselves."

  Emma, still slightly hesitant, spoke up. "But how will we know when we've absorbed enough Soul Energy? What if it takes longer than we expect?"

  Noah smiled reassuringly. "You'll know. That damn sigil will burn like hot iron on your chest. It's your soul preparing to align with your class. Trust me, it's not something you can miss. Even though you will be hoping you could have missed it."

  Daniel chuckled softly, his usual grin forming on his face. "Meh, who is afraid of a little pain? Alright then, we've got a plan. Start with the small fry, awaken our classes, and then take on the Razor Fangs. Simple enough."

  Noah stood, his calm voice drawing everyone's attention. "Exactly. But remember, we're still in dangerous territory. Even a lone beast can be deadly if we're not careful. Just remember what happened with that damn bear."

  …

  The group continued to move further away from the smithy as they headed back inside the village. The sounds of their boots crunching on the dirt path filled the silence until Emma hesitated, glancing nervously at the others.

  "Um... Noah?" she said softly, tugging at the hem of her torn and blood-stained dress. Her cheeks flushed a light pink. "Do you think we could... maybe get some new clothes? I mean, look at us."

  Noah glanced at Emma, her hesitant voice breaking the silence. He looked at her torn, bloodstained dress and then at the others.

  It hit him just how out of place they all looked. Their modern-world clothes—once clean and new—were now a collection of tattered, grimy rags, barely holding together after a couple of days of hunting and fighting.

  "Good point," Noah said, his tone thoughtful. "We do look... a bit out of place." He tried to keep his voice light, but the sight of their ruined attire made it clear they couldn't keep going like this.

  Daniel chuckled, tugging at his own shirt, which had a massive tear running down one sleeve. "You mean this rugged, battle-hardened look isn't working for us?"

  Leah gave him a flat look. "You look like you wrestled a pig and lost."

  Victor smirked but nodded. "She's not wrong. We can't keep running around in this mess. Not just for practicality, but... we stand out too much."

  Emma nodded, still shy. "I just thought... if we're going into the forest again, having something more... sturdy would help."

  Noah gave her a soft smile. "You're right. Let me think about what we have left to barter."

  He stepped off to the side and opened his system panel, the transparent interface appearing before him. His eyes scanned the remaining goods:

  Inventory:

  -E Rank Beast Teeth (x35)

  -E Rank Beast Claws (x18)

  Noah frowned slightly, calculating in his head. The teeth and claws could only be used for trading as they were nearly useless for crafting for them.

  Turning back to the group, he said, "We've got 35 teeth and 18 claws. It's not much, but we should be able to get some basic clothing that's sturdy enough for now."

  Leah raised an eyebrow. "And what about armor?"

  Noah shook his head. "Armor will have to wait. The blacksmith is already working on weapons and gear for us. Right now, we need to focus on clothes we can move in—something that won't fall apart the moment we take a hit."

  Victor gestured toward a small stall down the road, where racks of simple tunics, trousers, and boots were displayed. "There's a clothing vendor. Looks like they've got basic hunting gear."

  The group made their way over, their footsteps blending with the bustling sounds of the market. The stall was run by a middle-aged woman with a soft gaze, her hands deftly stitching a patch onto a pair of trousers.

  "Morning," Noah greeted with a polite smile. "We're looking for sturdy clothes—something durable for hunting."

  The woman looked up from her stitching, her sharp eyes scanning their ragged appearances. She nodded her head in acknowledgment, setting her needle and thread aside. "You lot look like you've been through the grinder," she said bluntly. "Hunting gear, you say? Durable, practical... nothing fancy, I assume?"

  "Exactly," Noah replied in a calm tone. "Something that can handle at least a few battles and keep us from looking like... well, this."