The Unmaker: Level 1 to Godhood

They continued eating in comfortable silence, the clinking of utensils against plates filling the room.

Jay, between bites, spoke up. "Tomorrow, you're registering at the Hunter Bureau Agency."

Rob nodded. He had expected this. Every awakened individual had to officially register if they wanted to become a hunter.

Jay smirked. "You've probably heard this from YouTubers, but just so you know, the registration process involves five different tests."

He counted on his fingers. "First, there's the Strength Test. They attach these sensor bands to your muscles to scale your STR stat."

"Next is Agility. That's a timed sprint, plus reaction time and attack speed measurements. They also test your casting speed if you're a mage."

"Then comes Perception. They check how far you can see, how quickly you can identify enemies, even with obstructions in the way."

"Vitality is next—your stamina, as well as your physical and magical resistance."

"And finally, Magic. They use a crystal ball to measure how much mana you have, plus how much damage your spells can deal."

Jay leaned back and grinned. "At the end of all that, they combine your results to determine your Hunter Rank."

Then, he burst out laughing. "But knowing you? You'll probably land in E-Rank at best."

Rob rolled his eyes, shoving a spoonful of rice into his mouth to stop himself from snapping back. "We'll see about that."

Jay dapped up the sales clerk, a man in his 40s with sharp eyes and a confident smirk.

"Rob, let me introduce you to Marcus. Since you'll be seeing him a lot from now on, might as well get to know him."

Rob nodded as Marcus gave him a quick once-over.

"Marcus is a hunter too," Jay continued. "He awakened an Appraiser class, so you can trust that everything he sells here is"—" Jay did a chef's kiss—"delicious. Good quality, fair price."

Marcus smirked. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Jay." Then he turned to Rob. "What do you need?"

Jay crossed his arms. "My lil' bro just awakened as a mage, and he needs a serious makeover before we head to the Hunter Bureau."

Marcus rubbed his hands together, his smirk widening. "You came to the right place."

He turned to a nearby rack and pulled out a red mage's robe, carefully knitted with intricate patterns. A laminated status card hung from the sleeve.

[Crown Red Robe - Type 4]

Mag. Defense – 38

Physical Defense – 15

Mana – +25

Mana Regeneration – 1.5/sec

Enchantments:

✔ Magical Resistance – +45%

✔ Physical Resistance – +20%

Made by: LuluBells

Marcus held it up. "This one is made from golden-crowned sparrow feathers and night spider essence. It's the fourth variant of Crown Red, designed to withstand magic attacks while offering decent protection from physical blows."

He turned it around, tapping the inner lining. "See this? It's got thick leather underarmor. That means if you get ambushed from behind, you won't immediately fold like paper. It's a jack-of-all-trades set—perfect for mages at E-rank and below."

Rob examined the robe, impressed. "This is amazing!"

Marcus smiled, then walked over to a pile of boxes, rummaging through them before pulling out a staff. He handed it to Rob, who instinctively checked the laminated print attached.

[Crown Red Staff - Type 4]

Mag. ATK – 38

Mana Regeneration – 0.5/sec

Enchantments:

✔ Spell Piercing – +15%

✔ Mana Efficiency – +10%

Made by: LuluBells

Marcus grinned. "This is the Crown Red Type 4 Staff. Pairs perfectly with the robe. Together, they come with a third piece—a ring. When you wear the full set, you get an additional +20% mana efficiency, which is huge for mages."

Jay whistled. "That's a damn good set for an E-rank."

Marcus nodded. "The staff itself has a Spell Piercing enchantment, meaning your spells will hit harder against armored targets. It also boosts mana efficiency by 10%, making sure you're not burning through your mana too fast."

He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret. "And just so you know, I'm the only one selling LuluBells-crafted gear in this area. It's exclusive."

Rob turned the staff over in his hands, feeling its weight. "How much for the set?"

Marcus smirked. "For you? I'll cut you a deal."

Marcus leaned on the counter with a confident grin. "Since it's your brother's first purchase, I gotta lock in my customers, right? So here's the deal—I'll give you a 30% discount, bringing the price down to ₱44,000."

He tapped his fingers on the counter. "Tell you what, I'll even shave off another ₱4,000. You can walk out with the full set for ₱40,000—plus a one-month warranty. You can always bring your gear here for repairs, though keep in mind it takes about a week. So, if you can, always have backup gear ready."

Rob glanced around the shop, his eyes landing on a small display case filled with rings. He pointed at one. "What about the ring? Can I check it out?"

Marcus nodded. "Oh yeah, good call. Here." He carefully took the ring from the case and handed it over.

Rob examined the laminated status tag attached to it.

[Crown Red Ring - Type 4]

Health Regeneration – +10%

Mana Regeneration – +1.5/sec

Enchantments:

✔ Lightning Movements – +20% Agility

✔ Lightning Affinity – +10% damage on lightning-based attacks

Made by: LuluBells

Rob let out a low whistle. "Damn, this one's pretty special."

Marcus smirked. "Yeah, the Crown Red Type 4 set is designed to cover a mage's weak points. The ring, in particular, boosts agility, mana and health regen, making sure you can move faster and cast more efficiently."

He crossed his arms. "Type 4 is an all-rounder set, but if you ever get the chance, check out the other Crown Red variants. Each one is specialized for different playstyles."

Jay chuckled, slapping Rob's shoulder. "Alright, bro, I say we grab the set. and head to the Hunter Bureau. Then we can head directly to a nearby F-Rank gate. "

Rob grinned. "Sounds good."

Jay pulled out his debit card and tapped it against the scanner, completing the purchase. Meanwhile, Rob headed to the fitting room to try on his new gear.

While waiting, Jay's gaze wandered around the shop until it landed on a glass display case containing a row of swords. His eyes locked onto a particular one, and he leaned in, reading the stat card with interest.

"These just came in, right?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the weapon.

Marcus, who had been organizing some inventory, glanced over. "Yeah, that shipment arrived from the province yesterday."

Jay's brow furrowed as he scanned the lineup—until something caught his attention. His eyes widened.

"Hold on a damn minute… what's that?"** He pointed at a black-and-gold longsword resting on a velvet stand. The weapon had an eerie glow, as if faint embers flickered along its blade.

Marcus followed his gaze and smirked. "Ah, that one. The Phoenix Sword."

Jay quickly read the stat card attached to the display:

[Phoenix Sword]

Rank: RarePhysical ATK Damage: 135Armor Penetration: 51Durability: 150/150

Effects:

🔥 St. Elmo's Fire – Inflicts 3 burn damage per second on enemies for 25 seconds.🔥 Rebirth – When durability reaches 0, the sword undergoes a 24-hour rebirth, releasing St. Elmo's Fire within a 30m radius. Burn damage multiplies each hour. Cannot be equipped during rebirth.

Jay blinked. "What the hell? A weapon that regenerates after breaking?"

Marcus chuckled. "Not just regenerates—it takes out everything around it while it's doing so."

Jay looked at him, bewildered. "How the hell isn't this thing being auctioned off?"

Marcus sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah… about that. The previous owners did try to put it up for auction. But the sword refused."

Jay frowned. "Refused? What do you mean refused?"

Marcus leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "The last guy who tried to sell it? The sword burned his right arm to a crisp."

Jay took a step back instinctively. "You're kidding."

Marcus shook his head. "Dead serious. A shaman brought it to me, saying it needed to 'rest' until it found a worthy owner."

Jay glanced back at the sword. The faint glow of embers flickered along the blade, almost as if it were… watching.

"A sword with a will of its own, huh?" he muttered.

Marcus smirked. "So, wanna test your worth?"

Jay raised an eyebrow. "You're not even gonna price it?"

Marcus crossed his arms. "Hell no. If I slap a price tag on it and the sword doesn't like it, it might just burn my whole shop down. And I'm not about to fuck around and find out."

Jay chuckled. "So, you're saying I can take it for free?"

Marcus snorted. "Not exactly. For you, it might take your arm just for touching it. But hey—who knows what'll happen?"

Jay's grin widened. "Man, this is like a real-life Mjolnir. Except instead of being worthy, this sword's just a sassy little shit."

Marcus shook his head, laughing. "If you wanna risk it, be my guest. But wear this first."

He reached under the counter and pulled out a heavy, dark-red gauntlet, handing it over.

Jay turned it over in his hands. "What's this?"

Marcus smirked. "An old relic. My old man made it—crafted from lava golem essence and Garmuth hide."

Jay's eyes widened. "Wait, Tatay Toto made this?!"

Marcus nodded. "Yeah. It's the only thing I have left from him." His tone softened for a moment before he cleared his throat. "Anyway, I don't have a stat card for it, but I can tell you it's epic rank, packs a punch with 235 attack damage, gives you 60% heat resistance, inflicts burn on enemies, and has a shock effect against armored targets. If that sword decides to throw a tantrum, this gauntlet might keep your arm from turning into barbecue. Worst case? You walk out with second-degree burns instead of third."

Jay whistled, sliding his hand into the gauntlet. "Damn, now that's what I call insurance."

Jay took a deep breath, flexing his fingers inside the gauntlet. The Phoenix Sword pulsed with a faint glow, its ember-like veins flickering as if sensing his presence.

"Alright," Jay grinned, rolling his shoulders. "Let's see if this thing likes me."

Marcus leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "Try not to scream too loud if it doesn't."

Jay chuckled and reached out. The moment his fingertips brushed the hilt—