Seeing the notification appear before him, Noan was overjoyed. "I can finally level up."

    He let out a long sigh before saying, "Accept!"

    [Ding! Beginning level-up process.]

    Noan felt a surge of power coursing through his body, though the increase was only slight.

    [Ding! Level-up successful.]

    Noan did not celebrate but instead spoke again. "Level up to Lord Rank 2."

    [Ding! To reach Lord Rank 2, you need 500 E-rank energy crystals.]

    Seeing the notification, Noan sighed.

    He had just over 100 E-rank energy crystals—far from enough.

    Moreover, he couldn''t convert D-rank energy crystals into E-rank since the System wouldn''t allow it.

    "System, I still have one more hero-summoning attempt, correct?"

    [Ding! That is correct. Would you like to use your hero summoning now?]

    "Use it!"

    Immediately, the magic summoning circle appeared again.

    However, this time, it emitted a vibrant green glow instead of the usual gray light.

    At that moment, a floating Rubik''s cube slowly emerged from the magic circle, hovering in midair.

    As the magic circle faded, the mysterious cube floated directly in front of Noan.

    He frowned, staring intently at it before murmuring to himself, "What... kind of monster is this?"

    [Ding! Congratulations! You have successfully summoned the Abyss Cube - Rank D.]

    ...

    Name: Abyss Cube

    Rank: D

    Level: 0

    Description: It possesses the ability to morph into any type of weapon, enhancing the user''s combat abilities and magical power.

    However, be warned... when you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss gazes back at you.

    Note: You need 6 D-rank materials and an Abyss Crystal to evolve.

    ...

    Noan stared at the status panel before him, then shifted his gaze to the floating cube hovering in the air. A deep sense of confusion filled his mind.

    This was the first time he had ever encountered a monster that could transform into a weapon.

    It completely shattered his previous understanding of monsters and everything he had learned.

    He reached out his hand, grasping the Abyss Cube in his palm.

    Cold. Extremely cold—almost like holding a solid piece of metal.

    Yet, despite its metallic temperature, its surface resembled a stone, and its size was roughly the same as a 3x3 Rubik''s cube.

    Noan examined the mysterious cube, unsure how to use it.

    Suddenly—

    Krit! Krit! Krit!

    Zhisse, perched on his shoulder, let out a sharp, anxious cry, its posture filled with unease and hostility.

    Noan could feel Zhisse''s fear and wariness as if this cube was its natural enemy.

    Reaching up, he gently scratched Zhisse''s head with his finger and spoke softly.

    "Don''t worry. This thing won''t harm you."

    Zhisse momentarily stared at the cube, then crawled onto Noan''s back, firmly against him.

    Seeing Zhisse''s reaction, Noan became even more suspicious about the Abyss Cube''s nature.

    And then—

    The cube suddenly shifted.

    Its form began to change, flowing like liquid metal, before wrapping tightly around Noan''s arm.

    Within seconds, it reformed—now a stone-like bracelet encircling his wrist.

    Noan frowned, lifting his arm to examine it more closely.

    Though he didn''t fully understand it, he instinctively knew this object was far from ordinary.

    It possessed an extraordinary ability, and even its evolution process was different from any other monster.

    Unlike regular monsters, the Abyss Cube required six D-rank materials and an Abyss Crystal to evolve.

    What exactly was an Abyss Crystal? Noan had no idea.

    But his intuition told him—that this thing would bring him a massive advantage.

    Frowning slightly, he decided to test it.

    "Can you transform into gauntlets?" Noan asked aloud.

    Instantly, he tensed.

    His eyes shot forward, scanning the area.

    A shadow lurked within the bushes ahead, staring directly at him.

    Noan''s expression darkened as he shouted—

    "Who''s there?"

    The bushes rustled in response.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    The moment Noan shouted, the stranger panicked and bolted—

    But in his haste, he tripped over the bushes and fell flat on the ground.

    As Noan approached, he saw a thin, frail-looking young man sitting among the foliage.

    His face was filled with fear and unease as he looked up at Noan.

    Then, Noan noticed—

    The young man''s ankle was tangled in a nearly transparent silk thread.

    Zhisse''s silk.

    That was probably why he had fallen.

    "S-Sorry... I... I..." the young man stammered, his voice trembling.

    "I don''t mean any harm... It''s just that... when I saw you had a Universal Food Pellet, I—I wanted to ask if I could have one."

    Noan frowned slightly, then extended his hand toward him.

    Seeing Noan reach out, the young man flinched.

    He immediately raised his arms before his face, bracing for a hit.

    But after a few moments, when no pain came, he hesitantly peeked through his fingers.

    The hand reaching for him wasn''t to strike him—

    It was to help him up.

    A heavy sigh of relief escaped his lips.

    With cautious movements, the young man grabbed Noan''s hand and slowly stood up.

    Now that they were face-to-face, Noan took the opportunity to assess him properly.

    Tall and thin.

    Jet black hair.

    Dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn''t slept in days.

    Noan narrowed his eyes.

    "What''s your name?" he asked.

    The young man hesitated before answering.

    "I... I''m Caleb... Caleb Whitmore," he stuttered nervously.

    "You can just call me Caleb."

    Noan glanced at Caleb, then pulled a Universal Food Pellet from his backpack and held it up.

    "You want this, don''t you?" he asked.

    The moment Caleb saw the pill in Noan''s hand, his eyes lit up.

    "Of course!" he nodded eagerly.

    "Good," Noan replied. "If you answer my questions, I won''t just give you one—I''ll give you three."

    Caleb''s expression stiffened for a moment. But after a brief hesitation, he nodded.

    "Ask away. I''ll tell you everything I know," he said.

    Noan tossed him one pill and said, "Eat that first."

    Caleb caught it mid-air but didn''t immediately swallow it. Instead, he glanced at Noan.

    "Hurry up," Noan urged.

    Hearing the command, Caleb quickly popped the pellet into his mouth and swallowed.

    As the nutrients settled in his stomach, a deep sense of relief and satisfaction spread across his face.

    "Good," Noan observed, studying his reaction.

    Something about this whole situation made Noan feel even more perplexed.

    After a moment of thought, he asked, "Why are you so hungry? There''s nothing to eat around here?"

    At Noan''s question, Caleb sighed heavily.

    "You just arrived here, didn''t you?" he asked.

    Noan gave a slight nod, neither denying nor hiding the fact.

    Caleb continued, "That explains it... You don''t know yet, do you?"

    He looked around the desolate landscape, then turned back to Noan.

    "This place... is a dead zone."