Anna''s words were like a lighthouse, illuminating the path for a man lost in the vast sea—just like Caleb.

    "Ah! You''re right. Why didn''t I realize that?"

    Caleb suddenly spoke, but then his brows furrowed. "But... everything we have, he already has. And even what we don''t have, he still possesses."

    He wasn''t wrong. Everyone in this place started on equal footing, and no one could receive external aid.

    However, while they struggled with food shortages, Noan somehow brought food capsules from outside.

    On top of that, Noan had high-rank monsters strong enough to defeat Caleb''s Stone Golem.

    Because of this, Caleb had no idea what he could offer in exchange.

    At that moment, Anna''s eyes suddenly flickered with a strange pink light. It was faint, barely noticeable, and vanished within an instant.

    Anna smiled. "Caleb, don''t you already have two things? If you use them to trade, I''m sure it will work."

    Hearing her words, Caleb immediately thought of two items he had obtained while exploring the region.

    At the time, he had discovered a place resembling an ancient tomb and found a small chest inside.

    Within the chest were a blueprint and a small pouch containing three gemstones, each resembling dried drops of blood.

    However, what troubled him was that he had no idea what those three gemstones did, nor did he understand the function of the architectural blueprint in his possession.

    Because of this, he wasn''t sure whether these two items were valuable enough to exchange for Noan''s secret.

    "Caleb!" Anna spoke again. "Try it. If it doesn''t work, I can help you find something else to trade."

    Caleb nodded slightly at her words, but deep down, he wasn''t convinced it would succeed.

    ...

    The next morning.

    Noan did not leave his territory today because he knew someone would come to see him.

    However, he was not particularly concerned about that matter—his attention was focused on something else.

    Earlier today, after summoning and fusing new troops, he had successfully evolved Zhisse to rank D-Peak.

    However, he encountered a new problem—he could not further evolve Zhisse to rank C.

    In front of him, a system notification appeared, explaining the issue.

    [The rank of the Heroes/Monsters you possess cannot exceed rank D. Please increase your Lord rank to D to own rank C Heroes/Monsters.]

    Seeing this, Noan frowned. His thoughts immediately turned to Vylyss, who was already a rank B Hero.

    The system seemed to have anticipated his thoughts, and another notification soon followed.

    [Vylyss has used ''Rainbow Crystal''—an item that allows Heroes to break through rank limitations without being restricted by the system.]

    Noan let out a sigh. Whether he liked it or not, he had to accept this reality.

    ...

    Name: Noan

    Lord Rank: F+ (12/500)

    Level: 1

    Owned Structures: Resource Storage Center (Level 1)

    Talent: Almighty Fusion

    Noan: "..."

    A strange feeling crept into him.

    This wasn''t the first time the system had given him exclusive abilities.

    What did it mean? Was his system somehow different from everyone else''s?

    Noan didn''t want to dwell on it too much. No matter how much he pondered, he wouldn''t find an answer.

    Besides, if the system wasn''t trying to harm him, that was enough for now.

    At that thought, a certain image flashed through his mind—the chained giant woman in the dark void.

    Though he couldn''t see her face clearly, he somehow knew she was smiling.

    But the feeling lasted only for a fleeting moment before vanishing completely.

    Noan took a deep breath and shook his head.

    Right now, he was still too weak.

    When he became stronger, fate might allow him to cross paths with her again.

    ...

    After leveling up to Lord Rank 2, aside from gaining a new function and increasing his physical capabilities, Noan felt a new energy emerge.

    It was mana.

    Although the amount was small, it slightly increased his mana reserve limit.

    Just as he was about to test his new strength, there was a knock on the door.

    Hearing this, Noan smirked.

    "Vylyss," he said with amusement, "it seems your pawn is finally taking action."

    "Of course!" Vylyss chuckled seductively before retreating into the shadows, vanishing from sight.

    Just like yesterday, a Skeleton Shielder opened the door.

    Caleb entered, still accompanied by his Stone Golem, but after yesterday''s experience, he had it wait outside this time.

    Stepping into the room, he found Noan exactly as he had been the day before—sitting leisurely on the white sofa, his expression indifferent.

    Caleb gritted his teeth, lowered his head slightly, and said, "Yesterday, I came too hastily and didn''t bring a proper gift. Today, I''ve brought a small token of sincerity—I hope you''ll accept it."

    He took out a small cloth pouch and an architectural blueprint from his belongings.

    Noan waved his hand, and a Skeleton Swordsman stepped forward, taking both items from Caleb''s hands before placing them on the table in front of Noan.

    However, Noan didn''t even glance at the offerings. Instead, he spoke in a calm voice, "Very well. I have received your gift. Now then, why have you come to see me?"

    Caleb''s mouth fell open in shock. He suddenly felt as if he had been tricked.

    "You... you just accepted my gift... You—you tricked me!"

    Seeing Caleb stammering in frustration, Noan found the situation somewhat amusing.

    "Caleb, don''t falsely accuse me," Noan said with a smirk. "When did I ever deceive you? You willingly brought me a gift, didn''t you?"

    Caleb shuddered. A cold chill ran down his spine.

    At that moment, he realized—he had just played the fool.

    This was a gift, not a bargaining chip for Noan''s secret.