What was that? And what the hell am I wearing?" Daion asked, staring at his gauntlet with a mix of amazement and confusion.

The hooded figure raised an eyebrow and turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"How did you do that?" Daion pressed, his tone impatient.

The hooded man remained silent for a moment, as if trying to decipher the question. Finally, he sighed and replied calmly, "Ah, I see. I just absorbed it."

Daion stared at him in disbelief. "No kidding…" he said with heavy sarcasm. "Of course, I saw you absorbed it! But how did you do it?"

The hooded figure shook his head, visibly irritated, like he was explaining something to a clueless child. "It's simple. The gauntlets we wear are organically connected to our bodies, like an additional organ. When we kill a creature, its Omega energy—or what you might call its life force—doesn't disappear completely. The gem in the gauntlet absorbs that energy. That same energy strengthens the wearer and their equipment."

Daion's jaw dropped. "It strengthens everything? Just like that?"

"Exactly." The hooded figure lifted his rifle, admiring it for a moment before pointing it lazily at Daion. "That's why my weapon can take down these creatures so easily. And why you…" he gestured at Daion with his chin, "…are still so weak."

The comment stung, but it also got Daion thinking. "So… the gauntlet improves with every creature you kill?"

"Yes, but it depends on what you kill. Stronger beasts give more energy. And if you take on something truly dangerous, you might get significant upgrades. These things?" He motioned to the creature on the ground. "Barely count as pets."

Daion looked down at his hand, where the gauntlet rested, inert, like it was asleep. "And how… how do I do it? How do I absorb the energy?"

The hooded man let out an annoyed huff. "What kind of summoned fool doesn't know that? I doubt your god didn't explain it. Are you an idiot?"

Rage and frustration surged through Daion, but he bit his tongue. Maybe my god's just a damn bastard, he thought, but he knew better than to say it aloud.

The hooded figure scrutinized him, as if trying to read his mind. Finally, he clicked his tongue disdainfully and shook his head. "It's instinctive. Your gauntlet should activate automatically when you touch a body. Maybe yours is… defective."

"Defective?" Daion muttered through clenched teeth. His thoughts swirled in frustration. "The damn god didn't even bother to explain anything! He just dumped me here with this useless thing."

"Welcome to the club, rookie," the hooded man said, clearly hearing him. "We're all broken toys of the gods here. But if you want to survive, you'd better learn fast."

Daion stared at him, surprised that he'd overheard. Great. Looks like this thing improves your damn hearing too, he thought bitterly.

The hooded man continued in a nonchalant tone, "At least my goddess bothered to explain how it worked." Then, without much care, he turned toward the door. "Try it. Since you killed it, you get to keep its body."

And with that, he left the chapel, leaving Daion alone with his thoughts—and the creature's corpse.

Daion knelt beside the beast, staring at it with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. For a moment, he just looked at it, unsure of what to do. Finally, he raised his hand and placed it on the corpse. At first, nothing happened. He tapped it a few times, as if testing a malfunctioning device.

"Really? Is this it?" he muttered in frustration. He was starting to believe his god had really sent him here with broken equipment.

This time, he decided to focus, willing something to happen. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the creature's body. Then he saw it: spectral channels of energy running through the monster, like the circuits of a complex machine. The faint glow was fading quickly, as if it were a dying ember.

The hooded man was sitting on the steps, eating a ration wrapped in crumpled paper. He looked completely unbothered.

"Hey," Daion called out, trying to keep his voice steady.

The hooded man glanced at him, noticing the sweat on his face and his trembling hands, but said nothing. After a few seconds, he replied with dry sarcasm, "Sorry, I'm not looking for an apprentice." He stood up, dusting off his clothes. "I can't babysit anyone. Survive with the tips I gave you."

Daion's frustration boiled over. He clenched his fists, not just from the rejection, but from the fact that he hadn't even been given a chance to speak. "At least…" he tried to say, but the man was already walking away. "At least tell me where to go! I have no idea what to do!"

The hooded man stopped and glanced over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. Daion's desperation was clear in his voice as he shouted, "I don't want to die, dammit!"

For a moment, the hooded man seemed to hesitate. His eyes studied Daion, seeing the fear in him. It reminded him of his own first days. Nobody had helped him back then. No one had handed him a map or offered advice. And yet, here he was.

He sighed and tossed a small pouch to Daion, who caught it midair. Inside, Daion found silver and gold coins.

"That should keep you alive for a few days," the man said.

"What good is gold in the forest? Should I throw it at the monsters?" Daion replied sarcastically.

The hooded man clicked his tongue in irritation and pointed toward the horizon, where two mountains loomed in the distance. "There's a small village in that direction. You should reach it before nightfall if you hurry. You can stay there for the night. And if you're lucky, you might run into a summoned team working in the area. Maybe they'll help you."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and began walking into the woods.

"Thanks," Daion called out, raising his voice. "My name's Daion."

The hooded man didn't reply or turn back. He disappeared into the shadows of the forest, as if he'd never been there.

"He could've at least told me his name, couldn't he?" Daion muttered as he turned toward the direction he'd been given.

Looking at the horizon, he estimated he had about four hours of daylight left. But in a binary star system, it was hard to say for sure. The only thing he knew was that nights here couldn't be pleasant.

As he moved forward, a strange sensation crept over him. He wasn't sure if it was the energy he had absorbed or if the gauntlet had more to show him. But one thing was clear: his struggle was just beginning.