Night had fallen. Under the silent glow of starlight, Ryan returned to his apartment.
He didn't rest right away. Instead, he retrieved the wand he had received from the guild earlier—a reward for his completed mission. The azure-blue staff shimmered like liquid crystal, magical energy flowing across its surface as if it were alive.
He stared at it in silence for a moment, then spoke softly, "Equip."
[System Notification: Detected item is classified as standard rare-tier equipment. Status: Incompatible.]
[Forbidden Class Restriction: Unable to equip 'standard' human-manufactured equipment.]
[Note: Forbidden-class awakeners cannot use equipment made within the conventional human crafting system. Only specially bonded items may be equipped. Compatibility criteria undisclosed.]
Ryan froze for a second, frowning slightly.
"...Incompatible?" he murmured.
He had assumed this rare wand would significantly boost his combat performance. He hadn't expected the system to deny its usage outright. And the note—"compatibility criteria undisclosed"—made it clear this wasn't something he could simply fix through leveling or gear refinement.
He tried again.
The same cold, mechanical message popped up.
There was no room for negotiation.
Ryan sat down quietly, gazing at the wand—a weapon so exquisitely beautiful it barely resembled a tool of war. Yet there was no emotion in his eyes.
"Maybe," he whispered to himself, "this path was never meant to follow anyone else's."
He returned the wand to his storage and closed his eyes.
No anger. No disappointment.
Only a deeper kind of calm.
—
The next morning, before the sun fully rose, Ryan arrived in the city's central district.
His destination today: Star Federation - Emberflame Trade Hall.
The massive structure loomed like a fortress in the heart of the city, its black-silver metal columns piercing into the sky. Streams of magical energy pulsed along its outer walls, like meteor trails frozen in place. Cold, efficient, intimidating—this was not a place for casual browsers.
[System Notification: Entering Emberflame Trade Hall.]
[Current Administrative Entity: Carlos Consortium]
Ryan's gaze sharpened.
The Carlos Consortium—an entity so rarely mentioned in public discourse, yet omnipresent in every corner of the Federation.
Rumor had it that every legal trade hall in the Federation, even those in military zones and frontier battlefields, ultimately operated under Carlos's banner. Some even whispered that their influence extended beyond human territory—dealing with other races, independent factions, and entities from entirely different realms.
No one knew who truly ran it.
It was like a vast web of commerce, silently embedded into the foundations of civilization.
As soon as Ryan stepped into the main hall, a figure in a deep golden robe approached with precision.
"Mr. Ryan Blackwood," the man said, bowing slightly. "The overseer has been expecting you."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "They knew I was coming?"
"We are merchants, not prophets," the guide replied with a small smile. "But the Carlos Consortium welcomes all extraordinary individuals. Please—this way."
Ryan didn't press further. He followed the guide through a series of halls and into a private chamber outfitted with various magical monitoring devices.
A man was waiting.
Middle-aged, dressed in a pristine black cloak with the Carlos insignia over his chest. He didn't radiate power, but carried a weight that was hard to measure.
He rose and extended a hand with a calm smile. "Welcome, Candidate of the Forbidden Path."
Ryan's eyes narrowed. "You recognize me?"
"Carlos does not involve itself in war, nor in politics," the man replied evenly. "But we are excellent at identifying... singular signatures."
He tapped the table.
A card materialized midair—black and gold, etched with runes that glowed faintly with ancient magic.
[System Notification: Acquired Item - Carlos Black-Gold VIP Card]
[Privileges Granted:]
40% discount on all item base prices
Access to hidden-tier marketplace
Priority in custom orders and unique bonding items
Lifetime validity, non-transferable
"Black-Gold tier..." Ryan read aloud, a rare flicker of emotion crossing his face.
"We believe your future contributions will more than justify our investment," the overseer said with a faint grin. "And for now, we offer this token of confidence."
Ryan nodded. Without hesitation, he pulled the azure wand from his storage and placed it on the table.
"I'd like to sell this."
The man gave it a brief glance and nodded. "An excellent piece. Useless to you, perhaps, but valuable to many."
He tapped his interface. A transaction screen appeared.
[Item Sold: Azure Wand]
[Received: +2000 Starlight Coins]
Ryan stared at the number. His expression remained calm, but his thoughts were already moving.
If the system barred him from using "standard" crafted equipment, that meant almost every item on the market was worthless to him. And the rare "bonded" items? No one knew when or how they might appear.
The Carlos Consortium might be the only legitimate channel left open to him.
As he turned to leave, the overseer suddenly chuckled.
"Such a familiar aura..." the man said, almost to himself.
Ryan paused. "What did you say?"
The man simply smiled and nodded.
Then turned and disappeared into the chamber's depths.
Ryan stood still for a few seconds, then quietly pocketed the black-gold card and left the trade hall.
As he stepped outside, sunlight streamed through the spires and glass dome above, casting a sharp gleam across the card in his hand.
That same, bottomless sheen of black and gold.
He kept walking, wordless.
But he knew—
This was just the beginning.