Ethan leaned ba his chair aboard his ship, feeling the weight of his ret promotiole in. The guild system had ranked him up to Raer the st mission, and with it came a wealth of new opportunities and responsibilities. The notification from the guild still blinked on his information tablet, a stant remihat the stakes had just risen.

  "I've piled the list of avaible missions for your new rank," Iris, his ship's AI, chimed in. Her voice was as smooth as ever, though a hint of anticipation tinged her tone. "You now have access to higher-tier jobs, including some bounty hunting tracts and more lucrative transport missions."

  Ethan scrolled through the newly unlocked options, his eyes narrowing as he studied the details. Esissions, supply runs, and caravan prote jobs were all avaible, but it was the bounty hunting missions that caught his attention. They were a step up in difficulty and danger, but the payouts were substantial.

  "Bounties, huh?" Ethan mused aloud. "Could be iing."

  "Indeed," Iris responded. "Bounty hunting tracts are high-risk, high-reward missions. They range from simple captures of low-level criminals to extremely dangerous targets with powerful allies."

  Etha scrolling, feeling a sense of excitement building. "Anything tied to the Bck Sun Syndicate?"

  Iris paused for a moment before answering. "Not directly, though some of these bounties could have es. The Syndicate is deeply embedded in Kynara's underworld, and many of the individuals on these lists operate on the fringes of their influence."

  He sighed, knowing that going after the Syndicate would take time. He wasn't ready to face them yet, not without better gear and more experiehe st mission had taught him that much.

  "Let's not jump into that just yet," Ethan said, closing the mission tab for now. "I o gear up before I take on anything too crazy. Rank E means I've earned a bit of respect, but I'm still a long way from being ready for those kinds of threats."

  "I agree," Iris said. "Now that you have some credits, it would be wise to i in your own equipment. Renting gear was a cost-effective solution, but long-term, it's ineffit. I've piled a list of shops in Valeris City that h-quality armor and ons suited for your bat style."

  Ethan stood up, stretg his arms. He g the ban his information tablet, 325,000 credits. While it was a det sum, he still needed more to repair his ship. "I don't know, Iris. That's a lot to spend. I still o get the ship fixed."

  "True, but sider this," Iris replied. "Iing in high-quality gear now will improve your performan uping missions. With better ons and armor, you'll be able to tackle higher-risk jobs, which means rger payouts. In the long run, this iment could lead to signifit returns."

  Ethan frowned, weighing her words. He had always been cautious with his credits. "But more than half of my total-"

  "Think of it as a y," Iris interjected. "The new gear will enhance your abilities, and you won't o repce it for several ranks. The more effective you are, the more credits you'll earn. It's a strategic move, Ethan."

  He sighed, still feeliit. "I guess you're right. But I don't want to end up broke if something happens to my ship."

  "Repairs wait a little longer," Iris assured him. "You o prioritize your readiness as a merary. Besides, with your new gear, I'll bet you'll finish missions faster, and you'll be able to save up for repairs in no time."

  Ethan sidered this. Her arguments made sense, and the idea of being under-equipped for his job made him uneasy. "Okay, let's do it. I'll head into the city and see what they've got."

  Valeris City hummed with activity as Ethan made his way through the crowded streets. It was a bustling hub of erce, with traders, meraries, and civilians alike going about their business. The variety of alien species made for a colorful se. Some t over the humans, others scurrying around on multiple limbs, all adding to the chaotiergy of the city.

  Ethan's destination was a gear shop reended by Iris: Vector's Armory, a well-knowablishment frequented by meraries and bounty hunters. The shop stood on the edge of a busy marketpce, its neon sign flickering above the entrance.

  As he stepped inside, a wave of cool air greeted him, along with the sight of rows upon rows of ons, armor, and gadgets. Everything from energy pistols to psma bdes lihe walls, and holographic dispys showcased the test in merary tech.

  Ethan's eyes sed the gear, feeling a rush of excitement. He had beeing equipment for too long, now it was time to build his own kit.

  "Iris, based on my fighting style and the data you've gathered, what do you reend?" Ethan asked quietly, his hand h over a dispy of psma short swords.

  "I've piled a list of suitable options," Iris replied, her voice filtering through his earpiece. "Your bat data suggests you excel with light, fast ons and gadgets that allow for strategieuvering. I would reend iing in dual ser pistols for your primary ons, paired with a psma dagger for close-quarters bat. They're lightweight and effit, providing a bance of speed ahality."

  Ethan nodded, pig up a psma dagger. The ha fortably in his grip, and with a press of a button, the bde hummed to life, glowing a soft blue. "Feels good," he muttered, testing the weight in his hand.

  "There's also a set of light energy armor that would suit your needs," Iris tinued. "It includes a helmet which i ey systems for real-time data and analysis. The helmet features a heads-up dispy (HUD) night visio vision, UV vision, and more. This armor provides signifit prote without sacrifig mobility, ideal for someone who prefers to analyze and strategize during bat."

  Ethan's gaze shifted to a sleek set of light energy armor dispyed nearby. It wasn't as bulky as some of the heavier suits, but it looked durable enough to withstand a few heavy hits. He tapped on the dispy, pulling up the stats: reinforced chest pting, built-in energy shields, and thermal resistance. Perfect for someone like him who preferred agility and adaptability.

  "I'll take the armor, the ser pistols, and the psma dagger," Ethan said, making his way to the ter. "And those grenades over there. I could use some tactical options."

  The shopkeeper, a burly man with cyberic impnts, nodded as he processed the transa. "Good choices. You'll be set for just about anything with this kit. Year will be automatically transported to your ship at the doce the payment is processed."

  Ethan smiled as the man handed over the firmation of his order. He could feel the weight of the new gear in his hands, a tangible representation of his progress.

  As he left the shop and made his way back to his ship, the anticipation of testing his new equipment surged within him.

  Ethan stood in front of the mirror in his quarters, adjusting the fit of his new energy armor. It felt right. Light, flexible, but solid where it ted. The psma dagger and dual ser pistols sat ly in their holsters, and a variety of grenades and tools lined his utility belt. Things like smoke bombs, EMP charges, thermal grenades, a holographic emitter and a hag tool food measure.

  Iris' holographi flickered to life beside him. "Now that you've equipped yourself with more suitable gear, your effi bat will likely improve. Are you ready to test everything?"

  Ethan's grin widened. "Let's fire up the simution. I'm ready."