Marvel: Beginning with the Collection of Shinra Tensei

Ristarte glanced at Han Yu and used her ability to analyze stats. Her expression shifted to something unusual once again.

[Name: Han Yu]

[LV: 25]

[HP: 1200]

[MP: 120]

[Attack: 985, Defense: 874, Speed: 873, Magic: 452, Growth Value: 299]

[Special Skills: Flame Magic (LV. MAX), Experience Gain Boost (LV. 4), Stat Analysis (LV. 5)]

"In such a short time, he's already surpassed Chaos? This leveling speed is insane!"

Ristarte looked at Han Yu in shock, her expression showing deep thought. Before she could speak, Han Yu interrupted.

"Even though we're going to save people, we can't go in unprepared. Is there another spawn point near the town we're heading to?" he asked.

"There is, but they're much smaller. The town I chose already has the best equipment available compared to the others. The rest are even less equipped, with gear that's quite basic," Ristarte replied.

"Then we'll go to the smaller one. We'll buy gear there and head straight to the rescue."

Hearing this, Ristarte quickly agreed. At least Han Yu wasn't arguing, and now one minute had already passed in Gaeabrande's time—leaving nine minutes remaining.

"Let's go!"

Ristarte opened a new portal to Gaeabrande, and the two stepped through, one after the other. The town they arrived in was tiny—so small that Han Yu could see the town's gate from a distance.

"This is just a village with a population barely over a hundred. If you're looking for a proper beginner spawn point, this should actually be the first stop," Ristarte explained.

Previously, for convenience, she had directly set their destination to the larger town's outskirts, only to be ambushed by their enemy.

Han Yu nodded and began scanning the village, his gaze searching for something. Suddenly, his eyes locked onto a particular spot, and he walked quickly toward it.

Ristarte hurried to keep up. The two arrived at a small stall that was clearly selling equipment. However, the items on display were beyond underwhelming.

The quality was so poor it didn't even seem to reach one-star grade. The equipment consisted of the simplest armor pieces, some basic cloth, and even rough materials that made Ristarte wince.

"Han Yu, maybe we should go somewhere else. We can quietly head back to the other town to buy proper equipment. These… aren't suitable for you," Ristarte suggested, feeling awkward even bringing it up.

Han Yu's eyes swept across the weapons and armor on display. Suddenly, his gaze stopped at something, and his expression turned to one of surprise.

"How is this here?" he muttered to himself, puzzled.

Noticing his reaction, Ristarte followed his gaze. It landed on a black outfit—a top resembling a kimono and pants that were wide and long, tapering at the ankles.

As casual wear, the outfit seemed fine, but for combat, it looked entirely unsuitable.

"How much for this?" Han Yu asked, picking up the outfit before Ristarte could say anything.

"Oh, that one? That's not something we made here—it's something I found outside. Young man, if you're interested, just trade me two loaves of bread for it," the shopkeeper, a kind-looking elderly man, said with a smile.

Two loaves of bread. For Ristarte, that was an unbelievably simple price to pay. Bread was readily available and inexpensive—anyone could easily afford it.

But in this small village, their production capabilities were limited, and being far from the city, even the kind of bread found in urban areas was considered a luxury item here.

While Ristarte was exchanging bread for the item, Han Yu had already taken the black outfit to a small grove behind the stall to change. When he reappeared, Ristarte's gaze was utterly captivated.

Dressed in the black attire, Han Yu's figure appeared even more slender and elegant than in his casual clothing. The outfit exuded a solemn air, and the dark color subdued his usual sharp presence, lending him a composed and restrained demeanor. Standing silently, he radiated an undeniable presence that was hard to ignore.

"This outfit suits you perfectly."

Ristarte approached him, circling around to inspect the attire from all angles, her face filled with satisfaction. She hadn't expected something bought from a small village to fit him so well.

Just then, a faint white light emanated from the black outfit. A layer of white silk materialized over the outermost part of the clothing, transforming into a flowing white coat draped over his shoulders.

This scene left both Ristarte and the stall owner dumbfounded. Ristarte, unable to contain her curiosity, activated her stat-analysis ability to determine if this was some hidden S-rank gear capable of transforming.

However, under her analysis, the outfit appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary black garment.

Han Yu, on the other hand, was astonished. He recognized it immediately—it was the Shihakusho, the uniform of the Shinigami in the world of the Soul Society, perfectly matching his Zanpakuto, Hyorinmaru.

The Shihakusho was the work attire of Shinigami, typically all-black, with only a select few granted an additional white coat—the hallmark of a captain-level Shinigami. In the Gotei 13, there were only thirteen captains, each exceptionally powerful.

While the Shihakusho itself didn't possess overt traits, Han Yu's possession of Hyorinmaru made it evident that this attire was its rightful complement.

"System, what's the meaning of this?"

Han Yu questioned the General Store System in his mind, worried this might be a trap. If equipping these items counted as recklessness and led to a reduction in upgrade-point rewards, it would be a costly mistake.

"The current world operates as an RPG. Equipment and items can be obtained through 'crafting,' 'pickup,' or 'plunder.' The host may choose to keep items or exchange them with the store for upgrade points. Note that only A-rank and above items are eligible for exchange."

The latter half of the system's explanation thrilled Han Yu. If bartering for items was an option, then things were looking up.

And sure enough, an individual fully decked out in A-rank gear was already heading his way to deliver equipment directly.

"Perfect. After equipping the Shihakusho, my stats have improved significantly. This thing is actually quite useful."

Han Yu clenched his fists, feeling the surge of power within. As soon as the Shihakusho transformed, Hyorinmaru's spiritual energy flared, enhancing his capabilities in this world. Though the boost was limited to two stats—attack and speed—it was substantial.

His attack power, originally at 980, now exceeded 1,000, while his speed, previously at 870, had risen to nearly 990. For any ordinary hero, such rapid stat gains would be unthinkable.

Since he couldn't use his equipment from his original world, Han Yu purchased a slender blade resembling Hyorinmaru and hung it at his waist.

"Alright, it seems you're ready. Time is running out, so let's get moving!" Ristarte urged, handing him a few antidotes and healing potions she had just bought.

Han Yu, however, shook his head and raised three fingers.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Those weapons and items we just got—five sets each," Han Yu replied matter-of-factly.

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