I wake up to the golden morning sunlight streaming through the windows, gently warming the room. Hinata lies beside me, undressed and curled up in my arms, her body snug beneath the covers. Her breathing is slow and peaceful, her expression content as she leans into my warmth.
Not wanting to wake her just yet, I slowly and carefully ease myself out of bed, doing my best not to disturb her. She stirs slightly but doesn't wake as I slip away and head to the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, I return with two mugs of hot coffee and a pair of breakfast sandwiches. Hinata is awake now, sitting up beneath the blankets with a sleepy smile on her face. The soft light frames her like a painting, her hair tousled, eyes half-lidded with contentment.
"Good morning," she says, voice still husky from sleep.
"Morning," I reply, returning her smile. "Did you sleep well?"
"Like a baby. Thanks for the coffee."
I hand her a mug and climb back under the covers, sandwich plate balanced on one hand. We hadn't made any specific plans for the day, and with nothing urgent pulling us away, it felt good to simply enjoy her company without the weight of the world on our shoulders.
For the next few minutes, we stay wrapped in each other, exchanging lazy kisses and small talk. But eventually, duty peeks its head back in. Hinata reaches over to grab her phone, skimming her notifications with practiced eyes. A moment later, she turns to me with a thoughtful expression.
"Do you have any porter jobs booked this week?" she asks.
I shake my head. "None. Why?"
She grins. "We've got a request to help break a D-rank gate tomorrow. What do you think?"
Breaking a gate typically means entering one below your own rank in order to assist with difficult objectives, retrieving loot, scouting, or protecting specialists. Hinata, being C-rank, gets these kinds of requests regularly. And now that we're officially partners, I will be getting them too.
"What are the conditions?" I ask.
"It's a bodyguard mission. We're escorting a runesmith who's attempting to crack a vault inside a tundra gate. Risk is supposed to be low. We'll do a fifty-fifty split with her on whatever's inside. Our job is to make sure she stays alive."
I raise an eyebrow. "A runesmith, huh?"
Runesmiths are one of the more niche awakened classes. They have no direct combat ability, but they're invaluable in support roles. Buffs, debuffs, and the rare but vital skill of reading and breaking runic encryption, especially when it comes to vaults inside gates, make them worth their weight in gold. That said, most of them are locked into guilds and rarely operate alone.
"She's independent?" I ask.
Hinata nods. "It's Hope. You've probably heard the name. She's also one of my closest female friends. She's a genius, no doubt about that, but... let's say she's a little eccentric. Doesn't play well with others. She left her guild after constant harassment from other members, mostly because she's not a fighter."
"That's ridiculous," I mutter. "People used to look down on me because I was a porter. I get it. What rank is she?"
"C-rank, officially. But in terms of her utility, she could assist even in S-rank gates. She just doesn't have the people skills to make it that far in a group setting."
I nod in understanding, my mind debating whether accepting is a good idea.
Vaults are unpredictable. They always contain something valuable, but they also hide serious dangers. Sometimes you crack open an E-rank vault and find a D-rank boss lurking inside. Other times, the loot barely makes the risk worth it.
"What do you think?" Hinata asks. "Should we take it?"
I shrug, pulling her closer with a grin. "That depends. Are you okay with roughing it in a tent inside a frozen wasteland for a few days? We might be there a while while she works her magic, and once the vault is open, we might have a fight on our hands."
"I don't mind," she replies, laughing. "As long as you're there, I can deal with the cold."
"I've got a luxury two-man tent stashed in my [Item Box]," I say. "It's winter-grade, rated for arctic conditions. I'll also prep hot meals for five days—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We'll be eating like royalty."
Hinata gives me a sideways look. "You know you're not a porter anymore, right? You don't have to do all that."
"I know," I say, kissing her temple. "But I still want to. If we're camping in the middle of a freezing gate, I want hot food, warm drinks, and some basic comforts. No reason to suffer unnecessarily."
She laughs again and nods. "Alright, chef Xavier. Let's do it."
After confirming with Hope and ironing out the details, Hinata relays the specifics to me. We head to the supermarket and stock up on ingredients and supplies. Once we return, I spend the rest of the afternoon preparing five days' worth of meals for the three of us, hearty stews, rice dishes, sealed breakfasts, and hot drinks, all portioned into thermal containers and neatly packed into my [Item Box].
Hinata heads to her place to pack, returning a few hours later with two large suitcases. I don't ask what's in them; I trust her judgment. She's a pro when it comes to gate prep, and her gear is always practical.
As for my tent, it's more than just fabric and poles. I invested in it last year, back when I was still a porter. It's insulated, rated for extreme weather, and includes a cast iron stove that can run on a single fuel block for three days. A rechargeable 10-day battery powers internal heating and lighting, and I've got spare blankets, dry socks, and everything else we might need. All of it fits easily into my [Item Box], which can now carry significantly larger items thanks to my awakening.
Hinata reminds me that the gate's internal environment is arctic tundra, exactly what I suspected. That explains why most teams avoid it. Unless you're specifically outfitted for cold-weather survival and willing to sit in sub-zero temperatures while a runesmith works, it's a logistical nightmare.
Which, of course, makes it a perfect opportunity for us.
By the time night falls, everything is packed and ready. I double-check our supplies, ensure the meals are properly sealed, and set the tent gear aside within easy reach in case we need it as soon as we enter.
Hinata curls up next to me on the couch as we go over the plan one last time. There's a quiet sense of excitement between us. This will be our first official run as a team—not just as partners, but as equals, operating independently.