But like all people, she needed to make breakthroughs in her tailoring skills. After all, it was easy to create powerful clothing using high-grade materials and the strongest enchantments. Anyone could do that with enough resources. The real challenge lay in refining one's craft to such a level that pure skill alone could surpass even the finest materials used in the most powerful gear.
That was her dream—to reach that level of mastery where talent and technique outweighed wealth and resources. But lately, progress had stalled, having trouble improving upon what already looked perfect.
"As you can see, this shirt here was made with the best techniques available. It maximizes airflow through the body, keeping you cool while also reducing wind resistance in case you need to move quickly," a store worker explained enthusiastically, holding up the neatly folded garment for display.
Weaver let out a quiet sigh. She already knew exactly what kind of shirt he was referring to.
She had spent months studying the relationship between fabric and airflow—analyzing how the wind passed through different weaves, how certain stitching patterns could alter drag, and how materials could be shaped to work with the air instead of against it. She had been part of the design team that helped develop that very shirt.
It was a creation that blurred the line between comfort and performance, making the wearer feel almost shirtless while still granting far greater benefits.
"Could be better." A calm voice drifted through the air, stopping Weaver mid-step. Her face immediately tightened in annoyance. Another critic. She had dealt with plenty of those before, the kind of people who loved to nitpick just to sound smart, even though they couldn't create anything themselves.
"What do you mean?" the worker asked, clearly caught off guard by the young man's words.
"The person who created this shirt put too much focus on the resources used to build it into the design," Vector said lightly, his tone casual. "That's why it costs so much… I bet I could make one better."
Weaver's brow twitched. She didn't know who he was, but his words struck her pride in a way few things could.
Vector, on the other hand, wasn't trying to provoke anyone. He wasn't even speaking with arrogance—just honesty. He had come here to shop, but now that he'd seen the product, he couldn't ignore the thought forming in his mind. Clothing like this was a massive market, and with the right skill, it could easily become another business opportunity.
"How so?" A female voice cut through his thoughts, calm but curious. Vector turned his head to see a masked woman standing a few steps away, her sharp eyes studying him.
"Nothing much, really," Vector replied casually. "Just taking what the person did here, I would try…"
He began explaining his thought process in detail, speaking with a quiet confidence. He described how he would rearrange the stitching pattern to improve airflow, allowing the fabric to take in more air while reducing resistance. He pointed out how the structure could be altered to maximize comfort without sacrificing design, and how all of it could be done without raising production costs.
It wasn't about using better materials—it was about smarter construction. Simply changing how the clothing was put together could yield the same, if not better, results.
"I'd call it the car model," Vector said thoughtfully. "Since the clothing would act as the body of the car, while the human body is the engine that needs to be cooled down. What do you think? You seem to have a taste for clothing making."
The masked woman met his gaze, momentarily speechless. She hadn't expected something so simple yet so brilliant to come from a casual conversation.
To think that her decision to visit the mall in search of inspiration would lead her here, to a stranger casually handing her an entirely new concept for constructing clothing. His analogy was elegant and practical, a framework that perfectly captured the relationship between form, function, and flow.
"Who are you?" she asked softly, her curiosity finally breaking through her composure.
"I'm Vector," he replied with an easy smile. "And I'm thinking of one day creating a clothing brand of my own. What do you think? Want to join me? I can see your love for this field."
For a brief moment, she stood there silently, the offer hanging in the air between them. It was tempting—so effortlessly tempting—but after a few seconds of thought, she shook her head. Her movements were calm, but her eyes revealed a flicker of hesitation, as if part of her wanted to say yes.
"What a shame. You can take the idea—think of it as a gift. I just came up with it on the spot. I have better ideas," Vector said with a light smile, his tone casual.
The masked woman stood frozen, caught off guard by how easily he dismissed something so valuable. She wanted to grab him by the collar, shake him, maybe even crack open his head just to see what kind of mind could produce ideas like that so effortlessly. But all she could do was watch as he turned away, his butler following respectfully behind, arms full of neatly folded clothing.
She remained still for a moment, then quietly turned and left the store. The moment she got home, she began working to test the theory Vector had mentioned. Hours passed, and when she finally saw the results for herself, she realized something startling—Vector had lied about the effect the design would have on the body… it was better than what Vectory had theorized.
Meanwhile, since Vector hadn't gone out of his way to purchase the highest-grade clothing available, he settled for a mix of luxury wear designed for both ordinary people and system holders. Even then, the prices were far from cheap. He spent as little as a thousand dollars on a pair of socks and up to a hundred thousand dollars for a single pair of pants. By the time he was done, the total had climbed to a clean one million dollars.
Of course, that wasn't the end of his shopping spree. On his way home, Vector stopped by the Nova Store—the premier tech company in the United States, famous for pushing the limits of innovation. He bought everything in the store, as it might be useful..
Nothing particularly dramatic happened during the purchase, but he did walk out with the best phone in existence—one so advanced that the teams at Apple and Samsung would probably weep if they ever saw it.
"This is the way?" Vector asked with mild curiosity as he glanced out the window. The car wound its way through a dense stretch of forest. The road sloped steadily upward, taking them farther and farther from the city below.
"Yes," the butler replied softly. "The mansion that was given to you is located at the top of this hill. It's quite isolated. No one has claimed it for some time—mostly due to its price."
He paused briefly, maintaining his calm, professional tone. "Of course, if you find it unsuitable, we can easily make arrangements for another property."
"Oh, one of those mansions," Vector said lightly, already guessing what kind of place it was.
With the rise of systems, there were people whose abilities allowed them to design and construct buildings beyond normal imagination. Some took it too far, creating architectural marvels so massive and advanced that no one in their right mind would buy them.
The mansion he was being given wasn't one of those he fully owned, either—it was closer to a lease. Still, the terms were absurdly generous. The rent was set at only two hundred million dollars a month, a laughably small sum compared to the staggering eleven billion it would normally take to rent a place of that scale.
Vector had the first three months completely free. Even the staff came included; both the butler and maid were already hired and fully paid for that entire period.
"Wow," Vector breathed out as the car slowed to a stop before an enormous gate. The towering structure loomed above them, crafted from reinforced metal found within the tower. Beyond it stretched a view that made him momentarily speechless.
The mansion that stood on the hill wasn't just large—it was colossal. It reminded him of the grand academies he'd seen in anime, sprawling estates with endless courtyards and towering halls. But even then… this was far bigger. It didn't look like a home—it looked like its own kingdom.
"Before you stands Babylon, Sir, the crown of modern architecture and private luxury. Built across more than seventy acres, it was designed to be completely self-sustaining, a world of its own," the butler said respectfully, his tone carrying a hint of pride.
"The mansion itself spans over two hundred thousand square feet..."